The Casual Dance Teacher's Podcast

What Do I Include in Ballet Barre for Casual Dance Students?!

Ballet Barre can be a challenging subject if you're a teacher who only sees your ballet students for an hour or two a week.  While it's an important foundation for ballet

Building a Dance Program for Homeschoolers with Joli Drain

Have you ever thought about offering dance program specifically for homeschool families?  Today's guest, Joli Drain, has built multiple programs geared towards the homesc

Welcome to Season 3 - plus 5 Things I do Before the Start of EVERY new Dance Season!

Welcome to Season 3 of The Casual Dance Teacher's Podcast!  I'm kicking us off with a couple "housekeeping" points for the upcoming season; then launching right in to the

Season 2 Finale - My Biggest Teaching Takeaway

That's a wrap on Season 2!  Before I take a break from publishing new episodes, I wanted to wrap up the season with some of my key takeaways from the season, and how they

What To Do When The Recital's Over But You Still Have Class

Some studios hold their recital after the last week of dance classes, but in other settings, your students will perform their final recital/showcase and then come back fo

Maintaining Teacher Retention and Relationships with Kelly Groves

Kelly Groves joins me in today's episode to discuss the importance and implementation of clear communication and organized systems to keep dance teachers engaged without

Building a Social Story for Your Dance Recital

Social stories are a fantastic tool to help your students with high sensory needs prepare for and process the overwhelm of a dance recital!  And while social stories are

Cecchetti Ballet Technique with Brian Andrews

In today's episode, part 3 of our series on different ballet methodologies, I chat with Brian Andrews about his experience with learning and implementing Cecchetti techni

Meditative Practices for the Dance Classroom with Amanda Couturier-Cormier

On today's episode, I had the privilege of chatting with Amanda Couturier-Cormier about how and why she incorporates meditation and mindfulness exercises into her dance c

Cleaning Choreography with Easy-to-Find Props and Tools.

As we're working on choreography for competitions, recitals, showcases, etc, our dance classes may begin to feel a little stale.  Bringing a novel prop/tool out can enhan

RAD Ballet Technique with Kelly Douglas

In today's episode, part 2 of our series on different ballet methodologies, I chat with Kelly Douglas about her experience with learning and implementing RAD technique, t

Tips for Teaching Mixed-Level Dance Classes

The great debate - should you organize your dance class levels by age, or by technical level?  Today's episode isn't really about defending one side or the other on this

Making Music for Dance Instruction with Chris and Jenny Tyler

Do you love love?  Do you love finding music for your dance classes that's actually fun and engaging for the students while also teaching them dance terminology, timing,

Celebrate Love with These Dance Class / Studio Valentine's Ideas

Y'all know I LOVE LOVE, so it should be no surprise I'm gearing up to celebrate Valentine's Day all month long with fun little crafts and activities that can help student

Vaganova Ballet Technique with Pamela Lauer

In today's episode, I chat with County Ballet's Pamela Lauer about her experience with learning and implementing Vaganova technique, the benefits of following the Vaganov

Sneaky "Sales" Tricks that Help with Classroom Management

You might not think the average dance teacher has much in common with a used car salesman, but as someone who worked in both sales and dance education for nearly a decade

SWOT Analysis for Dance Teachers

Most dance teachers do it for their passion and love of the art of dance - which is great!  But that can also lend itself to getting stuck in situations that don't necess

Resolving to Practice Creativity with Jess Grippo

What better way to kick off 2026 than with part 2 of my fabulous conversation with Jess Grippo, exploring the many ways that dance educators can explore and unleash their

Breaking Down the Basics with Kathryn Bisland

Have you ever wondered why your students seem to plateau at a certain age/level, or why you find yourself giving the same corrections OVER and OVER and seeing the same te

Training for a Career in Commercial Dance with Angela Elgani

Today we're joined by the fabulous Angela Elgani to talk all things commercial dance!  To give you a brief overview of Angela's resume, she is a dance producer, educator,