Passion for Dance

It's Nutcracker season, and today I want to pull back the curtain on what life is really like as a professional ballet dancer. My guest today is Janine Kovac who was a professional dancer for 12 years in Iceland, Italy, San Francisco, and her hometown in El Paso, Texas.

In today’s episode, Janine and I talk about how you can take whatever role you're given in the ballet, even if it's not your favorite, and truly make it your own. She shares her pre-performance ritual as a professional dancer, which I will say was very well thought out and definitely helped her have that sense of confidence every time she took the stage. Janine also shares a touching story about when her twins were in the NICU and how her life lessons from being a ballet dancer helped her get through it. This episode is packed with tangible advice and behind-the-scenes insights into the world of professional ballet and, of course, some extra fun with discussing The Nutcracker!

Get Janine’s Book, The Nutcracker Chronicles: https://www.janinekovac.com/in-other-words2

Connect with Janine on Her Website: https://janinekovac.com

Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/187

 I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of dancers all over the world, and I hear from each of them about the heavy load they experience as dancers. There's pressure to perform. We never feel like we have enough time to get everything done. There's performance anxiety and burnout. But it doesn't have to be that way. Reframing stress can lead to a better performance as well as more mental resilience and personal growth.

In today’s episode, I’ll break down the four different ways that you can reframe your stress as a dancer and share some practical tips for coaches, teachers, and parents too. Spoiler alert: reframing stress is rooted in the idea that stress isn't always a bad thing. It can be positive rather than something to fear or loathe. Tune in to learn more about the four ways to reframe your stress and turn pressure into your power!

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/186

If you are a dance teacher who has ever struggled to get your students to go full out when they're learning, or if you've been saying the same cue, like, “Pull up,” and they don't get it, today's guest is here to share a different approach with a lot of tangible ideas to try in your next class.

My guest today is Jennifer Bonfill, the Artistic Director of The Wooden Floor. She spent 13 years as a professional dancer and is now a truly exceptional teacher who has a genuine passion for dance. Jennifer believes that dance is more than an art form; it's a catalyst for personal growth and community connection. In this episode, we’ll talk about why dance is the answer, the impact of somatic-based approach to choreography, and how life skills learned through dance will most likely show up outside the studio as well. Listen in to hear Jennifer’s passion shine through. I know you'll come away with practical tips and inspiration for your next class!

Jennifer’s Website: www.TheWoodenFloor.org

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The best performers in the world didn't get to where they are through magic, nor did they get there overnight. The best path to your personal best is to focus on those small, daily habits that add up to consistent growth. Psychological research has taught us that there are three of these daily key habits to focus on.

In today’s episode, I'll share the three daily habits of top-performing dancers that you can implement right away. I’ll be breaking them down and sharing how they all can all build upon each other. If you're a dancer with big goals, I encourage you to integrate these three practices in your daily life for better performance in class and onstage, greater confidence when you perform, and the resilience to bounce back quickly when things go wrong. Tune in to hear all about how creating daily habits supports successful dancers!

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What kind of dancer will make it in New York City? Do passionate dancers get taken advantage of in the professional world? Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Ruth Horowitz, a sociologist who specifically studied recent dancers. She interviewed over 80 professionals at various levels of their career and found some really interesting results about passion, how dancers create a career by piecing together different contracts, the grit and determination it takes to make it, and how the identity of a dancer never leaves you.

So if you want to know what it's like to move to New York and try to make it as a professional dancer and what kind of dancer is most likely to make it, Dr. Horowitz is here to tell you all about it with some great tools to help you reach your professional dreams. Tune in!

Get Ruth’s Book: Passionate Work: Choreographing a Dance Career on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble or at Stanford University Press

Connect with Ruth on her Website: https://dancerscareers.com

Follow Ruth on Instagram: www.instagram.com/horowitz.ruth 

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It takes a lot of positive mental skills to learn how to focus on small improvements every day and not give up when you don't feel like you're making the progress you want. Many dancers focus on getting the turns, learning choreography quickly, scoring well in their solo, but they don't focus on how to make those things happen. You don't have to make huge strides every day in order to achieve those goals; it's all about the daily habits that make the difference, striving for 1% better than yesterday.

If you focus on the end result or focus on other people, you'll miss your opportunity for growth. Instead, focus on getting 1% better. In this episode, I’ll be talking about the 1% rule, why change doesn’t happen overnight, and how you can build your confidence through repetition. Dancers, if you get discouraged in class or feel like other dancers are learning faster than you and are always better than you, listen in!

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Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/182

When it comes to a focused mindset, I'll admit that I'm one of those psychologists who talks about the benefit of intention. I personally always set a word for the year that serves as my overarching intention, and I often set daily intentions when I sit down to work, but I want to bring this into the dance studio. Being able to clearly focus and be drilled in with an intention will have a big, positive impact on the way dancers practice.

In today’s episode I'll cover why intention helps direct focus and how you can use it to be more present and attentive while you take class. I’ll share with you the difference between goals and intentions, the value in being specific with your intentions, and how to bring these intentions into class. Tune in to learn more about the benefits of setting intentions as a dancer - mental focus takes time, but I promise the payback is incredible!

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Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/181

Many coaches today struggle with accountability on their teams or in the studio. We want dancers who do the hard work and follow through with their promises. Truly accountable dancers own up to their mistakes and do what they say they're going to do even when no one's watching. It's all about being accountable to each other, and the best leaders know how to do that.

Today’s episode is for dancers! I’ll be sharing with you why the very best leaders make mistakes and focus on personal accountability. I'm going to explain exactly what to do if you want to be a strong leader on your team. I’ll talk about how leaders model accountability, the importance of challenging our own self-talk, and how creating simple, fun gestures can help you stay accountable to your team. Tune in to hear what it takes to be the dancer who is being a positive role model for everyone else!

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I often hear from dancers they say some pretty mean things to themselves they’d never say out loud or to a friend. For some reason, it’s so easy for us to get caught in negative spirals where we berate ourselves for a mistake or convince ourselves we’re not good enough, and sometimes that little voice is not always so encouraging, and telling yourself, “I've got this,” and basically talking yourself into a good mood doesn't always work. Sometimes it feels disingenuous or fake, and you don't believe yourself. So what do you do when positive self-talk or saying those positive affirmations feels fake?

In today’s episode we’ll break down the three types of self-talk, focusing on instructional self-talk, and I’ll share about the impact of developing cues that speak to you, practicing regularly, and keeping it simple. Tune in to learn why speaking positively to yourself doesn't always work and what to do instead!

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Do you use the cues to “pull up” or “point your toes”? Those are common cues teachers use in the dance world. One mental skill I talk about is attention and learning how to take a cue like “pull up” and translate that to a helpful action on your body. I know some dancers hear your cue and then nothing happens, but my guest today has some great insights to help us understand what dance teachers should know about dance science and how to use it in their curriculum.

Today’s guest is Maria Haralambis, an expert in dance kinesiology who currently works as both a ballet teacher and advisor for many dance education platforms. In this episode, we’ll discuss the importance of bringing dance science into curriculums and shifting the way we think about anatomy, along with balance and spotting tips and the language to use when cueing to ensure each dancer understands what you’re asking of them from an anatomy standpoint. Listen in while we talk dance anatomy and how to use that knowledge to train turns and balance and so many important skills!

Connect with Maria on Her Website: https://www.thedancescientist.com/

Listen to Maria’s Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5XcLTaJqxWtzIcEL0C4YiV?si=377bf7f0d3364451

Follow Maria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.dancescientist/

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Other Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/178