A dad’s perspective on raising a teen dancer — and figuring out how to support him in spaces where males are often the minority. www.dadofadancer.com
Latest episodes
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10 min
DOAD #49: Remembering Atti’s grandpa John
Hey friends, today I’m taking a bit of a break from our regular topics and spending a few minutes talking about my dad (Atti’s grandpa) John. He passed away in June, and would’ve b…
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11 min
DOAD #48: Is your studio as inclusive as it should be?
This episode features a story of our studio being incredibly warm and inviting to dancers of all abilities. It also reminded me how differently our old studio handled the exact sam…
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12 min
DOAD #47: How to organize your dancer's crazy calendar with AI
WARNING! This episode is very, very geeky and super, super nerdy. I talk about how you can use Notion, Claude and NotionToCalendar to keep your dancer’s crazy calendar up to date a…
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13 min
DOAD #46: Dad of a dance teacher
I'm recording this one from a parking lot across the street from where my son now works as a dance coach, which makes me a dad of a dance teacher!When Atti stepped away from studio…
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14 min
DOAD #45: The emotional bank account
At our new studio's kickoff meeting, one announcement made my wife and me snap our heads toward each other and gasp out loud. (If you've ever hunted for a missing sock at 6 a.m. be…
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17 min
DOAD #44: First impressions of our new studio
* A recap of week one at our new studio, plus the parent meeting I was dreading and ended up loving* The dancer/parent contract I actually read this time, including the one line th…
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15 min
DOAD #43: A better way to do dance solos
A while back I griped on here (episode #6) about how solos usually get built: you sign up, you get a time slot, you walk in, and a choreographer hands you a song and eight counts a…
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9 min
DOAD #42: Studio dance vs. school dance balance
Hi friends, I’m trying to answer a question I have little experience with: what is the right balance between studio dance commitments and school dance program commitments?This week…
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9 min
DOAD #41: How to manage your dancer's crazy calendar
Hello friends! Last week I told you we landed at a new studio — what I didn’t tell you is what came right behind it: a firehose of dates, deposits, Venmo requests, and travel deadl…
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18 min
DOAD #40: Out with the old!
We have giggities in this house — that’s our word for extreme hyperness and/or happiness about something. Atticus auditioned for and made the new studio he’s had his eye on for a l…
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13 min
DOAD #39: CLI 2026 - an interview with Atticus
Hello friends! Atticus just got back from his second CLI Conservatory intensive, and this time he walked in knowing where everything was, who everyone was, and exactly how much a 9…
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11 min
DOAD #38: Our second CLI Conservatory experience
Hello friends!This week my wife and Atticus are at the CLI Conservatory in Southampton, Massachusetts for his second week-long dance intensive. As a refresher, we welcome you to re…
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12 sec
Dad and dancer FREAK OUT!
It’s the video you’ve been waiting for (maybe?). Atti and I join forces and dance to Le Freak! And in case this song makes you want to revisit the music video: This is a public epi…
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20 min
DOAD #37: Auditions, anxieties, and a brand new studio
Hello friends! Back to school is barreling toward us, and for our house that means a new studio, a new audition, and a whole lot of feelings in my stomach. This week I’m flying sol…
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14 min
DOAD #36: Master Ballet Academy - a postlude
Hello friends! We’re wrapping up our Master Ballet Academy series with this one, and this time it’s just me — no Atticus — giving you the full parental debrief on his three-week su…
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13 min
DOAD #35: Master Ballet Academy - Part 3
Hello friends! We’re closing out the Master Ballet Academy trilogy and I could not be more proud. In this episode, I catch up with Atticus as he wraps up his final week in Scottsda…
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12 min
DOAD #34: Master Ballet Academy - Part 2
Hello friends! This was supposed to be week two of three with Atticus joining me live from Phoenix, but a couple of things got in the way. He’d just come through a brutal day — a f…
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15 min
DOAD #33: Master Ballet Academy - Part 1
Hello friends! We’re doing something a little different this week — Atticus is joining me live from Scottsdale, Arizona, just three days into his summer intensive at Master Ballet…
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9 min
DOAD #32: Is the dance studio model broken?
Hello friends! We’re back from vacation. This week’s episode is a shorter one, but it’s built around a question that I think a lot of dance families quietly wonder about: is the co…
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4 min
DOAD #31: Master Ballet Academy - a prelude
Hi friends, Atti’s ramping up for his upcoming three-week intensive at Master Ballet Academy. For months, his coach (as well as his mom and dad) have highly encouraged him to work…