Overstretching, underrepresentation, and pressure from every direction… What's really happening behind the scenes in competitive dance?

John Corella sits down with Sharmila Mitra, a longtime friend and respected voice in the dance world. She’s a competitive dance teacher, studio owner, and a Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor who’s helped dancers heal, grow, and stay in the game for the long run. She’s also the author of “The Power of Intention for Dancers,” and her story is one many in the industry will recognize: pushed hard, stretched beyond her limits, and told her work was “too ethnic” to compete.

John and Sharmila dig into some hard truths: Is a dancer’s flexibility more important than their physical safety? How do we stop celebrating movement that could be damaging our joints for life? Sharmila shares how overstretching as a young dancer led to long-term injuries and why she’s passionate about giving today’s dancers a better way forward.

The two also talk about how Pilates, intention-setting, and proper cross-training can shift the entire experience of competitive dance. Can winning mean more than just a trophy? What if dancers were encouraged to check in with their bodies, not ignore what hurts?

This episode is a must-listen for teachers, parents, and dancers alike, especially anyone who’s ever questioned the way things have always been done. You’ll walk away with a fresh perspective, a few strong opinions, and maybe a little more compassion for the kid struggling through warm-up.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Sharmila Mitra

04:33 Body Positivity and Representation in Dance

06:29 Challenging Norms: Bollywood, Identity, and Belonging

16:06 The Long-Term Impact of Overstretching in Competitive Dance

23:08 Protecting Dancers’ Bodies During Competition Season

27:16 How to Train Without Overstretching

33:33 Setting Intentions in Dance and Competition

40:25 Teaching Dancers to Advocate for Their Bodies

47:04 Integrating Spirituality with Dance Practice

52:15 Healthy Boundaries with Dance Parents

56:00 Knowing Your Worth as a Dance Teacher

01:00:00 When Students Leave: Loss, Growth, and Forgiveness

Links

Connect with Sharmila Mitra:

Website: https://coreartscenter.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreartspilates

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella

Website: johncorella.net

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Can you be a gay actor, a man of faith, and a bold truth-teller in an industry that often expects you to pick one?

This week, John Corella sits down with actor and LGBTQ+ activist Danny Franzese, best known as Damian in Mean Girls. Danny shares what it was like to play an openly gay character while still closeted in real life, and how that disconnect shaped his early career. The conversation pulls back the curtain on what many actors face behind the scenes, especially when their identity challenges what the industry expects or understands.

Danny also introduces a less-talked-about influence in his journey: the Alexander Technique. For him, it wasn’t just a posture tool. It became a way to find alignment, physically and emotionally. How do you carry yourself when no one’s watching? Can you feel present in your own skin, even in chaos? Danny makes a case for the connection between movement, intention, and inner peace.

John and Danny also discuss the ongoing debate around representation in the media. Should gay roles be reserved for gay actors? What does authentic storytelling really require, and who gets to tell which stories?

This episode is part personal story, part thoughtful critique, and part reminder that the body, the voice, and the truth all deserve space. Danny brings depth, humor, and honesty to a conversation that speaks to anyone who’s ever wondered whether they’re “too much” to be fully seen.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

04:44 Alexander Technique

10:53 Stage Performance and Authenticity

14:48 Acting and Being in the Moment

19:29 Past Danny and Future Danny

23:19 Coming Out and Mean Girls Experience

26:40 LGBTQ+ Representation in Media

29:15 Career Challenges Post-Mean Girls

32:14 Becoming an Advocate

34:07 LGBTQ+ Films and Representation

38:55 Wokeness and Diversity

41:14 Realistic Representation in Media

Links

Connect with Danny Franzese: www.instagram.com/whatsupdanny

www.yassjesuspod.com/

patreon.com/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella

@dancedadpodcast.bsky.social

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Instagram is failing kids. What happens when someone decides to walk away?

John Corella sits down with Lennon Torres to talk about her decision to quit Instagram and why she’s pushing for stronger online protections. From cyberbullying to sextortion, social media isn’t just a distraction. It’s a real danger, especially for young queer individuals. Lennon shares the work she’s doing with the HEAT Initiative to hold tech giants accountable and explains how platforms like Instagram and Apple could make simple changes to protect children, but choose not to.

This episode explores an idea that’s central to Lennon’s activism: Joy in Resistance. How do you stay hopeful when fighting an uphill battle? Why is choosing joy a powerful act of defiance? John and Lennon’s conversation challenges listeners to rethink their relationship with social media and consider what real connection looks like in a world that profits from keeping us hooked.

Quotes

• “Part of our liberation and part of our fight is finding joy. And so much of these people that want to silence and quiet us don’t get to take away our joy. And so the act of joy is a resistance. And so by being happy, by spreading that joy, and by reminding each other that we have each other to lean on, is in itself an act of resistance.” (10:42 | Lennon Torres)
• “If you had a 13-year-old son, would you give them a phone or give them an adult friend that you’ve never met before and put them in a room in your backyard and didn’t check on them for 12 hours? Because that’s what you’re doing when you hand your kid a device.” (29:09 | Lennon Torres)
• “We have been taught by these platforms, brainwashed by these platforms, to think that in order to have all of the good, we have to have the bad. And we don’t have to have the bad.” (40:48 | Lennon Torres)
• “We are at the beginning of that fight for child safety on big tech. These companies aren’t going to do the right thing on their own, and we’ve seen it historically. Climate, the reason all of these big shareholder groups and these big companies are doing good for the environment now is not because they woke up one day and loved the trees. It’s because they woke up one day and realized if they don’t do good for the environment, their business will suffer. And we are at the beginning of that fight for children’s safety on big tech.” (50:20 | Lennon Torres)
• “Connecting on social media is like having a meeting on enemy territory.” (01:02:29 | Lennon Torres)

Links

www.protectchildrennotabuse.org

https://mashable.com/article/quitting-instagram-meta-you-should-too

Connect with Lennon Torres:

linkedin.com/in/lennon-torres-325b791b4

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Join Patreon for Free! BTS content and monthly zoom meetings: https://patreon.com/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Masculinity built on dominance leaves men stuck in a cycle of insecurity and disconnection. John sat down with Brian Recker to unpack the false masculinity that keeps men trapped and explore how breaking free from patriarchy leads to something real.

Brian, a former evangelical pastor turned social media voice, shared his journey of challenging the outdated expectations placed on men. They talked about why traditional masculinity so often revolves around dominance and how that pressure keeps men from forming real connections. Patriarchy doesn’t just harm women and marginalized communities. It also forces men into rigid roles that suppress emotion, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.

Brian opened up about what it took for him to step away from those limiting beliefs and embrace a healthier, more authentic version of manhood. He offers a powerful perspective on strength, one built on empathy, mutual respect, and the freedom to be fully human. This episode is a call to rethink what masculinity really means and create space for something better.

Quotes

• “For a lot of people, I think masculinity is defined by dominance. And so even the idea of equality is threatening to masculinity, because equality obviously is not dominance, right? So to have equality for men who find their masculinity in being dominant, to be equals is a threat to their masculinity, because they need to feel that aggressive dominance in order to feel like real men.” (05:46 | Brian Recker)
• “Whenever you have an oppressive system, not only the victims of that oppression, but even the oppressors themselves are not free. In patriarchy, men cannot be their full selves.” (16:42 | Brian Recker)
• “Queer people, especially, have given me permission to be my full self, even though I am straight. I think queer people learn earlier in life than many that, Hey, you know what, I’m going to have to be me or I'm going to die. If I don’t ultimately embrace who I really am, I can’t keep conforming to this mold because it doesn’t fit me.” (17:55 | Brian Recker)
• “Jesus was hated by the religious establishment because of who he included, not who he excluded, not who he dominated, not who he sought to be superior over, but for who he brought in and gathered to himself.” (29:07 | Brian Recker)
• “Being loved for being at the top of a hierarchy is not the same as being loved for being who you are.” (46:37 | Brian Recker)

Links

Connect with Brian Recker:

www.instagram.com/berecker

www.brianrecker.com

Dance Dad with John Corella Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Fifteen years in Wicked—that’s a lot of shows, a lot of cities, and a lot of memories. Broadway performer Justin Wirick shares how he’s kept the magic alive night after night, from tumbling across the stage to finding joy even in the hardest moments.

In this episode, Justin sits down with John Corella to talk about the highs and lows of a life in theater. He opens up about the pressure that comes with longevity, the way gymnastics shaped his movement, and how Wicked continues to inspire audiences after two decades. They also get into the Wicked movie, breaking down what worked, what felt different, and why choreography plays such a huge role in the show’s impact.

How does a performer stay motivated after more than a decade in the same production? What does it take to keep showing up, even when life throws its hardest challenges? Justin’s perspective is raw, thoughtful, and full of the kind of wisdom that only comes from experience.

Quotes

• “My mom was always positive. She’s like, you got to think positively. Always very positive, always looking forward to the next thing. Maybe that’s where a lot of my anxiousness comes from, too. She was always planning, always looking forward to the next thing. And I always love having something to look forward to. And this lifestyle of touring is just that.” (36:50 | Justin Wirick)
• “I just know that—like me being back on stage and back in the show—is what my mom would have wanted. And maybe that’s where I feel like I can connect with her the most, even though she’s gone.” (40:10 | Justin Wirick)
• “I feel like I had such a gift, and all that time we got to spend together. But the show, just being around, we’re such a close-knit family. And I think, I don't know if without them I would be as okay as I am now. So that helps a lot. The show helps a lot. The family helps a lot. Being around people helps a lot.” (40:39 | Justin Wirick)
• “I think we’ve always felt different or ostracized or always felt like we're keeping a secret and having to hold everything in. Just as Elphaba was with her powers and her magic, she was always told to suppress that and don’t show that and control that. And then she goes to Shiz University where that skill is celebrated and welcomed. And doesn’t that sound like the story of so many LGBTQIA+ friends that we know and have?” (41:52 | Justin Wirick)

Links

Connect with Justin Wirick:

www.instagram.com/justinwirick88

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“You would think we would have learned our lesson, but we didn’t,” says Reverend Dawn Check—known to fans of Dance Moms as Minister Dawn—who returns to the Dance Dad podcast to discuss the state of the world in the wake of the re-election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. They discuss the fear, the anger, the exhaustion and how this will affect the country, particularly women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. They discuss what role they each had to play, where they failed and what the next four years threaten to look like.

They also discuss what we can learn from Jesus—as well as Moses, Esther and many other stories from the Bible—about strength, forgiveness, perseverance, and faith in the face of fear. They discuss hypocrisy and the way certain groups—namely Christian Nationalists—will exploit the teachings of the Bible to suit their own destructive ends and how people will vote in their own interests at the expense of other peoples’ rights—and even their own. John shares why the beatitudes are even greater scripture to live by than the Ten Commandments.

Join today’s discussion to learn the best way to move forward and how we can start to use our voices to take charge of our futures.

Quotes

• “You’re going to get folks who will go into the Bible and find scripture that [says] to ‘enjoy your wealth and God will bless you… but greed is sinful, and it becomes coveting. It becomes gluttony. We think of gluttony with food but there’s gluttony with money and items and power and prestige and certainly our President elect has all of those things.” (10:04 | Reverend Dawn)
• “So, the choice becomes, do you follow the law or do you follow God? What is your choice? I like that you say that…but what do you have to say to people who think the law is God?” (12:22 | Reverend Dawn and John Corella)
• “I think it’s OK to go to church angry. I certainly did.” (17:20 | Reverend Dawn)
• “Where was God in all of this? It comes back to looking in the mirror. Did we all do enough? Did we make assumptions? How did we participate?” (17:48 | Reverend Dawn)
• “You would think we would have learned our lesson, but we didn’t…we’ve allowed this narcissist to take over. God has given many, many examples of how God would see us through the wilderness. Moses wandered, for 40 years, he wandered. We’re wandering. We’re in a desert and we are lost but even in the desert, God remained constant. God didn’t leave. And I believe God is with us. I truly believe that.” (25:33 | Reverend Dawn)
• “Ironically, when you get God and Jesus involved— God will not be mocked. No, but we have lost so many people, John, because we have used God as a weapon…and so now, nobody wants anything to do with God.” (36:00 | John Corella and Reverend Dawn)
• “How I handled it back then—and it didn’t feel good to me—is, I cut them out of my life. And when I cut them out of my life, I didn’t deal with everything that was going on inside of me. I cut off my emotion. My whole thing is, go into your internal spirit…I would say be very careful to cut people off when you’re feeling rage and anger.” (50:53 | John Corella)
• “We can see through Jesus the strength, the peace, of being up there with nails in his hands, in his feet, bleeding, looking down at them, saying, ‘Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do,’ and really when he had all the power in the world to do whatever he wanted to do.” (1:06:00 | John Corella)

Links

https://www.patreon.com/c/TheonlyDanceDadwithJohnCorella

https://www.instagram.com/dawnlynncheck

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“It was a dream come true,” says Lindsley Allen, dancer, dance educator and creative choreographer about her role in the now-iconic dance film Showgirls, starring Elizabeth Berkley. Originally, the movie was supposed to be the big dance movie of its generation—something of a “Basic Instinct” meets “Flashdance.” Though the initial reception was less than ideal, in the 30 years since its release, the film has become a cult classic, with fans memorizing every line, and its star—who so unfairly bore the brunt of the backlash—has gone on to receive long-overdue acclaim. Today, Lindsley discusses what it was like to work on such a major movie production, why it was initially misunderstood and now so beloved, and why dancers should always be consulted when making a film about dance.

Just as “Showgirls” paved the way for later, more lauded films like Demi Moore’s “Striptease,” dancers like Lindsley and host John Corella paved the way to improve the regulations, conditions and rights of dancers working on major film productions. Lindsley discusses what it was like to film the scenes in which the dancers performed topless, working with legendary choreographer Marguerite Derricks, and how her training program The Boom Effect is helping to prepare emerging dancers with bankable skills.

Join today’s episode of Dance Dad to hear Lindsley recall fondly what it was like to be part of what turned out to be a cult classic.

Quotes

• “It was a huge call…to me it was, everyone was there that was of the A-list category. It was insane. It was a huge audition…and I wanted to get the job. It was big names, it was a big studio, it was a long job for dancers.” (9:47 | Lindsley Allen)
• “I really think they thought it was going to be…the serious musical drama. They didn’t know it was going to be a cult classic. So, when it didn’t do well that first weekend, it wasn’t what they expected, I’ll say it like that. It wasn’t what they expected that weekend, and we kind of knew on the inside because some of us as dancers, some of those scenes, we were thinking, ‘Well, we wouldn’t really say that, as dancers, we wouldn’t really do that.’” (20:00 | Lindsley Allen)
• “It’s because it’s so over the top—the acting, the dancing—actually, the dancing might be the most grounded thing in it…you don’t laugh at it, you’re kind of laughing with it, with love…I think that makes perfect sense and I’m so glad that you said that. I think that is why it became a cult classic because people resonated with it, but just in a different way than what they originally expected.” (23:18 | John Corella and Lindsley Allen)
• “They really did build [Elizabeth] up so much that it was going to be huge and she ended up…I think for the business it’s good for young dancers to know– and that’s why I always teach–knowing the business and knowing the artistry and keeping them separate as much as you can, it’s not easy but…Her agent dropped her, she was blamed for a lot of the movie’s failure and that is just not fair.” (25:47 | Lindsley Allen)
• “A lot has changed. Dancers who are listening—Lindsley and I, we walked so you could run. There’s so much that has changed as far as how long you can dance, the surfaces you can dance on, the types of shoes, with the union— that’s why unions are important for dancing—and again, using your voice.” (43:47 | John Corella)

Links

Connect with Lindsley Allen:

www.instagram.com/lindsleyallen

1nightonlyboomeffect.eventbrite.com

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm