Episodes

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea, discusses how emotions impact a dancer’s ability to focus, move, and connect with the audience. With competition season in full swing, she delves into the importance of understanding and...

In this episode, guest artist Galit Friedlander shares her personal dance journey from starting her professional career as a young teen to working as an assistant choreographer for Prince. She discusses the impact of being highly sensitive and...

In this episode of Dr. Chelsea delves into the benefits of mindfulness for dancers. She clarifies the difference between mindfulness and meditation and discusses how mindfulness can improve both mental well-being and dance performance. Dr. Chelsea...

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea addresses the common struggle dancers face with comparison. From defining why we compare ourselves to others to exploring its psychological impacts, Dr. Chelsea provides a deep dive into this common...

Dr. Chelsea announces updates for the Passion for Dance podcast in 2025, including a slight shift in focus towards more dancer-focused episodes while maintaining content for dance educators and coaches. There's also a new website: , for easier access...

Would you want to know that your last time onstage was the last time? Would that knowledge bring closure or would it be too difficult to perform if you knew it was your last time? My guest in today’s episode was a professional dancer who battled...

Today’s episode is all about making it as a professional dancer. My guest, Justine Menter, has over 15 years of experience in LA's entertainment industry as a choreographer, educator, and entrepreneur. She hosts her own podcast, Dance Careers...

We are entering the thick of dance competition season where dancers start to feel more pressure and there are some big wins and some very hard days. Dancers who train their mental skills are not only able to increase their chances of success onstage...

It's Nutcracker season, and today I want to pull back the curtain on what life is really like as a professional ballet dancer. My guest today is Janine Kovac who was a professional dancer for 12 years in Iceland, Italy, San Francisco, and her hometown...

I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of dancers all over the world, and I hear from each of them about the heavy load they experience as dancers. There's pressure to perform. We never feel like we have enough time to get everything done. There's...

If you are a dance teacher who has ever struggled to get your students to go full out when they're learning, or if you've been saying the same cue, like, “Pull up,” and they don't get it, today's guest is here to share a different approach with a...

The best performers in the world didn't get to where they are through magic, nor did they get there overnight. The best path to your personal best is to focus on those small, daily habits that add up to consistent growth. Psychological research has...

What kind of dancer will make it in New York City? Do passionate dancers get taken advantage of in the professional world? Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Ruth Horowitz, a sociologist who specifically studied recent dancers. She...

It takes a lot of positive mental skills to learn how to focus on small improvements every day and not give up when you don't feel like you're making the progress you want. Many dancers focus on getting the turns, learning choreography quickly,...

When it comes to a focused mindset, I'll admit that I'm one of those psychologists who talks about the benefit of intention. I personally always set a word for the year that serves as my overarching intention, and I often set daily intentions when I...

Many coaches today struggle with accountability on their teams or in the studio. We want dancers who do the hard work and follow through with their promises. Truly accountable dancers own up to their mistakes and do what they say they're going to do...

I often hear from dancers they say some pretty mean things to themselves they’d never say out loud or to a friend. For some reason, it’s so easy for us to get caught in negative spirals where we berate ourselves for a mistake or convince ourselves...

Do you use the cues to “pull up” or “point your toes”? Those are common cues teachers use in the dance world. One mental skill I talk about is attention and learning how to take a cue like “pull up” and translate that to a helpful action...

I see so many frustrated dance teachers talking about how it feels harder and harder to get dancers to be fully committed to their teams and their studios. We want our dancers to be 100% committed, and anything less is frustrating. However, there's...

Have you ever wanted to ask a mental performance coach what to do in a certain situation? Do you have a dancer who's getting overly anxious before competition, or you're not sure how to get your dancers to be fully committed? I want to be a resource...

One thing that separates good dancers from great dancers is their ability to believe in themselves. It's true for students, teachers, and professionals. When you're pursuing any dream at any stage of life, there is so much power in believing in...

Are you a flexible dancer or have easily hyperextended joints? Dancers with hypermobile joints might love the ability to show off tricks and skills as a dancer, but is it dangerous to be that hypermobile? I’ve been wanting to talk to a medical...

For many teams, be it school teams or studios, we are entering a new season. Wouldn't it be great if we could establish strong, positive cultures from the beginning? When an athlete quits in the middle of the season, it usually causes drama, stress,...

We often label our dancers without even meaning to do it, even if it's only in our heads and we never say it out loud. You know who your solid turner is, who is lazy, who has style, and who you can depend on to know the counts. As we get to know our...