I know I’m not alone in loving a good podcast, right? I was listening to my friend Erin Pride’s podcast Dance Boss, and was totally enthralled with her chat with Performance Mindset Coach, Ashley Mowrey. I’m pretty obsessed with mindset; it’s been one of the top 3 things that have completely changed my life, my business, and my dancing, so to hear Ashley talk about the dance through the lens of mindset was AH-MAZING!

So I contacted Ashely and asked her to share her wisdom on the Backstage Blog, which is what I’m so excited to bring you today! If you’re not sure what, exactly, mindset is, or how it can help dancers, teachers, your staff (really anybody!) read on!

KC: What's your earliest memory of dance?

AM: My earliest memory of dance is probably at my first studio, back when I was 4-5 years old, doing day camps where the older dancers would assist. I have vivid memories of playing some version of “freeze dance” and falling in love with moving my body to the music, however it wanted to move. Oh, and I’ve also been told that at my first recital when I was three years old, I led another student by hand to her spot when she was on the wrong spot (insert hand over face emoji here, haha!)

KC: What's your background with dance?

AM: I started dance class when I was three and started competition company when I was eight. It was the first love of my life, the first thing I really felt like “me” while doing. I continued to be a competition dancer throughout high school graduation, at which point I was very burned out and decided to take a break. A couple years later, I missed it dearly and began teaching dance while in college. That turned into teaching full time after graduation and eventually becoming the studio’s director and company director.

KC: Was it love at first plie?

AM: Absolutely.

KC: What's one of your favorite funny or heart-warming stories about dance/teaching/your business?

AM: My favorite heart-warming story from teaching was watching one of my students win Miss America 2017. In 2016, one of my students who has been with me since my teaching and coaching journey began, Savvy Shields, started her lifelong dream of becoming Miss Arkansas and Miss America. I had zero pageant experience before working with Savvy on this goal but as we worked together to prepare her dance for her talent, I saw the same feelings and barriers I had struggled with come up for her too. From there, we dedicated our time together to not only rehearse her dance, but also to rehearse her mindset.

We explored her negative inner dialog, practiced tools for comparison and confidence, and found her inner strength and motivation. Watching how she navigated the pressures and feelings of the Miss America week, I truly felt she had the mindset to overcome any fears and not let her insecurities be her limitations. It was overwhelming and inspiring to watch my student truly step into her greatness.

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why?

AM: There are so many teachers and choreographers I admire, but Stacey Tookey really comes to mind the most. I am incredibly inspired by what she has created with The Protégé Movement, where the focus is on the whole dancer through self-development and mentorship. I believe there is a deep need in the dance community for more attention on the dancer as a whole person, with resources for the mind, body, and spirit, and love that Stacey has developed that on such a large scale.

KC: Tell us about your business, Ashley Mowrey, Performance Mindset Coaching.

Through my business as a mindset coach for dancers and dance teachers, I do individual coaching and studio workshops to help dancers navigate the dance world as their best. I see clients in person in Fayetteville, AR and via Skype or Facetime all over the country. I also travel to studios for my customized group workshops where I bring all of my material to your company, teachers, and parents. Through coaching, we practice tools to help calm the mind, create inner strength, and cultivate self-confidence.

KC: What prompted you to incorporate mindset work with dance?

AM: Mindset work definitely wasn’t a part of my work with dancers in the beginning. I was always drawn towards the mind as a psychology major in college, but didn’t think about going that direction with dancers for years. As a teenage competition dancer in Dallas, I really struggled with perfectionism, body image, and being my own worst critic. At the time, I thought I was the only one with these struggles and that I had to learn to “suck it up” or get thicker skin. As a young teacher, I saw these same battles come up for my dancers. I started to notice how we as a dance community are really lacking in any support and resources for both dancers’ and teachers’ mental wellbeing. During that time, I trained with Life Coach and Author Tara Mohr to become a facilitator in her Playing Big Leadership Program for Women. I slowly started to incorporate this work with my dancers, but it wasn’t until a few years later that I decided to make it a business. Since then, I have stepped back from teaching and choreographing to coach full time.

KC: What's one of your goals in working with the dance community?

AM: My biggest goal, the one that set my heart on fire, is bringing education, tools, and resources to help dancers navigate the dance world with a healthy mindset. Between growing up in front of mirrors, wearing leotards and tights everyday, being constantly given corrections and feedback, and (for competition dancers) being scored and ranked against peers, the dance world can easily turn into a breeding ground for comparison, negative self-talk, and perfectionism. My goal is to help dancers make mindset shifts to keep dancing at their personal best and not have their mental wellbeing be the cost.

KC: Are there any cliches or preconceptions about dance you try to correct in your work?

AM: The idea of perfection, both from the outside world and internally in the dance community. I so often see and hear the idea of “perfect performances”, “perfect body”, “perfect technique”. This idea of perfection may seem like a good goal, but there is a difference between healthy striving and perfectionism, and perfectionism is destroying our dancers. I love Brené Brown’s work on perfectionism and use it often in my work. Here’s a great link that explains her research, defines perfectionism, and explores how it differs from healthy striving.

KC: Is there one thing you think the dance community needs more of, less of, or to get better at?

AM: I definitely think the dance community continues to need more education, resources, and tools to help both dancers and teachers build a healthy mindset and address overall mental wellbeing. I am starting to see more pioneers in this area, such as Minding The Gap, and other coaches such as Kirsten Kemp, Chris Hale, Gina Pero, and Lauren Ritchie. But there’s still so much room for us as a community to better support dancers’ mental health.

KC: What's next for you and your businesses? Do you have any exciting projects on the horizon?

AM: Recently, I was interviewed on Dance Boss Podcast (episode 58), and Dance Studio Amplified Podcast (episode 14). Currently, I am a Dance Specialist for Doctors For Dancers, and a blog contributor for all things dancer’s mind for Apolla Performance. I am also currenting working on my Whole Person Coach certification through Coach Training World, an International Coach Federation accredited program. At this time, I am also taking new coaching clients and studio workshops, so check out my website if you’re interested in working together.

KC And now, just for funsies…

Burritos or tacos?

AM: Tacos! Could eat em everyday

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts?

AM: Legwarmers

KC: Disco balls or rainbows?

AM: Rainbows

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance?

AM: Center Stage...watched it 1,000 times as a teenager (and maybe a couple times since then!). Pretty sure my dance friends and I tried to learn the choreography to every dance.

KC: One word to describe yourself?

AM: Passionate

I LOVE the idea of kicking perfection to the curb, and Ashley echoes so many of my beliefs about body positivity that it’s no wonder I got butterflies when I heard her podcast on Dance Boss. Do yourself a favor and go listen to that episode, and make sure you’re following Ashley on Instagram to keep up with her amazing work!

Do you use growth mindset practices with your dancers? Ashley and I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Perfectionism is Destroying Our Dancers: Ashley Mowrey, Mindset Coach