Passion for Dance – Details, episodes & analysis

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 alert, there really is no top of the staircase. If you've ever wished you had a little more confidence to get started at something new, I'm going to tell you how to take that first step! “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” - Dr. Martin Luther King

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Follow the show: https://followthepodcast.com/passionfordance

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/175

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 the driving force behind Bendy Bodies, a worldwide coaching practice aimed at empowering and supporting individuals with hypermobility, many of whom are dancers. Dr. Bluestein is also the founder and host of a wonderful podcast, Bendy Bodies with Hypermobility MD, where she shares valuable insights and resources.

In this episode, I asked Linda all the questions I think dancers and dance teachers might ask. Dr. Bluestein clarifies the difference between hypermobility and flexibility, when hypermobility is concerning and when it's not, and when and how to get help. She also shared why gut health and flat feet are often related to hypermobility, which I found really interesting, and she has very practical, helpful advice for dance teachers as well. Listen into this crash course in hypermobility with Dr. Linda Bluestein!

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/174

Connect with Dr. Bluestein on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/

Hypermobility MD’s Website: http://www.hypermobilitymd.com

Listen to Bendy Bodies with Hypermobility MD Podcast: http://www.bendybodiespodcast.com

Follow the Bendy Bodies Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendy_bodies/

Connect with Linda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypermobilitymd/

This episode is a continued conversation about team leadership. Last week's episode was all about identifying a truly committed team leader and how to help the whole team be more committed. There is an entire spectrum of commitment, and it's very important that any team leader is one of the top two tiers. So if you missed that and are considering a formal team leadership this year, go back to episode 164 and check that out first!

Usually, I’m all for team leadership. There are so many good things that can come of it, but that's only true if it's the right people. There are team dynamics and situations where formal leadership doesn't make sense. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing about the three reasons not to have dance team captains or formal leadership, especially in high school and college programs. I’ll also discuss the benefits of creating a leadership committee if you have multiple strong leaders on your team. Tune in to hear all about my top three reasons not to have dance team captains and what you could do instead!

Journey to Elite Captain Course: https://chelseapierotti.com/leadership

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/165

Dealing with an injury can be devastating to a dancer. And it’s not just the physical pain, but the mental load that we deal with during recovery is substantial. As dance educators, many of us have been through this ourselves, or we’ve had our students struggle with serious injuries that just break our hearts. But why does being injured hurt so much mentally as well as physically, and how do we help? In this episode, I share a case study of how I helped one dancer through a serious injury so you have some tools and ideas you can use the next time you have a dancer who needs support. 

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Show Notes and Resources

https://chelseapierotti.com/77

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

If you’re a dance teacher who feels like you can’t dance like you used to but just chalk it up to being old, you have to listen in to today’s episode. My guest today is a functional dietitian who was also a studio dancer, college dancer, and cheered for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelsey sat down with me to talk about improving your ability to sustain energy during long performances and competitions and why we need more minerals in our diet. I seriously learned so much, and not to give it all away, but we need more minerals when we’re stressed, which includes physical stress like exercise! Kelsey also shared her important advice about the dangers of coffee (and no, she doesn’t just tell you to quit caffeine) and so much more. 

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Show Notes and Resources

https://chelseapierotti.com/76

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

Have you heard of the term toxic positivity? It’s becoming a bit of a buzzphrase, so I want to dive into this complicated topic.  I’m seeing it more and more on social media and hearing it in conversations with the dancers I work with. Sometimes is a great conversation, and other times there’s a lot of misinformation going around. I even recently asked my community on Instagram if they had experienced toxic positivity and 96% said yes. There is clearly an issue, and I think it’s time we talk about it. So in this episode, I explain what it is and what it isn’t, give you some common toxically positive phases to avoid, plus some better options of what to say instead.

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Show Notes and Resources

https://chelseapierotti.com/75

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

As you may know, one of the main themes of this show is resilience. I love talking with successful and talented dancers about their own resilience journey and to hear what they can teach us about perseverance and following your dreams. As for today’s guests specifically, they not only have multiple ballroom championship titles, but they have also coached and worked with some of your favorite dancers on shows like SYTYCD and DWTS. They even wrote a children’s book that I can attest my 6-year-old loved. There are some wonderful words of wisdom in this episode so listen in as Corky Ballas and Carolina Orlovsky share their inspiring stories of resilience and advice for following your dreams.

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Show Notes and Resources

https://chelseapierotti.com/74

ChloeBook.com

@corkyballas

@carolinaorlovsky

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

There are so many times I’ve heard dances say things like “I can’t do left” or “I’m not a turner.” And of course, there are many times I’ve thought those things too. As a coach, it honestly wasn’t a lot better. I would think, “I wish I could be as talented as she is,” or “I can’t do that like he can.” But I’ve learned something over the years that I want to share with all of you today. We lie to ourselves a lot. Maybe we don’t mean to, maybe we don’t even know it, or maybe we really believe those negative thoughts in our own heads. But we can be better. So let’s talk about the lies we tell ourselves and what they really mean.

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Show Notes and Resources

Freebie: 23 Growth Mindset Questions

https://chelseapierotti.com/73

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

If you are a dance educator long enough, you will go through some big life changes that will impact your career and your dancers. When you have something big happening in your life like a wedding, a medical issue, the birth of a child, or moving, it usually causes a lot of stress and can be hard to navigate as a leader. When I think about my own big life changes over the last 15 years, I know I would start to just go through the motions, or stress about what it all means for my dancers. But even really positive changes can be difficult to cope with. So in this episode, I share some advice about how to handle big life changes as a leader.

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Show Notes and Resources

https://chelseapierotti.com/72

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.

Are you an assistant coach? Do you have an assistant in your program? Maybe you’re in the school setting and lucky enough to be an assistant coach.  Or maybe you’re a head coach doing everything alone and wishing for some help! While this typically applies to a school or all-star setting with head and assistant coaches, it can also apply to studio teachers and owners who have younger teachers that report to you.

If you work with more than one dance educator but you have to be on the same page sometimes and this episode is for you. I’m going to share a little about my journey as a head coach with and without an assistant, and if you have assistants, the 4 questions you should ask them at the beginning of the season, plus if you are the assistant, I have some questions you should make sure to ask of your head coach or studio owner before we get back to the fall season. 

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Freebie Download: Assistant Coach Questions 

https://chelseapierotti.com/71

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Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers.