Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / How to Take Your Solo to the Next Level

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How to Take Your Solo to the Next Level · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_02: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:11
SPEAKER_02: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_02: This is Making the Impact, the Dance Competition Podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_02: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:23
SPEAKER_02: As dancers, we're always looking to challenge ourselves, whether nailing that triple pirouette or getting those sounds crispy clean in the way.
0:30
SPEAKER_02: One challenge that we know dancers are always struggling to achieve is how to take their solar to the next level.
0:36
SPEAKER_02: Today on Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast, we go in depth with two IDA judges and choreographers who have some secrets to share for dancers wanting to level up.
0:48
SPEAKER_04: Hey everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:53
SPEAKER_04: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host, Leslie Meal.
0:58
SPEAKER_04: Hey Courtney, and happy April Fool's Day.
1:00
SPEAKER_04: Oh my god, April Fools.
1:03
SPEAKER_04: Are you gonna play a prank on me or something?
1:05
SPEAKER_04: I don't know.
1:06
SPEAKER_04: We'll have to find out.
1:08
SPEAKER_04: Oh man, I can't believe it's April.
1:09
SPEAKER_04: Wow, what what what a time, what a year.
1:12
SPEAKER_04: But hey, we're here.
1:13
SPEAKER_04: Happy April, y'all.
1:15
SPEAKER_04: And uh today is also the Facebook Live Q ⁇ A with Courtney, the final one of the season.
1:23
SPEAKER_04: So definitely go check me out on Facebook Live today if you want to chat with me in real time where I'll be answering lots and lots of questions over there.
1:34
SPEAKER_04: But it's been a great season two of the podcast.
1:37
SPEAKER_04: We've had such amazing guests and some fantastic episodes this season.
1:44
SPEAKER_04: Like seriously, I feel like they keep getting better and better and better.
1:47
SPEAKER_02: I know we have a lot to live up to for next season.
1:50
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we're already brainstorming topics for next season.
1:52
SPEAKER_04: There's some that I'm so pumped about.
1:54
SPEAKER_04: And to all of our listeners out there, if you have any topics that you want to hear tackled by us on the podcast for season three, which is crazy to say that we're launching season three in September, let us know because we'd love to hear some feedback from y'all and like give you what you want and do topics that you want to do.
2:12
SPEAKER_04: So definitely let us know.
2:14
SPEAKER_04: But it's been a blast.
2:15
SPEAKER_04: Season two is is awesome.
2:16
SPEAKER_04: Definitely go check out some of our previous episodes.
2:18
SPEAKER_04: And the one today that we're talking about, how to take your solo to the next level, is gonna be even more spectacular because we have awesome guests with us, but we'll meet them very shortly.
2:31
SPEAKER_04: We have a few more things to share with you.
2:33
SPEAKER_04: So, since it's April, our judges are obviously out in full swing at live competition events this season, and we couldn't be more happy about it.
2:41
SPEAKER_04: So, shout out to every single IDA judge on the roster who is working so hard this season, who are working long hours every weekend, judging all of the kids around the country.
2:52
SPEAKER_04: And congrats to all the dancers who are competing this year.
2:55
SPEAKER_04: It's so it's so great to see you all back onto the stage and doing what you love.
3:00
SPEAKER_04: So we couldn't be more proud.
3:01
SPEAKER_04: And we're here and we support you and we love you from the judge's side.
3:05
SPEAKER_04: So shout out to our IDA judges, shout out to all of our IDA affiliated competitions.
3:09
SPEAKER_02: And speaking of competitions, if you are looking for some feedback on a solo, if you're a studio owner with groups that want to compete, head over to the website to register.
3:18
SPEAKER_02: I think we're gonna have plenty of space available and just super excited to have everybody join us for this next event.
3:24
SPEAKER_02: This one is open to solos, duos, trios, groups, everybody.
3:28
SPEAKER_04: Yay!
3:28
SPEAKER_02: Yay! I can't believe it's been it's been over a year since we've embarked on this virtual competition journey.
3:33
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
3:34
SPEAKER_02: And never did I ever think that we would be running a competition.
3:38
SPEAKER_02: That's not that's not what either of us set out to do.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: No.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but apparently this is what we do now, and I think we do a pretty good job.
3:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think so.
3:45
SPEAKER_02: So join us.
3:46
SPEAKER_02: Join us for our next event, and we'd be happy to have you.
3:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, definitely check it out.
3:50
SPEAKER_04: Learn more on our website at ImpactDance Adjudicators.com slash virtual competition.
3:56
SPEAKER_04: All right, so you have heard us talk about our fabulous sponsors, and I'm here to talk about them even more because our season sponsors for Making the Impact are so wonderful, and we really couldn't make this podcast possible without their support.
4:09
SPEAKER_04: And the first sponsor I'd love to chat about is Dance Costumes by Urzua.
4:15
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4:19
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4:22
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4:32
SPEAKER_04: And now through April 15th, they're offering a BOGO special.
4:36
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4:46
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4:53
SPEAKER_02: And next up, one of our OGs, Level Up Dance Supplies.
4:56
SPEAKER_02: They are a dance mom-owned and operated business that aims to be your one-stop shop for all your dance gear and accessory needs.
5:02
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5:09
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5:11
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5:20
SPEAKER_04: Alright, listeners, it's time to jump into this episode today.
5:23
SPEAKER_04: We are talking all about solos at competition and how to take them to the next level.
5:28
SPEAKER_04: So I know we're mid-season right now.
5:30
SPEAKER_04: Maybe you've already had a chance to compete, and maybe you got your judge's feedback back.
5:35
SPEAKER_04: And you gotta, you know, now is the time to figure out how we can continue to elevate and make our solo even better than it was at our last competition.
5:42
SPEAKER_04: So we're here to give you all the tricks, tips, and tools to do so.
5:46
SPEAKER_04: I have two wonderful, spectacular IDA judges here joining us who are both brand new to the podcast, which I'm so excited to have them here.
5:55
SPEAKER_04: And first up, I would love to welcome Miss Cheryl Custer Klein to the podcast.
6:02
SPEAKER_04: Welcome.
6:03
SPEAKER_04: Welcome, thank you.
6:04
SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited to be here.
6:06
SPEAKER_04: Yay! And I'm super excited to have you.
6:09
SPEAKER_04: I know that you are a well-versed teacher and have so many beautiful students up in Michigan.
6:16
SPEAKER_04: I know that actually one of your dancers won our senior division in IDEA's virtual competition.
6:22
SPEAKER_04: Congrats to her.
6:23
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
6:24
SPEAKER_04: Yay! So it's just it's been a pleasure watching all of your beautiful dancers, and you're such a perfect person to discuss this topic with us.
6:32
SPEAKER_04: So if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about who you are, where you're based, any credits, and just tell us a little bit more about you.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: I grew up a competitive dancer in the Detroit area with both my sisters competing with me.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: So we were definitely a competition family.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: At the age of 14, my teacher told me I had the eye of a teacher, and I didn't really understand what that was until later in life.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: At the age of 17, my senior year in high school, I was offered a teaching job, and I took it, not really on my radar at the time.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: And I started teaching and I taught through college, and I was going to school for something different: political science and communications, a little bit different avenue.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: But I fell in love with teaching, and I um went and became certified through and took a teacher's training courses through Dance Masters of America, through Shikaddy Council, through acrobatic arts, and from there just kept teaching.
7:28
SPEAKER_00: And here I am.
7:29
SPEAKER_00: I've been teaching for over 20 years.
7:32
SPEAKER_00: I teach at two competitive studios.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: One's more of a pre-professional company, and I've been judging the last eight years, which I absolutely love to inspire kids across the nation.
7:42
SPEAKER_00: And yeah.
7:44
SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
7:45
SPEAKER_02: I love that you've got some diverse career paths and early on for yourself.
7:49
SPEAKER_02: That's really neat.
7:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
7:50
SPEAKER_04: Awesome, Cheryl.
7:52
SPEAKER_04: Well, thank you so much for joining us.
7:54
SPEAKER_04: And I'm excited to welcome our next guest, which, like I mentioned, is another IDA judge who just joined the IDA roster this season.
8:03
SPEAKER_04: Super excited to have her on board, although she's been judging for a long while prior to joining IDA.
8:09
SPEAKER_04: But I'd love to welcome Alicia Sen to the podcast.
8:13
SPEAKER_04: Welcome, Alicia.
8:14
SPEAKER_04: Hi, thank you so much for having me.
8:17
SPEAKER_04: Of course.
8:18
SPEAKER_04: Super happy to have you on the pod and on the IDA roster this season.
8:21
SPEAKER_04: Yes, I'm very excited.
8:22
SPEAKER_04: All right, you know the drill, if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about you for all of our listeners, where you're located, any career credits you'd like to share, and what you're up to now.
8:33
SPEAKER_03: Sure.
8:33
SPEAKER_03: Sure.
8:34
SPEAKER_03: Right now I live in the Philadelphia suburbs, and I'm originally from Rochester, New York, and I grew up a competitive dancer there.
8:42
SPEAKER_03: I then went to Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and I actually went for their pre-med program and got a job teaching ballet on Saturday mornings and was going to be a dance minor and just realized I could not live without dance.
8:58
SPEAKER_03: So bye-bye, pre-med major, hello dance major.
9:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
9:01
SPEAKER_03: And Muhlenberg introduced me to concert dance, which I really just fell in love with.
9:07
SPEAKER_03: So after college, I got more into the concert dance scene, doing modern and contemporary dance.
9:14
SPEAKER_03: I danced with a few different companies in Philadelphia and presented my own work professionally.
9:20
SPEAKER_03: And I also have regional theater credits.
9:22
SPEAKER_03: So I have a nice blend.
9:23
SPEAKER_03: I'm very lucky to be able to do the musical theater as well as the concert dance.
9:28
SPEAKER_03: So right now I teach at two studios, one of which is competitive.
9:32
SPEAKER_03: I run a theater program at one of the local high schools.
9:36
SPEAKER_03: I'm their choreographer and producer.
9:38
SPEAKER_03: And I'm a mom of two.
9:39
SPEAKER_03: So I do not perform anymore, but I am very excited to be more involved with judging through IDA.
9:46
SPEAKER_04: Yay! Awesome.
9:48
SPEAKER_04: I love hearing about y'all because, you know, sometimes we don't I I feel like I know you both so much more now, just hearing your backgrounds and your intros.
9:57
SPEAKER_04: Cause, you know, I've never personally had an opportunity to meet either of you, sadly.
10:02
SPEAKER_04: But and that's how it is on the IDA.
10:04
SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of judges I've never had a chance to physically in person meet before before I bring you onto the roster.
10:09
SPEAKER_04: But I know I can tr I know that you're fabulous based on your submissions, but I'm you're even more fabulous now that I just heard your beautiful intros.
10:18
SPEAKER_04: And it's really interesting, you both grew up as competitive dancers, both went to school for two different things, not dance related, and now flipped it around and well, you eventually did, Alicia, but you know what I'm saying.
10:29
SPEAKER_04: Like your goals when you went to college were I don't know if I'm gonna, you know, major in dance, and now look at you both successful teachers and judges.
10:36
SPEAKER_04: So really, really excited to dive into this episode.
10:38
SPEAKER_04: You're the perfect people for it.
10:40
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: Yay.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
10:42
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you you took the words out of my mouth, Courtney.
10:44
SPEAKER_02: Sorry.
10:44
SPEAKER_02: That's fine.
10:46
SPEAKER_02: We're on the same page.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: We're on the same page.
10:48
SPEAKER_02: Usually that's the case.
10:49
SPEAKER_02: So we're talking about solos today, and we're talking specifically about how to level up.
10:54
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I think back in the day, back when we were all growing up, you were very, very, very lucky if you got one solo.
11:02
SPEAKER_02: Lucky.
11:03
SPEAKER_02: You know, you either auditioned or you got selected, or it was a senior year thing.
11:07
SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, there those were not the days of people having four to five to six solos just because they wanted them.
11:14
SPEAKER_02: And so today we live in a very different world.
11:16
SPEAKER_02: I think most people, you know, most kids do have more than one solo.
11:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:20
SPEAKER_02: That's just, you know, we see it every weekend.
11:22
SPEAKER_02: So gone are the days of like it being kind of a privilege to have a solo.
11:27
SPEAKER_02: So the next step of that is, okay, well, if we're all gonna have a solo, how do we then level up is the words we keep saying to make it really count and to get the feedback that we're looking for?
11:38
SPEAKER_02: And I think my first question is if you're gonna have a solo, what are the non-negotiable responsibilities of that?
11:44
SPEAKER_02: I still consider it a privilege, of that privilege?
11:47
SPEAKER_02: You know, what do these students need to be ready to do in order to have that privilege?
11:52
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I think that responsibility really starts in the classroom.
11:57
SPEAKER_03: I think their class etiquette and their attention to detail, not just in their technical training, but in their training as an artist, it needs to be there in class because that's where it sets them up for success in applying that in a solo performance.
12:13
SPEAKER_03: And to continue with that idea of it being a responsibility that begins in the classroom, I think it that dancers also need to have the responsibility of maintaining their respect and their humility.
12:25
SPEAKER_03: Stay humble that you that you have been given this solo, especially if they're part of a competition team, that the team is really what comes first and you are part of a team.
12:34
SPEAKER_03: It doesn't automatically, you know, become all about you or just your solo piece.
12:40
SPEAKER_03: You have to maintain your dedication and your responsibility to your team and to your teacher.
12:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would 100% agree with that.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: I tell my kids in all classes, in all genres, it doesn't matter if it's your favorite genre or your least favorite genre, um, your favorite class, your favorite teacher, that you need to work really hard in all your classes, be respectful and be versatile.
13:02
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's the biggest thing for me is that don't, you know, don't pick and choose what you work for, that you can learn from even like your least favorite class, you can become better somehow.
13:12
SPEAKER_00: And the more you learn and dive into it, actually the better you probably will become in that genre.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: And then you'll actually probably like it better.
13:20
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of something that I horn in on a little bit with my students as well.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: And then once they're in the solo, don't put more effort into your solo, keep it all well-rounded in all their classes as well.
13:31
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I totally agree.
13:34
SPEAKER_04: And I I'm really glad that we started it off like this.
13:37
SPEAKER_04: And and I want to go back to kind of what you just said, Leslie.
13:41
SPEAKER_04: Like, I want to let the listeners know because if you're growing up in this generation of the competitive dance world, like you said, it seems like everyone has a solo.
13:51
SPEAKER_04: There's, I mean, as a judge, and I know I've sat through a whole night of solos, a whole Sunday evening of teen solos only teen solos.
14:03
SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
14:04
SPEAKER_04: Contemporary ones.
14:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
14:06
SPEAKER_04: Oh, that contemporary teen category.
14:08
SPEAKER_04: Oh god.
14:09
SPEAKER_04: There, it's there, and there's a lot of them.
14:12
SPEAKER_04: So the privilege of of the solo, I think, is something that is really important to stress because, like mentioned, growing up in all of us, all of our guests, all of our generation of dance and competitive dance, because we all at a point in time competed, you had to work your way up to get a solo.
14:32
SPEAKER_04: It was not handed to you.
14:34
SPEAKER_04: The studio, I'm I don't know if I'm speaking for all of us, but at least I know that's how it was for me.
14:39
SPEAKER_04: And I feel like it was different back then where you had to prove yourself at the studio, you had to show that you, you know, were extremely committed to this, that you cared about dance, that you worked hard, like we said, and eventually your teachers might let you have a solo, but everyone at the studio didn't have one.
14:56
SPEAKER_04: I mean, there was a point in time where I was on a competition team that had over a hundred kids.
15:00
SPEAKER_04: Can you imagine if every hundred kid had a solo?
15:02
SPEAKER_04: Like, there's no time for that.
15:03
SPEAKER_04: And and that's not how it was.
15:05
SPEAKER_04: It was a select few that were awarded a solo this year.
15:09
SPEAKER_04: And eventually, maybe sometimes once you progressed, you got an additional solo.
15:14
SPEAKER_04: But I don't there I think maybe my like one year I had three, which was like weird.
15:20
SPEAKER_04: And I also am like, why?
15:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, I all I always think why are there three solos when I see three solos?
15:27
SPEAKER_04: Anytime, at all times, unless they're completely different solos.
15:30
SPEAKER_04: Because to me, it's like you I don't know, you don't need three.
15:34
SPEAKER_04: You could have one standout killer solo that's gonna just take it home instead of three identical solos, which is usually what happens.
15:43
SPEAKER_04: Right.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: I was gonna bring back Alicia's point of your group dances should be the ones that come first.
15:49
SPEAKER_02: Your team is, you know, because we we've said this before, and I think a lot of the dance world says this a lot.
15:56
SPEAKER_02: There's only so many soloists.
15:59
SPEAKER_02: You know, your job, if you are ever gonna be hired as a dancer, the 99% of us are not hired to be a soloist.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: We're hired to be in the chorus, in the ensemble, in the group.
16:08
SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, yes, having the the privilege to have a solo is nice and lovely and like it's good for everybody to learn.
16:14
SPEAKER_02: Do I like to be on stage alone?
16:15
SPEAKER_02: Can I handle being on stage alone?
16:17
SPEAKER_02: Is it is it prudent for me to be on stage alone?
16:20
SPEAKER_02: But the better thing, because it will serve you better in the future, is how to be on stage with a group of people, you know, and how to work together as a team.
16:27
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
16:27
SPEAKER_03: And I think going back to what Courtney said about why do we have three solos if it's all the same thing?
16:32
SPEAKER_03: And that really connects with to what Cheryl said, focusing on all of your genres of dance and being well-rounded, that a solo is really an opportunity to take, you know, whatever style you are learning this solo in and take it to the next level, right?
16:49
SPEAKER_03: So, what am I really, really learning about contemporary dance?
16:52
SPEAKER_03: Or what am I really, really learning about theater?
16:55
SPEAKER_03: And your solo opportunity is your moment to discuss with your teacher, learn choreography, and learn something new that maybe hasn't been touched on class yet, so, or touched on in class yet.
17:07
SPEAKER_03: So when you have three solos that are all very similar, are you just doing choreography and three solos for the sake of saying I'm doing this many solos?
17:16
SPEAKER_03: Or are you taking three completely different genres and experiences and really bettering yourself in those situations and in those styles, which ultimately is the goal of being a teacher and of being a dancer?
17:30
SPEAKER_04: Totally.
17:30
SPEAKER_04: You know, I will say that in regards to that topic of three similar solos, which we see all the time.
17:40
SPEAKER_04: All the time.
17:41
SPEAKER_04: If you're listening and you know who you are, and you have three solos, go to the studio tomorrow, run them, and tell me if they look the same.
17:50
SPEAKER_04: And I'm not saying just, well, they are different because one's jazz, one's lyrical, one's contemporary.
17:56
SPEAKER_04: No, no, no.
17:57
SPEAKER_04: That's not what I'm talking about.
17:58
SPEAKER_04: Because are they really different?
18:00
SPEAKER_04: Do they have the exact same elements as the previous solo?
18:04
SPEAKER_04: Are you doing your aerial in every dance?
18:06
SPEAKER_04: Are you doing the same leg catch turn?
18:07
SPEAKER_04: Are you doing the same turn sequence?
18:09
SPEAKER_04: Because that's not variety and that's not versatility.
18:12
SPEAKER_04: And most more often than not, you're not being true to the style that you're entering in.
18:17
SPEAKER_04: It's becoming just another solo.
18:19
SPEAKER_04: And I think that in your point, Alicia, why dancers have multiple solos is not just to do more choreography, is for more of an opportunity to try to win.
18:30
SPEAKER_04: I think that's what everyone wants is it's a competition.
18:33
SPEAKER_04: I get it.
18:33
SPEAKER_04: You want to win.
18:34
SPEAKER_04: Of course you want to win.
18:35
SPEAKER_04: That's our goal when we go to a competition.
18:37
SPEAKER_04: You're putting three solos in, so you have three more chances of winning, potentially winning.
18:42
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna let you know that the more times I see you come out, I have a higher expectation for you.
18:48
SPEAKER_04: And more often than not, my I'm gonna get harder on you the more times you come out.
18:54
SPEAKER_04: So you could just do one solo that you put all your time, effort, energy in and blow me away.
19:01
SPEAKER_04: And that will be more memorable than you coming out three times and me kind of, you know, getting harder and harder and harder on you because you're doing the same solo three times.
19:12
SPEAKER_04: Right.
19:12
SPEAKER_04: Cheryl's over here nodding.
19:13
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Cheryl, tell me.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: Well, no, I yes, I 100% agree with that.
19:17
SPEAKER_00: It it takes one really strong solo.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: In fact, one of the studios I teach at, they, in their contract for a solo, they are required to sign out a half hour block at the studio on an open studio time to practice.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: So it's a good question to those three solos that you have.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Are you signing out an hour and a half a week to work on this?
19:34
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's really important that you focus on like the parts going into a solo and not necessarily like just like you said, another chance to win.
19:43
SPEAKER_00: So are you working on your execution, your performance, your technique, all this other stuff, or are you just trying to like go, okay, oh, that wasn't so good.
19:50
SPEAKER_00: Let me have another chance in 10 numbers.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: Now I can go compete another one.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I definitely agree.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
19:56
SPEAKER_03: And chances are by the third time the judge sees you, they already know what some of their corrections for you are, especially if you're doing the same leg catch turn or you know, the couple things that Courtney mentioned, you're getting the same notes and we are we're already kind of knowing what's gonna what's gonna be presented to us.
20:16
SPEAKER_02: Right.
20:16
SPEAKER_02: And especially if that those three solos are also choreographed by the same person.
20:20
SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah.
20:20
SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah.
20:21
SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like that's a just a double whammy of I'm just gonna see that same thing over and over again executed in the same way, you know, because it is, it's it's hard.
20:30
SPEAKER_02: It's it is hard to be versatile.
20:31
SPEAKER_02: Like a lot of us are very, you know, we have our our style that we like, we have our sensibilities that we like.
20:36
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, especially if you are choreographing on one person, right?
20:40
SPEAKER_02: Like it you can get stuck, and I can see how that happens.
20:43
SPEAKER_04: I will say with that, it as far as like the three solo thing, I like I said, I question three solos most of the time, but I won't question them as much if you are doing a jazz, a tap, and a ballet.
20:58
SPEAKER_04: Or absolutely library, a hip-hop, and a acro or something.
21:03
SPEAKER_04: You know, I I don't know.
21:04
SPEAKER_04: I just need versatility if you're gonna come out three times.
21:08
SPEAKER_04: What I do not want to see is a lyrical, a contemporary, and an open.
21:13
SPEAKER_04: That is the same thing.
21:15
SPEAKER_04: Right.
21:15
SPEAKER_04: Okay, which if if I'm calling you out listeners, you know who you are.
21:20
SPEAKER_04: And again, go to the studio and figure it out because that's not what the judges want to see.
21:25
SPEAKER_04: We want to see versatility.
21:26
SPEAKER_02: Like maybe play a game with yourself and do your lyrical solo to your contemporary song and vice versa.
21:31
SPEAKER_02: See and see if it makes sense.
21:32
SPEAKER_02: Because if it makes sense, then it doesn't make sense, if that makes sense.
21:36
SPEAKER_02: Like if it looks right on both songs, then you have some work to do on one of them.
21:41
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
21:42
SPEAKER_03: That's a very good point.
21:43
SPEAKER_03: That's also a good note for teachers like us who set work on the same students year after year that are part of our team.
21:51
SPEAKER_03: That's a great challenge for any teachers that are listening as well.
21:55
SPEAKER_03: We have to challenge ourselves as adults just as much as our students have to be challenged.
22:00
SPEAKER_03: Challenged.
22:00
SPEAKER_03: Right.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: And I think, you know, and we do have a fair amount of teachers and and you know, people who are choreographing often on the on that same, you know, as teachers at studios, we are limited, just like any other situation, by parameters of these are the people that I have to work with.
22:14
SPEAKER_02: And that's your limitation.
22:16
SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, you there it is very easy to get stuck.
22:19
SPEAKER_02: And so we do always have to like we talk all the time about like, sorry, dance teachers, here's another thing you have to do.
22:24
SPEAKER_02: Right.
22:24
SPEAKER_02: Like, here's another thing you have to do is challenge yourself and and try to stay fresh in those ways.
22:30
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, now we we've covered the fact that yes, we're gonna see a lot of solos on stage, and that's a fact.
22:38
SPEAKER_04: And what is your advice?
22:40
SPEAKER_04: And I know you mentioned this, Cheryl, a little bit about, you know, are you really putting the same amount of time and effort in all three of your solos if you have them, versus if you just had one that you could really hone in on and really focus on?
22:51
SPEAKER_04: So for the dancers that have multiple solos, whether it's one, two, three, four, whatever it is, do you as teachers have any advice on what they should be working on in the studio, maybe post-competition, they got their critiques back.
23:04
SPEAKER_04: Now it's time to head back to the studio.
23:06
SPEAKER_04: What are some of the things that you as judges say on the critiques for a lot of soloists that you you wish that you saw more of, or or things that you feel like you're repeating yourselves often for soloists on stage?
23:18
SPEAKER_04: Anything that comes to mind?
23:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it depends kind of on what their age is.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: I kind of in a nutshell sum it up, and of course it's not a one-size-fits-all, but my junior level, like if you have a petite, I don't have many petite solos, but you know, you're kind of like, oh, you're cute, just get on the stage, remember your dance and try to smile, you know, don't wave to grandma while you're out there.
23:38
SPEAKER_00: Right.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: And then the junior levels, I mean, you're kind of focusing on your technique, your placement, your feet, lengthening your legs, and giving a good performance.
23:46
SPEAKER_00: And some of your juniors can like surpass that by the time they're at the end of their age bracket of junior.
23:52
SPEAKER_00: But then teen, I feel like we try to, if all that is good, like your technique is pretty sound, you know, minus your sickled foot here and there, then we're really working on, you know, musicality and diving into dynamics and stuff like that, like how how you can you work on your musicality.
24:07
SPEAKER_00: And so kind of in the teen bracket, of course, you know, some are a little bit further behind or ahead of this.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: And of course, different kids, sometimes you have a junior that has great musicality.
24:17
SPEAKER_00: So that's the kid that's working on technique like later on.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: But then by the time you get to your senior level, we're just focusing on like risk taking a lot of, you know, let's not find that perfect placement, let's just try to go for it, or let's try to, you know, balance and then fall off of our center instead of always trying to go onto our center in something like that.
24:36
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of times where, you know, when they're working on that, we'll give specifics.
24:40
SPEAKER_00: I encourage my kids a lot to listen to feedback to from a young age that listening, getting constructive criticism from their teachers and from their judges is a positive thing.
24:50
SPEAKER_00: It's the way of their teachers helping them, I think, from a very young age, really showing that that's like a really good thing.
24:57
SPEAKER_00: They want that so that by the time they're a little older, they're like, Miss Cheryl, you didn't correct me.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: What's your feedback?
25:02
SPEAKER_00: I went off the floor.
25:03
SPEAKER_00: You didn't tell me anything.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: Certainly, something was wrong, Miss Cheryl.
25:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I love it.
25:08
SPEAKER_00: And so when they get their feedback, their judges' critique tapes, they want that.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: They want to copy some of my solos.
25:14
SPEAKER_00: They ask for it and they will go through every single one of them.
25:17
SPEAKER_00: And if it's a technical flaw, of course, like they are like fix it, okay, whatever.
25:21
SPEAKER_00: If it's an artistic flaw or like just a personal preference, we'll talk about it together.
25:25
SPEAKER_00: Like, oh yeah, I didn't see that.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: That would definitely enhance that because not just my opinion is what matters.
25:31
SPEAKER_00: When you're on stage, my opinion doesn't matter, it's what they think.
25:34
SPEAKER_00: So, how can we incorporate their opinion to that?
25:36
SPEAKER_00: So then they'll listen to that and they'll ask me, Well, do you want me to fix that?
25:40
SPEAKER_00: Do you want me to change that?
25:41
SPEAKER_00: Do you want me to use that?
25:42
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, Yeah, that sounds great.
25:44
SPEAKER_00: So I think just like really making them positive about their constructive criticism and it's not a negative thing, is really important.
25:51
SPEAKER_00: And then when they can work on by themselves, like in the studio or at home if they're working in their bedroom, then they can listen to that.
25:58
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's a really positive thing for them to do, put the work in.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: And also some of my other solos, they have like a little like core routine that they do before they go to bed and a little checklist in the calendar.
26:11
SPEAKER_00: So they do that aside from working on their solo, but just a little bit of like strength training on their own.
26:16
SPEAKER_00: And that's like their little 10-minute core conditioning that they do before they go to bed, or if somebody's like lacking on a different area.
26:22
SPEAKER_00: But core is always good.
26:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we all love good, strong core that helps in everything.
26:26
SPEAKER_00: So that's yeah.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: So that would be a little bit of advice.
26:29
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I a hundred percent agree with all of those things that you said.
26:34
SPEAKER_04: It's really it's almost kind of like a a judge's expectations kind of type question as far as like what we're looking for as judges when it comes to solos.
26:44
SPEAKER_04: And I think a lot of the things that you mentioned are things that we look for across the board in groups as well, can be applied to groups.
26:50
SPEAKER_04: But I think that specifically for solos, you know, that's elevated.
26:53
SPEAKER_04: You're the only one on stage.
26:55
SPEAKER_04: So those things have to be even, you know, more exaggerated almost.
26:59
SPEAKER_04: Like all eyes are on you.
27:00
SPEAKER_04: There's no, there's no one to, you know, take the blame anymore when you're the only dancer on stage.
27:06
SPEAKER_04: So I really love a lot of those points.
27:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
27:09
SPEAKER_02: And the positivity aspect of it, I mean, that is definitely something that I think a lot of kids these days uh struggle with.
27:17
SPEAKER_02: Is that, you know, back like like we were saying, like, Miss Cheryl, certain if you didn't correct me, like give me a correction.
27:23
SPEAKER_02: Like I I was hungry for a correction.
27:25
SPEAKER_02: Like I wanted somebody to tell me what I could fix.
27:28
SPEAKER_02: And that's just, I think, how a lot of us grew up was that we recognize that if a teacher tells you something, that means they care.
27:34
SPEAKER_02: That means they watched you, that means they are invested in your progress and they want you to succeed.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: But I think for there has been some disconnect in in probably the past 15, 20 years where that is now seen as bad.
27:46
SPEAKER_02: You know, kids don't want that correction.
27:48
SPEAKER_02: They don't want that, you know, constructive criticism.
27:51
SPEAKER_02: And I think there we some and I think some places are doing it, some people are doing it and they flipped the script back, you know, again to say, no, this is what you should be striving for.
28:00
SPEAKER_02: You should be wanting people to to give you this feedback.
28:03
SPEAKER_02: But I think, you know, in the way of doing it with positivity and, you know, constructing it in such a way that the kids want it, you know, and I think that's a really important thing to consider when we're speaking about teachers.
28:15
SPEAKER_04: And the judges too.
28:16
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
28:17
SPEAKER_04: And making sure that like as judges, we understand that the dancers are most likely, especially soloists, are probably listening to this directly.
28:25
SPEAKER_04: And we as judges need to make sure that we're presenting this in a constructive and positive way so we can be in help them be inspired by us and not feel like deflated by our critiques.
28:38
SPEAKER_04: It's a hard thing to kind of figure out and balance as a judge, especially when you're on solo three and you're saying the same thing over again.
28:45
SPEAKER_04: Your tone sort of shifts sometimes.
28:47
SPEAKER_04: I know mine does.
28:49
SPEAKER_04: Mine does, and I try to correct it, but like as a judge, you kind of get frustrated because you can't help them in the moment and you want to so bad, and you just wish that they could hear you while you're critiquing the third solo, you know, and it's definitely oh my god, your back leg is still bent in your jet.
29:07
SPEAKER_04: Like, please fix it.
29:09
SPEAKER_04: And you and they can't hear you, you know.
29:11
SPEAKER_04: So, like, I I my tone gets a little bit different at by that point, which is again going back to the whole point of it's gonna get harder as you bring more solos out.
29:21
SPEAKER_03: So there's another one of the good things about, I think one of the good things about doing a solo too is it gives a dancer an opportunity to kind of feel out like where their strengths are and where their weaknesses are.
29:33
SPEAKER_03: And as teachers, we can play to their strengths, acknowledge their weaknesses, and maybe, you know, if they struggle with turns, throw a couple in there as that extra motivation to really work on it, help them focus on it in class so that they will feel so accomplished by the end of the season.
29:50
SPEAKER_03: Like we we discovered this was your weakness.
29:52
SPEAKER_03: We worked on it through your solo.
29:54
SPEAKER_03: You got feedback from your judges, and by recital in May or June, you nailed it.
29:59
SPEAKER_03: And I think if we can present that constructive criticism with an end goal instead of what you did today, our kids will be a little bit more receptive to it.
30:09
SPEAKER_03: Because I agree, in the last 15 years, it has been a little bit more of a change in where we were so hungry, like, oh, you know, give me more corrections.
30:19
SPEAKER_00: It's not always that way anymore.
30:21
SPEAKER_00: I definitely love the challenging.
30:23
SPEAKER_00: Like if they need to work on turns, I always try to do that at the beginning of the year.
30:26
SPEAKER_00: If they're just almost like doing that triple turn and you give it to them at the beginning of the year, and then sometimes if towards like competition time, we're like, okay, let's dial it back a little bit.
30:36
SPEAKER_00: But definitely like not to be afraid to give them that challenge, because if we never give that to them, then they're not gonna grow.
30:42
SPEAKER_00: And then sometimes we're like, okay, well, I've had a few like little tricks or steps that I've given a kid and they didn't accomplish it.
30:52
SPEAKER_00: So I said, okay, we'll put it in our back pocket for next year.
30:54
SPEAKER_00: But then it took two years to get, but then finally she got it.
30:58
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, okay, we're putting this in.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: It's solid, like we're gonna make it work.
31:02
SPEAKER_00: And it was exciting.
31:03
SPEAKER_00: She was liberated once she got it.
31:05
SPEAKER_00: And the judges don't want to see you fall out of stuff on stage either.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: You don't want to fall because then you're gonna crumble.
31:10
SPEAKER_00: But to give them that to push themselves to the next level is always a positive thing.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: And it's okay to kind of pull back right before competition time if you're not fully executing it.
31:20
SPEAKER_00: So it's a good balance.
31:21
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you want them to feel confident because then they can really perform and enjoy it.
31:25
SPEAKER_03: Right.
31:26
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
31:26
SPEAKER_04: And to all of the people listening who maybe have experienced exactly that scenario that Cheryl just discussed where the teacher gave, you know, a harder element or skill one when it was being choreographed at the top of the season, and now we're nearing competition, and the the teacher or the choreographer decides to pluck that out of your choreography because you're just not nailing it.
31:47
SPEAKER_04: Don't take that as a negative.
31:49
SPEAKER_04: Don't take that as, well, I'm flustered and I can't do this, and I'm frustrated, and I can't believe my teacher took that out and I'm not gonna score well because I don't have my aerial in my dance.
31:59
SPEAKER_04: That's not the case.
32:00
SPEAKER_04: Your teacher's doing it to help you because, like Cheryl mentioned, the judges don't want to see what you can't do.
32:07
SPEAKER_04: We want to see what you can do.
32:09
SPEAKER_04: And, you know, if this was just a regular performance and you love your aerial and it's kind of on a 50-50, I'm not sure if it's always gonna make or not, but you want it in there, that's great.
32:18
SPEAKER_04: But this is a competition, you're being judged on every single thing you bring to the stage.
32:23
SPEAKER_04: So we want to make sure that as teachers, we're showing off you in your best way.
32:28
SPEAKER_04: And if that means that we're taking it from a triple to a double, the judges will appreciate a clean double over it, a fall and out of triple.
32:35
SPEAKER_04: We say it all the time, less is more.
32:37
SPEAKER_04: So just want to reiterate that, you know, it's not a bad thing where, you know, we pushed you, you worked on it, great progress.
32:44
SPEAKER_04: It's just not ready for the competitive stage yet.
32:47
SPEAKER_04: And it will be next season, right?
32:49
SPEAKER_03: And the judges won't know that the beautiful double that you just nailed used to be a triple.
32:54
SPEAKER_02: Right.
32:55
SPEAKER_02: That's so true.
32:56
SPEAKER_02: And I think even, you know, I remember I was judging this past weekend and kind of getting down to like the the smaller kids, the minis and the juniors, you know, it's like we try so hard to get these kids to just walk in a straight line to get to their spot, to be center.
33:10
SPEAKER_02: And sometimes I look at these little kids and they've they're trying so hard to just like place their feet properly when they're just walking.
33:16
SPEAKER_02: And like you can tell they have worked on it.
33:18
SPEAKER_02: Like that was a thing that their teacher stressed.
33:20
SPEAKER_02: And I always say, like, if I can see something, it's not perfect yet, but I can tell they're working on it.
33:25
SPEAKER_02: I will always call that out and say, I can see you've worked really hard on those beautiful ballet walks coming to center stage.
33:31
SPEAKER_02: Good job.
33:32
SPEAKER_02: Keep working because I can see it.
33:34
SPEAKER_02: You know, there's definitely a difference between you're clearly not thinking about that and I'm going to call you out on it, versus I can tell you've really been working and it's not there yet, but because I see that work, I will tell you, great job.
33:47
SPEAKER_02: Like you might even get a point for that, you know, because I can just see that it's been thought about.
33:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
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34:45
SPEAKER_04: The other thing I want to go back to briefly is another thing you mentioned, Cheryl, is about how once you get to like teen or specifically senior, we don't always want to see picture perfect.
34:58
SPEAKER_04: We want to see you taking those risks at that point.
35:01
SPEAKER_04: Like you said, taking the leg and and falling off your center or maybe disguising your preparations into your peer wet.
35:09
SPEAKER_04: Things like that where I can tell that the choreography is challenging you in an artistic way, in an advanced way, because you're at that level and you're ready for it.
35:18
SPEAKER_04: I think when we're when we're talking junior minis, petites, we do want to see kind of like a picture perfect, clean, your best, and not really breaking rules yet, not really taking as many risks.
35:32
SPEAKER_04: You know, you definitely can, but like they should be clean.
35:35
SPEAKER_04: Once we hit that a little bit more mature age division and level as well, that's where the artistry comes in.
35:42
SPEAKER_04: That's where, you know, that shift happens.
35:45
SPEAKER_04: And there actually have been times where I, as a judge, am watching like the star of the studio, the dancer who's a junior or senior in high school, who is in front center in everything, who has all the potential to go into a professional career.
35:59
SPEAKER_04: They come out into their solos and they're just too safe and too clean.
36:03
SPEAKER_04: And I actually sat there saying, I wish that you would take more risks.
36:07
SPEAKER_04: Like you're at that point now to take risks.
36:10
SPEAKER_04: And that's what I'm looking for from you in particular because you're so good.
36:15
SPEAKER_04: So I think that's another thing to think about for our advanced dancers and our dancers as they progress into that senior level.
36:21
SPEAKER_04: We're not looking for, you know, the picture perfect anymore at that point.
36:25
SPEAKER_04: At least me, I want to see an artist come on stage.
36:28
SPEAKER_00: I definitely agree.
36:29
SPEAKER_00: So, like at a senior level, you walk on and you're gonna have like a good handful of these kids.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: They have great technique, they have great musicality, they know their performance, they know their execution.
36:40
SPEAKER_00: So they're all kind of like tied in all these fields, right?
36:43
SPEAKER_00: And give or take a little bit, but not too much.
36:46
SPEAKER_00: And then you're like, so how do we separate that?
36:48
SPEAKER_00: And I think that it is the artistry that does that.
36:51
SPEAKER_00: And so, like my kids look at me and they're like, So you want me to fall off my leg?
36:55
SPEAKER_00: Like for years you're telling me to like, and I'm like, yeah, I want you to fall.
36:58
SPEAKER_00: And I want you to fall, you know, try something so much that you actually fall on the floor because then you know, hey, okay, I went past too far, but I went off of what felt good or comfortable.
37:08
SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's a good word, comfortable.
37:09
SPEAKER_00: I don't want you to feel comfortable anymore.
37:11
SPEAKER_00: I want you to trust yourself.
37:12
SPEAKER_00: You're in ballet class, you're building your body, your structure, your technique, your alignment.
37:17
SPEAKER_00: Your body knows what to do.
37:19
SPEAKER_00: Now you just have to trust it and be vulnerable and go out there and feel it and live your performance.
37:25
SPEAKER_00: What's your story?
37:26
SPEAKER_00: Be captivated into that story and like let go.
37:29
SPEAKER_00: And it's really hard, but it's like the most amazing moments for me to see a kid I've trained since little, and now they're this beautiful artist, and you forget what you're doing.
37:38
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, I love this.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm teaching, and you are just creating this beautiful art on stage or in my classroom.
37:45
SPEAKER_00: And I want you to take that and share that with more than just me.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: I just told that to one of my kids the other day.
37:50
SPEAKER_00: I was like, I've seen you the last two years because of all the situation going on.
37:55
SPEAKER_00: Now you have to show that to everybody else.
37:57
SPEAKER_00: Your parents have been waiting for almost two years for some of these kids to see what you've become.
38:01
SPEAKER_00: And don't be afraid to like hold back and let it go on stage and just, you know, lose your mind on stage and you know, create this beautiful artistry, which comes a lot of it with risk taking.
38:11
SPEAKER_03: So I love that.
38:12
SPEAKER_03: I like when Courtney said, I want to see an artist.
38:15
SPEAKER_03: And I feel like by the time you get to that teen or advanced division, your expectation as a judge is that they they have a solid technical base.
38:26
SPEAKER_03: They understand musicality.
38:28
SPEAKER_03: I am constantly pushing my teen soloists to connect to their music or their story, and not necessarily a linear story, but an intention or what that solo or music or dance is representing.
38:44
SPEAKER_03: Dance is a form of communication.
38:46
SPEAKER_03: It is a form of therapy, especially for a lot of these kids in COVID time.
38:51
SPEAKER_03: This is their outlet.
38:52
SPEAKER_03: But what makes what makes it an artist?
38:55
SPEAKER_03: What is that extra challenge?
38:56
SPEAKER_03: I want to feel your emotion and feel this story and intention behind you.
39:01
SPEAKER_03: It's not just movement for movement's sake anymore.
39:04
SPEAKER_03: And I think professionally, you're not really going to see many contemporary, we'll say, because they know there's the biggest category as your contemporary solos.
39:12
SPEAKER_03: You're not really going to see a lot of contemporary work professionally that doesn't have a story or an intention or a feeling behind it because that's how you relate to an audience and your audience buys tickets, right?
39:25
SPEAKER_03: Right.
39:26
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
39:27
SPEAKER_02: Well, and exactly what you were saying, Alicia.
39:29
SPEAKER_02: I, as a judge or as an audience member, I don't need you to spoon feed me, you know, once upon a time, this happened, and here's the arc of the story.
39:36
SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't need the actual details.
39:38
SPEAKER_02: You, the dancer, need the actual details.
39:41
SPEAKER_02: Because if you have the details and you know your story and, you know, top top to bottom, it will come through in your dancing.
39:47
SPEAKER_03: And even if I'm perfectly satisfied with a dance that I'm like, there was something there.
39:53
SPEAKER_03: I don't know exactly what it is, but I saw growth from the beginning to the end of that two and a half minute mark.
40:00
SPEAKER_03: And that's true artistry, and that's really a a maturity in a teen dancer.
40:04
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
40:05
SPEAKER_03: And that's always, that's always what I need, you know, as a judge.
40:07
SPEAKER_02: And I think, and it was very interesting.
40:09
SPEAKER_02: I judged last weekend for the first time this season.
40:11
SPEAKER_02: And I r I think I saw more of that than I ever have before.
40:14
SPEAKER_02: And I think that really speaks to what you said, like during COVID times, like this is an outlet.
40:19
SPEAKER_02: This is, you know, the way that kids are able to express themselves.
40:22
SPEAKER_02: And even with the content of some of the pieces, it was interesting.
40:25
SPEAKER_02: You know, there was a little more hope.
40:26
SPEAKER_02: There was a little more light.
40:28
SPEAKER_02: There was it was it was really interesting to watch.
40:30
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I I do hope that that's the turn we take, that maybe we're thinking more about the intent of what we put on stage.
40:36
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, another thing I'd like to mention with that is when we're speaking of artistry, which we're kind of talking about right now, which is what really separates the dancers, like Cheryl said, like that's really what will separate someone.
40:49
SPEAKER_04: And like mentioned previously on the podcast, and I can say this again because I have you here, Cheryl, like when we had our last solo virtual competition, it came down to a comparison game of artistry for the top three solos.
41:03
SPEAKER_04: We said this on a previous competition.
41:05
SPEAKER_04: And your dancer ended up taking it, but they were all artists in themselves in in completely separate ways.
41:12
SPEAKER_04: Because, like you said, once you're at that level, you need to have the technique, you need to have the performance, you need to have the execution, you need to have the musicality.
41:20
SPEAKER_04: There is a checklist of things that we're looking for.
41:22
SPEAKER_04: They all had it.
41:23
SPEAKER_04: Now, like who, which artists do the judges prefer?
41:28
SPEAKER_04: Like that's really what it came down to.
41:30
SPEAKER_04: And you know, some people put this person in first, and some people put this person in first.
41:34
SPEAKER_04: But how the the scores panned out was this was the final result.
41:38
SPEAKER_04: And that's how every competition's going to be, and that's how every judging panel is going to be, and that's how it's going to be once you once dancers start auditioning for real world real world auditions.
41:48
SPEAKER_04: So just to give like a insight about that, it's always we're really looking for the artistry.
41:53
SPEAKER_04: But what my other point was is when we think of artistry, we sometimes think of contemporary.
41:58
SPEAKER_04: And I just want to let everyone know that you can be an artist in jazz and you can be an artist in tap.
42:04
SPEAKER_04: I don't I think that's why so many teen and senior level dancers gravitate towards contemporary, because I can be an artist and I can really, you know, step outside the box.
42:14
SPEAKER_04: And it's like you can do the same thing in jazz, right?
42:17
SPEAKER_04: Like you you can be an artist in jazz.
42:19
SPEAKER_04: Don't think you can't.
42:20
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, another thing to mention is like, again, you're gonna kind of blend in with everyone else if you're going going into the teen contemporary category that has a hundred entries.
42:32
SPEAKER_04: How are you gonna differentiate yourself?
42:34
SPEAKER_04: How are you gonna separate yourself?
42:35
SPEAKER_04: If you bring a jazz dance that has artistry in it, you might be more memorable than the 500 contemporary solos I just watched.
42:44
SPEAKER_04: You know, it's of course we all love contemporary, and I I I feel like I sound like I hate contemporary on the podcast.
42:50
SPEAKER_04: I don't, I love it.
42:51
SPEAKER_04: I I thought I was gonna be a contemporary dancer when I moved to New York City.
42:54
SPEAKER_04: Like I'm with y'all.
42:55
SPEAKER_04: But, you know, at the same time, there's other styles too that are lacking on the stage, and you know, we miss them.
43:02
SPEAKER_02: Right.
43:03
SPEAKER_02: They're not fluff, they're not no, you know, they're they're just as valid and as important and artistic as, you know, reaching your arm to the corner in a lunge.
43:11
SPEAKER_02: That's no, I'm on the other side of the contemporary world.
43:14
SPEAKER_03: So if you think about all the shows that are on Broadway, those are clean classic jazz.
43:20
SPEAKER_03: And a lot more of Broadway shows have more variety as far as like the genres that they are including in their dancing, but there is a way to execute and perform classic jazz.
43:30
SPEAKER_03: If we're gonna go to the Courtney, I know you love classic jazz, right?
43:34
SPEAKER_03: But there is a way to do it that the Broadway community, I mean, you reach that arm in that lunge, and like the people that paid$150 to sit in the back row can be like, oh my gosh, I feel it.
43:45
SPEAKER_03: You know, there is a way to do that.
43:47
SPEAKER_03: And that that is exactly the component that we want to see in jazz and musical theater too.
43:52
SPEAKER_04: Agreed.
43:53
SPEAKER_03: Or tap or acro, you know, all of those things.
43:56
SPEAKER_04: I mean, I'm thinking of like some of the tap dancers that I've seen in solos that are like.
44:00
SPEAKER_04: Straight up artists.
44:01
SPEAKER_04: Like the way that they use their instrument is unreal.
44:05
SPEAKER_04: And then then I look up at their upper body and it's a whole and it's just captivating and mesmerizing.
44:12
SPEAKER_04: There have been tappers who take first place at competitions because they're different and because they're artists and because they're exceptional.
44:20
SPEAKER_04: And a breath of fresh air.
44:22
SPEAKER_04: You know, like absolutely.
44:24
SPEAKER_04: It's definitely there and possible.
44:26
SPEAKER_04: So yay tap, yay jazz.
44:28
SPEAKER_04: Yay contemporary too.
44:30
SPEAKER_02: They all dance, equal opportunity dance.
44:33
SPEAKER_02: Um, so I wanna I wanna kind of close out this conversation with a question that we've gotten from time to time on the QA's and on questions people submit a lot because this happens a lot.
44:44
SPEAKER_02: So, what happens when we've got a dancer who is, you know, in maybe in the teen category, senior category, has been dancing for years in the intermediate level and they are interested in popping up to that advanced level competition.
44:57
SPEAKER_02: What are some tricks and and ideas for these dancers who want to give that a shot?
45:02
SPEAKER_02: And how can we help them succeed?
45:04
SPEAKER_02: Because that tends to happen a lot once you get to that teen level and you're like, maybe I'm gonna take some more classes.
45:08
SPEAKER_02: Maybe I'm gonna try to level up, like physically actually level up.
45:12
SPEAKER_02: And and I think it can be really intimidating.
45:15
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
45:15
SPEAKER_00: So I've had some experience with this actually.
45:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, my other studio I teach at is an intermediate level, uh straight across the board.
45:23
SPEAKER_00: And I've had some kids that some teens, some seniors, and actually a junior as well, that they've done fairly well in intermediate.
45:31
SPEAKER_00: And I said to them, you know, hey, why don't you try to do an advanced level competition?
45:38
SPEAKER_00: And what we did is to start just to make it less intimidated, she did a different competition that was not a full studio competition.
45:46
SPEAKER_00: So just go by yourself.
45:48
SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, I went with her, some of the other kids went and to see how it goes.
45:51
SPEAKER_00: And then it got kind of goes back to like what you're looking for, like what's your goal in a solo?
45:56
SPEAKER_00: Is it just to, you know, win or is it to do like small victories?
46:01
SPEAKER_00: So we have small victories.
46:03
SPEAKER_00: I will have a soloist.
46:04
SPEAKER_00: So I always say, okay, go the first time out and see where you land.
46:07
SPEAKER_00: Let's say you're like a mid-range, high gold.
46:09
SPEAKER_00: Then we come back and go, okay, you're mid-range, high gold.
46:12
SPEAKER_00: So let's like try to bump that up to a high, high gold.
46:15
SPEAKER_00: So instead of saying, oh, let's go go at platinum, top 10 or first overall, which honestly, like you can never guarantee a win at all anyway.
46:22
SPEAKER_00: I tell my kids all the time, we don't do it for that.
46:25
SPEAKER_00: We set small goals, but we just want to have a good performance.
46:28
SPEAKER_00: We want to walk off the stage, feel confident, feel that we did better than the last time.
46:33
SPEAKER_00: So we just set like small little victories, like to do better, like little increments, but to definitely try the upper league.
46:42
SPEAKER_00: And the kids actually did very well, surprisingly.
46:45
SPEAKER_00: They were like, oh, this is great.
46:46
SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of it's just the mentality of what you're looking for to get out of it.
46:51
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, not everyone can be first overall.
46:53
SPEAKER_00: And even if you're first overall one competition, that is not gonna make mean you're gonna get first overall the next competition.
46:58
SPEAKER_00: You know, going back to the three dancers that were really strong, you know, the next day, or even this like this next day with the same three judges, it might have gone a different way.
47:07
SPEAKER_00: It kind of just depends.
47:08
SPEAKER_00: Or if we change one judge, it can go any which way.
47:11
SPEAKER_00: And a lot of we I never tell my kids to like go and try to win something.
47:17
SPEAKER_00: We never talk about winning.
47:18
SPEAKER_00: In fact, all the times my kids have been successful, they've just tried to have a good performance.
47:22
SPEAKER_00: I say, share your heart, share your passion on the stage.
47:25
SPEAKER_00: That's what I want to see.
47:26
SPEAKER_00: If you can walk off that stage and be like, okay, I felt good about that.
47:30
SPEAKER_00: I connected with my audience, then that's what a success is.
47:34
SPEAKER_00: So I definitely feel like go for it.
47:36
SPEAKER_00: I think it's great to challenge, it's great for critiques, it's great for just to, you know, feel good.
47:41
SPEAKER_00: Plus, back in my time, there wasn't levels.
47:44
SPEAKER_00: Right.
47:44
SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, you have nothing to lose.
47:47
SPEAKER_00: I said, what do you have to lose?
47:48
SPEAKER_00: Nothing.
47:49
SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's go for it then.
47:51
SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
47:52
SPEAKER_03: I think we're in a perfect environment right now, really, to kind of give that a try.
47:57
SPEAKER_03: Like sending them to a separate competition without the group is brilliant.
48:02
SPEAKER_03: I love that idea.
48:03
SPEAKER_03: But with the virtual competitions like IDAs, right, they can send in their solo and get feedback and just see how they feel about getting feedback at the advanced level before, you know, committing to submitting for a whole bunch of competitions at the advanced level.
48:20
SPEAKER_03: It may give them that confidence boost.
48:23
SPEAKER_03: And I think that confidence boost is really what they're gonna need to take it from the intermediate to the advanced level.
48:31
SPEAKER_04: I completely agree.
48:33
SPEAKER_04: I have like some thoughts on this.
48:35
SPEAKER_04: And I think my first thought goes to when people ask this question, like you said, Leslie, like we have gotten this question in for QA's.
48:43
SPEAKER_04: We've had had people submit these anonymously or whatever.
48:47
SPEAKER_04: I think that what confuses me a bit is why this is a choice, because I assume that levels are based off of how many hours you're training.
48:56
SPEAKER_04: Like if we're following the rules, which sounds like no one seems to follow them when it comes to levels, then it's not a where should I put myself?
49:07
SPEAKER_04: It's I take this much dance, so I am an advanced dancer.
49:11
SPEAKER_04: Right.
49:11
SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
49:12
SPEAKER_04: So like I understand why dancers may feel discouraged because they might not feel that they're at the advanced level based on other dancers that they see, but based on the rules, you are.
49:24
SPEAKER_04: So why are teachers allowing dancers to make that decision as to where they fit?
49:31
SPEAKER_04: Because, like you mentioned, Cheryl, when we were growing up, levels didn't exist.
49:36
SPEAKER_04: So you just had to compete against everyone.
49:38
SPEAKER_04: And in IDA's virtual, we don't have levels because I don't love levels.
49:43
SPEAKER_04: I I want everyone to compete against each other.
49:45
SPEAKER_04: And it's your business.
49:46
SPEAKER_04: So it's a great choice.
49:48
SPEAKER_04: And a lot of people have, you know, complained.
49:51
SPEAKER_04: A lot of contestants, I will say, have complained because they don't like that there's no levels.
49:56
SPEAKER_04: And there's a million different competitions and virtual competitions.
49:59
SPEAKER_04: Go find one that has levels.
50:00
SPEAKER_04: There you go.
50:01
SPEAKER_04: Like if you're afraid to compete against everybody else, then why are you competing?
50:04
SPEAKER_04: That's just how I look at it.
50:06
SPEAKER_04: So that's my first two cents about like this level debate.
50:09
SPEAKER_04: However, I will say that we can tell if a dancer is ready for the advanced level.
50:15
SPEAKER_04: And I will typically let the dancers know.
50:18
SPEAKER_04: Oftentimes the judges don't have the power to bump on the spot if we think that a dancer needs to move up.
50:25
SPEAKER_04: There have been a few times where I've passed a sticky note down to my tabulator and I've said, is this dancer supposed to be an intermediate?
50:32
SPEAKER_04: Because they definitely are advanced.
50:34
SPEAKER_04: But you know, we are trusting you as a teacher that you are not breaking the rules and this is truly where they belong because you placed them there.
50:42
SPEAKER_04: So again, it goes back to just follow the rules, number one.
50:46
SPEAKER_04: And on our end, as judges, I will tell the dancer, hey, you're you're wonderful, you're awesome.
50:53
SPEAKER_04: I really think you're ready for the advanced level.
50:56
SPEAKER_04: Go for it, don't be afraid, bump up to the next, you're ready for it.
50:59
SPEAKER_04: You need that's where you need to be moving forward.
51:01
SPEAKER_04: And hopefully they take my advice because again, like we've talked about on this discussion in particular, is it about winning or is it about the small victories?
51:09
SPEAKER_04: Like you said, Cheryl, like that's an accomplishment right there.
51:12
SPEAKER_04: If a judge told you that you're ready, you better take that advice and use it because that's that's a wonderful compliment.
51:19
SPEAKER_04: And if you get beat in the advanced level, that's okay.
51:23
SPEAKER_04: You know, like it's it, I don't know if it should always be about winning.
51:27
SPEAKER_03: I don't think it should always be about winning.
51:29
SPEAKER_03: I think that is absolutely obviously a component.
51:32
SPEAKER_03: It is a competition.
51:33
SPEAKER_03: Right.
51:33
SPEAKER_03: But I I think what we need to walk away with as teachers and students is that that feedback.
51:39
SPEAKER_03: Because if your ultimate goal is to, you know, get to the next level or get into a college program or just better yourself as a dancer, you take that feedback to do that.
51:49
SPEAKER_03: And it's like Cheryl said, you know, it could be a different set of judges and it would fall differently.
51:54
SPEAKER_03: Does it matter if you got first, second, or third?
51:56
SPEAKER_03: We all want to get first.
51:57
SPEAKER_03: But if we're all walking away with a great critique and new things to learn and new challenges, to me, that that is the focus of doing competition a lot of the times, especially these kids that think they want to go professional.
52:11
SPEAKER_02: I was just thinking, I know there are there are some competitions, and I'm trying to remember who they are just for my own brain, but some don't say it's love amount of training, they say it's how many years you've been competing.
52:22
SPEAKER_02: That's another interesting one.
52:24
SPEAKER_02: And so that's that's where it comes into this question does make sense.
52:28
SPEAKER_02: Because that is true, you know, and so that's that is a reason people would make the would be able to quote unquote have the choice to to go from intermediate to advanced.
52:36
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
52:36
SPEAKER_02: Or, you know, if you have a kid who all of a sudden is like, now I go to a performing arts high school and I have more hours of training in my week, you know, whereas I was in eighth grade and I just took my dance class, you know, whatever at the studio.
52:46
SPEAKER_04: So that's another thing too, though, and I'm glad you brought that up because I think a lot of people don't associate outside training with their hourly total, if it's about the hourly or experience or whatever it is.
52:58
SPEAKER_04: If you're dancing at school, that that's more training hours.
53:02
SPEAKER_04: So that's it's not just what you train at your studio.
53:05
SPEAKER_04: And I'll say this again because I say it all the time.
53:08
SPEAKER_04: It's also not just technique training hours.
53:12
SPEAKER_04: It's anytime you walk into that studio, if you have an hour rehearsal for your solo, that's an extra hour training that week.
53:21
SPEAKER_01: Right.
53:21
SPEAKER_04: You know, like a rehearsal time is training.
53:23
SPEAKER_04: It's the same thing.
53:25
SPEAKER_04: I think that's where this whole abusing of levels comes into play because it's your word versus my word versus this teacher's word, whoever.
53:33
SPEAKER_04: And it's just a lot of confusion.
53:36
SPEAKER_04: But when it comes back to, like you said, if it is about how many years have I per competed or whatever, you know, I think go advanced if you're ready for it.
53:46
SPEAKER_04: Don't be afraid.
53:47
SPEAKER_04: Try, try it out and see how it goes, you know?
53:51
SPEAKER_04: It's you're gonna get great feedback regardless, and you might not get as high of a ranking for your first time as you might have hoped for because you were dominating the intermediate level.
54:00
SPEAKER_04: But again, I don't know if that's really what it's about.
54:03
SPEAKER_04: You I think it's really about just being inspired by the other dancers and seeing who scored higher than you and why did they score higher than you, and how can you, you know, progress and you know, keep pushing yourself and those individual victories and wins for for you as a dancer is important.
54:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, being inspired, I love that.
54:22
SPEAKER_00: I think that's such a great thing.
54:23
SPEAKER_00: Take the challenge and be inspired by another whole set of kids that you can grow and learn from.
54:29
SPEAKER_00: And you can always learn from watching and seeing what other kids are doing and how you can take that in and absorb yourself from that.
54:36
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, this season we have live streams everywhere.
54:39
SPEAKER_04: So like you can literally just pull your phone up and say, I want to see who's competing this weekend at Diva Dance Competition or Spirit of Dance Awards or whoever it is.
54:49
SPEAKER_04: You can pull it up and watch the solos and watch the groups.
54:52
SPEAKER_04: I mean, be inspired by others.
54:54
SPEAKER_04: Dance is everywhere now, it's so accessible now.
54:57
SPEAKER_04: So that's the that's a thing I know a lot of people like don't love about the block scheduling because you can't be in person at a lot of places.
55:03
SPEAKER_04: You can't watch your competitors, but you can.
55:06
SPEAKER_04: You can just pull them up on the live stream.
55:07
SPEAKER_04: I'm pretty sure every competition has a live stream this season because of that.
55:10
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
55:11
SPEAKER_04: So be inspired.
55:12
SPEAKER_04: All right, y'all.
55:13
SPEAKER_04: Well, this was such a great discussion.
55:15
SPEAKER_04: And I I love a solo.
55:17
SPEAKER_04: And to all of our soloists out there who are listening, we can't wait to see you.
55:22
SPEAKER_04: And we hope that you level up your uh solo performance the next time you hit the stage, which we're still mid-season right now.
55:30
SPEAKER_04: So I I hope that you hit the stage again at a live competition or virtual event coming soon to you.
55:35
SPEAKER_04: So thank you to our lovely guests who joined us and all of your valuable feedback and insight on this topic.
55:42
SPEAKER_04: And if you would love to uh lead us out, we always have our guests lead us out with some advice, any final thoughts on the topic, any words of encouragement or anything you'd just like to share to all of the soloists out there.
55:58
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
55:58
SPEAKER_00: I say a lot to my students, uh as much time as you put and effort into that is what you're gonna get back on the stage.
56:04
SPEAKER_00: So make sure that anything you do in the studio is 100% because how you're gonna perform in the studio is how you're gonna perform on stage.
56:12
SPEAKER_00: So go for it all the time, 100%, no marking, full out.
56:16
SPEAKER_00: So that's what I say.
56:19
SPEAKER_03: I tell my students, don't forget why you're doing this.
56:21
SPEAKER_03: You're doing this because you love to dance.
56:24
SPEAKER_03: And in that look, you want to see yourself grow and you also want to enjoy yourself.
56:29
SPEAKER_03: So have fun and continue to grow and learn new things.
56:35
SPEAKER_04: Thanks so much for joining us for this wonderful discussion all about solos.
56:40
SPEAKER_04: Be sure to follow our guests on Instagram.
56:42
SPEAKER_04: You can find Cheryl at Steve CusterKlein16 and Alicia at AliciaN Dance.
56:49
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57:40
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57:43
SPEAKER_04: Until next time, keep dancing.