Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time doing private lessons in studios all over Minnesota. At these studios, I've worked individually with dancers on their solos, skills, and technique. One of the skills I repeatedly see during these private sessions is a variety...
I’m always reaching out to my community on Instagram to find out what you guys want to improve on and I’m always told: Leaps Turn Out Aerials Turns No more hopping Flexibility Did you know when you use strength training to effectively strengthen glutes,...
Hey dancers and coaches! As we enter the busiest time of the year filled with holiday performances, you may also be deep into your competition and convention season. It's important that we take the time to address the elephant in the room during this crazy time —...
Whether you’re in the throws of competition season or not stepping on stage for a few months, make sure you save this newsletter for later. When I was coaching, one of the most frustrating things was receiving the judge’s feedback and seeing the same scores for...
Let me guess. When you or your dancers struggle with flexibility, your first instinct is to: Stack some yoga blocks and overstretch. Push on your dancers or have partners press and pull. Open a book or turn on the TV and sit in your splits. If these three...
“Point those toes!” You’ve probably shouted these words over the music to your dancers about a thousand times. Pointed feet make lines look longer and are aesthetically pleasing. But there is a little more to pointed feet than just looking pretty. Many coaches find...
You know that moment when you’re waiting to hear the judge's thoughts on your team’s routine. Although you may be thinking about that tricky section in the middle with the group lift, there are two specific areas that many teams get critiqued on the most. Sharpness...
As we wrap up the summer and head into our new season of dance, you might be faced with a brand new team filled with varying levels of dancers. Whether you lost a bunch of seniors or you have a huge incoming freshman class, it's important that you take the time to...
Dancers who are excited to improve their skills and reach their splits often ask me: How often should I be stretching? While this varies for everyone, dancers can stretch daily. Stretching for a minimum of three days a week is recommended by the American College of...
Splits on the floor but not in the air? Here’s how to fix it. Are you a dancer who has their splits on the floor but doesn’t have a full split leap in the air… yet? If so, you can stop stretching your hamstrings and start strength training your core and...
3 Exercises to Drastically Improve Your Leaps and JumpsStrengthen Glutes to Advance Your Favorite Dance SkillsAvoid Dancer Burnout During Competition SeasonImprove the Top 4 Critiques From Judges With Strength Training Exercises