I’ve got a crush. On anyone who’s blazing trails within the dance industry to create kinder, more inclusive spaces, while also giving dancers and educators practical tools to make that happen.

Lauren Ritchie is one of those people.

I’ve been following Lauren’s work for a few years now, and it’s no understatement to say she’s a pioneer. She hands out the most helpful mental skills tools like they’re candy, and dancers and teachers alike are gobbling them up - seeing firsthand how powerful and effective they are for unlocking potential and confidence in dancers.

Read on to learn more about Lauren, her amazing work, and how to apply her insights and wisdom into your own classes!

KC: What's your background with dance?

LR: Thanks to my older sister, I was in the dance studio since I was a babe! I trained and performed competitively until the age of 18 when I ventured into the twisty, turny, and tumultuous professional dance world. After a few professional contracts, I was pulled into teaching (quite literally) and fell in love with the art and mastery of dance education.

KC: Was it love at first plie?

LR: It was love at first note. When the music came on, there was no holding back my imagination, intensity, and overly-animated performances.

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why?

LR: Role model - Stacey Tookey. She has a grace, honesty and kindness that changes rooms and dancers. Choreography - Crystal Pite - have you seen her work?! No explanation needed. Historical influence - Bob Fosse. My teacher loved him so we studied his work as teenagers. His simplicity, pictures, and musicality is still inspiring.

KC: Tell us about your Mental Skills Training for dancers and dance educators.

LR: Mental skills and mindfulness training is the systematic and consistent practice of mental skills to enhance training and performance while increasing a dancer’s confidence, courage, vulnerability and love of dance.

I do weekend workshops and weekly classes for both dancers and educators as well as online teacher training for educators. (Check out Lauren’s current offerings HERE.)

KC: How did you get into this line of work?

LR: Accidentally and with divine timing. I had just got back from a contract and a teacher at a local studio had to leave mid-year so I stepped in very hesitant at first, but fell in love quickly.

The mental skills and mindfulness training was “Me-search Research.” I had a rough transition from competitive dance to the professional industry and most of my suffering was mental. This is when I learned that as a human you can train 3 things - Mind, Body, Craft. I had never intentionally trained my mind. My athletic identity, perfectionism, FOPO (fear of people’s opinions) was getting in the way of my ambitions and limiting my artistry.

At the same time I was doing this work and learning my own mental skills, I was teaching dance and saw how easily these practices can be integrated and amplified with the next generation of dancers. Accessing all 3 components, mind, body and craft, unlocked their potential and confidence.

I created summer intensives and full-year programs at competitive dance studios that implemented basic mental skills. I saw first hand how transformative this work was with the young dancers so I pursued my Masters in Education in Coaching Studies with a focus on mental skills training for dancers.

KC: How has COVID affecting your teaching/business/work?

LR: I write this as we are in another lockdown… Covid has separated me from the students but has connected me with hundreds of educators from around the world wanting to learn and implement mental skills into their dance classes. There has been immense amounts of both grief and gratitude.

KC: Tell us about your podcast, The Dance Podcast.

LR: The Dance Podcast has always been rooted in connection. I fell in love with podcasts because they offer long form conversation and guests can share stories, wisdom, and wholehearted truths about their experiences. You know, the good stuff!!!

It started with me being intensely curious about all of the different career pathways possible (as I had such a narrow view when I started out as a young dancer) and how to have a long, healthy career. Over 5 years, it has expanded to include more conversations about my faves- dance education and mental performance! I am in awe of the guests. It has been a privilege to talk to some of the world’s best including Mia Michaels, Tabitha and Napoleon, Brad Rapier, Chloe and Maud Arnold, Misty Lown, Clint Salter, Juloe McDonald, Justin Su’a and so many more.

KC: What has surprised you about getting into podcasting, or what’s one of your favorite things about hosting a dance podcast?

LR: Favourite thing: hands down - meeting new people and making new friends. Surprise: how much work goes on before and after the episode is recorded.

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

LR: That the obstacles are physical. This is for both educators and dancers.

I recently saw a dance educator ask for advice about one of her student’s pirouettes in a facebook group. There were over 100 comments with physical corrections and adjustments and yet from my point of view, the dancer’s struggle was almost completely mental.

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

LR: I am a huge advocate for dance educators creating the space for rest, recovery, and personal reflection. We hold an incredibly powerful and privileged position and to be our best we must prioritize personal wellness and conscious leadership.

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

LR: After 2020 - I hesitate to even pretend I know what’s coming!

But! What I do know, is that I will do more online Mental Skills Teacher Trainings, (learn more about those HERE!) studio owner group coaching sessions, and continue to learn and share and learn and share as much as I can both online and with my students.

KC: And now, just for funsies…

KC: Burritos or tacos?

LR: Tacos

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts?

LR: Garbage pant warm-ups!

KC: Disco balls or rainbows?

LR: Disco balls...quite literally in our basement

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance?

LR: I mean...those red pointe shoes & MJ…..

KC: One word to describe yourself?

LR: Integral

A big thank you to Lauren for sharing all this wisdom with us! Pay it forward by following Lauren and her work! Check her out HERE. Feel free to leave any questions for Lauren in the comments - about mental skills training, her workshops, or her podcast!

Unlock Dancer Potential & Confidence: Mental Skills Training with Lauren Ritchie