Ep 07: We're Back

After a short break, we’re finally back behind the mic 🎙️. Life threw us something unexpected as we navigated the loss of a loved one, and taking time away was something we truly needed 🤍.

In this episode, we open up about that experience and what it’s like to return to dance after a setback — emotionally, mentally, and physically. Whether you’ve taken time off due to grief, injury, or just life getting in the way, this conversation is for you 💭.

We’re talking resilience, rebuilding confidence, and finding your way back to what you love — one step at a time 💃✨

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Freedom to Dance Podcast. This is the place where we talk about absolutely everything in our little crazy world of dance. From what goes on inside our studio to the wider dance industry too. You'll get to know your teachers, hear from real-life dance parents, and maybe even some of our pupils. And who knows what they'll have to say. So grab your dancing shoes or maybe just a copper. Join us for all the laugh stories and behind the scenes fun at Freedom to Dance. Hi everyone and welcome back to Dance Talks. Wow, it feels like it's been forever. It's really nice to say that again. It is, it really does. It's been a while since we last recorded, hasn't it? Yeah. And I think our last episode was um back at the start of November. It was the one that we did with Cheek's car. Um so it's definitely been a while. It has, but we're really happy to be back. Just easing ourselves in a little bit today. Yeah, you do know we're recorded about eight episodes, don't you? So not quite easing ourselves in, but still easing ourselves in. And it's we're gonna take it steady, aren't we? We are. I think we've pressed record about three times and laughed already at the start game. But we're gonna have a nice gentle return, no pressure. We're gonna do it. Um and we're just gonna have a little catch-up in this episode, aren't we? We are. So I think it's really important for us just to be honest about why we've been away. And as some of you may know, Miss B sadly lost her dad in November, um, which is why we had the little pause. Um and funny, funnily enough, he was a huge fan of podcasts. He really was. So it just felt right at the time to s to take a little step back for a while because, well, I don't think you were in a fit state to record, and um I don't think I was either. It was um a tough time. So we didn't have to rush coming back before we were ready. Um because we're not quite refreshing enough for this. Yeah, we didn't want to rush coming back, but we're ready now to uh to get going again. Yeah. Um and I think it's easy to forget um for anyone who is on the outside of our dance school, or even for parents and dancers, for those that are on the outside looking in, um I think, and a lot of dance teachers will get this, um, it's really hard because everybody sees us having so much fun with our jobs, um, and we definitely go all in with everything that we do. Um but in real life, the the bottom line is that real life does always come first. We say it, don't we? Family first, family first. And I think that's something that we both really believe in, but sometimes it can be hard to action. But in situations that we were in at the time, yeah, we had no other option but to step back. Absolutely, um, definitely. And I just um like to say on a personal note, a heartfelt thank you to everyone um who send the most comforting messages, cards, flowers um over that difficult time. Um it were quite overwhelming the support um that I've been given um to me and my family um as we continue to navigate. But um what's been a difficult time, but we've missed this. Yes. Um let's get chatting. Yeah. I think stepping away made us realise how much we do really love doing the podcast and we love speaking to you guys because we don't get to see everybody anymore, and people don't get to know all us because we're not always in the studio, and we have a fabulous team who are front of house, leading the classes, and sometimes we feel a bit left out. Yeah, it is. We I I always felt we were lucky enough to to have time in reception with our parents previously, and and we we we just don't as much these days now. Um but um she gets to listen to us on air instead. Yeah, and kind of coming back to the theme of today, um, it's really important for us to have these more serious conversations, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's um not just for us, but hopefully for for you guys listening as well, you'll be able to take something from our more serious podcasts because dance can sometimes feel really um like go, go, go. Um for us, this podcast is where we can sit down, we can chat nonsense most of the time, yeah, talk a bit about um the dance school, the business and the industry. Yeah, and all these um topics of conversation are important. Um and you know, just talking about the real side of things, um, you know, not just getting the polished version or, you know, it's it's nice to just be able to have real conversations, I think. Yeah, because we are human and from time to time, life life's for us. Yeah, um, you know, it throws us a couple of curveballs. Um, but I think right now where we are, um, well, we still face challenges daily. We've had a few this week, I've had a few this week, and uh don't set me off. I've come in with a much more positive energy today. Yeah, yesterday she was a little bit triggered. I know. Just by life, you know. Um, but today recording this feels like a bit of a fresh start. It does. So let's talk about getting back into routine. Um, I don't know about you, um, but getting back into a normal routine um can often feel a bit strange. Um especially for you know, anyone, um a dance teacher, um a dancer with an injury. Um when you've had to take some time off for personal reasons, no matter what that reason can be, and even just like when it's been summer holidays and when it's all goes a bit inconsistent because the kids are so long off school. Um Christmas break is a real and it's only a two-week period, but it just seems to be such a thing that throws throws us off. As you know, I really struggle when we have any breaks. I get about to I love the first few days and like living the life, you know, staying in pajamas till at least half past eight, and then um, but a couple of days after it just totally throws me. So um, yeah, and then like the summer holidays, I kind of get over that and I get to the back end of it, and then um we come back in September and I think I can just jump straight back in, but then it seems to take me some time. Yeah, and I think, you know, I think we forget that sometimes. Yeah, and I can definitely see it in dances. So if they've had time off, it might just be like a holiday. They've had two weeks off for a holiday, um, or maybe they've had an injury. This is a good one, an injury, and they they seem to just expect themselves to be exactly where they left off. Yeah. Um, but they come back and they've missed a couple of weeks of classes, so they're a little bit behind, and they all of a sudden then it's like, oh, I can't do this, I can't do that, and they're just actually forgetting they've had a couple of weeks off, and they need to just ease themselves back in. Yeah, I think that's the that's when we we we feel and we can see their frustrations then, um, which we we fully understand, and it's like anything, you know, when you've had two weeks off work and the the thought of that first day for a lot of people, oh god, back to work tomorrow, and it you know, it can just really throw you off. Um, but you know, we understand why it they can feel frustrated. Yeah, it's completely normal, and you have to allow yourself time to rebuild that rhythm and that routine. Um, I don't know, age routine. We all need and I am like not routine, but I am routine. Yeah. I have like a chaotic routine, but it's my routine. Yeah. And I'd chaos. It is. I think I'm less chaotic these days. You're definitely less chaotic these days. I feel like I almost can navigate the chaos now, where at one point I couldn't. No, yeah. I have everything electronically for you, that's why. Oh god, don't get missed out. That's another podcast. Oh, we've triggered her again. We'll talk about my electronic systems on the pod soon. I am loving them. Miss B is learning. Learn them. Yeah. But I I will get her there. I will get her there. So I think, you know, just be kind to yourself while you're easing yourself back in, I think is the the main thing there. Yeah, I think so. And taking time off for any reason um is a personal thing. And just be kind to yourself and to the people that are supporting you. Yes. Um, so if you're coming back um from a break, whether that's um you're coming back to um the dance studio or maybe you're a parent listening and you're going back to work. So if it's in dance or in life, you don't have to come back at 100%. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's it's a it's an expectation that certainly us as adults, and I'm finding it more with children as well, um that that's what you pressure that you put on yourself. But I think sometimes you have to just take a little step back and realise that just showing up is enough. Um it might feel messy, not quite right, um, but you know, the consistency will come eventually, um, but it doesn't have to happen overnight. I've definitely learnt that. Yeah, I think showing up is the first step in whatever form it is. And I'm sure if you work, I mean, I'm very lucky. I get to work with my best friend every day. And if I show up with one leg shaved and the other not, it's happened. It's you know, she will not judge, she will just go, oh look, here is Miss Laura, she's got one leg shaved, not, but at least she turned up today, at least she turned up. Um, so I think showing up um is something that we can remind ourselves and our students. Students, we're back, we're back, and our students uh to do too, yeah. Um so we're just I think we may have noticed already, we're just really happy to be back. And um we've got some fabulous podcasts coming up for you in the next few um weeks. It's gonna they're gonna be fun, informative, and a bit of everything in between. Yeah, so thank you guys for sticking with us and for being here, and we'll see you next week. We will see you for the next episode. We're not cutting that, though it's staying in the middle of the day.