Passion for Dance

If you are of a certain age in this dance industry, like me, you probably had to run laps when you were late to practice or would be kicked out of ballet if you crossed your arms in class. For many of us, we grew up with coaches and directors who used physical punishment for bad behavior and mistakes. It was the norm. It's what many of us were used to.

If you're currently using any type of physical punishment on your team, even in the name of motivation, I want to challenge that practice today based on my time coaching and teaching as well as the science behind it and what psychology tells us about behavior change and motivation. In this episode, I’ll uncover the four reasons not to use physical conditioning as a form of punishment. I hope this episode encourages you to avoid punishing with pushups and instead try another approach!

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https://chelseapierotti.com/170

Do your dancers struggle with face-to-face conversations or have a hard time handling their emotions? If you're like most dance educators I've talked to, having real, face-to-face conversations, that are productive but still kind and provide real benefit, is exceedingly challenging. Our dancers are used to communicating behind a screen. It's hurting their relationships, and I also think it's hurting their ability to perform well onstage. My guest today, Michelle Leagans, has found a solution to this problem!

Michelle is a former professional dancer from Texas who currently owns and teaches for Power Intensives, and she's a sought-after choreographer and master instructor. Michelle’s solution was to create a journal for dancers called “Hey Dancers… Let's Talk About It!” This journal is different, and the way she explains how it works and why it works will make you want to give it a try. 

In today’s conversation, Michelle talks about the power of journaling individually as well as in a team setting via groups. We also talked about addressing burnout and this wonderful idea of glimmers, which provides a much-needed dose of positivity when you need it. Trust me, you're going to want to try it. Tune in to learn how to help your dancers express themselves through journaling!

Connect with Michelle on Instagram: www.instagram.com/michelleleagans

Get “Hey Dancers… Let's Talk About It!”:  www.letstalkaboutdance.com

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Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/169

Whether you're a coach at a school or teach in a studio setting, your dancers likely need to build a tight-knit team if they're going to be successful this season. Traditionally, people think of connecting socially when they want dancers to be close, but there are actually four types of team building, and social connection’s only one way to build that tight-knit group.

In today’s episode, I'll be sharing those four types of team building to work on this summer if you want to enhance team dynamics and have a group that gets along and works well together all season. Make sure to get the free download that goes along with this episode that covers lots of different team-building games at www.chelseapierotti.com/168. Tune into this episode to learn how to enhance your team dynamics this season so you can have happier, more successful dancers!

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Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/168

Did you know there's a formula for creating a high-performance environment? Successful dancers know how to perform at their best, but that happens when you practice at your best. Being a successful dancer starts in rehearsal. It's about creating that high performance environment in every class, every cleaning rehearsal your dancers attend. Then, of course, it's up to them to do the work.

In today’s episode, I’ll be breaking down the three key ingredients to a high-performance environment that allows our dancers to achieve their best.  The magic is that all three of these principles work together to create the environment that allows your dancers to find their internal drive and put more effort in each and every class. Tune in to learn all about these three ingredients in a high-performance environment!

15 Ways to Create a High Performance Environment: https://chelseapierotti.com/highperformance

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Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/167

If you hire choreographers for your dance team, you’ll definitely want to listen to today's episode for some really helpful insights into that coach-choreographer relationship and how to work together to create championship-winning routines.

Today's guest is Nicholas Kade Clement of NKC Choreography. After his own professional career, Nick started choreographing for dance teams all over the country, and his work has produced multiple national championships, world championships, and numerous teams finishing in top spots at Universal Dance Association, National Dance Alliance, and Dance Team Union National Championships. Behind his many accomplishments, I know him as a hardworking Southern boy who will always make you laugh.

In today’s episode, Nick and I chat about his choreographic process, cultivating resilience as a choreographer, and what it takes to create that successful coach-choreographer relationship. Coaches, listen into this episode for the many gems Nick has to offer!

Connect with Nick Clement on Instagram: @nkcchoreography

Other Episode Resoures: https://chelseapierotti.com/167

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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

I'm hearing coaches and studio owners tell me every day how commitment levels are different and how dancers don't seem as committed as they used to. Then you add the need to have leadership on our teams, either formal or not, and if most of your senior-level dancers aren't committed, now what do you do?

In this episode, I'm going to share the idea of a Commitment Continuum. I’ll break down the six levels of commitment for you because understanding where your dancers fall on that continuum helps you improve their commitment to your program. This continuum will give you a solid foundation to open the conversation with your dancers in which you can set clear expectations about the level of commitment you’re looking for from them. Tune in to learn about the commitment continuum and how you can use it to get more from your dancers!

Roadmap to Choosing the Right Captains: https://chelseapierotti.com/roadmap

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

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/164

It's really challenging to teach resilience and confidence and motivation if the team culture is awful. Maybe you've been a part of some incredible cultures as a dancer, or maybe you've been part of some really bad ones. Either way, culture is the foundation that all other mental skills need to thrive. Whether you're at a studio or a school team or an all-star gym, the culture of that group can make or break your ability to work on those positive mental skills.

There are twelve ways that you can quickly destroy a culture, which is a lot to go into in just one episode. So in today’s episode, I'll be sharing about three of those culture killers. I’ll break down how a lazy warmup, complaining, and bad body language can affect your team culture. Listen in to learn how to take control of your team culture!

12 Culture Killers Free Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/culture

Other epidose resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/163

While I'm on a mission to create happier, more successful dancers through positive mental skills, I'm also someone who loves to be inspired by dancers who are living their dreams and are also honest about the hard work it takes to get there. My guests in today’s episode are here to do just that and pull back the curtain on their journey from studio to competitive college team to the Radio City Rockettes.

Caitlin and Courtney Sullivan, known to many of you as The Sullivan Twins, are here today to share their journey and how their mental skills helped make their dreams happen. They talk about values, content creation, training plans, and, of course, the mindset behind it all. While they are professional dancers and they achieved their dream of being Rockettes, they actually didn't make the cut after their first year auditioning. But their story of resilience and being present in high-pressure situations will inspire you to never give up on your dreams!

Follow the show for more great episodes: https://followthepodcast.com/passionfordance

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/162

One of the most accessible mental skills that makes a real impact on your growth as a dancer is goal setting, but I've seen goal setting fail when it's not done well. While a method like SMART goals can be commonly used, I have a better way. This new method takes a very important step beyond the SMART method, and dancers that I've worked with who used this new method instead saw some pretty amazing results. So let's make sure you're setting yourself up for success.

This episode is part two of a two-part series about goal setting. We’ll break down the GWHOP Method, and I’ll give real-life examples of how I used this method with a team I worked with. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear roadmap to the scientifically-supported new goal setting strategy, a method that improves motivation, focus, happiness, and performance! 

Values & Goal Setting Course: https://chelseapierotti.com/catalyst

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/161