159. 3 Things I Wish I Knew About Saying Goodbye to My Dancers
Release Date: 05/09/2024
179 When Telling Yourself “I’ve Got This” Feels Fake
Passion for Dance
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 we’re not good enough, and sometimes that little voice is not always so encouraging, and telling yourself, “I've got this,” and basically talking yourself into a good mood doesn't always work. Sometimes it feels disingenuous or fake, and you don't believe yourself. So what do you do when positive self-talk or saying those positive...
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178. The Dance Scientist Explains Cues for Better Balance and Turns: With Maria Haralambos
Passion for Dance
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 on your body. I know some dancers hear your cue and then nothing happens, but my guest today has some great insights to help us understand what dance teachers should know about dance science and how to use it in their curriculum. Today’s guest is Maria Haralambis, an expert in dance kinesiology who currently works as both a ballet teacher and...
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177 Some Dancers are Only Committed When It's Convenient
Passion for Dance
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 this growing phenomenon called conditional commitment, which basically means, “I'm committed but only under certain circumstances,” and yes, that is very different from the idea of giving 100% no matter what. There is room for shifting moods and feelings, but there's not room for shifting discipline and commitment. In today’s episode we’ll...
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176. Shifting the "Tough Love" Narrative in Dance with Demi Agaiby
Passion for Dance
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 for you - the place you can come to ask questions and receive concrete advice. This episode is all about common misconceptions and questions I get about commitment, accountability, punishment, and all things team dynamics. To top it off, I decided to bring on a special guest, who is a fellow mental performance consultant, so we could talk about it...
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175. Confidence Comes from Taking the First Step
Passion for Dance
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 yourself. But that's a lot easier to say than to actually do. It's hard to translate that into real progress. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing about having faith in yourself and believing in your abilities so that you can take that first step towards your goals. We’ll talk about the importance of shifting your perspective and how, spoiler...
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174. Hypermobility Concerns and Care for Dancers with Dr. Linda Bluestein
Passion for Dance
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 professional about hypermobile joints in dancers, so my guest today, a dancer turned doctor, is here to explain it all! Dr. Linda Bluestein is renowned for her expertise in hypermobility disorders. As the founder of Hypermobility MD, she offers specialized medical care to individuals grappling with all these kinds of conditions. And Dr. Bluestein is...
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173. 3 Strategies to Guarantee Genuine Team Commitment
Passion for Dance
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, and a lot of extra work. Generally speaking, as coaches and teachers, we strive to create a culture of team commitment where athletes stay invested all season, year after year. In today’s episode, I'll be sharing three specific strategies you can use to establish a resilient commitment in your dancers this year. Whether you coach a four-year...
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172 The Danger of Labeling our Dancers
Passion for Dance
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 dancers, we inadvertently label them. We have a lot of power over our dancers’ journeys, and we carry a lot of influence on them, so let's make sure we aren't allowing our expectations and the labels that we assign to have too much sway in our dancers’ training. In today’s episode, I’ll be talking about how our expectations as teachers...
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171. Realistic Time Management for the Stressed Out Dance Teacher with Kelly Nolan
Passion for Dance
Time management can be hard for all of us, dancers and coaches included, and we often beat ourselves up when we can't do it well. My guest today taught me the time-management strategy I use every day, so I had to bring her on to share it with all of you because it's not just another app or a planner; it’s an amazing stress-reduction tool. Today’s guest is Kelly Nolan. She's a former attorney, now a time management strategist who created a new system, The Bright Method. I am personally a walking five-star review, as you will hear in the show, because The Bright Method is the only way I...
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170. 4 Reasons Not to Punish with Pushups
Passion for Dance
If you are of a certain age in this dance industry, like me, you probably had to run laps when you were late to practice or would be kicked out of ballet if you crossed your arms in class. For many of us, we grew up with coaches and directors who used physical punishment for bad behavior and mistakes. It was the norm. It's what many of us were used to. If you're currently using any type of physical punishment on your team, even in the name of motivation, I want to challenge that practice today based on my time coaching and teaching as well as the science behind it and what psychology tells us...
info_outlineAt the end of every dance season, there comes a time to say goodbye. Every year, as both a teacher and a coach, I watch young men and women I've grown close to graduate and move on to the next phase of their life. Whether it's at banquets or graduations, watching a senior leave the program is usually heavy with some complex emotions. One mental skill I often focus on is resilience, and big life transitions like this usually need some extra resilience.
In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing my thoughts about saying goodbye to our dancers during this time of transition, because it can be hard. I’ve learned a lot over the years about saying goodbye and the mindset that helps you be resilient to this kind of change, so I’ll give you three things to remind yourself of when you find yourself navigating the inevitable emotions of saying goodbye. If you're having a hard time letting go of your dancers this year, I hope this episode is helpful to you!
Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/159
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