More Than Dance

Krissy Phillipino
  • 4.9 (141)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Dance. Mindset. Motivation.More Than Dance is where real life meets the dance floor. Hosted by Krissy Phillipino, a dancer, choreographer, and studio owner with over 30 years in the industry. This podcast dives into the mindset reframes and quiet magic that take shape in the choreography, inside the studio, and through the work of showing up for yourself over and over. Expect episodes packed with storytelling, dance wisdom, raw truths, and the kind of pep talks you didn’t know you needed. This isn’t just about dance. It’s about who you become when you let yourself go all in, even through the ugly stages, the moments when nothing feels like it’s clicking yet, and the times when you question yourself. From confidence and self worth to mindset shifts and breakthroughs More Than Dance is where movement meets transformation. Whether you're a seasoned dancer, brand new to movement, or simply someone who craves personal growth and deep, honest conversations, this space is for you. Because this was never just about dance.It’s about who you become while dancing. It’s more than dance. Follow: @krissyphillipino @kdfstudio

  1. 1D AGO

    Overthinking Is Killing Your Progress And How To Fix It | Ep 78

    This episode is about what happens when you overthink something so much that you don’t do it at all and how to break that pattern once and for all. I share one of my favorite phrases: Get the F there.  Thinking isn’t the problem, thinking instead of doing is. I talk about my gym story and how I’m building consistency by doing exercises I’d normally overthink, trusting that I’ll adapt and figure it out after I start. The same thing shows up everywhere, packing for a trip, starting a project, going to class, stepping onto the dance floor.  Dance teaches us this perfectly: You don’t get better at dancing by thinking about dancing. You get better by dancing. We talk about fear, procrastination, and the lie your brain tells you to keep you comfortable. I share a post I love that says: Your brain lies to you constantly. What you avoid ends up controlling you. This episode dives into: • why overthinking is just fear in disguise • how action gives you the answers you’re waiting for • why momentum creates motivation (not the other way around) • how micro successes build confidence over time • choosing the “right” kind of suffering (the kind that moves you forward) Everyone wants to feel confident, ready, and motivated before they begin and its really when you start doing that you begin to feel those feelings.  The person who practices being the dancer becomes the dancer. The person who doesn’t… doesn’t. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    19 min

  2. 3D AGO

    The Power of “Yes, And”: How An Open Mind Creates More Opportunities | Ep 77

    This episode is all about the power of “yes, and” and asking yourself one simple question: Are you saying yes enough in your life? I talk about how so many opportunities pass us by because we’re closed, tired, overwhelmed, guarded, or stuck in our ego. We say “I wish I could” instead of “yes, and how could I?” We explore “yes, and” through dance, improv, contact improv, and real life  where movement is a conversation, curiosity leads the way, and not needing to worry about being wrong This episode breaks down how to: adopt a yes-and mindset without abandoning your boundariesseparate yourself into your higher self when resistance shows upsay yes even when it’s uncomfortable, imperfect, or tiringhold two things at once: “yes I want this” AND “I need rest”stay open while still honoring your energycheck when your no is coming from ego vs self-respectI talk about practical examples going to class even when you’re tired, leaving early when you need to, starting conversations, small gestures of openness, and how “yes, and” creates more connection in rooms, relationships, and community. This isn’t about saying yes to everything. It’s about saying yes with awareness. "Yes, and” can sound like: • Yes, I want to go... and I’ll leave early. • Yes, I care.. and I need to do this first. • Yes, this is hard... and I’m still showing up. When you live in “yes, and,” you stay open to different paths to the same destination And that’s where growth, creativity, and momentum live. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    16 min

  3. JAN 29

    How to Actually Enjoy Your Life While You’re Living It | Ep 76

    This episode is about presence, perfection, and learning how to actually enjoy your life while you’re living it. I share a story from a really epic night where performance team was part of something amazing. The execution was incredible, everything flowed, and the event itself was unreal. I was so focused on analyzing it, critiquing it, and thinking about how everything could be “better,” that I didn’t fully experience the joy of it while it was happening. And when I looked back later, I realized it was 200% fun. I just didn’t let myself feel all of it in the moment. This episode is about that pattern. How perfectionism makes us miss the good part.How overthinking replaces presence.How comparison energy pulls us out of now and into somewhere else.How we’re so good at reflecting and critiquing and improving, and not always good at enjoying.We talk about why joy is fleeting, why contrast matters, and how happiness doesn’t always come in the way we expect it to. How sometimes we don’t realize how good something is until it’s over and how to change that. I walk you through simple practices to help you stay present: preparing your mind for moments you’re excited aboutmaking mental notes instead of mental critiquesnaming what feels good while it’s happeningcatching perfection and comparison in real timecreating rituals around experiencesletting evaluation happen later instead of during Presence is a skill, like dance, like choreography, like performance. It’s messy. It takes practice. And it’s learnable. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    26 min

  4. JAN 27

    Why You're Overwhelmed And How To Get Out Of It | Ep 75

    Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re behind. It usually means you care, you’re thinking ahead, and you’re holding too much in your head at once. In this episode, I talk honestly about what’s been overwhelming me lately and why overwhelm often shows up when we’re future-focused, growing, and trying to become something new. I break down how our brains pile everything together, what needs to happen now, what future-you has to handle, and the pressure of not being “there” yet, and why that creates so much mental noise. I reference Mel Robbins’ concept of the brain dump and walk you through how to get everything out of your head and onto paper so you can actually see what’s real, what matters right now, and what doesn’t need your energy yet. We talk about categorizing your life, ranking what’s important, and learning how to focus on one thing instead of carrying a hundred unfinished thoughts. I also connect this to dance: how overwhelm shows up when we think we aren’t a dancer until we can execute something perfectly, and how that mindset makes learning feel heavier than it needs to be. Becoming something requires time, repetition, and patience, and overwhelm often comes from trying to live in the “having” before fully allowing yourself to be in the “becoming.” This episode will help you: • Understand why overwhelm happens • Calm the mental spiral without doing more • Use a brain dump as a tool, not a to-do list • Focus on what actually matters right now • Stop measuring yourself against an imaginary finish line If everything feels important, nothing feels manageable. This episode brings you back to clarity, alignment, and the next right step without pressure. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    34 min

  5. JAN 22

    Most People Quit Here... And Why You Shouldn't | Ep 74

    There’s a phase of growth that feels uncomfortable enough to make you question everything, and most people quit here because they don’t understand what’s happening. Dance teaches this perfectly When something is being rebuilt, it looks chaotic in the middle. Foundations crack. Pieces are removed. The space becomes unusable for a moment. And if you don’t know that this is part of the process, you’ll think something has gone wrong. Think of anytime you have observed construction within a house. Dance has an ugly stage (EP 3 FOR MORE) and it’s actually a beautiful one. It’s the moment where what was can no longer support what you’re becoming. It reminds me of the Tower card in tarot. Things fall apart, not as punishment, but because the old structure can’t hold the next version of you. Perfectionists struggle here the most. We want progress to look smooth. Predictable. Organized. But real transformation isn’t tidy. It’s disorienting. It asks for trust before clarity. It asks you to stay when you don’t fully know what’s coming next. Some people hit this phase and decide it’s not for them. They don’t like the discomfort. They don’t like not knowing. So they stop and and they stay stuck exactly where they are. Others learn how to stay. They let things be messy. They let choreography fall apart. They let themselves feel awkward without deciding it means failure. They trust that something stronger is forming underneath it all. Some people will say, “It’s okay, you don’t have to do this.” And while that sounds kind, comfort can quietly keep you stuck. You have to get selective about whose voices you listen to when you’re in the middle of becoming. Messy doesn’t mean wrong. It means something real is happening and if you can stay through the discomfort,  trust the process before it looks pretty, you can have amazing transformation.  Dance  teaches you how to stay with yourself when growth gets uncomfortable, and that changes how you move through everything. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    9 min

  6. JAN 20

    The Importance of Stage Presence and How To Have More of It | Ep 73

    In this episode, we talk about stage presence, what it actually is, why it matters, and how to build more of it. I start with a moment I’ll never forget: watching a dancer perform like she did not want to be there. She did not know the skills of stage presence and it showed. There are times when endurance is the thing you need to train. And then there are times when presence is the missing piece. I introduce one of my favorite reframes: you as the performer are the host of the party. Think Gatsby-level hosting. The performers are the hosts, the audience are the guests, and the entire experience is a ping-pong exchange of energy. You give, they give back. And great performers know how to start that exchange. We talk about: Why stage presence isn’t fake or “acting”, it’s real emotion, on purposeHow to move from performing steps to performing feelingsThe power of eye contact and learning how to see your audienceLetting go of perfection when things feel unpredictable on stageWhy presence makes people feel something, and that’s what they rememberI also share a story about an incredible street performer Josh and I watched in Salem "The Real Snap Boogie", and how masterfully he read the crowd, pulled them in, and adjusted in real time. We talk about practical tools too: Mirror drillsActing and role embodimentThe “light beam” concept, how energy moves out and upWhy showcasing the best of you on stage actually improves your real lifeStage presence is about letting people experience the best of you. And yes, I give you a specific drill to practice so you can start building this immediately. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    18 min

  7. JAN 15

    What To Do When You Are On Stage And Nervous | Ep 72

    In this episode, I talk about the one skill that will instantly make you a better performer, whether you’re dancing, speaking, or showing up in any room where eyes are on you. I introduce the idea of anchoring to an audience member. I share stories from performing on stage, including how easy it is to get so dialed into your performance that you lose awareness of what’s happening around you, and how one unreceptive face can completely throw your nervous system if you let it. From there, I talk about a recent women’s conference I spoke at and how, mid-performance, I was actively reflecting: What’s working? What’s landing? Instead of scanning the room for approval, I locked in on the person who was visibly excited. This is something comedians do incredibly well with crowd work. They understand that performance is an exchange. Giving and receiving.  I walk you through:     •    How to find your anchor     •    What body language to look for     •    How eye contact creates safety and grounding     •    Why you don’t put the energy back on yourself when something feels off     •    How to return to your anchor anytime you feel off Your anchor becomes your safe point. When you focus on them, you remember that what you’re offering matters. You remember that you deserve to be on that stage, even in unfamiliar environments. This episode is about learning how to feel supported while performing, trusting the exchange, and letting one receptive person ground you so you can give everything you’ve prepared confidently. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    13 min

  8. JAN 13

    How Dance Makes You a Better Decision-Maker| Ep 71

    This episode is all about how dance makes you a better decision-maker, and ultimately, a better person. I break down six ways dance trains your brain and nervous system to move through life with more clarity, confidence, and trust, even when you don’t have all the answers. We start with instinct. Dance teaches you how to trust yourself, to mess up, go for it, and commit fully. You learn to rely on your training, your technique, and your experimentation (improv). Instead of overthinking, you move, adjust, and get feedback faster. Those micro decisions on the dance floor add up,  and suddenly, you’re making faster, cleaner decisions everywhere else. We talk about commitment and ownership. Dance trains you to choose and stand by it, even when you’re unsure. Sometimes the move isn’t perfect, but clarity almost always reads better than hesitation. People respond to decisive energy, and dance teaches you how to embody it. We go into flow state, that place where things click, creativity opens, and decisions feel obvious instead of heavy. Learning how to access flow through movement teaches you how to find that same alignment off the dance floor. We also explore resilience and recovery, knowing when to push, when to pull back, when to go on offense, and when to protect your energy. Dance gives you a felt sense of your goal and teaches you how to recalibrate without spiraling. And finally, we talk about getting out of your head and into your body. Less analyzing. More feeling. Dance teaches you when to think, and when to let go. This episode is about learning to trust your internal compass, move with clarity, and make decisions that feel grounded instead of forced,on the dance floor and in real life. Follow: Krissy: @krissyphillipino KDFSTUDIO: @kdfstudio

    13 min
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4.9
out of 5
141 Ratings

About

Dance. Mindset. Motivation.More Than Dance is where real life meets the dance floor. Hosted by Krissy Phillipino, a dancer, choreographer, and studio owner with over 30 years in the industry. This podcast dives into the mindset reframes and quiet magic that take shape in the choreography, inside the studio, and through the work of showing up for yourself over and over. Expect episodes packed with storytelling, dance wisdom, raw truths, and the kind of pep talks you didn’t know you needed. This isn’t just about dance. It’s about who you become when you let yourself go all in, even through the ugly stages, the moments when nothing feels like it’s clicking yet, and the times when you question yourself. From confidence and self worth to mindset shifts and breakthroughs More Than Dance is where movement meets transformation. Whether you're a seasoned dancer, brand new to movement, or simply someone who craves personal growth and deep, honest conversations, this space is for you. Because this was never just about dance.It’s about who you become while dancing. It’s more than dance. Follow: @krissyphillipino @kdfstudio

Information

  • Creator
    Krissy Phillipino
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 More Than Dance
  • Show Website
    More Than Dance