Competition season can be one of the most exciting — and sometimes most stressful — times of the dance year. In this episode of Rhee Gold's Dance Life Podcast, Stacey Morgan and Rhee Gold dive into the realities of competition culture and the powerful role studio owners play in shaping the experience for their dancers, parents, and teachers.

From the joy of competition weekends to the pressure of results, the conversation explores how leadership, mindset, and communication can either elevate the experience or create unnecessary stress within a studio community.

Rhee reflects on how dance competitions have dramatically raised the standard of dance education, choreography, and technical training over the past several decades. Stacey shares her own experiences as a dancer and now as a studio owner navigating competition season with her students and team.

Together they unpack the most important factor that determines whether competition weekends become inspiring experiences or drama-filled ones: the attitude and philosophy of the studio owner.

In this first in a two part series, they discuss:

• How dance competitions have elevated choreography, technique, and training across the industry

• Why competition weekends were such formative experiences for dancers growing up

• The pressure modern studios face with larger competition teams and more routines

• The importance of choosing teachers who can nurture dancers emotionally as well as choreograph effectively

• Why studio owners must model the mindset they expect from their staff and families

• How a leader’s reaction during competition weekends can influence the entire studio community

• The powerful ripple effect of language, expectations, and attitude backstage

• Why the roles of mentor, leader, and teacher should come before choreography and competition strategy

• How studio owners can create a healthier, more inspiring competition culture for dancers

Stacey also shares how her studio communicates clearly with parents about the decision-making process behind casting and choreography, helping build trust and transparency around competition teams.

This episode is a powerful reminder that while competitions showcase dancers on stage, the true leadership performance happens behind the scenes — in rehearsals, conversations, and the example set by the studio owner.

The conversation continues in the next episode, where Stacey and Rhee explore more strategies for managing expectations, communication, and competition culture within your studio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Podcast, Stacey Morgan and Rhee Gold welcome their first-ever guests to the show after more than seven years of hosting together.

Joining them behind the microphone are Molly Stroud and Jayme Bell from Jackrabbit Dance, the long-time sponsor of the podcast. Together, they unpack what studio owners are facing right now — and how smart systems can bring more ease, clarity, and profit back into studio life.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why studio owners are still feeling the ripple effects of post-pandemic enrollment shifts, and what parents now want from commitments

• How Jackrabbit Dance’s Client Success team supports studio owners through low enrollment seasons by listening first, then building practical solutions

• Why the dance industry has proven especially adaptable — the “show must go on” energy, innovation, and fast pivots

• The features that can save time immediately, including:

  • Online registration and parent portal access

  • Automated billing and payment processing (so you’re not chasing money)

  • Better website-to-registration workflows

  • Centralised communication through Jackrabbit Plus (branded app, groups, push notifications)

  • Resources tabs for costumes, hair, videos, and quick answers parents actually use

• What’s “hot” right now for summer programming — including the rise of more flexible, creative camps (and why studios should experiment)

• A look at Jackrabbit Camps, including policies, deposits, session selection, and ongoing product updates based on real studio timelines

• A powerful studio-owner money conversation: why too many discounts can quietly drain profitability — and how studio owners can stop “discounting themselves out of business”

• The mindset shift studio owners need: it’s okay to run a studio that makes a good profit, pays you well, and supports your future

This episode is equal parts practical and energising — a reminder that dance studio owners don’t start businesses to do admin all day. With the right systems and support, you can reclaim time, improve customer experience, and build a studio that truly serves your life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Stacey Morgan and Rhee Gold reflect on the evolution of the Dance Life Teacher Conference as it celebrates its 30th anniversary — and what its journey reveals about leadership, vulnerability, and the power of community in dance education.

Rhee shares the early beginnings of the conference (then called Project Motivate), when only a handful of studio owners were willing to attend business-focused training. From starting with 20 attendees, dropping to six, and then growing into a global movement, the conversation highlights how persistence, belief in purpose, and honest connection built something far bigger than a seminar.

Together, Stacey and Rhee explore:

• Why studio owners once resisted business education

• How vulnerability and shared struggle changed studio culture

• The shift from competition to collaboration

• Why “blinders on” is still the best mindset for studio owners

• How community fuels confidence, growth, and leadership

• The long-term impact of training teachers alongside owners

They also dive into what’s new at the upcoming Dance Life Teacher Conference, including:

• Leadership and management training

• Hiring for culture (not convenience)

• Mid-year retention strategies

• Studio size “Owner’s Huddles”

• Expanded movement offerings including ballroom and dance on camera

• Stronger pathways for faculty development

This episode is a reminder that success doesn’t come from copying the studio down the street — it comes from knowing your purpose, investing in your people, and staying focused on your own vision.

Whether you’re a new studio owner or a seasoned leader, this conversation will leave you inspired to stop looking sideways, start building forward, and reconnect with the passion that brought you into the studio in the first place.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.