Choreographer, Educator & International Dance Adjudicator

In this episode of the Dance Real Podcast, Kate Histon sits down with Adam Scown for an open, reflective conversation about building a sustainable career in dance across countries, cultures, and career stages.

Adam shares his journey from training and working in Australia to establishing himself in the UK, offering insight into the realities of international dance careers, shifting industry expectations, and what truly supports longevity beyond talent alone.

Together, Kate and Adam explore dance pedagogy, competition culture, judging, individuality, and the evolving needs of today’s dancers. This is a grounded, experience-led discussion that speaks to dancers, teachers, parents, and creatives navigating long-term pathways in the performing arts.

• Sustainable careers require more than technical excellence

• Self-belief and consistency matter as much as opportunity

• Judging is subjective but grounded in the present moment

• Dance success looks different for different people

• Fulfilment and wellbeing remain valid outcomes

Adam Scown is an Australian-born choreographer, educator, and international dance adjudicator based in the UK. His career spans performance, choreography, higher education, and adjudication across multiple countries. Adam works closely with emerging dancers, focusing on professionalism, individuality, and long-term sustainability in the dance industry.

🩰 Stay Connected with Kate Follow Kate for more episodes, personal reflections, and real-talk on healing and integrity in the dance world: 🌐 Website: www.katehiston.com

📷 Instagram: @katehiston @Dance_Real_Podcast @Master_Dancer_Mindset

🎧 Podcast: Dance Real Podcast – Available on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms

Disclaimer: The Dance Real Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations rooted in real-life experiences within the dance world. What I share and what my guests share, is based on personal perspective, not professional advice. If you’re seeking support for your mental health, legal matters, or business decisions, I encourage you to speak with a qualified professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and don’t always reflect mine. Any references to people, places, or situations are shared with respect and the intent to spark reflection, learning, and conversation, not to harm or misrepresent. By engaging with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the host, guests, and Dance Real Podcast are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided.

After a year of recording The Dance Real Podcast, this new introduction felt necessary.

When I began, I knew what I wanted to question. Over time, I became clearer about what I was here to build: a space that honours high-level training while holding equal regard for wellbeing, agency, and relational integrity. A space where dancers, educators, and parents can reflect together on culture, leadership, the long-term impact of how we train, mindset for dancers, as well as inspirational journey's of those who have paved the way.

This updated introduction reflects that clarity. It acknowledges the realities many experience in the industry, including unspoken pressures, while remaining oriented toward thoughtful progress and conscious leadership. It brings my lived experience into closer alignment with the conversations on the podcast and the future I hope we continue shaping together.

The Dance Real Podcast has grown into a place for honest dialogue, shared responsibility, and a more human understanding of excellence. Thank you to everyone who has listened, reflected, and stayed curious along the way.

Season 4 begins February 2.

If you have been listening for a while, I would love to know which themes have mattered most to you this past year.

Happy New Year! As we enter 2026, many people begin the year with resolutions. Kate opens this episode with a different view. She does not subscribe to New Year’s resolutions because they imply something about the self needs fixing. She does believe in goals. Goals offer direction, structure and growth without the self-judgement that resolutions often carry. This episode explores the psychology of setting meaningful goals for dancers, teachers, studio owners and parents. Kate reflects on how the way we set goals reveals our relationship with growth, control and self-worth. She explains why some goals energise us while others drain us, and how our underlying motivation shapes our experience of progress. Key themes include the difference between goals and expectations, the role of values in shaping direction, and the importance of pacing for nervous system regulation. Kate outlines a clear process for effective goal setting and describes how leaders can use these principles to strengthen communication and culture within their communities. The conversation also examines common traps such as perfectionism, rigid outcomes, all-or-nothing thinking and external validation. Kate offers insight into rebuilding a healthy relationship with goals through small commitments that restore self-trust. Listeners are invited to approach 2026 with steadiness and clarity. The focus is on who we become through the process of intention, action and reflection.

🩰 Stay Connected with Kate Follow Kate for more episodes, personal reflections, and real-talk on healing and integrity in the dance world:

🌐 Website: www.katehiston.com

📷 Instagram: @katehiston | @dance_real_podcast | @Master_Dancer_Mindset 🎧 Podcast: Dance Real Podcast – available on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms

Disclaimer: The Dance Real Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations rooted in real-life experiences within the dance world. What I share and what my guests share is based on personal perspective, not professional advice. If you’re seeking support for your mental health, legal matters, or business decisions, I encourage you to speak with a qualified professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and don’t always reflect mine. Any references to people, places, or situations are shared with respect and the intent to spark reflection, learning, and conversation not to harm or misrepresent. By engaging with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the host, guests, and Dance Real Podcast are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided.

A Guided Meditation for Reset and Renewal

This short guided practice is offered as a gift to listeners during the holiday season. It creates a quiet space to settle the body, steady the breath, and reconnect with a sense of inner clarity. The meditation supports gentle release and thoughtful renewal, inviting a calmer orientation as the year comes to a close.

Across the twelve minutes, you are guided toward awareness, softening, and presence. The intention is to provide a moment of stillness for dancers, parents, educators, and anyone navigating a full life. It can be used at any time, whether you need to unwind, reset, or return to yourself before moving into the rest of the day.

Thank you for being part of this community. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful, restorative holiday period in whatever way you celebrate.

I hope this practice offers ease and renewal when you need it.

www.katehiston.com - Join the Newsletter for more info. Season three has come to a close, and I want to acknowledge what this season represented. The theme was paving a new way. Each conversation, each solo reflection, and each story contributed to a wider shift in how we understand training, leadership, and care within the dance world. This season also marked a personal transition for me. I began The Dance Real Podcast while living in Germany. I recorded episodes between teaching commitments, language study, parenting, and travel. The show travelled with me. As I prepare to return to Australia, the podcast continues to evolve into a home for honest dialogue, thoughtful examination, and community learning. Thank you for being part of this space. Whether you joined for one episode or for the full season, your presence shapes the direction of the work. The conversations held here are offered with the intention of strengthening the culture of dance through clarity, insight, and relational understanding. However you spend the coming weeks, I hope you find rest, connection, and time to ground yourself. The podcast will return with new episodes, new voices, and a continued commitment to meaningful dialogue in the year ahead. Season three is complete. I look forward to meeting you again in season four.

Season 3

Ep:12

In this episode of The Dance Real Podcast, Kate speaks with Melanie Gard, co-founding member, chair and spokesperson of Dance Arts Alliance (DAA) and director of Peninsula School of Dance. Together, they explore what genuine child safety looks like in dance studios today, how Dance Arts Alliance is leading national advocacy for industry standards, and why safeguarding is about more than just policies, it is about culture, communication, and leadership. Melanie shares her journey from studio owner to advocate, how COVID-19 exposed the lack of industry representation at a national level, and why DAA formed to fill that gap.

She and Kate discuss common risks in dance education, the importance of boundaries between teachers and students, and how to build trust and transparency within schools and families. This thoughtful conversation highlights both the complexity and hope of creating environments where children can thrive artistically and emotionally, and where dance educators feel empowered to lead responsibly.

🩰 Topics Covered

The origins and mission of Dance Arts Alliance in Australia

What makes a genuinely child-safe culture in dance

Common safety gaps and risks in dance studios

Power dynamics between teachers and students

Why safeguarding goes beyond compliance and requires reflection

Setting healthy social media and boundary policies

The need for national regulation and advocacy in dance Parents’ role in ensuring their child’s safety and wellbeing

How early dance training can remain playful, safe, and developmentally sound

The importance of uplifting ethical leadership and transparency in the industry

🧠 Key Insights “A piece of paper isn’t a culture.”

True safeguarding requires embodied practice, not just policy.

Teachers must understand their power and continually reflect on how they hold it.

Healthy dance environments prioritise openness, communication, and respect over perfection.

Parents can use child-safety awareness as a guide when choosing a studio.

Regulation must be industry-led to ensure relevance and trust.

🔗 Connect with Dance Arts Alliance Website: www.danceartsalliance.org.au Instagram: @danceartsalliance_ Peninsula School of Dance: www.peninsuladance.com.au

🩰 Stay Connected with Kate Follow Kate for more episodes, personal reflections, and real-talk on healing and integrity in the dance world:

🌐 Website: www.katehiston.com

📷 Instagram: @katehiston @Dance_Real_Podcast @Master_Dancer_Mindset🎧

Podcast: Dance Real Podcast – Available on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms

Disclaimer: The Dance Real Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations rooted in real-life experiences within the dance world. What I share and what my guests share, is based on personal perspective, not professional advice. If you’re seeking support for your mental health, legal matters, or business decisions, I encourage you to speak with a qualified professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and don’t always reflect mine. Any references to people, places, or situations are shared with respect and the intent to spark reflection, learning, and conversation, not to harm or misrepresent. By engaging with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the host, guests, and Dance Real Podcast are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided.

How to Stop Bullying in the Dance Studio

Description Bullying in dance studios rarely looks dramatic. It often grows through small exclusions, subtle alliances, and unspoken hierarchies that shape the emotional climate of a group. In this episode, Kate explores how bullying develops in dance settings, why it takes hold so easily in high-pressure environments, and what leaders can do to disrupt the patterns early.

This conversation examines group dynamics, power structures, and the conditions that allow relational aggression to form. It also offers practical approaches for teachers, studio owners, and parents who want to create a culture of psychological safety without losing clarity or authority.

Topics include: • How bullying emerges in training environments • Why some students become targets within group dynamics • The role of teacher presence and boundaries • Strategies for early intervention • Ways to strengthen communication with families • Building a culture that supports accountability and emotional steadiness

This episode is intended for dance educators, adjudicators, parents, and anyone who contributes to a healthy training environment. It encourages reflection, grounded leadership, and a more mature understanding of how studio culture is shaped.

🩰 Stay Connected with Kate

Follow Kate for more episodes, personal reflections, and real-talk on healing and integrity in the dance world:

🌐 Website: www.katehiston.com

📷 Instagram: @katehiston | @dance_real_podcast | @Master_Dancer_Mindset

🎧 Podcast: Dance Real Podcast – available on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms

Disclaimer:

The Dance Real Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations rooted in real-life experiences within the dance world. What I share and what my guests share is based on personal perspective, not professional advice. If you’re seeking support for your mental health, legal matters, or business decisions, I encourage you to speak with a qualified professional.

The views expressed by guests are their own and don’t always reflect mine. Any references to people, places, or situations are shared with respect and the intent to spark reflection, learning, and conversation not to harm or misrepresent.

By engaging with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the host, guests, and Dance Real Podcast are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided.

In this episode, Kate Histon is joined by Georgina Pazcoguin, soloist, author, and advocate for change in the performing arts. Known as The Rogue Ballerina, Georgina made history as the first Asian American woman to be promoted out of the corps de ballet at New York City Ballet. Her memoir Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina offers an honest and often humorous look into the world of elite ballet, revealing the grit, isolation, and courage behind the glamour.

Georgina speaks about her upbringing in Pennsylvania, the cultural and systemic barriers she faced as a dancer, and the moment she decided to tell her story. She discusses identity, artistry, body image, injury, and recovery, describing how advocacy became a natural extension of her creative life. The conversation touches on the founding of Final Bow for Yellowface, the Me Too era in dance, and the cost of speaking up in systems that resist change.

Kate and Georgina explore how tradition can evolve without losing rigour, what a healthy company culture should feel like, and why younger dancers need mentors who remember what it was like to be in their shoes. They discuss autonomy, the psychological impact of control within institutions, and the process of redefining oneself after leaving a major company.

Georgina also shares her current projects across theatre and film, including her one-woman show Swan Dive and an upcoming performance series in London supporting Ukrainian law students. The episode closes with reflections on visibility, presence, and respect between artist and audience, and on how applause is part of the sacred exchange that keeps live performance alive.

This is an inspiring and deeply human conversation about courage, artistry, and the evolving identity of ballet in the modern world.

Learn more about Georgina Pazcoguin: Website: Amazon

🩰 Stay Connected with Kate Follow Kate for more episodes, personal reflections, and real-talk on healing and integrity in the dance world: 🌐 Website: www.katehiston.com 📷 Instagram: @katehiston | @dance_real_podcast | @Master_Dancer_Mindset 🎧 Podcast: Dance Real Podcast – available on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms

Disclaimer: The Dance Real Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations rooted in real-life experiences within the dance world. What I share, and what my guests share, is based on personal perspective, not professional advice. If you are seeking support for your mental health, legal matters, or business decisions, I encourage you to speak with a qualified professional.

The views expressed by guests are their own and do not always reflect mine. Any references to people, places, or situations are shared with respect and the intent to spark reflection, learning, and conversation, not to harm or misrepresent.

By engaging with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the host, guests, and Dance Real Podcast are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided.