Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Why Technique Will Never Go out of Style

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Why Technique Will Never Go out of Style · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: We've all seen dancers who defy gravity and physics with their amazing abilities, be it turns for days or leaps to the heavens.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: What do these dancers have in common?
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: Strong, solid technical background.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: Here with us today on Making the Impact are judges and dancers Eric the Kieperin and Mary Roberts, both of whom are strong technicians, as well as dancers who have some tricks up their sleeves to help teachers keep technique classes interesting and engaging.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_04: I am your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I am here with my fabulous co-host, Leslie Miller.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: What's up, y'all?
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_04: And we are so excited to be here today talking about technique.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_04: We love technique.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_04: I'm pumped to talk about it, and we have some awesome guests here with us.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_04: But before we get to that, we just want to give a big shout out to all of our listeners and say thank you for supporting us on this amazing podcast journey.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_04: We love it so much.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_04: It's been really awesome.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: The response has been overwhelming, and we just can't say thank you enough to everyone who's been listening to the podcast, who's been sharing the podcast on social media, and can't wait for all the upcoming episodes.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and we've gotten some really, really nice reviews on Apple Podcasts, like this one from Lemur Monkey.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: They say there are so many dance competitions, dance TV shows, and dance videos out there, but there isn't nearly enough digital media that talk about the business of dance and the dance competition world specifically.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: This is extremely well done and most of all relevant to the industry as it exists today.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: Bravo!
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, Lemur Monkey! Whoever you are, we love you.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_04: You're fantastic.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_04: What an awesome review.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_04: Another great review is coming from MK Dancer92, and they say, Great hosts, unique content, super informative.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_04: 10 out of 10 recommended for anyone wanting an inside look into dance competitions.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_04: How true.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: So true.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um so thank you again to everyone who's left a review.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe to Making the Impact on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: We've also gotten a few sponsors since we started the podcast, so be sure to give them some love as well.
• 2:24
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• 2:29
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• 2:58
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• 3:02
  SPEAKER_04: Alright, so let's get to it.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_04: We are here to talk about technique.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited to have some fantastic IDA judges and wonderful ladies on the pod.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_04: It's a ladies' night tonight for the podcast, and we are going to chat with Erica and Mary.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_04: So let's start with Erica.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_04: Can you just tell us a little bit about who you are, where you're from, what you do, and any credits you want to share?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_03: Of course.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: So I am originally from a suburb of St.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_03: Louis, Missouri.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_03: I also grew up as a competition kid.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_03: From there, I went on and was a dance performance graduate from Oklahoma City University.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: And then I moved to New York City shortly after I finished my reign as Miss Missouri.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_03: Completely irrelevant, but you know, it paid for my college.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: So shout out to that.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_03: And I also did get to perform as Miss Missouri.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: But then I moved to New York City and I'm here training, auditioning.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_03: I've done quite a bit of regional theater work, done several national tours, including West Side Story, the revival tour.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I was on the first national tour of American Empires, where I was a swing on both of those.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: Fantastic.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: You're a rock star.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_04: Super swing.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_04: All right.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_04: And Mary, tell us a little bit about you, where you're located now, your dance career, any credits you want to share?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_04: Hi, and I'm so happy to be on.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: This is super excited about being able to talk about this topic for shorts, one at the heart of me as a jazz dance educator these days.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, my my background, I am looks like we are in quite a room of Oklahoma City University graduates.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_04: Except for me.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not from there, but the gingers all are.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that's you know.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: So my background, my family moved around quite a bit, but I went to Alabama School of Fine Arts when I was younger.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: That was actually after being at a couple of different competition dance studios.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I did have my early time dance masters of America.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: It was my very first competition experience when I was younger.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, I grew up and played basketball because my mom was my coach.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: So when I started dancing and then abruptly started getting into competitions, that was a culture shock for me.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: But I will say that competitions really lit a fire under me because it created networking and socializing that then led to me being very inspired to follow through, going to undergrad at Oklahoma City University, out of OCU, I headed to Atlanta, Georgia, where I got to perform with King Size Entertainment, doing burlesque and showgirl stuff, but also being picked up for a lot of hip hop and breakdancing gigs.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: So two total different ends of the spectrum there.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: And then I worked on a riverboat and then I went out to cruise ships.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: And after having opened a vessel and I did eight contracts in six years, I decided that it was time to go back and get my master's.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I completed my Master's of Fine Arts at Florida State University a couple of years ago.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: And since then, I have become a production show supervisor for Norwegian Cruise Lines.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: I have choreographed and installed events for Royal Caribbean.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I am also currently in Atlanta, Georgia, because I essentially spend my freelance life as a choreographer following the money.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I am in Atlanta, Georgia for the second year with Santa's Fantastical, which is a winter wonderland, and I'm choreographing shows for them.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_04: Yes! Wow, you do literally everything.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: Literally.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: And we are so lucky to have both of these ladies with us tonight.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: They're busy and we appreciate your time and taking the time to talk with us tonight.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: So all the episodes of our season, this first season of Making the Impact, are based on previous topics from our IDA Judges blog.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: Listeners, you guys want to go even deeper into each topic, including this one, and hear from some other judges, head over to Impact Danceadjudicators.com/slash judges blog to read more.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: Let's go ahead and start.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: I want to start with just the basic question.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: Why are technique classes important?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: I think they're so important.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_03: I think if you are building a house, you wouldn't build it without the proper foundation.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_03: For me, that is it is so important because that is your foundation for all that you will continue to do.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_03: And it applies to everything from building a house to dance.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think one of the things that uh sometimes gets overlooked, and I just attended the National Dance Educators Conference uh in Miami, which was a fantastic wrap-up from having presented at the Jazz Dance Educators Conference a couple of months ago.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the things that we talk about a lot is that people sort of miss the concepts of technique and that there is a technique for every single style of dance, regardless of what it is.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: It all comes from something.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, sometimes when people say technique, it's like, oh, but maybe we're not a strong ballet dance studio, or maybe we're not a strong jazz dance studio, or whatever it may be.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, well, then that's fine.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: The technique that you're getting, maybe it's in West African, maybe it's in specific genres of hip-hop.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you have a really fantastic locking teacher that's at your that's at your studio.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: So technique is the the building, and just like what Erica was just saying about like building a home, it's creating the foundation for whatever that technique is.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: It is not the same as simply learning choreography to perform that choreography.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: The technique of every single style of dance is the practice of the style.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's the practice of that form of dance.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I think sometimes even when we start talking about improvisation, people are like, oh, I'm just gonna go improv.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: There are techniques and established practices for improv as well.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so that is also a technical component that needs to be remembered.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_02: Mary, you just like expanded on so many other questions I was gonna ask.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: So you you rock, you like read my mind.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so, in in keeping with what you just said, you said something that really stuck out to me.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: As you know, we're thinking about competitive dance here kind of generally, what typically happens throughout the year with a lot of studios is, you know, you have your technique classes maybe to December.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: And then maybe those classes shift into choreography only through competition season as we clean, as we learn, as we finish choreography.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_02: Do you guys, what do you think about that?
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: Do you think it's okay to swap out your technique classes for rehearsals?
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_02: Or, you know, what do you see as the benefits or the downfalls of that practice?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: I personally think that I grew up at a studio.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: So this is from personal experience of what I've done as a student and also what I've done as a teacher.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: But as a student, I grew up, I was training.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: We only had technique classes solely from Monday through Friday.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's kind of how I grew up training just solely in technique.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: And then on Saturdays, that was our rehearsal time.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_03: And we had 15 minutes per dance, which looking back, not a lot of time.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_03: However, when you train and take class together, whether it's with those same people or maybe a larger group of people, and you're training in those techniques ballet, tap, jazz, even like she was saying, other styles, every style has a every genre has a technique behind it.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_03: You tend to, when you're training together, your cleanliness will kind of shine through because you've been trained the same way.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um so as a teacher and working with students, I understand that it will happen.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: There are some points where you do need to have a moment pause and maybe spend a little bit of time, extra time cleaning to get those routines, performance ready.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: However, I do think that you still need to be in the classroom setting, still training, because if you do have, like I was saying, those similar backgrounds and that building of that technique, that technical foundation, that will carry through into your cleanliness.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if if you're not drilling technique on a regular basis, then the performance becomes lackluster in a lot of ways, right?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that one of the things after having experienced this last season and then actually getting to see some groups later on in the season as they went to nationals, in some cases, you can very definitely see which groups are still working the technique because the piece itself and the kids themselves have grown, evolved, and improved over the duration.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: By the time they get to nationals, it's so exciting to see them there and see them like, you know, maybe it's only been four months, but in four months' time, they almost look like they're that next level up for themselves.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: They're ready for that next season.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: They're, you know, and I love seeing that growth.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that that can only happen if kids aren't just focused on the steps within a choreographed routine, but they're actually focused on the transitions.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: And the technique is the glue that holds all the pieces together, you know.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so with some of the shows that I experienced myself as a performer, even on cruise ships or shows that I have now set, there are technical components of those shows that have to continue to be drilled.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: And as professionals, you continue to take class, even if that's giving yourself your class, even if you're going and conditioning yourself in a specific way.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: Or let's say you have a big ballroom section in a show and you're not necessarily a strong ballroom performer, but yet you go and work with that partner.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: You go and drill like those specific roomba moments or like the specific hand grips, and you know, you find ways to keep your show improving because if it's not improving, it's gonna stagnate and then it's gonna get worse.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're not working on it, it's not, it's not only that it's just gonna stay the same, at some point it's gonna sort of like disintegrate.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: There's you said, you know, something that stood out to me that when you were able this season to judge maybe a regional routine in March, and then you were lucky enough to be able to see that same group again at nationals.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: That doesn't all I mean, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel the same way as you.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like when I get to see that again, and then I see that you took my correction of you guys need another ballet class a week, you know, it's not only, okay, this section needs to get cleaned.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of times my corrections and my critiques include take one more ballet class a week or really get into jazz class and work on that double pirouette progression.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that section right there, like that is what you need is the technique of it.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: It's not the choreography that's lacking.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's your execution of the technique that makes up the choreography.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: And there have been several times that I've been able to see a group after a few months and I'm like, you did it.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like you did what I asked you to do versus I see you again and more times than not, you didn't do, you didn't do it.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: You just kept drilling that same routine over and over again and didn't work on the components of the routine.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: It also helps to establish uh stylistic differences.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: So even if a let's say a group has a hip-hop number, they've got like a, you know, a really solid jazz number, which I get so excited to see that, and they have a contemporary number.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, when they're in there and they're training the technique, you see the stylistic differences that are necessary for those to be different numbers.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: When you see that maybe the kids had so much fun with a specific hip hop routine and they're grounded and that, you know, like they're getting that flat-footed approach to it, and the knees are bent, and there's like this, like they're just really like anchoring in and nailing in on that rhythm.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: But then maybe at some point the ballet classes did kind of fall off.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: And so maybe in the jazz, especially if it's a classic jazz, like from a codified technique base, and they're not really pointing their feet as much anymore.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: They're not stretching through the legs, they're not following the line of like, you know, that finger and finding that radiating energy out.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so you can see what technique is being attended and what is not.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_04: Speaking of technique and like coming from a, you know, my perspective of also like Erica coming from a very heavy competition studio, September until December was primarily only technique.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_04: And we would do our competition dances on the weekend.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_04: And then once we got into the new year, we still did all of our technique classes just the same.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_04: We didn't get kick them out of the way because competition choreography was a priority.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_04: We would just have to be at the studio more often for the competition choreography.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_04: Like I feel very grateful that my studio was so they were very adamant about being in technique class.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_04: We had to take three days a week ballet, but we could take up to five.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that it showed at competition.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_04: You know, everyone knew us as the technique studio.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_04: That kind of does sometimes separate the person next to you at competition, which, if we're looking at it in that perspective, that I think that that's why we titled the blog Technique Will Never Go Out of Style.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's true.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_04: Like technique is it's not going anywhere, and you need technique, and it's only going to help you in in your career, or even if you go on as a teacher, you're gonna be teaching technique that's the fundamentals and the foundation of dance.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_04: So I think it's I can't stress how important it is.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I was just gonna say one of the things that I really sort of worked around myself as somebody who had injuries and a number of injuries, and just, you know, as I was growing up, we didn't have like the components of dance science and somatics and all these wonderful things to like really take care of your body and yourself.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's so important.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like people have all this access to this wonderful information now.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the things that I would really like the commercial industry to get away from is the concept of the consumable body, and it really very specifically affects the female dancers more than it affects male dancers.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so technique and not just one specific technique, but combining the techniques of somatics, like bringing in these other elements, takes away that concept that dancers' bodies are just consumable items.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: And oh, they're gonna get injured, and oh, this is gonna happen.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: If we kind of get away from that sort of belief system and say, wait a second, these are smart, intelligent, talented, artistic human beings, what can we do to help support them in whatever they may do?
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the things that I've always loved about dance is regardless of what somebody wants to do later on, they take the elements of dance.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, once a dancer, always a dancer.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: And people take that creativity and that artistry into other aspects of their lives.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: So then why is the longevity of the belief as an as an artist and as a mover so strong?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: And yet the concept of preserving the body itself is just not as attended to.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that, you know, when we're talking about technique, it's not just technique to be at one competition and do well in the competition.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's to have a lifetime of living in this wonderful thing that we were given at birth of having a body that moves and does all the things we want it to do.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: And technique is what allows us to be that way.
• 17:43
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• 17:51
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• 18:12
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• 18:19
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• 18:28
  SPEAKER_02: Erica, I wanted to bring you I wanted to bring you into this conversation.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: Because so just full disclosure, I've known Mary for uh at least 10 years.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: I've known Erica for probably twelve, and both of both of these ladies have tremendous technique under their belt, but also have tremendous tricks.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, part of this conversation is, you know, technique over tricks.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like we we do we value technique more than tricks?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so we were so excited to have both of you on because I know Mary, you've got a lot of the contortion, super flexy background, and Erica, you have all this gymnastic, like super powerful background.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: But Erica also, not to call you out, but like since I've known you, you've had several injuries.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I wanted you to speak a little bit to what Mary was talking about about how to preserve your body through technique, because I don't think there's any way that knowing, like me knowing you and what you've been through, that you could have rebounded from all these injuries that you've had without the solid, huge background of technique that you have.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm interested to hear what you say.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and I think that like Courtney was saying earlier, the fact that I was brought up in that strong technical foundation of all styles, like really stressing that versatility.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: While I was, I started off as a gymnast, actually.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_03: So that's where a lot of my acrobatic and gymnastic technique was developed and nurtured.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: But while I was there, I also was taking ballet technique classes as well as tap and jazz classes at a local studio.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_03: So I was look lucky enough to kind of grow up and develop foundation, which I was pretty brutal as a kid as far as dance was concerned.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_03: So when I did my first solo at about age seven, eight, they suggested, hey, let's have her do an acro solo because she can clearly tumble, but she doesn't quite have the dance training or you know, the coordination at that point.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_03: So, and at that time, they were also just awarding like honorable mentions and gold, silver, bronze or first, second, third.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_03: So it it was, I can't say it was discouraging, it really motivated me.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_03: And it took years and years and years for me to get to about a really strong, confident level of technique.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: Probably by the time I was like a sophomore in high school, I felt like I had really progressed and I was seeing that improvement in classes.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_03: And then, you know, going into college, just continuing to train every day.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: I even today, like like Leslie was saying, I've unfortunately endured quite a few injuries, especially in the last five years.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: I've had two ankle surgeries, a hip surgery, a wrist surgery.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and some of those came from I mean, it's tough to talk about all those, but I think the fact that I had that strong training in all of genres, I've been able to come back very quickly.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think technique really truly for me has ever left me.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_03: I continue even through surgeries going to see a physical therapist.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_03: I do a lot of Pilates, and I think that's really helped me to maintain so much of my alignment throughout everything and maintain some kind of muscle mass and just all that.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_03: And then the muscle memory kind of kicks right back in, and that technique always comes through.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_03: And to this day, I still take a tumbling class at Chelsea Pierce after everything.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_04: You're such a oh my gosh, you're like a rock star for be getting through all of that and still performing.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_04: You are still going.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: It's tough like mentally, but never give up.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_02: And we used to call Erica in college the machine.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: And like that's that's the testament to like how strong she is, and her technique will just it serves her so well.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: If you know if anybody ever is lucky enough to see Erica dance, like you'll see what it means.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, thanks.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: When I've gone through physical therapy myself, and somebody's like, oh, are so you're ready to like quit dancing now?
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I've just looked at them and I said, Why would I go through all of this to give up?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: I go through all of this so I can continue to do what I do.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_04: And I think it's important to share with young dancers who might be dealing with any sort of injury since we since we went this route, is that your technique will most likely still be there with you when you're finished, just like Erica said.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_04: Of course, you're gonna have to, you know, get back into the swing of things a little bit, but for the most part, you're still gonna have that foundation and it's gonna be there and it's gonna come back to you a lot quicker than it is if you didn't have it.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_04: So glad we talked about injuries for a little minute.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: I do want to switch gears a little bit and think more about teachers and time.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: So we've got a lot of a lot of our questions that we've been asked recently for like the Q ⁇ A's and everything.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, listeners, for sending in your questions, have been sort of about, you know, when we will have another podcast about this, I promise.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: We I think we say this every week, but levels.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, a lot of competitions base their advanced, intermediate, beginner, recreational, what have you, levels on hours per week in the studio.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: They a lot of them don't differentiate whether those hours are spent in technique class or hours spent in choreography.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: So, my question to you guys, in your opinion, for the competitive level, the advanced level, how many hours a week in technique period do you think those dancers should be training?
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I was gonna say 10 hours.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just technical training.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: And but but that also depends on what your demographic is and how many days a week that they they can afford to be in the studio and that they can afford to be there.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think that there should be a balance that if at minimum, I think that it should be like 50-50, that if you're very focused on the competition season, whatever amount of time you're spending on performance and cleaning and doing all of that, then I think that same amount of time should be spent on technique.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that the moment that you get 60-40 and the 40 is the technique, you're now prioritizing the performance over to technique.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think that anybody who's uh not at the professional level needs to be prioritizing technique over performance, depending on how you're going with it.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Let's say 50-50.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: So let's say you are a dancer that can only afford to be in the studio for five hours a week.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, then two and a half hours of that should be then spent on technique.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_04: I love that so much.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_03: I agree.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_03: I think that 50-50 split is is very important to think.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I was kind of thinking about when I was training, I was probably spending almost five days a week up there, about 5 p.m.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_03: to 9 p.m.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_03: So that's what, four hours a day at five times a week.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's well, that's 20 hours, which is quite a bit, plus a Saturday or a Sunday rehearsal thrown in there.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: But that's obviously like she was saying, that's not necessarily a possibility for every dancer, or the studio may not be available for those times or be able to offer that many classes at that high of a level.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_03: But I do think basing it something off of there, and I think that that, like she was saying, anytime you're prioritizing those rehearsals to clean work on choreography performance aspects, once you start to get into that percentage where that's significantly higher than the technique that is kind of, I think, where you kind of tend to see some of the issues uh creep in.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_03: So I do I I'm not sure if what the set number of hours should be, but that is a tough one.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_04: I really love how you answered that question, Mary, with a 50-50.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_04: I think that's so smart.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that kind of what Leslie mentioned at the top of the question was that a lot of teachers might be going in, and obviously we're talking about levels right now, which again will be a whole nother episode.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_04: But just to touch on it and give my perspective, I definitely think that a lot of teachers go into selecting levels for their dancers based off of the technique classes and how many days a week they're tech they're techniquing and not physically at the studio.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_04: So maybe a dancer may be at the studio five days a week, but only doing technique classes two days a week, like you said.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_04: So maybe they're doing like a 40-60 split and competition is the priority, but then because of that, they're only putting the dancer in the intermediate level, which I think is wrong because the dancer's there five days a week.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_04: So if you're at if you're at the studio however many days, I mean, I I think that it should be counted regardless if you're in a choreography class for learning competition, if you're in a solo rehearsal, or if you're in technique class, I think all hours spent, the moment you walk through the door and you leave, should be counted towards your level placement and the amount of hours required.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_04: That's just my personal take because how can you be an intermediate level dancer if you're in 15 dances?
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think that that's that's true.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_04: No matter what, you're still learning something from doing that style of dance.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_04: And choreography at competition can be a training aspect of a young dancer's training.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that should count towards the hours.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_04: Gosh, we could talk about levels all day.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_04: All day.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_02: And we will.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: That'll be an extra long, extra, extra special episode.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: So back to the classroom.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_02: We obviously have a lot of teachers listening and hoping for some tried and true strategies to keep their technique classes fun, because I mean, everybody knows all around the world we all start with plis.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, as comforting as that might be to some of us, some people may find that a little bit dry.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: So, any any tips and tricks that you guys have had in the past teaching to make your technique fun?
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: For jazz dance classes, that it's just not necessary anymore to specifically use like the old school codified techniques of it, that you can really just play fantastic, fun, rhythmic music.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like, who said that isolations of the body have to be done all in rows facing a mirror?
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why not just turn music on, let people start moving around the room?
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then as people find the rhythm of it, then you build isolations into the rhythm of, you know, like the rhythm of the music is then built into head isolations going, you know, and you move that back down through the body.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that was something that uh Lindsay Guarino, who is the author of Jazz Dance History of Roots and Branches, the most recent jazz dance book that's out there, that's the refocusing of her class, you know, and so there's there's this opportunity to really take a look at how classes are being taught and come up with other creative ways to get at the material that's in them in a way that actually feels very organic and authentic for, you know, not just for the form, but also for the for the students that are learning.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that then it makes it fun for all ages as well and all demographics of people.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: And anybody can come into that space, and it's a very democratic space.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody can move, everybody can find it for themselves in their own way.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I think for specifically for jazz dance styles, I think that that's one way to go about it of really like democratize the space, get people moving, get them jamming, like you know.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: Erica, any any tips and tricks for you to keep technique exciting?
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, yeah, Leslie, I think you'll remember this.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: But one of our professors at OCU, I loved that, you know, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, ballet class as normal.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_03: And then on Fridays we had fun music Friday.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_03: And I always thought that was a fun way to just kind of break the mold.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, still doing, you know, ballet, bar, petita legal, going through every single thing, every single exercise, but doing it to different music just kind of made you smile, gave it a fresh perspective, and then give you the weekend to recover and start again on Monday.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I thought that was kind of a nice little break from the norm.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: And I I do utilize that when I am teaching ballet classes occasionally just to kind of get them out of their comfort zone, and you'll see them kind of smile a little bit more and just start to have a little bit more fun rather than just repetition, repetition, repetition.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_03: And then when teaching like tap, I love to do a lot of like call and response type things just to kind of catch, you know, kind of keep them on their toes and just being able to listen and regurgitate rhythms quickly, even if it's not doing the same choreography, just being able to repeat back rhythms.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_04: And just l kind of listening to your suggestions on, you know, how to make it more fun and talking about repetition.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_04: One of my teachers from New York City, Melissa Wolf Roseboro, she would come down from New York every Friday and she would teach us a, I think it usually was like a two-hour class.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_04: And it felt like we were at like Broadway Dance Center, but we were weren't, we were in our safe space in our home studio in Maryland, and she taught us for I think it was either classified as a contemporary or modern class.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_04: I can't specifically remember because that feels very long ago.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_04: But it ended up being a warm-up that was structured and the same every time.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_04: The exact same warm-up, same same exact playlist she would put on.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_04: You knew the phrase, you would know how to go through it.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_04: And the good thing for that was that we would walk in and know exactly how to start class, and we could improve on those aspects, and the teacher could actually walk around and correct us better.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_04: For me, I I just thought that that was just always like a breath of fresh air.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_04: Like I couldn't wait to go back and do this amazing warm-up that felt like dan downtown New York City dance.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_04: And then the teachers could really focus on the technique.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_04: And speaking of warm-up, I think that dancers need to remember to utilize their technique in the warmup and not just sit there in a static stretch and forget that how to point your feet and length through your legs because hello, you should know how to do that in your warmup.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_04: We're preparing the body to get up onto our feet and move across the the room.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: Final question: What can dancers do outside of a studio in terms of technique to help themselves?
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, maybe they're on vacation, maybe they're uh maybe they do have some sort of injury where they can't take class, or you know, maybe their studio doesn't have classes offered in the summer.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_02: What can they do on their own technique-wise uh that can help further their progress?
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I think what I a lot of what I did on the road was I looked to outside sources.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_03: So there's always great ways, and now we have the internet.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, Googling and researching either some studios around you, especially as you get, you know, to be a teenager and adult, there are tons of cities that offer open adult classes, which are I've found to be phenomenal.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_03: We had a lot of resources, specifically on our tour, where we could go to local ballet companies actually and take a class with them, which may or may not be accessible, but there usually are some resources as far as open classes, drop-in classes where you can go and take them.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_03: I also looked, like I was saying, a lot to like cross-training, I think is so valuable.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_03: Even if I'm not necessarily hitting up a dance studio, I'm probably finding ways to either take a Pilates class.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_03: I love swimming.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_03: That's such a great cardio workout and also strength builder.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna say something very quickly in regards to what you just said, Erica, because I feel like that's something that's important that we should mention, especially because we have a lot of teachers who are also dealing with like super hypermobile and flexible dancers these days because it's like kind of a trend right now.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_04: I hope that the teachers are training those hypermobile steps and technique in with the proper technique, is essentially what I'm trying to say.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_04: I really hope that everyone's stretching safely and properly.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_04: And second, similar like you said, Erica, saying that we do have this amazing resource of the internet, YouTube and Instagram, and so many things to inspire us.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_04: I do hope that dancers understand that you there is a technique behind stretching and being hyper-flexible.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_04: So we have to make sure that we are safely doing it.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_04: And that also comes back around to injuries, preventing injuries, you know.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_04: So, all of that being said, I think that the technique and the foundation is very important skills to be focusing on.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_04: And then, you know, you can build up to those advanced steps and those advanced skills with the technique as the background.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_01: As a person who has a hypermobile body, when I was growing up, nobody really understood it.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so while it was appreciated, it was constantly like lower your leg, find strength, you know, find a better position.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: But that didn't create functional flexibility for me.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_01: So then my legs could, and they actually still go well beyond a 180 tilt.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: Both sides, right and left, are equal.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_01: But what that did was that put a lot of compression in my lower back.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_01: It created disc bulges, it created, I just didn't have the proprioception and the stability that I really needed throughout my structure.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like my body just doesn't hold itself as easily.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: It takes me a lot longer.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a whole bunch of things about ligamentous laxity and hyperflexibility, and it affects the connective tissue throughout the body in really, really interesting ways.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: So I think for for teachers that are out there recognizing that students have that hypermobility, start figuring out what all does that mean?
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_01: How many different ways does that affect the body?
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: And instead of just saying, like, wow, this is incredible flexibility, let's push it as far as it can go.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, the benefit may be don't stretch the things that don't need to be stretched.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_01: I don't need to lay in a straddle on the floor.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't need to do that.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: What I do need is that I have tight hamstrings, I have tight hip flexors.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_01: Those are the stretches that I do before I perform, those are the things I do before I get in the car to drive somewhere as a while, you know?
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_01: So find the stretches that are actually stretching the things that are not flexible on you.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_01: There's also a really great book out there called Conditioning for Dancers, and it's by Tom Welsh.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: Tom Welsh was the president of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Sciences, I Adams, and he is on faculty at Florida State University.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: He wrote this book, and it's essentially a workbook about how to properly condition your body.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: So he teaches you the basics, you have workbook style questions, and then after you've read and learned all of that, then you are given the exercises.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: And they are wonderful exercises pulled from a lot of different components.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I picked up that book after I got injured out on shifts, and without knowing who he was, and knowing that later I'd be going to Florida State, I used that book to completely change my warmup as a professional dancer.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: I quit doing deep stretches, I did stability exercises, my performance improved, and I quit being in so much pain.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of logic behind properly training the body at any age.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I think we're towards our end.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_04: Do we want to do any final thoughts?
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: So I was kind of thinking, you know, the the fable uh the tortoise and the hare.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_03: I kind of think of that as like relating to technique over tricks.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_03: Like technique takes time to develop, whereas tricks is kind of more that instant gratification, you get to the end of the race first, but that doesn't mean that you'll have the longevity to continue along that path.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so I just thought that was really interesting.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_03: And it's something that you you learn that fable really, really young in life, but for some reason it hasn't really translated to the lessons that we necessarily learn as dancers or the way we approach our dance technique.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that's kind of something that I wanted to add and throw in there.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, final thoughts on technique is know yourself and know your performances, and then pay attention to what is actually necessary for what it is that you're doing.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: And when we're specifically talking about competitions and the numbers that are presented at competition, look at where the gaps are.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_01: What do the what do the kids really need more of in order to make that their strongest, most confident performance?
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: What elements can we add in their technical training that helps them to really find their bestest, right?
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: Their their personal best moment in that season within those realms.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: And as for the the educators and the instructors out there, I just say take care of yourself.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: Craft and curate your warmups, craft and curate your technical classes so that they're better for you.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: And in that regard, they're more beneficial to the students.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_04: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about technique.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_04: Shout out to our special guests, Erica and Mary, for joining us on this great topic.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_04: Follow our guests on Instagram, Erica at EJ Pebron and Mary at Miss Mary Roberts.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: Do you have a question you've been dying to ask a judge?
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: Now's your chance to send us your questions.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_02: We might answer them on the show and give you a shout-out.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: Submit your questions to us on our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com slash podcast via audio or text.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_04: A quick shout-out from one of our sponsors and IDA affiliated competitions.
• 39:11
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• 39:21
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• 39:29
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• 39:36
  SPEAKER_04: There are three levels of competition as well as the new Spirit class for dancers with special considerations.
• 39:42
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• 39:46
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• 39:50
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• 39:58
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• 40:04
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• 40:15
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• 40:20
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• 40:25
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• 40:31
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• 40:35
  SPEAKER_02: Coming up in the next few weeks, we've got interviews with competition owners, taking critical feedback, costuming plus bonus QA episodes with Courtney.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify, and tune in every Monday for new episodes.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_04: As always, we're so glad you joined us for this episode of Making the Impact.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for tuning in.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_04: Till next time, keep dancing.