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’s episode is an important discussion...perhaps one of the most important ones I have had on the podcast over the last two years. I address something that is going on in the ballet competition world today. You might have heard of it, know someone who has done it, or even engaged in it yourself. I am talking about misrepresenting health data on competition applications. This episode might be triggering for some and shocking for others, but it is an important conversation. I bring on Stephanie Potreck of Ausdancers Overseas, who has been conducting field research on the topic, and the preliminary results are disturbing. Please know that neither Stephanie nor I have the answers…but we both strongly believe that opening the conversation is the first step in affecting change. We also have not spoken to any competition representatives regarding this topic. All we have is self-reported data from the dancers themselves. Listen on to hear the results of the data, and how you can get involved. To connect with Stephanie and engage with her research on this topic: Survey Website: https://ausdancersoverseas.surveysparrow.com/s/ballet-and-dance-competitions/tt-df6fb27607 Instagram: @ausdancersoverseas Please remember that I am not a mental health professional. 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 with 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/ The 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 spoke with Alissa Nehrlichm. Alissa is a performer, inclusive dance artist, dance scientist, and SENr registered Sports Nutritionist. After training in Germany and South Africa, she went on to complete an MSc in Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Alissa's goal is to improve dancers' access to evidence-based dance training and nutritional knowledge to support safe training for a healthy career. We speak about the importance of nutrition education in the dance space, as well as her involvement in some pretty amazing inclusivity programs. It was a really fun and informative chat! To connect with Alissa: Website: http://alissa-nehrlich.com/ Instagram: @alissadancescience 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 the Resilient Ballerina, Jazz Bynum. Jazz is a company corps artist at Ballet West. She began training at the age of 5 with Hudson Repertory Dance Theatres’ after-school program. She continued her training at Maryland Youth Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlems’ Residency Program at the Kennedy Center. Jazz has also received her B.F.A in Contemporary Performance with an emphasis in ballet from The Boston Conservatory. Her goals as a ballet dancer are to become a principal dancer, be a part of the change to normalize black faces in ballet companies, dismantle microaggressions in our workspace, and be an example for young brown and black ballerinas that they do belong. In addition to becoming a principal ballerina, Jazz wants to publish a few books and open her own Wedding and Event Planning business. Jazz lives to always spread love and positivity. In our interview, we talk about Jazz’s experience with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, injury recovery, and her own personal toolbox of mental health resources that keep her resilient. Her story is really inspiring and a great listen for any dancer going through injury recovery. To connect with Jazz: Instagram: _theresilientballerina_ And find her classes at Ballet West here: https://balletwest.punchpass.com/classes To learn more about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and other hypermobile disorders, check out the Bendy Bodies Podcast https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ (@bendybodies on IG), and The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Society www.https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/ (@ehlers.danlos on IG) 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 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

Today’s episode is a truly uplifting example of how dance institutions can bring in programming to facilitate the development of excellence in dance, without compromising dancers’ mental health. In fact, they can work to improve the dancers’ quality of life! I spoke with Sarah Gonzales, the Pre-Professional Education Program Director at Keshet Dance and Center for the Arts. At Keshet, their vision is, “To celebrate the art of dance and be a welcoming home for the intersection of the arts, artists, and audience; actuating a flourishing environment for empowered individuals, nurtured communities, and sustained equity.” Not only is this their vision, but it is manifested in an amazing program full of mentorship, excellence, and love. My hope, or at least one of them anyway, for the future of ballet, would be for all dance institutions to adopt similar visions and facilitate happy, healthy, well-rounded dancers. To connect with Keshet: Website: http://www.keshetarts.org/ Instagram: @keshetdanceco Facebook: @KeshetArts 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

We have all heard that dancers need “tough love” to succeed in an oftentimes harsh environment. With everything we’ve learned this season about dancers’ resilience (see episode 8 for more!) I am starting to question a lot of practices that, I will admit, have used in the classroom. But what does tough love mean, really? Where’s the line? What works and what doesn’t from a psychological standpoint? What damage can be done along the way? In this episode, I sat down with Jo-Anne La Flèche, the resident psychologist at L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec to uncover just how positive tough love can give dancers of all ages exactly what they need. Jo-Anne is also the Co-President of Healthy Dancer Canada. To find their resources, follow them on IG  @healthydancer_canada or on their website, https://www.healthydancercanada.org/ 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 yourself 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!)

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!

Parents... amIright? They’re always advocating for us, looking out for us, loving us, and helping us become our best... but parenting is hard (from what I hear, anyway). And parenting a preprofessional dancer today comes with its own set of challenges, family dynamics, and ups and downs. I was so thrilled to sit down with the one and only Jennifer Milner and hash it all out. Jennifer Milner is a ballet coach and Pilates trainer specializing in dancers. After a successful dancing career, she got certified in Pilates and mentored under Marika Molnar for dance medicine. She’s trained dancers from the Royal Ballet, NYCB, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, Kirov Ballet, and more. Jennifer is passionate about shaping healthy dancers, both physically and emotionally. Not only has Jennifer accomplished so much in the ballet world, but she is also a ballet mom. We spoke about the challenges kids face today, what choices she and her family have made, and how she helps her students and their parents navigate those challenges. She even gives some genius suggestions on how to have those uncomfortable conversations with your artistic director or teacher when you feel like something isn’t quite right. Whether you are a parent, student, teacher, or professional dancer, this episode has something for everyone. To Connect with Jennifer, you can find her: IG @jennifer.milner FB https://www.facebook.com/jennifermilnerbodiesinmotion Website: www.jennifer-milner.com  Stay up-to-date with her partnership with minding the gap at www.wearemindingthegap.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 If you relate and find 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, 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!

Time for a research update! Strap in because this is a super-sized episode! I just couldn’t cut any of these nuggets! Today I was able to speak with Minding the Gap‘s very own Kathleen Gaines to get a breakdown of the amazing mental health research being done at Point Park Univeristy. The results are in from the first round of research and boy let me tell ya...there were some shocking revelations. We talk about everything from self-esteem, anxiety, depression, body-physique anxiety, resilience, and how dancers cope with it all! The research is fascinating, but even more so are the ways in which the school and teachers are making real changes in the classroom every day, and are seeing the dancers dance better! It doesn’t have to take several generations to make a change! These are just a few small examples of easy changes schools and companies can make to make learning and working environments safer, happier, and healthier! To connect with Minding the Gap you can visit the website at: https://www.wearemindingthegap.org/ on IG @we.are.minding On FB @wearemindingthegap 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 us a review. (I might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make the show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, I'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 Caitlin Sloan, who you may know on IG as the Brainy Ballerina! Caitlin is a dance educator and career mentor based in Madison, WI. Following a decade-long career dancing with companies including Ballet Tucson and Missouri Contemporary Ballet, she founded The Brainy Ballerina. The mission of The Brainy Ballerina is to empower aspiring dancers with the tools they need to succeed in a professional career both on and off the stage. We spoke about how she has built a business around helping dancers navigate their careers, but also about how she has been able to implement these strategies into her own life. She also speaks candidly about her own struggle with mental health and how therapy changed her life.  From retirement, directorship, motherhood, and beyond, The Brainy Ballerina is definitely someone to follow. To connect with Caitlin, visit her: Website: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com Etsy: Etsy.com/shop/thebrainyballerina Instagram: www.Instagram.com/thebrainyballerina Facebook: www.Facebook.com/thebrainyballerina Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/thebrainyballerina 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 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, I’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 Jenny Accettura, a Registered Dietitian and founder of Centre Stage Nutrition.  With a 17 year history in dance that included ballet, contemporary and Scottish dancing, she understands the unique challenges that dancers face in fuelling for performance with unrealistic body image expectations.  Her passion is helping aspiring, professional, and retired dancers fuel for optimal performance and build a healthy relationship with food through 1:1 counseling and nutrition workshops. To connect with Jenny, you can find her On Instagram @centrestagenutrition Or at www.centrestagenutrition.com 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 me on Instagram! @dancebetterpodcast Don’t forget to check out the show’s sponsor, Minding the Gap at www.wearemindingthegap.org 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 the show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, I’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 spoke with my good friend and fellow teacher, Olivia Cianciulli. Olivia has danced with the Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Charlottesville Ballet, and The Louisville Ballet. Olivia has trained in both the United States and abroad while working with many notable ballet instructors from around the world. She currently serves as an instructor at the former Pennsylvania Ballet, now Philadelphia Ballet, as well as Wayne Ballet… and she is the mom to two beautiful kids and wife of another former dancer, now pianist, Joe Cianciulli. We spoke about the ins and outs of retirement, mental health, and how she came back to ballet through a discovered love of teaching. To connect with Olivia, check out her IG @oliviahcianciulli_dance 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 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!