<![CDATA[Dad of a Dancer]]>https://www.dadofadancer.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QI86!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fba524aa2-69ca-4325-b17f-cf52546a1270_256x256.pngDad of a Dancerhttps://www.dadofadancer.comSubstackThu, 16 Apr 2026 14:17:44 GMT<![CDATA[DOAD #23: A big week of competitions and auditions]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-23-a-big-week-of-competitionshttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-23-a-big-week-of-competitionsWed, 15 Apr 2026 17:27:41 GMTHello friends! Big week over here — we’ve got a competition AND an audition coming up, so we’ve got a lot on our minds! 🏆 Here’s what our dance consultant has been drilling into us as we prep:

Stage entrances and exits matter more than you think:

  • 🎭 Judging starts the second any part of you is visible on that stage — so don’t just shuffle out there!

  • 💪 Walk on with confidence and intention — tall chest, proud head — like you came ready to melt some faces

  • 🚶 After your piece ends, don’t scramble off like you’re apologizing for what just happened — count to five, take a bow, then walk off like a pro

  • ⚖️ It’s all about balance — don’t look cocky, but don’t look sorry either

We’ve also got a big Zoom audition this week:

  • 🩰 My son is auditioning for a full-time ballet academy

  • 📅 We’ll find out in about 3-4 weeks if he made it (send good vibes!)

  • 💸 If he gets in, it means 3+ weeks of intensive summer training (did I mention dance is expensive? Check out this episode in case you forgot :-)

Next episode I’m hoping to bring my son on to recap how both the competition and audition went — stay tuned! 🎙️

👉 Visit dadofadancer.com and subscribe so you never miss an episode — new ones drop every Wednesday!

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #22: Competition prep tips]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-22-competition-prep-tipshttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-22-competition-prep-tipsWed, 08 Apr 2026 23:44:34 GMTHello friends! I’m back with some real talk on getting ready for competition season — and yes, it’s almost time! 🏆 Here’s what’s been on my radar as my teen dancer preps for our first competition of 2026:

Physical prep:

  • 💧 Hydration is everything — and no, Dr. Pepper does NOT count

  • 🤸 Stretch consistently (not just the night before when you suddenly want your needle back)

  • 🦴 Chiropractic care made a surprising difference for us — with the right follow-through homework

Mental game:

  • Social media is a blessing AND a curse — let it inspire you, not crush you

  • I’m encouraging my son to stop competing against every dancer in the room — make some friends out there!

  • Focus on how far YOU’VE come, not what some other dancer is doing on TikTok

My big reminder to him: You’re only 15 once. The cutthroat stuff comes later — enjoy it now! 🙌

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #21: Dancing in the Dominican]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-21-dancing-in-the-dominicanhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-21-dancing-in-the-dominicanWed, 01 Apr 2026 21:37:47 GMTHey friends, we’re back from spring break in the Dominican, and our trip yielded a couple fun dance-related things:

  1. We got to see a phenomenal dance+vocals ensemble that also had a unique stage presence (it made me giggle)

  2. I got to take a salsa class in hopes Atti would join me. But did he? Listen to today’s episode to find out!

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #20: How to secure your dancer's social media accounts]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-20-how-to-secure-your-dancershttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-20-how-to-secure-your-dancersWed, 25 Mar 2026 18:48:52 GMTHello friends, today we’re talking about some tips to better secure your dancer’s social media accounts. Since I run a cybersecurity consultancy, I spend most of my waking hours trying to help companies not get hacked. A lot of the best practices they follow to protect their accounts are the same tips you and the dancers in your life should follow as well:

  • Pick strong passwords

  • Use a different password for every online account you have (Insta, TikTok, etc.)

  • Turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere you can

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #19: Did you download that choreography from the Internet?]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-19-did-you-download-that-choreographyhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-19-did-you-download-that-choreographyThu, 19 Mar 2026 13:30:46 GMTHere’s something that will be super obvious to some people but was a mind-breaker for me when I learned it: you can download dance choreography from the Internet. Today I talk about the first time I saw it “live” (it made my jaw drop) and how my first instinct was to call the dance police and demand some arrests. But as I’m learning years later, this practice is pretty common.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #18: Dressing room debacles]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-18-dressing-room-debacleshttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-18-dressing-room-debaclesThu, 12 Mar 2026 01:08:32 GMTHello dance friends. Male dancers can be an afterthought at competitions — specifically when it comes to dressing room accommodations. Today I share some frustrating real-life experiences my son and I navigated, from inadequate and unmarked changing spaces to locked doors mid-costume-change. I also recount a particularly painful moment when my son was left out of a final pre-performance rehearsal — and the team's response made it even worse.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #17: Why Dance Studio Size and Expertise Matter]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-17-why-dance-studio-size-andhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-17-why-dance-studio-size-andThu, 05 Mar 2026 15:17:41 GMTThis may seem obvious, but dance studio class size - and the expertise/education of their staff - matter! All these years at big studio dance, I figured everybody who worked for a studio had professional degrees and experience, which is not the case. So today, I encourage you to keep a close watch on your dancer to ensure they aren’t being swallowed up by large class sizes and potentially limited growth at a big studio. We’ve found that moving away from studio dance was tough from a social standpoint, but 100% worth it to get prepared for college/pro-level experiences.

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]]><![CDATA[DOAD #16: Adventures at the National High School Dance Festival]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-16-adventures-at-the-nationalhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-16-adventures-at-the-nationalThu, 26 Feb 2026 04:09:11 GMTHope you’re all having a great week! Today I sat down with Atti to hear about his experience at the National High School Dance Festival a few weeks ago. He got the opportunity to not only take a bunch of great dance classes, but learn about how to build up his social media profiles and dancer resume as well! More details in today’s show.

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Thanks again for listening and be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

-Brian and Atti

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #15: NUVO interview with Atticus]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-15-nuvo-interview-with-atticushttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-15-nuvo-interview-with-atticusThu, 19 Feb 2026 18:30:14 GMTHey friends! This week I sat down with Atticus to hear more about his NUVO experience, which I talked a little bit about in episode #14. I asked him:

  • What’s NUVO all about, and what parts of the nation can you find this competition/convention?

  • What’s it like to attend something like NUVO without representation from a dance studio?

  • What dance skills should you have nailed down before attending NUVO?

  • Can you still get scholarships/awards when you’re a dance “free agent?”

Next week we’ll talk about Atti’s experience at the National High School Dance Festival.

]]><![CDATA[Photos from NUVO]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/photos-from-nuvohttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/photos-from-nuvoMon, 16 Feb 2026 17:58:48 GMTIn podcast episode #14 I mentioned my son took home some awards for his efforts during the NUVO convention - here they are!

I’m super happy and super proud of him.

(This is no shade on NUVO because pretty much all conventions/competitions do this, but most of the scholarship awards handed out give you a few hundred dollars off of admission to a future event. It’s a great gesture, however, realistically that’s a few hundred dollars off thousands in expenses when you figure in plane tickets, hotel, rental car, meals, incidentals, etc.)

This week I’ll work on an audio interview with my son about the NUVO experience, tips he picked up over the weekend, etc., and then release that as episode #15 of the Dad of a Dancer podcast.

-Brian

Thanks for reading Dad of a Dancer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #14: NUVO Nuggets]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-14-nuvo-nuggetshttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-14-nuvo-nuggetsFri, 13 Feb 2026 20:43:34 GMTHey dance friends! This past weekend my son went to the NUVO convention as an independent, and had a wonderful time. Next week I’ll have him share some thoughts from a dancer’s perspective, but this week I want to share a few experiences from a parent POV:

  • Challenges applying for dance conventions/competitions as an independent

  • The uncomfortable feeling of dropping him off in an environment where he didn’t know anybody

  • Assuring him we didn’t care if he came home from the weekend with all of the awards or zero awards

  • Finally getting recognition for all his hard work!

Also coming up in future DOAD episodes: my son will share his experiences from the National High School Dance Festival in Washington, which he’s at right now as I type this.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #13: Dance songs I never want to hear again - part 2]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-13-dance-songs-i-never-wanthttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-13-dance-songs-i-never-wantThu, 05 Feb 2026 02:13:25 GMTHello friends - back in episode #11 my son and I played a game called “Dance songs I never want to hear again,” where I obnoxiously sang/scat 10 songs in his direction. If he could identify the song name and artist for all 10, I promised to buy him some disgusting drink from Starbucks the next day. Good news (for him) is that he won that round!

So this week I’m back with another round, only this time the challenge is greater: name six songs in sixty seconds to earn a gross Starbucks drink. Tune into today’s episode to see if he was successful, or if I finally stumped him!

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #12: How competitive is too competitive?]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-12-how-competitive-is-too-competitivehttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-12-how-competitive-is-too-competitiveThu, 29 Jan 2026 02:13:58 GMTCompetitive dance teams want to win and bring home a dump truck load of trophies - and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But are we (studios and parents) building character in our dancers…or just teaching them to be cutthroat as they cut up the dance floor?

In today’s episode, I share three ways we can help our kids develop a healthy perspective on competition while still keeping a strong competitive spirit.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #11: 10 dance songs I never want to hear again]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-11-10-dance-songs-i-never-wanthttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-11-10-dance-songs-i-never-wantThu, 22 Jan 2026 02:48:24 GMTThings are a bit heavy in the Twin Cities where we live, so we thought we’d do something a little more light and fun today! I challenge my son to name 10 dance songs I never want to hear again - by obnoxiously humming/scatting the melody of each song without the words. He has to name the song and artist. If he gets at least 8/10 right, I’ll buy him Starbucks on the way to school tomorrow. How many did you guess right?!

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #10: "Let's Go Girls!" vs. "Let's Go Team!"]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-10-lets-go-girls-vs-lets-gohttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-10-lets-go-girls-vs-lets-goThu, 15 Jan 2026 02:47:26 GMTIn today’s episode we discuss something that may sound simple, but isn’t obvious to everyone: dance teams aren’t always comprised of 100% females.

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #9: How can all dancers shine in the social media spotlight?]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-9-how-can-all-dancers-shinehttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-9-how-can-all-dancers-shineThu, 08 Jan 2026 01:57:39 GMTIn this week’s episode, we talk about how many studios and dance organizations use social media to promote their business and their dancers. I understand why studios want to highlight their top performers and attract new talent. However, when the same handful of dancers are featured 24/7 across social media channels, it can send the wrong message.

There are countless “unsung heroes” working in the shadows—dancers who are grinding every day to improve—and they deserve time in the social media spotlight too. I also share an example of a studio that has, in my opinion, unlocked the cheat code for how studio social media should be run.

]]><![CDATA[CLI Conservatory winter intensive music video]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/cli-conservatory-winter-intensivehttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/cli-conservatory-winter-intensiveFri, 02 Jan 2026 16:22:35 GMTBack in episode 7 of our podcast, we talked about how my son recently completed the winter intensive at the CLI Conservatory in Massachusetts. In addition to getting a ton of dance experience, my son had the opportunity to participate in the creation of a music video. He gained a new appreciation for all the production that goes into the piece - not just from a dance perspective, but an audio/video perspective as well. He also noted they had to clean up the “snow” many times and do many takes to get the video just right. Have a look - I think it turned out awesome!

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #8: Is a dance consultant worth the money?]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-8-is-a-dance-consultant-worthhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-8-is-a-dance-consultant-worthWed, 31 Dec 2025 17:13:18 GMTThis week we talk about a new partnership we started with a dance consultant - someone who works specifically with dancers my son’s age to take their dancing to the next level. The decision to engage with a consultant came as a few different pieces were falling into place:

  • My son stepped away from studio dance earlier this year and was essentially a “free agent”

  • He started working with a dancer/choreographer on a new solo piece (discussed in episode #6)

  • He had just wrapped up a high school dance production (discussed in episode #4)

  • We were wanting to find a way for him to work on his skills on a more regular cadence (i.e. weekly)

His first meeting with the dance consultant to work on his solo was awesome. Here are some things we learned:

  • It’s important to have a stretch routine that is tailored to your body and dance goals.

  • The judges are judging from the millisecond you become visible on stage. So even when you’re just walking to the stage and waiting for the music to drop, you need to present yourself with strength and intentionality.

  • When in the middle of a bunch of turns (or any move), you need to stay present until the absolute last millisecond, and only then do you transition into something else. Our consultant could tell by my son’s face and body language that while he was in the middle of move A, his mind/body were already thinking about and preparing for move B.

Deciding whether or not to partner with a dance consultant is a big decision, and a big investment. But is it worth it? (Spoiler: in our opinion the answer is yes, but please listen to today’s episode :-)

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #7: Highlights from the CLI Conservatory winter intensive]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-7-highlights-from-the-cli-conservatoryhttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-7-highlights-from-the-cli-conservatoryWed, 24 Dec 2025 17:20:07 GMTThis week’s episode is all about the awesome winter insensitive our son attended at the CLI Conservatory in Southampton, Massachusetts (you can read more about CLI and the origins of the studio/conservatory here). You’ll get to hear from Atticus directly as he shares his favorite moments - which include a lot of dancing, practicing mock auditions, and even filming a music video! And from a parent point of view, I’ll share some things we will do differently in the food and lodging department when we go back for the summer intensive in 2026. Next time we’ll:

  • Stay in a hotel/BNB/etc. closer to CLI

  • Buy our own food instead of eating out at restaurants (the restaurant food was super expensive and not good in general)

]]><![CDATA[DOAD #6: A new dance solo adventure]]>https://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-6-a-new-dance-solo-adventurehttps://www.dadofadancer.com/p/doad-6-a-new-dance-solo-adventureThu, 18 Dec 2025 01:41:17 GMTIn today’s episode, I’m excited to share a new adventure my son started in working with an independent dancer/choreographer. It has been a fun and collaborative project where we’ve had more input on both the music and choreography - something that wasn’t always the case in studio dance. Perhaps the best thing from my perspective is to watch my son relax into the experience, and not have a competition deadline right around the corner (we’re thinking of competing with the solo in 2026).

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