Backstage and Beyond

Does School Actually Prepare Our Kids for Real Life?

Are we preparing our children for exams… or are we preparing them for life?

This week on Backstage & Beyond, we're asking a question that we think every parent has probably wondered at some point: Is the school system really giving our children the skills they need for the real world?

From GCSE pressure and neurodiversity to money management, first aid, friendships and the fear of secondary school, we're questioning whether education needs a bit of a shake-up!

We get personal about our own school experiences, the anxieties we carry as parents, and whether we're sometimes projecting our own fears onto our children.

And, of course, we ask the big question… If we could design our own school, what would we actually teach?

Expect honest opinions, a few controversial conversations, plenty of laughs and probably a few things you'll completely disagree with us on!

We're not education experts. We're just two mums, dance teachers and business owners having an open conversation about the future of our children.

Now we want to hear from YOU!

What is ONE thing you wish you'd been taught at school?

And if you're a teacher or work in education, we'd especially love to hear your perspective!

Listen, share and join the conversation.

Backstage & Beyond — real conversations, real life, no filters. 

We’ve been keeping a secret… Rio’s pregnant! 🤍

This week on Backstage and Beyond, we share Rio’s exciting news and have an honest conversation about pregnancy, fertility struggles and our different paths to motherhood.

Jemma opens up about IVF to have Hunter, the emotions that came with other people’s pregnancy announcements, and how you can feel happy for someone while hurting for yourself.

We talk about friends worrying about sharing their news, the feelings we sometimes struggle to admit, and why these conversations deserve more understanding and less judgment.

Whether you’re celebrating, waiting, or supporting someone you love, we hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.

Content note: Includes discussions of fertility struggles, IVF and pregnancy.

Follow Backstage and Beyond for new episodes every Monday, and share this conversation with someone who might need it.

How do we raise confident children… without raising arrogant ones?

In this episode of Backstage & Beyond, Jemma and Rio get into a conversation that every parent, teacher and anyone working with children will probably relate to.

We talk about the fine line between building a child’s confidence and accidentally creating entitlement, why our instinct to protect our children from rejection might not always be helping them, and whether constantly rescuing them from disappointment stops them learning how to cope with it.

From not being invited to birthday parties and not being picked for exams, to body confidence, school struggles, praise, empathy and learning that you can be incredibly important to your family without being the most important person in every room, this one made us question a LOT about how we parent and teach.

We definitely don’t have all the answers. We’re figuring it out too.

But ultimately, we want to raise children who believe in themselves, know their worth and aren't afraid to shine, while still being kind, humble, resilient and respectful of everyone around them.

So… how DO we raise confident kids without raising arrogant ones?

🎙️ Backstage & Beyond with Jemma & Rio

This week on Backstage & Beyond, we’re joined by two very special guests, our gorgeous student and assistant Maisie, alongside her mum Laura. 🤎

We’re talking all about what it’s really like growing up through dance, from starting out as a little dancer, to navigating the teenage years, school, friendships, competitions, commitments and everything else life throws into the mix!

Maisie gives us the dancer’s perspective on juggling it all while growing into the young woman she is today, while Laura shares the other side, what it’s like being the dance mum behind the scenes, supporting the highs, navigating the lows and watching your child grow up in the dance world.

We chat about confidence, friendships, pressure, sacrifices, teenage life and how dance can become so much more than just a weekly class. 🥹

A really lovely, open conversation about growing up, finding yourself and having dance beside you through it all.

🎧 Backstage & Beyond- 2 mums, 2 mics & way too much going on.

This week, we’re stripping motherhood right back and talking about the parts that don’t always make it onto social media.

The guilt. The exhaustion. Losing your patience. Questioning whether you’re getting it right. And trying to work out how on earth you’re supposed to raise little humans while still figuring life out yourself.

We got really open about how we parent, the things we do differently, where we struggle, what we’ve learnt along the way and the fact that there really is no one-size-fits-all way to be a mum.

No judgement. No pretending we have it all together. Just two mums, two mics and a very real conversation about the beautiful, chaotic, emotional rollercoaster that is motherhood. 🤎

If you’ve ever gone to bed wondering “Was I a good enough mum today?”… this episode is for you.

Are you a believer in manifestation… or do you think it’s all a load of rubbish? 👀

This week on Backstage & Beyond, we’re talking about something we both LOVE — manifesting the life you want.

From visualising our goals and speaking things into existence, to those slightly spooky moments when something we’ve manifested has actually HAPPENED… we’re sharing our own experiences and why we truly believe there’s power in putting your intentions out into the universe. ✨

But how does manifestation fit into motherhood? Can we still dream BIG when we’re juggling children, work, relationships and approximately 637 things at once? 😂

This episode is your reminder that becoming a mum doesn’t mean you stop having dreams of your own.

Dream it. Believe it. Work for it. Manifest it. 💫

What does success really mean?

In this episode of Backstage & Beyond, we're challenging the idea that success is all about money, followers, promotions or the perfect life on social media.

We open up about what success genuinely looks like to us, as business owners, mums and women trying to juggle it all. From the wins we're proud of to the moments we've questioned ourselves, we share the realities behind building a business, raising families and finding happiness along the way.

Success isn't one-size-fits-all, and this episode is a reminder that your version of success doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

Whether you're chasing a dream, feeling stuck, or simply wondering if you're on the right path, this honest conversation might just change the way you measure success.

Teenage girls... where do we even begin? 😅

In this episode of Backstage & Beyond, we're joined by two incredible teenagers who give us an honest insight into what life is really like growing up today. We dive into the highs, the lows, the friendships, the pressures, and everything in between.

From confidence and body image to the huge impact of social media, we explore how this generation is navigating a world that's constantly online. As parents, are we getting it right? What do teenagers wish we understood? And how different is growing up now compared to when we were their age?

This is a real, open and unfiltered conversation that every parent of a teenager, or future teenager, needs to hear.

The temperatures rising... but so are our stress levels!

This week on backstage & Beyond, we're chatting all about surviving parenthood in a heatwave. From entertaining the kids when its too hot to move, sleepless nights, melting mums and tying to keep everyone cool without loosing your sanity.

Join us as we share our own hilarious experiences, relatable moments and a few survival tips for getting through the summer with little ones.

Grab an iced coffee, find some shade and tune in now.

This week, we’re joined by Sydney Royce a former dancer turned dance mum for a refreshingly honest conversation about life on the other side of the studio.

We dive into what it’s really like being the parent of a dancer, from the endless commitments and emotional highs to the pressures and sacrifices that often go unseen. Sydney shares how dance shaped her as a performer and how those experiences now influence the way she supports her own child.

We also get into the nitty-gritty of the dance world, discussing the different cultures within dance schools, the challenges families can face, and the realities that aren’t often talked about. It’s an open, unfiltered conversation that every dance parent and anyone curious about the world behind the costumes and competitions will relate to.

If you’ve ever wondered what really happens beyond the stage, this episode is for you.