Paige Russo has been head coach for the dance team at Southwestern since April 2021. Under the direction of Russo, the Southwestern dance team ended their 2022-2023 season with accolades following the 2023 Dance Team Union College Classic National Championships held in Florida in April 2023. The Spartans competed in the Open Division for pom, hip hop, and jazz, earning the following placings: pom, fourth place; hip hop, fifth place; and jazz, fifth place. In December 2022, the Dazzlers competed at the Iowa State Dance/Drill Team Association (ISDTA) competition at Wells Fargo in Des Moines. The Dazzlers came home with pom, fifth place; hip hop, fifth place; and jazz, sixth place. In January 2023, the Dazzlers competed at The Dance Challenge at Norwalk High School bring home platinum adjudications in jazz, hip hop, and pom. As well as 1^st place college jazz, hip hop and pom category and overall grand champion with their hip hop routine. Also in January 2023, the dazzlers competed at Dance Team Union Regional Competition in Kansas City earning third place in pom, hip hop, and jazz.

Russo, a lifetime dancer, was born and raised in Creston. She graduated from Creston High School where she was a four-year member of the Peppers Dance Team. Russo received a Division 1 rating in the Iowa State Drill Team Association Solo Competition, four varsity letters, and multiple team placings at the ISDTA competition. She danced at The Spotlight School of Dance, located in Creston, for 14 years where she received The Spotlight Dancer of the Year, multiple solo and group awards, and was a member of the competition team for 10 years.

During college, Russo was a member of the Southwestern Community College Dance team and received a Division 1 rating in the pom category at the Iowa State Drill Team Association Competition.  Russo earned her associate degree from Southwestern and her bachelor's degree in business from Buena Vista University.