From Dancer to Teacher: Supporting Young People Through Care and Connection | With Liv

In this episode of Beyond The Studio, Hayley is joined by Liv, part of her team and known for her calm, nurturing, and supportive approach.

Together, they reflect on Liv’s journey into the arts, from her early experiences in training to navigating full-time college and stepping into the world of teaching.

Liv shares what it felt like to move from dancing as a hobby into a more serious path, how she experienced the challenges of graduating during COVID, and how those moments shaped the way she now works with young people.

This conversation explores:

• The transition from student to teacher
• The quieter side of confidence and growth
• Why creating a safe, supportive environment matters so much for children

At the heart of this episode is a reminder that impact doesn’t always come from the loudest voice in the room, sometimes it comes from consistency, care, and simply being someone people feel comfortable with.

Whether you’re a parent, dancer, or educator, this episode offers insight into the kind of environment that helps children feel supported, valued, and able to grow.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hello and welcome back to Beyond the Studio. Today I am joined by who I know as lovely Miss Liv. In our studio, she is the most kind and caring teacher you will ever meet, and you will see and hear by the end of this podcast exactly why she has got that name. Um, so Liv, let's start at the beginning. Okay. All of our listeners, particularly from our studio, would love to get to know you a little bit more. Um, so what first drew you to dance, the performing arts? What did you love about it?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Oh, so when my mum danced when she was younger, and she loves dancing still to this day. So it was we loved it. We loved it. As soon as I was three, she was like, right, ballet class, off you go. And then I think my love just grew from there. Like it was very much a thing that all of my family did, all my sisters danced, so it was like part of our lives, and then I think it's just grew and grew from there, like the enjoyment of dancing, and like it's just such a lovely feeling, like being able to dance and like be so expressive and yeah, like freedom, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:16

And if it was like ingrained in your family culture, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

It was like after school, every night, dancing, and I mean, what a privilege to be able to do that. So lucky that we got to do that for our childhood.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Yeah, absolutely. I agree. And at what point, because obviously now we know that you took it into a career, at what point did it shift from being something that you really, really enjoyed to something you thought actually could this be my path? Because a lot of people, I know particularly like teens that I speak to, they struggle with that that shift of a hobby to a career.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Yeah, I think for me, it was that at school I didn't really enjoy a lot. Not that I didn't enjoy school, but there wasn't anything at school that made me really excited and really happy. And then as soon as it was school's finished and I was at dance, I was my happiest. And I think I kind of followed that. What makes me feel the best, and what do I have a passion for? And I thought, if I'm passionate about it, I'm I will make it work and I will make it into my career because I have that passion behind it. I didn't want to do something where I feel not fulfilled, and doing dance or performing arts as a career, you really get such a lovely fulfillment. So I think I kind of followed that.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

That's that's such an unlock because so many people will not go with the thing that makes them feel the best, or like that's such good information, like good um advice to say actually what lights you up, what yeah you feel the best, because sometimes we ignore that. Did any did you ever get um advice not to do it?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Oh, I mean, of course, because it's not like the done thing, and usually it's like right, go to uni, get your degree, but I think you learn I learned so much that maybe I wouldn't have learned if I went to uni and I was doing like a degree that's much more academic, as such. Like, there's so many life skills that I've learned from going to performing arts college that I know I wouldn't have learned if I'd gone to uni. And also I think because I there's that passion behind it, it's like I'm driving myself to make it work. It might not be like the career that everyone chooses, and it's the most stable as such, but there's that drive for me to make it work because I know that I love it so much, yeah, yeah, a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

And you just touched on it there, it's not a traditionally academic, or it's not traditionally seen as stable, yeah. Actually, like you said, if you want something bad enough, you are gonna really, really work it teaches you a lot of resilience and a lot of determination. You're like a lot one, I have to prove everyone wrong, yeah. You know, says, Oh, that's that's a bit of a you know, break career choice, but also because like you said, you're you're like, I need to make, I need to make this work. No one's gonna almost come and hand it to you. And I would love to know what because when we're in dance school, if you're in the right dance school, in my opinion, or the right performing art school, you're very cared for, you're very nurtured, you get a lot of individual one-to-one attention, or that's what you know most of us strive for as the teachers or you know, the culture that we're building. But when you go to college and full-time training, it is actually a very different experience. What was the biggest difference you found going from dancing as a hobby to full-time training? That transition, maybe physically, yes, but then also mentally, it's quite a big difference in the environment.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

I think as soon as I got to college, I was like, whoa, this is a massive like shift, and it really shocked me. And I think my teachers at like the dance school that I was at were trying to prepare me and like be warned, like it's it's not like it is now, it's really different, but you you can't prepare for it until you're in it, and I think it's mentally the shift was that the teachers at college you have chosen to make this your career, and you and then gonna go out into the world and get a job within this field, so you have to work and push yourself because you are the one who wants this, yeah. And they might they're often there's a lot of tough love there because it's like this is on you now, you have to push yourself and be the best you can, and it's not as there's not as much not maybe maybe nurture is the word that it's more like this is on you, you have to do this yourself. Very direct, yeah. And if you're not gonna work the hardest, then yeah, leave the room. We don't want to see you, you know.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

I mean, so there's certainly no fluff, is there? And no intention that one of the teachers that you had was Holly trying to walk because actually out of college, wasn't she?

SPEAKER_00 6:33

At that point, yeah, yeah, she wasn't, and like she would come back and tell us stories, and I'd be like, that's fine, I've got this. When really I was like, Whoa, when I got there, I was like, okay, yeah, but it now I look back at it and I'm like, wow, that was amazing. Like, I was literally dancing all day, every day, and like I can appreciate it now that for like how great it was. But at the time it is hard, but it is I love those years when I look back on them.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

But you but that's it, and it's like, but you love it, and you probably appreciate that tough love approach because they are just preparing you really for yeah, exactly the amount of the the amount of no's that you get before yeses in this industry, it just is the way it is, you know. And like you said, that kind of attitude of I have to make this work, you have to continue that even more when you leave college. There is no one holding your hand. You go from you know, we both know the dark, um, the dance school you grew up in, Highstone, lovely, nurturing, like you couldn't have a better, yeah, better start, essentially. But you've got your have your handheld, and then you go to college, that grip loosens. Yeah, you go into the real world, there is no one.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Yeah, and once you get into those auditions and definitely, and touching on that, I think if any advice I could give to students who want to pursue a career and go to dance college is that for me, it was like I was dancing after school at High Stone and I loved it, and then I jumped straight into college where it's like full time and you're making this your career. I think I wish I'd have done more to bridge that gap rather than going straight from one to the other, like exposing myself to like I was like, I didn't sing, so I was like, Oh, I'll worry about that when I get to college. I wish I'd have started when I was younger singing at um highstone where it was offered, like doing all these things and not just sticking to the things I felt comfortable, exposing myself to everything so that when I went to college, it wasn't like okay, now I have to learn to sing at college. It's like I've done I'm more well-rounded and I expose myself to other things.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

And it's such good advice because actually you can really take that anywhere, can't you? Don't always just do something you're comfortable in. If it feels uncomfortable, you should probably be doing it, you know, if you can grow in any that you choose. If it feels uncomfortable, you should probably lean into it a little bit because, like, on the other side of that discomfort is the growth and the next step in where you want to be. So, yeah, that's such that's transferable advice. I love that. That's really nice.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

And even like going and having different teachers, like doing workshops and things where there's other teachers not just sticking with your teachers that you see every week, like if there's other opportunities, take them. Because when you're at college, you get taught by so many different people.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Absolutely, which at you know, at DH, we are really heavily focused on, aren't we? And you are you are our events in camp lead who provides these opportunities and is constantly looking at right, what can we offer? What can we do? You know, who can we bring in to teach them? You know, what experiences can we give? Why is that um because this is a role that you've taken on behind the scenes, which maybe some people don't know about that, yes, you are teaching the classes, but also you are organizing all of these amazing experiences behind the scenes, and you try to make our camps and our events, you know, have the most value in them as possible and keep them excited and progressive. Why um, yeah, what do you love about that side of the job that maybe people don't know that you do behind the scenes?

SPEAKER_00 10:27

I just oh that's a good question. I love like offering these different experiences, different teachers, maybe a different style of dancing that the kids haven't done before in their weekly carp classes, and also like the community that the events create, seeing like kids that maybe are from the Welling branch meeting with the Hartford branch and like making new friendships, and like it's a they're always really fun, and we always have a really nice time, and it's nice to kind of create that. I feel like the events create like even more of a community feel within the school, which is really nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

And you're brilliant at that, you really, really are. You always make everyone feel so comfortable and they walk in, and because like you said, for some people it's that it is their first time, and or they might be guests, they might come as friends, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

Guests that come that and they the guests come in and they feel that community feel, and like how much everyone is really friendly and everyone gets on, and we all like they are welcomed in to the school, even if they're coming for an event.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah, oh I love that. And we we know how important it is to have spaces where you're with like-minded people, and college is definitely one of those places, isn't it? You know, your your dance school, your college, you're you're around like-minded people that have the same passions as you, and that's really important because then you have more in common, really. Yeah, um, but backtracking actually, because I wanted to talk about when you were in your graduate year of college, yeah, that was COVID, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, that was COVID. Which I mean, I can imagine very uncertain time, you know, for everybody. Yeah. But how did that impact you? Because I I imagine that that you had an expectation of your graduate year meant to be the most exciting year, and you're meant to go out into the world, and all of a sudden your your graduate year is obviously remote, like, but then also what you thought your career might look like, or going out to audition, or yeah, must have looked really different. How did you navigate that?

SPEAKER_00 12:30

I mean, I think it was all just like a complete like 360 or 180 shift. We so at college everything builds up to your graduate year because you have like your end of year show, and then you start going off to auditions, and it's like, right, this is the final year, this is your time to really solidify everything. And then it was like, okay, uh, no one can leave their house, everyone has to stay in. So it was like, okay, zoom lessons in the kitchen. I'd like be like to my family, okay, from like nine to one, no one can come in the kitchen because I've got ballet and jazz and contemporary, and it was kitchen, yeah. It's literally on I used to rest my laptop on the hob and like do my classes in the kitchen.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

I mean, it was hard enough teaching, you know, like our recreational classes, yeah, but to teach like that four times, which is meant to be intense. I mean, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

So it almost like already I felt like uh I didn't feel as prepared as maybe I would have if obviously if we were at college, it would have been very different. So then when we we didn't get to do an end-of-year show, so then when I graduated, it was still during COVID, so there wasn't many auditions, you couldn't go to auditions, everything was like filmed, yeah. Self-tapes, film it um at your house or in the garden and send it off. So I was just like navigating something that was completely different to what I thought it would be, yeah. And then I think that's kind of when I fell into teaching because Holly messaged me because you guys had your show. Like, why don't you come along and teach a routine for the show? And then that's how I got into teaching.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Yeah, oh my goodness. I mean, what did that teach you about resilience and just adapting?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Because yeah, it was like, okay, this isn't how I thought it was gonna go, but what's the next step and how can I make this work? And sometimes, well, this it is a good life lesson that okay, it's not what I thought it was gonna be, but I've got that's I've got to keep going. This is life. Let's try a different way, or find the good things, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

How to get the best out of the situation, yeah, exactly. Yeah, and obviously you mentioned about how teaching came in the future for you, and we were lucky enough that you said, Yeah, I'd love to come to this man. And you taught um, I think it was fame, wasn't it? Yeah, it was, yeah. So so sweet. Um, and you've been, yeah, well, you've been a part of DH now for I think it's six years. I was kind of in there. I was trying to work it out. I was like, it might be your six-year anniversary. Um what does what does it really mean in your opinion? Because like like I touched on at the beginning, we all know you as lovely Miss Liv. And you know, we the constant feedback we get from parents is just how comfortable and safe you make their children feel, plus the you know, the skills and everything that you know you are giving them, the training you're giving them, but that bit of the beginning of making somebody feel comfortable, yeah, feel seen and feel heard is the most under, like is such a powerful skill to naturally have, in my opinion, because you know, not everyone has that, and you just have this nurturing side. And I would love to know, in your opinion, what does it really mean to support young people? And you know, like I said, different journeys can lead you where you're gonna be. But yeah, what does that mean to you to really support young people?

SPEAKER_00 16:22

I mean, I feel like it's such a privilege to be a part of like the not even just the dance journey, but like the growth of like a student, like in confidence, in what they can achieve. And even like my favorite part is like it doesn't have to be on stage, but when you see like the moment you can see it in their face that they feel really proud of themselves, like they feel like wow, like I've done that and I feel great. And like that moment when you see it is such a nice moment, and I always love like that moment, whether it's like from watching at the wings, like seeing them on stage or in class, when all of a sudden you're like, wow, where is this confidence coming from? And you feel like, oh, I love seeing that growth, and I think maybe it comes from me as in I was quite shy when I was younger, and I love when I like with dancing and at high stone, I felt so comfortable there, and it was like my place, so I always want D the DH students to feel like this is maybe if I'm a bit shyer, or if not, but this is my place, and I can be who I am completely, and I can put my all into dancing, and like no one's gonna judge me, or everyone's gonna support me and feel really proud of my growth. Yeah. I hope that answered your question.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

I just kind of no, no, didn't that? No, it did, it did, and you know, you're completely right. It's um it is that moment, like you say, when you see their face light up, or and sometimes be on stage, sometimes it's like the quiet moment in class, isn't it? Where they're like, Oh, I got it, and it might like four weeks, and yeah, yeah. And like I said, I I obviously see you teach all the time, and you know, we watch each other, and we always speak, don't we, about how we're all such different types of teachers, yeah. Why that blend is so important, yeah. Because people, everyone needs different approaches, but the core value that we have all the time is making sure that everyone, like you just said, feels that they can be themselves, no matter who they are, what they are. And that's us teachers as well. We, you know, we say that about each other. Um, and yeah, you do that exceptionally, exceptionally well.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

And also, I want like in class, like no one to ever feel like embarrassed to just go for it. Like, I think like it's such an amazing thing to be able to just dance so free and like put all your energy into it that I want to create like an environment where everyone feels like I'm no one feels like oh, because with social media now, everyone is so aware of themselves and how other people are, and I just want it to feel like I can be completely free in class and I can just enjoy the music and express myself, and there's no feeling of like I'm gonna be judged, or oh, like I don't want to go for it because no one else is. Like, I just want to have fun.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Absolutely, and if we teach that or encourage that from a young age, yeah, hopefully it stays. Yeah, definitely. As soon as, you know, even though they have just they've just raised the cat, I believe, on social media, but as soon as that that kind of comes into the picture, or naturally, as you get older, you start to care of yourself, yeah, you know, because you know, we did that, even we didn't have social media, but yeah, I mean you might have. Oh, I wasn't allowed it, it was always like no. I'm like, I'm old, I didn't have social media. That wasn't a thing. So when I say to the kids, I'm like, yeah, no, guys, I I had a phone that was black and white, and they're like, What? I'm like, no, I'm ancient in in their eyes now. Um, but you know, it just naturally as you get older, don't you? You do get more aware of yourself, you get more self-conscious, less likely to go for things because all of us there's a fear element. I think even adults could admit that we are more fearful than our kids.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

Yeah, we are. If you think I always think like that shows, imagine if we told the audience, right? Now you have to get up and stand up and dance. They would be like, Oh what? Whereas like the kids just we expect that, and obviously we build them up to it, but it's like they're standing on stage performing to all of like hundreds of people, like it's such a big thing when you think about it.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yeah, it can't be underestimated, and that's why really we did our teachers dance in the last year because we went, Hold on a minute, we are asking these children to go, but would we do it? Yeah, and actually we go, well, no, we should we should be the the examples of that. We were nervous, um we we definitely had the fear, there was no doubt about that. We had the fear, um, but no, like you said, if we can encourage that from such a young age, hopefully that feeling stays or be reminded of it to just feel the fear and do it anyway.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

Yeah, even if that Gary, go for it.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Expression and freedom. And for any parents listening, what do you think really matters when it comes to choosing the right environment or the right teacher for their child?

SPEAKER_00 21:34

I think I feel like it's like an instant thing that you can you know, like you want to as soon as you bring your child to a class, for that teacher to be friendly and see that like that teacher really cares about the child and what they want to get out of dancing, because not everyone is coming to dance class to. Eventually have a career in performing arts. Some children are just coming because they love dancing and they might not care as much about if they're getting their pirouettes or if they can do the splits. It's about the feeling and the fun and what it gives them that confidence. So it's you want a teacher that really understands how each child is in the class and what they want from the class.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

I agree. And also you just want someone that is that you can tell that cares from the minute they come into the class.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

You can't fake that, in my opinion. You can't. You really, really can't fake it if you can't you either you know you either care genuinely or you don't. And yeah, I don't yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

You can you can you can see it like you said from yeah, even from like a smile at the start or yeah, an introduction, you can tell that if someone gets yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

And then we are gonna move on to a little quick fire round. Okay. Oh, it's gone so quick. I know, I know. It's only ready. We can literally like chat forever. Um but quickfire round, just to like uh people to get to know you a little bit more. Um, this isn't necessarily dance-related, but I'm gonna do one question, one answer. Okay, okay, so favorite food.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Oh, I mean, instantly is chocolate. She's got a sweet teeth. I can't live without a bit of chocolate in the evening. That that's my answer there. Favourite film? Oh that's such a hard question. I feel like mine's like a bit like no one's gonna know what it is. No, go for it. So it's called National Treasure, it's like a treasure hunt film, oh, which is really random for me. That's cool. Yeah, I really like I just like the adventure of the film. I love it. I'm trying to think if there's a better answer. No, that's your I need to go. That is my answer. Yeah, treasure hunt.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

I need to Google this film. Maybe it's got Nicholas Cage in, it's quite old.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 24:16

Oh no, I actually that rings a bell now. Yeah, it's old, if it's an old film, yeah, yeah. That's okay. Um favourite dance store.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Oh I'm gonna say jazz is my favourite, but that's quite jazz is quite encompassing of a lot of and then maybe like close second ballet, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

Yeah, and if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be okay?

SPEAKER_00 24:57

I think my piece of that's such a okay, it would be that to believe in myself more because whenever I look back at like videos of me or when I was dancing, I think, oh like I'm doing so well, but in the moment I never felt that, yeah, so it's like just believe in yourself, whatever like in anything, if you have that self-belief, then I think you've you're already like once you're there already, but like if you doubt yourself, then it's like yeah, I try to word it right. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 25:41

No, no, no, it does. It's that um I I see what you're trying to say. It's that that negative voice in your head, yeah. That's what it is.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Always so loud, yeah, or be kinder to yourself, maybe that's what when you look back, and I I wholeheartedly agree with that.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

When you look back, you go, Oh god, I was doing really good.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Yeah, but in the moment, I'm it's always like I'm doubting myself when really just believe in yourself and be kinder to yourself, because there's so many things that we have to navigate in life that why are we being hard on ourselves? Like, why are we? It's almost like we're the barrier, or I feel like I'm the barrier to myself. Like I'm not I'm stopping myself progress.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

I completely agree. It's like we have to be our own best friend. We are we are alone with our own voices more than anyone else. Like I always say this actually, that we like we are our company, we are with ourselves more than anyone else, so we might as well speak nicely because otherwise, you know, what can you do? Um, so yeah, I love that advice. That's really, that's really, really lovely. Um, thank you so so much for doing this and giving up your time. And it was just, I mean, we can chat forever, but we will um stop there. Um, and tune in next week for another episode of Beyond the Studio.