It's All Relative

Relative Motion
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Performing Arts

The podcast for dance teachers and studio owners who are looking to go behind the scenes in the dance industry and discover strategy and success in everything from studio to stage 

  1. 3d ago

    Ep 50: Amplifying Your Impact: The Influence You Don't Realize You're Having

    Your dancers may forget your corrections, but they'll never forget the example you set. In this episode, I'm diving into a powerful truth that every dance teacher, studio owner, and leader needs to hear: your greatest influence has very little to do with the combinations you teach or the corrections you give. As teachers, we often focus on technique, training, and performance outcomes. But dancers are learning just as much, if not more, from the way we handle stress, speak about ourselves, respond to challenges, and treat the people around us. This conversation is a reminder that our impact extends far beyond dance training. Every day, we're shaping mindsets, habits, beliefs, and culture. The question is: what are we teaching when we're not teaching? Cara talked about: Why dancers learn more from who we are than from the technical skills we teachHow our attitudes, habits, and responses become examples dancers naturally adoptThe impact of our language and why words can shape a dancer's identityHow studio culture is built through the behaviors we allow, model, and reinforceWhy the strongest studios develop standards that continue even when the teacher isn't in the room Key Tips: Model the behaviors and mindset you want your dancers to developReplace labels with language that promotes ownership and growthBe mindful of how you talk about your body, challenges, mistakes, and successCreate a culture where accountability, positivity, and commitment become the normEvaluate the environments, leaders, and influences surrounding your dancersLong after dancers forget the choreography, they'll remember how you made them feel. They'll remember your energy. Your standards. Your example. The way you handled challenges. The way you treated people. Your greatest legacy won't be the technique you taught. It will be the person your dancers become because they spent time learning from you. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    21 min

  2. Jun 16

    EP 49: The Cost of Criticism

    Could criticism be the very thing holding your dancers back? This episode explores how the way we give feedback can either build belief or create barriers to growth. In Episode 49 of It's All Relative, Cara Dixon explores The Cost of Criticism and how the way we communicate with dancers directly impacts confidence, growth, motivation, and studio culture. From social media commentary to in-studio corrections, Cara examines how criticism in dance education can either inspire growth or create barriers that hold dancers back from reaching their full potential. This episode is packed with insights on constructive feedback, positive dance teaching, dance teacher communication, and creating an environment where dancers feel challenged, encouraged, and empowered to grow. Cara talked about: How criticism and personal bias can impact dancer confidence and studio cultureThe difference between objective truth and personal perspective when evaluating dancersWhy social media criticism is influencing the way feedback is delivered in dance educationHow focusing on dancer potential creates stronger growth than focusing on dancer limitationsThe role of encouragement, belief, and intentional cueing in effective dance teaching3 Key Takeaways from Cara: Separate your perspective from the dancer's reality and avoid turning assumptions into facts.Replace criticism with specific, actionable feedback that helps dancers understand how to improve.Focus on identifying and developing potential rather than labeling dancers by their current struggles. If this conversation resonated with you and you're ready to elevate your teaching, join us at RM Live 2026, where dance educators from around the world come together to learn, grow, and transform the way they teach. Learn more at www.therelativemotionexperience.com/rmlive2026. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    20 min

  3. Jun 9

    EP 48: The Magic Happens When Teachers Gather Together

    What if a few small shifts in your teaching could dramatically increase student growth, confidence, and engagement? This episode introduces a groundbreaking tool designed to help dance teachers teach for transformation. In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara welcomes back mindset coach, dance educator, author, and former professional dancer Gina Pero for an inspiring conversation about leadership, coaching, and the future of dance education. As a featured presenter at RM Live, Gina shares insights from her groundbreaking Teaching for Transformation (TFT) Assessment, a tool designed to help dance teachers identify their strengths, uncover growth opportunities, and create a greater impact in the classroom. Together, Cara and Gina explore how dance teacher development, student growth, mindset coaching, and transformational teaching can help educators move beyond simply teaching dance technique and begin truly transforming lives. Cara and Gina talked about: The difference between teaching dance steps and teaching for transformationHow the Teaching for Transformation (TFT) Assessment helps teachers improve their impact and effectivenessWhy coaching skills, active listening, and teacher presence are essential in dance educationHow celebrating student growth increases confidence, motivation, and long-term retentionThe importance of in-person learning, mentorship, and professional development for dance teachers3 Key Takeaways from Gina: Small shifts in communication and teaching style can create powerful transformations in student confidence and learning.Teachers grow faster when they have clear feedback, measurable goals, and practical action steps they can implement immediately.Students thrive when teachers intentionally create environments that foster awareness, growth, connection, and success.This episode is a powerful reminder that great dance teachers do more than teach technique. They create experiences that inspire growth, build confidence, and help students discover what they're truly capable of. By combining strong teaching practices with transformational coaching principles, educators can create lasting impact both inside and outside the studio. Connect with Gina: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginajpero?utm_source=qr Website: Www.ginapero.com Www.5678coachingacademy.com For Inquiries to be in touch with Gina : https://book.ginapero.com/connection?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    28 min

  4. Jun 2

    EP 47: Letting Great Technique Go

    Are your dancers losing months of progress every summer? This episode explores how to preserve dance technique, maintain dancer growth, and start the new season stronger than ever. In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara tackles a challenge every dance teacher and studio owner knows well: watching dancers reach their highest level of technique at the end of the season, only to spend the first months of the next season rebuilding what was lost. Drawing a powerful comparison between traditional schooling and dance training, Cara explores why dancers often lose momentum during breaks and how studios can create intentional summer dance training strategies that support both recovery and continued growth. This conversation is packed with insights on dance technique retention, summer dance programs, cross-training for dancers, and building a plan that helps dancers maintain strength, turnout, alignment, and technical consistency without increasing the risk of burnout or injury. Cara talked about: Why dancers often lose technique over the summer and spend the beginning of the season relearning skills they once masteredThe balance between rest, recovery, and maintaining dance technique during off-season trainingHow strategic summer dance training can prevent setbacks and accelerate dancer progressWhy every studio needs a customized summer training plan based on dancer goals, timelines, and technique gapsHow teachers can use the summer months to prepare dancers for stronger results during the "golden months" of the upcoming season3 Summer Strategy Tips from Cara: Identify the specific techniques and skills most likely to decline during the break and prioritize maintaining them throughout the summer.Create a focused training strategy instead of trying to improve everything at once during summer classes and intensives.Use cross-training, restorative movement, strength training, and targeted technique work to maintain progress while allowing the body to recover.This episode is a reminder that summer does not have to be a season of lost progress. With the right strategy, dancers can maintain the technique, strength, and body awareness they've worked so hard to build throughout the year. Rather than spending the fall rebuilding old skills, teachers can help dancers arrive prepared, confident, and ready to reach new levels of growth from day one. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    18 min

  5. May 26

    Ep 46: What Teachers Are Missing When They Cue Alignment

    Why do alignment corrections still fall flat even when dancers are trying their hardest? This episode uncovers what teachers are missing when cueing alignment in dance training. In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara Dixon dives deep into one of the biggest struggles in dance education and dance technique training: why dancers continue to miss alignment corrections even after hearing them repeatedly. From “engage your core” to “lift up” and “square your hips,” Cara explains why broad corrections often create frustration instead of transformation. This episode breaks down how alignment in dance is not just a shape, but a full coordination system involving stabilization, muscular initiation, weight transfer, and body awareness. Cara shares how visual anatomy, directional cueing, and movement coordination can dramatically improve dancer understanding, retention, and technical consistency. Whether you’re a dance teacher, studio owner, or competitive dancer, this episode will change the way you approach dance corrections and alignment training. Cara talked about: Why generic dance corrections create generic dance training resultsHow dancers interpret alignment cues differently without visual and anatomical understandingWhy alignment is a coordination system, not just a final shape or positionThe role of muscular coordination, stabilization, and weight transfer in strong dance techniqueHow visual learning and anatomy-based dance training improve correction retention and dancer confidence3 Key Takeaways from Cara: Replace broad dance corrections with specific, directional language that helps dancers truly feel the movementAsk dancers to identify their own compensations so they build stronger body awareness and technical understandingUse visual references whenever possible to help dancers connect corrections to their own body and movement patternsThis episode is a reminder that dancers cannot apply corrections they do not fully understand. When teachers shift from broad cues to visual, anatomical, and coordination-based training, dancers gain clarity, confidence, and consistency in their technique. Strong alignment is not about forcing a shape, it’s about creating coordinated movement patterns that dancers can repeat with control, awareness, and strength. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    21 min

  6. May 19

    Ep 45: Why Advanced Dancers Still Struggle With Basics

    Why do advanced dancers still struggle with basic corrections? This episode uncovers the hidden gaps between performance technique and true technical understanding. In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara dives into one of the biggest frustrations in dance training and dance education: why highly advanced dancers continue to struggle with foundational technique. From unstable pirouettes and sickled feet to collapsing turnout and lack of pelvic alignment, Cara breaks down why dancers often perform technique without fully understanding the muscular engagement, body alignment, and movement patterns behind it. This episode explores how dance technique training, anatomical awareness, stabilization, and visual learning systems can transform the way dancers absorb corrections and apply them consistently across every style of dance. Whether you’re a dance teacher, studio owner, or competitive dancer, this conversation will reshape how you approach corrections, fundamentals, and long-term dancer development. Cara talked about: Why advanced dancers compensate for weak fundamentals instead of truly fixing technical issuesHow flexibility without strength and control creates instability, injury risk, and inconsistent dance techniqueWhy verbal dance corrections often fail without visual learning and anatomical understandingThe importance of stabilization, alignment, turnout control, and muscular engagement in advanced dance trainingWhy advanced dance technique is really layered fundamentals stacked with strength, control, and awareness 3 Tips to Help Corrections Stick Stop over-cueing and simplify corrections so dancers can fully understand the foundation before layering more informationAsk dancers what they feel instead of constantly repeating corrections to build stronger mind-body connection and body awarenessFocus on stabilization, strength, and alignment before aesthetics so dancers build sustainable technique instead of relying on momentum or compensationThis episode is a powerful reminder that advanced dancers do not outgrow the basics. In fact, the higher the level of dance training, the more important strong fundamentals become. When dancers truly understand alignment, stabilization, turnout, and muscular engagement, they stop relying on compensation and start building sustainable technique that supports both performance quality and long-term body health. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    26 min

  7. May 12

    Ep 44: Everybody Wins...Until They Don't with Kate Pagano

    Is competition dance still preparing dancers for the real world, or are constant awards creating fragile confidence instead of real growth? In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara Dixon sits down with Kate Pano for an honest conversation about the evolution of competition dance culture and the psychological impact of today’s scoring systems. From first-place trophies to platinum awards, adjudication trends, competitive levels, and participation-based recognition, Cara and Kate unpack what happens when “everybody wins”, and how that affects dancer mindset, resilience, motivation, and long-term success. Together, they explore how competitive dance training, audition preparation, feedback culture, and goal setting shape dancers both inside and outside the studio. This episode is a must-listen for dance teachers, studio owners, dance parents, and competitive dancers navigating today’s competition landscape Cara and Kate talked about: How modern dance competition scoring systems have shifted from true ranking to participation-based recognitionThe impact of constant awards and “everybody wins” culture on dancer motivation, confidence, and work ethicWhy competitive dancers need real feedback, technique corrections, and healthy evaluation to prepare for auditions and professional dance careersThe difference between building genuine confidence versus fragile confidence through competition resultsHow teachers and studios can create a healthy competitive dance mindset focused on growth, resilience, discipline, and long-term dancer developmentThis episode challenges dancers, teachers, and parents to rethink what success in competition dance really means. Trophies may celebrate a moment, but true dancer growth comes from training, persistence, accountability, and the willingness to keep improving. When studios focus on building strong technique, resilience, and healthy competition habits, dancers leave prepared not just for the stage, but for life beyond it. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    31 min

  8. May 5

    Ep 43: What Actually Changes When A Studio Trains Differently

    What actually changes when a studio shifts from busy classes to intentional dance training? This episode reveals how systems, structure, and strategy transform dancer results. In this episode of It’s All Relative, Cara breaks down what truly happens when a studio commits to intentional dance training instead of staying stuck in busy, overwhelming class structures. Whether you’re a studio owner or a dance teacher, this episode dives into how dance training systems, technique clarity, and aligned teaching strategies can completely shift dancer progress, confidence, retention, and overall studio culture. If you’ve ever felt like your classes are packed but progress is slow, or your dancers are working hard but not improving consistently, this conversation will help you identify what’s missing and how to fix it. Cara talked about:   The difference between busy dance classes vs intentional dance training environments and why intentional training leads to better dance training resultsHow lack of structure creates a “treadmill effect” where dancers receive many corrections but see little measurable progressWhy technique clarity in dance training builds dancer confidence, improves alignment, and reduces dance injuriesHow understanding anatomy in dance (muscle engagement, alignment, body awareness) accelerates dancer developmentThe importance of aligned studio systems and curriculum strategy so all teachers reinforce the same corrections and training goalsThis episode challenges you to stop patching problems and start building a structured dance training system that creates real, lasting results. When studios shift to intentional training, dancers gain confidence, improve faster, and stay longer, while teachers feel more effective and aligned. If you want stronger dancers, better retention, and a healthier studio culture, it starts with how you train. — Connect with us! 🎧 Relative Motion: https://www.instagram.com/relativemotiondance/ Youtube Relative Motion: https://www.youtube.com/@relative_motion

    23 min
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About

The podcast for dance teachers and studio owners who are looking to go behind the scenes in the dance industry and discover strategy and success in everything from studio to stage 

Information

  • Creator
    Relative Motion
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 It's All Relative
  • Show Website
    It's All Relative