Diary of a Dance Teacher

Sam is one of my close friends, a singing coach, a stage school teacher and one of the best singers I have ever heard! Myself and Sam have both been on a huge journey throughout our friendship. Working on our own businesses, working together at my school. Working on projects, going on trips together and always supporting each other, both as friends and in a working environment too.The secret to our relationship is trust, always having each others backs and always knowing we are there for each other both in a work sense and in life too. Woman should always support other woman, build each other up, show up for each other and be there too, this is our friendship in a nutshell.Sam is one of the bravest, most inspiring and beautiful souls I have ever met and I am so proud to call her my friend and I am so grateful she is a teacher at my school.Sam tells us all about her incredible performers project which has been created for our community in warrington to unite and have a taste of being in a mini musical which is filmed, photographed and choreographed in 3 short days! Sam is truly a genius and she is certainly very modest about how brilliant her work is.  I would suggest that everyone joins Sam's stage school class/s which are Monday nights at our school. I would also suggest you follow what the Performers project are up to and how to get involved, audition and be a part of something so wonderful!Heres how to sign up / follow the performers project and get involved - https://www.instagram.com/theperformers_project/We later then discuss our society and how accepting yourself, owning your queerness and being comfortable in your own skin is a journey. This is a truly beautiful and very personal conversation.  We hope this helps people who are struggling come into alignment with their own authenticity and be happy for being who you are.Thank you for listening, please rate, subscribe and share the podcast!Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you’re a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you’re a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don’t you suggest to your teacher that they contact Squad too!Love is love, Sarah x

This is a really special episode, as I am really excited to share some huge news this week with you all. The ISTD released their latest magazine issue which is seen by 6000 members.The ISTD have published an article about this podcast, the article is called 'From Pirouettes to Podcasts'  The magazine focuses on Inspiring teachers in the industry and I cannot believe I am one of them!  'The incredible contribution members have made to lockdown learning'I was honoured to be a part of the magazine and I would personally like to thank the wonderful Laura Milner. Laura reached out to me in the last lockdown about how she enjoyed  listening. I love making a difference and helping others and the fact that this has been recognised by my own governing body I am honestly elated!The ISTD are one of the biggest dance organisations in the world and I have been a member now for over ten years. I used to do ISTD exams as a child and I have carried that on and now my students take their ISTD examinations too. Their syllabus and genres are constantly evolving and it is not only brilliant for our students to take their exams as they count towards their UCAS points. It is also great for us teachers as we are constantly learning new sequences as the ISTD is ever evolving their genres and it is great to be a part of the ISTD community. Check out the ISTD website for more information - https://www.istd.orgClick the link below to see the article - https://www.instagram.com/p/COu_62nDn8o/I also have a brilliant chat with Rosina Andrews, as Rosina was one of my first guests on the podcast back in April last year. Rosina is not only a fabulous dance teacher but an author, a dance educator and provides workshops for both students and teachers. Rosina is an inspirational voice to the dance industry and we talk about her brilliant quotes and her take on how to be authentic. How to be true to yourself on your own unique journey. Check out Rosina's website - https://www.rosinaandrews.co.ukOur lovely sponsors....Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.https://www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you’re a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you’re a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don’t you suggest to your teacher that they contact SquadEnjoy and please rate, share and subscribe! Sarah x

I was delighted to be asked to appear on Mary Meckley's podcast 'The Daily Meditation Podcast' to be interviewed for her listeners. I am such a meditation advocate and I discuss why it has helped me through some really stressful times over the years. I talk about how and where I meditate to get you started and there are plenty of other little tips in there of how I implement them into my busy dance world!There are a few mentions to those who I am truly grateful for throughout this past year as it has been a really tough one for a lot of us.  We discuss the importance of having someone you can trust who is there for you to talk to all the time. How people have so much going on that you would never know, so lets be kinder and not take everything to heart.I love listening to Mary's podcast and I love meditating and learning from Mary, she is such a wonderful person.As Mary says at the end of every single episode....'You are so worth slowing down for'How to listen and meditate with Mary - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/daily-meditation-podcast/id892107837Well done everyone, you are smashing life and I couldn't be prouder of my students!Thank you so much to everyone who bought a copy of the healthy dancer booklet we raised £55 which will go to the charity Childline.Please click the link below if you would like to purchase a copy -https://gumroad.com/l/pyUEl?fbclid=IwAR2fRuj9aAqYrsVKFTCqyjsSNHMBUVb3-kDWzy9H47-QLsvdIvdYJ4hfTP4Thank you for listening, please rate, subscribe and share the podcast!Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you’re a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you’re a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don’t you suggest to your teacher that they contact SquadA huge announcement will be shared by the end of the week as the ISTD magazine has now been released and the podcast has been featured with another interview! I am so made up! thank you thank you thank you everyone!!!I am so grateful for you all, Sarah x

Today I chat to Sarah Gittins about running a business, how to run it successfully with many tools, such as having strong boundaries, delegating and how to separate work and your social life. We discuss how to implement strategies to improve your business and how to put trust in your staff, figure out what you don’t want to do in your business. Get rid of the harder smaller, mundane tasks and give those jobs to your staff. . Sarah has her own business - The Dance DenSarah’s saying in the Den ‘YOU COME FIRST’ it makes you stop and question, what is it that you want in life, how are you going to get there? Sarah’s 3 pointers for your business and what you provide - I aim to - My students will - My Legacy is - Please find more information on Sarah’s website - https://thedanceden.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR3IQEb9urfHD1iqFcKMDKx6vqjSBcK-fibWQYkAVMaS0rYX8k6F0TDEI4wSarah’s website quotes'We ALL do what we love and probably would do it for free, but we shouldn’t!Imagine a school where you are valued, appreciated and return home after a long evening of teaching with a smile.It is possible.I have run my business for 20 years and there was a point where I was exhausted, stressed, struggling and defeated.  Then I transformed the way I worked.  Now I serve hundreds of children a year, in a thriving school with less than 15 hours a week ‘office time’.  It is possible, I have done it and now I show other dance and theatre school owners HOW to do it too.It’s time to transform your mindset, dance school and bank balance and let’s get this business working for you!’How can you be the best dance teacher, person, friend, partner, creator, event organiser, administrator, account provider and much much more. How can you juggle everything and still have a life and have the energy to enjoy every aspect of your life. We are in a world now where we work and work and work to almost point prove as women to prove we can do it all. There is no harm in asking for help, especially if this is going to help your mental health, your social time and your self care.Take a look at Sarah’s face book page where she goes live each week too - https://www.facebook.com/sarah.modedanceOur fabulous sponsor!Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you’re a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you’re a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don’t you suggest to your teacher that they contact SquadThank you for listening,  please rate, share and subscribe!

On todays episode I chat to one of my best friends and fellow dance teacher, Rebekah Mather about her dance journey. This will be really helpful and informative for those who want to go to dance college in the future or teach. We talk about the important of friendships, having a small circle and we put the world to right with how important it is to champion your peers as females. Rebekah trained at The Hammond School in Chester where she was trained professionally in ballet, tap, jazz and musical theatre, as well as being an associate of The Royal Ballet. She then went on to study at the prestigious Performers College in London where she graduated with a distinction in dance and musical theatre as well as gaining her ISTD DDI teacher training qualifications in ballet, tap and modern. Rebekah is also a qualified as an acrobatic arts teacher. Enjoy the episode and enjoy your easter break too!Check out Rebekahs choreography page on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rebekahmather_choreo/Our incredible sponsors - Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you’re a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you’re a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don’t you suggest to your teacher that they contact SquadThank you for listening, please rate, share and subscribe!

Welcome Back to diary of a dance teacher, season 3!This season we are diversifying the podcast and I want to move away from just discussing dance as dance is a huge part of our community but what better way to learn and create awareness whilst we are all stood still. Knowledge is power and listening to others is so integral to learning, growing and becoming the best version of yourself!Today I have the absolutely pleasure of chatting to Cambell Kenneford. We talk about Cambell's incredible inspiring dream to open a charity to help the transgender community and to help not only the transgender community but to unite us all. We are stronger together and having social media at our finger tips now and we can be a part of a community, a part of learning and accepting everyone.We talk about Cambell appearing on Gender Quake being a positive voice for the transgender community. We discuss sexuality, using instagram to help and inspire other LGBTQ+ and how to educate everyone about identity. We discuss sexuality fluidity, accepting and embracing who you are being open minded, Being yourself, and being proud of who you are whilst having a great support network around you. How important it is to surround yourself around people who are accepting, supportive and we talk about having a great friendship group who always look out for you.We talk about bullying, trolling and how you have to be resilient and stand up for who you!Lets support and create awareness for the trans community as we want to support all genders and everyone should embrace their authenticity, be different, own it and see it as a positive!Please take a look at the charity’s as there is so much information now which is wonderful to finally see that all genders are celebrated, along with sexuality and accepting others for being who they are!Mermaid charity - https://mermaidsuk.org.ukHow to Buy The Healthy Dancer Booklet - 20% profit will go to the charity Childline!https://gumroad.com/l/pyUElEnjoy the show!

This podcast episode is one of the most important podcasts that I have recorded throughout all three seasons, in true international women's style, this is all about our flow, being a woman and taking control of our female power, our cycle, our periods.Periods aren't spoken about enough in the education system, over the dinner table, with all genders and even amongst us as women. Why don't we celebrate what our bodies can do and why do we complain about the pain and almost feel ashamed to talk about when we are on our period. This is something I discuss openly with the students as it is a fact that you cannot perform to the same standard when you are going through certain phases in your cycle. I have learnt so much from Vianney Leigh in my own personal journey as going through my life with sporadic periods, lack of periods, painful periods, PMS and more I was told by the doctors I wasn't having periods due to 'hormones'. This was frustrating for me and I felt I was constantly dismissed and felt like a part of me was missing. I found Vianney Leigh's instagram page in the first lockdown and my periods are back as I have followed all of her guidance and stuck to her brilliant advice. Vianney's outlook, guidance, wisdom and approach is refreshing and this should be a part of the syllabus in all schools to coincide with sex education. Vianney Leigh is a very strong, inspiration and her work is so empowering and should be celebrated by us all as Vianney Leighs coaching brings our periods into alignment in the most simplest way. We talk about how to - Track your cycle!Track your moods!Track your emotions and how you feel!Take control of your periods and lets live around our complete menstrual cycle. Lets put those myths to bed and start to move into a phase in our lives where we can celebrate our bodies. You are a woman, you are strong, you can do anything and periods should never be a hindrance. Our bodies are sacred, beautiful and more having a period is a sign of a healthy, happy body and mind.We talk about how to get your cycles back in line, how and why we should track our cycles (I use the health App cycle tracking which is on your iPhone), why we should track our moods as we all experience different mood changes during our full complete cycle. How we need to be kinder to our bodies when we are approaching certain phases. It is the most incredible chat and everyone should listen, learn and embrace the women in their household, who we are surrounded by and lets celebrate being a woman!Check out Vianney Leighs website and handles below to take a look at her incredible empowering work -Vianney Leigh, BSc (she/her)Menstrual Cycle, Success & Life CoachCertified NLP, EFT, Hypnosis PractitionerFounder of STATUS FLOW COLLECTIVElinks | https://msha.ke/statusflow.co/ Instagram | @statusflow.co

I had such a fantastic conversation with the incredible Miss Cathi Conroy Jones today on the podcast which I am sure will be so helpful for those students who want to become a teacher. Miss Conroy is a triple International ISTD Examiner, the Principal of North Liverpool Dance Academy Teacher Training College which is an Istd Approved Dance Centre, and the Director of the UK Dance Class Championships and World Dance Class Championships.Email kerry@liverpooldance.com for further information on the College or Dance Class Championships.I hope you enjoy this weeks episode with Miss Conroy!

On this weeks podcast I had the pleasure of catching up with my gorgeous students, Anya, Melissa and Fin as I thought this would be a great episode for not only our student listeners but for teachers too. In our chat today (which was recorded before the announcement on Sunday evening) we discuss how the students have found this past year and its uncertainty. The lack of control around situations and being out of your comfort zone. We discuss the importance of dance, consistency and perseverance.I didn’t prep the students for this conversation and that is why our talk is authentic, real and it is quite emotional listening to how grown up and how incredibly resilient the younger generation are. I am so grateful for all my students and I will always be. We also talk about our favourite memories at the school, our Disney trip, boys that dance and what we are grateful for. We talk about the things we miss, what we have learnt from dance, they break down how to cope with an unstructured day and how to self motivate. At 15 and 16 we could all take a leaf from their book, I was so proud after speaking to them and I think every single dance teacher should be proud of what they’ve achieved this year too. This was recorded on zoom so the sound quality isn't the best!Enjoy!

Today's chat is one of the best chats we've had on the podcast and what a way to start our new season after so much uncertainty over the past year. I know how hard it has been for so many of our students and what better way to start season 3 than a chat with Mary Meckley, meditation teacher and one of the most calming, philosophical and knowledgeable women.Mary has her own app for meditation called Sip & Om and releases free meditations on her podcast called 'The Daily Mediation Podcast'. We were lucky enough today to listen to Mary's journey of how she began meditating whilst living in Japan. How simply slowing down, sipping tea and taking breaks can lead to happiness.  At the end of the episode Mary kindly talks us through a guided 5 minute mediation which you can try now.. Why not try today and see how much better you feel afterwards.Slow down, have a cup of tea, Meditate and remember Mary’s mantra.‘You are so worth slowing down for’Why not try it today to feel the benefits. Like with everything in life, we need to try things and commit to them before we feel positive changes.  I really hope you enjoy this episode as I feel so lucky that Mary took the time to chat today,Enjoy, meditate and always be kind to yourself!Check out Mary's podcast today and join her meditation family!https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/daily-meditation-podcast/id892107837

On today’s episode I chat to the gorgeous Laura Buckley. Laura is an ex pupil of the school, one of my really close friends, our competition team choreographer and a huge part of the dance school and it's growth. Laura is 22 and has had the most incredible career already as a young dancer. We discuss Laura's journey from the very start and where she found her love for dance. Laura is currently studying for her degree at Addict Dance Academy in Leicester, has trained at Rare Studios and had the experience of living in New York for six months. Laura trained at the Broad Way Dance Centre and has trained with so many influential names in the industry.  Laura is one of the hardest working, focused dancers I have ever met and she is genuinely one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have ever known. This is a great listen for students who want to pursue a career as a dancer and continue their dance training to higher education.   Laura is such an inspiration to all young dancers and I hope you enjoy our chat. The sound quality isn't the best as it was recorded on zoom this time. https://www.addictdanceacademy.co.uk Enjoy!

After a very different year on this solo episode I chat about our 'Lets Talk' discussion last week in the studio before we broke up for our Christmas holiday. I thought I would round up the podcast/year with a lovely end as I encourage all our students to express gratitude, journal and I have also composed a short poem for our students to create some movement to. I hope you enjoy, Merry Christmas!

In todays episode I have the pleasure of chatting to the fantastic Ursula Arens on a subject which is very close to my heart and something I am very passionate about. Being more sustainable in a world where everything is just one click away and so easily accessible.... are we becoming complacent? Do we realise how huge the little changes we make can impact on our future?Ursula Arens is currently a freelance nutrition consultant writer. Ursula has a degree in Dietetics, and has spent most of her career working in the food industry: with a retailer, with a pharmaceutical company and at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). She is a member of the Nutrition Society,  the British Dietetic Association, and the Guild of Health Writers.We discuss how we can move towards a more sustainable diet: what it is, and what it is not. Ursula is part of the expert group behind the report, One Blue Dot, produced by the British Dietetic Association.Films on Netflix to watch -Down Top EarthBefore The FloodCowspiracyEnjoy !

In this weeks podcast I chat to the empowering, strong, incredibly inspiring Alyx Steele who talks to me about topics which we don't usually discuss as a woman. Such as periods and how our periods should be celebrated as times are changing as more influencers are openly discussing subjects which used to be labelled as 'crass' or 'taboo' as we try to avoid these topics in front of others, but why do we? Dance is predominantly a female sport and we should never be ashamed of what our bodies naturally do each month, we should be more open about what happens during our period each month and make it a topic for our students to discuss openly and freely as we all go through this together and it can be really challenging for some of us. We want to prepare the youth of today of what exactly happens as it can be really daunting and quite upsetting for some young women.We talk about acceptance by accepting who you, you are your authentic true self. Discussing sexuality and Alyx’s experience as a gay woman and her experience with homophobia and how upsetting this was years ago and how times are truly changing for the better.Alyx talks about her health and wellness business which she has developed online with her wife, mental health confusion as a child and how social media is an incredible platform to see that we all suffer from time to time or throughout our lives with our mental health.We discuss the importance of Investing in your mind, how you can deal with all the no’s in this industry, all the body issues we also have as a woman and how we can love our bodies, ourselves and embrace that we are unique.If we surround ourselves by positive people and doing what we truly want and love to do with impact your outlook and how little tiny changes can be extremely powerful.And finally we talk about a subject which I am extremely passionate about.... veganism and it’s benefits as to keep your mind happy, your pockets happy and how eating plant based or at least cutting down can save our planet!Enjoy!

In today's episode I had the pleasure of chatting to Nazene Danielle, proud owner of Nazene Danielle Dance Dynamix based in Wavertree, Liverpool. Nazene's school is now in it's 20th year and her school and college are going from strength to strength. Taking part in huge competitions around the world and how she began her business and grown is to where it is today.Take a look at Nazene's website for more college application information along with what is offered as Nazene explains int he podcast today, Enjoy!http://www.dancedynamix.uk

On this weeks episode I had the pleasure of chatting to one of my best friends, Jessica Morris. Jess is one of the directors of Funky moves in London. I met Jess ten years ago in India when I was working away and we have a little chat about the benefits of working abroad, the long exhausting hours, the amount of incredible people you meet, the ups and downs of being a performer and a few funny stories along the way. I hope you enjoy the episode this week as I really feel this is something I think all young adults should experience, seeing the world and travelling or working abroad. It completely changes your mind set as a young person and you become so independent almost over night. Whether you want to dance or not, working abroad is so good for growth, learning about different cultures and seeing what the rest of the world has to offer. Enjoy!

This season will be completely different from last season as I will be discussing a variety of topics that aren’t just dance related.Here are a couple of topics that we will discuss as promised in the trailer -Self love, self care, meditating, affirmations, manifesting what you want, goal setting, veganism, pride month and choose to love whoever you want and be proud of who you are, acceptance, growth and much more….I have a lot of dancers and dance teachers along with influencers and more, I hope you enjoy!

This weeks episodes includes sensitive content which may not be appropriate for younger listeners (guidance advised). I have spent the last few weeks researching, educating myself, listening to peoples stories and I feel it is my duty as an educator to raise awareness as we watch he world unite at many peaceful protests all over the UK and the world over the last few weeks. This has to stop and change is happening as we educate ourselves and others that all black lives matter, and should have always mattered. Lets stop racism, create awareness and educate our students, ourselves and the world around us.Thank you for all your kind donations we have raised £244 so far!Donate - https://www.stephenlawrence.org.ukSign Petitions - https://www.change.org/p/secretary-of-state-education-anti-racism-education-to-be-compulsory-in-u-k-schools-c27ddfe2-0ae9-4d7f-b168-f23ef32200f8

Today's podcast is both helpful for all our young aspiring students and all dance mums too as I chat to the absolute master of dance technique, Krista Miller. Krista lives all the way in Los Angeles and I was delighted when Krista took time out of her incredibly busy schedule to talk to me about the following topics.Careers in dance, being a teacher, a mum, having her own daughter dance who dances and is now an inspiration to thousands of young dancers and her intense training schedule. We talk about the effects of lockdown for both our students and parents and how we should all reflect on what we are reading on social media and is there truth to these posts of 'perfection'. We also discuss dance pathways and how to decide what you want for your child and what your child wants to do (which pathway will they want to go down).We also discuss how much we are missing our students energy in the studio and how much work now goes into the online world with all the extra planning and rewatching. We also talk about all the positives of online classes and how filming over zoom to help dramatically with technique and corrections. Krista is a mum of two, owns her own studios in LA, The Brea Space and KMB Talent and works with dancers all over the world who travel to her to train in her full time programme. Enjoy!

This week I had the pleasure of chatting to the tap god himself, Sam Marks.We speak about Sam's journey as a dancer and how our mutual love of tap is completely underrated and also underestimated as such a hard dance genre to master both physically and technically.  Sam talks about his time as a cast member of Tap Dogs for the last ten years. Performing and touring Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South Africa and the US.Sams most recent job before the Pandemic lockdown was working on the new musical by Channing Tatum, Magic Mike Live.Sam is definitely a family man and loves spending time with his close friends and family. When Sam isn't travelling the globe performing in huge shows he still returns to his old dance school to provide workshops for the students and to visit his dance teachers, which is what all us dance teachers want.https://magicmikelive.com.au/cast/sam-marks/