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This week on That Physical Culture Podcast, we go back. Way back.

Not to Nationals. Not to the first syllabus you remember. Not even to Australia.

We begin in Copenhagen, 1845, in a world where physical training wasn’t about competition or choreography, but about nation-building, discipline and survival.

In this episode, we trace the remarkable evolution of Physical Culture from its European roots to the distinctly Australian sport we know and love today.

At the centre of that story is Christian Bjelke-Petersen, the Danish-born youngster whose influence would shape generations of physie dancers, whether they realise it or not.

We explore how structured Nordic gymnastics systems, steeped in military preparedness and national identity, travelled across continents and found fertile ground in a young Australia still forming its own identity.

We unpack Christian’s role within the Australian Department of Defence, his European study tours, the controversies, the politics, and the vision that laid the foundation for what would become the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture (BJP).

Alongside that story, we follow the development of the Edith Parsons School of Physical Culture, and how the two codes helped cement physie as a uniquely Australian tradition.

But perhaps the most fascinating part of this journey is how something born in a man’s world — shaped by military training, discipline and national strength — evolved into one of Australia’s most enduring female-dominated sports. A space led by women, sustained by women, and passed down through generations.

From European gymnasiums to Australian competition stages, this episode connects the historical dots and asks a bigger question:

How did we get here?

If you love physie, history, or simply understanding the roots of the culture you’re part of, this one is for you.

Because physie didn’t just happen. It was built. Find out more about the giants of the sport we know and love.

This week's Poddy Pick from Justine is O&M Desert Dry Texture Spray: https://originalmineral.com.au/products/desert-dry-texture-spray-300ml

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au

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In this episode of That Physical Culture Podcast, we begin with a very important segment:

Corrections.

After our Physie, Decoded episode, our listeners came in hot with notes. And when we say notes, we mean four pages worth.

We square up on what we got wrong, what we missed, what needed clarifying, and what the physie community very kindly but firmly made sure we understood. Accountability era activated.

Huge shout out to the listeners who have been guiding us, correcting us, and generally keeping us honest. This podcast is genuinely shaped by the physie community and we love you for it.

Then we settle in for a proper chat with absolute weapon of a dancer:

Montana Blanch — APDA Open Elite turned Open Ladies dancer, APDA teacher and choreographer, and someone who made National Final last year in both APDA and BJP.

Yes. Both.

We talk crossing codes, competing at the highest level, teaching and choreographing, what it takes to perform consistently and how she manages to do it all

Is there anything she can’t do? We genuinely don’t think so.

If you love physie, competition stories, or hearing from dancers who are walking the walk across associations, this one’s for you.

Montana's Poddy Pick is Sephora No.1 "Always Red" Lipstick: https://www.sephora.com.au/products/sephora-collection-original-cream-lip-stain/v/01-always-red

Make Up Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/montanamadeup/

Montana's PhysieTok Account: https://www.tiktok.com/@montysvlog

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au

Send us a text

In this episode of That Physical Culture Podcast, Renee dusts off her journalism degree and goes full investigative mode.

After one too many conversations about “which physie is better”, she decided to do what any reasonable person would do… conduct a deep dive into the multiple physie codes. Who are they? What makes them different? And are they really as different as we all claim?

Renee unpacks the origins, philosophies and stylistic nuances of the major physie associations, looking at everything from musicality and choreography to judging criteria and culture. Burns. BJP. EP. APDA. No one is safe.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Once you strip back the branding, the loyalties and the generational pride, the similarities start to shine through. The love of movement. The commitment to discipline. The musical obsession. The shared language only physie people understand. The mums. The friendships. The lifelong pull back to the stage.

Yes, there are differences. Some stylistic, some structural, some cultural. But at their core? They’re all built on the same DNA.

This episode is less about declaring a winner and more about recognising that while the codes may differ, the heart of physie is remarkably the same.

If you’ve ever wondered how we ended up with so many versions of the same sport, or if you’ve ever been fiercely loyal to “your” association, this one’s for you.

Renee's poddy pick is Kester Black Matte Lipstick in Lip Service x

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au

Send us a text

In this episode of That Physical Culture Podcast, Renee and Justine catch up on the last two weeks in physie life, personal revelations included.

Renee opens with a bold new performance goal: eliminating her infamous “stank face” on stage. Growth. Awareness. Progress. Meanwhile, Justine has officially crossed over into full Swiftie territory after watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on Disney+ (link below). There’s no going back.

We then take a crack at explaining what physie actually is... a brave attempt, considering how hard it is to describe to anyone who hasn’t lived it.

Next, we introduce our mystery guest, affectionately dubbed “Mariah” thanks to her teenage diva energy. Surprise… it’s BJP Open Ladies Finalist 2025, Tina Harridge!

Tina takes us through her 34-year relationship with Physical Culture, sharing the highs, the hard bits, the lessons, and how physie has shaped her through every stage of life.

We talk about how Tina has reshaped the way she sets goals after listening to a powerful episode of The Imperfects (link below), and how that mindset shift has changed everything.

Finally, we dive into Tina’s poddy picks, including her fake tan recommendation (because priorities): Baddest Bod — linked below.

We wrap with a call to action for all Physie Ladies:

Share this episode with who you’re trying to recruit. And if you’re not recruiting… are you even a physie lady?

LINKS:

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on Disney+: https://bit.ly/49O0H8H

The Imperfects Podcast: https://bit.ly/49y3OTi

Baddest Bod Fake Tan Reco: https://bit.ly/4pT3Z05

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au

Send us a text

Welcome to the first official episode of That Physical Culture Podcast!

We kick things off by talking about the huge response to our debut episode. Honestly, we’re still a bit shook (in the best way). Thank you for listening, sharing, and sliding into our DMs with thoughts, feelings, and strong opinions.

From there, we dive headfirst into one of the most important elements of physie: the music.

We unpack why music matters so much in the world of physie. Not just as background noise, but as a major tone-setter for the year. The music shapes performances, and lives rent-free in our heads for months on end.

We break down this year’s music selections for BJP 2026 Ladies and Seniors (who, let’s be real, always get the good songs).

We chat through the tracks we love, the ones we feel very “meh” about, and the songs we personally wish we could dance to, if we were in charge of the playlist (absolute power, zero responsibility).

To wrap things up, we share our individual physie goals for the year ahead. Some serious, some aspirational, all very us.

If you love physie, love music, or just enjoy honest conversations with a bit of spice, this one’s for you.

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au

Send us a text

In this very first episode, Justine and Renee introduce That Physical Culture Podcast, launching in 2026.

We share who we are, how physie found its way into our lives, and why this podcast exists in the first place. Spoiler: we are not experts, not coaches, and not here to hand out technical advice. We are very recent super fans, participants, parents, and lovers of the culture that surrounds this uniquely Aussie dance sport.

This podcast is about personal experience, community, nostalgia, growth, and the deep emotional connection so many of us have with physie. We also give you a preview of the topics we’ll be diving into next year and how often you can expect new episodes.

If you’re looking for official guidance or technical instruction, this isn’t your place. But if you love physie and the culture that comes with it, you’re very much in the right room.

🎧 Follow That Physical Culture Podcast wherever you listen

📱 Follow us on Instagram for updates: @that_physical_culture_podcast

Proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health

Find out more at www.instinctivehealth.com.au