The stage is gone, but the part of us that belonged there never really left. 🎭

This week is a mix of genuine relief and absolute emotional carnage. Dena’s back procedure may have finally worked (thank GOD 😭), Alicia is surviving a very intense toddler phase, and one innocent trip to the park ends with magical unicorn ponies, an hour-long meltdown and Bluey being called in as emergency support.

Underneath the chaos, we talk about something much bigger: what happens when the thing that shaped your identity is no longer part of your life. There is grief, jealousy, yearning and a lot of love for the girls we used to be… because honestly, sometimes you don’t miss the job, you miss who you were when you were doing it.

Plus, the very important discovery that neither of us was ever built for running 💀

0:57 — Finally getting relief from chronic back pain

4:37 — Self-care, fake tan disasters and trying to feel human again

11:16 — Time-poor mums, marathon friends and why dancers cannot run

15:06 — Dance Academy memories and pushing past physical limits

16:08 — Grieving the performer identity and the life that never happened

20:51 — Unicorn ponies, a public meltdown and the Bluey emergency

24:11 — Toddler boundary battles and living in survival mode

28:17 — The public bathroom meltdown that broke Alicia

31:42 — Overwhelm, nervous-system freeze and why replying feels impossible

33:47 — Acting doubts, rejection and being better at supporting each other

37:48 — Recs, beauty swaps and the future Life Academy tour

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Recs/Homework:

LOOPS face masks — A mask that leaves the skin feeling hydrated, plump and extremely looked after.

Brown mascara and eyeliner — A softer alternative to black for a more flattering everyday eye look.

The Loving Tan 10 Min Express Self-Tanning Body Mask — A quick cream-style tan with no strong smell and minimal waiting around.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in full film-girlie mode this week, dAlings 🍿🎬

This week, we’re deep in the pop culture trenches with Natalie Portman friendship drama, Nicole Kidman romance rumours, an Olivia Wilde obsession that has officially become a full-time job, and Alicia’s very enthusiastic review of The Odyssey. There are also strong feelings about Anne Hathaway, Hollywood double standards, sad girl summer, and whether Tom and Zendaya are secretly married.

Then, just as we’re wrapping up, we find out the live show has SOLD OUT… after both of us spent the week quietly wondering whether anyone even listens to this podcast. Emotional whiplash, but make it Life Academy.

Now tell us: The Invite or The Odyssey for your next movie night? 🎬🩵

3:14 — Natalie Portman friendship drama and the book based on her life

5:40 — Nicole Kidman romance rumours and Hollywood double standards

7:00 — The Olivia Wilde rabbit hole and why The Invite is a must-watch

11:45 — Alicia finally sees The Odyssey and has THOUGHTS

15:08 — The darker meaning, morality and emotional weight of the film

18:36 — Anne Hathaway hate and why the criticism makes no sense

20:47 — Tate McRae, Britney energy and sad girl summer

22:18 — Hacks, Spider-Man and Tom and Zendaya marriage rumours

23:32 — Where are Taylor Swift’s wedding photos?

26:03 — The live show sells out and the podcast confidence crisis

Follow us at:

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Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

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Nothing says Life Lately like toilet drama, an eye emergency and a late-night hotel escape 💀

We catch up on the week’s chaos, from an unexpectedly traumatic trip to Bluey Live and a health-anxiety spiral to uni overwhelm, comfort food and the caravan-park mattress that forced Dena to stage a late-night escape.

We also have some very exciting news: Life Academy is heading back to Sydney Dance Company for our first-ever live show (check out our socials NOW for more info!). Plus, we share the lululemon looks we’re currently living in - from buttery-soft pants for yoga, pilates and lounging to polished wide-leg trousers that take you from school drop-off into the rest of your day without sacrificing comfort (AKA we’re OBSESSED 😮‍💨🤌).

Come for the toilet-paper debate, stay to shop our Favourite Four products from July below. Love you, dAlings 🫶

#LifeAcademy #LifeLately #MumLife #lululemon #BestieChat

00:40 — The Toilet-Paper Debate: Scrunching vs Folding

02:43 — How Bluey Live Ended in an Eye Emergency

06:12 — Getting an Eyeball Flushed at Hospital

09:06 — When Health Anxiety Takes Over

11:51 — Uni Overwhelm, Ambition and Trying to Keep Up

16:22 — The Caravan-Park Trip That Went Very Wrong

18:34 — Dena’s Secret 10:30PM Hotel Escape

21:46 — Life Academy’s First-Ever Live Show

23:42 — How to Enter the Jetstar Live-Show Giveaway

26:26 — July Favourite Four: Fashion, Skincare and Beauty

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Shop Our Favourite Four Products From July:

Dena’s Look: lululemon Groove Wide Leg High-Rise Pant - Dena’s featured buttery-soft, weightless pants in Nulu fabric, styled with her full lululemon look. https://creatorsold.io/lululemon/lifeacademythepodcast/life-academy-favourites]

Alicia’s Look: lululemon Daydrift High-Rise Wide-Leg Trouser - Alicia’s featured polished, tailored trousers in four-way stretch Luxtreme fabric, styled with her full lululemon look. https://creatorsold.io/lululemon/lifeacademythepodcast/life-academy-favourites

Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask: A peel-off mask for hydrated, glowing skin.https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/159896/medicube-collagen-night-wrapping-mask

Benefit Pocket Pal: A dual-ended lip and cheek tint with gloss for an easy everyday look. https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/en-us/product/pocket-pal-POCKETPAL.html

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We came for a cosy catch-up and somehow ended up fixing modern dating 😭

We’re talking school holidays, magical fairy days, friendship, burnout, trauma study, body pain and the daily chaos of looking after both toddlers and pets. There is also psychic baby news and a tiny daddy’s girl with absolutely no respect for personal boundaries.

We also have a LOT to say about ghosting, dating apps, emotional unavailability and why the bare minimum is suddenly being treated like romance. Plus, paparazzi culture, misplaced justice and a very quick detour into Taylor Swift’s stadium wedding because apparently that is where peace lives now.

Honestly… this one is cosy, chaotic and slightly furious. Love you dAlings 🩵

0:48 — School holiday magic, dinosaurs and the fairy era

5:49 — Girl trips, missing friends and the isolation of mum life

7:52 — Trauma training, lived experience and becoming a therapist

19:30 — Psychic baby predictions and another girl joining the family

23:03 — Winter date-night guilt and the three-hour bedtime routine

25:18 — Modern dating is dismal and why ghosting hurts so much

32:02 — Graffiti, crime and what society chooses to punish

34:19 — Prince Harry, paparazzi and the cost of public harassment

37:45 — Taylor Swift’s stadium wedding and iconic behaviour

40:57 — Creative freedom, brand micromanagement and trusting creators

42:39 — Recs, social media culls and The Self Retreat

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Recs/Homework:

Romyli jewellery — Personalised necklaces with initials and meaningful birthstones; a sweet gift without the scary jewellery price tag.

Social media cull — Unfollow the accounts and brands that make you feel worse, then intentionally follow people who inspire, teach or make you laugh.

The Brick — A phone-boundary tool to help break the automatic doom-scrolling habit.

The Self Retreat — A one-day retreat for anyone who wants a proper reset without committing to the full three-day experience.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pop culture department is open again and yes, we work entirely off vibes 😎😎

This week, we unpack the suspicious Fourth Wing profile pictures, Taylor Swift’s wedding that apparently had a thousand guests and a raffle, the Britney Spears movie and Dena’s very unexpected journey from techno girl to full Swiftie mum.

Honestly… Meryl Streep the chicken may be the sweetest pop culture story of the week 🍗🍗

We also talk about Tom and Zendaya being offensively adorable, Olivia Wilde making couples therapy but cinematic, and Alicia refusing to be pressured into Dena’s “best actress of our generation” agenda. Plus, Dena’s tiny IMDb debut as “girl with pram”, an Aussie making waves with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi roaming Byron Bay dressed like they’re escaping a dystopian government.

We overshare, we speculate, you’re welcome dAlings 🩵

1:03 — Fourth Wing casting rumours and Josh Heuston speculation

4:45 — Jack Antonoff’s reported breakup and the Instagram archive dilemma

6:12 — Inside Taylor Swift’s enormous wedding

10:23 — Taylor Swift, body image and being a role model

12:27 — The Britney Spears biopic and who could possibly play her

13:56 — Tom Holland, Zendaya and The Odyssey press tour

16:24 — The actresses everyone loves… but Alicia does not

18:39 — Remembering Sam Neill and Dena’s first acting role

22:51 — Aussie Faith Ward enters the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders universe

23:32 — Jacob Elordi and Kendall Jenner’s terrible Byron Bay disguise

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is basically a support group for tired mums and ex-theatre kids 🎭

We catch up on toddler concerts, bedtime chaos, big feelings, back pain, phone addiction, Peppa Pig drama, and the never-ending battle of trying to parent while also staying emotionally regulated. We also talk about the state of Australian theatre, audition doubts, creative burnout, the privilege of having time to make art, and the weird way everyone helps pregnant women… then disappears once the baby arrives (this is crazy!!!!!)

This is one of those Life Lately chats that starts with mum chaos and somehow lands in a very real conversation about creativity, identity, support, and trying to keep a dream alive when life is already full.

Come for the toddler chaos, stay for the arts industry crisis. Love you dAlings 🩵

1:09 — Back spasms, chiro chaos, and tiny doctor energy

6:13 — Toddler dance concert, stage confidence, and proud mum tears

11:21 — Health anxiety, bedtime tricks, and the bucket saga

21:34 — Three-year-olds, big feelings, and parenting boundaries

26:30 — Peppa Pig slander, screen time, and toddler catchphrases

36:33 — Australian theatre is struggling and why it matters

41:18 — Acting doubts, auditions, and whether the dream changes

47:31 — Nepo babies, creative privilege, and having time to work

51:21 — New mums, invisible support, and the help that disappears

57:20 — Recs: one-day retreats, dry mouth spray, jewellery, and phone boundaries

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Recs/Homework:

The Self Retreat — A one-day retreat option for anyone who wants the full reset experience but cannot commit to three days.

Biotène dry mouth spray — A practical rec for dry mouth, especially if medication makes talking feel like a puffer sponge situation.

Melanie Amber jewellery — Waterproof, everyday jewellery that can survive showers, sleep, and real life.

The Brick — A phone-boundary tool for anyone trying to stop carrying their phone around like a second limb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 1 Episode 6 said ballet episode… but secretly gave us lore, longing, and a full prequel request 🩰🩵

We are back in the real dancer world: pointe shoes, rehearsal chaos, empty theatre nostalgia, questionable styling, and all the tiny ballet details that made Dance Academy feel way too accurate.

But underneath all the pirouettes, this episode is quietly doing the MOST!!! Kat and Abigail have history, Sammy is starting to look at Abigail differently, Alycia Debnam-Carey enters the chat, and suddenly everyone needs to know what happened four years ago 🫢🫢🫢

This one is nostalgic, funny, a little dramatic, and very “wait… why is there so much tea in this ballet school????" 🩵

1:17 — Pointe shoe chaos and why the ballet details feel so real

6:11 — ADR, outdoor scenes, and the lines that had to be re-recorded

7:55 — Alycia Debnam-Carey enters and the full-circle Apple Cider Vinegar moment

13:33 — Kat, Natasha, childhood wounds, and Sammy having Cat’s back

15:46 — Jenna’s ballet, no doubles, and the Kat-Abigail friendship lore

20:16 — Sammy and Abigail, the ballet date, and Tom’s beautiful acting

23:48 — Ballet insecurity, casting feelings, and why this episode still hits

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

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https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

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Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

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Pop culture class is back and today’s lesson is: never underestimate a celebrity family feud, an ex at a concert, or a fandom with receipts 😱🩵

This week, we are catching up on Call Her Daddy drama, Off Campus relationship tea, Adam Hyde becoming the new face of Bonds, Ariana Grande’s Ricky Alvarez moment, and the Beckham family saga that is giving rich-people group chat meltdown 👀

There’s also Britney Spears’ sons entering their runway era, a very necessary “stop talking about women’s bodies” moment, and a creator-to-brand public service announcement: if you hire funny people, please let them be funny.

This one is gossip, giggles, theories, tangents, and two unqualified besties doing their civic duty by being late to the news. Tell us what we missed, because statistically… it was a lot. Love you dAlings!!! 🩵

This episode is brought to you by Protect-A-Bed: https://protectabed.com.au/

1:06 — Call Her Daddy drama and the Unwell Network allegations

7:13 — Adam Hyde as the new face of Bonds

13:11 — Ariana Grande, Ricky Alvarez, and the Thank U, Next lyric moment

15:30 — Why everyone needs to stop commenting on women’s bodies

16:33 — The Beckham family saga and Brooklyn’s DoorDash ad

18:39 — Britney Spears’ sons make their modelling debut

21:19 — Why brands need to let creators create

Follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/denaamy

https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

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Sometimes healing is not just talking. Sometimes it’s learning to feel safe in your body again.

In this episode, Alicia sits down with Georgia Verry about Conscious Combat Club, a Melbourne-based charity using trauma-informed martial arts to support women and gender-diverse people impacted by violence. They chat through gender-based violence, fight-flight-freeze responses, dissociation, breathwork, grounding, and why reconnecting with the body can be such a huge part of recovery 🌿

What makes this conversation so special is how practical it is. Georgia breaks down what actually happens before someone joins a class, how triggers and boundaries are handled, why choice matters so much, and how the team is building a space where people can move, pause, cry, rest, try again, and be supported through it all.

This episode is honest, hopeful, and such a different way to think about healing. If this conversation speaks to you, please check out Conscious Combat Club, share their work, or donate if you’re able. Love you dAlings 🩵

1:18 — What Conscious Combat Club does and why it exists

4:59 — Why martial arts can help trauma recovery

5:28 — Traditional self-defence vs trauma-informed martial arts

12:27 — Dissociation, eating disorders, and reconnecting with the body

15:48 — Why breathwork does not work for everyone

19:51 — Building Conscious Combat Club and turning it into a charity

25:23 — Inside the trauma-informed gym and grounding room

29:50 — How to join Conscious Combat Club

32:23 — Why long-term access matters more than short-term programs

36:41 — The ten-year vision for Conscious Combat Club

45:48 — Pound and ground: the nervous system homework

48:26 — How to support Conscious Combat Club

Follow us at:

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https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast

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Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

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Welcome to the DA group chat where everyone is late to the pop culture moments but somehow still screaming with excitement!! 🩵✨

We’re catching up on the MOST important, VERY unserious business from the week: Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna, Hailey Bieber’s new Rhode beauty products, Zendaya and Tom Holland’s very private wedding, Shrek 5, Kyle Sandilands’ huge radio settlement, and a new mermaid movie with major Dance Academy universe energy.

And of course, because we apparently cannot help ourselves, there’s more Off Campus spiralling, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders chat, Shrinking, Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 song, and a little audition chaos thrown in for good measure 🎭

Grab something cosy, come catch up with us, and tell us which pop culture rabbit hole you’re currently living in. Love you SO much dAlings!!! 🩵

1:39 — Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and car-dancing music

3:30 — Rhode beauty updates and the new products everyone is watching

4:49 — Zendaya in Shrek 5 and the character design drama

5:40 — Zendaya and Tom Holland’s very private wedding update

10:31 — Kyle Sandilands, ARN, and the huge radio settlement

13:39 — Manifesting a sunny Gold Coast filming job

15:01 — Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is back and things have changed

17:05 — Shrinking, Off Campus round two, and why the rewatch hits different

18:21 — Garrett’s mouth acting and the scene the girls cannot move past

19:41 — Audition updates and working with people you swore you never would

20:34 — Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 song and late-in-life Swiftie energy

Follow us at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/denaamy⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast⁠

Join our Facebook group:

⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/⁠

Watch us on YouTube:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠

Recs/Homework:

Listen to the Madonna remix — The car-dancing recommendation of the week

Watch Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — The new season is out and worth the watch

Watch Shrinking — A comfort show with great writing and big feelings

Rewatch Off Campus — Round two hits even better

Listen to Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 song — Sweet, catchy, and emotional

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices