Dance; Better.

Today I spoke with Haylee Thompson of Rethink Dance. Haylee is a dance enthusiast from Willmar, MN. She studied Dance Ed at the University of Auckland in NZ was inspired to bring back her knowledge & teach dance to all ages and abilities. Haylee encourages people around her to pursue their passions & be exactly who they were created to be. Her positivity and authenticity inspires others to reach their highest potential and has led to the creation of Rethink Dance. Rethink is on a mission to create a global community committed to understanding others, shifting perceptions, and changing lives. Through educational programs, outreach, volunteering, and an annual film festival Rethink beautifully connects the community through dance. To connect and get involved with Rethink: Website: www.rethinkdance.com Instagram: @rethinkdance Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Today I spoke with Leigh Skvarla, National certified counselor and advisor to Minding the Gap. We focus on her work around self-talk as well as checking in on the state of ballet companies and dancing mothers. We dive deep into what self-talk is, what is “good vs. bad” (it’s not what you might think!), how it affects us in and out of the studio, and how parents, teachers, and other dance leaders can facilitate productive self-talk, not just for performance, but for life! We also touch on a very hot topic these days in the dance world…dancing mothers. Advocacy for you and your child’s rights, getting back to dancing and making sure you have the right team around you. Leigh Skvarla is a licensed professional counselor who holds a Ph.D. in Sport & Exercise Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling from West Virginia University. An honors graduate of Bucknell University, Leigh now lives and works in western Pennsylvania, and serves as the co-founder of The Center for Grit and Growth and an associate advisor for Minding the Gap. To connect with Leigh, check her out here: The Center for Grit and Growth (co-founder): Website - https://thecenterforgritandgrowth.com Instagram - @the_center_for_grit_and_growth Minding the Gap (affiliate/adviser): Website - https://www.wearemindingthegap.org/ Instagram - @we.are.minding Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Today, I spoke with Erin Sanchez. Erin is an advocate, educator, and developing applied researcher. She collaborates to improve dancers’ health, well-being, and performance through healthy working/training conditions and positive, strengths-led psychological services and education. In 2021, she released her first book, Psychological Skills for Dancers, with Prof Dave Collins and Dr. Aine MacNamara. We speak about the reasons why challenge and adversity can be a good thing, what the research is showing us, and how you can navigate your own challenges and personally define your success. To connect with Erin’s work: National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science Website: https://www.nidms.co.uk/ IG: @nidms.uk One Dance UK www.onedanceuk.org @onedanceuk Personal Safety for Dance https://www.personalsafetyfordance.com/ To buy her book, Performance Psychology for Dances by Erin Sanchez, Dave Collins, and Aine Macnamara: https://www.crowood.com/products/performance-psychology-for-dancers-by-erin-sanchez-dave-collins-aine-macnamara Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Today, I got to catch up with a good friend of the show, Glenn Kelich. You might remember him from season 1, episode 22 titled “The One Where Dancers are Human”. If you haven’t already listened to that one, please go back because it is GOOD. Glenn revisits the show to delve more into his own mental health as it relates to dance, gives us an update to introduce his very own mental health podcast, The Mental Game, and talks about how all his mental health education is informing his teaching practices. To connect with Glenn and The Mental Game, follow him: Instagram:@the_mentalgame and @jgkelich Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Chloe Freytag is a household name in the dance industry. Not only is she a contemporary ballet powerhouse, but she's also one voice of a generation of dancing mothers, those who have refused to put off motherhood in service of their dance career and have blazed new trails and redefined what it means to be a whole dancer and a whole person. Through telling her story of being fired for having a body shape that “couldn’t form certain positions” (what a ridiculous idea), she has gone through a personal revolution and come out the other side a stronger person and a better dancer. This episode is a truly special one. Chloe’s daughter even makes a quick cameo! It is even more special because it almost didn’t get recorded! After 36 episodes, it finally happened…I failed to record the first 45 minutes of our conversation. I was devastated, but Chloe was so gracious and generous with her time that she agreed to come back for a part 2 with me. After that recording, if you can believe it, I spilled water all over my Macbook. Talk about panic. Well, my good friend Katye was able to recover my hard drive for me (lesson learned…I will ALWAYS do my backup right after an episode) and here we are. What that means for you, listeners is that you get EXTRA Chloe, because part 2 was just as important as part 1, and I couldn’t cut much at all. So please enjoy this extra-long episode with Chloe! To follow Chloe on IG: @chloefreytag Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) Don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org Special thanks to Kayte Fulmer @fsbykatye for my laptop rescue. Please go follow her to support her small business, Figuratively Speaking by Katye!

Today I spoke with Josh Spell, licensed social worker. He danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet & Kansas City Ballet. He currently works with dancers around the country centering on dance from a holistic perspective and offering a variety of mental health tools. Today, I finally talk about THE topic, eating disorders. I mention in the interview, that I kind of feel like I have been putting it off, honestly. I’m not sure why, but when I have been putting something off and check in with myself, it is usually because of some deeper reason. In this case, it's my own struggle with disordered eating. I finally felt ready to broach the subject, and Josh did not disappoint. He specializes in the treatment and prevention of eating disorders and has created a specially designed protocol he is currently implementing with the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He gives some great practical advice for teachers, directors, and parents of dancers on how and when to communicate with dancers who may be struggling. This was such an informative conversation full of great advice for teachers, directors, and parents, and I can’t wait for you to listen! To connect with Josh: Website: https://flexiblemindcounseling.org/ Instagram: @spellbound20 Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Hello dancers! Today I am doing something a little different. I had on the pod my good friend Olivia Cinculli. (you might remember her from season 2, episode 3, where she spoke about her own retirement journey, mental health, and becoming a mom). Olivia and I share our experiences with ballet on TV and in movies. How we feel about them, share about how they’ve affected us, and ask some pretty big questions about how they affect the ballet culture and how audiences view dancers because of them. Also, before we get started, when we are talking about male and female genders and depicted roles, we explore the bulk of TV shows and movies in mainstream media. Unfortunately, these explore mostly cis-gendered roles, so that is the primary context of our conversation today. This episode may have some topics that may not be suitable for all ages or that may be triggering for some. Parental discretion is advised. There is mention of abuse, drug use, and eating disorders. There is a lot of ballet-related content out there, and our discussion cannot cover all of it, but we’ve done some homework, and I think this will be an entertaining discussion. Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on my personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use any of the content to diagnose you or anyone else of any mental or health condition. Follow Olivia on IG @oliviahcianciulli_dance If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow the pod on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) And don't forget to check out the show sponsor, @we.are.minding, or at www.wearemindingthegap.org

Autonomy. Did you know that this is one of the forces behind motivation, passion, and even burnout? Having autonomy helps you feel most... yourself. It helps to grow your intrinsic (inner) motivation. It is what makes you feel whole in the moment and encourages you to keep going, even when things get difficult. I spoke with the brilliant Dr. Sanna Nordin-Bates, a leading sports psychologist and lecturer in the dance field at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. Her research spans topics like creativity, disordered eating, and so many more. We sat down to chat about what autonomy is and how it can help dancers young and old. We cover everything from motivation, burnout, teaching ideas and so much more.  To learn more about Sanna’s research, click here. You can follow her on Twitter @DancePsychSanna Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Also, a special thanks to the show sponsor, Minding the Gap. Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave the pod a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, I'd love to hear from you!

It is turning into a very nerdy November! Today I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Paula Thompson. Paula is a Professor and dance coordinator in the Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Northridge. She is also a licensed Clinical Psychologist, a certified Sport Psychologist, and works in private practice in Tarzana, California. For over thirty years Paula Thomson has been a teacher at numerous international schools, most notably Julliard School of Music, Banff School of Fine Arts, University of Cape Town - South Africa, the University of Limerick in Ireland, Opera Works,  Stratford Shakespearean Festival, and the Canadian Opera Company. Paula has an impressive body of research on several mental health topics for dancers. Today we spoke about how childhood and adult trauma can affect the rate of injuries, orthopedic surgeries, and recovery outcomes. It was fascinating and really sheds some light on why managing mental health is so important! To learn more about Paula’s work, click here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paula-Thomson To read her books, click here: https://g.co/kgs/6b15cu For the IADMS webinar on mental health for dancers, watch here: https://iadms.org/our-programs/webinars/ Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and find this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave me a review. (We might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!

Hello dancers! Just popping in to say hello. I have a couple of updates to share with you today and will be back next time with an incredible guest with some mind-blowing research. Cannot wait to share with you! ALSO, Drop in the comments… Your FAVORITE guest so far who you’d like to hear more from Your DREAM guest who you know would have a lot of great things to share! Thanks again to all of you for supporting me in this journey. I am so grateful for each and every one of your likes, messages, reviews, follows, and encouraging words! As always. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are curious about finding mental health help, you can find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services. Just check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow me on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave us a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!

Today I spoke with Christopher Hampson. Aside from his notable credits as a dancer and choreographer with companies like English National Ballet, Christopher joined Scottish Ballet as Artistic Director in 2012 and was appointed CEO/Artistic Director in 2015. The Company has performed across the world, and Christopher has brought some of the most sought-after dance creators to work with Scottish Ballet, while also developing in-house talent. Christopher is on the Boards of Central School of Ballet and Ballet Black. In this episode, we chatted about many aspects of the ballet world where change must happen. From issues with artistic leadership, power dynamics in a ballet company, diversity in ballet, to helping dancers retire, this conversation was one for the books. To connect with Scottish Ballet: https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/ IG: @scottishballet Facebook @scottishballet Christopher’s response piece to the Guardian article mentioned in the show: https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/articles/does-ballet-have-a-race-problem Christopher’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FjeP9_YmiU Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com ...and don't forget to check out our sponsor, Minding the Gap at www.wearemindingthegap.org If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave us a review. (We might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!

Today I spoke with the brilliant Alice Aschwanden, the owner of En Pointe Consulting, a career and mindset coaching business for dancers. Alice is a ballet geek who tried, and failed, to put away her pointe shoes. She danced professionally with Alberta Ballet and Zurich Ballet, and after a successful career went on to university to complete a Bachelor of Arts (psychology) and a Master of Social Work (counseling). She taught ballet, pilates, and barre, and worked in the education sector, before pivoting to her dream role- a mindset and career coach for dancers. She works 1:1 and in small groups with aspiring and professional ballet dancers, and even with parents of young dancers, helping them to gain the courage, confidence, and clarity to thrive, both inside and outside of the studio. To connect with Alice, follow her on IG @enpointeconsulting or go to her website: www.enpointe.org Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is based on personal experience and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out https://www.mhanational.org/ Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com Check out our sponsor, Minding the Gap here If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave us a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!

Today I had the pleasure of having back my podcast bestie, Courtney along with Ola Tarnowski to talk about the ballet company reimagined. Ola is an Indianapolis-based professional ballet dancer, theatre performer, dance educator, and Pilates instructor. She co-founded Ballet Initiative, a dance collective, which focuses on providing a safe, inclusive, artist-forward environment for local professional dancers. You can connect with Ballet INitiative www.balletinitiative.org Instagram @BalletINitiative Facebook: @balletinitiativeindy Please remember that I am not a mental health professional, and anything you hear me say on the show is personal experiences and perspectives, and should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. To find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services, check out Mental Health America.  Today's episode is proudly sponsored by Minding The Gap. You can learn more about their services here: www.wearemindingthegap.org Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Send in your questions or episode suggestions to dancebetterpodcast@gmail.com If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave us a review. (We might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!