Episodes

Summary: Today’s episode is part three of a three-part series on team building. In the first two episodes of the series, we talked about the two different types of cohesion that your dancers are striving for, and we covered the four different...

Summary: Establishing cohesion and unity among a group of dancers is an ongoing process, and anyone who’s been a teacher or a coach for more than one year will probably tell you every group is different. One big reason why each group is different is...

Team Bonding Series Part 1 Summary: Did you know there are two types of team bonding? I know many coaches believe that if dancers spend time together, both in and out of practice, they will bond. However, if you're not strategic about this, your team...

Summary: As a dancer, are you following someone else’s dream or your own? Do you have dreams of becoming a famous professional ballet dancer? Who do you think you need to be in order to be successful in the dance industry? My guest today is Susanne...

Summary: Whenever an event or a season is coming to a close, I like to think back and notice what went well, what didn't go so well, and what lessons have I learned. As I usually do around this time of year, I was recently reflecting on past seasons....

Summary: As teachers, studio owners, and coaches, we often don't get credit when things are going well. If our dancers are doing well at competition, they are praised, and rightfully so. If we have a recital that goes off without a hitch, teachers...

Building team culture takes hard work. The question is, what must we do in order to actually build a positive team or studio culture with our dancers or how do we turn a negative team culture around? In today’s episode, I’ll be interviewing...

Do your dancers get lazy sometimes? Do you not know how to motivate athletes as a coach? If your dancers are lacking motivation, there is something you can do about it!   Welcome to Part Three of my Framework Series. In today’s episode, we’ll...

This episode is part two of the Positive Coaching Framework Series where we’ll discuss how to be a dance coach who truly makes a lasting positive impact on your dancers. If you’ve been teaching for a while, you might agree with me that today’s...

Summary: You may have heard there are four pillars to the Passion for Dance podcast: mindset, resilience, motivation, and community. All of the episodes revolve around those themes, and I chose that structure because it comes directly from my Positive...

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Passion for Dance podcast! In honor of the 100th episode, I wanted to do something special. My passion has become a passion for so many of you who are listening, so thank you for continuing to tune in, listen, and...

How do we improve our confidence? As teachers and as dancers, building our confidence is a big topic, and there’s a lot to it. I chose to tackle this big topic with a fellow mental performance expert by my side. My guest today is a fellow mental...

Are you a perfectionist? Do you work with perfectionist dancers? I was a perfectionist dancer and a coach, but now I’m a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism is still a regular battle for me, and it’s really common in our dance industry....

Do your dancers like to close their eyes and visualize their routine before taking the stage? Does visualization help improve sport performance or is it just a popular thing dancers like to do? Did you know that visualization or imagery is not just...

Dancers, do you feel prepared for your next audition? Do you know what company or school you even want to audition for? Today’s episode is for all the dancers out there who are getting ready to audition. Caitlin Sloan of The Brainy Ballerina comes...

Summary:  The word “intention” is becoming a bit of a buzzword. There are so many influencers and psychologists alike who talk about all of the benefits setting your intention can have on your life, but what about setting an intention for a...

Summary:  It can be difficult to help someone who is not motivated to work hard. Sometimes we feel pressure, as a teacher, to be the complete source of motivation. Motivation is a mental process that initiates or sometimes it sustains an...

As a coach or a dancer, have you revisited the goals you set over the summer or at the beginning of your season? Have those big goals been on the forefront of your mind as you go to practice every week? There is no time like the present to get...

Do you set New Year's resolutions or new goals this time of year, or are you like me and go through a reflection process to choose one word for the year that serves as a compass or a guide? While I do think goals can be very powerful when done...

Summary: Do you ever pause and reflect on your day or your week as a dance educator or a dancer? The truth is, sitting down with your favorite journal and truly reflecting on the current state of things is a bit of a luxury, but it’s one that’s...

Summary: Have you heard the saying “get out of your head” when talking about athletes who are anxious for a competition or a performance? Oftentimes, dance teachers will say, “You’re overthinking! Just get out of your head,” to encourage...

Summary: Have you ever had to grieve the loss of your dream even if it was your choice to choose a different path in life? I know I’ve gone through that, and there were a lot of tears involved. My guest today, Natalie Orr, has been there too, but...

Summary: Gratitude has become a bit of a buzzword lately with people everywhere telling you to start a gratitude journal, have a gratitude practice every evening, write down the top three things you're grateful for today. Expressing gratitude, either...

Summary: Do you have big goals and dreams for the year, but when it comes to actually put in the work and practice, you find yourself feeling stuck, too tired, and unmotivated to push through? In this episode, we’ll be talking about what to do when...