Episodes

Dec. 18, 2025

233. Nourishing Dance: Conversations on Food, Body Image, and Wellnes…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea interviews Monika Seigel, MS, RD, CEDS-C, CDN a registered dietician, nutritionist and certified eating disorder specialist with a background in professional ballet. Monika di...

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Dec. 11, 2025

232. A More Positive Convention Experience: Perfectionism, Confidence…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea speaks with Ashley Mowrey, a mindset coach, former dance teacher, and part of the Embody Dance Conference team. They discuss the mental and emotional challenges dancers face, ...

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Dec. 4, 2025

231. Ballet’s Harsh Beauty and the Life Lessons we Learn, with Emily …

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea interviews former professional dancer and author Emily Sayre Smith. They delve into Emily's memoir 'Smart Ass Memoir of a Mouthy Girl,' discussing how ballet's lessons of...

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Nov. 20, 2025

230. How to Be a Mentally Tough Dancer Using The Power of the Four Cs

In this episode, Dr. Chelsea explores the concept of mental toughness in dancers by breaking down the Four C's: Control, Commitment, Challenge, and Confidence. She provides practical strategies for developing these skills to ...

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Nov. 13, 2025

229. Cultivating Accountability and Work Ethic in Dance Teams: Insigh…

In this special episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses strategies for fostering accountability and work ethic in dance teams with three distinguished coaches—Arianna from Washington, Jenna from Nebraska, and Edwi...

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Nov. 6, 2025

228. Self-Compassion in Dance: How to Balance Ambition with Kindness

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea talks about self-compassion in dancers who are usually very hard on themselves. Inspired by a listener's question, the episode explores how treating oneself with kindness can ...

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Oct. 23, 2025

227. Filling Buckets: A Simple Team Exercise for Connection and Kindn…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea shares a team-building exercise inspired by the children's book 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?' The activity focuses on fostering connection and kindness among dancers by te...

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Oct. 16, 2025

226. Why Your Dance Team Has Cliques and 5 Ways to Handle It

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the negative impacts of cliques within dance teams and offers strategies to foster a more inclusive team culture. She shares 5 practical strategies with real tools y...

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Oct. 9, 2025

225. Building Lasting Confidence in Dance: It Takes More than Affirma…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the importance of building real, durable confidence in dancers. She explains that true confidence doesn't come from simply repeating affirmations but is grounded in ...

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Oct. 2, 2025

224. Motivation Vs. Discipline: Winning the Battle Against Procrastin…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the common issue of procrastination among dancers and offers practical strategies to overcome it. She highlights the importance of self-discipline over motivation an...

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Sept. 25, 2025

223. What High-Achieving Dancers Do Differently

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea explores the science behind peak performance for dancers, and shares the science-backed tools that help you reach your personal best. Dr. Chelsea shares 5 tools for training...

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Sept. 18, 2025

222. Navigating College Dance Team Recruitment with Abbey Nugent

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea discusses the college dance team recruiting process with Abbey Nugent, founder of Studio 2 Stadium. Abbey, a seasoned dance teacher and coach, offers valuable advice on p...

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Sept. 11, 2025

221. How to Create a Goal-Driven Culture Without Burning Out Your Dan…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the delicate balance coaches need to create a goal-driven culture that promotes success without causing stress and burnout. She covers pitfalls of an outcome-focused...

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Sept. 4, 2025

220. Building Confidence That Lasts: Strategies Every Dancer Needs

Are you ready to break the cycle of self-doubt and build lasting confidence? In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea reveals the secret to building confidence: the Confidence Loop. Discover why confidence isn’t some...

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Aug. 28, 2025

219. 5 Trust Breakers Sabotaging Your Dance Team's Success and How to…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea explores the importance of trust in building a positive dance team culture. She highlights five common trust breakers—playing favorites, not listening, inconsistency, competin...

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Aug. 21, 2025

218. Building Better Dancers: Cultivating Confidence and Individualit…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea hosts Jason Pickett, a distinguished dance teacher, choreographer, and founder of No Starving Artists. They discuss their shared love for teaching, the evolving landscape of c...

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Aug. 14, 2025

217. Beyond the Studio: 5 Life Skills You Learn from Dance

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea explores the top five life skills dancers develop and how these skills transfer to other areas of life. She delves into emotional regulation, leadership and self-control, grit...

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Aug. 7, 2025

216. Mental Traps Dancers Fall Into and How to Break Free

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses common mental traps that hinder dancers' progress and success. Delving into traps like comparison, waiting for confidence, outcome-only goals, and injury identity, s...

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June 26, 2025

215. Season Reflections: How Dancers Get Mentally Stronger in the Off…

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea emphasizes the importance of reflection for dancers, especially during the off-season. She provides science-backed tools to help dancers develop self-awareness, mental tough...

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June 19, 2025

214. Dancing with True Authenticity and Confidence with Choreographer…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea sits down with accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator Alexandra Beller. Alexandra shares invaluable advice for dealing with negative self-talk, building body aw...

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June 12, 2025

213. A Professional Dance Company’s Whole Dancer Approach: Insights f…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea interviews Julie Opiel, Director of Education and Community Engagement at Body Traffic, an LA-based contemporary dance company. They discuss overcoming career challenges,...

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June 5, 2025

212. Embracing the Beginner's Mindset: Lesley Logan on Confidence, Im…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea speaks with Lesley Logan, a mindset and breathwork coach, and co-founder of onlinepilatesclasses.com. They discuss the connections between dance and Pilates, emphasizing the i...

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May 29, 2025

211. Addressing Favoritism in Dance Studios: Strategies for Teachers,…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea tackles the pervasive issue of favoritism in dance studios and teams. She explains what favoritism looks like, why it happens, and how it impacts dancers emotionally and socia...

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May 22, 2025

210. Rhee Gold on Dance Education, Passion, Adaptability and Business…

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea interviews Rhee Gold, an esteemed dance professional with over four decades of experience. Rhee shares his journey, emphasizing the importance of mental toughness, resilience,...

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