Performance Psychology Q&A with Dr. Mitchell DeSimone
Join Dr. Mitch DeSimone for an open Q&A exploring the mental side of Irish dance.
Mitch answers questions from dancers, parents and teachers, sharing practical strategies to support both performance and overall well-being.
Whether you’re preparing for a major competition or simply looking to develop a healthier, more confident mindset, this workshop offers valuable insights and tools to take into your dancing and beyond.
Take a few moments to pause, breathe and prepare your mind for dancing with Dr. Mitch.
This short guided meditation helps Irish dancers settle their thoughts, bring their attention to the present moment and approach their dancing feeling calm, focused and ready.
Perfect for listening to on the way to dance class, before practice or as part of your pre-performance routine on competition day.
Feis Day Prep: Performance Psychology with Dr. Mitch
Competition day can bring nerves, overthinking, pressure and plenty of distractions. In this workshop, Dr. Mitch breaks down practical performance psychology strategies to help dancers prepare mentally for Feis day.
Learn how to create your own pre-performance routine, use cue words, visualization and helpful self-talk, manage nerves and refocus when things don’t go to plan, so you can step on stage feeling prepared and ready to perform.
Nerves are inevitable at important events, and hoping to be free of them often amplifies their less beneficial impacts. Join us to better understand how and why nerves are present during competition, shows and sometimes even class, and learn how we can use them to improve our focus, performance and success!
Level Up!
Whether you’re moving up a level in competition or trying to take the next step with your placements within your grade, moving up a tier is a challenging task. Join us to discuss common as stressors in these periods and ways we can overcome them so we’re primed to perform our best every time we take the stage, no matter what the next step is!
Confidence: Stage and Studio
What is confidence? When do we need it? How do we get it? It can be far simpler than we think! Join us to discuss how to make the DECISION to be confident whenever you want it, and why it matters in practice, in warm up and on stage!
Competing at events like Worlds brings both excitement and pressure. In this session, we’ll explore how to manage physical symptoms of anxiety, use simple breathing techniques to regulate your nervous system, and develop the ability to trust your training when it matters most. Dancers will leave with practical tools to feel more calm, focused, and in control on stage.
Competitive dance requires more than talent and effort; the ability to respond effectively to feedback from coaches and judges is essential to growth and success. Join us in this session to discuss ways to provide and listen to feedback in a way that highlights the helpful, discards the rest and builds resilience, confidence and growth.
Irish dancers are challenged by the lack of traditional ‘seasons’ that other sports enjoy. Our competition schedule often requires us to be training for most, if not all of, the year. During that time, physical and mental setbacks can hinder progress and success if not managed well. Join our discussion to explore risks and opportunities of the competition season schedule, how to overcome the challenges and creating long term, sustainable success!
Perfectionism can drive dancers to improve – or hold them back completely. In this session, Dr. Mitch explores what perfectionism looks like for you: Are your high standards helping you grow, or leaving you feeling never good enough? Do your thoughts about mistakes reduce errors, or create fear of them? Do you still feel joy when dancing, or only when winning? If shifting your mindset in any of these areas could improve your relationship with dance, this workshop is for you.