222. Navigating College Dance Team Recruitment with Abbey Nugent

222 - Abbey Nugent

[00:00:00] Hello, welcome to Passion for Dance. I'm your host, Dr. Chelsea, and I'm on a mission to create happier, more successful dancers through positive mental skills. And today I'm gonna talk about the path to happiness and success during the college recruiting process. To help me with this topic, I'm joined by Abbey Nugent, a seasoned dance teacher and coach, and the founder of Studio 2 Stadium, a platform designed to streamline the college dance recruitment process.

Abbey offers valuable advice on how to choose the right program for you, how to prepare for the common recruitment video, effective communication with coaches and so much more. Tune in to learn how Studio 2 Stadium is making college dance recruitment more accessible and transparent for all dancers. And you'll Gain key insights so you can make your college dance team dreams come true.

Welcome to Passion for Dance. I'm Dr. Chelsea, a former professional dancer, turn sport psychologist, and this podcast is for everyone in the dance industry who want to learn actionable [00:01:00] strategies and new mindsets to build happier, more successful dancers. I know what it feels like to push through the pain, take on all the criticism, and do whatever it takes to make sure the show will go on.

But I also know that we understand more about mental health and resilience than ever before, and it's time to change the industry for the better. This podcast is for all of us to connect, learn, and share our passion for dance with the world.

Dr Chelsea: Hi, Abbey. Welcome to the show.

Abbey: Hi, Chelsea. Thank you so much for having me today. How are you?

Dr Chelsea: I am doing all right. How are you?

Abbey: I'm great. I'm just excited to be here and talking with you and talking with your listeners.

Dr Chelsea: Yes, thank you. Will you please introduce yourself a little? Let us know your dance background and what led you to what you do today.

Abbey: Yeah, of course. Well, my name's Abbey Nugent. I danced in college at the University of Colorado, and I served my senior as captain there. And then I ended up coming back and coaching at the university for five seasons. I've been in the dance world for a long time, teaching at Tara Cluck Dance Center, Michelle Latimer. When I was coaching and I was [00:02:00] recruiting dancers, I saw not only as a coach was I overwhelmed with how much time and money and effort that was going into it, but also for dancers on the other end who weren't really getting transparency. They weren't getting, you know, any real guidance as like where to go and like what would be a better fit for them and.

I wanted to create a platform where it could easily connect dancers and coaches, and it could help simplify the process as well, because I saw too, it was becoming kind of a numbers game of who can get on campus and come to as many clinics as they possibly can, but in reality, a lot of families can't afford that.

So Studio 2 Stadium is basically, think of it like a tender for dancers and coaches to easily find each other. Dancers are on there and they have a profile unique to them in that they can't see other dancers profiles. So it takes away the whole social media aspect of, you know, worrying about posting a video and having imposter syndrome worrying about what your friends are gonna think.

Um, because only coaches can see dancers profiles. And what's cool is all the coaches on the platform [00:03:00] too are verified. They have to submit a school ID and a government ID to ensure it's actually the coach that's coming on because privacy and security were a huge concern for us in wanting to make sure that we're protecting these dancers at all costs.

So, uh, dancers have a profile. They can filter out schools on their, based on different like GPAs, locations, sports they support styles that they do to help take this huge umbrella of college dance and really narrow it down to find, okay. Here are a couple programs I've not even heard of. I'm gonna go to their profile and see what they're all about.

And on a coach's profile, they're gonna have kind of similar information, but they're gonna have any upcoming deadlines or clinics. So you don't miss any like calendar things that are posted on Instagram. They're gonna have. What they do, if they have any scholarships available, what their practice schedule looks like.

Um, which again, you're not gonna traditionally find that on social media. They're gonna have videos, photos. So you kind of get this whole encompassing idea of what the program is. And like I said, dancers can. Favorite coach's profile and that [00:04:00] coach is gonna then be notified, be like, oh, like Abbey Nugent is interested in the University of Colorado dance team.

And it sends them a direct link to your profile. And dancers are gonna get that notification as well. So they know when coaches are actually looking at their profiles rather than being like, did they see me at this combine? Did they see me at this clinic? I don't know. Like, I guess we'll just find out if I get an email or not in a few months.

Um, and like the coolest thing that we just implemented. Which shout out Katie Fear. This was her idea. She had reached out and asked if we could create this, so I wanna give her some credit, is a prospect status update. So when dancers go and submit their common recruiting video, they can go upload it with one, just like simple link.

They can select which schools that they want to submit it to. They press submit, and then they get notified when the coach watches it. And then they also get notified if it's in review, if they've been released or if they've been accepted. So what this does is it simplifies the process for coaches so they can easily just let a dancer know by one click rather than have to type out a whole new email and go back and forth.

That's like [00:05:00] maybe why they got released, all the things. And then dancers know where they stand, so if they get released from a program, they're not going down the rabbit hole and trying to chase a dream that might not be there anymore. You know? So it's just bringing a lot more transparency to the process.

And yeah, the platform, we have a lot of other really cool features, and it's only 20 bucks a month. I made it that price because dance is already a very expensive sport and like I want to level the playing field for everyone to give everyone an equal opportunity in this, in this crazy world that we're a part of. And it's been a fun journey. We launched last year and it took us three years to build out. So it took us a long time. 'cause privacy and security were a huge concern for us, especially dealing with minors. Now with being live for a year, it's been a fun new, very different adventure from coaching.

Dr Chelsea: Absolutely, but yet still a problem solver and trying to help make this dance world better. Let's dig into recruiting a little bit and how dancers can be prepared or what to expect. So I wanna start by stepping back to [00:06:00] say you were a college dancer and a college coach, what do you think has changed over the last 10 years. What's different?

Abbey: Oh my gosh, it's a big long list. Uh, first things first, I would say with recruiting now and dance team for colleges , it's a game. It's a little bit more of like doing your research, starting your freshman and sophomore year, getting to know the coach, the program, the dancers on the team.

And it's really like how do you play the game in a smart and efficient way rather than just like trying to do it all out all at once. 'cause back when you and I were on dance teams, we just showed up the day of hope that we were have gonna have a good turn day and hope that you made the team. That was it.

But now you have to start researching so far in advance and attending, different clinics and combines just to get that face-to-face interaction with a coach because it is really important.

So It is so competitive now. I always say like I would probably never made University of Colorado Dance Team. Now when I auditioned back in 2012. It is become very competitive and I've [00:07:00] seen a really big increase in also like the need for acro training and what I see on the flip side of that is like also dancers are feeling this pressure to need all these tricks where in reality they're just kind of throwing them in their backyard at home and hoping that they get it correct. And what's happening is it's causing a lot of like injury in the studio world.

So, um, just like, you know, making sure kids are learning these tricks in a safe manner.

Dr Chelsea: Yeah, it has changed so much. It's like, feels like it's a completely different landscape. Yeah, absolutely.

Abbey: Financially too. I've seen, you know, these families are pouring so much money into trying to do everything for their dancer by trying to attend every summer intensive and combine and clinic. And it's just not feasible for a lot of families. And that was another like pain point that we're trying to build out with Studio 2 Stadium is trying to give exposure to these people that maybe don't have the financial means.

It's hard to see and that, you know, you want, like, there's some really, really talented kids out there that can make [00:08:00] some great programs, but it's like, how do we get them seen

Dr Chelsea: Yeah, it's trying to bring some level of equal playing field so that recruitment is based on fit and not who has the money to get in front of the coaches. Yeah.

Abbey: Exactly.

Dr Chelsea: Absolutely. So speaking of fit , how does a dancer find the right fit for them and know which programs to even try to be recruited at?

Abbey: I would encourage a dancer when they're first starting to look at schools is to think about what they want their entire college experience to look like. Do they wanna stay in state? What kind of weather do they like? What do they wanna study? Um, what kind of resources do they want available to them?

And then from there they can kind of funnel down to see what teams align with their specific goals. Because I think a lot of these kids are looking at these top tier teams that are blowing up on their TikTok and their social media and be like, I wanna be a part of that program. Well, in reality, that program only has four spots available and they're probably already filled for the, like the next season.

So it's like, [00:09:00] yes, chase your dreams, like dream big, but also know that if you wanna dance in college, there's a program out there for everyone. You just have to be open to the possibilities.

Another question I always like to ask dancers is, would you still attend this university if you were not dancing? Because like any other athlete we can get injured at any point, so you still have to like where you're going to school, because if you don't, then that's four years of your life where you're miserable and you don't enjoy your experience.

So all that really plays into when you're first starting out and looking and thinking out, like. What do I want my journey to look like? Not what is my friend

Dr Chelsea: Oh, that is

Abbey: my dance teacher telling me to do? Or what are my parents telling me to do? Like, where do I see myself?

And then as you start to dig a little bit deeper, you'll see teams come to you that you had maybe never considered before.

Dr Chelsea: Yeah, and that is such good advice. And of course the professor in me is happy to hear you say like, what is the school first and what do you want to do? Does it even have the educational track that you're interested in? And. The fit of the [00:10:00] actual atmosphere there. And, so figuring out what's the right fit for the university academically and, and culture and then narrowing it from there. So Good. And you're right about too. Following your own path. I think, you end up thinking about what is my high school coach told me, or who do I love on TikTok, or what does my mom want me to do?

And spending the time to figure out what you truly want, which is very hard at that age, but such an important piece to pause. Yeah.

Abbey: and I see it with a lot of dancers that I work with where one dancer will be interested in one specific school and then 10 of 'em are attending the clinic that next month. And I'm like, well, why? Why do you wanna go to the school? And they're like, well, that's where my friend is wanting to go. So like, I figured I might as well as tag along, which I think is great.

Like when you're a freshman in a sophomore. Still kinda like seeing what's out there and trying to get a feel for like different programs and cultures, but it almost turns into a competition with your friends. Of like who can get recruited onto certain teams when they're not even thinking about like what's gonna be a better place for them rather than where everyone else is going.

So I think that's a [00:11:00] key like component in it too.

Dr Chelsea: It is, it's comparison at a whole other level. Like dancers get stuck in that comparison with everything we do, and now I think the college recruiting process is just one more space where dancers can feel bad about themselves when they're watching their friends be recruited or go to certain clinics and Right.

It's a whole other level of that comparison. That's now, like you said, not just the day of show up, it's now a four year process.

Abbey: Right. And another thing that I want dancers to think about too is if they are dream big and they're going for like these top tier programs, if you were to make these top tier programs, reality of it is, is you are probably going to be fighting for your spot every single year that you are on that program.

Whether you're a freshman or a senior, you are fighting for your. So you can be a part of a program like that, which is awesome if you're a highly competitive person. But that might, might not be kind of how you operate and like how you are encouraged then, you know, looking at other teams that yeah, they still compete, but maybe not at that high level where you know you're gonna have a secure spot.

You're not [00:12:00] gonna constantly be in this fight or flight feeling or in this like, spiral in your head of like, am I doing good enough today? Am I gonna make the floor? I don't know what my coach is thinking. So kind of knowing that about yourself and what drives you is a very like, important component of as, as well.

Dr Chelsea: Understanding what motivates you is huge. You're so right 'cause there's some dancers that thrive in that environment and then some dancers that would really struggle and not enjoy their time on the team. So yeah, knowing. What fits you best? Absolutely. So we've been talking about clinics and combines, so I'm gonna turn to that. They're so much more prevalent and maybe even required now. And I'd actually love you to speak to that if you feel like attending those is required, if you're gonna be recruited, uh, and whether they're required or not.

How a dancer can best prepare for those kinds of events.

Abbey: So if you're looking at doing like a combine where it's a bunch of different programs coming into one space and you are dancing and you know, kind of like an recruiting event, those are not required by any means. I would [00:13:00] say if you're a freshman and a sophomore, like combines are a great place for you to go to explore.

To see what programs you're kind of vibing with, who like you meet and have great conversations with when it comes to clinics. Um, some schools might require you to attend one clinic or like an in-person event so that the coach can see you in person, and that's going to vary from school to school. And you'll usually know if it's re required event because it'll be on their Instagram, they'll be on their social media, all the things.

And those obviously like please go if it's required. Go because your face-to-face time with a coach is everything. Because with like video recruitment, yes. Like I can see that you're a great dancer, but energy is such a different thing and sometimes like you don't feel that through video. And so the more that a coach can see your face as a junior and a senior, the better.

Dr Chelsea: And I think there is the pressure to attend everything, as you were saying earlier, like I have to be at all of them and everyone, and for a lot of the programs, if they require it, they [00:14:00] require one. But then if there are three or four, or like you said, it's your sophomore, junior year, you may be going to more. Um, but that FaceTime matters and I can feel that. Yeah. As you were talking, I was also thinking about combines freshman, sophomore year, and. That would also be really important from a practice audition kind of space of like, just put yourself in that environment where the purpose of those events are different. And maybe the purpose of the combine is to practice a high stress event and practice the preparation and practice introducing yourself to people, but not necessarily the purpose of get locked into a program tonight, you know, and have that shift.

Do you see that difference between the two?

Abbey: Yes. Uh, and I think, you know, at those combines too, knowing yourself and how you operate in like your head. 'cause I see a lot of these dancers going to these combines and they have so much pressure on their shoulders where they see a dancer that's probably maybe trying to go make [00:15:00] Ohio State, but they're trying to make University of Arizona.

I'm like, girl, those are two completely different programs, right? Like why would you be comparing yourself to someone that's trying to make Ohio State? Well, you're trying to make Arizona, which is a game day focus program. So I think getting in those environments and knowing like, you know, when you do start to spiral, how you can pull yourself out of that and know like, okay, no, you are on a good path.

And it's more of a learning opportunity because the more exposure you can get in like learning how to audition and introduce yourself to people, it's gonna become secondhand nature. Right. So when you are on campus and in person in front of that coach that you know has this more high pressure situation, you know how to keep yourself composed.

Dr Chelsea: And with combines and clinics, will you speak a little bit to follow up and what that looks like? Like once the dancer is home and that event is over, is the coach expecting a follow up and what does that look like?

Abbey: Emailing coaches after a clinic or a combine. It's not a requirement, but it is like, you know, it's a courtesy to the coach of just thanking [00:16:00] them for their time and that you enjoyed your time on campus.

I always say add a photo of yourself from that event so that way the coach knows who you are, what number you were and what you're wearing, because you have to think. Coaches just saw over like a hundred to like 300 dancers. The reality of them remembering your face and your number and your name.

Very slim. So you're trying to do as much as you can to remind them of who you are. And then I always say if you had a conversation with the coach that was really special, like maybe you asked the coach about her coaching philosophy, or maybe you guys had a unique connection within the dance community, bring that up in that email.

Just be like, thank you so much for your time this weekend. It was great talking with you. I loved hearing your coaching philosophy and how like A, B, and C. 'cause what that does is it's gonna remind the coach of who you were, what you talked about, and then she's gonna be more inclined to wanna respond to you.

So it's kind of subconsciously like inputting yourself in there so that way you can increase your exposure and then being able to remember who you were.

Dr Chelsea: Absolutely. Oh, a picture is great advice. 'cause I see [00:17:00] that even in, in Professor World where somebody comes back and asks me for a letter of recommendation and I don't always, frankly remember, and I have giant classes, but if you send me a picture I'm like, oh, I know exactly where you sat and I remember you speaking up on this topic and it clicks so much more.

So it's not. Nagging. It's helpful if you're gonna try to make that connection and have a picture. And I think dance teachers especially are visual, right? We, a lot of them probably respond better to that picture. Yeah.

Abbey: Yeah, and it makes it easier too. 'cause I mean, a coach is not gonna get a bunch of these follow up emails and then go try to find you on Instagram and look through every dancer's name, right? They don't have the time and so you wanna make their life as easy as possible when you are getting in contact with them and not trying to over complicate. I think that's my biggest like takeaway when communicating with coaches make their life easier.

Dr Chelsea: That is perfect. Yes. Make their life easier. And so speaking to that idea of building relationships and having that proper communication, other advice around [00:18:00] communicating with coaches that's not just about a combine follow up, but like how you might initially reach out or what kind of communication is helpful?

Abbey: Yeah, so when you initially reach out, kind of same thing you wanna add, maybe your highlight reel or you know, just let them know who you are. Do not give them an entire like essay on your life because that's gonna be too much text for them to read, and they're gonna probably just skip through it. So just like.

Who you are, where you're from, where you dance, if you're gonna be on campus soon and you wanna like meet up in person or potentially do a phone call. Um, and like I said, a highlight reels importance. They can actually see you as a dancer to, they're like, okay, I'm interested, or probably not interested.

There is a fine boundary between communicating with coaches and like, you know, letting them know what's going on in your life if you can't attend something or view. Doing a follow up and then being as Gen Z likes to say, a pick me girl. Like, you should not be emailing a coach or DMing a coach like twice a week and giving them them every single one of your life updates.

That's over communicating.

Dr Chelsea: And that's definitely not gonna help with the make life easier [00:19:00] part, right? Like you don't want to push it so far that the coach is like, now you're a nuisance in my inbox.

Abbey: exactly, exactly. So how you can create these relationships is thinking of, again, more genuine, authentic questions that you can ask a coach. You shouldn't be asking them like, what's your practice schedule? What sports do you support? Um, how can I stand out? Do you know how many coaches get that question?

Every coach gets that question, they're probably sick of answering it. How you're gonna stand out is by asking them more genuine questions, because when you're chatting with them, not only do they, like the coach gets to like talk about themselves, you get to know them a little bit more and like about their actual program and how things are ran behind the scenes.

So really thinking on like what do you wanna know and like how can that coach speak more on their experience because that's gonna give you guys again, just a better connection.

Dr Chelsea: Well, and I'm sure it helps to know the program specifically, like you were saying, if you ask about what styles do you compete and they're a game day program, you're immediately. Off the radar. Right. And like you have to know who you're talking [00:20:00] to and not have, like, these are the same blanket questions I ask everybody.

Abbey: exactly. And again, if it's online and you can find it online, don't, don't ask it.

Dr Chelsea: Mm-hmm. Right. And I think that's a maturity piece too. I could see as a coach of like, I want the dancer who is going to. Take initiative and be able to figure things out for themselves and start to act like an adult. And so, like you said, if that information's readily available on our team's website, then you shouldn't need to ask me.

You could have found it. And so being able to dig in more about the relationship and what makes that program unique and how it's a good fit, very different conversation. Yeah.

Abbey: Yeah. Yeah.

Dr Chelsea: Okay. With that too. I think a lot of coaches are starting to send team members to, especially combines because there's just too many of them and coaches are too busy.

So do you feel like it's different when there is like a current team member at a combine as opposed to a coach?

Abbey: Yes and no. I feel like dancers [00:21:00] still feel the pressure the same because what those dancers are doing there for like representing the program is they are taking notes on dancers that are standing out to them and they're communicating that back with their coach and the coach trusts those kids, right?

If they didn't trust them, they wouldn't send them. And they're representing that university and that program at large. So, you know, knowing that even though it's not the head coach, they're still gonna be talking about you, they're still gonna be communicating. And one example I always like to pull on from my coaching experience was my last year of coaching.

Um, we had a clinic and one of my seniors came up to me, like, while people were going across the floor, told me that one of these girls had been completely rude to her. And right there crossed her name off the list because I was like. She's gonna be rude to you in a high pressure environment like this.

And it's someone that's already on the team, like I know that probably down the road long term, she probably won't be a good fit for us and fit into like the culture that we've created. So bye. Uh, and I think, you know, dancers, they understand what their coach is wanting and what they're needing it could be 'cause they're a part of it.

[00:22:00] So it definitely doesn't change the pressure, per se, for the dancers.

Dr Chelsea: that makes a lot of sense. It's the same. It's the same deal and that person is being the coach's eyes. And if you have a rude interaction, it's gonna get back to coach. And if you have a positive interaction and connect in some way, it'll get back to the coach. So treating it as if it were the coach.

Absolutely. Okay.

Abbey: Exactly.

Dr Chelsea: So let's turn to the common recruiting video 'cause this is new and so will you share like what it is and, uh, who participates, like what that looks like for dancers today?

Abbey: Yeah, so National Dance Coach Association, they got together with a bunch of different coaches and programs and spoke on like how they can standardize this process. Because what was happening is every school had different deadlines, different requirements, different like in-person, video, hybrid, all the things. So what they're trying to do is reduce dancer's time spent in the studio filming for hours on end because with all the different requirements for [00:23:00] different programs, these poor kids were in the studio just filming so much content and as us, as dancers, as we are perfectionists over and over and over again until they got the perfect video.

And that just wasn't. Sustainable. So what they're trying to do is to say, Hey, here's one video that you can send out to as many programs as you want, has the same kind of layout. And then from there, programs can decide if they want to accept you and take you further down the recruitment process or not.

So there's over 120 schools that are participating in this. Some schools are still doing auditions and they are not a part of this whatsoever, and there are two deadlines. So September 1st is the early submission deadline, and then January 1st is the second submission. Some schools are not doing it until January 1st because they can't accept kids onto their program until they're actually accepted into the university.

So just knowing that whatever school you're looking at, just go to their website and usually that information won't be on there. So what the video requirements are, it's like a 30 second [00:24:00] intro. You have a technique section where it's one continuous take and that is like very standard. It's like triple quad, five on the right, triple on the left, and then it goes in a bunch of different legs and all this stuff.

And then from there you have an optional skills, uh, video that you can add in, which can be acro, whether it's like a head springing, a front aerial whip, flip. Any other kind of cool skills that you can throw to make you stand out. Then you have three sections of jazz, pom and hip hop, and it can be combinations from whatever you want.

And they're 30 to 45 seconds. And then last thing is an optional solo, and they're all different videos. Like you have your one video for your intro, your one video for t. Your one video for your additional skills, and then they're combined into one massive video. So it's seven total and then that's what's sent out to all these coaches.

Dr Chelsea: Okay, first. I'm just glad that people are trying to streamline this. 'cause you're right. I think the pressure to get it perfect and the pressure to redo [00:25:00] it for every single school to get exactly the combination they want was adding so much pressure. When these dancers are still high school dancers, whether that's their high school team or their studio.

There's not endless amounts of time to get this perfect. So on a mental health space, that makes me so happy to like, let's do this one solid time and then be able to send it to everybody. Uh, and just to clarify though, there's the three different genres, and you would do that no matter what the program is known for, right?

Like you're gonna do all three, even if you're applying to a school that is only known for one or two?

Abbey: Yes. Yeah, you're gonna do all three. And you have to think too game day. I mean, all game day is pom, and then what you're doing for your quarter breaks or your halftime routines are usually like hip hop, jazz, or pom. So even though they might not compete in that, you're usually probably doing that style at some point in time during your season.

So having all those elements are important to have in the video.

Dr Chelsea: Yeah. Okay. . And you said it, it is one take. And so I can imagine that that gets [00:26:00] scary. You get that pressure or that desire to do it a million times. Uh, any advice for dancers preparing for that like single take?

Abbey: Yeah, so within that single take, you can repeat a skill one time. If say it didn't go well, you can repeat it and it doesn't get like dinged or anything. But I would say in order to prepare for it is to practice it like a competition routine. If you know what skill requirements are on there and how to transition from thing to thing, if you can practice that, get it into your body.

So come filming day, you can actually focus on like, how can I emulate energy out to the camera? How can I focus on performance? Rather than trying to remember, okay, what's coming next? Oh, am I doing the right thing? Am I setting myself upright? Like get it set, practice it, and then it'll become secondhand nature so you're not overthinking and overstressing.

Dr Chelsea: That single take becomes. Your mini competition routine, but for dancers training and just like you would train a competition routine, if you mess up partway and every time you stop, I start over. That's not training your brain to be resilient for the single take and being able [00:27:00] to keep going when maybe it wasn't exactly perfect, but you can keep showing how you are able to finish a solid routine like that has its own power.

Abbey: Exactly. Yeah.

Dr Chelsea: So since that single take probably is still full of pressure and you want it to be your best, other advice about this common recruiting video and making sure it's the best product you can create.

Abbey: Give yourself plenty of time to film. Get into the studio weeks before the deadline, because I see dancers all the time coming in week of trying to get all their filming done. They're now stressed because studio space is very limited. They're in school, like they have all these other different requirements happening and.

Then they just don't feel like they're submitting the best version of themselves. If you can start earlier and go section by section, like filming your technique section one day, the next day you're in the studio filming your hip hop, the next day you're in the studio filming your jazz. That way you're spreading it out over a span of time so you're not stressed and that you can focus in on one section at a time, rather than trying to think of like what's coming up next.

[00:28:00] So that'd be my biggest piece of advice is prepare ahead of time.

Dr Chelsea: yeah. Prepare and give yourself time. That makes such a difference with confidence too. So then small nuance question maybe then about your appearance though, being as consistent as possible as far as what you're wearing and how your hair is and stuff. Or you feel like that's not a big deal if it's obvious that it was filmed on different days.

Abbey: So it is required that you wear all black for the common recruiting video. And then I just say, however you wear your hair, if it's a slicked back bun, slicked back ponytail. Just do the same thing every time that obviously if you're filming in the same studio, try to get in the same studio. If it's a different background.

I don't, it's not that big of a deal, but for. Consistency. It would be nice just for like visual purposes, but since you do have to wear the same thing in every single video, um, that's really not as much of a problem. But please make sure for hip hop that you put on sweatpants, please don't be doing hip hop in like your booty shorts, your sports bras.

So please, you can have additional clothing for that section. And that's in the guidelines as well.

Dr Chelsea: Okay. So before we wrap up will you [00:29:00] share your best advice for a high school dancer who's dreaming of dancing in college?

Abbey: I would say don't be afraid to go on the unbeaten path. To follow your own voice, to follow your own passions, to follow your own journey, because I think we sometimes get caught up in what everyone else around us is doing and what is the hot topic and what's trending on social media. But if you wanna dance in college, you can.

You just have to stay open to the possibilities and you know the school that you end up at, it might not have your been your first choice originally, but it's gonna end up being the better choice and you're gonna have the better experience. So knowing that the journey can feel overwhelming, but the more that you can kind of have tunnel vision and just like hone in and focus on your goals, it's gonna take away a lot of stress and you're gonna land at a place where you're gonna thrive.

Dr Chelsea: Yeah. Wonderful advice. I love that. Being able to follow your own path, [00:30:00] not let comparison trap takeover for this piece for any part of dance, but for this college path as well. 'cause it's your path for the next four years. Yeah. So last question. Uh, I've been thinking a lot about how dance teaches us so much more than just dance.

That we have these capabilities and strengths as adults because of dance. So, uh, before we close out, will you finish the sentence for me about how this has affected your life and say, because of dance.

Abbey: Yeah.

Because of dance. I've learned that just because I'm scared doesn't mean I'm not capable. I think it has taught me to learn how to pivot in situations where I wasn't planning for something to happen. It has taught me to be adaptable and to change my mindset if something isn't working out. It is taught me to view the world and what I do with different lenses and a deeper understanding of the people around me. Dance has given me a constant in my life. It's been the [00:31:00] one thing that. I've always relied on and that's always been there and it's never going away.

And I think dance is unique in that we have our like own universal language. If you were a dancer at any point in time, if you're meeting someone new and they were a dancer too, it's like all of a sudden you have this bond, you have this deep understanding of one another and you become a part of something so much bigger than yourselves and a community that supports you.

And so. I always say, like my favorite quote is, take the risk or lose a chance. And I love that because I feel like whenever I take a risk, I always have my dance community backing me up. Whether it went well or whether I've completely bombed it. And if I bombed it, it's like, okay, let's figure it out.

Let's pivot. How can we come back and try again? Um, dance is a, it's such a cool art sport community that. I just feel like the older I get, the more I have such a deep passion and love for it, and I [00:32:00] really see the purpose that it serves, um, not only when you're, you know, young and in high school, college age, but as an adult.

Dr Chelsea: Yeah. Thank you for sharing. I so resonate with that. The dance community is very special and learning that you can do it scared and great things happen when you're able to do that. Before we leave, will you share studio to stadium where people can find it, how they can get connected

Abbey: yeah. Um, if you wanna go onto our platform, it's just studio, the number two stadium.com, our Instagram is studio to stadium underscore, and then TikTok is at Studio to Stadium. If you ever have any questions or wanna reach out, I am, um, always really quick to respond just because I wanna help bring a little bit more calm to the chaos in this world and am always willing to work with whoever. And yeah, I just wanna say thank you, Chelsea, for having me. Um, I've just all, absolutely always looked up to you and what you do and you know, it's awesome just to continue down this like path with you and through life and just appreciate you having [00:33:00] me on here today.

Dr Chelsea: Oh, you're so welcome and thank you. And having parallel dance lives that continue into our adulthood, it's, it is really fun to see how so many of us here have not left dance. Like you said, it's a constant and you make wonderful relationships because of it. Um, and thank you for being so open. And I encourage you listeners to check out Studio to Stadium. 'cause Abbey really is trying to streamline this process. And again, from that mental health space taking care of yourself while you're reaching for your dreams. And so I really appreciate what you've created Abbey.

So thank you for being here and sharing.

Abbey: Of course. Thank you.

Dr Chelsea: Thank you for listening to Passion for Dance. You can find all episode resources at passion for dance podcast.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram for more high performance tips at Doctor Chelsea dot Otti. That's P-I-E-R-O-T-T-I. This podcast is for passionate dancers and dance educators who are ready to change our industry by creating happier, more successful dancers.

I'm Dr. Chelsea and keep sharing your passion for dance with the world.