Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / A Chat with Real Life Dance Moms! (not the TV show)

Transcript

A Chat with Real Life Dance Moms! (not the TV show) · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:11
SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_01: This is making the impact of a dance competition podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_01: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:23
SPEAKER_01: Sequence and lashes and tattoos.
0:25
SPEAKER_01: Oh my! The competitive dance world can be overwhelming to step into for a first-time dance mom.
0:30
SPEAKER_01: And even with years of practice, there's always something new to learn.
0:34
SPEAKER_01: Today on Making the Impact, sit down with real-life dance moms Lexi and Marlowe to get two unique perspectives on the dance mom experience.
0:41
SPEAKER_01: And don't worry, we promise it's not like the show.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: Hey everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host, Leslie Mueller.
0:57
SPEAKER_01: Hey Courtney, hey everybody, how's it going?
0:59
SPEAKER_00: Hey Leslie, I know you're not sitting next to me today, and I'm sad about it.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: I know.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: Usually Leslie and I record right next to each other in my apartment slash podcast studio.
1:10
SPEAKER_00: It's not really a podcast studio, it's my apartment, but you know, we usually like to sit ne right next to each other because it's just fun to get together each week and do the podcast.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: But based on scheduling and things, Leslie's at her apartment podcast studio today.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: So across town.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: So I'm seeing you virtually.
1:29
SPEAKER_00: And welcome to the pod, everyone.
1:31
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for continuing to listen to season two.
1:35
SPEAKER_00: We are doing some fabulous things over here.
1:38
SPEAKER_00: We have a lot of stuff going on, and we are very close to hitting our 70,000 download mark on the podcast since season season one and two.
1:50
SPEAKER_00: And as of a few weeks ago, we have hit spot number 15 on the Apple Podcast Charts for Performing Arts podcasts.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: So wow, I'm so impressed.
2:01
SPEAKER_00: Thank you to every fan and listener.
2:03
SPEAKER_00: It's been so much fun to make this possible.
2:05
SPEAKER_00: I always say that, but it's so true.
2:07
SPEAKER_01: But it's true.
2:08
SPEAKER_01: We say it all the time because it's true.
2:10
SPEAKER_00: It's so true.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: So thank you all.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: We love you.
2:14
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for sharing.
2:14
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spreading the word.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: We've been getting a lot of buzz lately with a lot of our recent episodes.
2:19
SPEAKER_00: And if you've missed them, go back and listen.
2:22
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot to catch up on.
2:23
SPEAKER_00: And we're wrapping up season two.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: Today we are talking about, hmm.
2:29
SPEAKER_00: We're not talking about dance moms, the television show.
2:32
SPEAKER_00: We're actually talking with dance moms.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: So all of the dance moms who are listening right now, this is the episode for you because we have brought two dance moms onto the podcast to chat all things dance and hear about their journey as a dance mom, what it's been like, and about their dancers and what they hope for their career path to be and just hear all about them.
2:53
SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to learn more.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: And I'm very excited to introduce you to them soon.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: But before we do, like always, I'm gonna give a little shout out to IDA's virtual competition.
3:04
SPEAKER_00: We're kicking things off and I'm starting off with that.
3:07
SPEAKER_00: IDA's virtual competition, we're running our final event of the season for the 2021 competition season.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: It's the last one, y'all.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: And you have about another week or so, maybe two, to register.
3:22
SPEAKER_00: So we're doing solos and we're doing groups this time.
3:25
SPEAKER_00: So if you are a soloist, get approval from your studio and your mom can enter you into the event.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: If you are a group routine, studios can enter group entries.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: We're doing a top 20 challenge, live stream challenge, and as well as a studio showdown for the group routines on our live stream.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: So definitely join us if you want to get some great feedback from our judges.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: Entries start at$35.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: It's super affordable, and we've gotten nothing but amazing reviews.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: So I would love for you to come join us and check it out.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: Learn more at Impact Dance Adjudicators.com slash virtual competition and register by May 10th.
4:02
SPEAKER_01: And I am sure you've all heard us talk about our Facebook group.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: It is the newest thing that we've started over at IDA.
4:08
SPEAKER_01: We are called Making the Impact, a Dance Competition Podcast Community.
4:12
SPEAKER_01: And we are about 800 members strong now.
4:14
SPEAKER_01: So again, thanks for everybody just sharing the love and inviting your friends.
4:18
SPEAKER_01: And you know, we have a lot of new people coming in and just joining in on the conversations about dance and about competitions in the professional world and teaching.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: And it's just kind of it's kind of a lovely community with so many options out there for dance competition Facebook groups.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's a lot of them out there, we're all in them.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: But I think our ours is really special because you know, we're coming from that education inspiration place that was born out of IDA.
4:45
SPEAKER_01: So we love talking with you guys.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: We would love to have even more of you join us.
4:50
SPEAKER_01: If you want to check us out, we are Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast community on Facebook.
4:54
SPEAKER_01: You'll answer just a couple questions relating to how you fit into the dance competition world, whether that's a teacher, a studio owner, a dance business owner, a dance mom, a dancer.
5:04
SPEAKER_01: And as we near the end of season two and heading into season three, we're gonna have some exclusive polls and kind of participatory events for you guys to be a part of the creation of some of our topics for next season.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: So stay tuned, stick around, and we're so excited to have you.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: Totally.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, please join us there.
5:23
SPEAKER_00: We love interacting with all of our podcast fans.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: And it's time to talk about our fabulous sponsors.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: And our sponsors today are our two season sponsors from season two.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: First up is Dance Costumes by Urzua, and we couldn't thank them enough for their support for throughout our entire season two.
5:40
SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't had a chance to check them out, I highly recommend it.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: Dance Costumes by Urzua Designs Dance Wear and Custom Dance Costumes for the Competitive Stage.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: I've actually been seeing some of their designs on the stage through Instagram posts, and the costumes look spectacular.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: Some of our virtual comp contestants have taken advantage of their awards from Dance Costumes by Urzua and received a custom costume, and they look so great.
6:07
SPEAKER_00: So shout out to you if you did.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: And Dance Costumes by Urzua will truly cater to your requests when creating the costume and create the custom costume of your dreams.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: I know we're kind of towards the end of competition season right now.
6:20
SPEAKER_00: So definitely make sure you keep Dance Costumes by Erzua in mind next season as you plan for 2022.
6:27
SPEAKER_00: But be sure to also use our exclusive podcast promo code IDA15 at checkout on their website to receive 15% off dance wear or custom costumes.
6:39
SPEAKER_00: Head to their website or Instagram now to check out their designs at dancecostumes byerzua.com.
6:44
SPEAKER_01: And our second season sponsor for season two is Level Up Dance Supplies.
6:48
SPEAKER_01: They are another woman-owned business created in 2010 with the goal of being your one-stop shop for all dance gear and accessory needs.
6:56
SPEAKER_01: And they really do have everything.
6:57
SPEAKER_01: And one thing that I wanted to mention specifically that's important this year or that has become more important that Level Up offers is the changing tent.
7:06
SPEAKER_01: Pop-up changing tent with block scheduling has become the number one must-have item, I think, this season, because of all the quick changes.
7:14
SPEAKER_01: Never before have we seen so many quick changes from so many people.
7:17
SPEAKER_01: So their changing tents are amazing.
7:20
SPEAKER_01: That's the number one item I would suggest from Level Up this season.
7:23
SPEAKER_01: If you are still in need, we probably have a good month left of competitions, not to mention nationals.
7:28
SPEAKER_01: So head over to levelupdanceupplies.com and use our exclusive promo code Bravo5678 at checkout to receive$10 off your purchase.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: All right, everyone.
7:37
SPEAKER_00: It is time to meet our dance moms who are joining us today.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: I cannot wait to get to know them more.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: I know their dancers pretty well, at least virtually.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: I got I've gotten to know their dancers pretty well.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: And the first dance mom that I would love to welcome to the podcast has been a supporter of IDA since I'm pretty sure the very first year.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: This dance mom and I connected through our IDA online critiques, actually.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: And uh her daughter's been a customer since she was nine or ten years old, and now she is 14, 15 years old.
8:12
SPEAKER_00: So I've really watched this dancer grow up virtually through the computer screen and critique her solos every year.
8:19
SPEAKER_00: It's been so cool to do that from a distance and help help the training process.
8:24
SPEAKER_00: So yay for this virtual world.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And I'm so excited to welcome Marlo Barbera to the podcast.
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Marlo.
8:33
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
8:34
SPEAKER_02: I'm excited to be here.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: Yay! I'm so excited to have you and get to know you because I've chatted with you for so many years and watched Chloe's solos.
8:45
SPEAKER_00: So just FYI to our listeners.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: Um Marlo's dancer is Chloe, and you will get to hear a little bit about her in Marlo's intro.
8:53
SPEAKER_00: But Chloe was actually one of the featured dancers on our season one podcast cover art graphic, which is really exciting.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: She's the dancer in the Jete, so go check that out if you missed it.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: And Chloe also won our very first virtual competition ever last year, 2020 March virtual competition event.
9:13
SPEAKER_00: She won our first place teen division.
9:15
SPEAKER_00: So congrats to Chloe and welcome to the pod, Marlowe.
9:19
SPEAKER_00: If you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about you, where you're based, a little bit about your dancer, and anything else you'd like to share with the podcast world.
9:28
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so I am in the deep south of Louisiana, and my dancer is Chloe.
9:35
SPEAKER_02: She's 15.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: She has been dancing probably since she's been three and competitively since seven.
9:41
SPEAKER_02: So it's been a very, you know, long journey and lots of fun experiences.
9:48
SPEAKER_02: Also, some, you know, tough times, just you know, constantly being on the road and traveling and all that.
9:55
SPEAKER_02: But I am a teacher by trade.
9:58
SPEAKER_02: I have an education degree and I taught for about 15 years until I decided that I wanted to be more present in my kids' life.
10:06
SPEAKER_02: And so I walked away from teaching.
10:08
SPEAKER_02: And at that point, I did pretty much anything I could do to bring in income from subbing in schools to teach English as a second language online very early in the morning.
10:20
SPEAKER_02: And then just recently, I got certified to teach acro at our studio.
10:24
SPEAKER_02: So we stay pretty busy here.
10:26
SPEAKER_02: I also have an older daughter and she's a soccer player.
10:29
SPEAKER_02: So we're one extreme to the other.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm interested to, you know, we'll definitely talk about juggling both and siblings and how to juggle dance with your siblings and things like that, because I'm sure so many other parents can relate to that.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, really excited to have you.
10:46
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for joining us, Marlo.
10:48
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
10:49
SPEAKER_00: All right, and our next guest is a new friend that I'm just meeting now.
10:53
SPEAKER_00: And I'm really excited to get to know her and her dancer, actually.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: Like I mentioned, I got to know her virtually through IDU's online uh virtual competition, which is so awesome, I have to say.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: Our virtual competition has been so cool to be able to connect with so many dancers from all across not just the country but the world.
11:11
SPEAKER_00: We have really met so many new dancers through this experience.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: So thank you to everyone who's participated.
11:16
SPEAKER_00: It's been really eye-opening and awesome to meet so many new dance lovers.
11:21
SPEAKER_00: So I'm really excited to welcome Lexi Adair to the podcast.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Courtney.
11:27
SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited to be here.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: Yes, and I know you have been a podcast fan for a while.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: I know that you left a wonderful review that we actually have read on the podcast previously.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: You and your dancer like to listen to the podcast on the way to dance.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: And then I was like, hey, Lexi, do you want to be on the podcast?
11:48
SPEAKER_03: Yes, we love the podcast.
11:50
SPEAKER_03: We listen to it, like you mentioned, on the way to dance and on the way back.
11:54
SPEAKER_03: We are able to connect on so many topics that I would never know to ask.
11:58
SPEAKER_03: I did not grow up in the dance world.
12:00
SPEAKER_03: So it's been great.
12:01
SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much for doing this and for inviting me.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Of course.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
12:06
SPEAKER_00: Of course.
12:06
SPEAKER_00: I'm yeah, it's it's so awesome.
12:08
SPEAKER_00: And I can't wait to hear all about you.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: And FYI listeners, like I said, we met through the virtual.
12:14
SPEAKER_00: Uh Lexi's daughter won our most recent virtual that happened in March 2021.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: And she won the eight and under first place soloist division.
12:24
SPEAKER_00: So congrats to your daughter, Parker.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: And uh Lexi, if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about you, sharing with the podcast world where you're based, and uh a little bit about your dancer.
12:36
SPEAKER_03: Sure.
12:36
SPEAKER_03: So, like you mentioned, uh, my name's Lexi Adair.
12:39
SPEAKER_03: I'm from North Carolina, and I'm a full-time wife and mom to two girls, Parker, that's eight that you mentioned, and then Presley, who's five.
12:47
SPEAKER_03: She also plays soccer, much like Marlo's other daughter.
12:50
SPEAKER_03: So we're very parallel in that sense.
12:51
SPEAKER_03: And then I also work outside the home full-time in an account management role in sales.
12:56
SPEAKER_03: So it's a little snippet of me, but what we're really here for, Parker, she's eight.
13:01
SPEAKER_03: She is a dancer, but she didn't actually start out as a dancer.
13:04
SPEAKER_03: She started out as a wannabe gymnast.
13:07
SPEAKER_03: And after about the third day, her gymnastics teacher told me, because it was a gymnastics slash dance studio.
13:14
SPEAKER_03: We really love Parker, and I'm sure she would be fabulous at gymnastics, but she's been watching the dancers the entire time.
13:19
SPEAKER_03: And I think she likes dance a little bit more than she likes gymnastics.
13:23
SPEAKER_03: So we got in the car and I asked Parker, and she said, gymnastics is really fun, mommy, but that dance room plays my jams.
13:30
SPEAKER_03: I need to get in there.
13:31
SPEAKER_03: And she was born out, so it's all been dance all day, every day since then.
13:36
SPEAKER_03: So we have uh newly immersed ourselves in this world and we're loving it and learning every day.
13:42
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
13:43
SPEAKER_00: Yay.
13:44
SPEAKER_01: When you know, you know.
13:45
SPEAKER_01: She sounds like she knows.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
13:48
SPEAKER_00: And she's so young, but she knows.
13:49
SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad you listened and put her in dance.
13:52
SPEAKER_00: And it's she's getting wonderful training at y'all studio.
13:56
SPEAKER_00: So welcome to the podcast.
13:58
SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to chat all about being a dance mom today.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: So welcome, ladies, to the podcast.
14:06
SPEAKER_01: Like Courtney said, we're so happy to have you here and learn more about you, and especially for Courtney and I learn what it's like to be a dance mom.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're not dance moms.
14:16
SPEAKER_01: We are dance teachers and judges.
14:17
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we both have dance moms, but they're different.
14:21
SPEAKER_01: That's just a different perspective.
14:22
SPEAKER_01: So we're so excited to just give this perspective an opportunity to y'all for everybody else out there who may, you know, be in a similar position and want some camaraderie from maybe somebody not at their studio.
14:34
SPEAKER_01: So I'm curious, which do do either of you have like anywhere at all any connection to the dance world?
14:42
SPEAKER_01: Like a cousin, a sister, an aunt, any anybody.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: Does anybody dance or is this like completely brand new?
14:47
SPEAKER_02: I danced a little, I mean, recreationally growing up.
14:51
SPEAKER_02: Again, I'm from a very small town.
14:52
SPEAKER_02: So it basically was just it gave your kids something to do.
14:56
SPEAKER_02: I mean, however, I did have a very strict ballet teacher.
15:00
SPEAKER_02: So I feel like I did get some really good training, but my sister also danced, and she was really just naturally great at dancing.
15:08
SPEAKER_02: But other than that, we've anybody I know who dances at a more of a professional level has been through meeting them or making connections with them from traveling with Chloe at this point.
15:19
SPEAKER_03: I have zero connections into the dance world.
15:22
SPEAKER_03: So I grew up in a competitive world, but it was not dance, it was sports.
15:25
SPEAKER_03: So this is all brand new to me.
15:27
SPEAKER_03: And fortunately, I have a really great group of other dance moms who have welcomed me into their tribe and have taught me a lot so far.
15:35
SPEAKER_03: So I am learning every day.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: Good.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: And so what um we heard a little bit, Lexi, in your intro about like how how y'all started in the dance world.
15:43
SPEAKER_01: Marlo, I'm curious, like what was day one of dance for Chloe like?
15:48
SPEAKER_01: Did she was she the one leading that drive to want to do it?
15:51
SPEAKER_01: Or did you just put her in because she was, you know, an active kid or what?
15:54
SPEAKER_02: Well, Chloe started at three because the studio she attends and she's been at forever.
16:00
SPEAKER_02: This is we've only been at one studio.
16:01
SPEAKER_02: They didn't take the dancers until they were three at the time.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: Now they take them at 18 months and it's like a creative movement.
16:09
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
16:09
SPEAKER_02: And it's really, you know, it's great to have something to do.
16:11
SPEAKER_02: But anyway, she so she started at three.
16:14
SPEAKER_02: And I mean, I've always loved dance in general and the art of dance.
16:19
SPEAKER_02: And she just would, I mean, music would come on and she would just dance.
16:22
SPEAKER_02: So at three, she started her first dance class and she cried a lot.
16:29
SPEAKER_02: She didn't want to go.
16:32
SPEAKER_02: But she also started my mom used to watch her while I was at work while I was teaching.
16:36
SPEAKER_02: And she also started a daycare at that time because she's very introverted.
16:40
SPEAKER_02: And so I put her out of daycare before she would have to start pre-K and we'd have to deal with that separation with like what I call real school.
16:47
SPEAKER_02: So she started daycare all at the same time.
16:50
SPEAKER_02: She was also starting dance, but she cried.
16:53
SPEAKER_02: So we have like the first photo, first day photo of her like legit falling in class, standing, and then we kind of put that side by side by with a picture now where she's like literally dancing all the time.
17:06
SPEAKER_02: So she started three and basically has been dancing ever since.
17:14
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
17:15
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I feel like just kind of hearing both.
17:17
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know that Lexi, you you said that she was put into gymnastics first, you know, and then Marlo Chloe's just getting thrown in to dance and she learned to love it.
17:27
SPEAKER_00: But like, I don't know.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: I think that a lot of a lot of moms want their kids to just have an activity to do and maybe see their kids just like dancing around the house.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: Like I know my cousin right now, she lives in Maryland and uh she has like a little two-year-old and she's sending me videos all the time of like, look at Lily dance.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: Like she is dancing all the time.
17:49
SPEAKER_00: Where can I send her to dance classes, you know?
17:51
SPEAKER_00: So like I think that dance moms that don't know a thing about dance are just signing their kids up to give them something to do and that creative movement.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's so great for kids to understand that, even just or also gymnastics like the little like tumblebees, like baby gymnastics, they just roll on the mats and stuff.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: It's just great to get them to understanding their body and you know, following directions and having a good time moving around.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: So I can totally understand why so many parents put specifically like a lot of female dancers, probably every female in wor in the world has done a dance class at a point in time in their life.
18:28
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe when they were three and they loved it or they hated it and they moved on to some another sport or another activity.
18:34
SPEAKER_00: But I think I think that's really great to see that both of your dancers have found their love for dance now back in the day.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: They didn't love it too much or might they might have, you know, grown to it.
18:44
SPEAKER_00: But I think when did things get a little bit more serious for for your dancers?
18:52
SPEAKER_00: Because I know Lexi, your dancer is only eight, but she is competing already.
18:58
SPEAKER_00: So when did and same for Marlo, I know you said Chloe started around seven.
19:03
SPEAKER_00: So how how what was that process like?
19:06
SPEAKER_00: How was this a decision that like they made, or was this just an opportunity that your studio presented at like the competition team?
19:13
SPEAKER_00: And did you know what you were getting yourselves into at the time when they signed up for that?
19:18
SPEAKER_03: Well, I can take that one if that's okay.
19:21
SPEAKER_03: Four and a half.
19:22
SPEAKER_03: We started dance, and I think at that point in time, in order to qualify for the competitive team, and I'm using air quotes here, you genuinely had to just not cry and have some coordination.
19:32
SPEAKER_03: Those were the criteria.
19:34
SPEAKER_03: So we did start at four and a half, and we had one competition season, and that was fun and it was cute.
19:41
SPEAKER_03: And I literally had no idea what I was walking into.
19:44
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I could not have been any more lost if I wanted to.
19:47
SPEAKER_03: We walked into our first competition, and I truly had a bag that could have doubled as a purse.
19:52
SPEAKER_03: And all these people are walking around with large suitcases glitzed out with monograms and nasty warm-ups and perfectly placed hair, and I panicked.
20:01
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, we made it through and it was fun and it was a great experience.
20:05
SPEAKER_03: However, I think things started to really get a little more serious when uh we moved to a new studio.
20:11
SPEAKER_03: She's now at a studio that really focuses on the competition side of things.
20:16
SPEAKER_03: And her new teacher asked if she would like to have a solo.
20:20
SPEAKER_03: And of course, every little dancer who's all about dance says yes and raises their hand.
20:25
SPEAKER_03: And I had no idea if she would get up there and do it, or you know, if we would get there and we would just show up and have fun.
20:31
SPEAKER_03: But either way, that went well.
20:33
SPEAKER_03: And every year since then, she's grown and really been encouraged at our studio, but also been given opportunities, which I'm so very grateful for and in different styles.
20:44
SPEAKER_03: And it's just been one fantastic year after the other, and we're excited about where this is leading so far.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's so good to hear.
20:52
SPEAKER_01: Like all of those things just pile up onto like the good, the good, the good, the good.
20:56
SPEAKER_01: It just keeps growing.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: I love that.
20:58
SPEAKER_03: Yes, she definitely loves it.
21:00
SPEAKER_03: I don't think there's any way of getting out of it from from here on out for me.
21:03
SPEAKER_01: Oh no, no.
21:05
SPEAKER_01: You you gotta retire that purse and invest in the clouds.
21:08
SPEAKER_03: I'm definitely upgraded.
21:10
SPEAKER_03: I'm that mom now who has lists and you know, I'm I'm that mom for sure now.
21:15
SPEAKER_00: Love it.
21:16
SPEAKER_00: Well, Marla, what was when when was like the turning point for Chloe?
21:20
SPEAKER_00: Were you always at the same studio from the beginning?
21:22
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
21:23
SPEAKER_02: We started at our studio when she was three and they did not have a competition team.
21:29
SPEAKER_02: Oh.
21:30
SPEAKER_02: And they decided a few years later that they wanted to start a competition team, and they basically just kind of sent out invites, like a small group of kids just sent invites and basically invited Chloe to be a part of the team.
21:44
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I don't really know what this is gonna entail and what it's gonna cost us, or how much commitment.
21:51
SPEAKER_02: Because at that point, my oldest daughter, who started dance when she was five, but I think she wanted to start because her younger sister was doing it.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: Had already quit.
22:01
SPEAKER_02: Like we had already pulled her out because she wanted to play outside instead of go to class.
22:05
SPEAKER_02: But anyway, so at that point, I was just kind of like, well, let's just see what it's about.
22:10
SPEAKER_02: Let's see how much commitment.
22:11
SPEAKER_02: We'll just take it day by day and you know, that kind of thing.
22:14
SPEAKER_02: So we basically learned as our studio learned because they they were brand new to the competition world as well.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: That's so interesting.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: I mean, what a what a progression for all of you.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
22:27
SPEAKER_00: That is so interesting.
22:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm so inspired by that because I've literally watched so many of the dancers from your studio, Marlowe, and they're fierce.
22:36
SPEAKER_00: So y'all are doing something right.
22:38
SPEAKER_00: And you walk, I mean, that wasn't that long ago, if we really think about it, like seven, eight years ago that they just started their like walking into the competition scene as a studio for the first time.
22:49
SPEAKER_00: That's so great that they have really learned so much and have navigated it so effortlessly, I think, because the quality of training that I've seen from your studio, you know, they're you're doing right thing, the right thing.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: So that's really great to hear.
23:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: And uh Marlo, you said that y'all are from a small town.
23:07
SPEAKER_01: Is your studio the only game in town?
23:09
SPEAKER_01: Like how did you get how did you get to that studio?
23:11
SPEAKER_02: No, actually, we have a very, I mean, it's it's a not a super tiny town, but it's not a big city.
23:18
SPEAKER_02: And there's actually there's a lot of studios here.
23:22
SPEAKER_02: When we started when Chloe was three, I think there were four at the time.
23:29
SPEAKER_02: And I didn't know anything about any of them because I didn't grow up here.
23:33
SPEAKER_02: And so what I did was I went to every single recital that year, and I brought Chloe and Abby with me.
23:40
SPEAKER_02: And basically, if they were like, Can we please go?
23:43
SPEAKER_02: I knew it wasn't the place for them.
23:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
23:47
SPEAKER_02: And when we the studio we're at now, when we watched their recital, they were just starting out.
23:53
SPEAKER_02: I think they might have been in their second or third year of opening their studio, and they were more current, up to up to date there, even their little dancers were doing more steps.
24:03
SPEAKER_02: And I was just really impressed with the production that they put on.
24:07
SPEAKER_02: They actually do not call it a recital, they call it a production.
24:11
SPEAKER_02: And it's we just felt like that was the place where we wanted to be.
24:15
SPEAKER_02: And I felt like if I was gonna put my kids in dance, I wanted them to really get a dance education at the end of the day.
24:22
SPEAKER_01: That's so great.
24:23
SPEAKER_01: Well, and coming from an educator's perspective, that sounds totally right.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I feel like, and I'm sure so many dance moms might be able to relate, but knowing that your your dancer wants to do this, you know, like we said, like I said moments ago, like watching your child like twirl around the living room and you're like, I gotta put them in dance class, but I don't know anything about dance.
24:45
SPEAKER_00: So how do you find the right dance studio to put them in?
24:48
SPEAKER_00: Most people will just go on Google, look at the closest one down the street, regardless of its reviews or whatever, because you don't know anything different.
24:56
SPEAKER_00: And you're like, okay, let's go here, let's see how they like it.
24:58
SPEAKER_00: It might not be like, I think the hard part for every dancer is to find that right family and to find that right studio that's best for what you want.
25:07
SPEAKER_00: Because everyone's path with dance and training could be different.
25:10
SPEAKER_00: And even for the from the parents' perspective, too.
25:13
SPEAKER_00: Like some parents might be like, Yeah, you know, this is just a hobby, like they love it.
25:18
SPEAKER_00: This is just a fun after-school program for them to move a little bit and they picked this over soccer, or you know, whatever it is.
25:25
SPEAKER_00: Or parents might know from the beginning that I want my kid to be the top-level competitive dancer, and I'm gonna find the studio to get them to that level, you know, almost like competitive gymnastics or ice skating.
25:36
SPEAKER_00: I so it is it is interesting to hear.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: I feel like you're sitting in the recitals was like your Yelp review, pretty much, for each studio in your area.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: And like how smart of you to do your research.
25:47
SPEAKER_00: And it's obviously worked because you're still with them to this day.
25:50
SPEAKER_00: And how great Chloe is.
25:52
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they've really truly trained her into an artist.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure you probably didn't know that at the age of, you know, Chloe being three and you're making this decision, but like that's so awesome.
26:01
SPEAKER_00: I think that really says a lot about doing your research, especially because dance has blown up so much now that there is a dance studio in every corner in like a lot of towns.
26:10
SPEAKER_00: So make sure that you really see like what their vibe is, if you know, if their marketing's on point, even from a perspective outside of just the training, like, do you like what they're doing as a parent?
26:21
SPEAKER_00: Because you're gonna be giving them their money in the end.
26:24
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
26:24
SPEAKER_02: And I feel like, you know, we do have a lot of dance studios here, and it helps to see what they have to offer through their recitals productions and to see if that's what you're willing to invest in at the end of the day, because you may just want something super simple and not very showy or what, you know, whatever your reasonings are.
26:44
SPEAKER_02: And so I just always recommend to people, I mean, especially with social media now, people are quick to ask, like, where do you send your kids for this?
26:52
SPEAKER_02: And where do you send your kids for this?
26:53
SPEAKER_02: And then it just becomes like a popularity right hole.
26:56
SPEAKER_03: That's true.
26:57
SPEAKER_02: And so I feel like I always recommend to people, you know, go go watch their productions and see or go ask to sit in a class or you know, to see where you feel that is that's where you want your child to spend because they'll spend a lot of time there.
27:14
SPEAKER_02: They love it.
27:15
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely very, very true, Marla.
27:17
SPEAKER_03: The studio where my daughter dances, dance theater of Jacksonville.
27:21
SPEAKER_03: We are uh very fortunate to have found them through recommendations from other moms.
27:26
SPEAKER_03: I knew moms whose daughters danced and had been at other studios, and fortunately, we were able to get to our home base pretty quickly in her dance journey.
27:34
SPEAKER_03: But I think the draw for that specific studio for us is they do a production of the Nutcracker every year at Christmas.
27:42
SPEAKER_03: And I've been taking Parker to that since she was two years old, and she was immediately enamored.
27:48
SPEAKER_03: And the investment that that requires from a studio level and from the dancers that are involved in that says a lot about the desire of the parents and students to have their children go there.
27:58
SPEAKER_03: So we really got to see that firsthand before we ever even knew she was a dancer, if you if you want to call it that.
28:04
SPEAKER_03: But I think that you're so right, Marla.
28:06
SPEAKER_03: They are going to spend many, many hours of their life there, and so will you.
28:09
SPEAKER_03: So I think that's a good point that while your dancer has to be comfortable and it has to be a very high level of training and the focus has to be on things that are appropriate.
28:18
SPEAKER_03: That's another big factor for me.
28:20
SPEAKER_03: I wanted to make sure that the studio we were attending put an emphasis on that appropriateness as it relates to costumes and music and things of that nature.
28:28
SPEAKER_03: So, and then the parents are were were the parents welcoming?
28:32
SPEAKER_03: Did you feel like that was home when you when you walked in the door and that people were eager to welcome you as opposed to seeing you as competition?
28:39
SPEAKER_03: So I think that's really important too.
28:41
SPEAKER_00: Right.
28:42
SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's also good.
28:43
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's it's company culture, just like you know, anybody who has who's worked in any sort of corporation.
28:49
SPEAKER_01: Like if you don't feel like you're home, you're probably not.
28:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: Hey listeners, it's Courtney, and I'm sure there are a lot of dance moms tuning into this week's episode.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to make sure I told you all about our fabulous sponsor, Dance Costumes by Urdua.
29:08
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29:44
SPEAKER_00: And now let's get back to the show.
29:47
SPEAKER_00: I can't get over the whole sitting down on the recital thing.
29:50
SPEAKER_00: I mean, that is that is gonna show a studio's true colors.
29:52
SPEAKER_00: You you are going to see what this studio what this studio is all about by watching the recital.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: It's such a good point.
29:59
SPEAKER_00: I really, really love that.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: All right, so let's do a competition for for a little bit.
30:04
SPEAKER_00: Y'all are now in the comp world.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: I know Marlo, you've been in it for a bit with Chloe.
30:10
SPEAKER_00: Lexi, you're just now walking into it.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
30:13
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you've been doing it since she was four.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's impressive.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: But like still, I mean, it's you still have a long, long about 10 more years left of competition if she loves this.
30:25
SPEAKER_00: It only gets busier.
30:26
SPEAKER_00: So how has the training shifted to be on the competition team?
30:34
SPEAKER_00: Has there is there an expectation at your studio?
30:37
SPEAKER_00: Would you consider your, like what level would you consider your dancers competing at?
30:42
SPEAKER_00: Have they worked their way up to different levels?
30:45
SPEAKER_00: Do you put them in intermediate?
30:46
SPEAKER_00: Are they advanced level dancers?
30:48
SPEAKER_00: And if so, like what does the training look like to be on the competition team at your dance studios for your dancers?
30:53
SPEAKER_02: For us, like I said, when we started, the studio was also starting.
30:58
SPEAKER_02: So it's the training has evolved, but it's always been at the basis of the highest level of training that they can offer.
31:06
SPEAKER_02: And our studio owner, who we have two studio owners, and one of them basically was the one who was like, I really want to start a comp team.
31:15
SPEAKER_02: So she's kind of taken the reins of that.
31:17
SPEAKER_02: Um, she stays pretty relevant with what's going on and tries to keep up her education as well, and just as involved with competition and conventions, even like just offering our students every opportunity to compete and to attend competitions and conventions as well.
31:39
SPEAKER_02: So the they started off where it was very rigorous.
31:43
SPEAKER_02: And like I said, we from a smaller town and sports kind of trumps dance here.
31:50
SPEAKER_02: And so the level of commitment was hard for people, and I think that kind of goes with having multiple children or having, you know, kids who want to play sports and then kids who are in dance.
32:00
SPEAKER_02: So initially it was very like you had to commit like a lot.
32:05
SPEAKER_02: And then they kind of just started to let them that the kids kind of not really back off, but just not as high of a level of commitment.
32:12
SPEAKER_02: And from there, it's just been, you know, there's definitely they're there a lot more than if you were just taking classes recreationally and they take longer classes and more levels of classes.
32:25
SPEAKER_02: Like our comp kids take ballet, they also take an acro strength conditioning class.
32:33
SPEAKER_02: You know, they they don't get to pick and choose basically what they take.
32:37
SPEAKER_02: That's already, you know, planned out for them.
32:40
SPEAKER_03: And much like Barlow shared, we have a similar situation in terms of the classes that are required for our competition teams.
32:46
SPEAKER_03: We have eight competition teams, I believe, that range in age from five-year-olds, five and six-year-olds all the way up to the senior level.
32:55
SPEAKER_03: So the classes that they are required to take are beneficial because they get to dance together in those, and there are ballet requirements and then their technique requirements from a jazz standpoint, as well as their normal team class.
33:08
SPEAKER_03: So, as in terms of the number of classes that they take, outside of those three or four mandated classes, they are able to take and explore other styles and take as many strength and conditioning or privates as they they deem uh helpful to their training.
33:24
SPEAKER_03: Parker herself, she's there three days a week for about five out, four hours or so each of those days.
33:30
SPEAKER_03: And then she does a lot of the home workouts and virtual classes and techniques and private classes and things like that from home when she's off.
33:39
SPEAKER_03: Again, air quotes.
33:41
SPEAKER_03: Then just like every other dancer who's so passionate, you can't get her to stop dancing around the house or watch this or look what I can do now, or you know, those kinds of conversations.
33:49
SPEAKER_03: So the competition factor has really upped our game, if you will, in terms of always working and always striving to be better.
33:56
SPEAKER_03: Because I think you get bit by the bug and you go to your first competition and you see what else is out there and you want to constantly improve yourself with every showing, uh, not so much for an award, but to just ensure that you don't hear that same critique in the next video from the judges.
34:10
SPEAKER_03: So that's where that's where I think we live as a studio in terms of betterment.
34:14
SPEAKER_02: Yes, getting the same critique competition after competition is why I contacted Courtney.
34:20
SPEAKER_02: Because I was like, okay, we definitely have I have to hear shoulders down one more time.
34:25
SPEAKER_02: We have got to figure out how to physically come more.
34:29
SPEAKER_02: Yes, that or um watch your hip.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: I mean, we have definitely fixed the hip situation, but you have it's just something we have heard a lot from at the beginning when she first started with um solos.
34:40
SPEAKER_02: You know, we we kind of cringe a little bit when we watch that first solo and she's like, oh, I didn't even know how to point my feet.
34:46
SPEAKER_03: These are good to have though.
34:48
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
34:49
SPEAKER_03: You are so right though.
34:51
SPEAKER_03: Those IDA critiques are a game changer.
34:53
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I cannot recommend them enough.
34:56
SPEAKER_03: The things that you learn and the time that's taken in the videos to circle things and show you exactly what you need to fix, because as a mature dancer, much like I'm sure Chloe is, those kinds of things you're taught in class and you get it more quickly.
35:09
SPEAKER_03: But a younger dancer in that age range of where Parker is, it's really helpful to have that visual because when you're practicing that at home, particularly during the pandemic, you don't want to practice it wrong or incorrectly because it's a waste of your time.
35:22
SPEAKER_03: So having that video to go back and refer to and to really get that in-depth information that you don't always get at competitions is so vital.
35:31
SPEAKER_03: So I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't already tried it.
35:34
SPEAKER_02: Well, I also think that it's you get a perspective of because I know the way it works is that you do a general critique, watch it all the way through, give the critiques, but then when you go back, there's lots of times where you're like, oh, I didn't even see that the first time.
35:48
SPEAKER_02: So it gives you a perspective of when you do just get you when you go to a competition and then you get those that feedback, it gives you a different perspective of how much the judges might actually miss because they're watching it in live.
36:04
SPEAKER_01: If I spent if I spent the whole three minutes talking about that one hip up that I saw in the 12 seconds of the beginning of your dance, you wouldn't get another critique, right?
36:13
SPEAKER_02: You miss something, yes.
36:14
SPEAKER_02: So it's definitely a nice perspective.
36:16
SPEAKER_02: And I think too, it's just, you know, it's all the same critiques her dance teacher gives her, but when you hear it from someone else, it just kind of takes on a different, I guess, perspective.
36:26
SPEAKER_02: Like, oh wait, somebody else is telling me that I need to do that too.
36:29
SPEAKER_03: So they might say it differently than your teacher saying it because we all learn differently.
36:34
SPEAKER_03: And sometimes one trigger word can change the outlook of how you how you really fix something.
36:39
SPEAKER_03: So that's a great point.
36:40
unknown: Yay.
36:41
SPEAKER_00: Aw, thanks for the testimonial, y'all.
36:45
SPEAKER_00: Love it.
36:47
SPEAKER_00: Love it.
36:47
SPEAKER_00: So happy you've enjoyed the the feedback from myself.
36:51
SPEAKER_00: I know I've done Chloe a bunch, but even just our IDA judges, they're also fantastic.
36:55
SPEAKER_00: And I think that is that is something that we really love at IDA, is just the education behind it and making sure that we're going above and beyond with the feedback.
37:03
SPEAKER_00: We want the dancers to really grow and learn.
37:06
SPEAKER_00: And we have unlimited, not unlimited, but we have more time when we are doing our virtual and our online critiques where we don't have to feel rushed when in at a regular dance competition, you don't have a lot of time.
37:17
SPEAKER_00: We're on we're on a deadline, we're on a schedule.
37:19
SPEAKER_00: We can only get that three-minute critique in and that's it.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, thank you so much for all of that.
37:25
SPEAKER_00: I think it is interesting to hear, I like to hear what everyone else's studio's requirements are as far as like what what you need to do to be on your competition team.
37:34
SPEAKER_00: And I think that everybody is is slightly different as far as how they're they structure their studio.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: I know like from for me, I started my competition team when I was eight, I think it was.
37:45
SPEAKER_00: I think I did one year at my my studio as like we were called the company team, which we only did one competition a year.
37:53
SPEAKER_00: And it was kind of almost more like rec.
37:55
SPEAKER_00: But then I got invited to the competition team the next year and started when I was eight.
38:00
SPEAKER_00: And I think that it definitely like completely changed my training as far as how often I had to be at the studio.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: Like I practically lived at the studio, but towards my the end of my time, once I was getting into my teen, then my senior they were expecting at least a minimum three days a week ballet, up to five.
38:17
SPEAKER_00: So, like at that point, you're at the studio every day.
38:19
SPEAKER_00: We always have rehearsals on Saturday.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: And so I was there at least three days a week, plus Saturday rehearsals all day long, and then you know, put the privates in, add the extra classes, go to comp on the weekends.
38:30
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's like a full-time job, honestly.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: Like it's just crazy to see and and it just hear other studios and and how it's evolved throughout the years because I'm talking like over 15 years ago here in my competition life journey.
38:44
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I think it's really interesting.
38:46
SPEAKER_00: It's really awesome to hear.
38:48
SPEAKER_01: So speaking of being there every day and your children live at the studio, what are you what about your other children?
38:54
SPEAKER_01: So I'm curious like how y'all balance having other kids who do other things.
38:58
SPEAKER_01: And are they doing these things just as committedly as your dancers are?
39:03
SPEAKER_01: You know, what's how does that work out for y'all specifically?
39:06
SPEAKER_02: Well, my oldest daughter is 17.
39:09
SPEAKER_02: She is a junior in high school, so of course she plays on her school soccer team.
39:15
SPEAKER_02: And she also now plays with a competitive soccer team, and she just tried out for ODP, which is some Olympic training program that they use it as recruitment for college.
39:29
SPEAKER_02: So to say that we're yes, it is very competitive.
39:33
SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
39:34
SPEAKER_02: But I'm very fortunate that my husband is very helpful.
39:39
SPEAKER_02: And since he can't go into the dressing rooms, he kind of takes the reins with soccer.
39:45
SPEAKER_02: For example, in a couple of weeks, Chloe and I will be in Mobio, and he and Abby will be in Gulfport, Mississippi.
39:52
SPEAKER_02: So you just figure it out.
39:55
SPEAKER_02: You do what you have to do and give your kids the opportunities that they they want to take.
40:00
SPEAKER_02: And I figured we would, you know, live our life when they're away at college or mobile.
40:07
SPEAKER_02: I know it's happening so fast.
40:09
SPEAKER_02: I'm kind of sad about it, but I'm not.
40:14
SPEAKER_03: Well, my other daughter is only five, so our commitment level with the soccer games that she attends are primarily two practices a week in a Saturday game.
40:23
SPEAKER_03: So unfortunately, I do miss some of those Saturday games, particularly during competition season.
40:28
SPEAKER_03: And my husband also is very involved.
40:30
SPEAKER_03: So he takes the soccer and I usually take the dance side, but thankfully, these virtual streams that have been happening have allowed him to be a part of the process for Parker.
40:41
SPEAKER_03: And FaceTime is a beautiful thing.
40:43
SPEAKER_03: So we've been at the soccer games as much as we could be there.
40:47
SPEAKER_03: As far as the day-to-day and living at the studio, I'm very fortunate to have a role in my job job, if I will, to be able to work from home and really travel.
40:57
SPEAKER_03: But in the meantime, I get to have that time with my daughter in the car while my other daughter's in dance.
41:03
SPEAKER_03: We do dinner dates or we'll go do something fun together, go to the library, whatever it happens to be.
41:08
SPEAKER_03: I think that we have more quality time, maybe even than we would if we were at home and get caught getting caught up in the things of everyday life, like cooking and laundry and all those things.
41:17
SPEAKER_03: So, like she said, you make it work and you just have to work really hard to make sure that the other is a priority because sometimes that mom guilt does speak up a little bit.
41:25
SPEAKER_03: And we always wonder if the the younger or whichever one isn't involved in for this example, dance feels just as important and valued.
41:33
SPEAKER_03: And that's that's always the the struggle.
41:35
SPEAKER_03: And I think that we all just do the best we can and hope that hope that everything is in their eyes.
41:40
SPEAKER_02: The struggle is definitely real for having to miss things like with my oldest daughter for soccer for sure, especially because at the level she is now, they're not just games at our local park, which is two minutes away.
41:56
SPEAKER_02: We literally, you know, are in different states.
42:00
SPEAKER_02: And Chloe's recital is going to actually fall on a Memphis trip that Abby will be at for soccer.
42:08
SPEAKER_02: And that is like literally, I try just not to think about it because I'm like, I can't be in two places at one time.
42:13
SPEAKER_02: And I'm not only Chloe's mom, the dance, like the dance mom, but I'm also now employed at the studio.
42:18
SPEAKER_02: So it's like not an option.
42:20
SPEAKER_02: Like I have to be there for their production.
42:22
SPEAKER_02: And so it's it's hard.
42:23
SPEAKER_02: It's really hard.
42:24
SPEAKER_02: My husband literally just like texts update all the time when I can't be there.
42:28
SPEAKER_03: So I feel like I'm looking into my future, Marlo.
42:31
SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
42:35
SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry.
42:37
SPEAKER_03: No, it's scary.
42:38
SPEAKER_03: At least I'll know who to call whenever I have questions now.
42:41
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I'll let you know if Abby ends up in therapy.
42:44
SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
42:46
SPEAKER_01: Look, we should all end up in therapy.
42:50
SPEAKER_02: Now that she understands, you know, like whenever we're able, we're, you know, we go.
42:55
SPEAKER_02: I mean, they don't always come to Chloe's competitions and they're not always virtually, you know, available.
43:00
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, they do miss that.
43:02
SPEAKER_02: And her dad definitely misses a lot of dance events because we go to a lot.
43:07
SPEAKER_02: But when they're able to go, they show up.
43:11
SPEAKER_02: And when we we're able to go, we show up.
43:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I think this is so interesting to hear, especially because I am actually an only child, so I didn't have the whole sibling thing to ever have to worry about growing up.
43:23
SPEAKER_00: But Leslie, I kind of want to hear like your, you know, how that was for you.
43:28
SPEAKER_00: I know just like backstory on Leslie, Leslie's mom owned a dance studio.
43:33
SPEAKER_00: So Leslie was kind of born into it.
43:35
SPEAKER_00: And so was your sister.
43:37
SPEAKER_00: But like, do you feel like Leslie, it was easier for your mom and dad to juggle because not only was your mom the studio owner, but also because you both were dancing.
43:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
43:47
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
43:48
SPEAKER_00: Like in our guests situation, we have you know both of your kids are doing two different activities.
43:55
SPEAKER_00: They're not just dropping off at the dance studio and mom and dad have time to themselves.
43:59
SPEAKER_00: It's like Like soccer practice here and dance here and back and forth, you know.
44:03
SPEAKER_00: So like I guess Leslie, it probably was a different experience for you.
44:06
SPEAKER_01: We both grew up dancing and doing chorus and doing theater and doing cheerleading.
44:11
SPEAKER_01: Like we did the same things pretty much.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: And she's on my sister's only a year younger than me.
44:16
SPEAKER_01: So like it was very easy to stair step and like if my class was here, her class was here.
44:20
SPEAKER_01: And like, you know, my dad, my my parents only recently within the last two or three years have been able to spend any time together in their 40-some odd year marriage because my mother teaches at night and my dad works during the day.
44:33
SPEAKER_01: So like, you know, we never often we didn't have dinners as a family, you know.
44:37
SPEAKER_01: I think much like probably most dance parents, you know, you you just you're taking people somewhere all the time.
44:43
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, we we also lived at the studio and had dinners there, and I had migraine headaches in the back corner, just like that's just where you were, you know, for your life.
44:52
SPEAKER_01: But but once once we both hit high school and like my sister started playing basketball and I did a little more theater and stuff, you know, there were times where it was like, mom just can't come to this performance of footloose, and you know, it because she has other things to do, or or we had to really start picking and choosing what really mattered and where you were able to split your time, not only for my parents, but for for us, just as any, you know, kid who's doing a million different things is doing.
45:19
SPEAKER_01: You know, but I I do remember, and even still now, it's like my mom still owns a studio.
45:25
SPEAKER_01: She's still she's been in business for over 30 years, and there's times when I go home and I'm like, you know, I'm so excited to visit, and like I don't see my mom because she works four nights of the week.
45:35
SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, and that's just that's the life of of dance people.
45:39
SPEAKER_01: And you figure it out.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: And if I if I really wanted to see her, I would go to the studio and sit in class, you know.
45:44
SPEAKER_00: I will say I know that like my parents, my dad had to like take adjust his work schedule to leave work early so he could pick me up in time to get me to class in time for dance.
45:57
SPEAKER_00: Like I always remember that.
45:58
SPEAKER_00: I think that that's something that changed, you know, once I started taking dance seriously, and they were like, hey, uh ballet starts at 4 30, and I'm getting out of out of school at 3 30, and it's and our my dance studio was not really close.
46:11
SPEAKER_00: It was about like a 30-ish minute drive down the street, so it was like, you know, it was far away.
46:16
SPEAKER_00: So I always remember that.
46:18
SPEAKER_00: But I I know my parents were so excited when I was able to drive.
46:22
SPEAKER_00: They were like, Thank God I don't have to drive you to dance anymore.
46:26
SPEAKER_00: Like because it was far.
46:28
SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I was pumped about it too.
46:30
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I couldn't wait to drive myself to dance.
46:32
SPEAKER_00: And I was kind of my birthday's early in February, so I turned 16 or able to drive early in the season.
46:38
SPEAKER_00: So I had about like three whole years at the studio where I could just, you know, pick up my friends and carpool each other.
46:44
SPEAKER_00: And it just it just really took some stress off my parents from having to juggle how do we get you to dance as often as you need to go.
46:51
SPEAKER_01: That's the only place I drove.
46:53
SPEAKER_01: I drove to dance.
46:54
SPEAKER_01: Right.
46:54
SPEAKER_01: I'm back.
46:55
SPEAKER_01: Like that's literally all we did.
46:56
SPEAKER_01: So, like, you don't worry about your kids and getting in trouble because all they're gonna do when they get a driver's license is drive to the studio and then drive home and then drive to the studio.
47:03
SPEAKER_03: I'll tell you one thing I did not think about whenever I purchased my car was these screen shields that go up in the back seat so that all the changing can happen in the backseat after school.
47:13
SPEAKER_03: Oh, because we live about 25 minutes from the studio as well.
47:18
SPEAKER_03: And her school is on the opposite side of town.
47:20
SPEAKER_03: So we do a lot of changing in the car and a lot of eating in the car, and that's what we had to upgrade to a bigger vehicle for that very reason.
47:26
SPEAKER_03: So the struggle is real.
47:28
SPEAKER_03: Love it.
47:28
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
47:29
SPEAKER_01: I mean, if you haven't ever changed in the back seat of a van, are you even a dancer?
47:33
SPEAKER_02: Like just well, it's it's about time where Chloe could pretty much maybe get her license soon.
47:40
SPEAKER_02: She's not really interested.
47:42
SPEAKER_02: But then I am also going to the studio, so there's like no no help here.
47:46
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I needed her to have a license when she was five.
47:49
SPEAKER_02: That would have been right, right.
47:53
SPEAKER_00: Or big sis could drive her sometimes if you're not teaching.
47:56
SPEAKER_02: Try, but you know, she's she's fun and get take, she gets home and then it's like, um, can you bring Chloe to the studio?
48:03
SPEAKER_02: And she's like, Really?
48:04
SPEAKER_02: I just got home.
48:06
SPEAKER_02: You know, so most of the time it's because I'm going, she just rides with me anyway.
48:10
SPEAKER_02: But sometimes if I have to be there longer, then you know, of course somebody will come get her.
48:14
SPEAKER_02: Or she'll ride home with another dancer who does have their license.
48:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
48:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
48:19
SPEAKER_00: So the competition world.
48:21
SPEAKER_00: What are y'all's thoughts on it?
48:23
SPEAKER_00: I just want to, as a as a dance mom walking into this completely, I mean, at first clueless, right?
48:29
SPEAKER_00: Like both clueless to what is this dance competition world?
48:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean, did you have any idea?
48:34
SPEAKER_00: Have you had you seen an episode of Dance Moms prior to walking into this?
48:38
SPEAKER_00: Because most people have like, that's what people believe is the dance competition world, which is it is, but like really exaggerated.
48:46
SPEAKER_00: So, what what were your initial thoughts about it?
48:49
SPEAKER_00: Did you love it?
48:50
SPEAKER_00: Did you were you like, what is this madness?
48:53
SPEAKER_00: I just would love to hear from like the dance mom side because I only just know from my personal dancer side.
49:00
SPEAKER_03: I was so confused.
49:01
SPEAKER_03: I had no idea what was happening.
49:03
SPEAKER_03: I I knew that uh when she went on stage, I knew she was dancing, I knew it was her turn, and you know that she looked great.
49:11
SPEAKER_03: But afterwards was the biggest confusion of all.
49:13
SPEAKER_03: I had no idea what was being said or what every adjudication, I didn't even know it was called adjudication, by the way.
49:19
SPEAKER_03: I didn't know what any of it meant.
49:20
SPEAKER_03: I felt like I was in an auction, like people were just yelling things, and um and I had to turn it into people like, what does she get?
49:27
SPEAKER_03: What does that mean?
49:28
SPEAKER_03: Like, I'm what's a golden ticket?
49:29
SPEAKER_03: What's a like no idea about any of it?
49:32
SPEAKER_03: So I think it was only this year that things started really making sense to me, but that's only because I had to do like FBI research, like to figure out prior to each competition, like, okay, so there's these three, and God helped Parker when I tried to explain it to her because she was even more confused than I was.
49:50
SPEAKER_03: So now we just we just go and she has fun.
49:53
SPEAKER_03: And afterwards she asked me on the way home.
49:55
SPEAKER_03: Okay, so what did all that mean?
49:56
SPEAKER_01: Right.
49:57
SPEAKER_03: And I finally have an answer.
49:58
SPEAKER_03: So it was exciting and thrilling, but it was a lot of lead up, hair and makeup, and don't even get me started on the learning curve of all that.
50:06
SPEAKER_03: But the actual competition itself was beyond confusing, but I do feel a little bit more prepared now.
50:13
SPEAKER_03: I'm happy to report.
50:15
SPEAKER_02: I literally have said the words, I am not a hairdresser a thousand times.
50:22
SPEAKER_00: I know with all the hair changes and things, like I can't.
50:26
SPEAKER_00: My mom never knew how.
50:27
SPEAKER_00: I just had to try to do it myself.
50:29
SPEAKER_00: Like stage makeup.
50:31
SPEAKER_00: I know, and yeah, and then no one knew what to do with this.
50:33
SPEAKER_00: I mean, like, my mom didn't know what to do.
50:36
SPEAKER_00: She'd straighten it, but like it was a disaster.
50:38
SPEAKER_00: So I can I can only imagine.
50:40
SPEAKER_00: I think we actually talked about that.
50:42
SPEAKER_00: We put in our brainstorming for next season, stage makeup episode, which would be kind of a cool one to talk about.
50:49
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I can I can imagine that learning curve for sure.
50:52
SPEAKER_03: I'm sure there's a lot of other moms that are out there with with yeah, nothing will test the mother-daughter relationship like the pre-competition routine.
51:00
SPEAKER_00: Right.
51:01
SPEAKER_02: Or the first time you attempt to put eyelashes on a seven-year-old.
51:04
SPEAKER_03: Oh god.
51:05
SPEAKER_02: Wow, why?
51:06
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
51:08
SPEAKER_03: No one knows.
51:09
SPEAKER_03: We just do it.
51:09
SPEAKER_03: We just follow the lead.
51:10
SPEAKER_01: Oh no, I'll quit that alone.
51:11
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm out.
51:13
SPEAKER_01: Like, right, she gets some mascara, that's all.
51:16
SPEAKER_02: That's it.
51:16
SPEAKER_02: Well, but the thing is, is that like they literally are like dodging.
51:19
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know people can't see me right now, but like literally it's like the twitching and the seizure like activity that's happening as you're going toward the eye, the eyelashes, that it's just, I'm like, it's just not worth it.
51:35
SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is I mean, it's really not the point.
51:37
SPEAKER_02: So, can we like not do the eyelashes?
51:39
SPEAKER_02: I get it, it pops the eyes, but can we not?
51:41
SPEAKER_03: Let's start a petition more like on what you said.
51:45
SPEAKER_02: Well, we actually, I mean, I guess maybe I did at our studio because I they don't really require the lashes for the little ones anymore.
51:52
SPEAKER_02: And I think depending on what competitions you're going to, we started doing a lot of convention competitions and the flashy costumes really weren't a big thing.
52:01
SPEAKER_02: And it was more about the technical parts of dancing and and just like some kids would get on stage and they would have just a simple leotort on and they would win because they were beautiful dancers.
52:13
SPEAKER_02: So it that's kind of what I was saying with the learning curve.
52:15
SPEAKER_02: You just kind of learn along the way that what's super important.
52:18
SPEAKER_02: And of course, like our group dances, our studio owner, she has fabulous ideas for groups.
52:24
SPEAKER_02: She always comes up with concepts and the costumes definitely, you know, the props in the costumes definitely make the big picture and the big production of it all, which is really nice.
52:34
SPEAKER_02: But when it came to like soloists, I was just kind of like, can we not do the eyelashes?
52:39
SPEAKER_02: Like she may or may not not go on stage if she has the eyelashes on.
52:43
SPEAKER_03: I've gotten to a point now where I'm willing to just slide an older girl 20 bucks and have them do it so that we can just not be one of my probably the biggest bits of advice to new moms is switch kids.
52:55
SPEAKER_01: Agreed, just switch kids.
52:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because because it's never as bad, like it's worse with your own mom, always the hair, the makeup, everything.
53:03
SPEAKER_01: Like you just don't want that tension.
53:04
SPEAKER_01: So I love switch kids.
53:05
SPEAKER_01: Just switch them just for that like 15 minutes.
53:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
53:08
SPEAKER_01: Brilliant.
53:09
SPEAKER_01: Solves all the words.
53:12
SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm really I'm really happy that you brought up the the madness of what award ceremonies are, Lexi.
53:20
SPEAKER_01: Because you're not alone.
53:22
SPEAKER_01: You're not we we are still confused and we did it.
53:26
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we work there.
53:27
SPEAKER_01: I direct now, and I'm still like, wait, what just happened?
53:32
SPEAKER_03: Well, that does make me feel a little better.
53:33
SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
53:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's not it is so hard to keep it straight.
53:37
SPEAKER_00: Like for somebody from who's like not immersed in this and is not a studio owner that registered the dancers, that read all the rules, you know, who attends this every year or something.
53:48
SPEAKER_00: Someone walking into this competition world and listening to an award ceremony, I agree with you.
53:54
SPEAKER_00: It would feel like an auction.
53:55
SPEAKER_00: Like just someone just reading off things and you don't know what anything means.
53:59
SPEAKER_00: I think there needs to be a lot more explanation in awards are like it's not just about getting getting the adjudications out.
54:06
SPEAKER_00: Like we need to educate the the viewers and the people who even the kids, like you said, they don't know your daughter's like, what did I get?
54:13
SPEAKER_03: I mean, there's two huge screens right by the state, the stage usually put the levels on one of those screens so that everyone can see what we're talking about here for the simpletons like me who don't know, and eventually we'll be educated because most of us do go to the same competitions or conventions each year, so that learning curve does level out at some point.
54:34
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, and and virtually the awards are even harder because they're you can't understand anything.
54:40
SPEAKER_03: And if you miss yours because your streaming broke up, then you just get all the texts that say congratulations, and you have no idea for what.
54:46
SPEAKER_03: Right.
54:47
SPEAKER_03: So it's it's it's awesome.
54:49
SPEAKER_03: I mean, um it's a blessing, don't get me wrong.
54:51
SPEAKER_03: I'm just happy to get to compete, but it is wild.
54:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, it is, it is hard to keep everything straight.
54:57
SPEAKER_00: I I have to agree with you.
54:58
SPEAKER_00: And like Leslie said, I mean, we work for multiple competitions, and it's always a different, a different adjudicated score, a different way to get that adjudication score.
55:06
SPEAKER_00: What are these overalls?
55:07
SPEAKER_00: What does this mean?
55:08
SPEAKER_00: Like, it's just a lot of things to keep track of.
55:11
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, it would be nice if we all kind of like got on the same page and called the competitions.
55:16
SPEAKER_00: Let's just like make this simplify this just a little bit for all of us, you know?
55:21
SPEAKER_00: How many times have we asked that?
55:22
SPEAKER_02: I definitely agree because and also I think, which is probably a whole nother podcast, but the age levels are so different at every single competition.
55:31
SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's like, oh wait, am I junior today or am I a teen?
55:35
SPEAKER_02: Or am I a teen or am I a teen?
55:38
SPEAKER_03: Well, in what level am I today?
55:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
55:40
SPEAKER_02: Well, we uh Chloe is is no longer allowed to attend a levelized competition.
55:45
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, if you want to be a professional, I support it, you can support it.
55:53
SPEAKER_03: So that's what I like about convention competitions because typically there are no levels.
55:58
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
55:58
SPEAKER_01: And look, I think that's you knowing things, Lexi.
56:01
SPEAKER_01: That's like some information.
56:04
SPEAKER_03: You got it, girl.
56:05
SPEAKER_03: I'm learning.
56:06
SPEAKER_02: I love it.
56:07
SPEAKER_02: And I do think that levels are are great for, you know, there's a place for certain dancers who may not want to be professional one day, and it is a hobby for them and they do enjoy being on the stage.
56:18
SPEAKER_02: So I think, you know, the levels are are great, but the issue comes in when you are going as a studio and you have one dancer who's in a lower level and maybe are not competing against as many people that's in an advanced level, and they score or maybe place, you know, at a higher level or whatever.
56:37
SPEAKER_02: And then another dancer who's competing against 60 people maybe not get a placement.
56:42
SPEAKER_02: So it's like it's it's also a disconnect where the kids don't fully understand and the parents don't understand.
56:48
SPEAKER_02: So correct.
56:49
SPEAKER_02: It kind of brings in some potential issues sometimes, you know, but you haven't tried to explain.
56:55
SPEAKER_01: Right.
56:55
SPEAKER_01: Well, just like Lexi said, you're sitting there in an award ceremony, and because they don't announce everything within each award, you know, just kind of like how we're talking about with block scheduling, you hear a whole list of high golds.
57:08
SPEAKER_01: Well, one of those high golds probably would have been a silver had we all been competing at the same level.
57:14
SPEAKER_01: But because that dancer was in the rec category, a high gold is pretty darn good, you know.
57:18
SPEAKER_01: But you you don't hear that because all you're hearing is high gold.
57:21
SPEAKER_01: It feels like they're getting the same award when in reality they're not.
57:24
SPEAKER_01: But because there's so many other things to think about, like, no wonder everybody's mad.
57:29
SPEAKER_01: Like confused, just confused.
57:31
SPEAKER_02: I think it's I think Courtney and I kind of talked about this a few days ago, just having an understanding.
57:36
SPEAKER_02: And how do you explain to kids who come off stage and they feel like they've had an amazing performance, but then they don't get a high adjudication that they felt like they maybe should have gotten.
57:48
SPEAKER_02: And then there's like the competition within your studio, or maybe just kids that you used to seeing in the circuit of the competitions you're going to.
57:57
SPEAKER_02: Well, I mean, I'm all for you know, kids facing failure and disappointment because I think that it it creates, you know, who they become and seeing how they bounce back from that.
58:07
SPEAKER_02: And do they take that and work harder and rise from it?
58:12
SPEAKER_02: Or do they maybe kind of crawl into a corner and want to quit?
58:15
SPEAKER_02: You know, so it's like, I'm all for failure, of course.
58:19
SPEAKER_02: But if I can understand if I can understand it from a teacher standpoint or even a parent standpoint, to explain to them, I mean, mostly I just say today, you know, maybe just today wasn't your your turn or it wasn't your day.
58:29
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, if you're happy with what you did on that stage, and that's really all that should matter.
58:34
SPEAKER_03: Well, one of my least favorite things about competition, well, I love competitions.
58:38
SPEAKER_03: One of my least favorite things is when you do receive, let's say you receive a high gold and the highest adjudication is platinum, but then you get your critiques and everything is you're beautiful, keep keep up the good work.
58:49
SPEAKER_03: Oh, I love that, but you don't get any meat or potatoes to figure out why you didn't get a platinum.
58:55
SPEAKER_03: And it's not about the award necessarily, but it is about the learning experience.
58:59
SPEAKER_03: And so that's where the frustration really sets in, I think, as a dancer, because you work so hard every single day for that validation or for answers as to how you can get that validation.
59:11
SPEAKER_03: And when there's that gap, that's what causes the emotions to run pretty high, I think.
59:16
SPEAKER_00: That makes all the sense.
59:17
SPEAKER_00: And I totally understand.
59:19
SPEAKER_00: And I think that there's not a lot.
59:21
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there are definitely a lot of studios and teachers and moms who have that same perspective of this is a the competition is a learning experience, but there are a lot that don't.
59:30
SPEAKER_00: There are a lot that won't even listen to the critiques, there are a lot that just want the win, there's a lot that will put their dancers in the wrong levels to be able to say you won first place.
59:40
SPEAKER_00: And you know, the way that I see it is like our competitions right now, we have three levels and there's three first places.
59:48
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, why can't we just have one first place?
59:50
SPEAKER_00: That's like like you said, Marlo, like not that everyone's gonna be a professional, but there is there are going to be times in the real world where you're not always gonna win.
59:59
SPEAKER_00: And I think that like getting kids to understand that a little bit as they grow up.
1:00:04
SPEAKER_00: But I feel like that I had thicker skin walking into the real world, regardless if I I am a professional dancer, but like even if I went into the real world in any other way, I had thicker skin because of the competition world and how it how it brought me up and learning that I might not always get first and I might have got fifth this time because the talent level was awesome and the judges liked this these dancers better, or I fell out of my triple pirouette, and that's why.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, whatever it is.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_00: But I think now it's a little bit it's a little bit confusing, like and and it is interesting to hear from the dancer side because we're Leslie and I are always on the on the judge's side, but like from the dancer side for them to even under not really understand, like, I don't I don't really understand how this how this worked, or but mom, that the critiques were nothing but good.
1:00:48
SPEAKER_00: Why didn't I get this the score higher?
1:00:50
SPEAKER_00: You know, that is really interesting to hear.
1:00:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:00:53
SPEAKER_03: There are a lot of really other posit, you know, positive things about the competition outside of the actual dancing.
1:00:58
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I do feel that from a very young age, I mean, like we talked about Parker's only eight.
1:01:03
SPEAKER_03: I think she's learning to be an unconditional friend and a teammate through the good times.
1:01:08
SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you're not, sometimes you're on top and sometimes you're not on top.
1:01:11
SPEAKER_03: And it's really easy to be a supportive and you know, unconditional friend when you're on top.
1:01:17
SPEAKER_03: But when you're not, in those moments, your true character shines through.
1:01:20
SPEAKER_03: And making sure that you are being just as diligent about walking over and recognizing people in that moment.
1:01:26
SPEAKER_03: And I mean, one thing that one of our our actual one of our studio owners told me from the very get-go is a good lesson that she taught her dancer, who's the other co-owner, is that she should never be able to tell whether she won or whether she lost when she is up on that stage.
1:01:43
SPEAKER_03: She should see the same level of class and poise, whichever way that the the words fell.
1:01:50
SPEAKER_03: And I thought that was so special and so classy, because at the end of the day, yes, we may want our daughters to pursue this professionally, but we want them to be good humans.
1:02:00
SPEAKER_03: And sometimes we that gets lost in this world that we're in.
1:02:04
SPEAKER_03: And I think that that's a a really good point to that we're always gonna strive to have that win, even if it's not a piece of paper or a turkey.
1:02:11
SPEAKER_01: Oh, props to your studio owner.
1:02:13
SPEAKER_01: Man, that is that's the best thing I've ever heard because it's great.
1:02:17
SPEAKER_00: And we've said it like on other podcasts, it starts from the top, it starts from the studio owners, it starts from the parents.
1:02:24
SPEAKER_00: So, like you're in a go, you're in a good spot.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:02:27
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's so great.
1:02:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm just like, I can't, I can't wait for the next time like we can actually, and this is saying a lot because I hate this part of competition, is is having to give away the adjudicated awards because of how many kids sit there and have a pout fest when we call their score, and I try to, you know, give them their trophy and they're unhappy about it and they don't stand up and come see me.
1:02:48
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, but if everybody had that attitude of I shouldn't know whether you won or lost, they'd all be popping up, smiling, taking their trophy, and we'd all be happy.
1:02:56
SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
1:02:57
SPEAKER_03: It's it's hard.
1:02:58
SPEAKER_03: I mean, especially when they're little because we put so much focus on the process and getting there and getting up on stage and doing our best.
1:03:05
SPEAKER_03: And I get it, it's not an easy lesson.
1:03:07
SPEAKER_03: But as parents, we're all doing our best every day.
1:03:10
SPEAKER_03: And hopefully we're teaching them some life lessons along the way that no adjudication or or trophy can really take the place of.
1:03:16
SPEAKER_03: So that's that's one of the bigger goals that we have too.
1:03:19
SPEAKER_00: All right.
1:03:20
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna lead us, not lead us out officially, but final question.
1:03:23
SPEAKER_00: I know this went a little bit long, but we can, you know, make it work.
1:03:27
SPEAKER_00: So on our Facebook group, I recently did a poll and I asked just teachers or parents, and we have a lot of parents in the in the our Facebook group, but I asked if you hope that your dancer will pursue a professional dance career after they graduate.
1:03:46
SPEAKER_00: And I was just curious to see what everyone's thoughts were.
1:03:49
SPEAKER_00: And to give you the results of the poll, 79 people voted yes that they would like their dancer to continue on with dance in one way, shape, or form, whether that is professionally as a professional performer, maybe as a teacher, choreographer, but keep dance involved in their life post-graduation.
1:04:06
SPEAKER_00: There were 22 maybes and there were nine no's.
1:04:09
SPEAKER_00: They do not want them to be a dancer.
1:04:12
SPEAKER_00: So I would love to hear y'all's pick with that question.
1:04:16
SPEAKER_00: What do you hope for your dancers at this current time?
1:04:20
SPEAKER_02: I don't think I picked one of the three because I felt like none of them really matched my answer.
1:04:27
SPEAKER_02: Because from a financial standpoint and the sacrifice we made, I'm all I'm like, yes, you should probably pursue dance for the rest of your life.
1:04:36
SPEAKER_02: I don't care what you're mining, you should still be dancing.
1:04:38
SPEAKER_02: However, I mean, I I do know that if you're not doing something that you're passionate and happy about, then it's it makes life a little bit tougher and you're not quite as happy.
1:04:49
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, if Chloe wants to do this, which right now in her 15-year-old brain and she wants to do this professionally and she's taking steps toward that, I'm gonna support her a hundred percent.
1:05:00
SPEAKER_02: But if she wakes up tomorrow morning and she says she's done, we're definitely having a conversation, but I will definitely support, you know, either way of what she does.
1:05:09
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I think that she's definitely talented enough to pursue this.
1:05:13
SPEAKER_02: So either way, either way, we're I'm in either way.
1:05:17
SPEAKER_03: I think for Parker, she's eight.
1:05:19
SPEAKER_03: And at this point in her life, those all sound like really big ambitions, and I will support that fully.
1:05:25
SPEAKER_03: And if that's where she decides to, you know, blaze her path, I will be her biggest cheerleader.
1:05:30
SPEAKER_03: And if she decides that she wants to go to college and do something different and pursue another profession, I will be equally happy with that because, like we've talked about a little bit, this journey of dance and all the investment.
1:05:43
SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's it's massive as a family.
1:05:45
SPEAKER_03: You know, you're all in and you really want what's best for your dancer and you'd like to see that manifest itself.
1:05:50
SPEAKER_03: But if it doesn't, my my real goal for her is that she just never stops learning and improving and that she realizes that that hard work and that humility and that.
1:06:00
SPEAKER_03: That she has developed over this journey plays out into whatever profession she has.
1:06:04
SPEAKER_03: And right now, her goal is she wants to go to a college that has a dance team and she wants to dance and basically dance her way to a degree.
1:06:13
SPEAKER_03: And whether that means something else after that, she doesn't even really know what that means at this point.
1:06:18
SPEAKER_03: But as she develops that, I'm I'm just my my hope is that whenever she comes off that stage, whatever stage it happens to be for the last time, that she's gonna run and jump on my arms and ask me how she did and be so happy with herself, you know.
1:06:30
SPEAKER_03: And even if she's 18, I hope that happens.
1:06:32
SPEAKER_03: And whatever that next step is, I'll be right there to catch her.
1:06:36
SPEAKER_03: So I'm I'm looking forward to it.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_03: And I know that the long-term goal is uh gonna be up to her and I'll be along for the ride.
1:06:43
SPEAKER_03: Oh, that's gonna make me cry.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_03: Y'all are so sweet.
1:06:46
SPEAKER_00: No.
1:06:46
SPEAKER_03: When you said like when she gets off the stage one last time, I know, no, no, what that's my favorite part of the entire competition because she's itty bitty.
1:06:55
SPEAKER_03: I mean, she is so tight, she's a really small eight-year-old.
1:06:59
SPEAKER_03: And I come to the side stage, and every single time she's running as fast and as hard as she can, and she jumps on me sequins and beam, I'm like, not the beats, not I'm just so happy that you know she's happy, and that's the goal.
1:07:11
SPEAKER_03: If she comes off that stage feeling like her the fruits of her labor have paid off because she had a good showing, then we don't even need to say for all the rest of it.
1:07:18
SPEAKER_03: I know she'll ask, but yeah, that's that moment of thank you.
1:07:22
SPEAKER_03: You know, like that's it's all paying off.
1:07:24
SPEAKER_02: Enjoy the running towards you after the stage performance because you're telling me it's gonna end, Marlo.
1:07:31
SPEAKER_02: I mean, maybe not.
1:07:33
SPEAKER_02: Maybe not.
1:07:34
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it has ended for me.
1:07:38
SPEAKER_01: Don't don't worry, Chloe.
1:07:40
SPEAKER_01: Marlo was not cringe worthy today.
1:07:42
SPEAKER_01: Marlo was fabulous.
1:07:44
SPEAKER_01: You're listening.
1:07:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, Chloe.
1:07:47
SPEAKER_00: Hope you're listening.
1:07:48
SPEAKER_00: Love you.
1:07:49
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for letting me steal your mom for the evening and put her on the podcast.
1:07:53
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and can you please run offstage and into my arms?
1:07:56
SPEAKER_02: That would be great.
1:07:58
SPEAKER_03: That's the challenge for the next competition, Chloe.
1:08:01
SPEAKER_00: If you're listening, I'd shoot her a message and like well that that needs to happen.
1:08:06
SPEAKER_00: It won't.
1:08:07
SPEAKER_00: Mom's request.
1:08:09
SPEAKER_00: Such a great episode and loved getting to know you both so much more and hear all about your dancers' journeys.
1:08:15
SPEAKER_00: It's been really exciting, and I know that they both have very bright futures ahead for them, whatever path they decide to go in this lovely dance world.
1:08:24
SPEAKER_00: And please know that Leslie and I are always here to give advice, be mentors for your dancers, and anybody listening.
1:08:32
SPEAKER_00: We love we there's so many people in your life that can be a mentor for you if you are going to navigate into that professional world or you know, continuing with dance post-graduation.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_00: So find that mentor and learn from them and take every bit of advice as a sponge.
1:08:47
SPEAKER_00: But for Marlo and Lexi, I'm really excited for your dancers.
1:08:51
SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to continue to follow their journey.
1:08:53
SPEAKER_00: So thank you so much for sharing your time with us on the podcast.
1:08:56
SPEAKER_00: And we usually have our guests lead us out with any bit of advice that you may like to give or any final thoughts based on our combo.
1:09:05
SPEAKER_00: So if you want to talk to the dance moms, all the other dance moms that are listening out there, anything that you'd like to share with them, go for it.
1:09:13
SPEAKER_03: I don't have a lot of advice just yet, but the only thing I have learned is just be kind to each other because people like me who are new, it's just so refreshing to meet someone in the dance world who's genuine and who really does have your dancer and your best interests at heart.
1:09:31
SPEAKER_03: So I try to be that.
1:09:32
SPEAKER_03: We don't always follow through with that, but I try to be that and just don't ever underestimate the impact that your kindness or the way you treat people plays out in their life because we might not know what we're doing, but you might have made us feel better about it just because you didn't judge us or because you offered a bobby pit or tights when we didn't even know that we needed them.
1:09:51
SPEAKER_03: So that would be my my two cents.
1:09:53
SPEAKER_03: And I'm I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and good luck to all of your dancers.
1:09:57
SPEAKER_02: I think my biggest bit of advice would be to enjoy the journey instead of and the moments and where it's taking you and the bond that you get to create with your dancer and and your kid because you spend a lot of time doing this.
1:10:14
SPEAKER_02: And also trade kids, big advice, trade kids, and then don't put your eyelashes on your own kids, trade them.
1:10:22
SPEAKER_02: But seriously, uh, I think the biggest thing would be it goes by really fast.
1:10:28
SPEAKER_02: I feel like we just started this journey and we are already talking future and post-high school graduation.
1:10:35
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's coming.
1:10:36
SPEAKER_02: She's a freshman, and I can tell you from experience with my oldest daughter.
1:10:40
SPEAKER_02: They told me that high school goes by really fast and it does.
1:10:43
SPEAKER_02: So enjoy the moments, don't take any of it for granted.
1:10:47
SPEAKER_02: And even though it seems super stressful, try to find the positives in it because there are definitely a lot of them.
1:10:55
SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoyed our chat this week with some real life dance moms in the comp world.
1:11:00
SPEAKER_00: Be sure to follow and check out our dance mom dancers Instagram.
1:11:04
SPEAKER_00: Marlo's daughter Chloe trains at To the Point Academy of Dance in Louisiana.
1:11:08
SPEAKER_00: And you can follow Chloe at ChloeGrace.dancer.
1:11:12
SPEAKER_00: Lexi's daughter Parker trains at Dance Theater of Jacksonville in North Carolina.
1:11:16
SPEAKER_00: And you can follow Parker at A Dare You to Dance.
1:11:20
SPEAKER_01: Have you followed Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast yet?
1:11:24
SPEAKER_01: It's easier than a headspring.
1:11:25
SPEAKER_01: You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Podcasts.
1:11:31
SPEAKER_00: Be sure to check out our sponsor, Level Up Dance Applies, for all of your dance gear needs.
1:11:36
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1:11:46
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1:12:00
SPEAKER_01: Making the Impact Advantage podcast is nearing the end of season two.
1:12:04
SPEAKER_01: Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes, including topics like developing a competitive mindset, the final spotlight episode of season two, and dance pathways.