Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / What To Expect When Transitioning From Studio Dance to Dance Team

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What To Expect When Transitioning From Studio Dance to Dance Team · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: There is no doubt that the world of college dance teams has taken over the conversation in recent years.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: The athleticism, precision, and pure excitement that this genre brings is unmatched.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: On today's episode of Making the Impact, our guests dive deep into the differences and similarities of the studio dance world and the dance team world.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: And they have more in common than you might think.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, Courtney, and happy podcast day to you.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: Happy Podcast Day and Happy Dance Team Day, because today on this week's episode, we're moving from studio dance land and heading into college dance team land, which I'm really excited about.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think we're gonna learn a lot.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: We've only had one other episode that focuses on this topic.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to learn more.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, the dance world is constantly changing.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure there's new updated information for us to have and more specifically hone in on sort of that transition and how how do we get from point A to point B.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that that's kind of a new, a new thing, people wanting to do one and then the other.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: And now there's more of a framework around that with all the options, you know, for training programs and things.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure we're gonna learn all about it.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, we are.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: And we are in the thick of the studio dance competition season right now in March.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I hope that all of our listeners and dancers and studios have been having a blast at competition, at conventions, getting that judge feedback, implementing it, heading to your next event.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: We've been out and about over here, Leslie and I, for some dance conventions and competition judging.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_02: So I've been loving the talent and can't wait for some more for the rest of the competition season.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's gonna be over before we know it, which is always sad.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: So enjoy it while it's here.
• 2:18
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• 2:24
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• 3:18
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• 3:26
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• 3:33
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• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: But we have two new guests here that are going to share their knowledge and experience on how to go from being a studio dancer to a college dance team dancer.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm I'm pretty sure everyone, if you are in the dance world in any capacity, you probably tuned into the dance super bowl or UDA nationals that happened in January 2026.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: And they are rising in popularity with people tuning into this.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's just crazy to see.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: And as we've admitted many times, I I have I have no idea what this world is, but I love watching it.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a big fan and a supporter from a distance.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: But I want to know like, how do we get these dancers to this level?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so many dancers want to be on these dance teams now, but they don't even really know, or maybe their studio owners don't know this world either.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: So they they want to help them, but they don't know what they need to do to get them to that point in their training.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: So this episode is hopefully going to bridge that gap a bit with the knowledge and expertise from our two brand new guests who are joining us today.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: The first guest that I'm very excited to welcome to the podcast was recommended by some friends of us who have been previous podcasts guests, Terrell and Kelsey.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: She is in her 14th season coaching at Texas Tech University.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: So I know she has all the experience that she's going to share right here, right now on the podcast.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm very happy to welcome Erin Alvarado to the podcast.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome, Erin.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much for having me here.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so happy to learn from you today.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: And if you could share a little bit more about you, your early dance training, how you got into uh coaching for university at the university level, and anything else you'd like to share with what you're working on now.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think my path is maybe it's it's probably more like what kids are having today than it is traditional for people my age.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: I started in studio.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: I was a studio kid my whole entire life.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_03: I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, which is obviously heavy, heavy competitive studio life and did all the things.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_03: And then I went to West Virginia University.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um I was a dance minor there, so I did all the concert level training in college, and I didn't find out anything about dance team at all until my junior year of college.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_03: And I auditioned for the dance team at West Virginia purely because their sports teams were good, and I was a big sports fan.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: It was just like another avenue for me.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't do it in like the competitive sense.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_03: I was primarily focused on the concert world and then studio.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: I was teaching in studio as well in college.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_03: After college, the dance team at West Virginia didn't have a coach.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um they were kind of searching, and I was still in town because I was going with Trell to auditions.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_03: We were driving from that area to New York and all over the place, auditioning for different types of things.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: And so the dance team position at West Virginia just kind of fell into my lap.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: And I was super intrigued because it was so different, kind of like you two, trying to learn about this new world.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: That's kind of how I fell into it.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: Had no clue what I was doing.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: Went to my first college nationals as a coach and had never watched, seen, or done anything with it.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_05: Wow.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: At a different competition, still under the varsity umbrella.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_03: So that was kind of I was at West Virginia for three years.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_03: I graduated with my degree in physiology, so I'm really big into like body mechanics.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_03: If I couldn't major in dance, I still wanted to do something physical.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_03: And then the Texas Tech position became available and it was full-time.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: And at the time that wasn't a thing.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_03: Most of the times it was like part-time, or you're overseeing the mascots and the cheerleaders and all these things.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_03: And so got the job at Texas Tech and we made the switch to UDA.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: This was our fifth season at UDA, so about 10 years in, we made the switch.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I'm also an adjunct faculty member at Texas Tech.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: I teach uh advanced jazz and tap, and then I teach anatomy for dance.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_03: So I kind of have all the different hats.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I'm able to look at things through a different lens and work with our BFA and our BA dance majors, and then I also judge as well.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: So I judge in the studio space, and then I also judge in the college and all-star and dance team, high school dance team space.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_03: So kind of looking at it through a multiple different lenses, but I do not choreograph.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: So I think we're gonna get a nice balance between all of us here today.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: Cool.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, wow.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just so impressed by that.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's a lot.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: You would you wear a lot of hats.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Just like, is your closet very big?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_03: I'm constantly running all over the place, but I will say, like, I like having the balance of the educational side and then the dance team side with all the pressure, and then even it with our dance majors, it's such a different vibe, and it helps me kind of not burn out because I'm able to look at it through different lenses.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: That's interesting.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm just wondering out of curiosity, are BFA or BA dance majors allowed to also be on the dance team or no?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_03: They can, it's not as common.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_03: More so BAs.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_03: BAs might, because usually here, BAs will double major in something else.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: And so I had a BA dance major graduate from my program last year, but it's nice because a lot of our kids do minor in dance, and we have a hip hop, full-time hip hop teacher at Texas Tech too, which is non-traditional because our BFA is more focused on like the teaching side of it, not the performative side of it.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: I see.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_03: And so we just hired a full-time hip-hop faculty, so they have a hip hop track here.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it's nice for our dance team kids to be able to uh train foundationally uh and historically, since they're not always getting that on a dance team side.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, love that.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Sweet.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Well, uh thank you for joining us and sharing everything that you've learned through all these years in both sides of the industry.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_02: All right, our next special guest who is joining us, I'm sure many of you have watched her her epic choreography on the UDA stage because it has truly gone viral.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm so excited to have her here right now.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm just gonna give a little spoiler.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: If you watched Oops, I did it again, who got silver medal at UDA for jazz this year.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: That is her choreography, y'all, the jazz choreographer of the LSU Tiger Girls.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: I am thrilled to welcome Kristen Daniel to the podcast.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: You're so welcome.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: And I honestly, on my end, I know that you have studio experience too, because you also have students that you choreograph on for competition and guest choreography, because I've actually judged your students at streets before, which is so exciting.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I can say I my jaw was on the floor every time your your choreography came out on stage.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm just a big fan.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_04: Well, fun fact, two of them are actually Tiger Girls now.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_04: So kind of a full circle moment for all of us.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_04: So okay.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Even more reason why you're perfect for this episode.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_04: I've this last year, their senior year, I've I definitely learned a lot on the teacher side of the recruiting end.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_04: And it it was a lot being like a choreographer and a teacher.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, I really can't do much here.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_04: Like it was kind of the first time where I just had to let them be independent and do all the things on their own.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_04: And yeah, don't care if you need a listening ear, but like you got to make your own decisions here.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, it was a it was an interesting year this past year, but we made it through.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_02: I love to hear that.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, that's great.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Kristen, if you could share a little more about you, your background in dance, your studio side, your dance team side, how you became the jazz choreographer at LSU.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: More about you.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah, all the things.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I started out at your regular tap jazz studio.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_04: I'm actually from Lafayette, Louisiana, which is about an hour away from Baton Rouge.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_04: So grew up pretty much down the street from LSU, but I grew up supporting University of Louisiana, which is where my dad worked, and where I ended up going to college.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_04: But before all of that, I was I kind of transitioned from the tap and jazz world into ballet.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_04: So I thought I was gonna be a ballerina.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_04: That did not that did not really get a plan.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_04: Didn't quite have the body for it.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_04: So then I kind of segued into more of like commercial jazz, that kind of route, and started assisting on conventions.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_04: And I I think probably the most notable one is I assisted The Pulse on Tour, which isn't around anymore.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_04: But throwback.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, throwback.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_04: But in my opinion, was just one of the best, most iconic convention experiences.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_04: So I assisted Brian Friedman, Desandra Chavez, I see Oreo, Brooke Lipton, Wade Robson, Gil Doldalau, that whole crew.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_04: And from there, that's kind of like how my professional dance career started.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_04: I've done shows like Glee, Gray's Anatomy, Dance for Carrie Underwood.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_04: So I've I've worked on So You Think.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_04: I've done more of like the commercial side as a dancer and as an assistant choreographer and things like that.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_04: And then started my own studio pre-professional company in Lafayette.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_04: I had that for five years after I was already training kids for six years prior.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, I kind of just want to do my own thing and offer something that hadn't been offered in my area for kids that I felt were maybe like-minded, like me, and that kind of wanted to go on a prof like professional journey, but didn't really have like the tools or the insight.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_04: So did that beyond successful for the five years that we had it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_04: I had kids winning national titles, dancing on Latin Billboard music awards, had CLI, signed to agencies.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_04: And now, as I mentioned, two of them are Tiger Girls.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_04: So although we I think I I'm in a different season of life, and so that studio isn't is no longer.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_04: I'm just very proud of like the work that we've done and the students that I was able to help train to get where they are.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_04: And so now I'm kind of in a different chapter of life, like I mentioned.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_04: But how I got the LSU job was actually through studio.
• 14:08
  unknown: Really?
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_04: Funny enough.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_04: So I did dance team, like I did it for like one and a half years in high school and then one year in college.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_04: It was not my thing.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_04: It it was not like the same like sort of conversation that it is now.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_04: Kind of the worlds are blending.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_04: And I think I I feel like I've been blessed to be a part of like pushing that conversation forward to make the worlds blend.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_04: So I I'm like all in now.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, I love it.
• 14:34
  unknown: Yeah.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_04: But it definitely like I'm kind of like Aaron, like it was not like I I didn't really, I was in studio world of things.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_04: But but so yeah, so the coach Candace actually saw my work at a studio in Baton Rouge and she was like, Who did that?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_04: I need that.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_04: And so, and she reached out to the I think she was working at that studio at the time, like just teaching technique classes, and she was like, Whoa.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_04: And so the studio owner was like, This is who I've been telling you about.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_04: So from there we connected, and I've been their jazz choreographer for the past three years.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_04: So started with, Are you that somebody?
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_04: And never for you know, burn and oops, I did it again.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: And now we're you know, you do have to appreciate the throwback songs from certain generations of of people.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for that.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: We love it.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, I love it.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, honestly, it's just whatever speaks to my soul is is what it is.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_04: Um I'm kind of what you see is what you get type of person.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_04: So I just love that.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_04: What I connect to also connects and resonates with so many people.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_04: So that's cool.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you for that.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what I think is kind of unique with what you just stated about how and for both of you, like how these worlds are sort of blending and how some of these things have fallen into your lap and you weren't even searching for it.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: But like I'm sure a lot of people even know that there are many choreographers that we train with at dance conventions that we look up to at um from our studio dance time that are now being asked to come and set choreography for the dance teams around the country.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: So like I do think that the worlds are blending more than we think.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_02: So um, even though we think some people might think of dance team in a very specific way, but as we know and what we see on stage, there's contemporary, there's jazz, there's hip hop, there's so much variety very much similar to a lot of the styles that we are doing at competition and training at convention.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: So these worlds are blending more than we think, and that's why we're here to talk about this exact conversation right here, right now.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you both for joining us and let's jump into some questions.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, awesome.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this is like like we said earlier, Courtney and I are like out here looking in.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: So we will have a lot of questions for you and answers for our listeners.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I think the first thing I want to talk about is gonna be, you know, yes, our worlds are blending, but there are kind of two distinct worlds, and there's there's information about each of them that is necessary to know if you're gonna try to go from one to the other or back and forth.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do you feel like both of you are the biggest differences when you're in a studio environment versus a dance team environment?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: Are there different expectations?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: Are there different etiquette rules?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, any anything that you can think of that are like markedly different.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I really think that it just depends on your studio culture if it's drastically different versus not.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I guess I can speak on behalf of my own kids.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_04: Like, obviously, this was our first nationals, and we were blessed to be able to share it together.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_04: And so I've I've had to like step back and be like the choreographer, like not overstep, and like you have a different person to turn to as like a coach or a leader and things like that.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_04: But like there were times where I was like, like maybe after the day was done, like, how you guys doing?
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_04: Like, is this like weird?
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_04: Like, whatever and they're like, Oh, we're good.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_04: We feel so prepared for this.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_04: Like, they're they're like, This is they're like not like it was nothing, obviously the mistakes are always high, but they felt ready for it.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_04: So I think it just depends on your culture.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_04: And like, I can definitely say that I'm a very disciplined teacher, and I do have I have high expectations for for what we all bring to the table, and we push ourselves like to get the best that we can out of ourselves.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_04: So I think like that's the kind of culture that I tried to implement.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_04: So I think like that's what they're used to, and I think that that does fare nicely within the dance team space.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_04: So that's what I can speak to on that.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that makes total sense.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you're if you're in a studio environment that really feels like we compete, we compete at a high level, we train at a high level.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's probably pretty similar to a dance team environment where we compete, we compete at a high level, we train at a high level, all the things.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think some of like the biggest differences are in, and I know this kind of like weaves into another question, you know, but it's like all the different things that you're asked to do in dance team that you don't have to do when you're in studio.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_03: And and the shortened timeline that we have because their students first, they came here specifically for school.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: It's not like you go to school all day, you go to dance at night.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_03: Like when I grew up, I was at the studio every single night.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: That's not realistic in college.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it's an adjustment sometimes for our studio kids.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_03: Like I know my kids they go to the studio every single day, even though it's not required, and they have to learn how to like work on their own more, and in their own time, they go in and improv or they're choreograph combos for each other and like do it kind of outside of practice time.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_03: So that's an adjustment.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_03: I think competitively it's a lot of pressure because there's only one, so you only get one chance, and I think sometimes our studio kids are used to like, I get feedback at this this weekend, then I move into next weekend, and I get feedback next weekend, and then I move into the next weekend, all building up to like whatever national event you're going to.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_03: But for us, we are in a space that allows it's crazy out here, guys.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's crazy, like it's like nobody can see your videos, nobody can see this.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like you have to like search for people that you trust to give you feedback.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's a little bit or a lot of bit different when it comes to like compet the competitive side of it.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_03: Like the training is still the same, and the and the teamwork, and you know, that part of it from a studio, I think definitely translates, especially if you come from a place that requires versatility and requires you to be well-rounded and you know, the discipline of of just dance in general.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_03: But I think some of our studio kids, especially like the sense of urgency that you have to have in the preparation phase.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes our freshmen come in and it's like, no, you only get one chance.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like if you get if you don't if you don't get a high enough score on the first day, you compete, you trained all year to do the dance once.
• 20:35
  unknown: Right.
• 20:35
  unknown: Really?
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_03: In total time.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_03: I had no idea.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_03: I thought it was a kind of lead up qualifiers.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_03: No, okay.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: No, not in college.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: In high school, sometimes there are, but um, in college specifically, and an all-star dance there is, but in college it's not.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: So we're all really relying on like our inner circle of people to give the dancers feedback and to come in and work with them and tweak it.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: So, okay, so UDA Nationals was is always in January.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_02: So but school starts in like August.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: So does that mean that we only have from August till January to get this dance prepared?
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: Or are we doing that at a different time?
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm curious to know the timeline.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, Kristen, you can speak to LSU.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, for me personally, I'll go maybe like end of August, like early September, like traditionally is when I've gone.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_04: But like I think what's important for people to understand is like these teams really don't touch these routines until like football season is starting to die down, which is like probably around early November.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_04: It might be different for you guys, Aaron.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_04: But like, yeah, so what people see on the floor, like, yes, I can come in and set it in August, but like we're not doing anything until November, really.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so it's like because they're still doing their sidelines or their whatever football game.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_04: Like, yeah, like Aaron mentioned, like they're in school, like they're they have all these obligations as like as spirit leaders for the school as well.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know what I mean?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_04: So, and I'm sure you probably Have more to add?
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_03: I think for me it's like burnout on the same dance over and over and over and over.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_03: You know, in studio, it's like you're competing.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_03: How many solos, two HTMLs, you know, like small groups, lines, like all these things.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: And I think for us, it's like you're only allowed to compete in two genres, period.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_03: So you can only have two dances.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_03: The dances are only allowed to be two minutes long.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_03: So you're jam-packing all of these things into like the confines of what you're allowed to do.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_03: And if you run them over and over and over, I think that you run the risk of them becoming flat too.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_03: Plus the athletic demand, the athletic demand on their bodies can only last for so long.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: So I think most teams, I mean, from my knowledge, all we all learn our dances sometime in September or or August, in like, you know, four-ish, five days is usually like what happens.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_03: And then you kind of sit on them.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, for us, like, I think every team's different.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_03: For us, like, if there's like new movement phrasing introduced, we'll work on like the foundation of that so that it's not so foreign to their bodies.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_03: If it's a uh technical skill that we're like, that's gonna take a long time.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: We'll work on the progressions of it before we're actually cleaning and running the dances.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_03: So yes, we we don't really start heavy, heavy until December.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_03: I think November, it's like our it's November one.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, okay, we're gonna start running these dances now.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna start clarifying, we're gonna start working through them.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_03: December hits and the teams are going hardcore, and then we compete in January, and it's over.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like at the end.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: So, like the season's over, like we're not on dance team anymore, or are we still like meeting?
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: Like how like, you know, right now like major depression.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, because it's like national forever.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: It's so intense, it's so intense, and it's like all this adrenaline and all this, and then you get all this feedback, you do all this stuff, and then it's literally like it's over.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: And you come back and you might do the dance like once at a basketball game, and then it's just done.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_03: Those people don't care.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_03: They don't know dad.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_03: Like crazy.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like, we I mean, all of us still have a season that we have to finish, as far as like like for us, we go into like dancing for the love of dance once we get into the spring semester.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_03: So we bring in guest teachers to work with them.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: That's nice, or the kids will do combos for each other in practice time because they still like to have their schedule.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_03: We're also practicing our dances that we do at basketball games.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: We have to still do basketball season.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_03: And then we're also starting to kind of brainstorm the technical side of what we want to do in the future in the spring.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_03: So our season doesn't really ever end, I wouldn't say.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, but if I had to say it ends, it ends when basketball season ends, and then it starts back up in May.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Kristen, when so you you come and set the piece in August, you spend a few days.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: When do you come back?
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: Do you come back in December and help, or are you just like it's yours now?
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_04: Oh no, it's like a full-time job.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_04: For sure.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_04: For sure, like a full-time job.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I guess kind of to Aaron's point, like there might be like certain like little pockets, like movement phrases or like technical things that like you might need to touch on before like even November one.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_04: And then like November one, it's like okay, like maybe we're working on sections, like however many sections you like to divvy it up into as a coach.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_04: But so I'm definitely like I'm a part of that entire process.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I yeah.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_04: So it's like a full-time job for for all involved, at least on my end.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_04: But I mean, I've I have fun doing it.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_04: I'm blessed to be able to afford it.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_04: And so I just I just go in and and do my thing.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_04: And I think the pressure is definitely like always on.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_04: It's always on from August until until the competition's over.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: I have two questions.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: And one thing I want to mention is just I wanted to ask that timeline question because as we know in studio dance, there are many studios for whatever reason start even setting choreography in June for the next season, in July, in August, but you're not competing until maybe February, March sometimes.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like that burnout of doing that dance is even longer in studio dance world.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, they're doing multiple a million different pieces, but you know, how many times can you do this darn dance before it's like squeaky clean and you're over it?
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, by the time we get to actual nationals and studio dance, kids are like, I don't want to do this darn dance anymore.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: So I can people are starting new solos.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, I'm just gonna be over the new.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, exactly.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_02: But like it is really interesting to see that it for all of us to know as listeners who watch the final product on the stage for dance teams, to know that they've really only been drilling this for about two months maximum, maximum.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: And like that's crazy to see this precision, this a unison dancing, an understanding of like different styles and techniques.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_02: So like I'm so impressed by that.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: But with that, because they're on the dance team and like not in a BFA program, how do they maintain uh their training?
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: Are they taking classes every day in dance?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_02: Or is it school comes first and dance team is more about the precision, the unison.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_02: But are they actually like are they are they doing like cross training?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: Are they in the gym every day?
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what does that look like?
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_02: And because how do they maintain their technique?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: You know how we always we preach like you gotta stay in class.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm curious if class exists for dance team.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I know like a little bit, like I definitely know that the Tiger Girls like have a workout regimen that they're required to do.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_04: And like I do know that they have technique classes, like they have like you know what I mean.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_04: So they have like things like that that are implemented.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_04: I think I think you'd be hard pressed to find any program that would be able to do that.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know, maybe Aaron, you might debunk this, but that would be hard.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_04: You'd be hard pressed to find any program that could really upkeep like that in like the heat of national season.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_04: So I and I think to her point earlier about like their bodies can only take so much, like their bodies can only take so much.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_04: So so I but I I do know that all of those things happen um as far as like how much of like the technique aspect is able to be kept up like from early to mid-December on until competition.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_04: I really don't know the ins and outs of that.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think I I don't think that anybody can really do too too much there, but right.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_03: We uh we try really hard.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_03: Like Tuesdays for us are our technique days.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: So I give them technique class on Tuesdays.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_03: That is like a hard, we are not ever not doing that until we get to, but when we get into December, it's like that time honestly is better for them to rest than for them to continue that through.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_03: I know we have we had someone come in though, and the girls were just like really shaky that weekend and they were tired and the fatigue was real.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_03: This was after Christmas.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_03: She was like, you know, they'd really benefit from a Horton warm-up.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, okay.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_03: So we just kind of like jump into it, you know what I mean?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: It's like only in that that month of December, there's just not as much time for it because it is so condensed.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_03: But we do technique on Tuesdays, they do and a lot of teams I think have started doing this, but we do ballet class where we like hire someone to come in every single Wednesday and they take ballet every Wednesday from 6 a.m.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: to 7 30 before school starts.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_05: Six in the morning, that's it is horrible.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: But but the team aspect of it, like we have to do it as a team.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_03: Or those or the effort might not be what it needs to be, or the focus might not be what it needs to be.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's actually better for them to just get it out of the way in the morning and then they can kind of go on about their day without having to be like, oh, I gotta class schedule around.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, they're all in so many different majors and stuff, it would be almost impossible.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_03: And then most of them work at night, so it's hard to like find the time.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_03: And then they also lift, um, they have a strength coach that they work with, and then we swim, we do that a lot, kind of uh we swim as like our cardio to help with the recovery process.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, listeners, as we like to point out on on nearly every episode for seven seasons, ballet.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: It exists.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: Ballet, even in dance team, even even we can talk all day about parallel and turned in and all kinds of things that we see, but ballet is happening because ballet strengthens a lot of the work you see on an avenue like this.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's really good.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's crazy.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I just wanted I wanted to understand like how that shift would be for dancers who are just so used to train, train, train, train, train.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, let's be real, there are some studios in studio dance life that don't train, train, train, train, train and just rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: So like I want people to understand what it takes because we've we've talked about this on other episodes.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: But if your training and technique is solid, then you don't need unlimited rehearsal to make a dance look like it needs a two for a stage because we're all your technique is supporting you.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: And your training that you've worked your whole studio life is now you're an adult and now you're transitioning to a new world.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: You're pretty much like a professional dancer at this point as a college dance team dancer.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_02: So like you have to be prepared for that.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have time to do that.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it is kind of professional, yeah.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_03: Honestly, like now with NIL, like that's like a whole thing where the the dancers can make money off of wait, what the fact that they're on NIL is name, image, and likeness in college sports where the athletes get paid to play essentially at their universities.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_03: And so our dancers, a lot of them have like brand deals with people or things like so.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_03: You really are it is like a transitional thing for me to get into if you do want to go into the professional world, it can also be used that way.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_03: So, like to your point, they essentially are like professional.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, people are cut paying to come see them perform.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's like that's true, absolutely.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's just not as as as uh you know saturated because you only have such a short amount of time.
• 31:49
  unknown: Wow.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: Dancers, have you ever gotten feedback at competition and thought, wait, what did that correction even mean?
• 32:00
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• 32:09
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• 32:12
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• 32:18
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• 32:25
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• 32:33
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• 32:50
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• 32:54
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• 32:59
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• 33:10
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• 33:13
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• 33:33
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so something that we talked about, especially with the demand of uh the training and even the strength training requirements that are a part of of being on a dance team level.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_02: Because I don't I don't I think that many dancers in studio life cross train, but I don't necessarily think they're in the gym.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_02: And uh that's usually once you hit adult life, we we find the gym, you know, for as an adult in many different ways.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_02: But let's talk about like the athleticism of college dance in comparison to studio dance.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_02: I do think there's uh obviously a lot of artistry and ways in college dance team, but I almost feel like that it feels more sport-like when I watch it than dance artistry-like from what we see often at some studio dance competitions.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: And with that, I think that that level of athleticism comes with the type of skills that are being presented and asked of the dancers.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I do feel like there's been a shift in that in the more recent years, has it always been that way?
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I just have never seen that before.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because I do see a lot of these skills that a lot of dancers are doing in college dance transitioning back into studio dance now.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_02: Kids want to learn these skills like 540s and uh crazy flips and awesome, unique partnering.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_02: So what what do you think are kind of like the expectations now to make it onto a team?
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: So choreographers can implement it and be able to utilize it.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_03: To your point about sport, I think something that the general public doesn't understand in the studio world probably doesn't understand, and something I had to learn when I went back into studio judging.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_03: Studio judging, at least to my knowledge, like most of the time, it's like you're you're looking at like two or three things like technique, performance, overall impression.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: Like you're just kind of it's it's it's a lot less categories.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know if that makes sense, but our score sheet and something I had to really like.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, I don't agree with this, but it is what it is.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: Like I didn't make it, and we have we're all signing up open-eyed to do this.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_03: Like the score sheet that we are working on at UDA, any any dance team competition, everything is worth the same amount of points.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_03: So, like your technique, your technique that you spend your entire life training for is only worth 10 points.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_03: Your spacing, your spacing is also worth 10 points.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_03: So it's like the choreography that you're paying thousands of dollars for and that a choreographer thinks is you know their full-time job is still only 10 score sheets.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_03: Do you understand where I'm going and like difficulty of skill?
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and this was the thing I've been saying since UDA when people were like coming at the you know, acro and turn turns and all the things.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_03: Difficulty of skill is its own caption on the score sheet.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, really?
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_03: On all genres.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_03: So it's like difficulty of skill, like that's why you're seeing and the score sheet changes.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they always say like the score sheet dictates what you see on the floor.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_03: So the the you're you're seeing a huge push on this because people are trying to capitalize on whatever their team does well to fit within the confines of that score sheet.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_03: And everything being even, I think, is we all have to figure out a way to differentiate our teams because you only get two minutes, you don't get to tell them what the piece is about, you know, like you only get so much little time.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't know.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_03: That's just like my take on like the sport.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_03: I do agree that it looks more sport, and I think that's on purpose, but I think it's not it's not driven from like the teams or the choreographers.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's driven by the umbrellas that you compete under and the score sheets that you're competing on.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: That's really interesting.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_00: Are you as a choreographer given any parameters in terms of okay, this year we want these kind of skills or this kind of turn sequence, or we want to showcase this kind of ability.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_00: And or do you do you think of that yourself or is that coming from the teams you're choreographing for?
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: Or does it happen at all?
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think I really have parameters.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_04: I think there are things that like that, I mean, I see like a vision and I kind of roll with it.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that there are things that like, you know, because I'm still newer to the dancing world, I feel like I've kind of like kind of figured it out now after my third season, but there are things that we need to have to like to Aaron's point to to hit all points on the score sheet, right?
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_04: Like everybody is trying to like hit all areas of the score sheet.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_04: So I wouldn't say it's like a parameter.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_04: I just is like, oh, like we probably need something like this here to like hit to enhance what we're doing on the score sheet.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, I mean, I do think that it's gotten to a point of where dance and acro and athleticism are kind of the lines are very much being blurred there.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_04: And not to say it's like right or wrong, it just kind of is what's happening.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_04: So I don't know.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_04: For me as like a choreographer, I think the only thing that I really strive to do is just stay authentic and like true to my own voice.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_04: And I think it kind of just helps that I my stuff is naturally very athletic and naturally very stylized.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_04: And so I think it might always lend itself to be to be not right, but like to be in the mix, yes.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_04: In the mix of things.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, I mean, I don't know.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_04: I I I guess that's just how I train my kids to like we train like very athletic based and very stylized, very movement.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_04: We did a technique course, like I told you guys, I thought it was gonna be the next Ballina, but um so all the things.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_04: I just I feel like I bring all the things to my work.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_04: So I feel like it just kind of works, but I I definitely can see how like more and more like everybody's trying to figure out how they can outdo themselves every year.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_00: Right, you know, well, and like looking back, so you did you did a silver medal in 2026 for oops.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_00: I did it again, bronze 2024 for Are You That Somebody?
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_00: So like thinking of the teams that are not placing, like what are you doing that they're not doing?
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's what I'm curious about.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: That like, you know, there's it's either it's choreography, it's execution, something is leading that win.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's why I'm asking about the parameters of like, okay, well, do you have the the turn sequence that just you know finishes everybody?
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because and that's like, you know, I don't know.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_04: I don't I'm working on coming with turns like to choreography.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_04: I'm more like the movement person, but I don't know.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's just kind of like what I was saying about like I just have a vision of like what I want it to be.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_04: Obviously, like the Tiger Girls, like they go out there and they absolutely like eat, they do their job like they are stars, like they they they do my work.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_04: And it's like, and maybe I wouldn't be like the best fit for every team, and vice versa, maybe every team wouldn't be the best fit for me, but like the way that that program is run and the way that I like to showcase my work just seems to be a match.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_04: And so I think I mean, honestly, that gap year that that you didn't mention, we didn't even make it to finals.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_04: Like so that was that was like a big shock, and obviously everybody has their opinions and all the things, and but so it's just kind of like you never really know.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_04: And honestly, even this year, like I mean, honestly, I had one of my mentors, Brian, Brian Friedman, came in and consulted for us one day.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_04: And so whenever we'll see I was a I was a pulse, I was a pulse kid, so but so I we told him what what we were doing, and I don't know any type of that's probably another level of pressure.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, having like like one of the Britney Spears choreographers like watching your work to Britney Spears, and I was just like, I was like, he's gonna tell me, like he's gonna, he's gonna be like, this ain't it.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_04: Or he's like if he co-signs, I'm like, whoo, all right, like I thought we had something special, but like getting the cosign from someone like that in the Britney camp, like I was like, okay, like this could be something, because the last year we thought we had something and and it didn't go our way.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_04: So, and then going into these competitions, doing more of a traditional jazz honestly kind of always feels like a gamble, and I'm not quite sure why, given that it's the namesake of the category, but here we are.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_04: That's fair, you know.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_04: So, but but just because there are so many styles and I love all the styles, like I'm a convention kid, so I love seeing like all the styles up there, but it did feel like a little bit more of a gamble.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_04: So I I think I think it it is a mixture of execution and choreography and definitely coaching, like there's just no way like that the work even gets displayed the way it does, like without coaches.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_04: Like there's just no way, and I think that's like they're a key component that I think maybe gets overlooked from time to time because they're not the name on the choreo, but I mean, right, yeah, that's that's the only way that I feel my work has been brought to life is by just the collective effort.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_03: So and the Tiger Girls performance, I mean, like they are so confident and so believable.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I feel like yeah, they they they it it is such a good partnership between her and them.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_03: And like, I mean, it looks like this was what they always wanted to do forever and always.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like every time they do her stuff, it just like it just works together, like she said.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_03: But that's just my two cents on it.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's all it just feels like such a cohesive, a cohesive, you know, thing there.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_02: And that's part of being on a team, you know?
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, that's a perfect example.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_02: And and that's another thing that I think that we should mention too, is the cohesion of a team.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, in competition and studio dance, we uh we do compete in groups and we are on a team, but I feel like that the solos we see it more frequently whole day of solos and whole day of groups, like over studio dance competitions instead of groups back in my day, which I hate saying that.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_02: I've been I've our day.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I know, but like I don't know.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_02: I just feel like I shouldn't say that anymore.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_02: Like back well, back in the day it was this, you know.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_02: I I'm gonna stop saying that.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_02: What else are you gonna say?
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_02: No, it was I know.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_04: I just feel like old and dated now when I say I didn't even I didn't even have a solo until like I only had a solo if I was competing for a national title.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't have one just because right like I didn't even wear a solo.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_04: And I didn't have four.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_04: I I judge and and teach as well in like the convention competition space.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_04: So I definitely like I'm with you guys like on that whole side as well.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, why am I looking at four solos?
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_04: Like and they're all they're all the same genre.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_04: One's open, one's contemporary, one's lyrical, but like you're but they're all the same.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_02: But that's what's missing in in our studio dance world.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like, if if you are listening to this episode and you want to be on a dance team, then you need to make sure that you are still maintaining and understanding like what it takes to be on a team.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_02: And even if we're not like on an all star studio or we're not like Drilling the dance team style.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can be at a studio dance competitive studio.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_02: But I do think it's very important for you to continue to learn what it feels like to be on a team for longer than many people are choosing to.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people will start dropping off and becoming independent or start chasing conventions around age 14.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, but there's a lot more that you can still learn.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_02: And if you haven't been on a team aspect from age 14 to 18, and now you want to join a studio uh dance team, actual college dance team, you're gonna struggle with blending with everyone and staying together.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_02: And it's not always a solo.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_02: So having that team aspect is a huge component of a dance team because the solo is bye-bye.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_02: There might be features, but at the end of the day, it's about the team.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_02: So I think that's something that's gonna be a very hard shift for a lot of dancers when we're in this whole solo world of competitive dance right now.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_02: Now, the prerequisites of certain things, if you are a dancer that wants to be on a dance team, what type of advice would you give to them to say, hey, you're in ninth grade right now?
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you should start working on XYZ by the time you're a senior to feel confident and ready to audition for a dance team.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_02: Are there are there any any recommendations on training styles or uh certain things that they should be doing?
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_03: I have very strong con I have very strong feelings on this because I think there's such a misconception.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_03: And I think because dance team is so popular, people are assuming that they I I can get you there, or if my studio, my studio won't be able to get me there.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_03: I need to go over here.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_03: I need to like I just feel so passionately about this that like to me it's not about the list of bullet points that you see of what you need to do.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_03: I think that to me it's like kind of what you said, t technique translates.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_03: So if you are a really strong jazz dancer and you have really strong foundational jazz training that has carried through your entire life, you tapped.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_03: So you understand musical, you musicality, pocket changes, rhythm variations, like you understand how to do that.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_03: You also understand footwork if you tap and you know how to weight shift between your heels and your and the balls of your feet.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, like momentum in in modern or contemporary and connectivity to the floor.
• 46:13
  SPEAKER_03: I think acro gets a bad rap, but to me, acro allows you to not be fearful of lifts and allows you to not be fearful of going upside down.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_03: And it doesn't have to be a flip, but like just that idea that like I understand my body and space and the body control that it takes to do acro.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_03: I think there's obviously like translatable things across the board.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_03: And this past year, we kind of most most schools did this like common video app where it was like just bulleted out lists of things that you needed to do.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_03: Quad pirouettes, five pirouettes, yes, leap in second, side aerial, right and left.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_03: Like it was like all these things, and I've been telling everyone, we got I don't know if I'm even gonna do it next year just because it's too it's too impersonal to me.
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I don't feel like I get a vibe for anything in this.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_03: 300 videos.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, 300 videos, and that's probably like on average what teams were getting, somewhere between two and 300 videos.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_03: I used to get 60 when it was like very specific to Texas Tech, so I could deep dive on it and I could really see like what they're doing and what we needed, but everyone can do all of it because it's just this it's just a checklist.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, everyone can do it because you read it, you practice.
• 47:17
  SPEAKER_03: 15 takes.
• 47:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and here's my aerial.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_03: And so, but like what's missing to me is what actually makes you stand out.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what what type of artist are you?
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_03: What type of performer are you?
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_03: What genre do you really excel in?
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_03: And you can see that you love it.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_03: And it's hard to see that in these videos.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone's doing the same combos for the most part.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like they have to do a jazz combo, a hip-hop combo, and they're all going to these like recruiting events, learning these things, and then putting it on film, they're in all black, their hairs pulled back, everybody's dancing to the same three songs.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, Womanizer, SOS.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's just three songs.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_03: I had to start reading it.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_03: It was horrible.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_03: I just feel like frustrated.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_03: I got frustrated because I'm like, how am I supposed to decide on five positions on the team out of 300 and everyone's doing the same thing?
• 48:03
  SPEAKER_03: So to me, it's like to me, the studio part is the most important part.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_03: I don't not about the awards that you won, not about which convention you're assisting on, or like that you got dancer of the year or whatever.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_03: Like those things to me are like in addition to I know you can perform under pressure, I know you can pick up Choreo really fast, I know you can do those things.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_03: But I want to know like how long did you keep training?
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_03: When you got to high school, did you completely stop training and just compete?
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because that doesn't serve us.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_03: And honestly, a lot of those kids come in and they're hurt, they're injured because all they did was compete and they didn't train anymore.
• 48:36
  SPEAKER_03: So that to me is how you stand out.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I can really tell the kids that are still training when I watch the videos because like they're being taught properly how to get in and out of the it's not just turn, turn, jump clean.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_03: Like, but that's not translatable at all, honestly.
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like I I none of us do adult her wet jump clean in a in a national dance.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_03: You know, that's just not translatable.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_03: So to me, it's like, are you a good dancer?
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_03: Like, can you move?
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_03: Do you understand how to receive information and then put it back out into the space because we have so little time to do that?
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_03: And I actually just said the other day, like technique translates exactly what you said.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_03: So it's like that is to me is the most and I don't mean like technique like pirouettes, I mean like jazz technique.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, translates.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_02: Foundational technique.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_03: If you actually trained in hip hop and you understand it, that translates.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_03: It's not about you doing this 30-second clip on a video that I can see and be like, Yep, that that's the person I need.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_03: That's the hardest thing in the world.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_02: Because people can make themselves look good in in in a lot of ways.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I I scroll on uh Instagram and you look at a dancer's like, you know, collage of photos and you're like, whoa, oh my unbelievable.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_02: Like, wow, I cannot wait to see them in class.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_02: And then they get into class, they don't know how to dance.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and it's like, okay, well, you might have a pretty picture, you might have a pretty leg line, you know how to hold a shape, but to be on a dance team, you gotta know how to dance because like you said, the transitions.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you said that because I think we're seeing them the most insane transitions I've ever seen on on the dance team stage.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what makes everyone's minds blow.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_02: Like, because how did you think about it?
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or unexpected and interesting, and yeah, you have you makes you think.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_03: And it allows for the choreographers to be creative, like that back attitude turn with the lift coming over top of it.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_03: I'll never forget.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_03: I would never forget.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_03: It was so creative in that space.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_03: It's like when everyone looks the same and you do things that are like, wow, that's when I judge, I often think when I'm judging choreography, I'm thinking, like, how long did it take to come up with these ideas?
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_03: Like, did you just throw it out there?
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_03: Or was this like a process that took time and trial and error?
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like, to me, that deserves its flowers than just like rolling them out, you know what I mean, and not putting a ton of thought behind it.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_03: But love that.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_02: But wait, can we also like dissect that really fast?
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_02: Because I want to know.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_02: I literally was watching it in slow motion and I kept thinking, how did that front girl on the upstage side of the lift not get kicked in the face?
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like they were like the two girls on the upstage.
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_02: It was like timed out so perfectly.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, the one that was turning under or is that?
• 51:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like I was afraid that the girls that were lifting were gonna get kicked in the face by the attitude.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, by the attitude.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_04: That happened a few times.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_04: Just not that day.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_04: You know, just not that day.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but I mean, honestly, well, the one that's turning under, that's actually she's one of my students.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_04: So I was like, sorry to do this to you.
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_04: But it's you, but it's you.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_04: And so, you know, but I honestly I think it's the story maybe a little bit of a letdown because it it really wasn't that like deep of a situation.
• 51:33
  SPEAKER_04: It like the lift that we had a different lift and it was already mostly going over her, but not fully clearing her.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_04: And so we were just like, we're just like, what if I changed what she was doing?
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, trying this attitude turn, and I was like, try to go over her and was that Canvas?
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, let's do it.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, like the the pressure was really on um her name is Avery, um, turning under, but I because I mean a lot pretty much every time except for finals day, her foot would graze somebody.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_04: So it's like to like be on your center that much and to like not flinch and keep her being like so.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_04: I was I was proud mama moment there, but I mean it definitely it's not as deep as I guess as people might want to hear, but I'm just so appreciative that everybody really enjoyed the visual of it.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, honestly, one of my favorite parts was immediately after was the skull guide.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, and again, the transition and the visual of that, you know, your eyes over here watching this epic thing happen and your mind's still blown on that, and then you see this girl getting dragged across into the park, and like it's so awesome.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like, they're just so amazing to watch.
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_04: They got nicknamed the scalp drag.
• 52:42
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, oh gosh, you guys like I think she's like mostly on her shoulder with like a scalp gray.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_04: It's just like a scalp drag.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_04: But but yeah, I mean, I don't know.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_04: I think I mean, speaking to the transition point, my my work def, I I don't even know how I process some of the transitions that I process, and I expect human bodies to be able to do them, but I'm just like but here we are.
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_04: And so yeah, so I think I I think being in studio is the is the ultimate.
• 53:11
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I just don't like not that I don't see a need to do like high school dancing or anything like that, because I do think that there are things that, you know, my kids had they done it, like could have learned, like that they could have already been prepared for.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_04: They could have already like taken a UDA stage and like known what that felt like.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_04: But I I just think that I think that the way that they were trained and almost prepared them even more to be able to handle the newness of that, if that makes sense.
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_04: So I just kind of just to piggyback off of everyone's point, I just really believe in studio training.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_04: And I do believe in conventions like going and taking class, like that's my kids were convention rats, just like me.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_04: Um so I mean, that's that's how that's how we train, and it's worked for them.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_04: Not to say that would work for everybody, but I I just, you know, I'm I'm proud of like what we've all done there.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_04: So that that's why my my stance is definitely like stay training in studio, be as versatile as you can.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_04: My my curriculum had everything, all the genres that you guys mentioned, even some musical theater in there.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_04: The only thing we didn't have was ballroom.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_04: It's hard to find in Louisiana, it's hard to buy.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, so I, you know, just being a versatile dancer and training as rigorously, but with some fun as possible, like is gonna prepare you the best to be on any of these collegiate teams, in my mind.
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's it's like refreshing, but also surprising to me being out here that like I expected there to be a checklist.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_00: I expected there to be a full-on checklist, this, this, and this, or you're never making the team.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_00: But what is refreshing that like does make me feel a little bit better is that like y'all are also just looking for what everybody else is looking for.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_00: Dancers who show up, do the work, are versatile, who care, who want to be here.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's those things really matter.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, you can't see that from a video where every single person shows up like a bot and does their thing and then says, hire me.
• 55:15
  SPEAKER_00: And you're like, I don't know you from you, from you, from you, because there's nothing here to differentiate you.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I wouldn't use that if you're up if it's a that's why the process is like it's like a it's an entire experience, you know.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I see you in this convention space, I see you on the studio space, I might see you on a high school dance dance team, and I see you how you operate in that space.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_03: I talk to your dance teachers, we talk to your coaches.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like, we just need to know we're investing so much and so few people, right?
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_03: You just have to really know like a more comprehensive thing than just the checks.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_05: Totally helpful.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_04: I was just also going to say, because you guys were like in ninth grade, do you start doing this and that?
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_04: And I think just to that point, something that just I've observed is I really think it's important to go to the schools that you're interested in.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_04: Like I know everybody has these combines and like recruitment things, which that's another opportunity to be seen.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_04: Definitely not saying there's anything wrong with that.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_04: Like, awesome.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_04: But I think like in order for like if a coach is looking for a personal like vibe and interaction with you, it would probably behoove you as someone who's interested to go and have a personal experience there.
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_04: So that that is something that I do think is also good preparation in addition to training.
• 56:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's like actually going to the colleges, like and seeing the campus even, getting a feel for the style that the teams are into, that the vibe of the team.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_04: So that's another way like that you can start mentally preparing yourself to like be in that world as well.
• 56:43
  SPEAKER_04: So I just wanted to throw that in there.
• 56:45
  SPEAKER_04: I I agree a hundred percent.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think that's a really great point because there I've actually been like hearing from different dancers that are like and talking to parents, mentoring a little bit, and they're like, oh, they want to go be on the dance team here or the dance team there.
• 56:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I know that I I mean, at least it seems like that.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of the dance teams have different vibes, like different they specialize in this or they're known for this, or this is more of their style, they're more hip hop, or they're more classical, or whatever it is.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like they do turns really well, or they do this really well.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_03: And at across the board, I think all of them share the same traits, but they're more stylistic qualities, just like a dance studio, just like when you're and the coaches, like she was saying, like the all the coaches have different vibes and expectations and have different things that they lean heavy into, you know, some are you know, just into different things and different kids vibe with different environments, and you know where like you don't know if you're gonna thrive there if you've never gone into that space.
• 57:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 57:38
  SPEAKER_02: And they probably have like intensives or something that you could go and do, like going up through the years.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_02: But I don't know, I I've heard a lot of people saying, like, I want to be an LSU Tiger girl, I want to be on the Ohio State dance team.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, these are some of the top ones in the country.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm not saying you can't do it, but we also need to have some backup plans too.
• 57:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't think that's a bad thing.
• 57:59
  SPEAKER_02: And that's the same that applies when we're talking to kids that want to go to a BFA.
• 58:02
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, I'm going to Julia Artopeze.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, well, those are kind of the two top programs in the country.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_02: And what if you don't get in?
• 58:09
  SPEAKER_02: Are you just not gonna go to school?
• 58:10
  SPEAKER_02: Are you just not gonna be on the dancing?
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_02: Are you gonna stop your dream?
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_02: Because there's many other ways to be on dance teams.
• 58:15
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you want to be on one that's closer to home.
• 58:18
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe this is the school that has the program for what's next in your life, but they also have a dance team that's up and coming and really great.
• 58:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, don't only think you can be at the top, top dance team.
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_02: What if that's not your vibe?
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what if you kind of you sometimes we gotta find a or find a way to accept that like I wasn't trained that way and that's okay.
• 58:35
  SPEAKER_02: But I know I could be on this dance team.
• 58:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and I think doing our research and really studying the different dance teams, if that's where you want to go.
• 58:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then like you you mentioned, Kristen, going to the school or connecting with the coach, seeing the dancers in action, like that would be even more beneficial to like really help you make that decision because it's a hard decision to make.
• 58:55
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, I know there's just so many different opportunities for dancers to be in it.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I just don't want people to get discouraged if they don't make the one team that they wanted to be on.
• 59:04
  SPEAKER_03: I agree.
• 59:05
  SPEAKER_03: I was I remember back in the day, I was at NYCDA.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_03: This is like when I was in, I don't know, high school.
• 59:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I remember one of the teachers saying, like, if you want to dance professionally, no one's ever gonna tell you you can't, but it's your responsibility to find the right fit for you.
• 59:20
  SPEAKER_03: Like it you have a very specific skill set someone is probably looking for, but if you're only set on these three things and you audition for three these three things and you don't get it, you either have to redirect or you have to stop.
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_03: Like there's a there's only so many options.
• 59:33
  SPEAKER_03: And I think in college it's the same way I tell kids all the time like if you want to dance in college, there's so many different opportunities.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_03: It might be on a dance team, it might be as a minor, it might be as a major, it might be in a dance program, like a student org that a school has.
• 59:46
  SPEAKER_03: But figuring out what what is the most important to you.
• 59:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what do you want to study?
• 59:51
  SPEAKER_03: Where do you want to live?
• 59:52
  SPEAKER_03: What type of environment do you want to be in?
• 59:54
  SPEAKER_03: Because I think a hard thing for studio kids when they get to college is that you're not dancing all the time, regardless.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_03: Even if you're on the Tiger Girls or you're at Ohio State, you're just not dancing all the time.
• 1:00:03
  SPEAKER_03: So you have to actually like where you are.
• 1:00:05
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_03: You have to like the people you're around.
• 1:00:07
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you have to kind of figure those things out.
• 1:00:09
  SPEAKER_03: And it's hard to move 4,000 miles from home, get there, and be like, ooh, yeah.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not vibating with this, you know, once you've already made the commitment.
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_04: So I completely agree with that.
• 1:00:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I I think the only thing I was gonna add is that to piggyback off of going to the actual school that you're interested in.
• 1:00:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think that's where like some of these like like combines or conventions, like dance team conventions will come into play is like maybe for like the smaller schools that people don't always like think about, or like they can actually learn more about these programs, be seen by these programs, and maybe develop some sort of relationship and or mutual interest.
• 1:00:48
  SPEAKER_04: So I think like that is like a good that can also be a good thing.
• 1:00:52
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's like that's the good side of the work that I think these recruitment like combines and and dance team conventions are doing for like for smaller programs that like are also building up and like want to find talent and like kids are like, Oh yeah, I'm actually like a better fit for this.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_04: And like I really do like enjoy these coaches, and I do like want to spend my time here for the next four years of my life.
• 1:01:17
  SPEAKER_04: So, yeah, that's all I was gonna say.
• 1:01:19
  SPEAKER_00: They're big adult questions to start start thinking about, you know.
• 1:01:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's like on top of just college, you know, just peri period, it's all these other things.
• 1:01:27
  SPEAKER_00: So that's really, really good points.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I want I have so many more questions, but we don't have any more time.
• 1:01:32
  SPEAKER_02: We could sit here all day and talk about college dance team, and I've learned so much.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's been really informative and eye-opening.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's I mean, it's just been a really wonderful discussion.
• 1:01:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I um appreciate you both spending your afternoon over here on making the impact, sharing everything with our listeners and to all of our listeners out there.
• 1:01:51
  SPEAKER_02: I hope that maybe it sparked something new that interests you about college dance team world.
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_02: If that's something your dancer is looking forward to learning more about, participating in, maybe you're already on a team and you can agree with a lot of these things um to help mentor dancers down the road who are wanting to break into this world.
• 1:02:08
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you to Kristen and Aaron for joining us on this episode.
• 1:02:12
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 1:02:13
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 1:02:14
  SPEAKER_02: All right, well, before we head out, I have one final question for you both.
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just a final thought.
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_02: So nice and easy.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_02: Anything that you we didn't get to say on the podcast that you're really dying to say and tell the world out there, you can speak to whoever you want, dancers or other coaches, or other dance teams, or the parents of the kids, anyone you want in dance team world.
• 1:02:36
  SPEAKER_02: And this is all about the transition from studio dance to college dance team.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_04: Just what's freshest on my mind, given that we're only two weeks out of our dance team Super Bowl, right?
• 1:02:47
  SPEAKER_04: Our dance super bowl.
• 1:02:48
  SPEAKER_04: I think I would just implore everybody to just be to just be kind and to just be to be aware of what you're saying on social media and like the expectations that you think you have on these kids and these programs, you can times that by a thousand.
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_04: And that's what they already have on themselves and us as choreographers as well.
• 1:03:08
  SPEAKER_04: So I just think the more appreciation that we that we get for this space in dance, I just would hope that people give just as much grace and just as much kindness.
• 1:03:19
  SPEAKER_04: So that that's all I would like to impart there.
• 1:03:22
  SPEAKER_03: I honestly am on the same exact page.
• 1:03:25
  SPEAKER_03: I was gonna say that I just said this to Tyrell the other night.
• 1:03:28
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like the the dancers are all dancers.
• 1:03:31
  SPEAKER_03: That could be studio owners, that could be choreographers, that could be performers, educators, whatever realm you're in, coaches.
• 1:03:38
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone is fighting for what they deserve, right?
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_03: We we deserve more pay, we deserve more recognition, we deserve more resources, we redeserve all these things, we deserve more funding, we need grant money, we need all these things.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_03: And dancers are often overlooked or just kind of put wherever they need to be to make whatever event successful.
• 1:03:56
  SPEAKER_03: This is across of all worlds.
• 1:03:59
  SPEAKER_03: And so it it's been a little bit kind of disheartening to read so much on social media from our own community because you don't under and I spy community I mean dance in the broader sense.
• 1:04:09
  SPEAKER_03: Just because you don't maybe understand something doesn't mean that it has to immediately go to the negative side or the uh assuming assuming you know, you know, X, Y, Z.
• 1:04:18
  SPEAKER_03: Behind the scenes, we're working so hard to create positive environments for our athletes.
• 1:04:23
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's like one of the probably the biggest misconceptions is that we're all like mean to each like we don't we do not argue, we are very supportive of each other behind the scenes.
• 1:04:30
  SPEAKER_03: Somebody just asked me over the weekend, is the warm-up room cutthroat?
• 1:04:33
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, no, it's not.
• 1:04:34
  SPEAKER_03: We're all celebrating each other, we're all saying good luck, we all talk.
• 1:04:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like Candace and I text each other, Melissa, Amanda, like with Kelly, we all talk to each other and we're all friendly with each other.
• 1:04:44
  SPEAKER_03: And even in the recruiting process, sometimes it's like, hey, this person put in their stuff to audition for me, but I think they'd be a better fit for you.
• 1:04:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like, we're trying to build like this community because we all face our own struggles and we need each other to be able to move our our our you know sport, whatever you want to call it, forward.
• 1:05:02
  SPEAKER_03: And so I just think that like dancers need to celebrate dancers.
• 1:05:05
  SPEAKER_03: In my classes, I'm like, if you don't clap when you leave the floor, I'm like, how many of y'all have been on stage and nobody claps?
• 1:05:09
  SPEAKER_03: Like the worst feeling in the world.
• 1:05:11
  SPEAKER_03: And as dancers, we all know what that feels like.
• 1:05:13
  SPEAKER_03: So we need to set an example that like we are going to support each other, we're gonna celebrate each other.
• 1:05:19
  SPEAKER_03: That old saying, you know, if you don't have anything nice, just keep it in your pocket.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_03: Like that, I just think that we're trying so hard to build up dance in so many ways.
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_03: And we have such an opportunity with how forward facing dances, not just dance team, but like all the television shows with dance and dance being included in so many things, and all these musicals then being put on Netflix or, you know, in movie form.
• 1:05:38
  SPEAKER_03: Like, there's so many opportunities for people to see dance.
• 1:05:40
  SPEAKER_03: I think dancers need to be each other's biggest supporters.
• 1:05:47
  SPEAKER_02: We hope you enjoyed our latest episode all about transitioning from studio dance world to dance team world.
• 1:05:53
  SPEAKER_02: Special shout out to our guests, Aaron and Kristen, for joining us on this fantastic track.
• 1:05:59
  SPEAKER_02: Don't forget to follow them on Instagram.
• 1:06:01
  SPEAKER_02: You can find Aaron at AaronMalvarado and Kristen at KristenDaniel.
• 1:06:08
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• 1:06:21
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• 1:06:29
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• 1:06:35
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to check out IDA affiliated competition, Uproar Dance Competition.
• 1:06:41
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• 1:06:49
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• 1:06:56
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• 1:06:59
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• 1:07:10
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• 1:07:17
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• 1:07:23
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• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_00: Coming up soon on Making the Impact, look forward to a throwback episode with even more info on college dance teams and a day in the life of a competition and convention staff.
• 1:07:42
  SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned next week for another great episode.
• 1:07:45
  SPEAKER_02: See you then.