Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Q&A Live at Diva Dance Competition Nationals - Summer Bonus Episode!

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Q&A Live at Diva Dance Competition Nationals - Summer Bonus Episode! · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:11
SPEAKER_16: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:57
SPEAKER_04: Connecting with New Dancers, and they all asked some fantastic questions.
1:02
SPEAKER_04: This week's episode is coming New Live from the Sea of the Dance Competition's 10 year anniversary nationals, which was held in Cambridge, Maryland in July.
1:09
SPEAKER_04: Shout out to our special guest ID judges with Christina, Julie, Lauren, and Eddie, who joined us on the panel for this episode to answer all of the audience's questions.
1:18
SPEAKER_04: We hope you enjoyed this summer exclusive.
1:20
SPEAKER_04: And we'll see you in season four.
1:27
SPEAKER_04: Hi everyone.
1:31
SPEAKER_04: We're live from Diva Dance Competition Nationals right now.
1:35
SPEAKER_04: Yeah! And this is their 10th anniversary, Nationals, which is so exciting.
1:41
SPEAKER_04: This is also my fabulous co-host, Leslie Mueller, alongside me.
1:45
SPEAKER_04: And we have our awesome panel of IDA judges here as well that are gonna answer some questions for y'all.
1:51
SPEAKER_04: And hopefully, maybe you have some questions prepared for us.
1:55
SPEAKER_04: Maybe you don't.
1:56
SPEAKER_04: Maybe we have to get warmed up a little bit and then we'll have some questions getting answered.
2:01
SPEAKER_04: But we're really excited to be here.
2:02
SPEAKER_04: We're really grateful for Diva Dance Competition for hosting us at their nationals event.
2:07
SPEAKER_04: And our podcast is called Making the Impact.
2:10
SPEAKER_04: Maybe you've listened, maybe you haven't.
2:12
SPEAKER_04: If you haven't, start listening.
2:14
SPEAKER_04: If you have, hope you love it, hope you enjoy it.
2:17
SPEAKER_04: We're about to kick off into our fourth season this September 1st, which is super exciting.
2:22
SPEAKER_04: We have over 100 episodes talking about every topic possible in the dance competition world.
2:27
SPEAKER_04: So if you love dance and want to learn more, you can listen to all of our podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
2:34
SPEAKER_04: Sound good?
2:35
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it does.
2:37
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
2:38
SPEAKER_04: It sounds good.
2:39
SPEAKER_04: And who's joining us today in the audience?
2:42
SPEAKER_04: Where are y'all from?
2:44
unknown: Connecticut.
2:44
SPEAKER_04: Connecticut.
2:46
SPEAKER_04: Connecticut.
2:47
SPEAKER_04: Oh, we're really going for Connecticut.
2:49
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
2:50
SPEAKER_04: Where where else are we from?
2:53
SPEAKER_04: No.
2:55
SPEAKER_04: Marylanders?
2:56
SPEAKER_04: We have two Marylanders up here as well.
2:59
SPEAKER_04: Hey, Julie and I'm Marylanders, born and raised, but we don't live in Maryland anymore.
3:04
SPEAKER_04: But you know, we grew up in Maryland.
3:06
SPEAKER_04: So yay from Maryland, go Ravens, right?
3:09
SPEAKER_04: Okay, just checking.
3:11
SPEAKER_04: Maybe they're like, uh no, we're not Ravens fans.
3:15
SPEAKER_04: Anywhere else?
3:16
SPEAKER_04: Any just Connecticut and Maryland in the house?
3:19
SPEAKER_04: All right, sweet.
3:20
SPEAKER_04: I was I was expecting some Massachusetts or you know, but no one Massachusetts yet.
3:25
SPEAKER_16: They're at the pool because it's been cold in Massachusetts.
3:27
SPEAKER_16: Oh, so they're enjoying the warm weather.
3:30
SPEAKER_04: Got it.
3:31
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
3:31
SPEAKER_04: And they should be because you dance all day, go in the pool at night.
3:35
SPEAKER_04: It's beautiful.
3:35
SPEAKER_04: This resort is absolutely stunning.
3:37
SPEAKER_04: And I hope everyone's having such a great time at National so far.
3:40
SPEAKER_04: You're only halfway through and two more days, right?
3:44
SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
3:44
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
3:45
SPEAKER_04: Well, thanks so much for joining everybody.
3:48
SPEAKER_16: So, in case y'all don't know, Making the Impact lives under the umbrella of a company called Impact Dance Adjudicators, which is Courtney's company.
3:55
SPEAKER_16: It staffs judges for dance competitions.
3:58
SPEAKER_16: Diva Dance Competition is one of our very original founding members, founding competitions that uses exclusively IDA judges.
4:06
SPEAKER_16: So all the amazing feedback y'all are getting this week are from these lovely people here on the panel, myself included, sometimes, who are part of Impact Dance Adjudicators.
4:14
SPEAKER_16: We are all pre-screened for excellent critiques, delivered in a positive way.
4:19
SPEAKER_16: We are background checked.
4:20
SPEAKER_16: And Courtney's company, IDA, is the only company in the country that does this.
4:24
SPEAKER_16: So her idea with this company was not only to provide amazing critiques at competitions, but to also sort of service the industry at large, which is how she came up with the idea for the podcast.
4:36
SPEAKER_16: Because in a regular competition, not even with Diva, where you do hear directly from your judges at other competitions, you get three minutes.
4:43
SPEAKER_16: We as judges only get three minutes to give you feedback, to give you information.
4:47
SPEAKER_16: And honestly, that's really never enough time.
4:49
SPEAKER_16: You know, like we always have something more to say.
4:51
SPEAKER_16: There's always something else that we could really hone in on.
4:53
SPEAKER_16: So the podcast exists as a way for dancers all over the world to gain more information from professionals in the industry.
5:01
SPEAKER_16: We provide this for free.
5:02
SPEAKER_16: It is three seasons and running on hopefully we continue for a very long time.
5:07
SPEAKER_16: But there's over a hundred episodes of really valuable content, not only for dancers, but for educators, other judges, other dance professionals, dance parents, dance parents.
5:15
SPEAKER_16: Uh we have a very large uh following in our Facebook group of dance parents who really appreciate what we offer and we offer it for free.
5:22
SPEAKER_16: So this season we have implemented a new donation-based service called Kofi.
5:28
SPEAKER_16: It looks like coffee, but it's Kofi.
5:30
SPEAKER_16: And you can donate as little as 50 cents.
5:32
SPEAKER_16: We've had as much as$50 be donated, just as a thank you to us for what we've been doing.
5:37
SPEAKER_16: And we've been so grateful for the support in that way.
5:40
SPEAKER_16: This helps pay for our editor, Usama, who makes our episodes sound amazing.
5:45
SPEAKER_16: This pays for the equipment.
5:46
SPEAKER_16: This pays for everything that we use to produce these episodes.
5:49
SPEAKER_16: And live events like this.
5:51
SPEAKER_16: And live events like this.
5:52
SPEAKER_16: We just came from uh Spirit of Dance Awards, which some of you guys might attend as well if you're from the New England area.
5:57
SPEAKER_16: We did a live event on Sunday up there at Their Nationals, and it went really well.
6:01
SPEAKER_16: So we're hoping this one it's already going very well as well.
6:03
SPEAKER_04: So many wells.
6:04
SPEAKER_16: We're nailing it.
6:05
SPEAKER_16: Nailing it.
6:06
SPEAKER_16: But anyway, on your little card with your information today, there is a QR code if you would like to donate.
6:11
SPEAKER_16: If you are unable to donate at this time, we still love you.
6:14
SPEAKER_16: What you can do for us for free is write us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.
6:18
SPEAKER_16: You can leave us a five-star rating, and that really does help get the word out truly around the world.
6:23
SPEAKER_16: We have listeners from Australia and Ireland and uh China and Canada and all kinds of places.
6:29
SPEAKER_16: So just getting the word out is always very helpful as well.
6:32
SPEAKER_16: So we thank you for your support.
6:34
SPEAKER_04: Yay! All right, let's jump on into this QA, y'all.
6:37
SPEAKER_04: So, how this is gonna work is if anyone from the audience has a question that you want to have answered by this lovely panel of professionals and IDA judges up here, then you can grab a mic, which do we have a mic in the oh, we have a mic out there.
6:52
SPEAKER_04: Who's in the house with the mic?
6:53
SPEAKER_04: Kim has a Kim has a mic for y'all.
6:56
SPEAKER_04: You will grab the mic and ask a question straight to us.
6:59
SPEAKER_04: And the reason that we need you to do it on the mic is so we can hear your voice on the podcast later.
7:04
SPEAKER_04: And when you do ask a question, we'd love to know what your name is.
7:07
SPEAKER_04: We'd love to know if you're a dancer or a dance parent or a dance teacher.
7:12
SPEAKER_04: And you can also give your studio a shout out if you wanna represent the studio.
7:17
SPEAKER_04: So offhand, does anybody have a question in the audience?
7:21
SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh, we do.
7:22
SPEAKER_04: Let's go.
7:23
SPEAKER_04: Who whoever wants to go first?
7:25
SPEAKER_05: Hi, I'm Madeline Hall from Asian Short Dance Academy.
7:29
SPEAKER_05: And I have a question for like all the judges.
7:32
SPEAKER_05: What really like started the beginning of your dance or like dance career?
7:35
SPEAKER_05: Like when did you start?
7:36
SPEAKER_05: Like from young age, kind of thing?
7:38
SPEAKER_04: The early stages, the beginning of our like before we were professionals, like when we were your age.
7:44
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
7:44
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
7:45
SPEAKER_04: Anybody want to start?
7:46
SPEAKER_04: Kick things off.
7:47
SPEAKER_18: Hello, Maddie.
7:48
SPEAKER_18: Again for the many time today.
7:51
SPEAKER_18: So my my journey started, I was three.
7:54
SPEAKER_18: My mom was a dance teacher.
7:55
SPEAKER_18: So uh she taught at the studio that I attended, and she put me in classes from like two and a half to three.
8:01
SPEAKER_18: And I just started started from there.
8:03
SPEAKER_18: Uh we I was on a competition team starting at about the age of six.
8:08
SPEAKER_18: And we I went through the same process as you guys.
8:10
SPEAKER_18: Uh actually, Courtney and I danced together at our studio.
8:14
SPEAKER_18: And we uh grew up competing.
8:16
SPEAKER_18: We would do, I guess, four to five regionals and a nationals every single year from like what age six to when we graduated basically.
8:25
SPEAKER_18: And then right after that is when I went to college.
8:28
SPEAKER_18: I went to Records University, was on the dance team there.
8:31
SPEAKER_18: I was gonna major in dance, but then I decided to get a gre a degree in something else, but keep up my dancing through um the dance team.
8:37
SPEAKER_18: And then from there I booked my first professional job about a year later and um danced professionally, doing tours and stuff for about 10 years after that.
8:45
SPEAKER_18: So and then I started judging probably about 10 years ago.
8:49
SPEAKER_18: So yeah, I'll just pass it on down, I guess.
8:51
SPEAKER_11: Yeah, they have a mic.
8:52
unknown: Go for it.
8:52
SPEAKER_11: Go for it.
8:53
SPEAKER_11: Um, yeah, very similar.
8:55
SPEAKER_11: I grew up, I started dancing, I think when I was three, but I first competed when I was four, which is just unbelievable.
9:02
SPEAKER_11: I can't imagine a four-year-old competing, but I did.
9:05
SPEAKER_11: I loved the stage.
9:06
SPEAKER_11: I immediately fell in love with dance.
9:07
SPEAKER_11: It's too funny because my first two years of dance, I um first two weeks, I guess, of dance, I sat and cried the whole time.
9:13
SPEAKER_11: And then after that, it was I was, I guess, in love with it.
9:16
SPEAKER_11: I don't know.
9:16
SPEAKER_11: But yeah, I grew up competing as well.
9:18
SPEAKER_11: I grew up, you know, going to some different ballet intensives.
9:22
SPEAKER_11: I went to the Rock School of Ballet, Vermont Chamber Ballet.
9:25
SPEAKER_11: I grew up in more uh ballet-intensive uh studio.
9:28
SPEAKER_11: And then from there, I went to Dean College for two years.
9:32
SPEAKER_11: Uh got my associate's degree there and went to and transferred to University of the Arts in Philadelphia and majored in modern dance.
9:38
SPEAKER_11: And my first job uh after that was performing the works of Doris Humphrey at the yard.
9:43
SPEAKER_11: And so my career has gone very up, down, all around as far as being able to do professional ballet work with um Boston Dance Company, being able to do some modern dance work.
9:53
SPEAKER_11: I've toured um Broadway National Tours and then as well as TV and films.
9:57
SPEAKER_11: So it's really been a crazy, amazing, all-around getting to experience life as a professional dancer.
10:02
SPEAKER_11: And then, of course, judging, I just I always fell in love with the competition scene and always um admired the judges and being able to be on the other side and getting to make a difference for all of you and help you all on your growth is just an absolute gift.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: I have a much different story being a guy in dance, and I grew up in Dallas, Texas.
10:24
SPEAKER_00: So I was in gymnastics for a very, very long time and I could always dance, and I found musical theater at seventh in seventh grade.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: And so I always had a little bit of dance in me.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: I moved to New York City because I had a dream for Broadway at 17, and uh I was cast in my first professional gig with an amazing choreographer, Barry Lather, and another amazing choreographer, Helene Phillips, as a dancer.
10:53
SPEAKER_00: And I had never really danced, but I was able to make it through the audition, and I got through the audition, and they called me up and they said, Okay, you're gonna be one of the dancers.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: And I thought to myself, oh my gosh, I've got to get some technique training like now.
11:06
SPEAKER_00: So for me, I soaked it all up at 17, 18, and 19 and just kept I kept training through my 20s.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: So, and you know, I never stopped dancing professionally.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: I'm 44 now, and so it's been from 17 to 44 has been my career, and I go back to Broadway next week.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I made that dream come true and I just kept at it and I keep my training up, and I found competition about 15 years ago.
11:33
SPEAKER_00: I started judging, and I love it, and I love the next generation coming up with their dreams and hoping that they all come true for all of you guys and hope that I can help in some way.
11:44
SPEAKER_02: Love that.
11:45
SPEAKER_02: And I started dancing when I was probably about three or four as well.
11:49
SPEAKER_02: I didn't start competing until maybe middle school or junior high.
11:53
SPEAKER_02: So that was when my competition career started.
11:56
SPEAKER_02: In college, I just took a lot of classes too.
11:59
SPEAKER_02: Like Miss Julie, I didn't major in dance, but I still wanted to make it happen.
12:04
SPEAKER_02: So I found ways to stay active in it and take class and then um went into a contemporary company out of college.
12:11
SPEAKER_02: And I spent a lot of time after that doing a lot of teaching.
12:14
SPEAKER_02: So I've had actually more teaching experience, I think, as part of my dance career than dancing professionally.
12:21
SPEAKER_02: And I love that.
12:22
SPEAKER_02: And that's one of the really magical things about dance is there's so many avenues.
12:26
SPEAKER_02: You might dance professionally, or you might choreograph, or you might judge.
12:30
SPEAKER_02: And there are different ways to bring that into a career and to just really make a beautiful life out of having danced involved in it.
12:38
SPEAKER_02: Yes, amazing.
12:39
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
12:40
SPEAKER_04: You're welcome.
12:41
SPEAKER_04: You can bring the mic up to us.
12:42
SPEAKER_04: Yes, thank you so much for asking the first question for kicking it off.
12:46
SPEAKER_04: You are a rock star.
12:48
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
12:49
SPEAKER_04: All right, we have another question from the crowd.
12:52
SPEAKER_04: Oh, you want to come up?
12:54
SPEAKER_04: Sure.
12:55
SPEAKER_04: I like this.
12:56
SPEAKER_04: Getting nice and intimate.
12:58
SPEAKER_07: Hi, my name is Lily.
13:00
SPEAKER_07: I am a dance sister slash gymnast sister.
13:04
SPEAKER_07: My sister, she's been doing gymnastics and dance for as long as I can remember.
13:08
SPEAKER_07: First of all, I don't know if you saw my face, you have aged beautifully.
13:12
SPEAKER_07: I mean, hello.
13:13
SPEAKER_07: I thought you were like 23.
13:18
SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
13:20
SPEAKER_07: I would like to know you guys' biggest inspirations because I know that I'm just astonished to see how much my sister grows and it's just incredible going along.
13:30
SPEAKER_07: I go to all her meets, competitions, all that.
13:32
SPEAKER_07: I'm one of those big supporters that's always going to be in the crowd watching.
13:36
SPEAKER_07: And even though I don't necessarily do it, I play sports, but I like to give corrections as well.
13:41
SPEAKER_07: So I would like to know you guys' biggest inspirations, whether it's a family member or you know, a celebrity.
13:46
SPEAKER_16: Can it be?
13:46
SPEAKER_16: I mean, like, I don't have a person, I guess that's my biggest inspiration as a dancer or as a as a judge.
13:53
unknown: Okay.
13:54
SPEAKER_16: But yeah, as like seeing kids week after week or weekend after weekend, year after year, doing these ridiculous and like amazing, amazing things.
14:04
SPEAKER_16: Where I mean, you heard about everybody's careers.
14:06
SPEAKER_16: If you've listened to the podcast, you've heard about Courtney's and my career.
14:10
SPEAKER_16: Like, we're all really talented, like, first of all.
14:12
SPEAKER_16: But these kids these days are a whole nother breed of talent.
14:16
SPEAKER_16: The drive is insane, the amount of technique, what they can do, and the fact that everybody just still seems to really, really, really love it, despite like the new social media that's all over the place and the competition and the, you know, sort of comparison game that's always been there.
14:32
SPEAKER_16: But somehow you look at some of these kids and they're just so talented and they're still humble and they're still great, graceful, and grateful for their training and their education.
14:41
SPEAKER_16: And like that's what still keeps me inspired because we've all been doing, you know, something involving dance, whether it's judging or teaching or anything, for at least a decade, if not longer.
14:50
SPEAKER_16: And, you know, doing anything for that long can get kind of old.
14:52
SPEAKER_16: But you always have to find that constant source of inspiration.
14:55
SPEAKER_16: And for me, it truly is the kids doing what they love and like somehow finding the joy in it even when it's hard.
15:02
SPEAKER_11: I I feel like I'm also it's very similar to what um Leslie's saying, is just our community.
15:07
SPEAKER_11: I I'm just always uplifted by my peers of by watching everybody pursuing what they love to do, of creating art, of creating their own work and dance.
15:16
SPEAKER_11: I think that just yeah, our own community, dance itself and the dancers within it inspires me so much.
15:22
SPEAKER_11: Absolutely.
15:23
SPEAKER_11: I totally agree.
15:24
SPEAKER_16: And I so love that you're such a supportive sister.
15:26
SPEAKER_16: Like that's amazing.
15:27
SPEAKER_16: And you really seem super genuine about that.
15:29
SPEAKER_16: So she's super lucky to have you.
15:30
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
15:31
SPEAKER_04: Thank you for your question and your support.
15:34
SPEAKER_04: We love that.
15:35
SPEAKER_04: Yay.
15:37
SPEAKER_04: Any other question?
15:38
SPEAKER_04: Oh, let's go.
15:39
SPEAKER_04: I guess you're coming on up here.
15:41
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
15:41
SPEAKER_15: My okay, I'm Daniela, as she said.
15:44
SPEAKER_15: I'm from Children's Dance Workshop represent.
15:46
SPEAKER_15: Um, anyway, so my question is how did you guys like even get into judging?
15:52
SPEAKER_15: Because I've always wondered like how you even enter that career, I guess.
15:56
SPEAKER_15: Or like if it's like a side thing for you, like, how did you even get into that?
16:00
SPEAKER_15: I'll start.
16:02
SPEAKER_04: So, how do you get into judging?
16:04
SPEAKER_04: That's a great question.
16:05
SPEAKER_04: So many dancers have that question.
16:07
SPEAKER_04: And dancers who become professionals want to break into judging and say, Well, how do I get behind the table?
16:13
SPEAKER_04: I want to be, I want to be a judge.
16:14
SPEAKER_04: How do I become a judge?
16:15
SPEAKER_04: That's a question I get asked all the time, especially because I own a judging company.
16:18
SPEAKER_04: And how do you get into judging?
16:20
SPEAKER_04: Well, before my company existed, it was definitely word of mouth.
16:24
SPEAKER_04: You definitely had to network like crazy and know the right person.
16:28
SPEAKER_04: And if someone was like, hey, Courtney, actually, it happened a lot before I started IDA.
16:33
SPEAKER_04: Diva would come to me because I worked for Diva and they'd be like, Hey, Courtney, do you know anybody that would be a great judge?
16:38
SPEAKER_04: And I was like, actually, yeah, I too.
16:41
SPEAKER_04: And I would pass them a recommendation.
16:43
SPEAKER_04: And that's how it would open a door for somebody who maybe never had judging experience and can sit into that chair all of a sudden.
16:49
SPEAKER_04: But I will say what's important to become a judge is there's a lot of check boxes that you have to meet if you want to become a judge.
16:57
SPEAKER_04: And a lot of competition companies look for judges who are versatile, who are educated, who have experience either as a teacher in the classroom, hopefully, preferably as a teacher in the classroom, but also potentially as a professional dancer as well.
17:11
SPEAKER_04: And you don't necessarily have to be a professional dancer.
17:14
SPEAKER_04: Like Lauren said, it was like you don't really, you can be a teacher the whole in your entire career.
17:18
SPEAKER_04: And she's an exceptional judge because she's hands-on in the classroom with students like you.
17:24
SPEAKER_04: So it's important to be a teacher in the classroom as well, to be a judge.
17:28
SPEAKER_04: So being able to have all of those that type of experience on your resume will help you get behind the table quicker.
17:34
SPEAKER_04: But also networking is really important.
17:36
SPEAKER_04: And that's a huge skill set to learn how to do when you become a pro, whether you decide to be a teacher or whether you decide to be a professional dancer.
17:44
SPEAKER_04: Networking with everyone is huge.
17:47
SPEAKER_04: I mean, even right here, I looking at this panel, Julie and I went grew up together.
17:52
SPEAKER_04: So that's how I knew Julie.
17:53
SPEAKER_04: Leslie and I worked on Royal Caribbean together, so that's how I know Leslie.
17:57
SPEAKER_04: Christina and I worked on a job together, the aluminum show, like one of my first tours, one of your first tours.
18:02
SPEAKER_04: And then Eddie and I judged alongside each other at Spirit of Dance Awards, and that's how I met him.
18:07
SPEAKER_04: Like that, and and Lauren, you just applied to IDA, right?
18:11
SPEAKER_02: Like it just applied to IDA.
18:13
SPEAKER_02: But funny enough, Julie and I had met before through a mutual friend and dance.
18:17
SPEAKER_02: So it's a really, really small world.
18:19
SPEAKER_02: And it is important to stay professional and to be open to meeting people if you are at competitions, talking to new people, getting to know new faces, because it it's just such a small world, like I said, and you never know who you're gonna run into down the road.
18:32
SPEAKER_02: And hopefully they're people that you'll end up working with.
18:35
SPEAKER_02: And I'm so fortunate, you know, we love the IDA staff and working with one another and having that network.
18:41
SPEAKER_02: So that's just a really great thing to find and dance.
18:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
18:43
SPEAKER_04: And that being said, you know, in that scenario where I didn't know Lauren, but then Julie does.
18:49
SPEAKER_04: So if Lauren used Julie as a referral, then I can go to Julie and I can be like, hey girl, how is she?
18:54
SPEAKER_04: You know, and and if Julie's like, uh-uh, she's a hot mess, which she would never say, then I might be like, maybe I shouldn't hire her.
19:03
SPEAKER_04: But if she's like, oh, she's the best, she's so down to earth, she's a hard worker, she's a team player, she's gonna be perfect for your team, she's gonna be a fantastic judge, then I'm I'm like, okay, great.
19:13
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna hire her.
19:14
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna give her a shot, you know, and that's really how it works too.
19:16
SPEAKER_04: Like having, you know, a good reputation in the industry, obviously.
19:20
SPEAKER_04: But the more people that you know, and if they're saying great things about you, then that's how you might get fed into jobs.
19:26
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's happened in the professional world.
19:28
SPEAKER_04: I'm like all of us, I'm sure, can vouch for, where there might have been times where people might have not gotten the professional job because they might have a bad reputation, or they might maybe not be the easiest to work with, or you know, you never know what that experience might be.
19:43
SPEAKER_04: And some people might be like, the choreographer might be like, oh, I love them in class.
19:47
SPEAKER_04: They are so easy to work with.
19:49
SPEAKER_04: I love their energy.
19:50
SPEAKER_04: I want to hire them because of that, you know.
19:52
SPEAKER_04: So even in a professional setting, that's what happens.
19:54
SPEAKER_04: But same with when it comes to judge, judging.
19:57
SPEAKER_04: The competitions want qualified judges, but they also want people that are easy to work with, that are fun, engaging, that will do fun things like this, like sit on a podcast that will mentor you guys in choreographic opportunities at nationals.
20:10
SPEAKER_04: Like those are the types of judges that competitions are looking for.
20:13
SPEAKER_04: And we have them here at IDA and Diva.
20:17
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
20:18
SPEAKER_04: Thanks for your question.
20:19
SPEAKER_04: It's a great one.
20:20
SPEAKER_04: Oh, we have and we have so many dancer questions.
20:23
SPEAKER_04: I'm loving this.
20:25
SPEAKER_04: Yes, question.
20:27
SPEAKER_04: This is the one it is.
20:28
SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, here you go.
20:30
SPEAKER_01: I'm Caitlin and I'm from Eastern Shore Dance Academy.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: And my question is, how do you guys like come to competitions to judge?
20:37
SPEAKER_01: Like, how did you come to Diva?
20:38
SPEAKER_01: And how do you go to other competitions to judge?
20:41
SPEAKER_04: I feel like that's another me question.
20:43
SPEAKER_04: So how that works is my company called Impact Dance Adjudicators, we essentially staff judges for competitions.
20:50
SPEAKER_04: So I'm the big guns, I'm the boss, essentially.
20:54
SPEAKER_04: I feel weird saying that, but I guess it's kind of true.
20:57
SPEAKER_04: Competitions come to my service and they say, Hey Courtney, you have judges.
21:01
SPEAKER_04: I need judges.
21:02
SPEAKER_04: Who do you have?
21:03
SPEAKER_04: And then I give them options of people who are available, people who I think would be a good fit for their company.
21:08
SPEAKER_04: And I recommend judges like the ones that are sitting here.
21:11
SPEAKER_04: And the competition can be like, Great, I want this, this, this, I want this person, or let's try this person, let's try this person, or who would be a good panel alongside each other?
21:19
SPEAKER_04: Who will be cohesive and work well alongside each other?
21:22
SPEAKER_04: And then I supply the judges, the judges come out, they work, they do what they love, they give their fabulous critique and scores, and then they go off back home until the next job.
21:33
SPEAKER_04: So that's how these judges are sitting on the diva panel because diva exclusively works with my company to find the judges.
21:41
SPEAKER_04: But uh not every competition uses IDA, and that's okay.
21:45
SPEAKER_04: And usually they just find judges by submissions, sending in your an interview, having an interview, just sending in your resume.
21:52
SPEAKER_04: If they like what they see, they might hire you.
21:54
SPEAKER_04: So that's kind of how it works.
21:55
SPEAKER_05: Yay.
21:56
SPEAKER_04: All right, another one.
21:58
SPEAKER_05: Okay, uh, it's me again.
21:59
SPEAKER_05: But Uh hi.
22:02
SPEAKER_05: So my question is how Diva travels, does all the same judges travel with it, or does you just like like do you switch out judges?
22:12
SPEAKER_04: Oh okay, I'll take this one again.
22:15
SPEAKER_04: So yes, the judges travel, but they don't always travel to every event.
22:20
SPEAKER_04: So the great thing about judging is that maybe one day Eddie's on Broadway and he can't come to the Diva event next weekend, then we can swap him in for Julie's like, I'm available, let's go.
22:33
SPEAKER_04: I want to come to that event.
22:34
SPEAKER_04: And then Julie can swing in and jump in for Eddie.
22:37
SPEAKER_04: And that's the good thing about it is that we have 150 different judges that are all around the country.
22:43
SPEAKER_04: So if one judge isn't available, then guess what?
22:45
SPEAKER_04: We have somebody on that we can ask that's probably available and excited and eager to sit into that chair because all of the judges love what they do.
22:52
SPEAKER_04: But all of the judges get to travel all over.
22:55
SPEAKER_04: Lauren's from Florida, North Carolina, New York, New York, Maine, New York.
23:00
SPEAKER_04: Like we're all from different places.
23:02
SPEAKER_04: So we come to wherever the competition is.
23:05
SPEAKER_04: We fly across the country, wherever the events are every weekend, which is a really fun and exciting job.
23:10
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
23:11
SPEAKER_04: You're welcome.
23:12
SPEAKER_04: Do we have a parent question?
23:14
SPEAKER_04: Ooh, parent question.
23:16
SPEAKER_12: Hi, I'm Kathy, mother of Caitlin.
23:19
SPEAKER_12: I first want to thank the judges so much for your input for our dancers.
23:24
SPEAKER_12: It's just so invaluable and just really appreciate your time.
23:28
SPEAKER_12: And also want to thank Diva.
23:29
SPEAKER_12: This has just been an incredible experience.
23:31
SPEAKER_12: It's our first national.
23:32
SPEAKER_12: We love you guys.
23:33
SPEAKER_12: It's wonderful.
23:34
SPEAKER_12: So my question was my daughter is interested in a professional career in dance.
23:39
SPEAKER_12: And as a parent, you know, what can I do to help support her?
23:42
SPEAKER_12: Are there pitfalls that I should avoid?
23:44
SPEAKER_12: What's the best approach as a parent?
23:46
SPEAKER_00: This is such a tough question for me.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: I feel like I left at 17 to go pursue dance and nobody was talking me out of it.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: So I mean, I didn't really have the support of my family.
23:58
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, because they didn't understand dance.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: They thought I'd be back in six months, like I was just going to be a hobby.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: But I was determined that I was not going to go back whatsoever, that I was going to get a job, that I was going to become a dancer.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: I think just being there to support them in whatever that they need and helping them is going to be all that you can do.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: They've got to make it happen in the audition room.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: There's really nothing else that you can do.
24:22
SPEAKER_00: If you're going to be a professional dancer, it's you in the audition, and that's it.
24:26
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing a parent can do except be there for the highs and be there for the lows.
24:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:31
SPEAKER_16: Thank you.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: You're welcome.
24:33
SPEAKER_16: I think in keeping with that, be there for the lows, there are more lows than there are highs.
24:38
SPEAKER_16: There are more no's than there are yeses.
24:40
SPEAKER_16: There are more group dances than solos in the professional world.
24:44
SPEAKER_16: So that would be one thing, you know.
24:47
SPEAKER_16: Whose mom are you, Caitlin's?
24:49
SPEAKER_16: That's for you too, my dear.
24:51
SPEAKER_16: That's a that's a reality.
24:52
SPEAKER_16: And it doesn't mean you're bad and it doesn't mean you're not talented.
24:55
SPEAKER_16: It just means not today, maybe tomorrow.
24:58
SPEAKER_16: So being able to have an open dialogue with your family about how you feel about that and you know, really celebrate the really good things, even if the good thing is I did my triple pirouette today on the left.
25:09
SPEAKER_16: And if that's the only good thing you got cut from every audition, but you did that triple pirouette, like allow them in to that happy moment and just, you know, find the happy moments in the in the depressing ones because they're there.
25:22
SPEAKER_00: And I would just like to add something too.
25:24
SPEAKER_00: My pa my family didn't understand it when I left.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: They're very supportive now.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: I just wanted to put that out there because it made it sound like they but they just didn't understand what I was going to do.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: And now they I've made it very clear to them that this is a career and you can make a career out of it.
25:41
SPEAKER_00: Also, be open to anything that comes your way.
25:44
SPEAKER_00: I never turned down a job no matter what it was.
25:47
SPEAKER_00: And it wasn't always Broadway.
25:49
SPEAKER_00: I did cruise ships, I did theme parks, I did everything that I could dance, and everything was a stepping stone to getting where I wanted to be.
25:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's all just more training.
26:00
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and I think that's the most important thing to think about now as you are a training dancer and a young dancer.
26:06
SPEAKER_04: What can you do now to prepare yourself for that professional world?
26:10
SPEAKER_04: And it's the training.
26:11
SPEAKER_04: It's really focusing in class, making sure that you're taking advantage and every moment is precious in class because once you get to the real world, you're still training, obviously, when you become a professional, but you're not training as hard.
26:23
SPEAKER_04: You don't have as many hours in the classroom anymore because it costs a lot of money to take dance class at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, and you have to be able to pay your rent and go do that audition today.
26:32
SPEAKER_04: You know, so you're not in the classroom as much as you are currently.
26:35
SPEAKER_04: So taking advantage of your technique classes, making sure that if and also understanding which path you want to go, whether you want to go to Broadway, whether you want to go the commercial route, whether you want to go on cruise ships and singling in on the type of training that you need to do now to be able to pursue those things is important to look, you know, start thinking about if you do want to be a pro.
26:54
SPEAKER_04: Great question.
26:55
SPEAKER_04: Love a parent question.
26:57
SPEAKER_04: Well, we have a question, like yeah, you want to do this one and then we'll we'll get to yours in the back next, okay?
27:02
unknown: Okay.
27:03
SPEAKER_09: My name's Cami.
27:04
SPEAKER_09: I'm also from Children's Dance Workshop.
27:08
SPEAKER_11: I love it.
27:09
SPEAKER_09: My question is to gain an inside perspective from behind the table.
27:13
SPEAKER_09: So, as a judge, what's one thing that you love to see on stage and wish to see in more teams?
27:19
SPEAKER_04: Okay, now we're getting these are the good ones.
27:21
SPEAKER_04: This is what I've been waiting for.
27:22
SPEAKER_04: Let's go.
27:24
SPEAKER_11: I love more than anything when a dancer comes on stage and they make a piece of their own, they share a part of themselves with us where they're making choices and they're really interpreting it in their own way.
27:39
SPEAKER_11: Not just being necessarily a technician.
27:42
SPEAKER_11: Of course, we look for technique, and of course, of course, technique is necessary in order to pursue dance and to be a standout dancer.
27:50
SPEAKER_11: But I think one of the best things to see is to see someone who really becomes an artist on stage, who tells a story, who draws the audience in.
27:58
SPEAKER_11: And we all know what that is, right?
28:00
SPEAKER_11: When you see it in the audience, you can feel it, right?
28:02
SPEAKER_11: And so it's just someone who allows the audience to really connect with them.
28:06
SPEAKER_18: I love it.
28:07
SPEAKER_18: Hi, uh yeah.
28:08
SPEAKER_18: My main thing, I mean very similar, but uh I feel like when someone is having fun and enjoying what they're doing, it's very evident to us.
28:17
SPEAKER_18: And that's what it's all about, right?
28:18
SPEAKER_18: If you're not having fun, if you're not enjoying it, what's the point of doing it, right?
28:21
SPEAKER_18: So bringing that joy to the stage, and obviously there's different styles that bring it about different emotions and stuff like that, right?
28:28
SPEAKER_18: But you can truly tell if a dancer is in their element and uh doing what they love doing, yeah.
28:34
SPEAKER_18: And I think that that goes a long way because that's what's also gonna carry you through the industry as well.
28:39
SPEAKER_18: If you love it, you're gonna keep pursuing it, you're gonna keep working harder and harder every day.
28:43
SPEAKER_18: So that's uh that's what I like to look for.
28:45
SPEAKER_02: But I feel like what Miss Julie and Miss Christina are saying is very similar to what I think stands out to me as well.
28:53
SPEAKER_02: But there's just something you can't put your finger on when someone really puts their whole heart and soul into a dance, no matter what style it is.
29:00
SPEAKER_02: And it's not about the costume and it's not about the song or the choreography, it's about that dancer or that group of dancers really giving it their all and just living in that moment of dance and their time on stage.
29:13
SPEAKER_02: And there's something just so special about that that I think really any judge, when they see it, it's it's that it factor, it's that wow that just really stands out.
29:22
SPEAKER_02: So I think if you're really giving it your full heart and soul and giving it your true 100%, then that's going to be something that the judges notice.
29:32
SPEAKER_02: And the technique and the the movement quality and all of that are just little extra magical things on top of that.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think that just adds into your performance.
29:42
SPEAKER_00: If you love what you do, it's gonna show and it's gonna become it will go from a dance number to a performance.
29:49
SPEAKER_00: And what we do is dance, and that's an art.
29:52
SPEAKER_00: It's not a sport.
29:54
SPEAKER_00: So you can't just come up here and do choreography and and it work.
29:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you have to put some heart and soul into it.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: You've got to put some of yourself into it.
30:02
SPEAKER_00: That's what makes great dance, that's what we're looking for.
30:05
SPEAKER_01: Nailed it.
30:08
SPEAKER_16: And we also want to see two shoes.
30:14
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, why not?
30:15
SPEAKER_03: You know, that'd be nice.
30:16
SPEAKER_03: Two shoes are a great addition to the stage, a competition.
30:21
SPEAKER_04: You haven't seen anyone in one shoe?
30:23
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
30:24
SPEAKER_04: I love hearing that.
30:26
SPEAKER_04: I think we have a question way far in the back, pink.
30:29
SPEAKER_14: I was like wondering like how often do you like you doubt yourself or just like feel like you like just like wanted to quit?
30:34
SPEAKER_16: Every day?
30:36
SPEAKER_16: Currently, and I'm not even pursuing professional dance anymore.
30:39
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, that's very normal.
30:41
SPEAKER_16: Even when you even when you transition out of auditioning professionally, you know, this industry is hard.
30:47
SPEAKER_16: And whether that's judging or teaching, or you know, you are always trying to be your best.
30:52
SPEAKER_16: And as dancers, I think many of us are perfectionists and we want to do our best.
30:56
SPEAKER_16: And so whenever there's a moment of, oh gosh, maybe that wasn't my best, like self-doubt really does come into play.
31:02
SPEAKER_16: So that's very normal if you're feeling like that.
31:04
SPEAKER_16: And sort of my way of getting out of it is just remembering that, like, no, I really, I really am doing my best.
31:11
SPEAKER_16: And my best is my best today.
31:13
SPEAKER_16: It's not Courtney's best and it's not Julie's best, it's Leslie's best.
31:16
SPEAKER_16: And I like whether I book the job or whether I get the judging gig or whether I get hired, you know, writing for a dance publication, I did my best.
31:24
SPEAKER_16: And I, my best is right for someone.
31:26
SPEAKER_16: Might not be right for Diva, it might not be right for Dance Parent 101 or wherever I'm working, but it's right for someone, and someone will see the best that you can do.
31:35
SPEAKER_04: Great advice.
31:36
SPEAKER_16: Anyone have anything else to add for that?
31:39
SPEAKER_11: I would say that facing those kinds of feelings is very normal, like Miss Leslie said.
31:45
SPEAKER_11: But I think it's also important to remind yourself to get out of your own way.
31:48
SPEAKER_11: And I feel like it's something that even the most successful dancers in the whole industry, in our eyes, still have self-doubt.
31:56
SPEAKER_11: And so just reminding yourself that that's normal and to also remind yourself to still show up, I think is incredibly important.
32:07
SPEAKER_04: Hey listeners, it's Courtney.
32:09
SPEAKER_04: And if you're loving this bonus QA episode and have loved our live QA's throughout the past few seasons, then I'm excited to share with you a new way for you to receive even more QA content by also helping support our podcast.
32:22
SPEAKER_04: Introducing Making the Impact Platinum Premium Subscription.
32:26
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32:40
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32:55
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33:05
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33:14
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33:22
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33:29
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33:39
SPEAKER_04: Alright, let's get some new friends over here.
33:41
SPEAKER_04: Okay, okay.
33:42
SPEAKER_08: Hello.
33:43
SPEAKER_08: Hi, I'm Ella, also from Children's Dance Workshop.
33:48
SPEAKER_08: And my question is the complete opposite of Cammy's, but what's your least favorite thing to see in a routine?
33:54
SPEAKER_01: Oh whoa, getting hotter.
33:58
SPEAKER_08: Besides for not seeing two shoes.
34:00
SPEAKER_04: The one shoe, yes, we we talked about that.
34:03
SPEAKER_04: One shoe, we don't want to see.
34:04
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
34:05
SPEAKER_04: Oh man.
34:06
SPEAKER_04: Anybody anything?
34:07
SPEAKER_00: I'll take this one.
34:08
SPEAKER_00: One thing that I don't like to see, I don't like transitions where all the energy just goes out of the number.
34:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, it it's not you we don't have movement and then walk to another spot and then movement and then walk to another spot.
34:21
SPEAKER_00: We've got to be seamless with it.
34:22
SPEAKER_00: And the transitions are super, I always say they're super important because they link the story together.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: So whenever I see somebody do, you know, an eight count and then just walk to the next spot and then do another eight count and walk to the next spot, you know, we're just it just feels like we're marking instead of actually performing.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: So transitions are super important to me.
34:44
SPEAKER_00: I don't like to see them thrown away.
34:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
34:47
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, they're just as important as every head spring that you do.
34:51
SPEAKER_04: I talk about head springs, I know, I'm sorry.
34:53
SPEAKER_04: Head springs, scorpions, aerials.
34:55
SPEAKER_04: It's just as important.
34:56
SPEAKER_04: I care more about the transition than I do about if you land your aerial or not.
35:01
unknown: We care.
35:02
SPEAKER_04: Don't hurt yourself.
35:03
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well, that's true.
35:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I don't want you to get hurt.
35:06
SPEAKER_04: I want you to land your aerial safely.
35:08
SPEAKER_04: That's what I'm hoping for.
35:09
SPEAKER_04: But I really, really care about those transitions.
35:11
SPEAKER_04: They're important.
35:12
SPEAKER_04: I'm with you on, I'm with you, Eddie, on that.
35:14
SPEAKER_18: Yeah, and that's just to kind of piggyback off of that.
35:17
SPEAKER_18: Tricks are great.
35:18
SPEAKER_18: Like, obviously, they add a really exciting element to every routine, but that's not all we want to see.
35:23
SPEAKER_18: That artistry really goes into play there.
35:25
SPEAKER_18: So, like going along with the transitions discussion, transitions are so important in between these tricks.
35:32
SPEAKER_18: So we don't want too many tricks all the time because then there's no artistry in between to kind of mold them together, right?
35:39
SPEAKER_18: So we we look for we look for both, but you know, tricks we don't need tricks.
35:44
SPEAKER_18: I could have I would love to see someone come out here and just dance the entire time, no trick, and that could easily score just as high as any other routine that they're doing tricks left and right.
35:55
SPEAKER_18: So yeah, I I don't I appreciate tricks when you can I'm especially with what Leslie was saying, so many people can do like crazy stuff now.
36:03
SPEAKER_18: So like you see it and you're so impressed, but I don't need a lot of them.
36:07
SPEAKER_16: I really dislike seeing dances that stay in one spot.
36:11
SPEAKER_16: Like when I choreograph, I sort of have a formula of I I make sure something gets to every part of the stage because you have this whole stage.
36:18
SPEAKER_16: And it's really sad to me when I see a choreographer tend to one side of the stage or they never explored upstage or downstage or wherever, and it it just gets a little stale.
36:28
SPEAKER_16: So I love to see a dance that takes up the whole space and moves in interesting and different patterns and different ways, and like there's always a circle in a Miss Leslie dance.
36:36
SPEAKER_16: Like, if you don't do a circle, like you might as well get out of here because use the circle.
36:40
SPEAKER_03: I love a circle.
36:41
SPEAKER_03: They're great.
36:42
SPEAKER_16: Anything to add?
36:44
SPEAKER_11: I just I love seeing energy.
36:46
SPEAKER_11: So I guess perhaps when you see someone on stage who doesn't quite take up their space, who doesn't quite feel the movement, or who doesn't quite connect as much with that musicality, it can it makes it hard for us to connect with that dancer as well.
36:59
SPEAKER_02: I feel what I don't want to see is uh a lack of attention maybe to detail or cleanliness.
37:05
SPEAKER_02: And when we're talking about things like the one shoe or maybe tricks that aren't necessary or transitions that aren't necessary, I think it's okay to kind of scale things down at times and pay attention to detail.
37:16
SPEAKER_02: So no, always necessarily take points off or having messy hair.
37:20
SPEAKER_02: No, but it's it's a detail thing.
37:23
SPEAKER_02: So I think having that clean look, not necessarily like a million rhinestones, but a clean costume and having the correct shoes or your hair correct, knowing your timing, and having that clear spacing, I think that that just adds to the overall picture.
37:38
SPEAKER_02: So for me, I just don't want to see things that for lack of a better word feel messy or feel that we haven't paid attention to maybe some of the finer details and things that we can fix with our costuming or with our spacing or with our counts.
37:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I agree with everyone.
37:52
SPEAKER_04: And while I was listening to all of y'all and talking about aerials and falling out of aerials, then that made me start thinking about how I don't want to see skills that you aren't a hundred percent with on stage.
38:05
SPEAKER_04: I can tell as a judge when you're running into that hurdle if it's gonna be a go or not.
38:10
SPEAKER_04: And that I shouldn't be like jolting in my seat because I'm scared if you're gonna land your acro element, if it's an acro element.
38:18
SPEAKER_04: It could be a side leap, it could be a calypso.
38:20
SPEAKER_04: I mean, based on your prep, I as a judge can tell if it's gonna be successful.
38:25
SPEAKER_04: And I personally want to see what you're successful at.
38:29
SPEAKER_04: I know that we're training dancers, so you you're there's skills that you're working on.
38:33
SPEAKER_04: So you might be like, well, I really want my aerial in my solo because I'm so close to getting it.
38:38
SPEAKER_04: But if if you're not pulling them every time consistently, like with your eyes closed, then I don't want to see it in your solo.
38:44
SPEAKER_04: I want you to do that in class and keep working on it in class.
38:47
SPEAKER_04: And once you're doing your aerial with your eyes closed and no-brainer, like where you don't have to stress about it, then it can be in the solo.
38:54
SPEAKER_04: Because I do care about safety.
38:56
SPEAKER_04: I think that safety is huge and like proper alignment and landing safely and making sure everything is clean.
39:03
SPEAKER_04: You don't want us to be scared for you, for your safety.
39:06
SPEAKER_04: You know, you want us to be happy and bopping and smiling at you, not like, oh my gosh, are they okay?
39:11
SPEAKER_04: Because I've been there.
39:12
SPEAKER_04: I jolt in my seat and I asked the dancer on the critique, like, are you okay?
39:16
SPEAKER_04: I hope that they're okay.
39:17
SPEAKER_04: I'm I can see the tears in their eyes.
39:18
SPEAKER_04: I don't know if they're okay.
39:19
SPEAKER_04: You know, you don't want me to be feeling that as a judge while I'm there.
39:22
SPEAKER_04: So that's kind of my one of my things I don't love.
39:26
SPEAKER_04: But we also did a whole episode on pet peeves that launched this season, I think, uh recently, where a lot of judge judges chimed in and said, like different pet peeves that they see at the on the competition stage that I think the main one was preparations for pirouettes.
39:42
SPEAKER_04: So if it's a parallel pirouette, it should be a parallel preparation.
39:46
SPEAKER_04: If it's a turned-out pirouette, it should be a turned-out preparation.
39:49
SPEAKER_04: And like 10 different judges had the same exact pet peeve.
39:52
SPEAKER_04: They were like, Yep, I totally agree.
39:54
SPEAKER_04: Yep, I want to see a turned-out prep.
39:55
SPEAKER_04: Yep, I need to see a parallel prep.
39:57
SPEAKER_04: No sloppy preps, those types of things.
39:59
SPEAKER_04: I'm a stickler for that too.
40:01
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
40:02
SPEAKER_04: Our two little friends over here just have all the questions.
40:06
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
40:06
SPEAKER_13: Hello, I am Lisa, the director of Children's Dance Workshop.
40:11
SPEAKER_04: Yay, studio owner.
40:13
SPEAKER_13: Well, studio owner or director or director.
40:14
SPEAKER_13: Owner, director, yes.
40:15
SPEAKER_13: Yes.
40:16
SPEAKER_13: So as a teacher, I wanted to ask like how the different levels at a competition, like how that impacts your judging.
40:25
SPEAKER_13: Like, because as a teacher, I always try to put my students in the correct level based on their experience, you know, and their so, but sometimes as a teacher watching other routines, I I'll watch it and I'll be like, there's no way that's, you know, novice or whatever.
40:41
SPEAKER_13: But I mean, maybe they are, but I just like wonder how that impacts your judging.
40:46
SPEAKER_04: So levels, hottest topic ever.
40:49
SPEAKER_04: We just did our other live podcast at Spirit of Dance Awards, and this was like the final question that we had when we wrapped it up on that.
40:56
SPEAKER_04: Was I was it a studio owner or a parent?
40:59
SPEAKER_04: Oh, acro an acroteacher was like, let's talk about levels.
41:02
SPEAKER_04: Like, I need, I need clarification.
41:04
SPEAKER_04: Like, how does this work?
41:05
SPEAKER_04: So I totally understand why.
41:08
SPEAKER_13: Also, like every competition is different.
41:10
SPEAKER_13: So like it makes it you know, like some are based on the the hours of class, and some are based on like performance experience.
41:18
SPEAKER_13: So it's just kind of it's hard.
41:20
SPEAKER_13: And I always try to like follow what each competition says, but yeah.
41:23
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
41:24
SPEAKER_04: I'll start off and then we can kind of talk about like how we judge different levels, I guess, if that is helpful information.
41:31
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, level, I think that's the hardest part about levels is just kind of catering to each company's requirements for them.
41:39
SPEAKER_04: And that might shift what level your dancers are in at each event that they go to.
41:44
SPEAKER_04: So it makes it kind of hard to navigate for you as a studio, but even for us on the end, and because we work with a lot of different competitions through IDA, each of them have different requirements for their levels.
41:55
SPEAKER_04: But I will say that most of the time we can tell, we kind of have an idea, like based on what is presented in front of us, where we would naturally feel they what level that dancer belongs in.
42:06
SPEAKER_04: And the hard part is that it's kind of like the trust system of trusting that, you know, people are putting them in the right level because you don't know what type of training they're getting at the studio.
42:17
SPEAKER_04: So it might be exceptional training, but they're only training three hours a week.
42:21
SPEAKER_04: And they just have really great teachers and the training is high level.
42:24
SPEAKER_04: And because of that, they look like they should be advanced, even though they're intermediate or, you know, whatever the case may be.
42:30
SPEAKER_04: So I think that's the hard part is that we we don't know what's happening in the studio.
42:34
SPEAKER_04: So we're just we also are trusting that everyone, like you do, are putting the dancers in the appropriate levels because then we can do our job properly.
42:43
SPEAKER_04: Because if we're sitting there and we're like, this is totally advanced, like, why are they intermediate?
42:48
SPEAKER_04: They should be an advanced.
42:49
SPEAKER_04: Sometimes we feel that and we don't want to pen like put the dancers where they don't belong.
42:53
SPEAKER_04: We're trusting that maybe they are actually intermediate, but they're just really good, you know?
42:58
SPEAKER_04: Like, so it's a it's a tough, it's sticky, it's it's hard to navigate.
43:02
SPEAKER_04: But as far as like judging, how do you guys do you judge different levels differently?
43:08
SPEAKER_04: Or how do you approach the levels when it comes to judging?
43:10
SPEAKER_04: Do you kind of just judge them all the same?
43:13
SPEAKER_04: Like, how do you any ideas on thoughts on that?
43:16
SPEAKER_04: No, no, no.
43:17
SPEAKER_04: You don't have to speak.
43:18
SPEAKER_04: I'm just I'm I want to look at all of y'all.
43:21
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think amongst ourselves, sometimes we will convene and say, you know, do we think this dancer needs, do we does this need to be brought up to the studio?
43:31
SPEAKER_00: And we've done that before.
43:32
SPEAKER_00: I do think that we do trust that everyone is doing what they're supposed to, and we judge it accordingly to how it is.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why personally you'd want to come to competition and not compete in your rank, not compete with the best if you're feeling like you are the best.
43:49
SPEAKER_00: That's kind of my thing.
43:50
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just like, I I have to we're like she said, we're going on the honor system.
43:55
SPEAKER_02: I think uh for scoring the levels, I mean, it does depend on the competition, but so for D.
44:00
SPEAKER_02: That we're at.
44:01
SPEAKER_02: For us judges, seeing a really clean, let's say, apprentice routine where the skills are well rehearsed and there's clean single pirouettes and there's clean timing and things like that is going to score high for that level.
44:14
SPEAKER_02: So we kind of know what we would be expecting out of the different levels to an extent of as far as like the cleanliness of the routine goes.
44:24
SPEAKER_02: But it's something that you feel out.
44:26
SPEAKER_02: And I think from competition to competition, the scoring can range differently with the studios that are there as well.
44:31
SPEAKER_02: So it's one of those things that having the experience of seeing it and of doing a lot of judging, you just kind of get to know the feel for that level.
44:39
SPEAKER_02: But I would say that you're you're gauging each level off what is accomplished with their routine, with that skill set, with that cleanliness, and not uh saying that these dancers should be accomplishing elite skills if they're maybe in an apprentice or intermediate level.
44:55
SPEAKER_18: Yeah, and we like us growing up in the competitive world, we never had levels.
44:59
SPEAKER_18: So we're also kind of navigating through it as well.
45:02
SPEAKER_18: And I think for Diva in particular, it's it's one score.
45:05
SPEAKER_18: And so I'm looking at what level are you and how are you executing your dance given your level.
45:13
SPEAKER_18: If you're an apprentice and you have like flawless execution for that level, or something that's extremely impressive for that level, I'm gonna bump it up a little bit because I feel that that's extremely impressive for that particular level.
45:28
SPEAKER_18: There's more expectation, I think, on Elite.
45:31
SPEAKER_18: So I I think and and it's subjective, a lot of it, you know what I mean?
45:34
SPEAKER_18: So like a lot we're just kind of navigating through it the best that we can.
45:38
SPEAKER_18: Some some competitions have sliding scales that we can then kind of gauge off of that.
45:42
SPEAKER_18: So it like she was saying, it's it's dependent upon the competition.
45:46
SPEAKER_18: But for Diva in particular, I look at the level and then how they are executing what they have on stage and then base it according to that.
45:53
SPEAKER_04: And we all kind of get a feel and a flow with the judges on the panel.
45:58
SPEAKER_04: We're usually all on the same page when it comes to those scores and comes to navigating and especially the whole should something be moved.
46:06
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we're trusting the studios, but also there are many times where we all kind of are like, should this be moved on to the event?
46:13
SPEAKER_04: You know, like we're looking and and usually we make that happen.
46:16
SPEAKER_04: You know, that's something that we're able to do at at some competitions, which is really, really great.
46:22
SPEAKER_04: Because we you want you don't want to get completely creamed by a studio that is kind of just cheating their way to the win.
46:29
SPEAKER_04: You know, we've seen it happen a lot.
46:31
SPEAKER_04: And again, you don't know if that they're being truthful with their level placement.
46:38
SPEAKER_04: I actually, something I said at the last QA was there are studios that have an A and a B team.
46:44
SPEAKER_04: And what I mean by that is maybe they have a team that trains like 20 hours a week.
46:49
SPEAKER_04: You mean we know those studios that we're talking about.
46:51
SPEAKER_04: Then they they have other dancers at their studio that maybe train 10 hours a week.
46:55
SPEAKER_04: And technically, 10 hours a week of training makes you advanced.
46:58
SPEAKER_04: You are a competitive dancer, you're advanced.
47:00
SPEAKER_04: But because they have two different levels, the studio might be like, well, I can't put them up against my advanced team because they're advanced to me.
47:08
SPEAKER_04: You know, might not follow the rules with competition, but that's how people might look at it.
47:13
SPEAKER_04: So then they're like, I'm gonna put my B team in intermediate, I'm gonna put my A team in advanced, and that way they're not competing against each other.
47:19
SPEAKER_04: But really, the whole studio should be in advance, you know.
47:22
SPEAKER_04: So I think that's the tricky part of navigating levels is people are approaching it in that direction instead of actually doing what you mentioned and looking at the rules and following the rules and placing people appropriately, which there's rules for a reason.
47:34
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, if everyone just followed them properly, then we'd be good to go.
47:38
SPEAKER_04: And there'd be no issues about the hottest topic in the industry.
47:44
SPEAKER_04: Final questions as we're wrapping up.
47:47
SPEAKER_04: I know.
47:48
SPEAKER_04: Thank you very much, but you are so welcome.
47:51
SPEAKER_14: Hi, I'm Rosie.
47:53
SPEAKER_14: I'm also from Children's Dance Workshop.
47:56
SPEAKER_14: And I'm a big musical theater person, and so is my mother.
48:00
SPEAKER_14: And one argument we always have is I love the sad dances, and she loves the happy dances.
48:06
SPEAKER_14: So which ones do you like you guys tend to prefer watching?
48:11
SPEAKER_04: Are you talking in musical, like in the musical theater category or kind of everything, I guess?
48:16
SPEAKER_04: So like a sad lyrical versus a peppy over-the-top musical theater or something like that?
48:21
SPEAKER_14: Yeah.
48:22
SPEAKER_14: Okay.
48:25
SPEAKER_16: Well, in the year of 2022, life is very difficult for everyone.
48:31
SPEAKER_16: So my personal favorite art is anything that uplifts me.
48:35
SPEAKER_16: You know, and I I feel you.
48:36
SPEAKER_16: I was a teenager once.
48:37
SPEAKER_16: We were all teenagers once, and I was a big Fiona Apple fan, and she's angry and sad, and like, I mean, listen, I hear, I really, really hear you.
48:47
SPEAKER_16: But the world is a sad place and it will always be a sad place to an extent.
48:51
SPEAKER_16: And so anything we as entertainers can do to bring joy to somebody, like, I live for that.
48:56
SPEAKER_16: Anything that can make me laugh or make me think, like, man, maybe there's hope for the future, like that's what I'm here for.
49:02
SPEAKER_16: Um, a lot of people might disagree with me, but I really enjoy those numbers.
49:06
SPEAKER_00: I think, I think you have to ask yourself a question when you're picking music and you have to say, does this mean something to me?
49:12
SPEAKER_00: And the other question is, will this be entertaining to watch?
49:17
SPEAKER_00: Those two things, once you answer those two questions with yes, then you should move on to like actually getting it choreographed.
49:24
SPEAKER_00: But I think whatever it is, a lot of people tend to say, Well, this means a lot to me, but then it's like not gonna register to everyone there.
49:30
SPEAKER_00: You've got to make it also entertaining because you're gonna be on a stage performing it to an audience full of people.
49:36
SPEAKER_00: So those are the two questions I would ask before I pick a song or go forward with a dance.
49:41
SPEAKER_00: And it can be happy or sad, just as long as it's entertaining.
49:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
49:45
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's a great, that's a great response.
49:47
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
49:48
SPEAKER_04: I hope that was helpful.
49:49
SPEAKER_04: Final, final questions.
49:50
SPEAKER_14: Okay, so like I was wondering, like, if you guys like favor a certain style, is it harder to like uh critique the other styles that like you don't like know a lot more of?
50:01
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we so one of your jobs as a judge is to try or hope to know pretty much practically every dance genre under the sun.
50:11
SPEAKER_04: We were saying this before, we're like even clogging.
50:14
SPEAKER_04: We're we're you know, we sometimes we have to judge clogging, and maybe some of us haven't ever put a clogging shoe on in my life.
50:21
SPEAKER_04: But I'm gonna figure out how to judge clogging and I'm gonna talk about other elements.
50:25
SPEAKER_04: Maybe I might not be able to talk perfectly about the technique, but I'm gonna be able to talk about if your formations are clean and if your lines are straight and if your stage presence is there and if your precision is there and if your arm lines are clear, there's so much more to talk about.
50:37
SPEAKER_04: You know, especially even me just saying that about clogging, if you've ever received a blank critique tape, how?
50:44
SPEAKER_04: Because there's so much to talk about in any style of dance.
50:47
SPEAKER_04: It doesn't matter if you have experience in it, you can talk about it.
50:51
SPEAKER_04: So for me personally, if is it harder for me to judge other styles that I'm less familiar with?
50:58
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, I feel like that if my specialty is jazz, then that's I can, you know, I feel more confident in the jazz critiques than I would if maybe I haven't taken a hip-hop class in a long time and hip-hop comes up and I have less training in hip-hop.
51:13
SPEAKER_04: But that doesn't mean that my critique is going to slack or, you know, not be as full in other ways and elements and using my training from my other styles to be able to provide feedback.
51:25
SPEAKER_04: But I will say it is sometimes hard.
51:27
SPEAKER_04: I mean, I've definitely sat on the panel and like, oh man, I this is so out of my element, but we're gonna figure it out.
51:33
SPEAKER_04: We're gonna, you know, if like crumping's on the stage, I'm like, I've never crumped before, but like, you know, I'm gonna figure it out and say, you know, like, yeah, folklore, yeah.
51:44
SPEAKER_04: Like Irish step, I've never done that.
51:46
SPEAKER_04: Like, you know, you just make it work.
51:49
SPEAKER_04: So traditional Ukrainian dancing, I've even had to do I've judged hula, I've judged, yes, uh cultural, like Indi, Indian Bollywood, Chinese ballet.
52:03
SPEAKER_04: Like it's yeah, so many, we see so many things as a judge, and we always find a critique.
52:09
SPEAKER_00: We always give you a critique.
52:11
SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, it also goes back to us learning, continuing our education, because then when we're presented with something that we may feel uncomfortable, you should see us.
52:20
SPEAKER_00: We all go online and we look it up and we look up, you know, where it started.
52:23
SPEAKER_00: And it's so your training is always continuing as a judge, I think, whenever something new is you know presented in front of you.
52:31
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
52:32
SPEAKER_04: All right.
52:33
SPEAKER_04: Uh do you have do you have a question?
52:35
SPEAKER_04: Okay, yeah.
52:36
SPEAKER_04: Oh, I'm sorry.
52:37
SPEAKER_04: Okay, go into uh this might be our final question because what's my hi, I'm Maddie.
52:43
SPEAKER_06: I'm also from Children's Dance Workshop.
52:46
SPEAKER_06: Welcome.
52:47
SPEAKER_06: Final question.
52:48
SPEAKER_06: And I had a question about how to tell a story besides the fact of costume type of dance, stuff like that.
52:56
SPEAKER_06: How do you think that you should tell a story while you're up on the stage?
52:59
SPEAKER_06: Great one.
53:00
SPEAKER_16: That's a Christina Beletti question.
53:04
SPEAKER_11: I think there's a lot of wonderful ways to tell a story within first of all, it needs to be placed within the choreography.
53:10
SPEAKER_11: That would be the first place to start, is um within the staging of setting a focal point, of establishing uh a place of focus, maybe for the dancer to uh kind of say this is where this is coming from, or maybe it's somewhere internal.
53:24
SPEAKER_11: But I think another fantastic way is to really make sure that you're listening to the lyrics and embodying the texture of what it is that it's saying.
53:32
SPEAKER_11: So if I'm talking about something with my heart, if it's heavy, I'm going to be pulling it in and feeling a little bit more weighted.
53:37
SPEAKER_11: If it's a little bit more light, then I'm gonna lift up.
53:39
SPEAKER_11: So it's playing with your levels, playing with your textures and making sure that you're really embodying that musicality.
53:44
SPEAKER_11: If it's something in the lyrics, you know, where the music's building and we're being hopeful, then I'm hoping that you're gonna be up and lifted and being very expressive rather than keeping that weight down.
53:55
SPEAKER_11: So it's really just trying to tune into those lyrics, really embodying those lyrics, really listening to that musicality and using your eyes and your focus.
54:03
SPEAKER_11: We have to remember in the end that dance is an expansion of body language ultimately.
54:08
SPEAKER_11: So, in order for us to gather that information, you need to be embodying what that emotion is, being able to expand on how we would carry that emotion.
54:16
SPEAKER_11: I think kind of putting all of those things together really help you um portray a story, portray a character, and really uh let the audience connect with what it is that you're trying to um share.
54:27
SPEAKER_04: I think it's important that when Christina says like be a character, I think a lot of people immediately think of musical theatre and we have to be a character.
54:35
SPEAKER_04: And that's not necessarily true.
54:37
SPEAKER_04: You can you can have a story and be a character in whatever world you create, just you know, in contemporary dance, in a lyrical dance.
54:45
SPEAKER_04: I mean, lyrical especially.
54:46
SPEAKER_04: We want to see that storytelling that's part of the genre.
54:50
SPEAKER_04: So create your story for you.
54:52
SPEAKER_04: Even something that I learned when I became a professional dancer and started working in musical theater was like the choreographer would be like, Well, what's your character's name?
55:02
SPEAKER_04: And I was like, I don't know.
55:03
SPEAKER_04: You didn't give me a character.
55:04
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, ensemble dancer number two, exactly.
55:07
SPEAKER_04: And the they're like, No, no, no, you need to have your character needs a name.
55:10
SPEAKER_04: You need to create it, you need to figure out like who is this person, and you need to bring that character to your performance.
55:15
SPEAKER_04: Even though I was cast as ensemble number member number two, I still had an internal story that was going through my head when I was performing that.
55:25
SPEAKER_04: And yes, that's musical theater, but musical theater is every genre at this point.
55:28
SPEAKER_04: You can do contemporary hip-hop, jazz, tap in in musical theater.
55:32
SPEAKER_04: So approach competition dance and your routine the exact same way.
55:36
SPEAKER_04: It doesn't matter if it's a tap dance, you should still have a performance.
55:40
SPEAKER_04: You should still have that storytelling and using your eyes, like Christina said, I'm huge on that.
55:45
SPEAKER_04: If a dancer is just stuck with their focus forward, it either tells me that you're in the mirror too much at rehearsal or you haven't created that story.
55:53
SPEAKER_04: And that also goes with the choreographer being able to give different focus changes.
55:57
SPEAKER_04: It's going to say something.
55:58
SPEAKER_04: Like when your focus goes over here, the audience is going to be like, what is she looking at?
56:02
SPEAKER_04: You know, like that's immediately like, why did she look that way?
56:05
SPEAKER_04: Maybe she's having a conversation with someone over there.
56:08
SPEAKER_04: You don't know what that story is, but your job as the dancer is to portray that story to us.
56:13
SPEAKER_04: So focus and just finding that story from within is put that into every dance that you do.
56:18
SPEAKER_18: Yeah, I I work with not dancers, but also figure skaters and artistry for them is a really big thing, obviously, as well.
56:25
SPEAKER_18: Um, so what we do when when we're working on programs is I'll have them play the music.
56:30
SPEAKER_18: I mean, several times, but we'll go through and we will create a story that means something to them throughout the highs in the in the song.
56:37
SPEAKER_18: What is that?
56:38
SPEAKER_18: What is what part of the story is that the lows?
56:40
SPEAKER_18: Like they create a full story along with the with the music.
56:44
SPEAKER_18: And then they go back and when you're performing it, it means something to you.
56:48
SPEAKER_18: So in that sense, that's gonna come across to the audience and that's where that storytelling will come in.
56:53
SPEAKER_18: We may not know what the story is, but they do, and that's what matters.
56:57
SPEAKER_18: And if they bring that forward, then I think that that's where that story element, storytelling element comes in.
57:03
SPEAKER_00: I have one thing to add to that too.
57:05
SPEAKER_00: One thing I like to tell young dancers while they're training is a good way to do that is like everyone is saying, listen to the music, connect to the music.
57:13
SPEAKER_00: I like to say, go home, put them put the music in your ears and look at yourself in the mirror.
57:18
SPEAKER_00: And if what you're thinking of is not reading on your face, then that's where you need to start.
57:23
SPEAKER_00: You know, you need to look at your facial expression, make sure what you're thinking and how you're feeling is actually projecting out.
57:29
SPEAKER_00: So just keep listening to the music until you can get through that whole storyline.
57:33
SPEAKER_00: It might help.
57:34
SPEAKER_04: Okay, final, final, final, final question.
57:40
SPEAKER_09: Thank you.
57:41
SPEAKER_09: So can you guys touch more on scoring?
57:44
SPEAKER_09: So as a group, we've received specifically the decimals, we've received numbers like 97.04.
57:53
SPEAKER_09: Like where does the where does the how do you how does 90.96 get deducted from someone's score?
57:59
SPEAKER_09: Like that's funny.
58:04
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
58:05
SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
58:08
SPEAKER_04: So we we have on RN, we have a a range for your score, just like you see in your program out of 300 is equals a this and a that and a this, you know, at ultimate sapphire and a diamond, whatever, whatever all of the rankings are.
58:24
SPEAKER_04: So on our end, out of a hundred, we know what each level range is.
58:29
SPEAKER_04: And it's for us, some we have to incorporate the decimals because if we didn't, then there would be too many of the same scores, and then we wouldn't be able to break ties and overalls.
58:39
SPEAKER_04: So that's why decimals are really, really important in scoring a competition.
58:42
SPEAKER_04: But it's not about like, well, you got a tenth of a point off here and you got a five points off here.
58:47
SPEAKER_04: Like we're we're actually kind of, especially with Diva with a single number score, we are thinking about those things in our head, but it's it's just not broken down for you to see because it's a single number score.
58:57
SPEAKER_04: Whereas other competitions might have subcategories of technique, performance, costume, execution, choreography, or whatever.
59:04
SPEAKER_04: And you might see where those deductions happened, if that makes sense.
59:07
SPEAKER_04: And it might make more sense for you as to how that final number was figured out.
59:11
SPEAKER_04: But in Diva, we kind of put all of those things in our head and then kind of figure out all right, where where do we feel like this dance fits in the range if I wanted to get an ultimate diamond?
59:22
SPEAKER_04: I needed to be within this range.
59:24
SPEAKER_04: And do I want it to be a high ultimate diamond to show them that they're almost there, but just not yet?
59:30
SPEAKER_04: Do you know what I mean?
59:31
SPEAKER_04: We kind of put those decimals there on the brink, tell you you're so close, but there's just a little, and when you listen to the critiques, then you'll understand what was missing and what you need to work on to get to that next award ranking, if that makes sense.
59:46
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I love it.
59:48
SPEAKER_04: It's a great question.
59:50
SPEAKER_04: Everyone wants to know these things.
59:52
SPEAKER_04: Like everyone's wondering.
59:54
SPEAKER_04: So, yes, sometimes, because it's important for us to see the full category at times where we can be like, all right, well, I know, I know for me, there have been times, I don't know if you guys feel this way, where you watch a dance and you're like, whoa, that blew my mind.
1:00:07
SPEAKER_04: This was one of the best dances I've seen all day.
1:00:10
SPEAKER_04: You score it high.
1:00:11
SPEAKER_04: You don't know what else is coming, though.
1:00:12
SPEAKER_04: Do you know what I mean?
1:00:13
SPEAKER_04: You don't know.
1:00:14
SPEAKER_04: And at that point, you kind of leave a little, you could leave a little bit of wiggle room where you could still go higher than that because they're not perfect.
1:00:21
SPEAKER_04: You know, sometimes we give the crown jewel out here at Diva, not all the time.
1:00:25
SPEAKER_04: So you're not perfect all the time.
1:00:27
SPEAKER_04: And we can leave a little bit of wiggle room where we can, you know, if someone else comes along and is more impressive and we're like, whoa, we're blown away even more, then we can and we log, we keep track of our scores so we can reference them.
1:00:40
SPEAKER_04: So we can remember, oh, we really loved that one.
1:00:42
SPEAKER_04: Well, let me see what I scored them.
1:00:44
SPEAKER_04: All right.
1:00:44
SPEAKER_04: Well, I guess I'm gonna bump this one up higher because I think this dance, I liked it this, thought this dancer executed it better.
1:00:50
SPEAKER_16: And Lisa you should see some of these judges' notes.
1:00:53
SPEAKER_16: Like when I direct for Spirit of Dance Awards, when I go back and I'm like looking through everybody's judge folder, like the extensive notes these people are taking.
1:01:02
SPEAKER_16: So it's it's really not like, oh, I looked back and I have no idea who that girl was.
1:01:05
SPEAKER_16: No, she was wearing blue and she did that tilt to the side.
1:01:08
SPEAKER_16: Like, we do remember if it's something that like really high and it really comes down to a decimal point, like there will be a moment at some competitions where you will say, like, some the tabulator will say, Okay, guys, is this what is this the right order of the top three?
1:01:24
SPEAKER_16: Because it's just that tight.
1:01:25
SPEAKER_16: And we really we know how important it is.
1:01:27
SPEAKER_16: Like you're asking this question because it's clearly it's very important and math is hard.
1:01:33
SPEAKER_16: So yeah, it's not a bad question, but it's very um, it's different for every single competition, especially when it the rubric is broken down into four or five different categories of scoring.
1:01:44
SPEAKER_16: Like that's really when you see the decimal points and kind of why they matter.
1:01:48
SPEAKER_00: I just think going forward, what will help you with the decimal system is to think of it as an addition, not a subtraction.
1:01:55
SPEAKER_00: With us, it's usually an addition.
1:01:57
SPEAKER_00: Like it's like a decimal point higher, not a decimal, you know, not 60.64 lower, you know?
1:02:04
SPEAKER_00: It's it's literally a decimal higher.
1:02:07
SPEAKER_04: It was it was a very important question to end out the live with.
1:02:10
SPEAKER_04: So thank you for asking that.
1:02:12
SPEAKER_04: You guys truly, this was so exciting.
1:02:15
SPEAKER_04: Uh we always have like three prepared questions, you know, just in case people don't want to ask any.
1:02:20
SPEAKER_04: Sometimes we have a shy audience.
1:02:22
SPEAKER_04: Yes, you guys were not shy, not shy at all.
1:02:24
SPEAKER_04: You had all your questions prepared.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_04: You came prepared for the QA.
1:02:28
SPEAKER_04: And I want to give a huge shout out to our fabulous IDA judges for sitting after a very long day of judging, to be here to answer your fabulous questions and to join us in all their support.
1:02:39
SPEAKER_04: We just love working with them, and we want to give a huge shout out to Viva Dance Competition on their 10th anniversary national for hosting us.
1:02:47
SPEAKER_04: We've just been so grateful for the support from Viva from the very, very, very beginning.
1:02:51
SPEAKER_04: And if you've been around Viva for years, or if it's your first time at Viva, then you have no, you've been you've been coming here for 10 years.
1:03:00
SPEAKER_04: Oh my god.
1:03:01
SPEAKER_04: OG is awesome! OG is for real.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_04: That's fantastic.
1:03:07
SPEAKER_04: I love that support.
1:03:08
SPEAKER_17: All right, we wouldn't beat Viva without IDIB.
1:03:10
SPEAKER_17: We wouldn't.
1:03:11
SPEAKER_17: It's good.
1:03:13
SPEAKER_17: Words can't explain how important you people are and make such a difference in all of these kids' lives, and they just care so so so much if you know they care, but it's so far beyond what you even have to see up here.
1:03:26
SPEAKER_17: They're so invested and we are so grateful because it's amazing.
1:03:29
SPEAKER_17: You're all amazing.
1:03:30
SPEAKER_17: We love you and give us that.
1:03:59
SPEAKER_04: Well, everybody, thanks so much for joining us and sending your evening with us.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_04: And you will be able to listen to yourself on a podcast coming soon.
1:04:07
SPEAKER_04: So for you.
1:04:09
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1:04:11
SPEAKER_04: We are launching new seasons starting September 1st.
1:04:14
SPEAKER_04: Thanks, everybody!