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The Diva Difference - Interview with Diva Dance Competition · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I am very excited to be here today with two amazing guests and very close friends of mine, the owner of Diva Dance Competition, Anne and Kim.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Say hi, you guys.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hi everybody, everybody.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Courtney.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: We're so excited to be talking to you today.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yes! I'm so excited to have you ladies here, and we are going to talk about all things a Diva Dance Competition, which is a fabulous competition that is in based in the East Coast, and they're going to share a little bit about how they started it and where it began, why they started it, what makes Diva special and unique, and we're going to learn all about it today.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: So I can't wait to dig deep about that.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_03: To get started with our episode, I wanted to quickly say thank you to all of our listeners who have been tuning in and subscribing to our new podcast.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: If you've been enjoying the first few episodes of Making the Impact, please head over to Apple PodcastNow and leave us a fabulous review.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_03: We would love to hear your thoughts.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: And don't forget to send me over your questions for our monthly QA with Courtney episodes.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: You can submit them directly on our website or check out our show notes where you can click the link and submit your question through text or audio response.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_03: And you have the option to remain completely anonymous, or I can give you a shout-out on the air.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_03: So send those questions over now.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_03: I can't wait to hear them.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: All right, so let's get right to it.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: I'm here with Ann and Kim, the owners of Diva Dance Competition.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: This is our very first interview with competition owners and directors.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_03: So I am so grateful that you are my very first interview because I love you ladies so much.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I have been there from practically the beginning of Diva, the creation of Diva.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_03: And you guys have supported IDA in a million ways.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: You were the very first competition to have full panels of IDA judges at your events.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: And that's been going on for the past three years, and you've been a part of IDA since the very beginning, since we launched five years ago, going into our sixth season.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_03: So I would love to just start off by having each of you introduce yourselves and telling us a little bit about who you are and your background and things like that.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: So let's start with Anne.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, I get to go first.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we're honored to be your first competition that's interviewed.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: It's a true honor, and we absolutely love you, everything you stand for, and we adore all of our judges.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: We we couldn't be diva without IDA.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_02: So, first let's give a shout out to court and Impact Dance Adjudicators.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so my name is Ann Roberts, and I currently live in Virginia with my husband and my two dogs, but originally grew up in Vermont for my younger life and then moved to Massachusetts quite a while ago.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Lived there for many years, and that's where Diva started, and that's where our headquarters still is.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_02: But my husband's job took us down to Virginia, so it's a bit of an adventure.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: My background growing up in dance, you know, just like everybody else, you start at like three years old when you can walk, and you just fall in love with the art.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: And for me, it was it was really an escape for me.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: It was a it was a lifesaver, it was, you know, something I needed growing up to give me sort of stability and that sense of family.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: Continued with dance through high school, and I did, I do think uh as a young kid, I did have dreams of being a professional dancer, but my family situation wasn't really couldn't really allow for me to pursue that dream.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: I had to be available to go home if I needed at last minute's notice.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: So I had to sort of change gears.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: I went to college, I studied psychology and also continued uh dancing throughout college, was on my dance team, captain of the dance team.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: I chose that over the company.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_02: It was a blast.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: I absolutely loved it to make money in college.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: I started teaching right away, teaching dance.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_02: That crew grew into running dance studios, directing dance studios, and then that involved excuse me, evolved into me opening my own studio, which I had for about five years.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: It was an amazing experience, a challenging experience, lots of lessons learned, but then decided that the dance competition world was a better fit for me.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Amazing.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: You guys have had Diva Dance Competition now for how many years?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we're going into our ninth season.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Awesome.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_03: All right, Kim, tell me all about you.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my story's a little different.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: I grew up as a kind of a bunhead.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: I studied ballet at Boston Ballet from I don't even remember, it was so long ago.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I grew up dancing there until I was a teenager.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And at some point in my life, my mom decided to make me a little more versatile, and so she signed me up for gymnastics, which for me was not the best.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't the best at gymnastics.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: I did a lot of crashing and slamming into the vault and not really doing so well.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: So she moved me into the dance program that was there, and that's where I learned how to tap, and I learned about jazz and lyrical, and I absolutely loved it.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so I couldn't get enough of that.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: And my brother, who's a little bit older, ended up meeting my dance teacher, and they fell in love and got married.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so eventually the dance studio got moved into my parents' house.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I lived, breathed, ate dance my entire life growing up, much like you, Courtney.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't wait to go to college.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: I just needed to immediately get out there into the dance world.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I went into my first professional gig.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: I worked for Disney and then I hopped around and did the little, you know, Opri Land in the bush gardens and all that stuff.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Eventually I ended up doing, I was a Patriot cheerleader for a few years.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I met my husband and we had three children together.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: So my professional dance career ended, and I started working at studios where I was so fortunate to meet Anne.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Ann and I worked at a studio together for several years, and then she decided to open her own studio.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I was so honored that she asked me to come over and teach a few classes over there for her, which I would jump at.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't wait.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so it was at that point working with Anne, I my body was I'm I'm a little bit older, so my body started to break down, and my oldest son had been born with a rare genetic disorder.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: So teaching dance was not the greatest schedule for me.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: I not being home at night for my family and missing a lot of dinners wasn't ideal.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I knew in the back of my mind I loved dance so much, and I was trying to find another avenue that I could still be involved in the dance world without having to walk away from it.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And working for Anne one day, she had always been so supportive of me.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: She had always been so supportive of my family.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: I I told her, you know, I was thinking about maybe starting a dance competition and could she help me?
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: And she said absolutely.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew that was really difficult for her because she was running an entire studio.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but she jumped in and we got it started and we started out our first year together.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: The rest is history.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: We've stayed together doing that since it was kind of a match made in heaven, I think.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: I do too, because you guys are so much fun to work for and are the best directors ever, and you run an amazing professional event.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it's definitely you guys are like the perfect pair.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think we do work really well together.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that for everyone who has attended a diva dance competition event also agrees because it's just you guys are like super women.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_03: You run the whole show with like four people.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's very personalized, it's unique.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: And that being said, you know, now we kind of heard how you guys met and when we st when D.Va was started and your backgrounds.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_03: I'm curious just to inform all of our listeners about D.Va.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_03: Why did you guys start D.Va?
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_03: What made you want to really start this dance competition and kind of tell us a little bit about the live judging aspect of it, which makes it very different compared to every other competition that's in the industry.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: You guys have a very specific style.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: So feel free to share what makes Diva different.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: So again, for me, it was just trying to keep dance in my life without uh and still being able to support my family in the way that they needed to be supported.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, having a child who was in special education, I got to see the world of like school districts that regular education children, which my other two are, you know, regular ed kids, as a special education mother, you always feel a little guilty taking some of the district's money away from the regular ed kids and putting it into special ed programs.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Running a dance competition is a way to give back, a lot of them are done in high schools or middle schools.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's a good way to raise money and give money back to a district that they wouldn't necessarily have otherwise and that they can invest it into whatever they want to.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: It could be special education or regular ed.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: But that was definitely a passion.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: We wanted to be able to make sure that we're we're giving back to the school districts in our own way that we can.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: And also, it was really, really important for me to find an avenue to spread awareness about my son's uh disorder.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_03: Can you talk about that for a little minute and just kind of inform us of what it is and um how you guys do donate to a cause?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: So my son's disorder is called Cornelia Delang syndrome.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's a very, very rare genetic disorder.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's not uh family-based, as it's not inherited.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I had no idea, there was no history of it in my family, not in my husband's family.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And until my son was actually born, we had no idea that he had it.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: There's no prenatal testing or anything like that that would give you a hint while you're pregnant.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: So it was really important for me to spread awareness about this because a lot of the kids that do have it, being of a wide range of uh on the spectrum, some kids are underdiagnosed.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're diagnosed with something else.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: It could they could be diagnosed with autism or they just get kind of put under this uh random umbrella of disability, and it's not specifically uh diagnosed as CDLS.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: So it was really important for me to get out there and spread the word about CDLS, what it is.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of these kids have the same facial features.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: So when you see a child with CDLS, if you see another one, you're like, ah, I know what that is, that's CDLS.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just a matter of getting the word out about it.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we found that this was kind of a magical way that we could, for me, serve dual purposes to raise awareness and to also raise um money for the school.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: And Kim's son, Jack, is uh very involved with the Diva event.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: So he will come and he will stand on stage and he will hand trophies to the dancers, and it's just so inspiring to see that raising awareness to CDLS and a lot of the dancers can see Jack and get to know Jack, and he gets to be surrounded by such a positive environment with dancers who love him and support him and cheer him on, and he's just he loves it when he's at an event, and I love seeing him when I'm judging an event, and he's gets to be there.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_03: So I know that Jack is now 17, 18, 18, oh my god.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: 18 in September, yeah.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I remember him when he was like 12.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_02: It was the best.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, you know, the kids would forget, you know, that they're at a dance competition, they're just there having fun for something bigger than you know, all of us.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just it's so special, so special to be a part of that.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_03: So can you tell us a little bit about the live aspect of your competition?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: So we do things a little bit differently than most competitions.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: We do the live adjudication format, which sometimes sounds scary to people if they've never experienced it or you know they're not quite familiar with it, but really it's an amazing uh educational process, experience, super interactive.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a panel of three judges.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: Once the dancers have finished dancing, they stay on stage and they're going to hear from two of our judges live over the microphone.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: They're going to get feedback, um, always done in a very positive and encouraging way.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: We never want a child to leave the stage crying or feeling like they're broken down and hey, dance, I never want to get back out there again.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: That's never the case.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: We, you know, we hire all of our judges through, obviously, as you know, impact dance adjudicators, and they are selected specifically to be able to deliver the feedback in that loving, encouraging way so that they're feeling empowered and excited to come back out and you know, impress the judges even more.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: So when they're getting that feedback, they're able to go to the dressing room, think about the comments, and say, Okay, guys, the judges said next time we come out, we need to do this.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: Let's do it.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: They get back out on stage, they nail it.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_02: And the judges are so absolutely wonderful about remembering kids from routines throughout the day, and they'll say, Oh my gosh, Jenny, you took that correction in your solo.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_02: You came here and fixed it in a steo.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so proud of you.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: That's exactly what we're trying to do here.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: So it's always meant to encourage and inspire, it's never meant to break a child down.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: And you'll see the kids, the confidence throughout the day is just growing.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: Their skills are getting better, the scores are getting higher.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's a wonderful way just to I mean, it's so immediate.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone in this day and age loves instant gratification, immediate feedback.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: The other great thing is that they get their adjudicated award right away.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: So as the feedback is being given live over the microphone, the judges are doing their tallies, we get their score, and then we can announce it right on stage.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: They leave the stage, they get their trophy and their pins, and then they're on their way, which is wonderful because award ceremonies are no longer that dreadful two-hour award ceremonies.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: So it really just streamlines things, make things quicker.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: We get kids in and out.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: Parents love it because they're also involved too, because they're hearing, you know, what the judges are saying.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: They're they're feeling like they're included because a lot of times, you know, they're not going to be able to hear the critiques a week later or whenever it is that studios get it, um, if they do a traditional format.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: So now the parents are able to get involved and say, Okay, Jenny, yes, I heard your teacher actually tell you that critique before.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I guess she is right, which is nice because the teachers are getting backed up and um they're able to work with their kids at home too.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it just really involves everyone.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Our third judge is doing typed comments directly to the teacher.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: So that's going to be things just for their eyes only.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_02: That's going to be choreography notes, music edits, that sort of thing.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: That will never be said over the microphone.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: Things for the kids are just, you know, things in their control.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: Their stage presence technique, that sort of thing.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_02: So you find that the kids really get excited for it, even if they're nervous at first if they've never done it.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: They as soon as they finish, they get off their the stage, they're like, oh my God.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_02: I can't believe I just did that.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then the judges just become, you know, another mentor or a coach.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: It kind of breaks down that wall.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: They're no longer that scary stranger behind a computer just judging them so they can feel like, you know, now they're gonna follow them on Instagram, they're gonna be able to say hi to them in the hallway.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: And it's it's just really promotes a positive feeling, super educational, super interactive, which which is totally different and we absolutely love.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I love it too.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I like I said, I've been a part of Diva since the very beginning of IDA, but also even before IDA was created, I was a judge for Diva dance competitions in their early stages.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: So I've definitely watched you guys grow and evolve this amazing company competition.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's blossoming and it's it's huge.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_03: Now you guys have 20 events, I think, this season, and um, all up and down the East Coast.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: Now you're going down to Pittsburgh area, going down to North Carolina, Atlanta, uh, Florida.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of awesome places that uh new dancers are going to be able to experience this live judging option, which is very rare in the industry.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: You may be one of the only, if not the only, live judging style competition.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: There may be a couple others, but I don't think that anyone does it in the way we do, where every single routine is receiving the feedback.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Also, having done it from the very beginning, I as you know, because you've grown with us since day one, we've really had to kind of fine-tune exactly how long can we have the judges speak while the the dancers are still able to retain, like what's that formula that works just right?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I think we have found it.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_02: And it, you know, really makes the competition run seamlessly, believe it or not.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of questions we get from folks who haven't attended us is well, is this going to make the competition run longer off schedule because of the live judging?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_02: But it really makes us stay extremely on schedule because we have to be.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: There is no choice.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_02: The judges know they have a big, ginormous clock in front of them that it's going to beep, it's going to buzz, it's going to say, time's up.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it's very streamlined and true to schedule, which is great.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_02: And because we, you know, have to allow for the live judging, we can accept, you know, not as many entries as a traditional competition, which we like because it keeps it more intimate and more personal.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I agree.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_03: And even from the judge's perspective, I can't say enough good things about being a judge for Diva and like all the things that Anne mentioned.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_03: It is so exciting for the panel of three judges to sit there and really connect and engage with the dancers in a personal level, especially when soloists are on stage, you're literally speaking directly to them and no one else.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_03: And and it's just they really take those all of that feedback to heart and they do improve.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: We see them improve.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_03: And when we're judging at other competitions, you know, obviously the dancers can't hear our critiques until after the event's over.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_03: So the difference with this is that the judges say, Hey, lengthen through your legs in your grandita.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: And the dancer's like, got it.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna fix this.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: I'm coming out for my second solo.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: And guess what?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: My legs are gonna be lengthened and my feet are gonna be pointed and I'm going to apply that correction.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's what is so inspiring for us because we can see the progress throughout the even the entire event weekend.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it's really awesome to see.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's super personalized, it's very unique.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that, like Ann, you said, a lot of dancers and maybe even studios walk in a little bit nervous and unsure of what to expect because it is so different.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_03: But that's what makes it so awesome.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_03: Once they get there and they get that first dance under their belt, they're like, this is the coolest thing ever.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_03: I can't wait for live feedback.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_03: People look forward to Diva events in their schedule, like right, like that's their favorite event of the year.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: And it makes it really special.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm I love being a part of it and I love working for you guys.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I know all of the IDA judges love what they do and love sharing their passion for dance on your judging panel as well.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Courtney.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: We are just over the moon to have such talented judges because our business is based around the judges.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: Our our business wouldn't be anything unless we have phenomenal judges.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's what's most important.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: These kids are coming to an event where they're going to be judged.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: You better have the best, most qualified judges that can critique a six-year-old, you know, that's a beginner, and still be able to critique a 16-year-old advanced dancer who's, you know, thinking about going on to be a professional.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: You need a a judge that can talk to both ends of that spectrum and all the way in between.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we think that your judges are able to do that better than any other judges in the business.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yay! I'm sure they'll be really excited to hear that.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_03: All the IDA judges listening.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yay, you guys are fantastic.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_03: So, how do your new customers react to like their very first diva experience?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_03: What is the what are some of the things that they come back and say post-event that you know they loved about your events?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_03: Anything in particular?
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Really outstanding feedback.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's really awesome to hear from studios who are a little skeptical.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: You know, a lot of times studios will enter maybe a few solos or a couple duo trios just to get their feet wet, which is why we actually started our solo duo trio only events preseason.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Because we know that it's so different and some people aren't aren't sure if it's for them.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a good way for them to get their feet wet, see what it's like, and then decide, okay, yes, this is for us.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: But 99.9% of the time, once they do submit a solo or do a trio, they'll come to us after and say, Oh my god.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: This is it.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's going on every year.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: We love it.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: It it's just so value.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: There's so much value in it.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: And for us, we try to create an atmosphere where you know you're not walking into an event that's this huge, you know, corporate mega competition where you just kind of feel lost in a sea of people and you don't know, you know, who you are, where you are, where you should go.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: We try to create a space where people feel important the minute they walk in the door.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know, they're going to come in, they're going to check in with him, but one of the owners.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: She's up front at registration and merchandise.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_02: They're going to see myself and owner backstage checking them in, and our assistant director, uh, Stephanie, who's absolutely wonderful.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: We're all at every single event.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: So if you've talked on the phone to register or had questions, you're going to see one of our faces there.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_02: So it's very personalized, and we get a lot of feedback that that they absolutely love that.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: They feel like they're valued.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_02: They feel like the judges, no matter if they were an apprentice meaning novice or the most elite dancer, everyone received the love.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone received so much value, so much education, so much, you know, just personalized attention.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I think we we get that a lot from new studios.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's something else that is kind of unique, like you mentioned, Anne, is the fact that not only are they getting live feedback right the moment they finish, but then they also get their adjudication immediately, like the moment they're walking off the stage.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_03: Anne already knows what the adjudicated score is and she's announcing it to the audience, and you hear that right away, which is really awesome.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_03: So when we get to the award ceremonies, there are really only special awards, high score awards, title awards, things like that that we give away in addition.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I'd like to kind of just talk about some of those awards.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: I know that we have the CDLS Spirit Award, which is really exciting.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: Can you guys just tell me a little bit about what that is?
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: We're just trying, in a, in addition to to raise a awareness for CDLS.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: We, you know, that's just another way for us to keep saying CDLS, CDLS, CDLS.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: But it also goes to what the judges may deem as a routine that stands out to them for a particular uh reason.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a soloist, it could be a group, it could be just any routine that stands out to the judges that highlights the things that we feel and we value as our most important uh ideals.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: So it could be something that is super inspiring, it shows uh perseverance, it shows a passion for dance, it shows it could be any number of things, um, indomitable spirit, just something that touches and connects with the judges that that says this particular routine was about something greater than just the choreography and the costuming.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: This this routine really brought us up to a different level or touched us in our hearts in a special way.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: So that's our CDLS Spirit Award.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of our most coveted awards, and it goes to uh routines or dancers that really have something extra.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: And another really special award that I feel like Kim, you're probably gonna tell us about is called the Key to Success Award.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: And pretty certain that's only given away to one dancer at every event.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_03: And I'd love to just kind of hear the backstory of this, what this key to success means, how it was created, and why.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: So this is another very, very personal award to my to myself from Diva to our dancers.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is in memory of my brother Scott, who ha passed away from kidney cancer.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: But when I was growing up in my dance career, he was a uh just a person who was always supportive, always encouraging.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: He was he had my back when I was feeling discouraged and was always, you know, trying to get me to just keep going and see and see the uh the great things that were going on in my life, and he was there to um cheer with me when things were wonderful, and I was stoked about what was going on in my dance career.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: But before I left for my very first professional job, I got a job at Tokyo Disneyland and I was fresh uh out of high school.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: He came home one day from work with this giant metal key.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know where he got it, I've never seen anything like it again in my lifetime.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but he said, This is your key, your key to success, and I want you to take it with you.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: And whenever you're feeling discouraged, or whenever things get hard, or whenever you're celebrating because of things that are going well, I want you to look at this key and know that I always believed in you and I knew you'd make it, and I love you so much, and I've I've always had your back, and it's your key to success.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so we try to capture that same spirit.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we offer that award at each one of our events to one dancer, or you know, sometimes it's a dancer from a group of dancers, sometimes it's a soloist.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it it doesn't really matter.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's just some a dancer that shows shows us something special and magical that we want to celebrate them a little bit and tell them that we believe in them.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_00: We believe that they're gonna be successful and to take that award home and to put it on their mantle or their desk and look at it every day and know that we at Diva believe in something special about them.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it also comes with a little scholarship so that maybe they can take an extra class at the studio or buy an extra pair of shoes or try something different that they've never tried before in the dance world.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: But we just want to let them know that uh we have their back and we support them.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_03: I love it so much.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_03: I literally got goosebumps when you were telling the story.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that what's so special to hear about this award is that you know, a lot of awards are given out at competition.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_03: We know that there's high scores, there's titles, there's special awards, but then there's awards like this that are very special and are very unique.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_03: And not all competitions have something that is this sentimental and personal that is being rewarded.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that any dancer who is lucky enough to receive this award and then hear that story will just be so inspired and motivated and feel fabulous.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's it's just a wonderful award.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: So I love that you guys give that out.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it's so great for you to keep that tradition going and passing the keys down to other dancers.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_03: So really awesome.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for sharing, Kim.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_03: Finishing it up since you know, we kind of talked about a lot of things.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about all of your events and how they work and how you started your events.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_03: What made you want to go the live judging route than the standard competition route?
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: And with that being said, do you feel like that's kind of changed your perspective of the competition industry walking into it when you first started?
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_03: How, how has, you know, going the live judging worked out for you guys?
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_03: And what made you want to do that?
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we were just having a conversation one day.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was at the dance studio.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what is this competition going to be?
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_02: And Kim's the one with the awesome creativity.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_02: Her mind is like no other mind that you've ever met.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: We've got ideas that are just amazing, outstanding, like no one ever would ever think of.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I think the live jugging was definitely her brainchild, like, what if we did this?
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it was definitely back and forth a little bit like, are people gonna like this?
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: Is this gonna be too scary?
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_02: Will anyone even want to try this out?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_02: Because it was at the time too, I think when American Idol was still a thing, and you know, Simon Powell was a judge, and you know, but it's always for us been about how can we stand out?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_02: How can we be different?
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_02: How can we provide the most important thing to these answers, which is education?
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: For us, it was never about the trophy being the most important thing.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: Our our business motto is it's not just about the trophy, it's about educating, inspiring, and giving back, which is, you know, what we say to ourselves before every event.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_02: This is us, this is our heart, this is where our heart is.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: This is the intention behind the competition, and we live that every day.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_03: Now that you guys are competition directors and owners, and you've been doing this now for nine years, next year will be the big 10.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_03: How has the industry evolved since the creation?
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_03: Or even back when, you know, you were owning a studio and going to dance competitions or competing at dance competitions when you were younger.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_03: Do you feel that the industry has shifted in a better or worse way?
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just curious to hear your opinions on the industry itself.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: When I started competing, I was I was with a you know, my my tap jazz gymnastics studio was a heavy competition studio.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: We were there every weekend at a different competition.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and back in those days, which I hate to date myself, but you got first, second, or third place.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if you were lucky, you got the honorable mention, which was kind of the fourth place certificate.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if you walked away with one of those, you had a phenomenal weekend.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of people going away with nothing.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that in terms of recognizing each dancer, I love the fact that we're doing that.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: I love the fact that the industry has gone in that direction because the f the phenomenal dancers are going to win trophies no matter where they go.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: But not everybody can commit to that.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: But everybody still sh has a passion and is still showing up at that studio every week and they're still putting in the time and they're still learning that choreography.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's wonderful that each person gets recognized for what they are doing.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's wonderful.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I also think that things have changed.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: You used to go to competition to kind of see where dance was going.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like the competitions were the leaders in what how dance was evolving and what was happening and what was trending.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: You went to competitions to find that.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like now with social media and television, um, it's right there at everybody's fingertips.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: So everybody can see it, whereas you used to only be able to get it at competition.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's wonderful.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that I think that dancers and studio owners are really studio owners, especially, and teachers are trying to offer their kids expertise in every style.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, they're bringing teachers in.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_00: If they can't do hip-hop, they're bringing in a hip-hop teacher, they're bringing in a ballet teacher, they're bringing in an acro teacher, which is making these kids that are coming up so talented.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we get so excited.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: We at every event, we get so excited, so pumped to see these phenomenally talented kids, and we're just staring at each other like, yeah.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't doing that until I was in high school.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's amazing to see where the dance industry is going.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I really believe it's because of dance competition.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: I definitely agree with that.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that, you know, diva is a big part in the evolution of dance competitions and where we're headed.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_02: I think we're a really positive step in, you know, the directions of where competition should be going.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_02: Where I think, you know, we kind of need to bring it back to being real and personal and our format just it breeds that, it allows that, it makes that happen.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_02: I I think that what we're doing is so special and so different from so many that we're kind of I think people are now seeking out our type of experience now versus, you know, trying to get into maybe one of these really big names.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know you're gonna get there and you're gonna be up against fierce competitors and you you're vying for that top, you know, champion, which we have incredible, amazing dancers at our events too, but the vibe is just a little different.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: They're hungry for something more than just the trophy.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_02: They're hungry for that interaction with the judges, they're hungry for that knowledge.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_02: Relationships are so important to us from relationships with our dancers to studio owners to our staff to our judges.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: Relationships are really the foundation of what makes Diva so different and so special.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's so important to us for everyone to know that they're valued from our judge sitting at that table talking on a microphone for hours.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_02: We value you, we appreciate you.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_02: To our dancers backstage who are getting nervous before going on, you know, giving them the pep thoughts.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_02: We see you, you're gonna be amazing.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_02: Just get out there and do it.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: Just, you know, having that personal attention.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: I just think we're we're headed, we're leading things in the right direction.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_02: I think people are looking for that more and more now.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_02: The diva difference, it is real, it's something very special, and I feel like anyone is so missing out if you're not attending it or even trying it.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_02: Just with a solo.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_02: Give it one chance.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_02: I there's no way you're gonna go back.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks so much for tuning in, and I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of Making the Impact.