Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / The IT Factor - Do You Have It?

Transcript

The IT Factor - Do You Have It? · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance, from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know it when you see it.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: The confidence, the swagger, the it factor.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: All dancers want it, but can everyone have it?
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Our guests today on Making the Impact are convention teachers and choreographers who are always looking for that dancer with a special something.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: They're here to tell us how to stand out in the crowd.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_04: Hey everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_04: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host, Leslie Miller.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Hey Courtney, have you been enjoying the little nip in the air that means fall is coming?
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: Fall is almost here, and fall is probably my favorite season in New York City.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm can't wait for it.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_04: Can't wait for all the leaves changing.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_04: I can't wait to get the jackets out and bundle up a little bit.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_04: It's not gonna be as hot everywhere.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so looking forward to it.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate the not hot.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: What I don't appreciate is needing a jacket because I was literally just saying right before this that I don't have any jackets.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I don't like to buy jackets, I don't like how I look in a jacket, but you always need a jacket.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm like really struggling with fall because I do like it, but then I'm a little cold.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_04: I can't believe you don't have jackets.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_04: I have every type of jacket possible, every size, long, shorts, denim, leather, puffer, all of the things.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna do it in my closet because I can't do it.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: I have no, I have literally no jacket.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: I have winter coats and that's all.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that's too much.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_04: You need to find that perfect lightweight jacket that you can just always have, throw it on, and enjoy the fall weather out there.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_04: But you're in Jersey now, you're not walking around as often as you used to when you were a New Yorker.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what it is, is that I struggle when I like the couple of times that I'm gonna need a jacket.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what do I wear?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: And you can't just walk around in a hoodie all the time.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: I do have a lot of hoodies, but I don't even know how that happened.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not even a hoodie girl.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: I just have them.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_04: I feel you.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: Well, fall is here and the dance season has begun.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_04: A lot of dancers are back in action attending their weekly technique classes.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_04: I hope it's going great for everyone out there, the dancers listening, the dance parents listening, the dance teachers who are starting off their season.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_04: And we are jumping into an episode that I'm really excited about tod uh today because it's all about having the it factor and what that actually means.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_04: And I think our guests are gonna be the perfect guests for this chat.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think they're gonna have a lot to say.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm interested to hear what that is and what everybody thinks it is.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: And can you teach it?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Can you learn it?
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just something people have?
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's gonna be an interesting conversation.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: But before we jump in, let's hear from our sponsors for this episode.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_04: Roots Dance Summit, powered by Francisco Gella Danceworks, aims to create a vibrant and inclusive community for dance studios by emphasizing artistic excellence and empowering young dancers.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_04: This is a new groundbreaking educational and competitive experience for studio communities, uniting dancers, parents, teachers, and directors.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_04: Their program balances healthy competition with celebration and community building through inspiring workshops and holistic seminars.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_04: Open to dancers ages 10 through 18, the competition portion of the event highlights traditional codified genres of dance, like ballet, modern, contemporary, improvisation, and jazz.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_04: Roots Dance Summit offers a comprehensive educational experience for studios, promoting team unity and self-assurance.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_04: Their inaugural season in 2025 will host two events in Phoenix, Arizona, and Montgomery, Alabama.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_04: Registration is now open.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_04: Visit their website to learn more and register for an upcoming event at RootsDanceSummit.com.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_04: Hey Danceworld, it's Courtney, and I want to tell you about a program that is near and dear to my heart, and that is Young Arts.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_04: Young Arts is one of the only organizations in the United States that supports young, aspiring artists across 10 disciplines, including dance.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_04: Young Arts offers a national arts competition, open to visual, literary, and performing artists between the ages of 15 to 18 or in grades 10 through 12, and guess what?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_04: Applications are now open.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_04: By applying to Young Arts, your dancer will have the chance to receive mentorship and cash awards, gain access to a lifetime of creative and professional development, and become part of an uplifting intergenerational community that helps artists connect, create, and collaborate throughout their careers.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_04: As a Young Arts dance winner in 2007, I can tell you how eye-opening and impactful my experience was as a high school senior heading to Young Arts Week in Miami.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_04: I met lifelong friends, worked with the legendary icons in the dance world, and grew as an artist.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_04: This program is so much more than just an award opportunity.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_04: It truly changed my life and helped me start my career in the dance world.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_04: I highly encourage and recommend all dancers who are ages 15 to 18 or currently in grades 10 through 12 to apply to Young Arts and enter into their national arts competition now.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_04: The deadline to apply is Thursday, October 17th, 2024.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_04: Learn more and start your application today by clicking the link in our show notes or visiting their website at youngarts.org slash apply.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_04: All right, dance world, we're jumping into our next episode of season six.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm really excited for this one.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_04: This is all about having the it factor.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_04: When you see a dancer who has the it factor, you cannot take your eyes off of them.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_04: You know exactly who I'm talking about.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe you know someone at your studio who is that dancer who just has the it factor.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm curious, and what I think we're gonna learn today, is it something that can be taught, or is it something that's just naturally with you?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_04: Was it were you born with the it factor?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_04: Or are there studios out there that are training dancers with the it factor across the board?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_04: We're gonna learn all about it today, and we have two brand new guests who are joining us on the podcast.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_04: The very first guest that I am so excited to welcome is a very old friend of mine.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_04: We go way back teaching alongside each other on Revel Dance Convention many, many, many years ago.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_04: I've had the pleasure of taking his class many times, and he is giving you so much fierce jazz dance in this beautiful dance world.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_04: I am so excited to welcome Noel Bajandez to the podcast.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome, Noel.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, Courtney.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for having me.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_04: I'm thrilled that this finally worked out.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_04: And also, I just have to say that you are the one that actually recommended this awesome topic idea, having the it factor.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_04: So I knew I had to have you on the podcast to talk about it.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I'm excited we're gonna talk about it.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, and uh thank you also for signing on early because I messed up the time zones and you are tuning in from London right now.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_04: It's 10 o'clock over there, PM.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's eight.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_04: We're making it making it work.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_04: Fabulous.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: Well, Noelle, if you could share with the world a little bit more about you, where you grew up, what your early dance training was like, any career credits, and what you're currently working on now.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I was born and raised in New Jersey.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_05: My parents are Puerto Rican, and you know, I I being Puerto Rican and growing up in that household, all we did was listen to music and and dance in the living room.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_05: And so that was my earliest memory of dance.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_05: And uh my my I was the only boy for a long time.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_05: I had three female cousins who was a bit old who were a bit older than me.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_05: And so uh my aunt would make me partner dance with them in the living room.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_05: I took uh theater when I was a kid.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_05: I still remember my lines from when I was uh in uh in kindergarten.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_05: Uh we did a play, and I still remember my lines from that time.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_05: And uh yeah, I went to all my high school dances and I I grew up watching music videos and and tours and and award shows.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_05: And so I was never that kid that went to dance class per se, where where you know I was in front of mirrors or danced with with other kids in the studio.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_05: For me, dance was was again dancing at home and and parties and and and watching music videos and and learning it from the artist and the dancer themselves on TV.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_05: And uh and yeah, I wanted uh to I did theater in high school as well.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_05: I did the choir for maybe about a year, but that only lasted a year.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_05: And um and yeah, I wanted to be a chef, so I went to school for culinary arts.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, and uh, but I still danced in college.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_05: It's something that I again I always did.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_05: I did talent shows as well.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_05: And and then when culinary didn't work out because I had to leave college because it was too much money at the time.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_05: I started dancing in a dance company in New York in Harlem.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_05: And uh and to kill time, honestly.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_05: 23 years later, I'm still killing time.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yes, you are I am, yeah.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_05: And uh my first music video that I did was Lumi D's Uh-oh.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_05: Remember that song in 2003?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_05: It was Uh oh.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_05: Uh oh yeah.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_04: Uh yeah.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_05: He was 19 when that happened.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, since then I've danced with Cirque du Soleil, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, I've done La La Land in the Heights, the movie.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_05: I've worked under Mia Michaels, Tony Basil, and uh I've taught all over the world and and now we're here.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so yeah, that's that's kind of my life in a in a nutshell.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_05: But we could probably get deeper once we get into more conversation.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_05: But yeah, that's kind of kind of my my thing.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_04: I love um hearing that you came from like a non-studio training background, and it's really refreshing to hear that you can make it, obviously, without having to be, you know, spending trillions and millions of dollars training, eat, sleep, breathe competitions 24-7, and that you can, you know, have a career in this just through your dance community that it exists out there.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_05: Well, you know, it's a different kind of love, I think.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_05: And and I always talk about it.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_05: It's I because dance was always it was never forced on me, it was never something that was structured per se.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_05: It was never a discipline, I guess.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_05: I I was it was it was always out of joy and and uh and fun, good music, it being eventful, so and parties and and cookouts, and and so and watching it on TV just it it lit up my world.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_05: And so I think I have a very different relationship with dance and a different, which then gives me a different approach to my discipline in my in my my career because I love it so much.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_05: You know, there's a deep rooted love for dance and music.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_05: And so my drive with with my career is is that where it's not about it was never about being perfect or dancing in a group or or you know, drilling on a day-to-day basis.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_05: And I did that in my throughout my career.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_05: I ended up having to do that to get better and to, you know, work.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_05: But um, but yeah, that's uh it's a it's a really cool sort of uh, I guess, backstory.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_05: And a lot of dancers that I know that I'm close with also have that same experience.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_05: And so yeah.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_04: Amazing.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I'm always admiring you from a distance and we'll be jumping in your class next time we're both in New York City at the same time.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_04: And thank you for all that you do in the dance education space as well.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm happy that you're here.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_04: So thanks so much.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_04: All right, our next special guest who is brand new to the podcast is another person who I have been admiring for a very long time.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that so many of the dancers and parents and studios tuning in probably have as well, because she is taking the jazz dance world by storm, not only with her amazing choreography, but her insane dance ability.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh, I could watch her dance all day long.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_04: And with that being said, we knew we had to have somebody who actually has the it factor on this episode when talking about it, so they can share their experience and tell us how do we get it?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_04: How do we become a Megan Sanit?
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited to welcome the Megan Sannet to the podcast.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Courtney.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: That really thank you for that introduction.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: That was absolutely lovely.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm this is actually my very first podcast I've ever been on.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm like kind of like nervous a little bit, but like we're it's gonna be good.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: That like the vibes are right.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: But kind of a little bit about me, I grew up pretty much in the studio life.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: I went to a competition studio from about the age of like like when I was like a little tater tot at three years old, and then kind of stopped competing with that studio around the age of 13.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: But my mom sat my older sister and I in front of the TV and played all of the classics.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like I grew up like idolizing like Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Sid Cherice, all Fred of Stare, all of these like just iconic human beings.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I I locked in from such a young age watching people that I realize now later in my career had the it factor, and I was just always kind of consumed and enthralled and excited about what they were doing and how can I put that into what I was wanting to do.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: So even from a super young age, I always was drawn to watching those types of people as we all are.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: But I grew up in Los Angeles, a little bit outside of LA, competed until I was about 13, and then I cut ways with my studio.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: And luckily, The Edge, which was a for those of you who don't know, a very professional dance studio out in the Los Angeles area, which unfortunately closed down due to COVID and all that craziness.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: But The Edge was like the place to go.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: Every major teacher would teach like weekly classes.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I remember, like, like gosh, Doug Caldwell would teach lyrical out there, Mandy Moore was a regular teaching, and just like all of these incredible artists that I as a young dancer got to take from from a very young age, just in my teen years.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: So grew up luckily really doing doing that type of stuff.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: So I never really competed into my teenage years.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I worked with a uh Tremaine dance conventions, and I just so obsessed with Joe Tremaine and everything jazz that he stands for, and he's absolutely iconic.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: But I grew up through their performance company program and got to kind of tour the country.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: And now what's so exciting is that so many conventions have different like performance company opportunities for teens and and dancers in the uh convention world.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I had such a brilliant time doing all of that.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I got a little bit older, I was like, you know what?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: I wanna, I I was born and raised in LA.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: I was feeling super comfortable here, and I was like, you know, I need to kind of grow and change and get out of my comfort zone if I really want to see anything, any benefits from that.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I packed my bags and moved to New York City and froze my butt off.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's cold here.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_05: It's cold, it's so cold.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: It is too cold.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: I know I didn't seriously, it is crazy.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: But you know what?
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_01: I what I learned from training in New York, uh there were classes in LA that I was taking, and I really thought in my head, like, I'm in LA, I'm gonna be a commercial hip-hop, jazz punk dancer.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: But I I realized I was like, yeah, there's something missing.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like my I miss dancing like technique, I miss all that stuff.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so I moved to New York and just fell in love with the amount of jazz and technique that was available in all styles, all varieties, all the time.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like there is it is what my favorite place to train on this planet.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like New York has it down.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I stayed in New York for about five years and just took class from everybody I could, you know, get my hands on.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh my gosh, I need to take from the greats, like Josh Burgas, all of these like Josh Asor, all the Josh's, by the way.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: But just all of these incredible, beautiful humans, Carla Garcia, like just so many people that brought a different energy and a different subtlety to their movement that I wasn't really tapped into.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I really felt that my like it factor arrived when I moved to New York and like was training alongside these like ensemble dancers of Broadway shows on Mondays and like doing all of these things that LA is it's so much more spread out, the dance community, but in New York it's so concentrated.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: So you get to see so many incredible, like well-seasoned dancers, and then you get to see like the greenies, like the cutie newbies that are just like like deer and headlights as adorable as that is.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I I absolutely fell in love with New York and the training, and yeah, that's kind of oh, and uh like little career highlight moments, like in in New York, I did multiple Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades, which were all technical like dance jobs, which was really fun.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: I was also in in the heights, but that was so funny because I was in completely different scenes in Noah, which was great.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: I and then I worked with uh Paula Abdul, Julie Andrews, Nitsi Gaynor, uh Cheetah Rivera.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Just I've I've had a really lovely career.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Legends, legends will forever be legends.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I I feel so grateful that I got to still have a career in the way that I really saw it going and and stuck true to like what I really love to do, which is jazz and technique and all of that.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, that's kind of it.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: That was my long-winded answer.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_04: Amazing.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_04: You've had such a great journey.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_04: And thank you.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm sure, like I said, a lot of us are watching the fabulousness and the fierceness that you are bringing to the dance convention world, to your classes, and to your education space.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_04: So thank you for all that you're doing for jazz and inspiring the next generation.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_04: All right.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_04: Let's jump on in and learn how we can all get that it factor incorporated.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: And can we?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Can we?
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to uh kick it off with uh Noelle, who suggested this topic in the first place by having you, and then Megan, you can chime in if yours is different.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: Give us your definition of the it factor.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_05: Oh you know, it's funny.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_05: I was thinking about this today too.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_05: I it's I think the it factor is for me, it's power.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_05: It's power and it's the ability to be aware of that power for me.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you you can be talented at dance, you can, you know, you you can be talented in drawing, right?
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_05: But there's there's this one thing where where you it's something that you tap into.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_05: And I talk about, you know, I when I teach my classes, I I don't think it's something you can teach.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_05: I think it's, I think you can you can give dancers tools on how to tap into an ability or tap into that power or tap into an awareness.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I talk a lot about awareness in my classes and being aware of your space, being aware of their environment, your environment, being aware of what you're doing.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_05: And I think it's being aware of what you have and how to tap into that.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_05: Because again, like I said, I love dance.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_05: That's the thing that drives me.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_05: It's my passion, it's my love.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_05: And so because I love it, I always want to get better at it.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_05: I always want to be good at it.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_05: And my examples growing up were watching Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Prince, uh, Paul Abdul, Jana Jackson, Fossey, Fred.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_05: You know, these are all people that had an ability that drew you in.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_05: And so as a kid, I'm going, I was, I was affected by that.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_05: See what I mean?
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_05: I was, and I was aware that I was affected by that.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_05: And I wanted, I think at some point, I wanted to achieve that.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_05: I wanted to know, because I knew what it felt like being me being affected by it.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm going, well, I wonder if I can possess that and be able to have that same effect.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_05: And because I already love dance and I enjoyed it and I and I knew how to dance in my own space, it was something that I practiced on my own.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_05: And again, it's not like you're sharpening a knife.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_05: It's again, it's like you're being aware of a certain ability and then and then you're just pushing it out little by little.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_05: That makes sense.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_04: It's a hard thing to define, I think, for sure.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_04: It is a hard thing to define.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_05: But it's, you know, we always talk about, oh, they got the if factor.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_05: Well, well, what is that?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, again, you can be talented at dance, but you might not really love it to the point that you want to make a shift or a different.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you might not really have that core passion that you want to make a difference with it.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe it's just something you enjoy doing on stage or with your friends, or because it's a social thing.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_05: Or, you know, everybody loves having a moment where they can shine and be on stage and dance.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_05: But how many do you know that that really want to make a difference out of it or from it, or with it in a way that it affects?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_05: And so, you know, it's uh we can go hella deep on on how what this is, but it's it's psychological, you know, it's a psychological thing, it's a uh it's a it's a feeling and it's a magic and it's a it's it's a it's an image and it's a power that you can again, you have to be aware of it.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_05: Latch onto it and let me take it for a ride, or let it take me for a ride, you know?
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: That like all gave me chills.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: I want to hear um I want to hear Megan Megan's interpretation.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: Well, you know, basically I I watched Megan dance.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_05: And I mean I I know I was just I was just giving Megan flowers before we started the broadcast because I think she's fabulous to watch.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_05: And I it's the reason why I love watching her dance.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_05: It's one, there is an there is an immense amount of knowledge in what she does physically, right?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_05: What you do physically with your body, right?
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_05: Then there's this, right?
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_04: You can't see it, but I am following.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_04: I am following what you're saying.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_05: There's a there's a snap in there.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_05: And you know when somebody is in, and you know when just somebody's gone with emotions.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_04: Do you know what I mean?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_05: I think that again, it's it's you can have multiple definitions or or layers on what that is, but that is it's that.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: I agree.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: I think power is such a good word to describe it, but I also think for me, because again, I judge all across the country, you know, we all do the the convention circuits and the competition and kind of it's it's those like if I'm talking like specifically about soloists or at, you know, at your studio, if you have like that one dancer that always is in the front or whatever, it's like, why is that happening?
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: Why are they, you know, I think it has to do a lot with confidence.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that confidence can it goes even beyond how talented you are.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I and that's why I'm like such a big advocate these days, especially with this generation, for mental health and what you're doing beyond your dance training and not getting burnt out and taking care of your body and doing all the things like I mean, I'm a total Olympics nerd, by the way.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: I literally was glued to my television.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: But what Simone Biles kind of shed light on is you can be the great, you can be the goat.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: You can be the greatest of all time.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: But if your mental capacity isn't right and you're not firing on all cylinders, you're going to be affected.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I think dancers can also kind of take that into account to be like, hey, what am I doing to fuel my body?
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: What am I doing to take care of my body?
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: What am I doing to fuel my like my brain as far as like, do I want to be in these classes?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Do I want to be taking dance this much?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: Do I want to be doing it this seriously?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: Kind of those types of conversations.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: I know for a lot of dancers that I would consider that have the it factor, they really do take care of those types of things.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Cause again, what what you're doing on the inside absolutely shines out through the outside.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: So for especially like younger dancers that are competing, when I see those dancers that I like, I'm like, oh my God, like you just have that star quality.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's because they have so much like confidence out there.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: And it's and it's usually, honestly, it's usually not the most technical dancers that I find the most exciting to watch.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, coming from a huge technical background, like I love technique.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's super important, but it is not the most important thing in terms of being a performer and being someone that shines really bright on stage.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, of course, you're working your butt off because as dancers, we are all motivated in that way, but it's that that confidence and that eye contact and that not being afraid to just go for it and show who you are, and also intention as far as what dance, what piece you're doing, and what is the story and the mood and the vibe behind it to then bring it out to your audience and let them feel that.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: So it's for me, it's a it's a combo platter of like competence, intention, and then what's behind your eyes, like what's in your brain, what is the mental health, you know, portion of that.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: I want to add to this combo platter because I like I like our little menu of items here, individualism.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: Every single person you guys referenced as your inspiration has you can you could silhouette this person and play no music at all and ex and know exactly whose movement that is.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the it factor for me is when you know you wonder why little Sarah is always on in the front.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, because Sarah is really interesting to watch and has that one thing that's just so unique about her that that is who I want to watch.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think that's a really important piece of the puzzle too.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: I absolutely agree with that.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, and jumping off of uh what Megan was saying is yes, you can be the most incredibly technical dancer, but not might not have the it factor, right?
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_05: So, but dance, we use dance as a vessel to to to to to tap into to use our if factory, like it needs something to ride on, right?
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_05: And so you have yeah, I you can walk down the street and and and know somebody has something special about them.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_05: And it's and again, going off what you say, confidence, intention, knowing that there's a power in you that only you possess.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_05: And so you you know, you you you have to take it outside of just the the the work environment and the classroom.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_05: Take it outside, right?
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_05: The things that you do on a daily basis, how you speak to people, how you order food, how you walk down the street, put on, all that are is their elements that add on to what makes you shine, what makes you uh vibrate, what makes people want to look at you, wanna want to away, or wanna be curious about hmm, who's that?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_05: Or wow, I love how they you know.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_05: If you ever walk down the street and somebody goes, Are you an artist?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_05: Or are you a dancer?
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_05: It's we wear it, right?
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_05: We wear it on us.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_05: So, you know, I think that there's there's a vessel, right?
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_05: There's there's those elements, and and we we we we in particular use dance as a vessel to to allow that to shine.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:52
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• 28:01
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• 28:12
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• 28:25
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• 28:27
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• 28:37
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• 28:49
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• 28:57
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• 28:59
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• 29:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, listening to a lot of the the descriptions of, you know, descriptive words and and concepts and things that apply to be having the it factor.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, really like listening to all of y'all, it isn't even really, yes, dan the dancing is important.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_04: Obviously, yes, but it's really more the performance.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_04: It's really more about, like you said, Megan, like what's going on behind the eyes, the intention, the confidence.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_04: Those are all qualities of performance quality.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, that's oftentimes a part of your score at competition, whether people like it or not, that's it's either it's between technique and performance quality.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, and you there's we've seen it all the time.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_04: We've seen those technicians that blow us away that can do a quad, a million pirouettes and kick their leg to their face, and they have literally nothing going on on their expression, and they are boring to watch, and they look like they're forced to be on stage, and it's not coming from the heart, and they don't know what the story is, and they're just going through the motions.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: And that person might have might have been born with the best facility to be a dancer.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_04: They, you know, they might have the lines and the feet and the center and whatever, but you're probably not gonna win first because you don't have the it factor.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_04: The it factor is missing, where there are dancers who will who have the it factor and have that confidence and bring something unique and special to what they're performing to the audience that will be that memorable dancer.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_04: And even, you know, in a convention room, like when you're in a pool of people trying to essentially get the attention of the teacher, whether you're just there for training or if you're trying to win a scholarship, you know, you have to have something that makes our eye go to you.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_04: Whether that is a fierce bot ma and a great pier wet, maybe that's the first thing that makes my eye go to you.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_04: But then do you have the it factor?
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_04: Or it wasn't the it factor that made me look at you first.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_04: And then, okay, you know what?
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_04: They don't have as great of a lay leg extensions as another dancer, but oh, there is something special there.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_04: I cannot take my eyes off of them.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_04: You know, you really there's so many ways to look at it, but I really think it comes down to performance and confidence for sure.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_05: How many times have you been in a in a convention room and and caught somebody in the back of the room?
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, last person.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_05: Everybody wants to be in the front.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_05: And I, you know, and you all of a sudden you catch that one person in the back of the ballroom and you go, or you uh stop.
• 31:45
  unknown: Yeah.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_05: That's how profound it shines.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_05: That's how profound it shines.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_05: And when you carry that with you, when you know you have that, you know, that it's I think it's a thing too that you just can't be coy about.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you there's you know, I always told dancers, be okay with being a bit cocky with with with what you possess, but also be able to back it up, yeah, you know, and and work towards backing that up, you know.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_05: So you're doing the work.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_05: Now let me see it, you know.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_05: You know, sometimes you'll catch them in the back and you go, man, yeah.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: I actually have a a story.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: I was teaching at uh Tremain Dance Convention and I was in the teen room, which is like kind of like the like middle school, right into early high school ages.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember there was, of course, all I depending on what studio you're from and what you know your teacher is telling you in terms of like how you're taking class, what your class etiquette is in convention ballroom, like where to stand and all those things.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_01: But I I specifically remember there was like a line of dancers in the front that were like absolutely killing it in terms of like technique, and their legs were high and their arches were far and all the things, and it was lovely.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: But there was one girl that was maybe, I don't know, three lines back or something that her it it felt like her main focus was to make eye contact with me the whole time.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember I was I was like watching this sea of like beautiful technique, and and again, nothing was wrong with it, and they were, you know, killing it and working it.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_01: But it was that one girl that was three rows back that I was like, I stopped the music and I said, Hey, who are you?
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like what what it and she was so charismatic in her delivery of like, hi, I'm blah, blah, blah.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and and it's I find that that dancers that do possess that it factor also have like a natural charisma about them and they have a personality that they're not afraid to open up and and say, Hey, I'm blah, blah, blah.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's nice to meet you.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: I love your combo.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like just kind of, I feel like some kids kind of get into phone land and that's where their personality goes.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas there's a lot of dancers that have that confidence and that it factor that that just have these glorious and shining personalities that I as someone who would look to hire dancers, it's not always about how flipping talented you are.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, do I really want to spend that much time with you in the rehearsal room?
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Correct.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: As well.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: Correct.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: So, right, you know, and again, if you can follow directions and be an intelligent dancer and have a great personality and be able to vibe in a room, like that's really important as well.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I remember I I just had that memory of class and I was like, gosh, that was such a good, and I hope that dancer like really felt because I I told her I was like, I want you to know that I loved that you are making eye contact with me.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think that is such a valuable tool.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like, keep working on that, keep drilling that.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was a great, a great moment.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: Aw, that's so great.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: That is really cool to hear because I can imagine that it's it would be intimidating to a lot of kids to to even think to do that.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: But I think both of y'all really touched on what like that kind of it factor is kind of inherent in who you are.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you are already somebody who says, I'm comfortable with who I am and I'm here and I'm gonna make eye contact with a teacher and she's gonna notice me.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: And like that's that's what it is.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I I don't think you can teach that.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, that's inherent to you as a human.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_05: And and when Megan said, you know, the a lot of young dancers, not just young people, just really much on their phones, right?
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_05: And I always tell dancers, get experience, right?
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_05: Live life, right?
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_05: Go ahead and go to your friend's house and hang out, go to your your school party, go, you know, those are the things that you get to experience while also being able to develop social skills, yeah, structural skills, conversational skills.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it it creates a very different, it creates a personality.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_05: Outside of the because there is dance personality, but you could, oh, I need to go to smile on stage, right?
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_05: There's that dance personality, that dance persona that teachers tend to tell young dancers what to do to be able to perform on stage.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_05: And yes, give me a smile, right?
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_05: But for personality, yeah.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_05: Personality.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_05: You develop personality by living your personal life.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, going out with yeah, it's true.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_05: You develop personality, and that is that is your thing.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_05: So now you bring you, your personality, what you are practicing outside into this creative space and use dance as a vessel to be able to express it.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and yeah.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: This is like blowing my mind because I'm thinking about again, all those people are this historical it factor people that you guys mentioned.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't spend 24-7 in a dance studio.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_00: They lived their lives, they were scholars of the world.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: Michael Jackson was constantly learning about different things and going to different places.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure the other people are too.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_00: I just know him specifically.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like the the issue with kids these days in the dance studio is that a lot of them, they're they're striving for that perfection of technique because they think that is what they need.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: They need to spend 20 hours in the studio a week.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_00: But then are they going to a museum?
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_00: Are they going on a field trip or are they homeschooled?
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_00: Are they going to a party or are they in the dance studio?
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like all these world real life experiences influence who we are as artists.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: And if we're not, if we're not doing that, then you just have technicians.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, six seasons into this podcast, you know, listeners, we appreciate technique and we know that we want that, you know, we want that.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good thing, but not in not in detriment to being a human being.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_00: And as Megan brought up, you know, you guys had you have different interests.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: You love the Olympics.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_00: Noel, you are almost going to culinary school.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_00: You went to culinary school.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like you're doing all these other things.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that's such an important thing.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, no, am I gonna see somebody on stage and and know exactly what you've done in your life to bring you to the it factor?
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_00: No, but it's all there.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_05: Now, how do you tell how do you tell a young dancer that they might not possess that or maybe that they're having, you know, or that and and you don't want to tell a young dancer that.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_05: So what you do is you try to again give them the tools or or the or create an experience for them that they can potentially, hopefully, possibly even experience a sliver of of something outs, something real outside of this facade that they that is created for them in the competition dance world.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it is a facade.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_05: It's you know, we're gonna we're gonna work on the throw on stage, we're gonna get awards, and that's it.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_05: And yes, you get to perform on stage, but it's it's there's we want to create artists at the end of the day.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_05: We want to create people that are going to change the face of that, they're gonna evolve the the world and humanity.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_05: And us as artists, that's what we do.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_05: You know, we get to change somebody's life, we get to change somebody's perspective, we get to, we get to give somebody a space to to reflect on their feelings or to dive into our own world.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_05: You know, that that's so it's we we get to create captivating experiences for for people.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_05: And so how do you express that to a young dancer who is conditioned to to just be in this sort of machine and and where they're just dancing and smile, you know, it's true, and just be smiling.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_04: But it's it's so true, even it goes back to like how like your upbringing, Noel, like you know, not being in the studio.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I think like your your life experience of of how dance found you is what what makes your dance dancing what it is, and it might be the other way around for a lot of dancers where dance didn't find them, they found dance and were forced to possibly dance.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, I I I think all of us, you know, and especially like Leslie and Megan, like Megan, you said you've been dancing since you were three.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_04: Like Leslie, your mom owns a dance studio, so you were gonna be a dancer, and like I was put into dance because I was bopping around the house, you know, like a lot of kids are put into dance because they're bopping around the house.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_04: And the ones that love it, hopefully stick it, stick to it, and continue on.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_04: But as you as we all have seen through our years, we see the people that just start dropping off like flies because they don't have it in their heart.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_04: And and and there are a lot of people though that I felt like I watched growing up who did have that it factor, but there was also maybe a pressuring parent behind them that made them fall out of love of dance or or things like that that you know, unfortunately sometimes happens where the parent really wants it and the kid has has it and there's something there, but it's just like enough is enough.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_04: You know, you have to kind of uh figure out your dance journey for yourself.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_04: And it goes back to the mental health talk that you were saying, Megan.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_04: So that's a bit I think that is a factor of it too, because you don't you don't want to get so wrapped up into dance where you kind of fall out of love with it.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_04: You want to be able to take it in doses and know what you need now and what's full fueling you at this point in your life and um different types of movement quality.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_04: And and that can even lead into like another question that is one of the ones we wanted to ask was choreography in general and like how how that could influence.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_04: Do you feel like that you need to have specific choreography to bring out the it factor in a dancer, or does that really not matter if if the dancer has it, doesn't matter what they're doing?
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_01: I you know what I think in in terms of we're if we're talking about competition dancers versus like the professional world, I do think that if a dancer slash parent, you're gonna you know pay a bunch of money to have a choreographer choreograph a soloist um or a solo for your your dancer.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_01: I do think that that solo the solo choreography needs to be a tailored to the dancer.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because I've I've seen so many solos that I feel like the dancer doesn't, whether it's the movement or the vibe or the tone, they don't resonate with it.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: And then it it it almost and again goes back to what's behind the eyes, what's going on in your brain.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_01: Are they actually feeling the emotions that they should be feeling during this dance?
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: Do they feel confident dancing the movement?
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, it's like I'm I go by a rule of thumb being like if in rehearsal, if I give you a a piece of choreography or a harder move and you're inconsistently like just not nailing it, it's time to switch rather than pushing them and banging it into their brain to be like, you have to get it, you have to do it.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, what's going on in here?
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_01: And I you know that every time they go on stage, that one moment is gonna trip them up.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I think, I think choreographically, I think whatever whoever is choreographing a solo or a group piece needs to make it tailored to the dancer first and foremost.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: Secondly, I think that honestly versus the professional world, I feel like when you go into auditions for a job, your goal is to make that look good.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_01: And that is the difference between getting something tailored to you versus auditioning in the professional world, which I do think convention classes kind of set you up for, which is great.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, it's not tailored to anyone in the room except for the teacher or the assistant or whatever, right?
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_01: But I think going into the professional world, you already know in your headspace that you have to go in there and make whatever they give you look fantastic because that's how you book the job.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I think there is value in convention.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_01: I I kind of veering off the choreography moment, but I do think there is value in convention, learning convention choreography and going to a lot of different places to learn from a lot of different people because in the professional.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: World, that's what you do.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: It is the convention world, it is literally what every audition kind of looks like.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like it is packed rooms, everyone's shoulder checking each other.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like you're you're you can barely see what's going on up there.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like just all that's I think that training is really if if you're thinking about it in a positive light and really like saying, like, okay, this is gonna set me up for something in the future, that's what's gonna make the transition into the professional world less of a like a shock, right?
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: So I think I think choreograph choreography has a lot to do with it, but I also think that the dancer again has to have that mindset of like, okay, if I'm gonna compete a solo, I'm gonna make this choreography to the best of my ability.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_01: If it's if they're they've talked about the intention, if they've talked about the movement, textures, blah, blah, blah.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I kind of went off on a tangent there.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's a great tangent.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_01: Really good.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and it actually it makes sense.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_05: And and there's and again, off of that, there's you can sprinkle the tools within the choreography that'll allow the dancer to to fall into moments, right?
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_05: I think that you know, I I love when a dancer can uh all of a sudden you see it tap in for them, even for a split second.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_05: And then they might lose it, but there's a moment where it it hits.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_05: And so I tell them, I go, Did you feel that?
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_05: And they go, yes.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_05: Now, now you know what it feels like, right?
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_05: So how can you how can you go back to that?
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_05: Think about what that felt like, think about what you just did to get to that place, and now let's let's practice getting back there, right?
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_05: Right, because now you now you can't tell me you don't, you can't do it because you just did it.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, you cannot unknow this.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can't unknow it.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_05: And so now you have to practice awareness.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_05: You have to practice going, ooh, all right, I felt it now.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_05: How do I go back to that?
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_05: And it's about being aware of the things that you're doing.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_05: And so when when when choreographically, you know, there's there's elements, there's tools you can use and and and uh and conditioning, like walking across the floor slowly, knowing that there's an intention, looking across the room, making sure that when somebody, you know, when I do across the floor, I like to cut, I like to cross the doll.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_05: So if one group is going crossing, what what happens there?
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_05: All of a sudden, you're having an interaction with the person next to you.
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_05: You're looking at them, you're creating interaction, you're creating conversation, you're creating a reaction, you're creating an instinctual thing that we already do as people.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_05: If somebody calls you a name, hey, you look back right away, right?
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_05: And so give these dancers the tools that will allow them to understand that your humanness is the ultimate tool.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_05: It's the ultimate dance, right?
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_05: And so if you can put those elements within the choreography, then it's something that they're familiar with, right?
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_05: And it's young dancers and all dancers.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I work a lot with a lot of beginner adults.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_05: And all of a sudden they, they, there's, you know, we're going across the floor back and forth.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, there's a there's an exercise that I like to do where if the studio is small, right?
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_05: So we're going from the back of the wall to the mirror and we're just walking to the music, but then I'll then I'll go back to the room.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_05: I'll just go, I'll keep on going back and forth, right?
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_05: And there's a transitional step, whether it's me stepping back, maybe it's me turning around, right?
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_05: But there's an awareness of where my weight on my foot is, where I'm gonna turn, where I'm gonna look.
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_05: And when I'm walking with dancers across the floor doing that, you notice I notice a lot of them stumbling to make it back to the other side or stumbling to make it back to this side.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_05: And I and there's a trick that I do where if I have somebody next to me, I start having a conversation with them.
• 47:42
  SPEAKER_05: And so as we're having the conversation, we're still we're walking back and forth.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_05: Now they're not even thinking about the trend.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_05: Walking with me.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_05: And then then all of a sudden I go, You see how you're walking?
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_05: Then they go, Holy.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_05: You know what to do, you're just thinking too hard about it, and you're trying to get somewhere that that is that that isn't there.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you're you're you have to follow what you do instinctually as a person.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_05: You know, we walk every day, we we we hand gesture, we we smile, we talk, we, you know, we have tonnage in our voices.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_05: And so those are things that that if it's within the choreography, it gives them a sense of of of of familiarity.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_05: Totally.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_05: Right?
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_05: So it uh it's uh yeah, you know, so they're familiar with it.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_05: And so then now it makes them aware of what it is, and now they're gonna think about it.
• 48:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it's gonna be easier.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_01: That is so, oh yeah, and I literally, so I I love that you said all that because one of the biggest things that I say in my classes, especially to you know, younger dancers up through the age of 18, I always say, you are a human first, dancer second, and don't forget it.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because that just shifts everything in terms of how you're how you're walking, how you're even doing a passe, like where's your focus?
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_01: What's so human first, dancer second.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_04: Yep.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_04: And talking about walks, I mean, I'm sure I think we're all here to say that like we pro we probably do a lot of walking in our classes and all different types of walking.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, every type of walk, a jazz walk, a strut, a glide, or whatever.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_04: Like there's so many ways to get to travel from one point to another in a dance class.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_04: And it's about how you do it with intention and style.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_04: And a lot of people, I think, you know, I every time I go teach a class anywhere, very first thing everyone knows at this point you should know is that we start with a jazz walk.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_04: And I need to know that you know how to walk with a purpose, with intention, with the right style, with the right mechanics, with the right walking on the beat, feeling the rhythm.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I need to know that you know how to do that before you can we can get to all the flips and the turns and the tricks and all the other good stuff that you think matters.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_04: Because I care how you're moving through space and if it looks good while you're doing it, or if it's bland and boring, which you know, we can we always say we can tell when how someone walks out on stage before they've even started dancing, how this is gonna go at competition.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_00: Or if they're so intimidated by just walking.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like I remember having to tell kids, just walk like a person.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_00: What are you doing?
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why are you walking like that?
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_00: Just walk, just walk.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because they get so in their heads about, oh my gosh, this has got to be perfect.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_00: This has got to be, I have to look a certain way.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_00: No, I just want you to walk.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_00: And then if they can just drop the like, oh no, about it, then you can start.
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the hard part of like, I think, you know, I I don't I don't think back when we were all growing up, anybody's ever said to us, you're a human first, a dancer second.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like that is seems like a very new concept for some reason.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_00: Correct.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_00: But it's but it's true.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I think because there was such a push for so so long about technique and being perfect and doing it right, and like now, now we're kind of getting back to that.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, dance is vernacular, dance is human, dance is something we do socially, like it can be that.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_00: And then you can layer the technique on top of it, but still be able to go back to the root of human beings move their bodies.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I think of the people that remember that and the kids that for whatever reason, you know, maybe they're seven years old and and their technique's a hot mess, but all I want to do is watch that kid on stage.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_00: They're a human and they're dancing and they're expressing joy.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like, wow, that's the if factor.
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_05: Well, that's why I enjoy being in the convention space.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't grow up again, I didn't grow up in a dance studio.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_05: I learned conventions not too long ago, you know.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_05: But my first convention was Revel, and and and for me, it was it was fascinating to see that there were all these young dancers in a ballroom, you know, taking classes.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_05: And I'm going, What did I miss something here?
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_05: So, you know, I don't think that right, but I think that my presence in the space allows me to share an experience that 99% of the dance these dancers don't get to experience.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_05: And I don't think of dance or performance in the same way that they are conditioned to think what it is.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_05: And and so when I go in there and say have a human experience, I'm really talking about let's let's have an experience.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_05: Let's talk about let's let's just let's just have a normal moment to music and then see how we can through that space and then add whatever it is that you want, everything that you have in the art in your belt of of elements and styles and talent.
• 52:30
  SPEAKER_05: But what do you do?
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_05: Let me see how you navigate the space in the music.
• 52:35
  SPEAKER_05: You know, we learn you you remember learning how to walk?
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_03: Do you no?
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_05: We don't, you know, we just we just know that it was something we were just instinctually wanting to do, right?
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_05: Do you imagine us thinking about every step?
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you know what I mean?
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_05: And so there's things so you know, we already move.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_05: And so and so how do you how do you navigate that through dance?
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_05: And then how do you use that to find the theme that makes you the performer, the artist, the superhero within your own universe, right?
• 53:14
  unknown: Yeah.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_04: Hey dancers, it's Courtney, and I'm excited to share with you a program that holds a special place in my heart, Young Arts.
• 53:23
  SPEAKER_04: Young Arts stands out as one of the few organizations in the United States dedicated to nurturing young artists across various disciplines, including dance.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_04: Their national arts competition takes place every year to highlight and feature the top individual, literary, and performing artists in the country between the ages of 15 and 18 or in grades 10 through 12.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_04: Applications are currently open for the 2025 National Arts Competition, where winners can receive mentorship, cash awards, and access to lifelong creative and professional growth opportunities.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_04: Joining Young Arts means becoming a part of a supportive community that fosters connections, creativity, and collaboration throughout one's artistic journey.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_04: Reflecting on my own experience as a Young Arts dance winner in 2007, I can attest to the transformative impact of participating in Young Arts Week in Miami during my senior year of high school.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_04: I made lasting friendships, collaborated with dance legends, and evolved as an artist.
• 54:17
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• 54:24
  SPEAKER_04: I wholeheartedly recommend all dancers ages 15 through 18 or in grades 10 through 12 to apply to Young Arts and enter into their 2025 National Arts Competition.
• 54:34
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• 54:38
  SPEAKER_04: Don't miss this amazing opportunity.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_04: Head to their website at youngarts.org slash apply or click the link in our show notes now to learn more and start your application today.
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I'm I'm so on the same page with you.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_01: I also want to add to that, it's not it's not being like it it is being a good human and it's not being disrespectful to others.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_01: So like I I think we kind of talked about it earlier, but I I always in the back of my head, how you do anything is how you do everything.
• 55:15
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, it's like the the kids that are in my eyes that have that it factor, they're usually really wonderful human beings.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_01: And again, really charismatic and treat like I'm thinking specifically in like a convention setting because that's just where I'm at.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_01: But like those those dancers that I feel like they need to feel like they're super cocky and confident and are again not authentic and being slightly more fake because they think that that's what you need to be in order to be a great dancer and a great person.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like shoulder checking kids and not all apologizing and like you know, not wishing the dancer on stage in front of you like good luck, like those types of things.
• 55:56
  SPEAKER_01: I I think the it factor is not being disrespectful.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's learning, it's learning to be great to everyone.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_05: It's not ego either, you know, it's not ego-driven, right?
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_05: It is a sense of it is, and there's yes, and there is a sense of of ownership, right?
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_05: There is a massive, profound sense of ownership.
• 56:19
  SPEAKER_05: There is a sense of of of confidence, uh, there is a sense of of of having this sort of cockiness to it, but it's it's not ego-driven.
• 56:29
  SPEAKER_05: Again, you understand what you have, but and you tap into that power and you and you deliver.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_05: Because I know I have it, right?
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_05: Megan, I know you know you got it, right?
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_05: It's like it's but there's there's we know we have it.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_05: And we but we don't we don't use it in a way that that uh uh uh that is brings other people down.
• 56:54
  SPEAKER_05: Well it brings other people down, or it's not mean spirited.
• 56:59
  SPEAKER_05: Exactly.
• 57:00
  SPEAKER_05: We don't weaponize it, we don't weaponize it, and we don't use it in a way to gain something more that honestly just it's is is you know, I see I see a lot of young dancers too, and you know, we think about the the the social media world and and where it's gone with TikTok and you know and and Instagram, and you know, they they you're learning a dance and and they'll put the dance up and and and they'll go viral, right?
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, what's going viral is it's not you in the dance, it's the fact that you just put up a dance on the on camera.
• 57:34
  SPEAKER_05: And so, but what happens is that then it's all the attention then feeds the ego, then you go, oh well, I've got something, right?
• 57:46
  SPEAKER_05: No, actually, what you had was a bunch of clicks and and gained some sense of popularity, and now you think you have something that you really don't have, you don't possess that, right?
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_05: You just all the luck, what just happened to you, right?
• 58:01
  SPEAKER_05: And so what it is, it's it's not that.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_05: You know, there's uh how many dancers, incredible dancers, beautiful dancers that have the effect or that perform that can captive captivate, are out there also doing the same thing and putting videos up and don't get the same attention.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_04: It's not always about the views, everybody.
• 58:19
  SPEAKER_04: Come on.
• 58:20
  SPEAKER_05: It's not, you know, it really is.
• 58:22
  SPEAKER_05: And I and I think that that, you know, if you're if you really, and I really try to be as honest with with with my young dancers as as I possibly can without without discouraging them or making them feel like they don't have a chance, because everybody has a chance to achieve something.
• 58:38
  SPEAKER_05: But you have to also be real about the position you're you're in and what you're working towards and and what you have, you know, when you're able and what you're able to do.
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_05: And so when if you can present that in a way that they can understand without them feeling discouraged or or judged, then it allows them to think and go, hmm, all right.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_05: You know, and I'm very honest with my kids, I'm very honest with my agents, I'm very honest, and I I'm of I believe if I create a space that I make I want dance to be for everybody.
• 59:13
  SPEAKER_05: I dance is for everyone, right?
• 59:15
  SPEAKER_05: Performing is can be for everyone, right?
• 59:19
  SPEAKER_05: But not everyone can can have the thing that will will drive them for the rest of their life.
• 59:27
  SPEAKER_05: And and you know what it is is timeless.
• 59:30
  SPEAKER_05: The it factor is timeless.
• 59:32
  SPEAKER_05: You think about again, Fossi, timeless, Michael, timeless, Freddie, timeless, Prince, timeless, right?
• 59:39
  SPEAKER_05: You think about it's their their their what they possessed and what they showed us stood the test of time, and now we possess it and we carry it on.
• 59:50
  SPEAKER_05: We give it, we show somebody else, they go ahead and they carry it on.
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_05: And so, you know, there's there's so many layers to what that is, but you have to be so real with with what you have and how you can possess and what you possess.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that there's a false reality of on on what's been created, especially with social media and phones and and the disconnect, you know, and going back to what you know we were saying about, you know, they're on their phones, they disconnect.
• 1:00:17
  SPEAKER_05: And so because they're seeing they're seeing this this this this thing grow and happen in front of them, and they go, I can do that too.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_05: And yes, go for it.
• 1:00:27
  SPEAKER_05: You know, if you want to fall into the line of of into the the into that line and just be part of the cycle, go for it.
• 1:00:34
  SPEAKER_05: If you're willing to step out and and really explore and and and see if you have something that that is very different from everybody else, then then let's let's let's explore that.
• 1:00:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:00:47
  SPEAKER_01: And kind of in terms of the social media moment, I I had a story, uh, a fellow professional choreographer.
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_01: She was an assistant choreographer on set, and they hired, they kind of took a chance and hired a TikTok, like famous like dancer who was, you know, had a background of competition dancing and all that, but really gained a lot of fame really quickly through TikTok.
• 1:01:09
  SPEAKER_01: And apparently they they brought him into rehearsal and were really excited about you know hiring him and giving this opportunity of doing something beyond social media.
• 1:01:17
  SPEAKER_01: I believe it was for a television show or award show or something.
• 1:01:20
  SPEAKER_01: First and foremost, he was late to rehearsal.
• 1:01:23
  SPEAKER_01: When he walked in, all he was doing was on his phone, checking all the things, didn't communicate with anyone um respectfully.
• 1:01:31
  SPEAKER_01: It was always like he was his ego was too big to fit into the door, I'll put it that way.
• 1:01:37
  SPEAKER_01: He just wouldn't, and he was young, like under the age of 21.
• 1:01:41
  SPEAKER_01: So already that type of quick fame, and of course it's a case-by-case basis, but those types of instances are happening so much more where yes, you may have the viral sensation, but do you know how to interact with people in a room?
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_01: Are you respectful?
• 1:01:57
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know basic etiquette of being somewhere on time?
• 1:02:01
  SPEAKER_01: What are you are you dressed appropriately for the job or the rehearsal or whatever?
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_01: Are you making connections within the space, like genuine, not just trying to gain someone from something, you know what I mean?
• 1:02:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like, so they ultimately they hired him.
• 1:02:16
  SPEAKER_01: He came back the next day, was late again, and they fired him.
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_01: And they were like, We're done.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_01: And she and and I just it was just such a a validating story because again, this could possibly be another podcast topic if you haven't done this one already, but utilizing social media in a responsible and strategic way in terms of getting your dance out there.
• 1:02:39
  SPEAKER_01: Just put that out there.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: Taking notes over here.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's yeah, right.
• 1:02:42
  SPEAKER_01: But it's those types of things where like again, it's the authenticity, it's who you are as a person, it's it's that is also part of the in factor.
• 1:02:51
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that that was a great thing to bring up.
• 1:02:54
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 1:02:54
  SPEAKER_04: I love this.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_04: This was such a great chat.
• 1:02:57
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh.
• 1:02:58
  SPEAKER_04: We've really we've really covered it.
• 1:03:00
  SPEAKER_04: And I I knew you both would have so much to share and offer the best guidance and advice, and especially from your experiences as working professionals and choreographers and teachers in this industry.
• 1:03:12
  SPEAKER_04: So wow.
• 1:03:13
  SPEAKER_04: I definitely have a clearer idea as to what the it factor is after listen as after listening to you both and being a part of this podcast.
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I hope that our listeners also feel the same.
• 1:03:23
  SPEAKER_04: And please, this is a one that dancers need to listen to for sure.
• 1:03:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think so.
• 1:03:27
  SPEAKER_04: All the dance parents out there, make sure that your kids are listening on the drive to the studio or to competition.
• 1:03:33
  SPEAKER_04: It's a really, really great chat.
• 1:03:35
  SPEAKER_04: So, Megan and Noel, thank you so much for being here and for sharing everything that you've learned in this beautiful dance world.
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_04: Y'all are inspirations and are doing such great work for our our dance world.
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm just big fans of you both.
• 1:03:47
  SPEAKER_04: And thanks for bringing the it factor to the podcast today.
• 1:03:51
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, well, my pleasure.
• 1:03:54
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having us.
• 1:03:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm this was so much fun.
• 1:03:56
  SPEAKER_04: Yay! Well, how we always have our guests lead us out on making the impact is with one final thought.
• 1:04:02
  SPEAKER_04: So you can say whatever you'd like in regards to the topic today, which is having the it factor, whether you want to speak to dancers, teachers, studios, competitions, conventions, professionals, anyone, talk to them all.
• 1:04:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I something just popped into my head, thank goodness.
• 1:04:25
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's for me, there's been a lot of times where I've seen other dancers kind of lose their love of why they started dancing in the first place and and lose sight of what that means to them.
• 1:04:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you're ever feeling like you're maybe not scoring the way you want to, or not nailing a technical skill that you're always doing in class, or just things that are getting you're getting down on yourself for.
• 1:04:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think take a second to kind of reflect and remember why you started dancing in the first place and what part of dance brings you joy that you want to be doing it again over and over and over again in a healthy way of not burning yourself out, not feeling like you're, you know, doing the impossible.
• 1:05:10
  SPEAKER_01: But it is so important to just you do it because you love it.
• 1:05:13
  SPEAKER_01: And if that's gone, you have to kind of shift your mindset into gearing you back to that place, or putting your creativity elsewhere and doing something even better that maybe you love, right?
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I think just remembering why you started in the first place.
• 1:05:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's what I'm leaving you with.
• 1:05:31
  SPEAKER_01: Always.
• 1:05:32
  SPEAKER_05: You know what?
• 1:05:32
  SPEAKER_05: That's a perfect sign off.
• 1:05:34
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it's it's it's you have to go back to the love.
• 1:05:38
  SPEAKER_05: You have to go back to the passion, you have to go back to a reason.
• 1:05:42
  SPEAKER_05: And look, if it feels good, it's gonna look good.
• 1:05:44
  SPEAKER_05: If it's and and and if and if it feels good to you, it's gonna feel good to the audience.
• 1:05:49
  SPEAKER_05: And so be aware of what that what what what you've what you're feeling in that scene.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_05: These are all my young dancers is be aware of what you're feeling in that moment.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_05: And analyze it and say to yourself, Do I want my audience to feel this?
• 1:06:05
  SPEAKER_05: Or do I want them to feel this?
• 1:06:08
  SPEAKER_05: Because if you're feeling it, they're gonna feel it.
• 1:06:10
  SPEAKER_05: If you're feeling anxious, they're gonna feel it.
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_05: If you're feeling uh confident, they're gonna feel that.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_05: And so it's about creating a world, it's about creating a synchronicity between between the audience and yourself.
• 1:06:25
  SPEAKER_05: And and it is a selfish moment when you're on that stage, but it's also a giving moment and uh and it's a given exchange.
• 1:06:34
  SPEAKER_05: And so, you know, just be aware of that.
• 1:06:37
  SPEAKER_05: And uh, you know, for my for my studio owners and parents and teachers who are training these young dancers on a daily basis, make sure to really nourish those qualities.
• 1:06:47
  SPEAKER_05: Look at the qualities that are outside of just your basic dance training.
• 1:06:53
  SPEAKER_05: Look at these dancers and look at their flaws, look at their mistakes, look at their at their quirks, you know, look at that and see how you can help them navigate that, help them tap into that, because that's their power, that's their ability, that's what makes them that, right?
• 1:07:11
  SPEAKER_05: And so nourish that for them.
• 1:07:14
  SPEAKER_05: Nourish that because you never know, you might have the next Bob Fosse, you might have the next Freddie Mercury, you might have the next person, dancer, artist that's going to shift the world in a way that that we haven't seen in a long time.
• 1:07:27
  SPEAKER_05: But we wouldn't know that unless you're you're you're really taking the time to nourish those unique special qualities.
• 1:07:37
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode all about having the it factor.
• 1:07:41
  SPEAKER_04: Special shout out to our guests Noelle and Megan for joining us on the podcast.
• 1:07:45
  SPEAKER_04: Don't forget to follow them on social media.
• 1:07:48
  SPEAKER_04: You can find Megan on Instagram at MMSanit and Noelle at NoelleBahandas.
• 1:07:54
  SPEAKER_04: And be sure to check out Noel's training program called the New Genovi Sessions.
• 1:07:58
  SPEAKER_04: Visit his website or click the link in our show notes to learn more.
• 1:08:02
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to follow Making the Impact on your favorite podcast platform.
• 1:08:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want more exclusive episodes, support our podcast by joining our Platinum Premium membership for only$5 a month.
• 1:08:12
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• 1:08:21
  SPEAKER_00: Join now at www.impactdanceed educators.com slash platinum premium or click the link in our show notes.
• 1:08:30
  SPEAKER_04: Competition season is right around the corner, and if you're looking for expert guidance to polish and perfect your routine before hitting the stage, then be sure to check out our popular service, IDA's Online Judges Critiques.
• 1:08:42
  SPEAKER_04: Our experienced judges will provide you with a video critique of your performance, but with IDA's Online Judges Critiques, we take it one step further than your standard competition critique.
• 1:08:52
  SPEAKER_04: Our additional feedback option allows for your judge to go back through and review your dance for an extra 10 to 15 minutes to give specific corrections and personalized feedback.
• 1:09:03
  SPEAKER_04: And new for all of the choreographers out there, we are thrilled to introduce our new choreography consult critiques.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_04: Instead of focusing on the dancer's performance, your IDA judge will dive deep into choreography-specific feedback, including concept, appropriateness, costuming, transitions, style, formations, visuals, textures, technique, song choice, difficulty level, and so much more to help you learn and grow as a choreographer and take your artistic vision to the next level.
• 1:09:33
  SPEAKER_04: IDA's online judges critique start at only$35.
• 1:09:36
  SPEAKER_04: So what are you waiting for?
• 1:09:38
  SPEAKER_04: Click the link in our show notes or visit our website at Impact DanceAdjudicators.com/slash online critiques to submit your dance today.
• 1:09:46
  SPEAKER_00: Coming up in the next few weeks, look forward to episodes on how to support your dancer, ballet competitions, and anatomy for dancers.
• 1:09:54
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for listening.