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We're taking a field trip today! Come along with me as I walk you through my journey to and through the 2026 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) National Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico!  I'm sharing a play-by-play of my experience, including people I met, things I learned, audio clips from a variety of sessions, recommendations I'd make to other first-time attendees of the conference, and more! Visit NDEO.org to learn more about the organization www.CasualDanceTeacher.comTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

On today's episode, I speak with Audrey-Davis Dunning about the power and joy of African Dance, and how she leverages this to help her students - and herself! - "get their goddess."  Visit Audrey's Website to Learn More and Sign up for her FREE African Joy Class on the 17th of every month: www.audreydavisdunning.com www.CasualDanceTeacher.comTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

Heather Jean Wilson is the creator of the "Grunt if you Understand" method, which applies hundreds of powerful visual cues to help students achieve ballet mastery.  On today's episode, we chat about her process for creating and teaching these visualizations, who can benefit from them, big wins from little changes in the classroom, and much more! Visit Heather's Website to Learn More, Here www.CasualDanceTeacher.comTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 technique, there's simply not time to include a traditional "full" ballet barre in every ballet class or curriculum.  While I believe there can be many successful approaches to this, here is how I strategize what to include in ballet barre for my casual dance students, and how to structure my classes to make sure that barre is incorporated but not dominant. Refer to the Curriculum Planning Episode Here Download the Curriculum Planning Guide for FREE and Learn More Here: www.CasualDanceTeacher.comTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

Have you ever thought about offering dance program specifically for homeschool families?  Today's guest, Joli Drain, has built multiple programs geared towards the homeschool community, and today she shares her experience working with this demographic, the benefits to working with homeschool families, how to tap into this market, how she's set her programs apart from potential competition, and more!   Learn more about Ms. Joli's Cottage School of Fine Arts Here www.CasualDanceTeacher.comTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 part you're all here for - practical tips!  Today I'm taking you through the 5 things I make sure to do before the start of any new dance season. Listen and get ready for the upcoming dance season with me! www.CasualDanceTeacher.com Links to Episodes mentioned:Curriculum Planning EpisodeRefreshing Your Classroom Playlists EpisodeWhat's In My Bag EpisodeIcebreaker Ideas for Dance Class EpisodeTheme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 pertain to dance teaching, but also life in general.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you're notified when new episodes come out for Season 3! Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 for class...without choreography to work on, what do you do with that last week or few weeks of classes?  Today's episode is packed with ideas for those classes, or any time you have a lull in the season or need to offer your students a change of pace throughout the year!  Learn more about classroom safety and developing a safety plan HereGet guidance on incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your classes HereGet inspired for improv HereHere are a few ideas for incorporating games into your classes:https://thecasualdanceteacherspodcast.transistor.fm/57https://thecasualdanceteacherspodcast.transistor.fm/59 Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 burning out during the insanity of recital time, and the relative let-down of the summer season.  While much of this conversation is geared towards dance business owners specifically, we also delve into some great tips for casual dance teachers on how to manage their time, navigate intense seasons without burning out, and keep an eye out for both red and green flags when considering or stepping into a new teaching position.   Here is the link to Kelly's exclusive offer for my listeners! Use code MAIA10 to receive 10% off your first month - valid for the first 5 listeners only! Instagram @kellygroves__ www.kellygroves.com.au Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comRecorded Via SquadcastJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 generally designed for kids on the autism spectrum, they can benefit EVERYONE!  In today's episode, I break down the basics of how to create a social story, the key elements that I believe should be included in a social story for your dance recital, and the benefits to you, your students, parents, and potential clients to offering a social story. Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 technique, the benefits of following the Cecchetti syllabus with his students, as well as challenges that it poses, how it prepares students for professional careers, and more! Listen to the episode on Vaganova Ballet Technique with Pamela Lauer HereListen to the episode on RAD Ballet Technique with Kelly Douglas Here Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 classes of all ages and levels, the benefits she's seen from this practice, and the resource she's created to help dance teachers follow suit! Visit Amanda's Patreon Here Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify!

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 enhance the students' understanding and execution of the choreography without changing much else about how you're presenting it!  Here are some of my favorite easy-to-find items to incorporate into the choreography cleaning process when my typical instruction isn't quite getting through to the class. You can listen to my episode on using props and tools to enrich general lessons in the classroom Here Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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, the benefits of following the RAD syllabus with her students, as well as challenges that it poses, how it prepares students for professional careers, and more! Listen to the episode on Vaganova Ballet Technique with Pamela Lauer Here Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow our Instagram account HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3

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 one, but I'm sharing my best tips for how to teach a class that includes students of various levels of experience and/or technical ability, without leaving anyone feeling totally left behind or totally bored! Listen to my episode on teaching mixed-age dance classes Here Theme Music by GBMystical!  www.gbmystical.comJoin the Casual Dance Teacher's Network on Facebook HereFollow me on Reddit HereFollow me on Instagram HerePlease Leave Us a Review on Apple/Spotify! 3