Passion for Dance

A Note from Dr. Chelsea & the Future of the Show

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

While the show is on hold, you can check out all past 200+ episodes with all of the support and advice you expect from Dr. Chelsea. https://passionfor...

234: Feeling STUCK as a Coach and Navigating Career Transitions

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea delves into career transitions… when do you know it's time for something new? She breaks down fi...

233. Nourishing Dance: Conversations on Food, Body Image, and Wellness with Monika Saigal

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea interviews Monika Seigel, MS, RD, CEDS-C, CDN a registered dietician, nutritionist and certified eat...

232. A More Positive Convention Experience: Perfectionism, Confidence & Body Image with Ashley Mowrey

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea speaks with Ashley Mowrey, a mindset coach, former dance teacher, and part of the Embody Dance Confe...

231. Ballet's Harsh Beauty and the Life Lessons we Learn, with Emily Sayre Smith

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea interviews former professional dancer and author Emily Sayre Smith. They delve into Emily's mem...

230. How to Be a Mentally Tough Dancer Using The Power of the Four Cs

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Chelsea explores the concept of mental toughness in dancers by breaking down the Four C's: Control, Commitment, Challenge, and Co...

229. Cultivating Accountability and Work Ethic in Dance Teams: Insights from 3 Coaches

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses strategies for fostering accountability and work ethic in dance teams with three d...

228. Self-Compassion in Dance: How to Balance Ambition with Kindness

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea talks about self-compassion in dancers who are usually very hard on themselves. Inspired by a listen...

227. Filling Buckets: A Simple Team Exercise for Connection and Kindness

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea shares a team-building exercise inspired by the children's book 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?' Th...

226. Why Your Dance Team Has Cliques and 5 Ways to Handle It

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the negative impacts of cliques within dance teams and offers strategies to foster a more ...

225. Building Lasting Confidence in Dance: It Takes More than Affirmations

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the importance of building real, durable confidence in dancers. She explains that true con...

224. Motivation Vs. Discipline: Winning the Battle Against Procrastination

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the common issue of procrastination among dancers and offers practical strategies to overc...

223. What High-Achieving Dancers Do Differently

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea explores the science behind peak performance for dancers, and shares the science-backed tools that...

222. Navigating College Dance Team Recruitment with Abbey Nugent

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea discusses the college dance team recruiting process with Abbey Nugent, founder of Studio 2 Stad...

221. How to Create a Goal-Driven Culture Without Burning Out Your Dancers

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the delicate balance coaches need to create a goal-driven culture that promotes success wi...

220. Building Confidence That Lasts: Strategies Every Dancer Needs

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you ready to break the cycle of self-doubt and build lasting confidence? In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea reveals the secret to b...

219. 5 Trust Breakers Sabotaging Your Dance Team's Success and How to Fix Them

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea explores the importance of trust in building a positive dance team culture. She highlights five comm...

218. Building Better Dancers: Cultivating Confidence and Individuality in Dance with Jason Pickett

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea hosts Jason Pickett, a distinguished dance teacher, choreographer, and founder of No Starving Artist...

217. Beyond the Studio: 5 Life Skills You Learn from Dance

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea explores the top five life skills dancers develop and how these skills transfer to other areas of li...

216. Mental Traps Dancers Fall Into and How to Break Free

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses common mental traps that hinder dancers' progress and success. Delving into traps like com...

215. Season Reflections: How Dancers Get Mentally Stronger in the Off-Season

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea emphasizes the importance of reflection for dancers, especially during the off-season. She provide...

214. Dancing with True Authenticity and Confidence with Choreographer Alexandra Beller

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea sits down with accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator Alexandra Beller. Alexandra sha...

213. A Professional Dance Company's Whole Dancer Approach: Insights from Julie Opiel at Body Traffic

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea interviews Julie Opiel, Director of Education and Community Engagement at Body Traffic, an LA-b...

212. Embracing the Beginner's Mindset: Lesley Logan on Confidence, Imposter Syndrome, & Positive Habits

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea speaks with Lesley Logan, a mindset and breathwork coach, and co-founder of onlinepilatesclasses.com...

211. Addressing Favoritism in Dance Studios: Strategies for Teachers, Dancers, and Parents

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea tackles the pervasive issue of favoritism in dance studios and teams. She explains what favoritism l...

210. Rhee Gold on Dance Education, Passion, Adaptability and Business Success

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea interviews Rhee Gold, an esteemed dance professional with over four decades of experience. Rhee shar...

209. When it Feels Like You're Not Getting Better and You Don't Know Why

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea discusses the common issue of performance slumps in dancers. She explores the causes, including phys...

208. Using Meditation for Confidence and Competitive Success with Amber Fahey

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' host Dr. Chelsea talks with high-performance coach Amber Fahey about the benefits of integrating meditation, b...

207. When Jealousy Hits the Team: Understanding and Overcoming Teammate Tension

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea addresses jealousy and teammate tension. She discusses the common causes of jealousy, including soci...

206. Building a Successful Dance Team Culture

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of 'Passion for Dance,' host Dr. Chelsea reveals her proven process for cultivating a dance team with a strong sense of purpos...

205. Redefining Dance Team Leadership: From Captains to Collaborative Roles

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea explores the evolving landscape of leadership within dance teams in both school and studio settings....

204. From Passion to Profession: Finding Your Career Path with Coach Cheryl Polk

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' host Dr. Chelsea explores the complexities of choosing a career in the performing arts. Joined by master certi...

203. Should We Say "Leave It at the Door" in 2025? New Advice for Building Resilience with Dr Audrey Schnell

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea explores the phrase "leave it at the door" in the dance industry and its relevance in 2025. Joi...

202. Blending Technical Excellence with Emotional Depth in Dance with Anabella Lenzu

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Dr. Chelsea talks to distinguished dance educator Anabella Lenzu about the shifting focus in the dance community from artistic e...

201. Cultivating Optimism as a Teenage Competitive Dancer

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea addresses the growing pessimism among teenage competitive dancers. She emphasizes the importance of ...

200. The Four Pillars of Dance Excellence: Insights from 200 Episodes

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this milestone episode, host Dr. Chelsea reflects on 200 episodes of the Passion for Dance podcast, sharing key insights and lessons from the four ...

199. Inside the Dance Industry: Nia Lonette's Path to Success in LA

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, host Dr. Chelsea is joined by professional dancer Nia Lonette. The two dive into Nia's journey from Maryland to ...

198. No Loss, Only Lessons: Redefining Success in Dance

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Chelsea tackles the challenges dancers face during the intense competition season including losing and offers valuable insights into three aspects...

197. Empathy and Communication: Leadership Lessons with Jared Redick

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea speaks with Jared Redick, a third-generation professional ballet dancer and current Dean at the Univ...

196. Emotional Intelligence for Dancers: Part 3 Recovering and Maintaining Balance

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the third installment of 'Emotional Intelligence for Dancers,' Dr. Chelsea delves into coping strategies for managing emotions over the long term, ...

195. Emotional Intelligence for Dancers: Part 2 Handling Negative Emotions

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea continues her series on emotional intelligence for dancers, focusing on strategies for managing nega...

194. Emotional Intelligence for Dancers: Part 1 Understanding Emotions

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'Passion for Dance,' Dr. Chelsea, discusses how emotions impact a dancer's ability to focus, move, and connect with the audience. W...

193. Embracing Sensitivity as a Professional Dancer: Bold Advice from Galit Friedlander

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, guest artist Galit Friedlander shares her personal dance journey from starting her professional career as a young teen to working as ...

192. Dance in the Moment: Harnessing Mindfulness for Performance Excellence

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Dr. Chelsea delves into the benefits of mindfulness for dancers. She clarifies the difference between mindfulness and meditation an...

191. Overcoming the Comparison Trap

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Passion for Dance, Dr. Chelsea addresses the common struggle dancers face with comparison. From defining why we compare ourselves t...

New in 2025: A Shift in Focus and a New Website!

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Chelsea announces updates for the Passion for Dance podcast in 2025, including a slight shift in focus towards more dancer-focused episodes while ...

190. The Gift of Injury: Lessons from Professional Dancer Hannah Teutscher

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Would you want to know that your last time onstage was the last time? Would that knowledge bring closure or would it be too difficult to perform if yo...

189. Making It as a Professional Dancer: Auditions, Branding, and Career Advice with Justine Menter

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is all about making it as a professional dancer. My guest, Justine Menter, has over 15 years of experience in LA's entertainment indus...

188. Mentally Prepare for Competition with These 6 Mental Skills

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are entering the thick of dance competition season where dancers start to feel more pressure and there are some big wins and some very hard days. D...

187. Nutcracker Chronicles: Touching Stories and Helpful Advice from Professional Ballerina Janine Kovac

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's Nutcracker season, and today I want to pull back the curtain on what life is really like as a professional ballet dancer. My guest today is Janin...

186. Turning Pressure into Power: Helping Young Dancers Reframe Stress

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of dancers all over the world, and I hear from each of them about the heavy load they experience as dancers. Th...

185. Helping Our Dancers Mess Up Full Out, with Jennifer Bassage Bonfil

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you are a dance teacher who has ever struggled to get your students to go full out when they're learning, or if you've been saying the same cue, li...

184. The 3 Daily Habits of Successful Dancers

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The best performers in the world didn't get to where they are through magic, nor did they get there overnight. The best path to your personal best is ...

183. Exploring Passion, Grit, and the Untold Stories of Corps de Ballet dancers with Dr Ruth Horowitz

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of dancer will make it in New York City? Do passionate dancers get taken advantage of in the professional world? Today's episode is a conver...

182. How 1% a Day Can Significantly Improve Your Confidence

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It takes a lot of positive mental skills to learn how to focus on small improvements every day and not give up when you don't feel like you're making ...

181. How Dancers Can Be More Focused and Successful in Class

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to a focused mindset, I'll admit that I'm one of those psychologists who talks about the benefit of intention. I personally always set a...

180. Dancers: How to Be an Accountable & Positive Leader

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many coaches today struggle with accountability on their teams or in the studio. We want dancers who do the hard work and follow through with their pr...

179 When Telling Yourself "I've Got This" Feels Fake

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I often hear from dancers they say some pretty mean things to themselves they'd never say out loud or to a friend. For some reason, it's so easy for u...

178. The Dance Scientist Explains Cues for Better Balance and Turns: With Maria Haralambos

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you use the cues to "pull up" or "point your toes"? Those are common cues teachers use in the dance world. One mental skill I talk about is attenti...

177 Some Dancers are Only Committed When It's Convenient

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I see so many frustrated dance teachers talking about how it feels harder and harder to get dancers to be fully committed to their teams and their stu...

176. Shifting the "Tough Love" Narrative in Dance with Demi Agaiby

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wanted to ask a mental performance coach what to do in a certain situation? Do you have a dancer who's getting overly anxious before com...

175. Confidence Comes from Taking the First Step

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One thing that separates good dancers from great dancers is their ability to believe in themselves. It's true for students, teachers, and professional...

174. Hypermobility Concerns and Care for Dancers with Dr. Linda Bluestein

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a flexible dancer or have easily hyperextended joints? Dancers with hypermobile joints might love the ability to show off tricks and skills as...

173. 3 Strategies to Guarantee Genuine Team Commitment

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For many teams, be it school teams or studios, we are entering a new season. Wouldn't it be great if we could establish strong, positive cultures from...

172 The Danger of Labeling our Dancers

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We often label our dancers without even meaning to do it, even if it's only in our heads and we never say it out loud. You know who your solid turner ...

171. Realistic Time Management for the Stressed Out Dance Teacher with Kelly Nolan

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Time management can be hard for all of us, dancers and coaches included, and we often beat ourselves up when we can't do it well. My guest today taugh...

170. 4 Reasons Not to Punish with Pushups

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you are of a certain age in this dance industry, like me, you probably had to run laps when you were late to practice or would be kicked out of bal...

169. Helping Your Dancers Handle Their Emotions Through Journaling with Michelle Leagans

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do your dancers struggle with face-to-face conversations or have a hard time handling their emotions? If you're like most dance educators I've talked ...

168. Where to Start with Team Building: 4 Unique Strategies

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're a coach at a school or teach in a studio setting, your dancers likely need to build a tight-knit team if they're going to be successful...

167. Creating a High-Performance Environment in Rehearsals

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know there's a formula for creating a high-performance environment? Successful dancers know how to perform at their best, but that happens whe...

166. How to Cultivate a Winning Coach-Choreographer Relationship on Your Dance Team with Nick Clement

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you hire choreographers for your dance team, you'll definitely want to listen to today's episode for some really helpful insights into that coach-c...

165. 3 Reasons NOT to have Dance Team Captains

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a continued conversation about team leadership. Last week's episode was all about identifying a truly committed team leader and how to...

164. Are Your Dance Team Leaders Truly Committed?

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I'm hearing coaches and studio owners tell me every day how commitment levels are different and how dancers don't seem as committed as they used to. T...

163. How to Destroy Team Culture

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's really challenging to teach resilience and confidence and motivation if the team culture is awful. Maybe you've been a part of some incredible cu...

162. The Sullivan Twins on Resilience, Pressure, Success and How to Love the Journey

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While I'm on a mission to create happier, more successful dancers through positive mental skills, I'm also someone who loves to be inspired by dancers...

161. The NEW Goal Setting Method that Sets You Up for Success

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most accessible mental skills that makes a real impact on your growth as a dancer is goal setting, but I've seen goal setting fail when it'...

DANCER BONUS: Mindset of Effective Goal Setting

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This short episode is the DANCER BONUS to Episode 160: The Achievement Mindset Speaking directly to the dancers out there, Dr. Chelsea shares the impo...

160. The Achievement Mindset: How Goal Setting Transforms your Performance on Stage

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Goal setting isn't just about saying something you want to achieve, writing it on a sticky note, and then going for it. That's why a lot of goal setti...

159. 3 Things I Wish I Knew About Saying Goodbye to My Dancers

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of every dance season, there comes a time to say goodbye. Every year, as both a teacher and a coach, I watch young men and women I've grown...

158 Success in Dance is 20% Talent 80% Everything Else with Menina Fortunato

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Any dancer dreaming of a professional career is most likely working hard in the studio and honing their skills to be the strongest dancer they can be,...

157. Why Our Dancers Should Celebrate Dance in Every Cutlure with Mickela Mallozzi

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have much experience with dance outside of your own culture? Since it's International Dance Day, I want to take today's episode to focus on dan...

DANCER BONUS: Understanding Mental Health vs. Mental Toughness

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dancers, this one is directly for you! You can be a mentally healthy dancer who is ALSO mentally tough. Here's the difference between mental toughness...

156. Teaching Your Dancers Mental Toughness and How to Take Corrections

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like it's getting harder and harder to challenge your dancers and hold them to a high standard without hurting their feelings or being see...

155. Unveiling the Power of Year-End Leadership Interviews

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Before you dive too fast into next season, do you stop and ask your dancers to reflect on the past season and share their candid thoughts with you? Th...

154: 3 Ways to Teach Mental Toughness to Young Dancers between 5 and 10

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you teach dancers under ten years old? Can you teach dancers that little about mental toughness, or is it better to wait? I'm often asked if mental...

153. How I Plan a Dance Team Season

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the dance world, summer isn't just the time for intensives and summer camps, it's also a time for a whole lot of planning. If you're someone like m...

152. How to Unleash Your Roaring Resilience with Josephine Lancuba

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is an incredible story of resilience and how one woman went from leaving an abusive home at 14 to creating a life for herself as a perfor...

151. Dancers: Growth Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dancers, have ever wished you felt more confident? Dance teachers, have you ever felt like you've tried everything to help your dancers believe in the...

150. Kelsey Nelson on Getting Dancers to Train with Fierce Intention, Go Full Out, and Hold Themselves Accountable

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you wish you had dancers who pushed themselves in class and held themselves accountable? This seems to be a common challenge for a lot of dance tea...

149. Understanding and Managing Your Brain's Alarm Response to Stress

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you find yourself getting crazy busy during competition season? You're burning the candle at both ends only to crash hard and probably get sick as ...

148. Dancers: If you wan to reach the next level, develop GRIT

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard of grit? Even if you haven't, I bet you've seen it or you've felt it. Grit is the mental skill that could be the difference between get...

147. Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Praise?

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you're trying to motivate your dancers using positive coaching, you might focus on celebrating the small wins, cheering them on, praising every s...

146. "Dream On" with U of Minnesota Coach Amanda Gaines

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a part of the dance world, you probably saw the University of Minnesota's jazz dance routine at UDA Nationals with the passion and technique...

145. To the Coach Who Will Settle for Nothing Less than Personal Perfection

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Real talk: are you too hard on yourself? When you leave a competition, do you start thinking about the next event as soon as this one is over? Are you...

144. Why Setbacks in Your Goals are Good for You

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summary: Do you ever look at another dance team you admire and think, "They must be so locked in. Every single practice they're probably making progre...

143. How Dancers Navigate Disappointment and Learn to Overcome

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summary: Disappointment is something we all have to go through, but we don't actually talk about how. We're just supposed to get over it and keep push...

142. Team Dynamics: Motivating individual dancers to work together for their dreams

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summary: When it's time for competition season, there are usually two types of dance teams. First, there's the dance team who usually all gets along a...

141. How Dance Teachers Can Find Harmony by Ignoring Work-Life Balance

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like you have a good work-life balance, or do you feel like the dance side of your life can sometimes tend to take over? If you feel like ...

140. A Message to Dancers Who are Afraid of Failure

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dancers, how far is the gap between what you want and what you actually have right now? If you have big dreams, I hope there's a gap between where you...

139. Breaking the Chains of Fear: Empowering Dancers To Get Past a Fear of Failure

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dancers today are seemingly terrified of failure. They might be scared to try something in front of other people, or they might be scared of looking s...