Dance Teacher Pep Talk

My goal in today's episode is to give you a pep talk reminding you of your greatness, because just by being YOU, you are bringing GREATNESS into your classroom space! And also, being the Thanksgiving season, I am so GRATEFUL for you--your support, your listens, your involvement in this Dance Teacher Pep Talk platform. Thank you all and have a beautiful rest of your week!

This episode may seem like a little past the window to be discussing trends I noticed during the 2025 season when some of us are already out hitting the stage with our 2026 material, but I felt called to share this! I myself am in a place where I am beginning to finish up choreography for the 2026 season and it had me reflecting on things I noticed from last year and wondering what is to come in t...

Happy November! For many of us we are officially two months into our season, and this is a great time to reflect on . . . *How far we have come *Where we are stuck/progress is not being made *Where we need to look at things differently *And where we are heading With holidays and Nutcracker and competition seasons fast approaching, I find these next two months can be so worthwhile and beneficial (e...

As much as we don't want this to happen, there will be days when we will not feel like teaching. This could be a short window of time . . . it could last a whole week . . . it could even be a whole "season," but it happens and it is okay! As artists, we are so passionate about what we do, and we put so much into our craft that there are times when our energy is just not going to be p...

In today’s episode, I share about an exercise that I did in my jazz classes this week that went way deeper than I ever could have thought. What started as improv turned into a lesson in confidence, in finding who we are regardless of what song is playing or what dance classes we are in.  It was an enlightening moment for myself as a teacher and a proud moment for me to see it all unfold. I just kn...

In today's conversation, I had the opportunity to learn from Chelsea Weidmann, "The Geeky Ballerina," about the years of research she has done on developing ways that we can teach artistry within our technique classes. Something that really caught me on her website was her realization of watching a beautiful technician with lifeless energy on the stage. Everything was correct, but so...

Are you in need of a slight change to your warm-ups at this time of year? Then look no further--station circuits might very well be the answer for you! This is a concept that can work with any dance genre, any age group, and any level of skills ability. It could be as general as a simple warm-up to as specific as skills refinement using functional strength and alignment work--and more! The ideas a...

Today's episode came to me in a spark of inspiration and wasn't even the episode I planned on doing in the first place! But I went with it! Part of my non-negotiables this season is listening more to my inner voice, my intuition, and trusting it--trusting it in my day to day, trusting it in my teaching, in my choreography, etc. and in today's episode I share about that. I also talk abo...

I held off on trying ChatGPT for a very long time, for lots of reasons, but just for fun this season while planning my new year of classes I thought, why not? Let's give it a try! In today's episode I share some basic ways that I used ChatGPT while lesson planning and give my opinion of the good and not so good of using this tool. My final result (which I knew prior to doing this) was that...

Happy back to dance to all! Even though the start of a new dance year is filled with excitement and fresh outlooks, there are still moments we might get in our heads too deeply and if you answer yes to any of these questions . . . Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you feeling pressure? Are you feeling a sense of imposter syndrome? Are you finding yourself comparing the lesson plans, the competition...

Are you gearing up for back to dance and feeling overwhelmed about how you will fit it all in? How will you accomplish all the things and still manage to take care of all you need to in your home and personal life? This is the episode for YOU! In today's episode I share 3 Ways that we can set ourselves up to create more ease, and therefore more flow and organization, for the beginning of our n...

In today's episode, I discuss something that I feel is an imperative part of our dance teaching in today's day and age and that is, Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the awareness of the present moment. To some that may seem very natural to find, however for many (especially those caught in our phones for a lot of the day), have a difficult time with this. Mindfulness can help your dancers attentiveness...

In today's episode, I talk all about my feelings around Summer Dance as a teacher--the excitement, the nervousness, and more! I recently saw a quote that totally reframed my mind around teaching in new spaces and with new faces and I knew I just had to share it here on the podcast. Along with this, I share some of my favorite tips for planning for your Summer Dance classes as well! Don't forget to...

In today's Part 2, I am sharing some of my favorite Pilates exercises to help correct common dancer corrections/critiques to help make a breakthrough in one's training! Do you have Nationals coming up? Looking to refine your technique in Summer Dance? My hope is that this episode will help guide you into new places of awareness in your movement to not only breakthrough a correction, but to...

In today's Part 1, I am sharing some of my favorite Pilates exercises to help correct common dancer corrections/critiques to help make a breakthrough in one's training! Do you have Nationals coming up? Looking to refine your technique in Summer Dance? My hope is that this episode will help guide you into new places of awareness in your movement to not only breakthrough a correction, but to...

We have so many tasks in a given week as dance teachers: class planning, music searching, emailing, choreography prep, just to name a few! What if we could map out our week in a way that would help us to complete all of those tasks in flow and with the best energy suited for the task(s) at hand? Today's episode is all about that! Did you know that each day of the week has a ruling planet? And that...

I love reflecting on my year at my birthday and I love sharing the lessons, concepts, and themes that have come up in that year! Last year's 7 Notices at 35 had some beautiful lessons and I wanted to continue the trend with this year's 6 Lessons at 36. These lessons can be applied to your life whether you are a dance teacher or not, though I put the dance teacher spin on it! Awareness, mot...

A phrase that I find so beautiful is "being in practice of" when it comes to how you view the things you do in your life. I have heard it in the fitness world, the yoga world, in the spiritual context, in a professional context, and more but truly to me the phrase has always sparked something in me. When driving into the studio, I had an important reminder come to me and wanted to share...

Happy Spring everyone! Today's episode holds some of the thoughts and feelings I have been holding most this current Spring season. For so many of us, Spring is the 3/4 mark of our season--we are working towards finishing this year, but Spring as a season marks a time of fresh starts, new beginnings, and renewal. How can we better work with this energy in our classes? Just because we have hit...

Does your dance teacher/judge/dancer mind not calm down at the end of the day easily? Do you feel remaining energy after a night of teaching, a day of judging, a day of dancing? Is it hard to get settled and relax? For me, the rush of adrenaline, the spark of inspiration, the physical effects of movement on my body, all of these items sometimes make it hard for me to wind down at the end of the da...

In the spirit of Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be so fun to do a lighthearted episode on the things I am currently loving! From clothing recommendations, to items you use in your day, to important reminders for this season, I hope today's episode inspires you to begin thinking about the things that you love and also how to add more things that you love into your day to make...

Today's episode is an affirmation practice specifically catered to dancers, creators, dance teachers, etc. I believe so strongly in the power of words and the things that we say to ourselves. Whether we are going through an amazing moment or a tough moment, I hope these affirmations help to bring you back into focus and to remember your power and your presence as a dancer. I tell a brief backg...

Today's episode is one I have been wanting to share for awhile now, but felt I needed more time as I am currently 4 months postpartum from my second birth experience. Questions I see on Dance Teacher forums a lot are, "what should I expect returning after maternity leave," "what items do I need for baby to make my transition back to the studio smooth," etc. I wanted to addr...

Today’s episode touches upon an enrichment idea that greatly benefits our dancers not only in the dance world, but in the world in general. Today we are talking about helping dancers to find and use their voice! These suggested activities and concepts are beneficial to the stage and beyond.  After years of shyness, and feeling comfortable in the “quiet” dance setting, I felt confident to grow out...

Looking for some fresh new takes on technique tips for turning, specifically jazz pirouette? This episode highlights some of the ideas, images, and functional exercises that I have seen the greatest results and “aha” moments for with my students. By pulling from my background knowledge with Pilates, Physics, and Geometry, I have put together some fun ideas that you can use in your classroom today!...