Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Season 6 Wrap Up!

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Season 6 Wrap Up! · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, listeners.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to our season six wrap-up episode on Making the Impact.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Guys, it has been a season.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's been lovely to bring you all of these amazing topics.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: We've had so many different guests this season.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and Courtney and I learned a lot this season, so we just wanted to take today to just have a little moment of respect for season six and talk about what we loved, talk about what is coming this summer, and then what is coming in season seven.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we uh had some awesome episodes, and I want to give a shout out to everyone who listens to our episodes and keeps making the impact a part of their weekly schedule.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: I know there's diehard fans out there who cannot wait for Thursday to arrive at 7 a.m.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Eastern Standard Time when our podcast goes live.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's people that will binge them when they're playing ketchup throughout the season because we have over 200 episodes now over here on Making the Impact, and we've been doing this since 2019.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's a crazy podcast journey that we've been on, but we're we're only here because of our fans who continue to support us and help make this possible.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I feel very confident to say that we're one of the top dance podcasts in the country.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm very grateful for everyone's support in making this possible and to all of our fabulous guests that also join us on the episodes.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, it really is we we could and would just talk about all this stuff on our own without the podcast because that's just how much we enjoy talking about our industry.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: But what makes this truly special is that other people want to hear what we have to say, other people, you know, value the input we have.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: And we also love to bring on people whose opinions we value as well, people whose expertise that we think should be shared to the broader audience of the dance competition world.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, like I said, we could we could just sit here and talk all day because we and we do, and we would, but it's really special that, you know, the listeners have really made this happen for the past six years, honestly.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, and into season seven, we are heading.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: But before we tell you about what's to come, we want to share with you some of our final Making the Impact Award winners from the 2025 competition season.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: So let's hear our first few winners.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: Alrighty, from Star Talent Productions event in Richmond, Virginia, congratulations to Expose Performing Arts from Newport News, Virginia for their production, The Freak Show.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: From Onstage America's event in Coral Springs, Florida, congrats to That's Dancing from Lake Worth, Florida for their small group 100 Years.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: From Starbound's event in Concord, New Hampshire, congrats to the Studio Dance Complex from Revere, Massachusetts, and dancer Nayla for their solo another time.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: And from the Artistry Tours event in Chicago, Illinois, congrats to Lights Camera Dancing from Roselle, Illinois for their production Hocus Pocus.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned to hear more of our Making the Impact Award winners as we head into the 2026 regional season.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And our fan favorite contest is coming soon as well, which we'll tell you more about shortly.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: In season six, we continued with our platinum premium subscription, which has been a huge hit, and we currently have over 75 active members that are helping support our podcast.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you've heard us talk about Platinum Premium many for many years because we've had it around for three seasons, and this is a way to continue to help support making the impact.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: As you can see, this is a free resource that we provide to the dance community weekly, and we love making this possible, but podcasts aren't cheap to produce, and it really does help us when we have our fans support us in different ways.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And our platinum premium subscription was one of the ways that you can do that.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: So for only$5 a month or$60 annual fee, your donation goes straight towards our future episodes on making the impact.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the perks of being a platinum premium subscriber include stickers a mail to you, shout-outs live on the air, and tons of exclusive episodes just for you, including our monthly QA with Courtney episodes, where you get to pre-submit questions to us that we will prioritize and answer live on our episode.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: And another fun perk that we introduced last year were our Platinum Premium exclusive Zoom Talk Backs, where you get to jump onto Zoom with me and interact with other Platinum Premium subscribers three times a year throughout the dance season, typically one in the fall, one at the top of the season in January, and then our next one's coming up in June, where you can connect with others around the world and also ask me any question that you want.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a really fun, interactive way to stay connected and uh network in our community.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I've loved getting to meet so many Platinum Premium members throughout the past three years.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: So we value and appreciate your support.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And we have a lot, many new members that we would love to give a shout-out to right here, right now.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, y'all, for your support.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you to Emily, a dance parent from North Carolina, and Michael Fortin, a dance teacher at Dance With Me, Maine.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: April Ray Criswell, a dance parent at Rising Star Dance Studio in Pennsylvania.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Lauren Rickman, a dance parent at Young Artist Space in Birmingham, Alabama.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: And we have Catherine, a professional dancer from Brooklyn, New York, Beth Culp, a dance parent at Impact Dance Center in Meridian, Idaho, and uh and Katie Simmons, a dance teacher and dance parent at the Dance Class in Richland, Washington.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: We're so grateful for everyone joining us at Platinum Premium.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are listening and are interested in helping to continue to support our podcast, learn more on our website at making theimpactpodcast.com and register to become a platinum premium subscriber.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: We would be so grateful for your support.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Listeners, we you know we love to look at a stat.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: We like to see where we are in terms of the greater podcast world.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's hard to track, honestly, like where we are in the greater podcast world, but we do have access to a lot of our own information.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: So let's count down some stats, Court.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: In season six alone, we have had over a hundred thousand listens.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: That is crazy.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: I know it is so, so crazy.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: We are shocked by how many people are tuning in week after week to these episodes.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, and I really think that we've had some awesome topics that we brought into season six.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: As well as every previous season.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: But the word is getting out about making the impact.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you to all of our fans who continue to share our episodes and talk about them online.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we we want to get the word out even more.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: So continue to share.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And uh a lot of our new listeners have some catching up to do over the summer.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, they do.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: So lucky for you, there's plenty to listen to on all of the platforms, so you're not gonna be lacking for entertainment this summer.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so our total downloads since we launched in season one in 2019.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna say this entire number because every single one of those numbers counts.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: 683,303.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: Wow, wow, yes, it really is.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's crazy.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: I remember watching when we hit over 500,000 downloads, and I was just mind blown.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And it's I mean, we have six seasons.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: That means that around a hundred thousand listens are happening per season.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and some of them more than others.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really, really awesome.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, fans, for continuing to listen to us.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: And as we mentioned, we have hit over 200 episodes, 230 to be exact, if you don't count this one, which is sort of a mini episode.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, that's a that's a lot of that's a lot of content.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's a lot of topics, that's a lot of guests.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: And like you said, I'm pretty what I think is really cool is that, you know, yes, we reach dance competition people, but because of the variety of topics that we have introduced, specifically, I think, this season with our genre-specific episodes, with our um bringing in other experts, our day in the life episodes, you know, we probably wouldn't have really attracted NFL cheerleader people who want to hear that content necessarily with our previous seasons, but now that we had that episode about a day in the life of an NFL cheerleader, that our reach is getting broader because of that.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: So um I I just love that that I think we have busted out of our niche.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: We know we started in a niche, but now we're expanding, and I think that's that's pretty cool.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I agree.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I was thinking about this recently, and I think this is gonna happen soon.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: As soon as I have a little bit of free time on my hands, I've been thinking about that now that we have over 200 episodes, I feel like there needs to be a database or an easier way to search for episodes that might connect to one another or feel like they're in the similar topic or world.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna create a database that I'll share in our Facebook community where you can search for topics that are similar.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: That maybe you want to listen to jazz-related discussions, maybe you want to listen to parent-focused discussions, maybe you want to listen to uh ones for studio owners or competition specific, judging specific, those types of things.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be able to filter down on the database and find links directly to those episodes so you can refresh your memory and give a listen based on whatever your needs are when it comes to the education that we're providing on making the impact.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So stay tuned.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that will be launched over the summer.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Well, if you had any free time, I'm sure you would have done it already.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: So that is just to say that Courtney Ortiz is a busy lady.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And uh to all of our listeners out there, I know I continue to mention our Facebook group, but if you haven't joined, join it.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: We have almost 4,000 members.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: So help us reach 4,000 and join now.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's Making the Impact of Dance Competition Podcast community on Facebook.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Lots of great conversations happening over there.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: And we have many more episodes coming your way in season seven, and we're also going to be asking for some requests from you all in our community for season seven.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you join so you can contribute to those requests.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: All right, and well, so now we're gonna move on to our most listened to episodes, and we love this exercise every season to see like where the interest is.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, some things are sleeper hits, like some things pop up after a few seasons, and you're like, oh, for some reason this one has shot up in listens.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: So, um, Courtney, I'm gonna hand it over to you and you can tell us what the most listened to episode of season six was.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I am not surprised about this one that is taking the lead here from season six, and it was It was a big episode, y'all.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: It was a needed episode.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: It was one that we it took a long time for us to make happen, but in season six, we did it, and we had the right guests to do it.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Season six, episode 221, the oversexualization of kids in competitive dance was our most popular episode.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I'm also not surprised.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like you said, we waited a long time to do this one properly, to have the right guest, to have the right perspectives, to have thoughtful conversations.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, it's definitely a topic that needs to be covered that sometimes doesn't get covered.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we are really happy to be able to present that to our audience um in such a thoughtful way.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: And clearly people wanted it.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: They wanted to hear about it.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think it's an important episode that more people need to listen to.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: So please continue to share it.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: It is so crucial for this to get the reach that it deserves.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: And while it is our most popular, there are so many people that still haven't tuned to in.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: So share away, spread the knowledge, and thank you to our guests for joining us on that episode and making it possible.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: We are always down to have these tough conversations, but definitely a needed one in our industry.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Well, so now we have the top three most listened to episodes of all time, and you know, for a while it was that one same episode.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then I think last season somebody something pulled a switch, something came through and took that number one slot.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: So where are we at this year?
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think that we are still standing strong with our top three, and it's been our top three for a while now.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: So our third most listened to episode of all time is from season three, episode 87, Stage Presence, Why Performance Matters.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: It was a good one.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Middle, I mean, middle of the season, middle of the middle of the sixth season, season three.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds right.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Second most popular episode and most listened to episode of all time was our former first place winner.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Season one, episode four, lyrical versus contemporary, separating the styles.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: It has now fallen to second place, and we have done a 2.0 of our lyrical versus contemporary episode because it was so popular.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't listened to both, go give them a listen.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, sorry to episode four that you got bumped out, but the number one most listened to episode of all time for Making the Impact is now and has been season four, episode 127, Competition Trends: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a it's a great one.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's a popular one.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think the title is super catchy.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think it is a buzzing title, and people want to know what is this about.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: And that was also a really fun one where our judges chimed in and contributed.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: So uh give a listen to the first place winner, the triple titanium winner.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly, right.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they won the crown.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and yeah, people, people do like to know the good, the bad, the bad, and the ugly.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, nobody wants to hear sugarcoated anything.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: And y'all know us here at Making the Impact.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: We don't do that.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we tell you like it is in that episode, and we will continue to tell you like it is in episodes to come.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, Leslie, you mentioned that we introduced some new types of episodes into season six, and those were our genre spotlight episodes as well as our day in the life episodes.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like our genre spotlights were something that we came up with because a lot of people wanted to know more history on specific types of dance genres.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that request was coming up a lot.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: Where's the dance history?
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: We want to know more about the lineage of different dance styles.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: So that's when that light bulb went off for us and said, why don't we do that in genre spotlights?
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: We've done studio spotlights, we've done regular spotlights where we interview uh different dancers and choreographers and influential people in the industry.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: But now we decided to zoom into the genres.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it was really fun.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: And we had some really unique guests join us and educate us and school us on a lot of these genres.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, because we will be the first people to tell you we don't know everything about everything.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: We know a lot about a lot, but we don't know everything about everything.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so I do agree that those genre-specific episodes were really helpful, I think, you know, to just to just scratch the surface of some of these genres.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's so much to learn out there.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: And as dancers and as educators, I think to be a lifelong learner is one of the really important things that for our industry is necessary.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's there's always something to learn.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: And because now, you know, like you mentioned earlier, we are a free resource.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: So we're giving this to you because we care about it.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: And the people who are agreeing to come on to share their knowledge also believe that sharing knowledge is important and having there be no barrier to access to that.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I'm super grateful to all of our all the participants for all of those episodes for them to just give us their knowledge and to share the knowledge.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you, everybody.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, guests.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: And Leslie, I would love to hear what your favorite episodes of season six were.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: Man, season six really did it for me because I feel like I learned so much this season.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: I was telling somebody about it recently that the further I get from being on a stage myself or being in the classroom myself, you know, I just I'm just further away from it.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: So I sort of trying to devote myself in this next season of life to learning more.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: I learned as a child.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: I learned in college, I learned doing the thing, but I'm not doing the thing as much anymore.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's imperative for me as somebody who wants to stay involved in the industry to continue to learn.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: So the things that I enjoyed about this season, number one, was the day in the life of an NFL cheerleader episode, because that is a whole different world.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's something that you and I don't really have experience with.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And we brought in two amazing people from that industry, from that side of the business.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like I said, that maybe expanded our reach a little bit for audience, you know, the audience.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: And now those people are now kind of a part of our community, which I think is really cool.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: That was one of our new types of episodes, A Day in the Life, which one of my favorites was our first A Day in the Life episode that we introduced this season, and that was number season six, episode 208, A Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Dancer.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I liked this one a lot because obviously we got to reflect back on our time as cruise ship dancers and hear other people's s stories and their experiences.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it was just such a great valuable resource for dancers who have those questions that might have been nervous or scared to walk into a job like a cruise ship.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, or even maybe hopefully if they listen to it, maybe it intrigued them to go audition now or have that be a goal of theirs once they graduate and move into the professional world.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: A day in the life episodes, I really hope, allow for all different types of people, whether you're a teacher, a parent, a dancer, to get an inside look on what it really takes to make this possible in different avenues of the dance world.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Because they're especially with cruise ships, that's a question I get asked all the time is how do you become a cruise ship dancer?
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: Did you enjoy it?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: Were you scared?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: All those things.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now you heard from four different people who experienced it themselves to hear their story.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that should be something that can help motivate you to know how to walk into the industry even stronger than before.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I enjoyed that one as well.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and just getting to know other performers and getting to know other people in our industry that we may may not have had connections with before.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like the web just keeps getting bigger and wider, and you know, I I just love the connections that we can make, you know, through this podcast for that reason.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: And one of my other favorite episodes was season six, number 215, stage entrances and exits, because I just thought that was so much fun with Joseph and you know, getting to just sort of hear a different perspective on the entrances and exits and bringing in some just fun social media stuff.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was so much fun.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: We had a blast doing that one.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: It was also just something that people don't talk about often or think matters.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I have always been a big supporter of proper stage entrances and exits.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: So I really uh first impressions matter, y'all.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that we got that point across in that episode with our fabulous guests.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: And do you have another one to share?
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: I do.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: My other favorite was How to Stand Out at Auditions, episode 203 in season six.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: It was earlier on in our season, but that was so informative.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone wants to know what is in the minds of the people behind the table, and now we're not talking about a competition dance.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking about an audition, which is a different experience than a well-rehearsed competition dance.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: You already know what's inside the mind of the judges because we've been doing this for six seasons now.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: But a highly requested topic was how to stand out.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think another reason why I liked this is because all of the advice that we gave in this wasn't just centered around competitive dancers auditioning at conventions.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: This was also so so much great advice that dancers uh in all sides of the industry could take and learn from, especially professionals.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I I hope that more professional dancers are listening to our podcast, even though we are a quote unquote competition podcast, our topics have broadened outside of the competitive dance world to now help professional dancers and pre-professional dancers and obviously educate parents, but also maybe help educate studios that have never really had dancers dabble in the pro world.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think all of these things that we shared in that episode from DJ Smart, who has been on all sides of the industry, um, was really, really valuable and is something that people can look back on and continue to revisit whenever they're walking into any type of audition.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, it is hard to pick.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to pick some of these episodes because they were all so good.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I listened to the genre spotlight rhythm tap episode the other day, just listened back, and just some gems of knowledge being shared everywhere all across this season.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we hope that y'all enjoyed everything.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: We hope that all of our new uh episode types are are exciting for you.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: And if you have any suggestions, if you have another idea for what you'd like to hear us cover, we're always open to suggestions.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: So shoot us an email, send us a text, send us a DM, whatever you gotta do.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: Get get your opinions out there because we want to hear them.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that being said, let's talk about what's coming up this summer and in Season seven.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing that I'm excited to share is that we are doing a handful of podcast events this summer around the country.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: And the first one is taking place at Streets Dance Conventions National this summer in July in the Woodlands, Texas.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, sad news is that we tried to do this last year.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: So if you listen to the the wrap-up last year, I said the same thing.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're doing a podcast at Streets Nationals.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure if everyone has heard.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: Sadly, Streets Nationals in 2024 was canceled one day in because of a hurricane.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we lost power at the event.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was so tragic and sad.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: And that also meant that we weren't able to do our live podcast events at Streets Nationals.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: But don't worry, everyone, we are bringing it back and we can't wait to make it happen.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're attending Streets Nationals, let me know and be on the lookout for our RSVP registration so we know that you'll be attending.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: And everyone who is attending Nationals is able to come and sit in the audience and watch our QA.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_00: And Maddie Marcatis, IDA judge, who is also a fan favorite of so many and a fabulous online critique judge as well, will be present at Nationals and being my co-host replacement Leslie.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: Replacement.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: No, you're never replaceable, but if it was anybody, I would love it to be Maddie.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: So that's great.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: She's gonna be great.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, she's uh been a wonderful part of our team for a very long time.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, interim co-host Maddie will be wonderful at the Streets Nationals.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I hope you guys have a great time.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's gonna be so much fun.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to meet a lot of the fans and uh work with the dancers who are coming.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you pencil that into your schedule if you're heading to Streets Nationals this summer in the Woodlands, Texas.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: Nationals is running from July 13th through the 19th, 2025.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: And Courtney, you were just gonna go straight from one event to the other because I'm just looking at the schedule right now, and your next event starts on July 21st.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: I am literally not home at all in July.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going from one week actually at CLI Conservatory Summer Intensive before Nationals, then I go straight to Streets Nationals for a week, then I come home and switch out my suitcase and fly back out to the West Coast to go to the Dance Teacher Web conference and expo taking place this summer in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Paris Hotel.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that is running from July 21st through the 25th.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it'll be my first time teaching there and uh presenting some seminars as well.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: And hopefully, we will be doing a little podcast seminar that will be recorded.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: One of my discussions will be recorded and turned into a podcast episode.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: So for any teachers who are attending this awesome event, you can come and meet me there.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll also be at a little booth that I'll be doing some interviews and meet and greets with podcast fans.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that teachers are registered and excited because this is one of the biggest dance events of the summer and great way for uh continuing education to happen for teachers.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and lucky for you, if you want to learn more and register for that event, you can visit their website at danceteachersummerexpo.com.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we have a special promo code just for you guys Impact 50, all caps, impact five zero for fifty dollars off your registration.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: So go get the knowledge, see the vendors, talk to Courtney, enjoy yourself in Vegas.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds like a great time.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: Coming up in June is our Making the Impact Judges Choice fan favorite contest.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: This is something that we've been doing for the past two years, and it's been such a hit.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is exclusive to any studio that has won our Making the Impact Judges Choice Award in the 2025 regional season.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: So you have the option and opportunity to participate in our fan favorite contest that will happen on Instagram.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you're following us at Impact Dance Adjudicators on Instagram to participate.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's a voting contest.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: So all of the winners will be put into this contest and voted on.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: And the top five, we'll narrow it down to a top five, and then finally to a official winner.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that fan favorite studio will receive a full studio spotlight episode on season seven of Making an Impact.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: How cool is that?
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: Those have always been so fun.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_01: The last two that we've done have just been so neat to get to know these studios.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and we we did studio spotlights early on in the podcast history, and you know, a lot of those studios were bigger names, names people have heard over and over again throughout the competitive dance world.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: But the cool thing about the Making the Impact fan favorite contest episode winner is that that is that that may or may not be a big name studio, but they're still so special and so important to our industry because they're doing work that's being awarded, you know, in this special way from our judges.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: So last season we had Yolanda's Academy of Music and Dance from West New York, New Jersey.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: They had an amazing tap group working day and night.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we did this awesome episode and learned all about this studio that's been in business for such a long time, family-run operation.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_01: They have a a studio, a street named after them in West New York, New Jersey.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's amazing.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited for this contest to happen again.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um and make sure you submit your entry so that you can be considered.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we can't wait to see who wins our fan favorite contest.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: And we also just want to shout out all of our IDA affiliated competitions for helping make this possible and allowing us to award our Making the Impact Judge's Choice Award at your events throughout the regional season.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: We appreciate your support and congrats to all of our winners.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned for that contest coming towards the end of June.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and we do have another contest that we run every season as well.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: And this is always, you know, speaking of fan favorites, like this is a favorite contest that we operate every season as well, is our cover art contest.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, every year, we're looking for new dancers to be on the cover of our podcast graphic.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: Now, that podcast graphic shows up on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, anything visual you see representing our podcast, each season, the dancers on that graphic are different.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we have a fun Instagram contest where you can submit your favorite dance action shots, and you could win the position of featured dancer on season seven's podcast art.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I can't wait to see what our new cover art's gonna look like for season seven.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to give a shout out to our season six cover art winners, Karina from Pennsylvania and Sophia from Maine.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: And fun fact, I actually got to meet Karina, our cover art winner, in person at Streets this season.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: So cool.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: When her mom came up to me and said, by the way, I don't know if you realize, but Karina is on the podcast cover art this season.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, No way! That is so, so cool.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: And and then another fun fact, Sophia, the other winner from season six, so you can see on our cover art if you're watching and seeing it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, is a student of mine that I get to work with every summer up at a studio studio for the living arts in Maine.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: So wow, we gotta love it.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: I cannot wait to see get those dance action shots ready, y'all, because season seven is right around the corner and we're looking for some new cover art.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, gotta have it.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's our fun summer contest world for the judge people in our midst, for uh all the judges that are interested in working for IDA this year.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: Our submissions are open on our website starting on August 1st.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um keep a lookout on our social media for any information regarding how to submit, dates, deadlines, um, things like that.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: But we're always looking for new, qualified, excited judges to work through IDA.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we are.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you mark your calendars.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: Submissions will be open for about a month and a half, and that is the only time that you can submit to be considered foreign IDA judge for the 2026 season.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure that you don't miss the deadlines to submit and join the roster as an IDA judge.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, what are you doing this summer?
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Anything exciting coming up for you?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: Well, the summer for me holds like the tail end of wedding planning.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm getting married in October, so I'm really excited to get all the final, you know, pieces tied together for that.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm traveling as a human being, not a dancer or a dance adjacent person to San Francisco for the first time uh this summer for a few days to get to experience the West Coast.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um so if anybody has any tips or tricks or you know fun places to go, let me know.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, just continuing with um a lot of product testing for Capizio locally here.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_01: We're working on some fun new products that'll be launching uh later on this year.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: That, you know, definitely some of our listeners here in New Jersey specifically uh and New York City have been able to test for me.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: So once we have permission to release some of that stuff to the internet, to the world, you'll you'll hear about it.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited for some of our new offerings.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's gonna be a busy summer, I'm sure.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: And always for me, I'm I have to admit, I am very excited for this summer, but I'm also excited for the fact that I will be spending time in New York City this summer.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't overbook myself.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_00: I know July sounds crazy, and July is crazy, but that is the craziest month out of my entire summer.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm doing a few one week of an intensive at the top of June, and then I'm home for all of June.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that is massive.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know, and I honestly I'm to all of the studios out there that to anyone who has reached out asking me for summer intensives or guest classes or workshops or choreography, if I turned you down, please understand that I just need to spend some time at home because I've been on the road all season long.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: And as much as I hate saying no and turning down work, I knew for me that I wanted to spend a little bit more time in my apartment, in my city, resting and relaxing a bit.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: So June is gonna be a little bit more chill, a little bit more relaxed.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: July gets wild and crazy, and then August comes around.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm home for half the month, and then I leave and depart to the West Coast for an upcoming gig that I can't talk about just yet, but I'm really excited about it, and it's a new opportunity for me back into the performance show world.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe not on stage, but on the other side of the table.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I can't wait to share it with everyone.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we'll be excited to hear about that opportunity when we can.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: And then, yeah, I mean, Courtney, you and I have, I think, have we scheduled it?
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like our brainstorming session for season seven.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, guys.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's sort of TBD right now.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_01: We have, I didn't realize you were in town for as long as you are.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna get it in.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, listeners, if you have anything that you want to hear um us cover next season, if you have suggestions, if you have topic ideas, if you have guest ideas, please send those in, you know, in whatever way you want to, so that we can deliver a season seven that's for you.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that's exciting for you, that you think is gonna be beneficial.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: We have some ideas up our sleeve.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: We have some interesting new things that we're gonna explore next season, uh, but we're always interested in hearing from our loyal listeners.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_01: So shoot us an email if you want.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, and to everyone who is heading to summer intensive recital to nationals, I wish you all the best of luck.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Have the best time ever, make new friends, new memory, new experiences.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: Have a dance-filled summer, everyone, and sending our love over here from Naked Infant Podcast Land.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: Season six is a wrap and mark your calendars because season seven will be here so soon.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: It is officially launching on Thursday, September 4th, 2025.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, wishing everyone a wonderful summer, and we'll see you in season seven.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right, have a great summer, y'all, and see you in September.