04/09/2026
Over the last two weeks, I’ve been working with 120 young people in their final year of school, helping them explore mental resilience and mental health awareness.
I’ve also worked with 145 teachers, sharing practical strategies to help them maintain their own mental and physical health.
And it got me thinking about the world of Irish dancing…
I know so many incredible teachers who are overworked, underpaid, constantly multitasking and carrying enormous responsibility.
You aren't simply teaching steps.
You are helping shape young people.
You influence confidence, self-belief, resilience, discipline and, sometimes without even realising it, a child's entire perception of themselves.
And that responsibility can come with enormous pressure.
This has always been at the heart of why I created Dancing Minds .
Yes, improving performance has always been something I’ve been passionate about, and, after 26 years working with dancers and high performers, helping people perform under pressure comes naturally to me.
But the performance is only part of the story.
What happens when the pressure becomes overwhelming?
What happens when a dancer experiences failure, disappointment, rejection, injury, anxiety or a setback?
Can they learn to change pressure into comfort?
Can they recover from setbacks?
Can they develop the resilience to keep going without losing their sense of self-worth?
And perhaps most importantly…
Can we teach children that their results do not determine their value?
That has always been the deeper objective behind Dancing Minds.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside many Irish dancing teachers who have become much more than colleagues, some have become close friends.
They understand that my work has never simply been about creating better dancers.
It has always been about helping create stronger, more resilient young people who happen to dance.
And to every Irish dancing teacher reading this:
Please remember to look after yourself too.
You spend so much time helping others become the best versions of themselves.
You deserve the same opportunity.
Because sometimes, the person who cares for everyone else needs someone to care for them.
