Dance Real Podcast

How to Stop Bullying in the Dance Studio

Description Bullying in dance studios rarely looks dramatic. It often grows through small exclusions, subtle alliances, and unspoken hierarchies that shape the emotional climate of a group. In this episode, Kate explores how bullying develops in dance settings, why it takes hold so easily in high-pressure environments, and what leaders can do to disrupt the patterns early.

This conversation ...

In this episode, Kate Histon is joined by Georgina Pazcoguin, soloist, author, and advocate for change in the performing arts. Known as The Rogue Ballerina, Georgina made history as the first Asian American woman to be promoted out of the corps de ballet at New York City Ballet. Her memoir Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina offers an honest and often humorous look into the world of elite ballet, revealing the grit, isolatio...

Season 3

Ep: 09

In this episode, Kate speaks with Terry Hyde MA MBACP, a former professional dancer with The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet who later retrained as a psychotherapist. Terry is the founder of Counselling for Dancers and STEPPS Charity, a UK-based organisation dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of dancers and performing artists. Together, they explore how perfectionism, fear, and cultural...

Season 3

Ep:08

Resilience is one of the most used words in the dance world, yet it is often misunderstood. Many dancers think it means pushing through pain, hiding disappointment, or toughening up so no one can see them crack. In truth, that is suppression, not resilience. In this episode, Kate explores the real meaning of resilience: the ability to feel emotions fully, process them, and move forward with balance and adaptability. ...

Season 3

Ep:07

Australian Dance Adjudicators President Lisa Maloney joins Kate Histon to unpack what high-quality judging looks like in practice: core competencies, the balance of technique and stagecraft, and how clear feedback helps dancers and teachers improve. Lisa explains how adjudicators calibrate consistency across sections using the first performance as an anchor; how to structure voice or written critiques so competitors ...

Season 3

Ep:06

In this inspirational episode, Kate Histon sits down with Austin Crumley, The Ballet Educator, to discuss what human-centred ballet looks like inside a working dance studio. The conversation focuses on leadership in the room: steady pacing that protects attention; brief readiness check-ins; clear boundaries that keep learning safe; feedback that is specific and proportionate; and closing rituals that help dancers int...

Season 3

Ep:05

In this solo episode of Dance Real Podcast, Kate explores perfectionism in the lives of pre-professional dancers. While perfectionism can sharpen detail and raise standards, it can also drain confidence, increase anxiety, and diminish joy. Kate unpacks how perfectionism shows up in daily habits, inner self-talk, and relationships with teachers and parents. She offers practical strategies that both teachers and parent...

Season 3

Ep:04

Illuminating Mental Wellness in Dance

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges such as perfectionism, anxiety, body image, and eating disorders. Listener discretion is advised. If you are affected by these topics, please reach out for professional support or visit local mental health resources in your area.

In this episode of Dance Real Podcast, Kate speaks with the founders of th...

Season 3

Ep:03

In this episode of the Dance Real Podcast, I sit down with mother–daughter duo Kate and Kyra Martinov to explore the shared journey of teaching, parenting, and dancing together. Kate reflects on her own path from small-town beginnings to performing overseas and eventually founding Bay Dance Academy in Nelson Bay. She shares the joys and challenges of teaching her daughter within a family-run studio while balancing th...

Season 3:

Ep:02

In this solo episode, Kate explores trauma-aware teaching in the dance studio through a clear, practical lens: how the nervous system adapts under sustained pressure; why safety and rigour must be held together; and what this looks like in daily practice. She defines trauma awareness for studio settings, distinguishes it from therapy, and offers concrete habits that protect dignity and sustain excellence: specific c...

Season 3 Ep: 01 Opens with artist, advocate and thought leader Josef Brown: former Soloist with The Australian Ballet; principal performer with Sydney Dance Company; featured artist with Modern Dance Turkey in Ankara. His range spans ballet and contemporary stages, musical theatre, film, and television, including roles in Dance Academy, Spartacus, and Neighbours. He now channels that breadth into creative work and sector advocacy, ...

Episode Summary

In this short solo episode, Kate reflects on the journey of Season 2 of The Dance Real Podcast—a season filled with bold conversations, personal stories, expert insights, and unapologetic truths about the dance world.

From examining competition culture and coercive power dynamics to unpacking pedagogical frameworks, parenting roles, emotional safety, and embodied creativity, Season 2 has taken us on a deeply human...

Season Two  Ep:14

Dance Real Reflections: How to be a Dance Mum without Losing Yourself or Your Child

In this episode of the Dance Real Podcast, Kate pulls back the curtain on the powerful influence dance parents have—not just on their child’s dance journey, but on their emotional wellbeing. Speaking from her own lived experience growing up with a well meaning but high-pressure dance mum, and later navigating the dance world as a...

Season Two  Ep: 16

Starving For Success? Dance Nutrition and the Truth No one Talks About with Dr. Stephanie Potreck.

In this powerful episode of the Dance Real Podcast, host Kate Histon is joined by medical doctor and dance nutritionist Dr. Stephanie Podreck, whose career spans medicine, sports nutrition, and global health—and is deeply rooted in her own experience as a professional dancer. Together, they unpack the often-unspoken...

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses panic disorder, which may be distressing for some listeners.

Season Two Ep:14

I’m happy to share that I have lived panic disorder–free for over 22 years and continue to enjoy a high-performance life supported by meditation, health, and wellbeing practices in my everyday world. 

Over more than two decades of leading my own dance studio, I stepped into my strength and power as a leader; experie...

Season Two · Episode 13

Bloodied Pointe Shoes and Coercive Control – Healing the Dance World with Kellie Rhea

In this transformative conversation, I’m joined by trauma specialist and cult-aware educator Kellie Rhea to explore how hidden systems of control quietly shape the dance world—and how we can heal from them.

Together, we unpack the subtle ways that “excellence” can mask unhealthy pressure, the intergenerational expectation...

Season Two Ep:15

In this episode of The Dance Real Podcast, Kate unpacks the often-hidden emotional dynamics that dancers, teachers, and leaders navigate in high-pressure environments—including covert competition, credit theft, love bombing, and silent sabotage.

Drawing from lived experience not only as a dancer, teacher, studio owner, and adjudicator (as well as her professional training in Human Behaviour)—but also as someone w...

Season Two Ep: 11

Finding Your Voice - Exploring Identity, Power, and Pedagogy with Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel

In this episode of the Dance Real Podcast, Dr. Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel shares her extensive journey in dance scholarship, exploring the cultural influences that shaped her education and career. She discusses the transformative power of dance education, the importance of finding one's voice, and the role of empathy in teach...

Season Two  Ep: 10

Improvisation in the Art of Life - Dance Real Reflection

In this episode of the Dance Real Podcast, Kate explores the concept of improvisation not just in dance but as a vital life practice. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity over judgment, the need for spaciousness in our actions, and the detrimental effects of harsh self-judgment. Kate encourages listeners to embrace improvisation as a mindset that al...