From Head To Toe: The Irish Dancer Wellness Podcast

Oireachtas season is here! Whether you're competing in a few days or still have several weeks to go, how you approach your preparation can make a real difference.

In this episode, Chloey and Dr. Mitchell DeSimone chat about preparing for competition, both physically and mentally.

From adjusting your strength and conditioning training as competition approaches to building a pre-performance routine and learning to trust the work you've already put in, we share practical advice to help you feel more prepared. We also discuss how parents can best support their dancers on competition day, offering encouragement without unintentionally adding to the pressure.

Chloey reflects on how her approach to preparation changed from her competitive dancing days to her professional career with Riverdance, and why having a plan became such an important part of her performance routine.

Whether your Oireachtas is this weekend or a month away, we hope this conversation gives you a few useful things to think about as you get ready to take the stage.

Looking for more competition preparation support? Explore our three competition prep workshops covering movement preparation, warm-ups, performance psychology and nutrition, available inside the From Head to Toe Academy.

https://www.fromheadtotoeacademy.com/

Want more height in your jumps, more explosive takeoffs and greater power in your Irish dancing?

But is doing more jumps really the answer?

In this episode, Chloey breaks down what power actually means, how it differs from stamina, and why developing explosive movement takes more than endless jump squats!

We'll explore the role of strength training, plyometrics, landing mechanics, single-leg training and progressive overload, along with why rest, consistency and the intention behind your exercises matter so much.

We'll also look at how to structure your training around competitions, and why feeling exhausted at the end of a workout doesn't necessarily mean you're making progress.

Ready to Put It Into Practice?

💙 Elevate Irish Dance Strength & Conditioning

Our next 10-week training cycles begin the week of January 4, 2027, including our brand-new Elevate Juniors programme for dancers aged 7–12, alongside Elevate for dancers aged 13+.

Both programmes offer two live online classes per week, with recordings available for those who can't attend live.

💙 Prefer to Train On Demand?

Inside the From Head to Toe Academy, you'll find our Leap Challenge and 3-Phase Strength & Power Programme, designed to help you work on your physical training at your own pace.

No need to wait for the next training cycle — you can get started whenever you're ready!

Explore our programmes and Academy membership at:

https://www.fromheadtotoeacademy.com/

In this episode, Chloey and Dr. Mitch continue their conversation around mindfulness, this time moving from talking about it to actually putting it into practice.

They discuss what mindfulness can look like in everyday life, why a wandering mind doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, and how small mindful moments can help you come back to what’s happening right now.

Chloey then guides you through a short mindfulness meditation, giving you a simple practice you can return to whenever you need to pause, reset and refocus.

For dancers, that ability to notice where your attention has gone and gently bring it back can be especially useful in class, before competition, after a mistake, or anytime your brain feels busy.

Pause. Notice. Come back.

If you’d like more guided practices, our 5 Guided Meditations for Irish Dancers pack is available here:
https://fromheadtotoeacademy.com/product/5-guided-meditations-for-irish-dancers/

You can also access a range of guided mindfulness practices as part of the From Head to Toe Academy membership:

https://fromheadtotoeacademy.com/head-to-toe-membership/

What does mindfulness actually mean, and how can it help us navigate the pressures, thoughts and emotions that come with being a dancer?

In this episode, Chloey and Dr. Mitchell DeSimone explore mindfulness from both a personal and performance psychology perspective.

They discuss some of the mindfulness principles that can be particularly valuable for dancers, including acceptance, non-judgment and self-compassion, and what these ideas actually look like in practice.

Chloey shares some of the lessons that had the biggest impact on her personally, particularly towards the end of her professional dance career, while Mitch brings in the psychology and research behind these practices.

Together, they explore our relationship with our thoughts and emotions, what acceptance really means, how we can become more aware of our patterns and reactions, and how creating even a small pause between what happens and how we respond can make a difference.

Most importantly, how can we begin putting some of this into practice in our training, competition and everyday lives?

Pause. Notice. Choose.

You can also practise mindfulness, meditation and other methods to support your overall wellbeing and performance with us inside the From Head to Toe Academy.

Get started today:
https://fromheadtotoeacademy.com/

In this solo episode, Mitch answers one of the questions we hear more and more from dancers: How do I get into psychology, and what could that career actually look like?

From choosing an undergraduate degree to deciding whether to pursue a master’s, doctorate, clinical route or performance psychology, Mitch breaks down the different pathways and what each can prepare you for.

He also talks honestly about the realities of working in performance psychology, the CMPC pathway, why understanding mental health matters when working with dancers, and why there is such a need for more qualified professionals who truly understand the Irish dance world.

Whether you’re a high school dancer thinking about college, a university student considering your next step, a dance teacher looking to expand your knowledge, or someone wondering what life after competitive dancing could look like, this episode offers a practical and realistic place to start.

What holds us back from putting ourselves out there?

In this solo episode, Chloey shares some thoughts sparked by conversations with friends in the dance world about starting something of your own, dealing with self-doubt and judgment, learning from feedback, and accepting that not everyone is going to connect with what you create.

Along the way, she also reflects on patience, progress and expectations, both in business and in training, and why sometimes we need to give things a little more time before deciding they haven’t worked.

Plus, a reminder inspired by Brené Brown and Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “Man in the Arena”: putting something you care about into the world takes vulnerability.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start.

Sometimes it’s worth replacing “Who am I to do this?” with a much better question:

Why not me?

Chloey and Dr. Mitch are back, and this time they’re taking a closer look at some of the messages and claims dancers are constantly exposed to online.

From pushing through exhaustion, to taking “100% ownership” of every outcome, to using positive self-talk to override nerves, they unpack what actually holds up, what needs more context, and what might be doing more harm than good.

Not everything is simply true or false. Sometimes the most useful answer sits somewhere in the grey area, and that’s exactly what this conversation explores.

Mitch also checks back in on the goal he set in our last episode and shares how it’s been going.

And if you’ve come across a post, quote or claim online that’s made you stop and think, send it our way. We may break it down in a future episode.

Chloey and Mitch work through a long-term fitness goal and discuss how understanding the motivation behind it, and breaking the challenge down into tangible daily behaviours, can make it more likely that success is achieved.

You’ll also find a link to our goal-setting worksheets below if you’d like to follow along or put some of the concepts from this episode into practice.

A quick note from Chloey: I know my audio quality isn’t the best in this episode. We’ll have that fixed for the next one, but I hope you still enjoy the conversation and find it valuable.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WrwF3ksK2MZmqN7I1-bUYUi4w6cmAky5/view?usp=sharing

In Part 3 of our Stamina series, Registered Dietitian and TCRG Julia Chase explores the vital role nutrition plays in a dancer’s energy, endurance, recovery, and performance.

Julia discusses why Irish dancers need to fuel themselves for the athletes they are, the importance of carbohydrates, and how under-fuelling can sometimes feel like a stamina problem.

She also shares practical guidance for fuelling longer workshops, competition days, training sessions, and performances, helping dancers feel more energised, focused, and prepared to perform at their best.

To work with Julia one-to-one, or to book a nutrition workshop for your dance school, connect with us through From Head to Toe Academy.

www.fromheadtotoeacademy.com

In this episode of From Head to Toe: The Irish Dancer Wellness Podcast, Dr. Mitch DeSimone explores the psychology of stamina for Irish dancers.

After Part One focused on the physical side of stamina, including energy systems, strength, aerobic support, and specificity, Part Two looks at the mental side of stamina and what happens when a dance starts to feel hard.

Dr. Mitch discusses how attitude, beliefs, thought processes, and self-talk can impact the way dancers approach stamina work, respond to fatigue, and perform under pressure.

Because stamina is not just physical.

It is also about how dancers think, focus, and respond when their body starts to work hard.

Want to work with Dr. Mitch 1:1 or join our monthly From Head to Toe Academy workshops?

Check it out here:

www.fromheadtotoeacademy.com

In this episode of From Head to Toe: The Irish Dancer Wellness Podcast, Chloey Turner breaks down the physical side of stamina for Irish dancers.

After a follow-up from Dr. Mitch’s “Friend, Bestie, Enemy” question in Episode 1, Chloey explains why Irish dance stamina is not the same as long-distance running, and why dancers need to train for the actual demands of their sport.

This episode explores the energy systems that power Irish dance, why the aerobic system still matters, why strength plays an important role in performance, and how progressive, dance-specific training can help dancers build speed, power, stamina, and confidence from the beginning of a round to the end.

Chloey also shares why this time of year is a great opportunity to build a solid base before heading into Oireachtas prep.

Look out for Part Two, where Dr. Mitch explores the psychology of stamina and what happens in the mind when the dance starts to feel hard.

Register for the Elevate Off-Season Summer Training Plan here:

Elevate off-season summer training

In our very first episode of From Head to Toe: The Irish Dancer Wellness Podcast, we’re talking about scope of practice, credentials, and why it matters who dancers are taking advice from.

This conversation came from a real question we received from an Irish dance teacher about qualifications in the wellness space. So we wanted to open up an honest discussion around what different professionals are actually trained to do, where the boundaries are, and how dancers, parents, and teachers can feel more informed when looking for support.

Today, Chloey Turner and Dr. Mitch DeSimone, Performance Psychology Specialist, Certified Mental Performance Consultant, and TCRG, chat about the importance of education, lived experience, collaboration, and knowing when to refer out.

It’s a practical and much-needed conversation for the Irish dance world as we continue to bring strength, psychology, nutrition, recovery, and wellness support into the community in a responsible way.