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Geeky Ballerina

artistry + technique

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Finding Your Spot: Dance Journal Prompts for a Sense of Belonging

available June 2025 only

Do you have dancers who apologize for taking up space instead of claiming their belonging with confidence?

 

You recognize them - they diminish themselves during combinations, hesitate to voice questions, and seem to be performing who they think you want them to be instead of expressing their authentic selves.

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What if those same dancers discovered that their belonging comes from within - entering class with unshakeable confidence in their right to be there?

Cultivate Confident, Authentic Artists

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True belonging isn't something dancers earn from others - it's something they claim from within.

 

Finding Your Spot provides a refined approach to fostering genuine belonging that creates enduring transformation in your studio culture - without requiring therapeutic training or crossing professional boundaries.

What's Inside This 54-Page Framework​

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11 research-based chapters that build systematically:

  1. Developing Personal Values: Guide students to discover what truly matters to them

  2. Appreciating Your Body: Shift focus from appearance to capability and function

  3. Acknowledging Your Strengths: Cultivate confidence through thoughtful self-assessment

  4. Contributing to Team Success: Transform individual strengths into collective assets

  5. Using "Three Plusses and a Wish": Establish balanced feedback practices

  6. Measuring Success: Expand definitions beyond external validation

  7. Connecting Daily Actions to Long-Term Goals: Bridge present effort with future aspirations

  8. Setting SMART Goals: Transform aspirations into actionable plans

  9. Getting Comfortable With Discomfort: Embrace productive challenge

  10. Navigating the Willpower Dip: Sustain motivation through setbacks

  11. Practicing Gratitude: Cultivate resilience and positive perspective

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Plus 44 Ready-to-Use Journal Prompts

Each chapter includes thoughtfully crafted prompts designed to help dancers process and internalize their growth. No therapeutic background required - just your teaching instincts about when the moment feels right.

Plus a Complete Implementation Guide

 

For studios of every size:

  • Monthly integration strategies

  • Weekly prompt schedules

  • Individual student adaptations

  • Clear professional boundary guidance

From the Studio: What I've Seen After Years of Implementation

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Cultivating team connection after conflict: When a group struggled to move beyond bullying behavior, traditional apologies proved insufficient. The former aggressor couldn't forgive herself and remained trapped in shame. Working through Chapter 4 (Contributing Your Strengths to Team Success) became her transformation point - she shifted from focusing on her mistakes to recognizing herself as a valuable team member, ultimately becoming one of the most supportive dancers in her group. She didn't merely make amends; she grew into a kinder, more confident person.​

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Engaging reluctant ballet students: Dancers who desire competition experience but resist ballet class consistently discover motivation through the personal values work in Chapter 1. Without directive lecturing, students uncover their own reasons to engage - whether honoring their value of dedication ("I'll work diligently regardless of my preference for the class") or integrity ("giving less than my best feels dishonest to who I am").

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Transforming body image in challenging environments: When working with groups who've experienced harsh ballet instruction or favoritism toward certain body types, Chapter 2 creates breakthrough moments. When a high school dancer becomes emotional and asks, "You mean my body can be a beautiful dancer, too?" it reminds me why this work matters so profoundly - and why I wish I could reach dancers earlier.

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Reframing competition disappointment: Perfectionistic teams, particularly during competition season, benefit tremendously from Chapter 6 (Measuring Success). Instead of becoming fixated on "unfair" judging, dancers learn to focus on personal development and progress. Competitions become learning opportunities rather than validation struggles.

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After implementing these concepts for years, I consistently observe dancers evolve from apologetic and hesitant to confident and authentic. The transformation isn't immediate, but it's profound and enduring.

Why This Works

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These aren't arbitrary journal prompts or superficial activities. This refined approach is grounded in 25+ years of dance education expertise combined with extensive research in developmental psychology, cognitive behavioral principles, and performance science.


The progression mirrors how confidence authentically develops - from internal foundation (values, body appreciation) through skill recognition (individual and team strengths) to sustainable motivation (goal-setting, resilience, gratitude). Each chapter builds systematically while remaining accessible when your teaching instincts indicate the moment is appropriate. Most importantly, this approach helps students discover that belonging isn't something they earn from others - it's an internal choice they learn to make with confidence.

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It works because it's research-grounded, classroom-proven, and methodically designed.

Perfect For Educators Ready To:

 

Cultivate confident, authentic artists who contribute their distinctive strengths to your studio community.​

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Your investment: $35

Available June 2025 only

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