WELCOME BACK to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! In the spirit of the holidays, food, and football we thought there was no better episode to share again other than that with the lovely ALLY MILLER- Nutritional Therapy Practitioner! This episode is JAM PACKED with advice on how dancers can adequately nourish their bodies for performance, train for pro auditions, feel more comfortable in their skin, and achieve fitness/physique goals WITHOUT the dieting! Not to mention, Ally shares with us her...

If you're a dance mom, LISTEN UP! This week Riley and Dawsen asked THEIR MOMS what advice they'd give to current dance moms and share on the podcast what their moms wish they knew before diving into the competition world. & on the other end, the girls sit down to share what THEY LEARNED from their moms growing up in the studio!! a sweet episode, LOTS of advice and counsel, and a whole lot of info (and love) for our current "moms of dancers" out there :)

Hey y'all! Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week Riley and Dawsen sit down with fellow dance judge and choreographer, Malea Boggess, to discuss her upbringing from performing to coaching at competitive dance teams. Malea has been dancing since the age of two, and is now a choreographer for multiple competitive studios in Northern California. She trained and danced competitively in jazz, contemporary, lyrical, tap, and hip hop. By age thirteen Malea booked a tour...

In this episode, Dawsen sits down to discuss how your personal life and professional life connect while working/performing on a cruise ship. From not having much privacy to most of the crew knowing whats going on in your/the cast's life, its pretty hard to separate the two. We know that having a work/life balance is important, but while working on a cruise ship, it seems to be pretty tough to do that.

WELCOME BACK TO THE DANCER'S CHOICE PODCAST !!! This week Riley sits down with creative, Vanessa Eirekat, to discuss what life looks like exploring different medias and career paths outside of simply dancing. If you're interested in becoming an entrepreneur, mentoring young artists, creating a balanced life for yourself, or seeing what else exists in this industry besides "being the dancer" then this episode will be a breath of fresh air for you! Vanessa Eirekat is a proud alumna of...

Welcome back all! This week Riley & Dawsen are inspired to sit down and reflect on everything dance has taught them and how it applies to the real world and stages of life they are in now. We've all heard a teacher say it before..."even if you don't dance professionally, ______ will help you in whatever you pursue" so let's talk about it ! We hope this inspires dancers to reflect on their personal journeys and brings relief to any parent listening to know that their dancer is...

CALLING ALL DANCE COMP JUDGES, ADJUDICATORS, & FRIENDS OF THE COMPETITION WORLD !!!! Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast :) This week, Riley and Dawsen sit down with Dance Professional, JASON PICKETT, for a part two discussion about the competition dance scene- specifically the role judges play in weekend events. -Is there a lack of education and training in our field? WHY? -What does it take to be a judge and HOW can professionals approach this position with an emphasis on...

WELCOME BACK FRIENDS !! It's officially football season which means it's officially TOPCAT SZN !! This week the girls sit down to unpack Dawsen's FIRST GAME DAY as an NFL Cheerleader (go panthers). Riley's asking all the questions we want to know and Dawsen answers opening up about all the highlights and all the learning moments. What's it like switching from stage performance to stadium performance? How does a dancer have to alter their training to take on the 3+ hour games? Are there...

Another Week, Another GUEST! This week the girls are THRILLED to be bringing on a phenomenal professional in the industry- KALEY JENSEN! Kaley Jensen, a wife and mother, is also a professional dancer, adjunct professor, Pilates teacher trainer, choreographer, cross-fitter, and creator of the Mentoring Program for Dancers: Mindset to Movement. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Kaley attended Brigham Young University as a dance major and business minor. She performed and toured with the...

Hey y'all! Solo episode with Riley this week calls for a much needed chat about the current trend on the market- WHY IS EVERY DANCER AND THEIR MOM PURSUING FITNESS COACHING RIGHT NOW ??? Is it just us or does it seem like every dancer is taking on the "side hustle" of a working at a fitness boutique or pilates studio? Having worked in fitness since 2021, Riley sits down to share the reality of working in the health & wellness industry as a dancer. Riley shines light on what the...

THE PODCAST TURNS 1 !!! We have made it to ONE WHOLE YEAR of Dancer's Choice! In today's episode, Riley and Dawsen sit down to unpack what the last year has looked like, celebrate this new milestone, and share many other milestones that have happened the last few months recording together! DANCING ON THE BIG SCREEN??!! BOYCOTTING THE OLYMPICS??!! A DANCERS CHOICE WEDDING ??!!! Get ready to hear all the ONE YEAR TEA xoxo

Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week we are joined by the one & only, Mina Witte @minapro!! In today's episode, the girls break down the importance of collaboration, as all artists truly all share their styles with one another. From Irish Step, touring internationally, moving onto ballroom dance, teaching, owning a studio, and running her very own competition, Mina opens up about how it's possible to do it all! Most importantly, she shares how to be a good human,...

Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! Today, the girls are blessed to sit down and chat with artist, Myles Canonge!  Myles Canonge is a dynamic artist whose faith in Christ is the cornerstone of his life and work. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Myles honed his craft at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, where he graduated with a B.F.A. in dance and performance. Driven by a passion for performance, Myles ventured to Los Angeles to pursue a professional career in dance. His journey...

FIRST GUEST OF SEASON TWO WOOHOO!!! Welcome ALL to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! Today, Riley & Dawsen have the privilege of sitting down with Angela Cole! Struggling paycheck to paycheck? Have you always been told you can't make a living dancing? Want to teach, but don't know WHERE or HOW to start? Scared to discuss rates as an artist? ANGELA ANSWERS IT ALL! Angela is a dance artist, choreographer, and teacher based in Providence, RI. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from...

WE ARE OFFICIALLY BACK!!! Welcome EVERYONE to the Dancer's Choice Podcast- the podcast BY dancers, FOR dancers where NOTHING is off limits! Today, Riley & Dawsen take the time to sit down and reintroduce themselves and the podcast- sharing their goals for the show, changes coming this season, and BIG LIFE UPDATES! We cannot wait for you to hear the episodes and GUESTS we have lined up for you this season! ***stay tuned for first one next week ;) IN THE MEANTIME....make sure you...

Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast + welcome to the LAST full episode of Season 1! This week, to acknowledge & respect May as Mental Health Awareness Month, Riley and Dawsen sit down to not only share advice based on their own mental health journeys, but open up about what we as a dance community can do moving forward, when it's not mental health month, to help break the stigma and be the change. This isn't your cliche "take a bubble bath and go to therapy" episode...instead...

Welcome back to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week Riley sits down to open up about the other side of audition conversations...the choice to not. Are you auditioning for the wrong reasons? How do you know what it is you truly want? Is it okay to stop going to auditions when so young? Are you auditioning because YOU want it or because your PEERS/TEACHERS want it? How can you avoid comparison, guilt, & shame when you take the path less traveled? What can dancers do to prepare...

Welcome back to the solo episodes everyone! We've missed ya! It's been a hectic month but we're getting excited for season two coming up! In today's episode, Dawsen sits down to discuss some audition tips for your pro sports team auditions - or any audition truthfully. She goes into some important topics so get your pens and paper ready! It's a short and sweet episode but packed with some great information to take with you this audition season! Instagram: @dancerschoicepodcast Our...

WELCOME BACK to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week Riley & Dawsen are sitting down with the CEO of Elevate Convention, Jadell Lee! Curious about the business side of dance? Curious how to get IN the room, but also STAY in the room? Want to know how you can better prepare yourself for a sustainable career? Jadell's professional insight will answer all your questions! Professional dance educator, published author and TEDx speaker Jadell Lee brings a fresh perspective of life to...

Y'ALL!! Welcome Back to the Dancer's Choie Podcast! We are SOOOOO LUCKY to be joined by Special Guest, CHI LOPES on this week's episode! Chi, CREATOR of Hollywood Dance Intensive, has had an extensive career in the arts. She moved to L.A. and started working as a professional dancer. From TV, Film, Commercials, Awards Shows, World Tours, Music Videos, Corporate Shows, Musicals, Theme Parks, Casino’s, Resorts and more Chi has over 20+ years as a pro-dancer. Chi naturally moved in to...

Welcome to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! Audition season is among us and this week Riley & Dawsen sit down to chat about their personal audition experiences and open up about their biggest lessons, eye-opening moments, and mindset shifts discovered in doing so. From their best auditions to worst auditions, each one had a lesson to walk away with in some way or another, and it's time to share it! In this first episode of a 3 PART SERIES, the girls address REJECTION and how to deal with...

WELCOME BACK to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week the girls have the privilege of being joined by former NFL Cheerleader and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Ally Miller! Ally previously danced for the Commanders and is now bringing her passion for Nutrition into the industry by helping many other pro dancers heal their chronic health issues, struggles with body image, and break away from dieting/restriction. Ally is determined to help dancers properly fuel like the athletes they are so...

Welcome (or welcome back) to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week Riley & Dawsen sit down for a little Q+A chat- answering all your biggest questions about competition dance, college dance, the industry, and MORE! How do you keep up with training after school? How do you apply/audition for colleges? Is it possible to increase body confidence in dance? Where do you find jobs and auditions in the real world? How do you book gigs? What are the stepping stones after college? If you're...

WELCOME FRIENDS to the Dancer's Choice Podcast! This week Riley & Dawsen had the upmost PRIVILEGE to sit down and talk with Dancer & Creative, Jason Pickett! Could you be the reason your students are burnt out? Are kids sacrificing too much to compete? What age should you start teaching? Are teachers too young? Does the industry have an ego problem? Is social media really helping dancers? We open up about all of it in THIS EPISODE!! Jason has spent the last 12 years teaching...