EP 01: Forgiveness... The Other F Word with Christi Lukasiak

Christi Lukasiak, our ultimate dance mom, shows that sometimes the most impressive moves are the ones we make towards forgiveness and understanding, both for ourselves and others. In the first episode of this captivating podcast, host John Corella, co-creator and executive producer of Dance Moms, engages Christi in a heartfelt discussion that spans a variety of topics, from the drama of the dance competition world to personal growth and LGBTQ issues within the dance world and as a parent and family.   Christi's is very candid, sharing her journey of self-forgiveness for her actions on the show, her personal battles with self-esteem, and the challenges of having her less-than-perfect moments broadcast on television, only to be re-examined and critiqued on social media. Christi also opens up about her daughter Chloe's coming out as gay, sharing her own process of navigating the mixed emotions of grief and fear, a path many parents will find relatable. She speaks candidly about her journey to not only accept but also celebrate Chloe, admiring her daughter's confidence and strength throughout this life-changing experience.   This episode offers an honest conversation between John and Christi, sharing a side of Christi you may have not seen or heard before!  It highlights the transformative power of forgiveness, both in the high-pressure environment of the dance world and in the broader context of their lives.   Quotes: “I make mistakes. Some have been on TV. That is my tagline in life.” (38:13 | Christi Lukasiak)  “I have a hard time getting past some stuff because I will still see clips of my worst behavior. And I'm like, I get it. I was terrible. Like, I don't know what else to say. So sometimes that's a little hard, but I always look at, in the moment, having all of the experiences I had up until that exact moment in life, the decisions I made were exactly the decisions that I was capable of making with the information I had.”  (40:07 | Christi Lukasiak)  “Whether you are judging me, or you're adoring me, you're still watching. So thanks for the rating.” (47:54 | Christi Lukasiak) “Chloe is Gen Z. Gen Z is a completely different generation than anybody else. As you know, I do believe that they are going to change everything because they are advocates. They don't just sit around and do. They're not all talk, like they do take action.” (1:00:27 | Christi) “I think any parent who has a child come out, it is hard to deal with. Because it's unexpected, all of your expectations of what you think their life is going to look like. It's almost like a grieving period, because you have to understand that's not what it is. But that's okay. Different isn't bad. It's just different.” (1:07:53 | Christi Lukasiak)  “I always said on the show I wanted to raise somebody that I liked. I would always love my children. And not only have I raised somebody that I like, but I raised somebody that I hope to be like.” (1:08:21 | Christi Lukasiak)    Links Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/ John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_corella/   Eleve Dance Competition: https://www.elevedancecomp.com/ Christi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christilukasiak/ Back To The Barre Podcast:  https://www.instagram.com/backtothebarrepodcast/   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm