20 Workshops in 9 Days: What I Learned

Emily Dodds McKinney
5 days ago
3 min read

Last year, when I attempted this exact same marathon of workshops, I showed up like I was packing for war. Foam roller? Check. Biofreeze? Check. Massage gun? Protein shakes? Ice packs? BCAAs? Enough ibuprofen to sedate a rhino? Check, check, check, and check.

And even with all of that, by the end I was dragging myself booth-to-booth like a Victorian woman in need of smelling salts.

This year? Completely different story — and here’s everything I learned.

1. Strength Training Saved My Body (and My Sanity)

Three months ago, I committed to strength training 2–3 times a week. Real, consistent, muscular endurance work. Add in my twice-a-week Theatre Fitness sessions and suddenly my body was ready for this year in a way it absolutely wasn’t last year.

No knots in my shoulders or neck
No hip drama
No “why does my spine feel detachable?” moments
I didn’t even use my massage gun — wild

I was still tired (because cardio is real), but my body held together beautifully. Honestly, if you teach movement 20 times in nine days and you don’t fall apart, that’s a win.

2. Shockwave Is My New Best Friend

Between festivals, I used shockwave therapy to get ahead of some plantar fasciitis in my left heel. Electricity, lasers, all the sci-fi things — basically a recovery tool for when you’re pretending your feet aren’t hanging by a thread.

We treated my feet and calves right after Corpus Christi, and it made a huge difference heading into Grapevine. Highly recommend.

3. I Never Lost My Voice (!!!)

This was a big win for me.

With 75 minutes per workshop this year, I had more time to teach kids not just movement, but how to actually sing while moving. And the crazy part? The techniques I preach 100% worked — on me.

The game-changers:

Practicing the duality of effort vs. ease
(body working hard, face and jaw looking relaxed — like dancers do all the time)
Getting rid of more carbon dioxide while breathing
(sounds small, feels huge)
Vocal placement that doesn’t fight the heart rate

Teaching that duality reinforced it in my own body. I walked out of nine days of teaching without blowing out my voice, which honestly feels like a Christmas miracle.

4. Coaching Focus Instead of Just Movement

Because we had more time this year, I could build a solid movement foundation earlier — which freed me up to coach vocals and performance, not just steps.

I started using a new visual: a circle and a dot on the wall. One tiny focus point. All their energy aimed right there.

It helped reduce the overwhelm of:

choreography
breathing
technique
lyrics
heart rate
sweaty confusion

And once they narrowed in, their confidence shot way up. I’m excited to keep developing this focus technique across everything I teach.

5. I Will Never Teach Certain Releases Back-to-Back Ever Again

I love Hairspray, but two Hairspray releases back-to-back?

No. Absolutely not. Never again.

Same goes for The Great Gatsby.

Between the kicks, the Charleston, and whatever 1920’s cardio fever dream I choreographed… I’m convinced I kicked at least 1,000 times in three hours.

My legs were filing HR complaints.

6. Hype Is a Strategy, Not a Mood

Last year, I made jokes about how many workshops I had, because I was honestly just nervous I wouldn’t survive.

But this year I realized: how I show up directly impacts how the kids feel about themselves.

So even when I was tired:

I hyped myself with Broadway trivia
I blasted great pre-class music
I fed off their energy
I walked in like it was the first workshop of the day

Every group deserves an instructor who shows up ready — even if the previous session wiped me out. And the better I showed up, the harder they pushed, and the more fun we all had.

What I’m Taking With Me Going Forward

This year taught me that preparation isn’t just foam rollers and protein bars. It’s training, recovery, mindset, and showing up intentionally.

I learned: