Dance Dad With John Corella

John Corella asked Marianne Williamson how to raise fierce girls. She answered with a better question: How do we raise loved and loving children? Her answer gives parents and dance teachers a new way to think about the kids in their care.   Marianne is the bestselling author of A Return to Love, a two-time presidential candidate, a teacher of A Course in Miracles, and the founder of Project Angel...

At 17, Gloria Gifford was told she was too sensitive to be an actor. Years later, she walked away from her executive job at Bloomingdale’s, started classes at HB Studio, and was on Broadway within four years.   On Dance Dad with John Corella, John reunites with the teacher who first sparked his love of acting for a behind-the-scenes conversation about Halloween II (1981). Gloria is an NAACP award-...

Julie Renn spent years telling her students anything was possible. Then the industry hardened her, and the day she talked her own daughter out of an audition showed her what that had cost. Her story offers an honest look at how to inspire young dancers without letting fear do the teaching.   On Dance Dad, host John Corella, co-creator of Dance Moms, sits down with the choreographer and producer be...

Dörte Thümmler won a world title at 15. She learned what had been done to her body years later.   On Dance Dad with John Corella, host John Corella, co-creator and executive producer of Dance Moms, sits down with Dörte, a 1987 world champion on uneven bars and 1988 Olympic medalist from East Germany. John brings his own history as a competitive dancer to the questions. This Dörte Thümmler gymnast...

Andrew Chupp’s Britney Spears mashup went viral, even catching the attention of longtime Britney Spears choreographer Brian Friedman. But the routine also drew hundreds of angry comments from strangers furious about a man competing in women’s gymnastics events. Host John Corella brings on Andrew, an adult gymnast, photographer, and coach with more than a decade of coaching experience who now speci...

The racism in the dance competition world doesn't always show up as outright hostility. Sometimes racism looks like a studio owner quietly leaving your name off the audition list.   Nicaya Wiley spent seasons two through seven on Dance Moms, and on this episode of Dance Dad with John Corella, she gets honest about what the experience cost her. Growing up as a Black dancer in a predominantly white...

The countdown to LA28 has officially begun, and there's no better way to kick it off than looking back at the gymnast who made history in Seoul. Three-time gold medalist Daniela Silivas joins Dance Dad with John Corella to explain how ballet training shaped her gymnastics long before LA28 was even a headline.   Daniela grew up training in communist-era Romania, where her first year of gymnastics c...

Nationals season exposes how dance families handle pressure, pride, and time together. On this episode of Dance Dad with John Corella, host John Corella shares hard truths about dance competition nationals and why Nationals are not a vacation for dancers, teachers, or parents. He explains why dancers should aim to peak later in the season instead of too early, why rest matters once the season ends...

Getting a talent agent is one of the most misunderstood steps in a young dancer's career, and most families are going in blind.   John Corella sits down with Lisa Lindholm, vice president of Go 2 Talent Agency, for an honest conversation about what it actually takes to get a dance agent, what agents are really looking for, and how parents can support their kids without getting in the way.   Lisa b...

Bronson Arrivillaga is only 10 years old, but he already knows what it means to take up space.   He has performed in the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, landed a role on The Pitt, and competed on stages where confidence is not optional. Yet what stands out most about Bronson is not the size of the opportunity. It is the way he talks about dance as a form of storytelling, self-expression,...

Jake and Kendrick came on Dance Dad to talk about Heated Rivalry. They ended up talking about something much harder: what gay men are taught to hide from themselves and each other.   John Corella, host of Dance Dad and co-creator of Dance Moms, sits down with Jake and Kendrick of The JK But Gay Show for a Pride Month conversation about body image, masculinity, friendship, intimacy, and the stories...

Rahja Fuller did not luck into the Brandy and Monica Tour. He trained for it, prepared for it, and walked into the audition like he belonged there.   On Dance Dad, host John Corella talks with dancer, singer, actor, and former Pop Money member Rahja Fuller about how to become a professional dancer with focus, humility, and real industry awareness. At just 19, Rahja has already moved from competiti...

For anyone raising boys who dance, this Mother’s Day episode will hit home fast. In this season 3 premiere episode of Dance Dad, John Corella sits down with his mom Sylvia and his brother Joseph for a conversation that goes far beyond recital memories. It gets into what it really takes to believe in a child before the rest of the world catches up. Sylvia shares what it meant to be a dance mom for...

Mental performance coaching is changing how athletes and parents think about success in youth sports. In this bonus episode, John Corella and mental performance coach Lisa Mitzel discuss how a healthier youth sports mindset can help young athletes compete with confidence without losing their sense of self. The discussion draws inspiration from Olympic champion Alysa Liu, whose approach to competit...

Auditions take on a new clarity as John Corella shows how dancers can stay grounded, choose an outfit that supports their presence, rely on their 3 tricks, and move through the journey with steadier confidence.   John talks openly about the pressure dancers feel and the emotional weight parents carry. It raises important questions. What helps someone stay centered in a room full of nerves? How doe...

Yvette Walts opens up about the pressure tied to Dance Moms fame, the panic attacks that surfaced once episodes aired, and the steady purpose that guides her work as a studio owner.   John Corella invites her to revisit the intense reality-TV environment that shaped so much of her early public life, and the conversation turns into an honest look at what happens when you see a version of yourself o...

Fifteen years in Wicked collide with grief, queer joy and the quiet rituals that keep a performer brave eight shows a week.   With part two of the Wicked movie now in theaters, John Corella celebrates the moment by revisiting his conversation with Justin Wirick, a longtime dancer with the Broadway National Tour of Wicked. What begins as a lighthearted holiday replay opens into a layered, intimate...

Charm Spencer opens up about tour life - the late nights, the travel, and the mindset that keeps him grounded while performing on The Boy Is Mine Tour with Brandy and Monica. In this episode, he joins John Corella to talk about learning to move between masculine and feminine energy onstage and how that balance shapes both his artistry and his identity.   He reflects on rejection, growth, and humil...

When former Olympian Melissa Marlowe talks about the 1988 Olympic controversy and the bronze medal being taken away, she doesn’t just revisit a headline; she relives what it felt like to stand on the edge of history and have it quietly rewritten overnight. How does someone keep competing after that? What carries an athlete through when the spotlight fades but the memory doesn’t?    As she joins Jo...

What does it take to hit 10 turns with confidence? For Lynnrae Hiers Serra, it comes down to repetition, mechanics, and belief - the same mix that’s helped dancers of every level find their balance and push past limits.   John Corella talks with Lynnrae, known to many as “The Turn Coach,” about how her journey started at the JPD dance studio under her mentor Terry Schulke and how that experience s...

Amanda LaCount proves that plus size dancers belong center stage, sharing how her journey, her advocacy, and the support of Dance Mom Jill are reshaping the dance community.    A professional dancer who has performed with Lady Gaga, Rihanna, JLo, and Katy Perry, Amanda joins John Corella to challenge the stereotypes that have long defined the industry. She reveals how media-driven beauty standards...

Cheryl Baxter’s very first job as a young dancer put her on the set of Xanadu with Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Kenny Ortega. What does it feel like to step into a world like that straight out of a small town in Wisconsin? And how do you carry lessons from legends into a career that lasts for decades?    Joining John Corella in this episode, Cheryl reflects on the magic of Xanadu, the influ...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains conversations about conversion therapy, psychological abuse, and self-harm. We share these stories to raise awareness and foster healing, but we recognize they may be difficult to hear. Please listen with care and step away if you need to. If you or someone you know is struggling, resources like The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386) are available to provide sup...

Labor Day becomes a reminder that creativity and connection grow stronger when we pause, take breaks, and allow ourselves to just be.   John Corella takes this episode in a different direction, stepping back from the usual focus on dance and LGBTQ issues to reflect on what Labor Day really represents. Born out of union protests, the holiday was meant as a pause from constant work and a way to hono...

Dance conventions can be magical or a ticking time bomb, and John Corella is here to spill the tea on which is which.   This episode isn’t just a summer recap, but a real conversation about what’s happening in the dance world. John shares his experience with Velocity. He opens up about his reunion with Dance Moms alum Melissa Gisoni and what it meant to see her step into her voice after all these...