The Dancer Mama Podcast

Ep 24: Identity Deep Dive: Who am I if I’m not doing pole?

Hi Dancer Mamas! In this week’s solo episode I’m exploring the topic of identity as it pertains to motherhood and pole. Becoming a mom is one of the most profound identity shifts a person can experience in life and it impacts everyone differently! For athletes, dancers, and performers, motherhood can bring on a full on identity crisis as we may have to set aside our sports, passions, and interests as we adjust to our new lives and bodies. In this episode, I explore the question: who am I anyway if I’m not currently pole dancing or stripping? And beyond that, what is the danger of putting too many eggs in a single identity basket?
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/  Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/  
 
 

Ep 23: Tia Jax on her Signature Style, Dancing Through Pregnancy, and Postpartum Challenges

Happy New Year Dancer Mamas!
This week I am so thrilled to present her conversation with the sensual fluidity queen, Tia Jax! Tia is well known on Instagram for her signature sensual style, impeccable technique, and for crafting beautiful, vulnerable captions sharing her story behind her dance on any given day. I have followed Tia throughout her pregnancy and into her postpartum journey, and I have always been impressed and inspired by her, and I was beyond excited for the chance to chat with her.
Tia shares her origin story as a dancer, how she came to pole, and a glimpse of her time dancing in the clubs. She explains how her mesmerizing movement style is informed by a combination of her classically trained dance technique, her expanding knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and the music and mood of the moment. Then we chat about her pregnancy and postpartum experience, and she shares vulnerably about her experience with postpartum anxiety and depression, her struggles to rehab her core and get back into movement, and the existential crisis so many mothers experience as they struggle to come to terms with their new body and new life.
This is an amazing conversation with an incredible dancer that I am so grateful to be sharing with you all!
PS: Please don’t mind my baby crying in the background towards the end: he was enduring a dramatic diaper change with my husband upstairs!
Connect with Tia at https://www.instagram.com/tia_jax/?hl=en 
https://www.tiajax.com/tour-dates
Cover image photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/taya_pole_pic/ 
 
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!
Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ 
Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/
 
 

Ep 22: Juliana: Finding Joy through Movement in Motherhood and Beyond!

This week, Jenna is speaking to pole mama, fitness competitor,and engineer, Juliana! Juliana has expressed herself through movement in many forms throughout her life, starting with ballet as a child, latin dance, fitness, pole, and then coming full circle back to ballet as an adult! In this episode, she discusses her mindset when approaching both pole and fitness competitions, and how she came to focus on the process rather than the outcome. She also shares her inspiration behind some of her most beautiful, memorable routines! 
Jenna and Juliana then shift to chatting about Juliana’s pregnancy and postpartum experience. Juliana shares her birth, her experience with postpartum mental health challenges and how pole helped her through that challenging period, and what she loves the most about being a mom! She also shares how she manages to balance all the amazing things she does, including stepping back on the competitive fitness stage for the first time postpartum!
Full of beautiful anecdotes and valuable insights, this episode is not one to miss!
Connect with Juliana at https://www.instagram.com/juliana_wbff_pro/ 
Cover photo by https://www.instagram.com/yopera/ 
 
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!
Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ 
Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/  
 

Ep 21:Jenna’s 2022 in Review plus Holiday Cheer!

This week is Jenna’s last solo episode of the year! The Dancer Mama Podcast will be taking a one week break over the holidays with no new episode on December 27th, then we will be back with our regularly scheduled solo and guest episodes the following week!
This episode is a little all over the place and is interrupted by mom duties multiple times! Jenna recaps her 2022, reflecting on her pregnancy journey and her other achievements this year. She reflects on some of the sage advice that she has heard repeated from her different guests, as well as her own takeaways from her postpartum and motherhood journey so far. She also puts out some tentative goals she is setting for 2023 related to pole and stripping. Then to wrap up the episode, Jenna talks about holiday cheer! For something fun and lighthearted, Jenna chats about the holiday season, what she loves about Christmas and traditions she can take or leave. 
 Jenna is so grateful to everyone who has listened to the Dancer Mama Podcast this year, and is super grateful to all her amazing guests!
If you want to give us a free Christmas gift, please consider leaving a star rating on Spotify or a review on apple podcasts! It would mean the world to us and really helps support the show!
Happy Holidays dancers and mamas!
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/  Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/ 

Ep 20: Dr. Ariel Sernek: Talking Pelvic Floor Health for Mamas and Pole Dancers

This week Jenna is so excited to bring on a very special guest: Dr. Ariel Sernek! Dr. Ariel is a pelvic floor physiotherapist who is passionate about educating people on the importance of pelvic floor health, breaking down the stigma that surrounds common pelvic floor dysfunction, and empowering people to improve their health and quality of life. Jenna's conversation with Dr. Ariel spans from general pelvic floor health, to particular concerns women and birthing people may face in their perinatal season of life, and some practical tips that anyone can implement to improve their physical and mental health if they are working through some dysfunction.
This is a great episode: Dr. Ariel was kind enough to share vital information that every woman, man, pole dancer and mama should know!
You can find Dr. Ariel on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/drariel_pelvicpt/
 
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Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ 
Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/  
 
 

Ep 19: No Going Back! Plus Baby Sleep Update

In this weeks solo episode, Jenna provides a brief update on her baby sleep/bed-sharing journey, including mindset and productivity tips she is implementing to make the most of the situation! 
She also muses about the societal preoccupation about getting back to where we were pre-baby: whether that’s getting back to work, back to our sport, getting our “body back”, getting our sex lives vack, etc. there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving to return to activities/occupations/relationships we value, but perhaps clinging to idea that we can “go back” to exactly how things were sets up the wrong expectation, and can lead to impatience, anxiety, and disappointment. Perhaps we should lean into the changes, and focus on going forward…
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/  Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/  

Ep 18: Veronika Veil: Honoring her creativity and finding balance in the club, motherhood and beyond!

In this guest episode, Jenna talks to her close friend and former stripper sister Veronika Veil! Veronika is a stripper, Russian exotic pole specialist, yoga teacher, digital content creator and mama to a 10 year old boy. In this episode, Veronika and Jenna reflect and share the general highs and lows of working in the clubs, before getting into Veronika's unique motherhood journey. Veronika shares how she navigates the ongoing challenges of balancing the multiple facets of her identity with the often overwhelming role of being a mom. She also discusses her burgeoning career in content creation, her entrepreneurial spirit, and the challenges of raising a child in this digital age. 
Veronika's story is unique, real, and inspiring: you do not want to miss this episode!
You can find Veronika at https://www.instagram.com/veronikathewitch/?hl=en and support her youtube channel athttps://www.youtube.com/c/veronikathewitch 
 
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!
Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/  Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/  

Ep 17: Postpartum Updates: Pelvic Floor Health, The ”P” Word, and Newborn Joys

In this solo episode Jenna recounts where she is at with her physical recovery 9 weeks out from the birth of her son. She talks in candid detail (bordering on TMI?) about her pelvic floor, and some of the troublesome symptoms she is dealing with that have delayed her return to pole. Despite increased awareness about the importance of pelvic floor health, common issues such as prolapse remain somewhat taboo, and are not as openly talked about as some other postpartum challenges. In talking about her own experience with prolapse, Jenna hopes to help increase awareness and lift the veil of shame around this topic. 
 
The episode ends on a positive note, as Jenna reflects on some of the most joyful things about new motherhood so far, and the things she loves the most about newborn life! Because motherhood may be hard, but it's not all bad. Not at all. 
 
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Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ 
Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/ 

EP 16: Lady Jane: Performance, Art, and Evolving Through Motherhood

This week Jenna had the pleasure of chatting with pole artist, event producer, and soon to be second-time pole mama Lady Jane! Lady Jane shares how her contemporary dance background and her experience returning to dance as an adult shaped her pole journey. She discusses how she differentiates performing from competing, and how she her passion for performance art led her to co-found her production company, Electra Productions. Finally, Jane shares her first and second pregnancy experiences, and graces us with beautiful insights about the nature of motherhood!
You can find Jane at:https://www.instagram.com/ladyjane_dance/https://www.poleart.ca/
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/ 

Ep 15: Self Doubt and Baby Sleep: Parenting in the Digital Age

In this week's solo episode, Jenna muses and reflects on some topics that are very relevant to her current life: baby sleep, postpartum recovery, and navigating newborn life in the digital age. She reflects on her own self doubt and difficulties tuning into her instincts: a difficulty furthered by her addiction to google and her use of social media. Jenna discusses our cultures obsession with baby sleep, and how the myriad of perspectives and recommendations around baby sleep cause parent's to question themselves and their babies. She reflects on our tendency to compare and despair, and begs the question: "what was it like parenting before the internet and all it's opinions were in the palm of our hand?" Has any generation ever been free of advice, opinions, and external standards when it comes to parenting?
Jenna doesn't have the answers, but her reflections may give you food for thought or at least help you feel less alone!
If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave us a rating or review!
Connect with us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thedancermamapodcast/ 
Cover Art by: https://www.instagram.com/craftymama.yyc/