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Beyond the 8 Count

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Lindon, UT
Beyond the 8 Count

� Two sisters.
� Unfiltered dance conversations.
� Studio Owners | Competition Owners
�Utah

10/29/2026

Are dance studios REALLY preparing dancers for a professional career? 👀

We asked professional dancer Riley Hackbarth if she thinks dance studios are doing enough to prepare students for the realities of the professional dance industry.

We spend years training dancers for competitions. Perfecting technique, learning choreography, and working toward awards.

But are we teaching them what it actually takes to get hired?

Auditions. Rejection. Professionalism. Networking. The business side of dance.

There's a BIG difference between being a successful competitive dancer and building a successful professional dance career.

So here's our question… Are we preparing dancers to win competitions, or are we preparing them for what comes AFTER competition?

Hear Riley's perspective on Beyond the 8 Count this Friday! Riley Hackbarth

10/29/2026

You can spend your entire childhood training to become a professional dancer… only to discover that booking the job is just the beginning.

Nobody talks enough about the instability of working in the professional dance industry.

You can dance alongside major artists, perform on television, build an incredible résumé, and STILL not know when your next paycheck is coming.

And when that contract ends? You're back to auditioning.

The rejection. The uncertainty. The financial pressure. The constant need to prove yourself all over again.

We spend YEARS preparing dancers to make it professionally. But are we preparing them for what happens when they're not booked?

Are we teaching them about contracts, finances, career longevity, and building a sustainable future? Or are we so focused on getting them into the industry that we forget to prepare them for the reality of staying in it?

This isn't meant to discourage anyone from pursuing professional dance. It's about being honest about what that career can look like.

Because loving what you do doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to make a living doing it.

And being a successful dancer doesn't always mean being a financially stable one.

Professional dancers, we want to hear from YOU. What's something you wish someone had told you before entering the industry?

10/28/2026

Being a great dancer is only part of getting hired in the professional dance industry.

Our guest, Riley Hackbarth, shares how TAPS (Theater Arts Preparatory School) prepared dancers for auditions by teaching them everything from hair and makeup to what to wear to stand out in a room full of talented dancers.

Because in professional dance, your first impression can happen before you even take your first step.

Listen to the full conversation on Beyond the 8 Count, this Friday!

Give Riley Hackbarth a follow! She is incredible! 🫶🏼

10/28/2026

SOCIAL MEDIA IS RUINING DANCE.

And the crazy part? We're saying this while using social media to grow our own platform.

We love the opportunities social media has created for dancers, teachers, and studios. But we also think it's time to talk about what it's doing to the dance industry.

When did being a talented dancer become about how many followers you have?

When did choreography become about creating a viral moment instead of developing technique and artistry?

And when did we start making young dancers feel like they're falling behind because they can't do what they see in a 15-second video?

We're watching dancers compare themselves to people they've never met, teachers feel pressured to constantly produce content, and studios feel like they have to compete with everything they see online.

And somewhere in all of that, are we forgetting why we started dancing in the first place?

We're not saying social media is all bad. It's given dancers incredible opportunities and connected our industry in ways that weren't possible before.

But there's a difference between using social media to celebrate dance and allowing social media to define what makes someone a good dancer.

A dancer with 100 followers can be just as talented as a dancer with 100,000.

A routine that doesn't go viral can still be incredible choreography.

And a dancer who isn't posting every day can still be making tremendous progress.

Social media should be a TOOL for dance. Not the reason we dance.

So here's our question: Has social media helped the dance industry more than it's hurt it?

We want to hear BOTH sides.

Beyond the 8 Count

10/28/2026

Imagine making it through every round of an audition… only to STILL not get the job.

Riley shares her experience auditioning for Mary J. Blige's Las Vegas residency. After making it through the female dancers, the production ultimately decided to go with an all-male cast.

This is the reality of professional dance that competitive dancers don't always see.

You can be talented enough, do everything right, and STILL hear no.

Sometimes rejection has absolutely nothing to do with your talent.

Hear more from Riley this Friday on Beyond the 8 Count! Riley Hackbarth

10/27/2026

DANCERS, WE'RE FIGHTING THE WRONG BATTLE.

Every time someone says dance isn't a sport, what do we do?

We post videos of our hardest tricks. We talk about how many hours we train. We explain how much strength, flexibility, and endurance dance requires.

But what if we're missing the entire point?

We KNOW dance is hard. We KNOW dancers are athletes.

But do we understand what being recognized as a sport could actually mean for the future of dance?

Let's talk about the NCAA.

College dance teams train, travel, and compete at incredibly high levels. Yet competitive dance still isn't an NCAA championship sport.

And we're not just talking about a title.

We're talking about funding. Scholarships. Athletic trainers. University investment. Resources. Opportunities.

In the 2023–24 academic year, Division I universities collectively spent $20.8 BILLION on athletics.

And the NCAA generates approximately $900 MILLION annually from media and marketing rights associated with the men's Division I basketball tournament.

Meanwhile, competitive dance doesn't even have an NCAA championship.

And here's something interesting...

STUNT, a competitive sport developed from cheerleading, has been approved as an NCAA championship sport.

So why hasn't competitive dance established that same pathway?

Maybe it's time we start asking bigger questions.

Who's advocating for collegiate dance? What would NCAA dance actually look like? And what needs to happen for our industry to move forward?

We're not saying NCAA recognition would magically solve every problem. And we're certainly not saying other sports don't deserve their funding.

We're saying dancers deserve to be part of the conversation.

Because this isn't about convincing some random person in a comment section that dance is difficult.

It's about creating more opportunities for the next generation of dancers.

Maybe we need to stop spending so much time DEFENDING dance and start ADVOCATING for it.

What do you think is stopping competitive dance from becoming an NCAA championship sport?

🎙️ Beyond the 8 Count

BeyondThe8Count

10/27/2026

What does it take to make Hollywood Connection’s Teen Company?

We sat down with Riley Hackbarth to hear about her audition experience, what the process was like, and what it took to earn her spot on the company.

From competitive dancer to professional performer, Riley shares a behind-the-scenes look at the opportunities that helped shape her career.

Catch her full interview this Friday on Beyond the 8 Count! Riley Hackbarth

10/26/2026

WHY DO YOU WANT YOUR 9-YEAR-OLD DANCING WITH 16-YEAR-OLDS?

Somewhere along the way, we started treating dancing with older students as proof that a younger dancer is more advanced.

But just because your child CAN keep up doesn't mean it's the best environment for them.

There's more to dance education than being able to execute choreography.

There's emotional maturity, age-appropriate movement, social development, and the importance of being challenged alongside peers.

And let's not forget… there's something valuable about allowing kids to be KIDS.

Moving your dancer up isn't always moving them forward.

Sometimes the best place for your child to grow is right where they belong.

Are we pushing younger dancers into older classes for their development… or because we like the idea of them being advanced?

🎙️ Beyond the 8 Count

10/25/2026

IF YOU ONLY ENJOY TEACHING ADVANCED DANCERS… ARE YOU REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT TEACHING?

It's easy to love teaching dancers who already have the technique, flexibility, and ability to pick up choreography quickly.

But what about the beginner who can't remember the steps? The dancer who struggles with coordination? The student who needs something explained five different ways?

THAT'S WHERE REAL TEACHING HAPPENS.

Being a great choreographer doesn't automatically make you a great teacher.

Teaching isn't just about what you can create with talented dancers. It's about what you can develop in EVERY dancer.

Because the best teachers don't just work with talent. They help CREATE it.

Dance teachers, we want to hear your thoughts! 👇

🎙️ Beyond the 8 Count

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