Passion for Dance

Are you a perfectionist? Do you work with perfectionist dancers? I was a perfectionist dancer and a coach, but now I'm a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism is still a regular battle for me, and it's really common in our dance industry. Dancers are trained to focus on the most minute details. A pinky finger out of place could change the results of a competition - sometimes literally, and sometimes it just feels that way. In this episode, I'll share the root cause of perfectionism, help you recognize your perfectionist dancers and learn how to support them so they can be the best possible dancer. I hope this episode gives you a way to talk about this with your dancers and help them overcome perfectionism.

Resources:

Episode Website: https://chelseapierotti.com/98

Submit a question to be answered on the show: www.speakpipe.com/passionfordance

Join my email list here: www.chelseapierotti.com/email

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Do your dancers like to close their eyes and visualize their routine before taking the stage? Does visualization help improve sport performance or is it just a popular thing dancers like to do? Did you know that visualization or imagery is not just about picturing yourself doing the dance? There is research that helps explain why it works and why it's worth your time, but it's also not as simple as just picturing yourself. There's much more to it. Today, we'll be discussing visualization. I'll explain what visualization is and share some visualization techniques including nine benefits of using imagery to improve your skills.

Resources:

Episode website: https://chelseapierotti.com/97

Submit a question to be answered on the show: www.speakpipe.com/passionfordance

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Dancers, do you feel prepared for your next audition? Do you know what company or school you even want to audition for? Today's episode is for all the dancers out there who are getting ready to audition. Caitlin Sloan of The Brainy Ballerina comes back for this conversation because she is an expert in helping dancers decide which path is right for you and helping you feel prepared for auditions. In this episode, we'll dive into where a dancer should start when you're thinking about auditioning, how you know which company is right for you, and what to do when you have a hard decision to make.

I also wanted to say that this conversation became because of a listener question. So, I want to remind you that you can always submit your own questions, topic ideas, and guest requests. Let me know what you want to hear on the show.

Resources -

Episode Website: https://chelseapierotti.com/96

Work with Caitlin: www.thebrainyballerina.com / [email protected]

Find Caitlin on Social Media: @thebrainyballerina

Listen to Caitlin's First Episode: https://www.chelseapierotti.com/29

Join my Relevé Membership Here: www.chelseapierotti.com/membership

Submit a question to be answered on the show: www.speakpipe.com/passionfordance

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Summary: The word "intention" is becoming a bit of a buzzword. There are so many influencers and psychologists alike who talk about all of the benefits setting your intention can have on your life, but what about setting an intention for a dance team practice or a ballet class? You can set an intention for the year like I do, or you can set intentions on a micro level for each day, each class, or each practice. These micro-level intentions help both dancers and teachers achieve more focus and structure within their classes. In this episode, I'll cover why intention directs your focus, how it's different from a goal, and how you can use it to have more present and attentive dancers.

I'd also love for you to join me inside the dance coach's membership, Relevé. The community is designed to help you create a team of committed, hard-working dancers that are a pleasure to coach every day. There is a whole vault of all the mental skills resources I've ever made. I make new ones if anything ever comes up that people need, and, plus, the community of all the other coaches who are going through the same thing. I truly believe the community is something special that allows dance coaches like you to find joy and success in coaching. The community is open. We'd love to have you!

Resources -

Join my Relevé Membership Here: www.chelseapierotti.com/membership

Submit a question to be answered on the show: www.speakpipe.com/passionfordance

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Summary: It can be difficult to help someone who is not motivated to work hard. Sometimes we feel pressure, as a teacher, to be the complete source of motivation. Motivation is a mental process that initiates or sometimes it sustains an athlete's behavior, but the important part I want to bring your attention to of that definition is that it's a mental process.

In today's episode, I'll be answering a question from a listener, Emily, who is struggling with a lack of motivation in her dancers. I'll also walk you through the three main reasons that motivation drops: fixed mindset, low autonomy, and fear or failure. I'll also talk about how to recalibrate dancers' goals and the difference between protecting dancers' mental health and dancers' mental toughness.

Resources -

Episode Webpage: https://chelseapierotti.com/94

Submit a question to be answered on the show: www.speakpipe.com/passionfordance

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

As a coach or a dancer, have you revisited the goals you set over the summer or at the beginning of your season? Have those big goals been on the forefront of your mind as you go to practice every week? There is no time like the present to get razor-focused on your goals!

In January, most people are trying to set big new goals for the year. But for those of us in the dance world, we're usually mid-season right about now, and it may not feel like the right time to set new goals. However, I say it's the perfect time if you take the right steps to do it well. Setting goals now will keep your mindset in the right place, help you be more resilient through this challenging season, and even give you that added motivation.

In today's episode, I'll fill you in on the six principles of a quality goal, how I approach mid-season goals, and I'll also share a free download (linked under "Resources") to guide you through the process. Pause and think about your goals now because there is still time to make them happen!

Resources -

Workbook Download: http://www.chelseapierotti.com/93

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Do you set New Year's resolutions or new goals this time of year, or are you like me and go through a reflection process to choose one word for the year that serves as a compass or a guide? While I do think goals can be very powerful when done correctly, I first have to know where my focus is. Because this focus will guide my mindset and help me course correct when I get off track, choosing my one word to focus on each year makes achieving my goals much more likely.

Since this is the first episode of 2023, I'll share about my own reflection process and what happened with last year's word. I'll also share with you how I chose my word for this year and offer some guiding questions and things to consider so you can choose your own word for 2023. My word is what I need in my life right now, and your word will be very different and should reflect what you need. I hope listening to this episode will help you find your own compass for the year. If you take the process seriously, and it's truly connected to you, the impact is incredible.

Once you have your one word for 2023, I'd love to hear about it! Send me a message on Instagram or email me to let me know what you've chosen and why it matters to you.

Episode Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/92

Revisit Episode 43 - My One Word for 2022 And Why You Should Set One Too

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Summary: Do you ever pause and reflect on your day or your week as a dance educator or a dancer? The truth is, sitting down with your favorite journal and truly reflecting on the current state of things is a bit of a luxury, but it's one that's more than worth your time because the return is both powerful and verified time and time again in psychological research. Reflection is essential for learning and growth. Taking the time to pause and reflect on what we've learned improves our performance and that includes us as teachers and coaches.

In this episode, we're gonna dig into the mindset strategy of engaging in personal reflection. We're reaching the end of 2022, and New Year's planning and goals are the common theme this time of year, but I don't believe in planning or goal setting at all until you can get through the personal reflection part first. So, by the end of this episode, my hope is that you'll understand why taking time to reflect is worth your precious time, how often to do it, and where to get started.

As a reminder, there will be no episodes for the next two weeks during the holiday season. A large part of why I do that is for my own deep-dive reflection. So, while I'll be gone for a couple of weeks, I hope you take the time for your own reflection and see what kind of growth you experience with it.

Resources: https://chelseapierotti.com/91

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Summary: Have you heard the saying "get out of your head" when talking about athletes who are anxious for a competition or a performance? Oftentimes, dance teachers will say, "You're overthinking! Just get out of your head," to encourage dancers to be more present and just dance. I get it, but while that's generally good advice, it might not actually be helping your dancers the way you think it does. When you ask a dancer to get out of their head, is that considered mental toughness, is that mindfulness, or is that neither of the two?

In this episode, I'll clarify the difference between mental training and mindfulness, and I'll take you through an explanation of why "getting out of your head" isn't actually the best strategy. I hope this episode helps you understand the differences between the two and walk away with actionable strategies to help strengthen your dancers' mindsets.

Resources -

Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Episode website: https://chelseapierotti.com/90

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers

If mindfulness is something you would like to learn more about, I'd love to hear from you - send me an email or hit me up on Instagram to let me know what you think.

Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Summary: Have you ever had to grieve the loss of your dream even if it was your choice to choose a different path in life? I know I've gone through that, and there were a lot of tears involved. My guest today, Natalie Orr, has been there too, but she turned her dance experience and passions into a coaching business that helps people understand those hard life transitions in a new way. Natalie is an ex-professional dancer, a teacher, and a dance and life coach with a background in dance anthropology. She works with dance teachers who want to break out of the restrictions of how things should be done, overcome perfectionism, and enjoy the dance journey.

In this episode, Natalie breaks down what dance anthropology is and why music and dance connect us and create such a true sense of community. She also dives into how dance teachers and dancers alike shouldn't let ourselves lose sight of the origins of dance and music in our cultures.

Key Highlights -

[2m 26s] - Natalie's Dance Journey

[11m 35s] - Embracing the New Journey

[16m 49s] - Taking the First Step of Action

[21m 14s] - Natalie's Definition of Dance

[24m 14s] - Dance and Music as Part of Community

[28m 57s] - Natalie's Practical Advice for Dance Educators

Resources -

• Episode webpage: https://chelseapierotti.com/89
• Follow Natalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliedanza/
• Follow Natalie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NatalieOrr
• Natalie's Website: https://www.natalieorr.com/

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Did you enjoy today's episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers