Thank you for tuning into the episode this week with Ms. Julia Rust.  Julia is a fabulous dancer and an even more wonderful person.  In this episode, Julia talks about her upbringing and how the coaching she received impacted her frame of mind and performance.  This would lead to her joining The Washington School of Ballet, winning the silver medal at USA International Ballet Competition, and joining The Joffrey Ballet at JUST 17!

You guys are going to take a lot away from this episode, especially in terms of the way Julia navigates her state of mind.  She has a high level of emotional intelligence that allows for her to stop negative thoughts and regroup to best prime herself to take on the next day.  She talks about this and so much more including how she and her twin sister best went about working in tandem to both achieve their dreams at the highest level.  

Go give her a follow over on social media - @juliapointeshoes and make sure to check her out in Chicago performing with Joffrey this season!  Thanks again for listening and let us know what you think!

In this week's episode I have on former professional ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Miami City Ballet, Lauren Fadeley Veyette.  Lauren has a tremendous background that found her to leaving the "dream job" at NYCB after just two years in the company.  This however led her to a rejuvenated love for ballet through time spent at Indiana University earning a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance and an outside field in Kinesiology.  While at IU she had the privilege of working with the esteemed, Violette Verdy.  

Following a successful career, Lauren was hired as the Principal and YAGP Coordinator of the Kansas City Ballet School.  She also teaches virtually alongside her husband, Francis, at the Veyette Virtual Ballet School.  You can find her and their ballet school on social media or the link below.  

Lauren Fadeley Veyette - @lfadeley

Veyette Virtual Ballet School - https://www.veyettevirtualballetschool.com, @veyettevirtualballetschool 

Thank you so much for listening and for your support of the podcast!

You guys are going to want to listen to this entire episode... On this week on The Mental Game I sit down with a close friend, Daria Afshar.  Daria grew up in Fishers, IN where she begun dancing at the age of 3.  When she was 13 she experienced her first bout of shame when a teacher pointed at her and told her to "shrink that", referring to a part of her body.  Daria pushed passed this traumatic event and would eventually go on to study ballet at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany.  Here, body image became even more of an issues when a teacher told her she needed to lose weight ON THE 3RD DAY.  

She completed that year of training and eventually said enough is enough.  She was able to see this treatment as traumatizing and something that no one should have to go through, so she walked away from ballet at the age of 15.  

Since then, Daria has used this as fuel to inspire a life of balanced and healthy living.  She shares what that looks like for her now, including living a life that works for her.  To follow Daria's journey give her a follow over on social media - @dariaafshar_  where she shares posts about lifestyle, fashion, and living your best life.  Enjoy the episode and let us know what you think!

In this episode of The Mental Game, I sit down with licensed Psychologist, Dr. Sheena Sikorski.  Dr. Sheena and I discuss some of the most common mental health concerns she comes across as a clinician.  We talk about the inner critic, often at the forefront of the difficulties many of her patients face.  We discuss where this inner critic comes from, including how it lends itself to the development of perfectionism.  

Dr. Sheena shares deep insight into the process of working through this perfectionism and being a kinder, more compassionate human being to our inner critic.  She also shares some best practices for mental health - like sleep, proper eating, and going for daily walks.  Go give Dr. Sheena a follow over on social media for daily science-based strategies on dealing with self-doubt and anxiety - @drsheenapsydlp.  

Let me know if you enjoy this episode and would want to hear similar episodes in the future!  -@jgkelich over on Instagram.  Thanks so much for listening!

This dude is ELITE!  Joel Malkoff is a well-versed, well-traveled, and well-experienced human being of many different avenues.  By principal, Joel is an acrobat whose main act is tight wire.  In this episode, Joel takes us through the physical and mental preparation necessary to perform such an act.  

Listen along as he also describes how his early childhood formed his way of thinking and how he approaches each and every day.  Also, give Joel a follow over on social media at - @joelmalkoff , where he is constantly showing what he is working on!  You will not be disappointed!

Imagine falling out of a turn and your director tells you, that better not happen again.  Or imagine a scenario where they make you question all of the time and hard work you have put in up to that point.  How would you work through the possible stress and anxious feelings that might follow?  In this episode, Rico Hipolito talks about this AND more.  

Rico is a lead dancer with Richmond Ballet.  Prior to Richmond, he was a dancer with Kansas City Ballet for 4 seasons.  Along the way Rico has dealt with mind games, toxicity, and just about anything else you can think of in the studio.  And yet, he has come out stronger and is more enthused about what he does than ever before.  How does he do it?  Tune in this week where Rico covers this and a variety of other related topics!  

Also, give him a follow over on social media!  -- @ricohipo It is worth the follow!!

Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode of The Mental Game I sit down with a dear friend who has already made waves in the mental health arena.  Goldie Walberg is a former professional ballet dancer with Ballet Met and the Kansas City Ballet and danced with Kansas City for a number of years before a crisis involving a loved one put life into perspective.  

Goldie and I discuss her mental health journey, which includes having gone to therapy now for multiple years.  Goldie is very open and vulnerable as she talks about the impactful traumas and triggers that led to her eventual stepping away as a professional ballet dancer.  This also led to her wanting to create a greater level of awareness of the mental health and lives of those in the ballet community.  To do so she created a Youtube platform and an Instagram revolved around doing just that.  Go check her out over on Instagram at - @lazyballerinaclub, and over on Youtube at @GoldieJane.  

If you enjoy the episode, or find something inspiring, post and tag both Goldie and I and let us know what you took away from it!  Thank you so much for your support and I appreciate you showing up!  

~G

On this week's episode I speak to a dear friend of mine, Ms. Maura Bell.  Maura and I first met back at Indiana University where we were partners together in the production of The Nutcracker.  Since then, Maura has danced professionally with the St. Louis Ballet and completed her Master of Education from Carlow University.  

We talk about this transition from being a professional dancer to wanting to teach and inspire the mind's of the next generation.  We also talk about how to develop a more positive mindset in today's dance world where we are taught to notice more of our imperfections.  Maura is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and I encourage everyone to follow her journey over on Instagram - @morahbora.  

Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On this week's episode I answer the question; why did I create this podcast?  I bring you guys into my own mental health journey and struggles that lead to wanting to pursue this as a career.  There were specific factors that I discuss that were crucial to my early years in dance, allowing me to feel comfortable to continue to pursue this beautiful combination of artistry and athleticism.  I also share stories about experiences I had that would eventually push me to look inside myself and figure out what to do beyond the world of dance.  This and so much more is included in this episode!  

If you have had a similar experience, reach out!  Let me know what your experiences with mental health have been like that have molded who you are today.  I would love to hear!  Thanks for listening! 

In this week's episode I sit down with one of my very dear friends, Greg Goessner.  Greg has had numerous stops in the ballet world, most recently with Dayton Ballet and Indianapolis Ballet.  He is currently a ballet instructor and teacher at the prestigious Expressenz Dance Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.  

Greg shares how his early experiences shaped his mindset and helped him build resilience in the face of adversity.  Early successes led the way to feeling confident that he was capable of reaching his goals, along with the help of teachers that formed the way he would go on to shape his teaching philosophy.  

Go follow Greg over on Instagram at - @greggoessner!  He also has a platform that he created to help dancers along their journey through a collection of tips, tools, and stories.  Follow and support at - @developingdancer on Instagram, and Develop Dancer over on Youtube where through videos he has broken down steps into beginner and adult ballet classes!