Mastery Sessions

Think you're teaching the right body cues in ballet class? Think again. In this myth-busting workshop led by professional ballet physical therapist Elizabeth Tilstra (Nashville Ballet), we debunk 15 of the most common dance medicine myths that continue to circulate in studios, even among well-meaning teachers. From glute usage in turnout to the real purpose of summer intensives, you’ll leave with clarity, confidence, and an evidence-backed lens to upgrade how you cue, condition, and correct your dancers. Perfect for ballet educators who are ready to… - Let go of outdated cues that cause confusion or injury - Understand what anatomy actually supports technique - Stop blaming dancers for “not getting it” when the instructions lack clarity - Replace old language with biomechanically accurate, PT-approved strategies - Create safer, smarter, and more sustainable environments for dance training You’ll walk away with: A deeper understanding of the body systems behind key ballet skills Practical tools and cues you can apply immediately in class Newfound insight into what your dancers might be struggling with & why Permission to reeducate yourself and evolve with the science Best for teachers who are passionate about transformation, not just tradition. If you’ve ever said: “Why can’t they hold their turnout in jumps?” “Shouldn’t they be squeezing their scapula down?” “Isn’t Pilates enough for cross-training?” ...then this workshop was made for you. Let’s reframe, relearn, and reeducate together.

A student tells you it hurts. You nod. You modify. You quietly wonder if you made the right call... and whether you'll recognize the line between discomfort that's fine and pain that isn't. Most dance teachers never got a roadmap for this. We learned to push through, manage it quietly, or send students home and hope for the best. We weren't trained as clinicians & that gap shows up in real time, in the middle of class, when someone is looking to us for an answer. This Mastery Session with physical therapist & Dance Prehab founder Robert Tsai gives you something more useful than clinical training: a clear framework for your role, language to use with students and parents, and concrete tools for the moments where the line isn't obvious. You'll walk away with: 1. A decision-making framework that works in real time. The Rule of Threes gives you a reliable filter for knowing when a "niggle" needs a healthcare conversation & when it doesn't. 2. Language your students and parents can actually use. The Traffic Light Analogy helps dancers distinguish productive training discomfort from pain that needs attention in terms they can understand and repeat. 3. Updated injury care literacy. Move past outdated RICE protocols. The 2019 PEACE & LOVE framework gives you modern, evidence-based language for soft-tissue care. 4. Clarity about your role & relief from the rest. Understand what a dancer-centered health ecosystem looks like and how teachers fit inside it, without carrying the weight of clinical decisions alone. This session doesn't turn you into a physical therapist. It gives you the confidence to lead clearly the next time a dancer looks to you and says "it hurts." Instant replay access included with purchase. Ballet Reeducators Members access this session free inside the membership.

Transform Your Studio. Teach with Intention. Reignite Your Purpose. Are you still teaching ballet the way you were taught even though today’s students need more? In this workshop, ballet educator and curriculum expert Austin Crumley guides you through a fresh, research-informed approach to ballet education. Rooted in dance science, educational psychology, and student-centered strategies, this 40-minute workshop will help you break out of the cycle of burnout, outdated methods, and one-size-fits-all teaching. You’ll be introduced to how to: ✔ Begin designing lessons grounded in how the brain learns movement ✔ Create emotionally safe, inclusive classrooms ✔ Connect dance science to daily technique ✔ Rebuild your curriculum using research-based models ✔ Replace burnout with clarity and strategy Because the future of ballet doesn’t look like the past. It looks like you.

Even the most technically prepared dancers can hit a wall & it’s often not physical. In this eye-opening workshop with sport and performance psychology practitioner, Lauren Ostrander McArdle, you’ll explore how mental patterns like fear of failure and perfectionism fuel common technical plateaus, especially in challenging movements. Through a blend of research-based insight and studio-ready strategies, you’ll learn how to: Recognize the behavioral signs of mental blocks in dancers Reframe fear-based perfectionism into growth-oriented mindset tools Guide students through plateaus using language that supports confidence, not control Whether you’re a teacher navigating stuck progress or simply curious about the role psychology plays in peak performance, this session offers tangible ways to foster mental resilience one turn at a time.