Persistence Performance Group

Listen to how you talk to yourself after a mistake. Would you say that to a teammate? 🎧
Harsh self-talk feels like motivation, but it usually adds pressure and shrinks your focus.
Try coach-voice instead: “What happened? What’s the fix? What’s next?”
What would your coach-voice say today?
Save this for later. 🧠

t’s NYC Marathon Sunday, and 50,000+ runners are about to find out what mile 20 feels like. 🗽🏃

But here’s the thing: every performer has a mile 20. The last act. The final set. The hour-three rehearsal when your body says stop and your mind starts negotiating.

Swipe for 5 mental skills from marathon day that work for runners, dancers, musicians, actors, and anyone who has to keep going when it gets hard: chunk the distance, use a mantra, start slow, look outward, and finish on purpose.

Watching from the couch or cheering on the course? Pick one and use it in your next hard effort.

Which skill do you need most?

Train your brain. Train your algorithm. Develop persistence.🧠

Happy Halloween from Persistence Performance Group! 🎃👻

Recognize yourself in a few of these? You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Book a free consultation through the link in our bio to learn how mental performance coaching can help.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of visiting Oregon Ballet Theatre to lead a mental performance workshop for their OBT2 and Trainee programs!

Our session focused on managing nerves, developing productive self-talk, and practical strategies dancers can use throughout their training, auditions, and performances.

We also want to recognize OBT for making mental performance resources available to their aspiring professional dancers. Supporting the development of the whole dancer means investing in more than physical and technical training, and we hope to see these opportunities become increasingly accessible across the ballet world.

A special, full circle way for us to celebrate World Ballet Day. Thank you to OBT2 for welcoming us into the studio!

Your nerves are a haunted house. 👻 Every performer walks through it before a show.

Swipe to meet the 5 ghosts. Each one has a simple way to bust it, whether you dance, play, act, sing, or compete.

Which ghost haunts you the most? 🧠

Meet the team behind Persistence Performance Group! 🧠

Dr. Arianna Ciccarelli Shimits, Psy.D., CMPC

CO-OWNER | MENTAL PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT

A former professional ballet dancer with a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and a Master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology. Arianna combines her background in psychology and elite performance to help athletes, performing artists, and other high-level professionals strengthen their mental skills and perform at their best.

Meet the team behind Persistence Performance Group! 🧠

Lauren McArdle, MS, CMPC

CO-OWNER | MENTAL PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT

A former professional ballet dancer, Lauren holds a Master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology. Lauren is passionate about bringing mental performance resources to high performance, performing arts, and aesthetic sport domains.
With experience supporting performers at IMG Academy and in military settings, she specializes in helping athletes and performing artists develop the mental skills needed for performance, resilience, and long-term success.

Meet the team behind Persistence Performance Group! 🧠

Ashley Wagner, BS, OLY

MENTAL PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT | pursuing CMPC

An Olympic figure skater, World silver medalist, and three-time U.S. National Champion, Ashley brings firsthand experience performing at the highest levels of sport. With a degree in Psychology and ongoing graduate training in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she helps performers build resilience, navigate setbacks, and pursue excellence beyond perfection.

Meet the team behind Persistence Performance Group! 🧠

Scott Armstrong, MA

MENTAL PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT | pursuing CMPC

A former collegiate soccer player with a Master’s in Sport Psychology and over four years of experience supporting military and tactical populations. Scott integrates evidence-based mental performance training, mindfulness, and nature-based approaches to help performers strengthen resilience, enhance focus, and support overall well-being.

Same game. Same score. Same frustration. Two very different responses.

Emotion regulation is a mental performance skill that helps athletes recognize and manage their emotional responses in ways that support their performance.

It’s not about eliminating frustration, disappointment, or nerves. It’s about developing the skills to navigate those emotions without losing sight of what the situation requires.

And like any other performance skill, it takes practice- that’s what we’re here to help you with

Your program is in a few minutes. The nerves start way earlier. ⛸️

The warm-up, the walk to the boards, the wait for your name. That’s where many skaters lose their calm, and it’s the part you can train. Four steps that help: shake out tension, breathe out longer, picture your start, and pick one cue word.

Practice this routine at everyday practices, not just at competitions, so it’s automatic when it counts.

Which cue would you pick for your next program?

Save this for later. Train your brain. Train your algorithm. Develop persistence 🧠

AASP Annual Conference 2026!! 🩰🎭🎬🎤🤹‍♀️

This year the performing arts were represented at AASP like NEVER before and we are so encouraged!!

It was awesome to kick off the conference with Dr. Chelsea Pierotti and present an applied skills session on adapting mental skills for performing artists- thank you to everyone who came to learn and participate!

It’s pretty incredible to walk around and see Persistence Performance Group co-owners on the performing arts SIG coordinator poster too!

Tony Hebson Williams led the AASP Performing Arts SIG meeting and kicked us off with a dance party which should become a tradition for sure 🕺🏼💃🪩

Connecting wirh other passionate professionals and students in the field is one of the best parts of the AASP annual conference!

One final day of learning and networking- if we haven’t met, come say hi!! 🪩