Episodes

Making a genuine connection with each of your dancers can be really challenging, but it’s so important as a teacher or coach that we try and connect with our dancers. I’ll be the first to admit that this doesn’t come easily, or rather some...

Why do we compete? If you have dancers who take on big national championships every year, why? Have they lost track of why? Throughout my consulting career, I’ve had the privilege to travel to a few different national dance team championships, as a...

Do you think that being a professional dancer is out of your reach? I definitely thought so as a young dancer, but my guest today taught me a lot about chasing your dreams through being yourself. Joining me today is Sonja McCord, a professional...

I don’t set New Year’s resolutions, even though I’m a big fan of goal setting. And there’s a good reason I don’t set one big goal for the year. Because in order to have effective goal setting all year, it’s important to have an overarching...

I am a firm believer that we should not have to coach alone on an island. And if I’ve learned lessons along the way, I’m going to share those lessons with anyone who’s interested in learning. Plus, I’m invested in my own learning as well. And...

Mental skills are how you get the most out of your physical skills, and it helps ensure your dancers peak at the right time, and compete at their highest ability. Whatever physical skills you have trained are what you see on the competition floor....

Recently I had the chance to sit down with Bri from Apolla Performance and professional dancer Chelsie Hightower, who you might recognize from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. Chelsie and I found each other when a mutual friend...

Recently I had the chance to sit down with Bri from Apolla Performance and professional dancer Chelsie Hightower, who you might recognize from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. Chelsie and I found each other when a mutual friend connected us because she knew I would resonate with the mission behind Chelsie's clothing line. Inside Out works to produce dancewear that encourages the next generation to know their worth. That mission for understanding your personal value and wort...

I feel like in the dance industry we use the word passion to mean your performance on the floor, to be believable, and truly go for it. But honestly, it’s a lot more than that. If you have a passion for dance, I have some important news for you to...

Work-life balance is a myth, and I have some thoughts on the idea that I want to share with you today. There are so many self-help books and podcasts, and influencers out there telling you how to balance in work and life so that you never feel...

If you’ve ever experienced a rehearsal where dancers aren’t giving full effort, there’s eye-rolling or disrespect, it’s incredibly frustrating and it could be a sign the dancers lack accountability. Accountability is when you do what you say...

Let’s talk about stress. Stress is something we all deal with, but today I want to share something with you that you might not have heard before… science has actually taught us that stress can be good for us! I know that sounds crazy but stick...

Do you feel like competing is an important part of your dance life? What would it look like if your dancers didn’t compete? My guest today is Chasta Hamilton. She is the author of and the owner and artistic director of Stage Door Dance Productions....

Journaling has so many benefits for dancers including reducing stress, noticing progress to boost motivation, organizing your thoughts, improving confidence, and growing as a dancer and person. I often talk about the lessons I’ve learned after years...

Have you ever told your dancers to “leave it at the door?” I know I used that phrase a lot and it’s because I wanted dancers to come into class with a positive mindset and let go of any drama or challenges that might get in the way. But in this...

Why do we take a good performance for granted and seem to spend way too much time thinking about mistakes and performances we regret? Why do we naturally tend to docs on the bad side of things? Well, today I’m going to talk about how your brain...

This episode comes straight from all of you, I’ve had many people ask me to talk about having alternates on the team. It’s a tricky situation, mentally and logistically but I didn’t feel like I could talk about this topic on my own. Instead, I...

In my opinion as a sport psychology consultant, a positive motivational climate is the holy grail of teaching and coaching.  Every class you attend has a climate… a feeling… a sense of energy in the room.  Your job as a dance educator is...

Do you have a young dancer in your life with big dreams of a professional ballet career? Knowing where to go for advice and how to choose the next step can be daunting for the young pre-professionals in our lives and I hope today’s interview helps...

What lessons did you learn from 2020? It’s time to reflect on some of the mindset lessons I’ve learned last year and I want to share those lessons with you. The last 18 months have disrupted our normal routines and in different ways, our work-life...

In this episode, I talk with a registered dietitian and former competitive dancer Jenny Accettura. As usual, I bring the mindset perspective into the conversation and Jenny shared a major mindset shift about nutrition that might serve you if you’re...

The Confident Dancer Summit kicks of Friday, Aug 6th 2021 The summit will run from Aug 6th through Aug 8th 2021 Each day will be packed with amazing speakers who are ready to help you improve your own confidence and learn the tools to help your...

This is part 1 of a two-part series about improving confidence and for part 1, I focus on where confidence comes from because if we understand where it comes from, we are in a better position to change it. And to help explain this in the episode I...

Do you ever wish your dancers would focus more on individual growth rather than being the best? I know many dancers who only found success in the win or in being the best, when I know they would go so much further and enjoy their success more if they...