Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Taking Critical Feedback from your Judges

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Taking Critical Feedback from your Judges · 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?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Learning how to dance is a lifelong process and one that comes with tons of highs and lows.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: The feeling of achievement when you've mastered that triple pirouette or double pullback can only happen after taking corrections from a teacher.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: For many dancers, taking critical feedback is a learned skill just like learning a dance step.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Today we are talking about how to take critical feedback from judges at competition and how to apply that feedback in a positive way.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_03: Hey everyone, this is Corney Ortiz, and I am your host to Making the Impact A Dance Competition Podcast.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_03: And I am here this week with my amazing co-host Leslie Miller.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: Happy Podcast Day.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yay! We are excited to be here today.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_03: We're talking about how you take critical feedback from your judges.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: So thanks to everyone who has been supporting us on this journey in podcast land.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_03: The response has been awesome, and we are just so thankful for everyone who's been listening and sharing the pod.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and thanks to everybody who has been leaving us some awesome reviews on Apple Podcasts.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: We just want to share the love that you've been sharing with us.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I have a review from an unknown teacher.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's the username.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: And this teacher says, Making the impact closes the gap between the judges panel and the classroom.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Such a good learning tool for teachers and students.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely adding it to our comp prep this season.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, I love that.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you, unknown teacher.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad you're finding the info on the podcast useful.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: And we have another awesome review to share from Nikki Parnell.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: And this one says, I'm a dance mom who was never a dancer and is just starting to put a toe in this water.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: This has been so helpful in learning about dance in general, along with what the judges are truly looking for.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Hooked.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Nikki.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: We are definitely hoping to educate and inspire everyone in the dance world, parents included.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you for your great review.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks to everyone who's been listening, subscribing, and sharing.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: And if you want to stay up to date with us, we release every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and on our website.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: So head over to Apple Podcast now and leave us an awesome review.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_03: Also, I want you guys to check out our new sponsor, Level Up Dance Supplies.
• 2:25
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• 2:42
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• 2:45
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• 2:46
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• 2:49
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• 2:53
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• 2:57
  SPEAKER_03: All right, let's get started.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_03: Today we are talking about critical feedback from your judges at competition, and we have an amazing guest here tonight.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_03: The one and only Christina Balinski is in the house.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_03: Hey girl.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: Hello, everybody.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_05: I'm so happy to be here.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: We are so happy to have you.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_03: And Christina's one of my very close friends, and I love her so much.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_03: So, Christina, tell all the podcast listeners a little bit about you, where you're from, your background, any credits you want to share, and what you're up to now.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_05: Sure, absolutely.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm originally from New Hampshire and based in New York City.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_05: I got my associate's degree in dance from Dean College and my BFA in modern dance from University of the Arts.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_05: And my career spans modern dance, concert dance, uh commercial work, theater.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_05: I've toured internationally and nationally as the dance captain and swing of the aluminum show and the Joseph Tour, and was a part of the ensemble and the first national tour of Finding Neverlands.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_05: Besides judging and performing, I am also very passionate about teaching theater jazz and love sharing and connecting students around the country with what is happening here in New York.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_05: And I also am very passionate about choreography.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_05: I've been producing a lot of my own independent concept videos and have really been enjoying diving into that.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you're a rock star.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: You're amazing.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_03: You do it all.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_05: I try.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_05: You do.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Christina really does it all.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: I've known Christina for quite some time and we started judging together probably five or six years ago.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a while.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it was a while ago.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: So we're so happy to have you here, Christina.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for sharing your time with us.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you guys.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_05: I'm so happy to be here.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: So we wanted to also mention, as usual, that the episodes for this first season of Making the Impact are based on previous hot topics from the IDA Judges blog.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: And this blog that inspired this episode was released in March 2019 and was written by our wonderful editor, Maddie Kurtz.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: It is called The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Taking Critical Feedback from Your Judges.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to check out our show notes, you'll find the link to that blog and all of our blogs for more advice about this and all of our topics.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_03: So let's get right to it.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: Let's talk about how do dancers take this feedback from us as judges.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_03: We are all three veteran judges.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_03: We judge every single weekend during the competition season.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: We've all three of us have been doing this for like how long now?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I've been judging for probably like eight years, eight or nine years.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, yeah, it's been a while.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_03: But like we haven't, we're not just like going out on like three weekends a seat in a season.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like, we are all three of us, I know personally, because I staff you guys on judging panels that we are working every single weekend all across the country.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: So this is an important topic to discuss because we are heading right into the season.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's January, so we're heading into the season, and uh, you're about to hear lots of feedback from your judges.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: So how how do we take that?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: How do we take it?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, this so you know, not only are competitions an opportunity to perform, obviously.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um but they're an opportunity to learn.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we we can only learn by hearing things that we need to do better.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's nobody does anybody any good by just saying, that's good, that's good, that's good, that's good, that's good.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's more to it than that, right?
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So, Christina, what I want to know from you is what do you suggest to dancers who are discouraged when they hear critical feedback, not only from their judges, but from their teachers, because I know you teach a lot as well.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_05: Well, first of all, I just want people to understand that it's okay to be discouraged.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_05: It's you're human.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_05: That is part of it's hard to hear sometimes when somebody points out something that you're not strong at.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_05: So I just want people to realize that first of all, it's okay to be discouraged.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_05: And dance is so personal, personal, we feel so passionate about it that it can be easy for us to feel like a personal attack.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_05: First of all, it is not at all a personal attack.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_05: When you're getting corrections, that is something an opportunity for you to grow.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_05: It is an opportunity for you to take a step forward as a dancer, and what you do with that criticism is the most important thing.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, you could get discouraged and you could let it keep getting to you and let it get you down and make you feel like you're not strong enough and that there's no future for you to dance.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_05: But that's actually the opposite of what you should do with it.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_05: You really should take those criticisms and find how you can move them forward in your class, how you can take them onto the stage.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_05: What can you use in those critiques to incorporate into your exercises that you're doing in the center of the floor?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_05: If for some reason you're not understanding exactly what the judge is saying to you and you want a little bit of help, go to your teacher, speak to your teacher, and find ways and exercises that you can do in order to really apply those so that the next time you go on stage, not only have you uh really worked hard on something to move forward and to improve as a performer, but you're also taking that opportunity to really grow and then move on from that critique so that maybe the judges can focus on another aspect of your performance and of your technique.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_03: 100% agree.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: So I absolutely agree as well.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's so important to make sure that you know you do listen to that three-minute critique and and take it upon yourself, especially if you're a soloist, to explore what is within that critique.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: And hopefully, you know, if you're going to an IDA competition, you're getting really good critiques because you've got, you know, a phenomenal panel of judges.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: I can't speak to any other competitions, but you know, within that three minutes, there's probably at least three to five really actionable steps that you can take when once you get back to the studio or speak to the teacher and say, Do you understand what she means by this?
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, do you think this means I need two X, Y, and Z?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that piece of advice is really solid.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um Exactly.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_05: And I think it's also important.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_05: I really can't emphasize enough the idea of maybe journaling your critiques, writing down what are those three points.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_05: I think three is a great number to focus on, Leslie, of looking, listening to your critique or looking at the notes and really taking three things from that that you can really work and focus on improving from one competition to the next.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, even just thinking about my days back in the competition world, I think that writing down your critiques, like you just said, is such a good idea because back when we were growing up, we got written critiques.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_03: So we had it already on a piece of paper and we could just look and see, which now the good thing about not receiving written critiques now is that we're getting so much more feedback in that three minutes on our video critiques and audio critiques.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: But it's sometimes a helpful tool, like you said, to really write it down so you can remember it.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, even as a professional dancer, when we get notes in any show that we do from our dance captain or from the choreographer, everybody has their notepad and everyone is writing down those notes because it's hard to remember all of those things.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_05: And it lets you really track what are the repeated corrections that you're getting, or if you're not hearing something that you used to hear all the time, at what point was that transition?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_05: At what point did you make that step forward and allow the judges to put their focus elsewhere?
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_05: Like I had said, maybe rather than technical things, then they can really start focusing on your artistry and diving into that and working on improving that aspect of yourself as an artist.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and the idea of writing them to another, like you said, to kind of compare in a sense, we have three judges on every panel, and that means that you have to listen to three different critiques.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: If you write down the critiques, then you can actually compare them side by side and say and see, oh, well, this judge and this judge and this judge all told me that I have to really work on getting my leg lengthened in my bot ma or whatever it was.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: You know, they all have the exact same critique.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's really helpful for dancers to see.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: And that's another thing is especially soloists, like, definitely listen to all three of your critiques.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_03: Some people are like, oh, I don't have time.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_03: I don't have time to listen to all three of these.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just gonna listen to the one that I feel like.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: But hearing it three times from this from three different opinions and three different educators is really a helpful tool, I think.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, absolutely.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_05: I when I was a competitor, because I was a competitor in dance from the age of four.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_05: I did my first tap soul.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: I know Christina tapping.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_05: Oh I'm a little teapot.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_05: And so what my teacher used to have me do is we would sit down and I would listen to all three critiques, and then she would actually have me do my dance to the critiques.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_05: So then I would go through my dance those three times, and I would perform my solo to those critiques, and then we could really feel and hear in connection simultaneously what I what that transition was maybe that they were talking about, or what that m accent was that they were really looking for.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_05: And of course, you know, now this the kids have the benefit of the video, and but it's I think it's a whole different ballgame when you're actually feeling it in your body rather than watching yourself doing that.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_05: I feel like it's really important to do your homework once you've left these competitions so that you can get the most out of your critiques and get the most growth out of them.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: I was just thinking as you were saying that, I was remembering back and I want to hear some of you just had a little personal anecdote, so I'm gonna throw one of mine in too.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yay.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um great.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I was I, if anybody knows me, I'm a huge technician.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: I really care about technique.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: And in college, that was almost to a detriment because I was lacking in my performance skills, especially in ballet, because I just really wanted to get it right.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was in ballet class senior year, in like the highest level ballet class there was at school.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm, you know, I'm at the bar and I'm I just I never got any feedback from this one teacher.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: She just ignored me completely.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm a person who wants feedback, like I want you to take me apart, tell me what I'm doing wrong, give me some feedback.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I finally got so frustrated.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: I I went up to her one day and I was just like, Veronica, you know, what I you just never talk to me in class.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like, is there anything I can do?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: And she was just like, I mean, you work so hard on your technique.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: I was just gonna leave you alone.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: But like the unlike and like that was a compliment, but at the same time, I feel like it's more of a compliment to be given critical feedback.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I would rather you not ignore me because I'm doing well.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like, give me something.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that's that's a point of view that I think a lot of dancers who do get discouraged easily need to remember that you know, if I'm paying attention to you, if I'm giving you something to work on, that means I care.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: That means I noticed you, that means I want you to do better.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and and like that, she was actually a wonderful teacher.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: And and really her only critique of me was that I needed to smile while I was doing my plie.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: But um, which I was like exactly like she does she always taught told us to sparkle.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I had to sparkle in Veronica's class was really the only feedback I ever got from her.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, you I think that's important for like, like I said, the the kids who get a little bit defeated at being quote unquote picked on, like if they think of it that way, of course you're gonna feel defeated.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: But if you feel honored that somebody's taken the time to say, you know, really stretch your leg through that botma, really point your foot all the way through the metatarsals, like, thank you.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know?
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that's you make uh you make such a brilliant point.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_05: And the way that we have to just think as dancers entirely is the honor and the the great opportunity that is given to you within a critique and within a criticism, and especially once you get to that professional level, it's almost like you're begging for someone to give you critiques because they're just so much farther and fewer between that you really have to get to the point of taking it upon yourself to be able to kind of critique yourself and work on things that you can improve.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_05: You no longer have that panel in front of you to tell you, you know, what aspects of your performance you can work on.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_05: So I think that's what is the foundation of all of it is to really make sure that you get to a healthy spot and being able to hear those critiques and think of it as a really positive thing because that's what we're there for.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_05: We're there for to help you improve, we're there to help you grow as a performer and as a dancer.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_05: We are in no way there to try to make you feel any less than or to bring down your self-confidence.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_05: We're really there to try to help you grow on your journey as an artist.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like you were saying, Christina, you know, we're three people.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: Every every event, you know, three to four judges.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes, like Courtney said, you're gonna hear the same thing from each one because maybe this panel is made up of people who have the same background, you you don't know, like sometimes it's staffed that way, um, and who are truly looking for the same things.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: But sometimes you really have a very varied, a very varied panel.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, one judge is scoring you really high, one judge is scoring you low, or you go to one competition and you're like, boom, first place, platinum, and the next competition, same solo, high gold, or whatever the you know, level is.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: And that can be really confusing.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I I've heard this from many people, I've seen it happen.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so, kind of an honest question just from people who do this for a living and posing it out to the audience, you know, what what kind of advice can we give these dancers who are like, Well, what happened last weekend I got a platinum and this weekend I got a high gold?
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: What is all this feedback?
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so confused.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_05: Uh, well, my mom always used to say to me every weekend that it's a different set of judges with a different set of opinions on any given day, because that used to happen to me in my studio where one weekend one person would score higher in the overalls than the other.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_05: Uh so and you have to remember that dance is it's an art.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_05: Of course, we can talk to you about your technique and your performance quality, but in the end, it everybody has their opinion.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_05: So I think it's important to first of all take your focus away from necessarily the score and from your placement, and really take that as an opportunity to hear what if you're getting all of these different results, hear what these different judges have to say, and and really take the time to hear a person an opportunity from say someone who was a hip-hop, more focused person telling you about your ballet technique.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_05: I'm sure that they probably have some great advice to you about your musicality.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_05: And so really taking that opportunity to hear all these different opinions and just remember that it's not always the score that is the most important, but actually what you can take away from these weekends and how you can apply to your growth not only as a performer, but also as a person, and you know, realizing that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and and that's just kind of how the cookie crumples, and that's how life is.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_05: Nothing isn't success, isn't always an a straight uphill battle.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_05: It's there's ups and downs.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_05: So I I just feel like it's a great opportunity for people to kind of grow a thicker skin.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_05: I think that that's important to have in this industry to you know have your moments that you really get to shine in order for your confidence to grow and to feel like you have potential.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_05: But I think it's also important to get knocked down a little bit sometimes and to feel a little bit disappointed and know that you can always work harder and you can always grow and there's always room for improvement.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think that is, you know, one of those things that our generation, you know, we we lived through it, we learned it, we learned how to be disappointed because you know, there was first, second, third, the end.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: That's all.
• 18:45
  unknown: Exactly.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_05: Honorable mention if you were lucky, like if you were lucky.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe you got an honorable mention.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, I think these days, with the way the competition industry is and the way many industries are, and understandably so, because I, you know, we get it, this is a business.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: You want people to come back, you want people to be happy, you want them to, you know, want to revisit you again.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_05: So yes, everybody want people to leave with the warm fuzzies.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: And like, and I think you can still do that, and but also which is why I think what we do as judges is so important, because yes, everybody is getting a trophy at the majority of the events that we work.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: However, what you're really getting is the feedback and what you can work on.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, if your feedback is, like you said, not so great in one area, like, okay, step back, take it, or leave it.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: Because like we've said a couple times now on this podcast, it's it's opinions, you know, other than you know, the the facts of ballet and the facts of tap, you know, sounds are made in a certain way, in a certain step, no matter where you are in the country, no matter where you are in the world, a shuffle is a shuffle is a shuffle is a shuffle.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: So you can't dispute the facts, but the the opinions about the way you're doing it or you know how it's being executed, you know, those you can either say that benefits me or that does not.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_05: Exactly.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_05: And it's you know, it's just that's just part of it being an art form, is that some people are really going to enjoy maybe a piece that's a little bit out of the box, and maybe at one competition you have a set of judges who are all really interested in choreography and maybe have a postmodern dance background, and then you go to another competition, and maybe the panel is a little bit more commercial, they're not quite used to understanding maybe the underlying story or the subtext of the story of your piece, and maybe it just doesn't hit with them, it's not it doesn't land, and and that's okay, that's that's part of it.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it's I I love the idea of different styles of dance kind of being like an outfit that you try on.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you can always try it on and see how it feels, but if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work, and that can be how it is for those judges sitting there that maybe what they're seeing and it it's not connecting with them in a way that another panel will.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_05: And that's why it is so important to just keep going and to be exposed to as many different panels and different competitions and different settings as possible, just so that you can really become a well-rounded performer and really get as many inputs and opinions as possible to help you in your growth.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and one of the things that I think would be helpful to share, especially to all the listeners out there and to all of the dancers who compete, and we talked about a little minute ago about how sometimes you might score higher at one event than the next.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_03: And that doesn't mean that you're going backwards in your training or backwards in your execution or anything.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: And it doesn't even mean that you had an off day.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_03: You know, maybe that was the best time you ever did your solo, and then you got a lower adjudication than you did at the previous event, and you're like, How is this possible?
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_03: And something as far as scoring that I think is helpful to hear is that, and and this applies in the real world as well, that you never know who's gonna be at your event.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: And Um, who shows up, you know, the talent level might be completely different than the event where you got first overall.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, you then you go to the next event and there's crazy talent at your level or even better.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_03: And that's automatically, it could change your placement.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_03: And it it really just comes down to who shows up that day, honestly.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: That's the same thing as when we all go to a professional audition.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_03: You kind of look around, you look around the room and you're like, ooh, that girl's good.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_03: That's my competition right there.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I might not get this job today because that girl showed up, you know, or whoever it is.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_03: So it it really, it really is a lot about that.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, of course, we're we're judging what's in front of us.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_03: And like another thing that's helpful to hear is that every competition, unless you're like within, you know, an umbrella of a sister company or something like that, but like all the competition scoring guidelines and their ranges for their scoring brackets are also different.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_03: So even though the award might sound like it's the same award, like a high gold versus a high gold, but at these two different competitions, the range of that number spread is so different.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: So it you know, it that's kind of hard for parents to really understand because the kids probably know that and the teachers probably know that, but like the parents in the audience sitting listening to awards, they're like, wait, what?
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: How did they get a high gold when they got this before?
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, actually, this might have been a good this is a good thing, you know, you never know.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: So it's exactly it's a lot of things to follow at competition.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_05: And not only is the the scoring racket, uh, racket, excuse me, uh varied, it also different competitions put different weight on different things.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_05: So some competitions put more weight on your appearance, and other competitions don't even put that into factor, they focus on just technique and your stage presence.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_05: So it really that also can really affect how the score comes out because if we're you know putting together those scores with the different brackets and how they're weighted, you know, the score comes out how it comes out, depending on that bracket.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_05: And like you said, it's really important to maybe as a dancer, you know, take that time to do that research and look at where the judges were scoring you higher or lower within those brackets.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: And it's I think it's even in most programs the the point values, not of each category, but like just the high gold is X to X.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Gold is X to X.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like you can at least find the basic scoring rubric so that you can understand, okay, well, I went to this competition this weekend, their scoring rubric rubric looks like this.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then the next weekend, maybe they're two points different.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, maybe their highest award spread is only four points, whereas last weekend's that highest award is six points.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it makes a huge difference.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's a huge difference.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: And that that is one of those things that I think, you know, it it does feel like a mystery and and it's not meant to be that way, it just is kind of so you know there's just so many variables.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: It it it makes it hard for us too sometimes, you know, working for different competitions because everybody is so different, you have to really focus on where you are that weekend and judge accordingly and follow their rules, basically.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, so that's kind of something that I feel like that teachers and I mean actually dancers, just remember that it really depends on who shows up and honestly what the score is.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it really comes back down to that competition is important for the critiques.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_03: A score is a score.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_03: If you place, you place great, amazing, awesome.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's kind of a generalized ranking, but at the end, you're gonna have that amazing feedback.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_03: Hopefully, it's amazing.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_03: I hope that it's great.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: I hope that you're getting quality critiques at your competitions that you attend.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: And that's gonna be in-depth and give you something to go home and work on.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's the ultimate goal of competition, is so that we can go back home and improve and with the judge's feedback.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_05: Exactly.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_05: Exactly.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_05: That we really use it as an opportunity to be a growing and a learning experience rather than a comparison, self-doubt experience.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_05: I really want people to realize that competition is such a good opportunity to grow.
• 26:07
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• 26:11
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• 26:16
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• 26:19
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• 26:22
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• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've all judged those dancers who you just watch and you're like trying to find something to say, but they're so good and there there isn't, except for you know, praise.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's it's a joy, it's a joy to watch those dancers because it's like, oh, I can just take a breath and just watch this like great technique, wonderful execution, beautiful storytelling, confidence.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah, it's amazing to watch that, but you do sort of wonder like, does that child ever have anything to work on?
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: So and I know that there's dancers out there who probably get critiques back that have maybe one thing in them because of the nature of who they are.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: For those, you know, for that one percent of dancers out there that get those just you know 100% critiques, how do we help them from just sort of being complacent?
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so first of all, just take it as a compliment.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_05: Feel proud of that accomplishment that you have a panel of professional dancers and performers who are you know established in this industry who think highly of you, what an honor.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_05: And then I also I I want dancers to really take that opportunity when you're at that level to start watching your video and envisioning how you can push yourself to go farther.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_05: How can you really play with your phrasing?
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_05: How can you really dive into telling the story with even more sincerity or honesty?
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_05: Or maybe taking the opportunity that next time when you perform this piece, you maybe play a little bit with your subtleties or play with moments that you can make bigger, or you know, sustain something a little bit longer that maybe you hadn't before.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_05: I just think it's a really good opportunity to really then stop relying on the judges or outside sources and start building that skill of being able to push yourself internally and just taking yourself to the next level and really using those videos as tools for you to grow.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think that's such great advice because I mean, of course, when we were younger, we definitely had videos.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_03: You could buy the videos at competition, it cost a lot of money, and now you get you know a video critique that's included.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_03: So that's amazing.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: And watch the judge's feedback with the commentary as you watch your video.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like we did not have that when all of us were growing up.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_03: But even so, filming yourself in rehearsal, everybody has their phone, everybody has a video camera on their hands at all times with their iPhones and everything.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_03: So you can always learn from watching a video.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's that's so extremely helpful.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: I think that advice is wonderful.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: I wish I could have utilized that more often when I was young because it's definitely a helpful tool.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_05: It would have been so helpful.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's so different from watching yourself in the mirror.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's a completely different perspective, and it's helpful because like you know, thank goodness for the mirror, but it is.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: And you don't get to, you you know, we didn't get to watch our video until recital.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Most of the time.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, my mother wasn't buying anybody's competition videos.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_01: No, you don't get a video, you get to watch your video at recital.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_03: Like we would buy my like solos every if if I felt like it was like a good time and performance.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: You know, so and and that's really it.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, like you said, you don't get to watch your videos until you have no idea what these crazy dances look like until comp recital.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_01: And you're like, and then we wait the four weeks or whatever it is for the thing to get processed.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_01: Oh gosh, yeah to get the VHS.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: The VHS back and stick it in there and so such good old days, guys.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, the stacks of cassette tapes that are probably still in my basement and my critiques.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure I still have a few too.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm I was just thinking back on the this topic and how there are those dancers that just kind of blow us away.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I there have been many times when I'm sitting on a panel and I'm just so captivated by this dancer.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: And like you said, I I'm speechless.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_03: I don't have anything to say.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_03: I've been that way with soloists, I've been that way with groups.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, watching that happen, I I just won't I usually tell the teacher, I'm so sorry that I I'm not saying anything.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just loving everything that's happening.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_03: It's absolutely beautiful.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_03: You are gorgeous.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just taking this all in right now.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_03: And that's okay.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_03: You know, our goal, we want honestly, there have been times where I am trying to find something to say.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_05: You're like watching people speak in their transitions.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_05: You're like, are you turning out in your transitions?
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_03: You're like, yes, like dang her hip is turned out.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_03: Good for you.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_03: But like the other, the the flip side of that is that that is a smart teacher right there.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_03: Because that teacher is is putting what this dancer is best at and excels and shows them their best on the stage where we don't, we literally can't say anything.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm sure that if that dancer walked out and did a different style of dance that's not their element and not their, you know, specialty, I probably have a million things to say on their critique.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_03: But this teacher was like, I'm gonna put the best of you on the stage, and literally the judges aren't gonna have anything to say, and it's the truth.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_03: So this does happen very often, and I think it's helpful for dancers and teachers and choreographers to hear that is that I mean, of course, we want to give you critiques, that's our goal, but like in a perfect world, you should just sit back and enjoy it.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: You've done your job.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_04: You should be in awe speechless.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think to that end too, I mean, like you were saying earlier, Christina, you know, starting to really go in depth in yourself and like how can I self-critique?
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: This is right, you know, once if you start using a solo and you're let's say you have five competitions and you the first three you've gotten top overall, you know, placing.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: Change something.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: Take a risk and change something.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: If that means, okay, well, this turn used to be on the right, but now I'm gonna do it on the left.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: Do something different that is a taking a risk and is challenging you even within that same number, because you know, i I'm sure like this was never me, but I, you know, it's gotta get old to just hear the same, like, good job, you're so beautiful, great, keep up the good work.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, that's really nice a couple of times, but when you just probably truly want something to work on and have nothing given to you, like you have to work to give that to yourself.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: So if that means, okay, I'm gonna change the way this phrase faces, or I'm gonna turn on a different foot, or I'm gonna use that extension and like you said, elongate it or hold it, sustain it a little bit longer.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think the the element of taking a risk in a situation like that is is probably also really helpful.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, just take it as an opportunity to play.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_05: You know, there's now it's like you're at that level of artistry where you can really captivate the audience.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_05: Now just play with it and and push your push those boundaries, push even harder.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_05: I just always think there's there's room to grow, always.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_05: You can always strive to challenge yourself even more.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: I want to ask one tiny little question and see if you have anything.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this is a fun question.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: So imagine yourself it's it's the end of the season, it's Sunday afternoon, it's five o'clock, you're competing until there you have another four hours to judge, and you're in the middle of contemporary solo number 492.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: At that point in the day, has there ever been a time where you have been just giving a critique and you sit back and you're like, oh dear, that was that was a little harsh.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: All the time.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think, ladies and gentlemen of the audience, you know, our job is difficult.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: We want you to know that.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like we love our job as judges, we have a great time doing it, we do care, like we've said, multiple times, but it does get, you know, it it gets challenging, it gets difficult, and we're human.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: So is there anything you'd like to redeem yourself for, Christina from the past?
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_05: I I can't think of a particular instance, but I do know that sometimes in those moments, especially if this is the third time that I'm seeing you on stage, uh sometimes what happens is then we get into that moment, or especially, oh, if it's Sunday at five o'clock, I've probably seen you in 20 other dances as well.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_05: So I already kind of know what are those talking points with you.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_05: So I I I want you to maybe if you're hearing a critique, also take a moment to look at where you were in your schedule as far as because I really do try to build upon if it's someone's solo and I've seen them prior.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_05: I do try to allow my critiques to build upon what may have previously been said.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_05: And I also know that sometimes I speak fast, but it's truly out of passion because I'll like rapid fire.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_05: You want to get it all out.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_05: I just want to get it all out.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_05: Uh but I don't, I can't really think of any instance in particular that I maybe feel embarrassed about.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_05: But I do know that I feel like what could be directness could possibly come off to dancers as maybe harsh, and that's not it, especially when it's you know, your third or fourth, maybe even solo, and we feel like we know you at this point as a performer, right?
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_05: But it's just kind of driving that, it's driving the message home at that point of really making sure that you're hearing what we've said in these previous pieces and realizing that you know, whatever these things are, they're connecting through in all of your styles of dance that you're doing.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, just take it with a grain of salt.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_05: If if a dancer, if a judge seems a little off and you know, a little upset, realize that that's how it is in the real world.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_05: Sometimes you're in a rehearsal with a choreographer who's burnt out or frustrated, and you know, you just have to learn how to handle kind of all of those personalities and finding a way to continue on with your chin up and really being able to move forward.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think the tip of you know, if you're listening back to your critiques and you've had a, you know, if it's a five or six hundred number weekend and you had, you know, 20 dances, you know, take a second and and do.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: Remember where you were, what time of day where you were, just to put that in your mind of like, okay, well, she's seen me four times.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_01: Because I do the same thing, Christina.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: I I try to hearken back if I can, if I remember.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_01: And especially like you said, if I'm like, oh, I know this person's movement patterns, I know that PK arabesque is gonna be off her center or whatever every time she does it.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I will say something like, you know, I I remember seeing your jazz piece earlier and you did the same step, and I'm gonna say this again.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like, depending on what order you listen to it in, you know, you'll you'll hear what we're talking about.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe that's a good idea.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe the teacher should listen in sequential order of when they were performed.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I don't know if that's even possible, but it could be helpful to kind of hear the progression of us throughout the weekend.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_05: I think that would be really smart.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_05: No, because then I, you know, then those building points would just make so much more sense, I think, to the dancer.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_03: I have something that I'm sure every all of us can relate to, and I'm probably going to discuss this on our next podcast episode about costumes as well.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_03: But I'm never really nice when somebody comes out with one shoe on.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_03: I'm never nice about that.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_03: And I will be that's the very first thing that I see, and I notice it, and I will I will absolutely tell them in a in a in a polite way, but I'm like, hey, make sure that you wear two shoes when you come on stage.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_03: This costume's too beautiful to not have two shoes on.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_03: And uh funny example, actually, there was a a dancer who I saw three times in one season.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_03: And in one season?
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_03: Three different competitions.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, okay.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_03: I was judging.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_03: All in the same region, but this dancer happened to travel around and things.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_03: So I saw the dancer come out with one shoe, and I was like, all right, you're super fierce, you're amazing, you're a great dancer, but you cannot wear one shoe on stage.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's you just can't.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_03: So make sure you look down, make sure you have two shoes on.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, teacher, make sure that if you're letting her go out on stage with two with one shoe on, make sure she wears two next time, like the end.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: That was time number one.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_03: Here she comes again, and guess what?
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_03: One shoe.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I I let her have it on the mic because she probably wasn't expecting to see me again.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know, you know, she heard my critique.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, how I and I was I say it because we're trying to help you, you know, and exactly, and that's what the the overall message always is is no matter what or how, it's because we care and we genuinely really want to help you.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and and our knowledge and our background say two shoes or no shoes, but two shoes.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_03: So, like every teacher I think knows that too.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that sometimes it's the dancers saying that they don't need two shoes and and whatever.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_03: But this, you know, and this dancer was young and great.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_03: So I was just like, I have to take off points for your costume because you didn't listen to me the first time.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_03: Hold on, third time.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: Third time, two shoes, third shoes.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like the next time, also one shoe.
• 39:43
  unknown: Yeah.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my goodness.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_05: I can't feel like I I feel like I'm a little, I I will say that I'm probably a little bit um less patient when I'm watching a piece that feels inappropriate.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_05: That is definitely the one moment where I I feel like I'm a little bit shorter and a little bit more direct in the way that I'm explaining why I feel the way that I feel in watching that piece and what I would do to improve that.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_05: I feel like that is the one moment when I might sound a little heated.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_03: I think that another like time for me that I know, and like we kind of talked about it's like day five.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_03: I I get frustrated in in my own way because I see you come out and do the same, like, you know, technical habit that you might have, or I see a lot of studio habits when I'm judging.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I'm I'm saying it over and over again, and like by the end of the day, I'm kind of like, Why haven't you fixed the habit?
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_03: And then I'm like, Oh yeah, you haven't heard my critiques yet.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_03: I feel the same way.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_03: So exactly.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_05: So, you know, you just get frustrated.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_05: But yeah, it's it can be interesting to have to say those things repetitively and to try to, you know, maybe take the opportunity for us as judges to also find different ways to explain the same things definitely in a different manner.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_01: Wonderful.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_01: Christina, we so appreciate your time tonight.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_01: You have given us so much wonderful insight about how to take critical feedback from judges and to be able to take that home and work on it at the studio.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_01: So just thank you so much for for being with us.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_05: It is such an honor, you guys.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_05: And I just I really I think what's why I care so much about this and why I'm so passionate about it is because I was a competition kid myself and I was such a little hungry sponge and wanted to hear every critique and get as much out of it as I could when I was younger, and still to this day, I feel like I'm still quite a bit of a dance nerd.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_05: And so I just realized the value in, you know, really being present as a judge and really giving the best amount of advice and help in the dancers training as possible, while also, you know, remembering at the same time back to what it was like being on that stage and getting to hear those critiques and be a part of the process and getting to meet all these friends who I've also heard you guys talk about on the podcast before that you see over and over and over again throughout your life.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_05: It's just the dance competition world is such a magical stepping stone for dancers in the into the professional field.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_03: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about taking critical feedback.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_03: Shout out to our special guest Christina.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_03: Follow Christina on Instagram at Christina Balinski.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a question you've been dying to ask a judge?
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: Now's your chance to send us your questions.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_01: We might answer them on the show and give you a shout out.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_01: Submit your questions to us on our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com slash podcast.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_03: A quick word from one of our IDA affiliated competitions and sponsors.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_03: Just Dance Invitational is a new kind of dance competition, and they invite you to join them at one of their events.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: Rather than trophies, Just Dance Invitational finds more value in providing complimentary workshop classes and awarding dancers with cash scholarships to be used towards college tuition and intensive programs.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_03: Their ultimate vision is to create a positive space to inspire, motivate, and invest in the future of our dancers.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_03: By supporting these young artists, Just Dance Invitational aims to empower dancers to take over the world.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_03: Head to their website now to check out upcoming tour dates for their 2020 season at JustDanceInvitational.com.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_03: If you liked what you heard on today's episode and want more, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_03: The more positive reviews we get, the more great content we can bring to you all about things dance competition.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_03: Head over to Apple Podcasts now to rate us and leave us a review.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_01: Coming up in the next few weeks, we've got some exciting topics, including costuming, tap, competition kindness, plus the January edition of QA with Courtney.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify and tune in every Monday for new episodes.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_01: As always, we're so glad you joined us for this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for tuning in.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: Till next time.