Why does ballroom dance have to be so freaking expensive? Just like the cost of everything has been going up, many dancers are finding their studios and teachers raising their rates. If it already felt expensive to you, if it was already a stretch, and you feel like you can't take it anymore, you are not alone.

However, in this episode I want to bring us back to earth. Whatever the circumstances are for us at any given time, we can make the best of it. So rather than getting a little stuck in scarcity--which is VALID--I want to empower you to find abundance and resourcefulness. Or walk away if that's what needs to happen. Either way, I think love and trust and abundance will serve us better than fear, scarcity and victim mentality.

Private coaching sessions, along with consults and Dance Strategy Calls are paused while we plan for early 2025 and a brand new offer!  To get on the interest list for what's coming, go HERE.

Go HERE to join my free Facebook Group JOYFUL BALLROOM

Sometimes as dancers we have a problem that we want to discuss with our teacher but it's hard to bring it up. We don't want to hurt their feelings or harm the relationship.

Maybe we are people pleasing or maybe we just aren't sure what is a reasonable request and what isn't.

In this episode, we've invited Mary Pinizzotto, a dancer teacher from Kansas City to bring the teacher's perspective to the conversation. She brings her knowledge of relationships and communication plus 35 years of teacher experience to weigh-in.

Whether it's teacher's being late, allowing interruptions during lesson time, or failing to be responsive in communication, or it seems like they are holding you back when you are ready for the next level, we talk about it in this episode along with some strategies to approach the conversation.

Private coaching sessions, along with consults and Dance Strategy Calls are paused while we plan for early 2025 and a brand new offer!  To get on the interest list for what's coming, go HERE.

Go HERE to connect with Mary Pinizzotto

Go HERE to join my free Facebook Group JOYFUL BALLROOM

"I just want to feel like I belong. I don't even have to be the best one, but I want to feel like I look like everyone else and have a right to be there."

This is an interesting topic to explore--belonging.

In this episode, we try to define it, determine why it can be confusing and elusive, and then define for ourselves what it means so that we can grant it to ourselves and reap the benefits of this belief.

Don't forget that private coaching sessions will be a thing of the past in 2025. Dance Strategy Calls are done and the only way to get private coaching is through the current deal that expires on Friday, Dec 6. 2024.

Go HERE to buy a set or two for yourself or a dancer you love!

Sometimes it seems that no matter how much work you do, you never really get comfortable being in the spotlight. No matter how much you practice, perfect your skills, or perfect your look, the "stage fright" is just too much.

Have you ever considered if maybe you have a fear of being seen? A fear of being perceived? This is a real thing with a real name--scopophobia. It might be as mild as some self-consciousness and as severe as panic attacks and paranoia.

In this episode we piggy-back off number 114 about inner work and outer work and show you what inner work might help you to finally loosen this up for you so it doesn't continue to plague you!

Don't forget, private coaching is going away in 2025! This is your last chance to buy some private sessions. Find the link to book private sessions HERE. This offer expires 11/30/24 at the latest...but will end sooner if spots fill up.

I explain this more in my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom. Go HERE to get the info and for more great ballroom content.

Changing who we are is not easy to do. Becoming a better, stronger dancer takes effort, practice and perhaps another type of work that we don't do very much: inner work. 

Sometimes the outward action that we take does effect change inside us and changes us. That for sure happens. But if you want to make real, permanent, effective change, I recommend you pair your outer, mechanical, dance work with the inner work of mindset shifts, belief changes, emotional management and nervous system regulation.

If all that sounds terrible and like too much work, I break it down for you and make in manageable in this episode! You'll soon see how the inner work can transform your outer work in record time!

I also make a very important announcement at the end of this episode. Find the link to book private sessions HERE.

This offer expires 11/30/24 at the latest...but will end sooner if spots fill up.

I explain this more in my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom. Go HERE to get the info and for more great ballroom content.

Comparison is the thief of joy. This is a well known saying, that while it may be trite, it's true. Comparing yourself to others is a quick way to kill your confidence and stall your motivation.

In this episode, I give you a metaphor to convince you to keep your eyes on your own journey. When you really, truly, deeply understand that another person's journey is irrelevant to yours, your progress will take a big jump forward.

This is the metaphor of the mountain. I know you'll love it.

Book a Dance Strategy Call ⁠HERE for more help

Join my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom HERE for more great ballroom content.

One of the most important aspects of yourself that you can address to get the most out of yourself and achieve what you want to achieve is to address your self talk. One of the most insidious and destructive types of self talk is self criticism.

If you are a perfectionist-type, your inner critic comes on loud and proud before you can know what is happening.

In this episode we unpack self criticism, why it's so easy to go there so quickly, and why it is actually a terrible way to go even though it works much of the time.

We introduce self coaching as an alternative to self criticism because we can still maintain knowledge of what needs to be improved, but serve it up with a much more balanced and confidence preserving strategy.

Finally we discuss the steps to take to shift from self criticism to self coaching. Let's go!!

Book a Dance Strategy Call ⁠HERE for more help

Join my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom HERE for more great ballroom content.

Humans are very good at identifying what they don't want and how they don't want to feel. As a coach, I try to help my clients point their attention to what they DO want.

In this episode I introduce optimism as just one attitude or approach and is instrumental to success and high performance. I don't think we can be successful unless we have some amount of optimism to help fuel us.

Listen in for how you might be letting pessimism sneak into your attitude and cut you off at the knees, and 4 ways to help cultivate more optimism in your life and in your dancing.

Book a Dance Strategy Call ⁠HERE for more help

Join my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom HERE for more great ballroom content.

Boundary work is some of the best work that you can do. It will change your life! Listen in for what a boundary even is. We often get this wrong and it results in trying to control other people, which doesn't work! We also reveal the sneaky ways in which you may be the reason you aren't getting what you want in life. 

Book a Dance Strategy Call ⁠HERE for more help

Join my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom HERE for more great ballroom content.

Are you like most humans, who believe in Murphy's Law? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong? And anything bad happens in threes? Bad things happening is contagious and will continue. Do you also believe that when things are going well that the other shoe is about to drop? That your luck will run out?

That kind of thinking is very human of us, but unfortunately isn't going to help us much when it comes to doing our best and wanting to be confident on the dance floor. When things are going poorly, what if we had the belief that all that means is that we are about to have a big turnaround? And that when things are going well, that we can't lose? That we are on fire! On a hot streak! We can't miss!

That is called the Shooter's Mentality and while we can't ensure the outcome that we want, adopting this mentality definitely puts us in the best possible position for success!  Listen in to find out more so you can adopt this mindset for yourself.

This concept was first introduced to me in the book The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser.

Book a Dance Strategy Call ⁠HERE for more help

Join my free Facebook group, Joyful Ballroom HERE for more great ballroom content.