Rhinestones and Rants

REPLAY Episode 7: What It Takes to Be Elite ✨ Grit, Glam & the Women Who Built a Dance Empire

She didn’t inherit it. She didn’t stumble into it. Toni Ricci built Elite Dance Center with grit, guts, and a whole lot of glitter.In this week’s episode of Rhinestones and Rants, we sit down with the powerhouse behind one of the most iconic studios in the competitive dance world and the woman beside her shaping the next generation of artists: Keli Adams, Elite’s fearless Director of Dance. From Broadway stages to award-winning choreography, Toni and Keli open up about sacrifice, vision, and what it really takes to create a space where dancers become legends. 💥 This is more than a studio. It’s a movement. 💖 This is the Elite story - raw, real, and radiant. 🎬 Watch the LIVE PREMIERE 📅 Wednesday at 8AM PT / 11AM ET 📲 Subscribe to catch every moment as it drops! ✨ New episodes every Wednesday Rhinestones and Rants is now streaming on all major podcast platforms.🔗 Binge Episodes 1–6 while you wait: 🔥 Red flags. 💼 Studio owner drama. 👩‍👧 The pressure of being a studio owner’s daughter. 🎤 Brooklyn Jai unfiltered. 💃 Dance parents who don’t play. 👑 And the woman behind the red wall who started it all.

REPLAY Episode 6: Behind the Curtain with AnneMarie Hudson: The Visionary Behind Millennium Dance Complex

If you know dance, you know Millennium Dance Complex. The bold red logo. The iconic LA backdrop. The world-class choreographers. The Instagram-famous combos. It’s a household name in the dance world.
But do you know the woman behind it all?
In this electrifying and emotional episode of Rhinestones and Rants, we sit down with Anne-Marie Hudson, the powerhouse CEO and founder of Millennium Dance Complex and let me tell you, this is not just a story about a studio. This is a story about vision, grit, perseverance, and passion.
✨ WATCH THE FULL EPISODE NOW: 👉 https://youtu.be/mRKkJbGTyjs
🎧 Also streaming on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio
⏰ New episodes every Wednesday at 8AM PT / 11AM ET
💬 Drop a comment, tell us what resonated most, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your dance fam!
#MillenniumDanceComplex #AnnMarieHudson #DancePioneer #SheBuiltThis #DanceLegends #RhinestonesAndRants #WomenInDance #DanceEntrepreneur #LAChoreoScene #RedWallIcon

REPLAY: The Truth About West Coast Elite: How Stephanie Noori Built a Dance Empire

This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on West Coast Elite with founder Stephanie Noori, the woman who turned a vision into a dance empire. 🔥
The truth about fairness, integrity & what it really takes to run the most respected school-dance competition in the country. 💬
Hear how WCE became the gold standard for dancers, coaches & teams nationwide and why it’s more than just trophies, it’s a movement.
 

REPLAY: Episode 15: Dance Mom Diaries: Raising National Champions at Valencia High

Behind every national title is a mom who makes it happen. 👑 In this episode of Rhinestones & Rants, Alyssa Better sits down with Lindsay, mom to the powerhouse dancers of Valencia High School.
From navigating high school dance team life to balancing studio, school, and competitions, Lindsay shares what it really takes to raise dancers who shine on the biggest stages. 💃✨ She also opens up about the lessons, sacrifices, and support systems that help her kids thrive, not just as champions, but as people.
 

REPLAY: Beyond the Stage: The Business of Dance with Menina Fortunato

This week, Alyssa Better sits down with industry powerhouse Menina Fortunato - dancer, choreographer, mentor, and creator of The Business of Dance and The Hollywood Summer Tour.
From branding and demo reels to taxes, agents, and turning passion into a paycheck, Menina is redefining what it means to go beyond the stage.
📋 Inside the episode:
• How to turn training into a career
• What studios don’t teach (but should)
• Why dancers need business skills now more than ever
💎 Episode premiers on October 22nd 8am PT/11amET
#RhinestonesAndRants #BusinessOfDance #DanceCareers #DancePodcast #DanceMoms #DanceEducation #AlyssaBetter #MeninaFortunato

REPLAY: Episode 16: Not Just Pom Poms- The Pressure, Power & Purpose of Dance Team with Andrew Allen

High school dance isn’t just pep rallies and pom poms.
In this episode of Rhinestones & Rants, Alyssa Better sits down with Andrew Allen, National Grand Championship coach of Valencia High School Dance Team, to reveal what it really takes to build a winning program.
From tryouts and team culture to mental health, costs, and life beyond the title, Andrew shares the truths every dancer, parent, and coach needs to hear.

REPLAY Episode 12: B.A. vs. B.F.A. - Decoding the Dance Degree

Welcome to Part ONE of our College Dance Series on Rhinestones and Rants💎
In this episode, host Alyssa Better sits down with dance mom & researcher ReJana Krause to break down what every dancer and parent needs to know before stepping into the college dance world.
👉 What’s the REAL difference between a B.A. and a B.F.A.?
👉 How do training hours, performance opportunities, and career outcomes compare?
👉 Which degree opens doors for YOUR dancer’s future?
We’re pulling back the rhinestone curtain and telling you the truths they don’t put in the brochures. If you’ve got auditions, applications, or just big dance dreams, this is your roadmap.
 
 

REPLAY: Episode 11: When Free Isn't Free

Not every opportunity in dance is safe.
From “free” photoshoots to sketchy ambassador deals, predators know how to play the game.
⚠️ In this must-see episode, Alyssa Better & Vicky Inger expose the red flags every parent an dancer needs to know.
🎬 LIVE Premiere: Wed 9/3 @ 8AM PT | 11AM ET
👉 Subscribe + hit 🔔 so you don’t miss it.
#WhenFreeIsntFree #DanceSafety #RhinestonesAndRants #ProtectOurDancers #DanceParentsUnite #DanceIndustryTruths #BehindTheCurtain #DanceWorldUnfiltered #RedFlagRealTalk #GlitterAndGrit

REPLAY: Confessions of a Crazy Dance Mom with Nichole Long

This week on Rhinestones and Rants, we’re laughing, crying, and glue-gunning our way through the wild world of dance moms with the one and only Nichole Long, aka The Crazy Dance Mom.
If you’ve ever cried in a hotel hallway, panicked over lipstick No. 78, or labeled 14 hangers before sunrise… you’re one of us. From Dream Duffel drama to snack-list wars, Nichole spills the sparkly tea on the chaos, comedy, and heart of dance mom life.
🎧 Watch “Confessions of a Crazy Dance Mom”, premiering Wednesday, October 29 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET!
👉 Subscribe, laugh with us, and tag your favorite dance mom!

REPLAY: Episode 10: Brian Friedman Unfiltered - Part 2

THIS. IS. IT. 👑✨ Brian Friedman: PART 2. Does he know the power he holds over a room? Oh, he knows and today, so will you. ⚡ LIVE PREMIERE: TODAY, 8AM PT / 11AM ET ⚡ 👉 Join the chat. Witness the legend. Be part of history. #BrianFriedman #DanceLegends #DanceIcons #RhinestonesAndRants #BrianUnleashed #PremiereDay #ChoreoLegend #IconEnergy