Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / A Chat with Current College Dance Majors

Transcript

A Chat with Current College Dance Majors · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_02: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:10
SPEAKER_02: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_02: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:15
SPEAKER_02: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:25
SPEAKER_02: Today on Making the Impact, we're joined by three college dance majors to hear about the very different college programs they attend.
0:32
SPEAKER_02: Paste University in New York City, University of Alabama, and Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
0:40
SPEAKER_05: Hey y'all, it's Courtney Ortiz.
0:42
SPEAKER_05: Welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact, and welcome my co-host, Leslie Mueller.
0:48
SPEAKER_02: Hi Courtney, hi listeners, happy end of the season.
0:51
SPEAKER_05: It's the end of our podcast season and the end of competition season as well.
0:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the start of recital season, almost the start of maybe a well-deserved break before nationals.
1:04
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the season, the year has flown by, and we are here at episode 189, which I'm super stoked about because we have kind of a new concept and a new chat today with some new guests.
1:16
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, this is a topic today, all about college dance.
1:21
SPEAKER_05: And we're actually talking to current active college students at reputable college dance programs who are working towards or who have obtained their degree in dance.
1:33
SPEAKER_05: And I knew that I wanted to talk about this a little bit more and getting more actual dancers on the podcast.
1:38
SPEAKER_05: I feel like that we often have judges, professionals, teachers, studio owners.
1:44
SPEAKER_05: We've we even have had parents on the podcast.
1:47
SPEAKER_05: But now we need to start making sure we can get the dancers on the podcast a little bit more, don't you think?
1:52
SPEAKER_02: I think so.
1:53
SPEAKER_02: I mean, they're a huge, clearly a huge part of what we do and why we exist.
1:58
SPEAKER_02: So being able to have these lovely young adults who are pursuing their uh collegiate careers in dance is going to be really special and I think very informative for all of our listeners.
2:09
SPEAKER_02: So I can't wait to get started.
2:10
SPEAKER_05: Yes, but before we jump into our episode, we have to share some of our recent Making the Impact Award winners with you all.
2:17
SPEAKER_05: Since it's competition season, I'm sure you've all heard all about our Making the Impact Award, where we give out and sponsor one award at all IDA affiliated competition events with at least one IDA judge on the panel.
2:31
SPEAKER_05: And your judges, your IDA judges, get to select this award to go to that one dance that they cannot stop thinking about by the end of the weekend.
2:39
SPEAKER_05: And we want to recognize you for making an impact in the competitive dance world.
2:43
SPEAKER_05: One of the perks of winning this award is you get a live shout out on a future Making the Impact episode.
2:49
SPEAKER_05: So, Leslie, please announce our very first winner.
2:52
SPEAKER_02: All right, congratulations to from Legend National Dance Competitions event in West Hartford, Connecticut.
2:58
SPEAKER_02: Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield from Westfield, Massachusetts, for their small group, Not Dead Yet.
3:04
SPEAKER_05: From World Class Talent Experiences event in Vernon, Connecticut, congrats to Toriography Dance Company of Vernon, Connecticut for their large group, Men of Snow.
3:14
SPEAKER_02: From DECA Dance Competitions event in Sparta, New Jersey.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: Congratulations to Westside Dance Center from Randolph, New Jersey, and the dancer Campbell J for their solo If They Could See Me Now.
3:24
SPEAKER_05: And from High Demand Dance Competitions Event in Laurel, Maryland, congrats to the Moving Company Dance Studio from Baltimore, Maryland for their large group, Origin.
3:32
SPEAKER_05: Congrats to all of our winners of the Making the Impact Award and stay tuned for one more episode of our more recent winners coming to you next week.
3:41
SPEAKER_05: And next up, let's hear from our sponsors.
3:43
SPEAKER_05: Francisco Gela Dance Works is our season five premiere sponsor.
3:47
SPEAKER_05: Hey dancers, are you in high school?
3:50
SPEAKER_05: Have you thought about what you want to do with your dance career after you graduate?
3:54
SPEAKER_05: Is college on your radar?
3:56
SPEAKER_05: If so, then you'll definitely want to take advantage of Francisco Gela Dance Works College Dance and Career Prep virtual workshops.
4:04
SPEAKER_05: Get prepared now for a grueling admissions process, even if you still have years to prepare.
4:10
SPEAKER_05: Getting into your dream school and finding the dream job of your future can feel overwhelming.
4:14
SPEAKER_05: But don't worry, Francisco Gela Dance Works College Dance and Career Prep is ready to help you break down the process into easy to understand, manageable steps.
4:24
SPEAKER_05: Receive guidance and support from experts to help you nail that college audition and prepare a stellar portfolio for your application.
4:32
SPEAKER_05: Register now for an upcoming FALT Virtual College Prep Workshop and save$75 from your registration by using our exclusive podcast promo code.
4:41
SPEAKER_05: Use the code MAKINGTHEIMPACT in all caps when registering on their website at FranciscogelaDance.com.
4:49
SPEAKER_05: Learn more about Francisco Gela Dance Works programs and seminars by clicking the link in our show notes or visiting their website now.
4:58
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6:14
SPEAKER_05: Alright, Dance World, we have a very special episode that we are bringing to you this week on making the impact.
6:19
SPEAKER_05: And this is one that just kind of came to us at some point during the season where I said to Leslie, Hey Leslie, we should be talking to actual college dancers who are in the programs currently in all of the schools that your dancers dream of going to, why don't we talk to actual college dancers and hear what their experience has been like and see what their journey's been like and why they picked these schools and is it what they expected?
6:43
SPEAKER_05: And are they loving the program?
6:45
SPEAKER_05: Things that are different from competitive dance.
6:48
SPEAKER_05: You know, it's a big transition for dancers to go from comp studio to college dance.
6:53
SPEAKER_05: And we wanted to share some insight with active current college students on the podcast today.
6:59
SPEAKER_05: And guess what?
7:00
SPEAKER_05: We usually have two guests on making the impact, but we have three guests joining us this week on the pod.
7:07
SPEAKER_05: And we're real excited to get to know them even more and hear all about their college dance journey so far.
7:13
SPEAKER_05: The very first guest that I'm excited to welcome back to the podcast is a returning guest to our pod and also a longtime IDA fan.
7:22
SPEAKER_05: She discovered us by attending IDA affiliated competitions in her youth, and now she is a graduating senior at Point Park University.
7:32
SPEAKER_05: She was on our previous podcast, season three, episode 92, student choreography.
7:38
SPEAKER_05: I'm excited to welcome back Mary Hondel to the podcast.
7:41
SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Mary.
7:42
SPEAKER_04: Hi, thank you for having me back.
7:44
SPEAKER_04: I am so excited.
7:45
SPEAKER_04: I love the podcast.
7:46
SPEAKER_05: Mary's a diehard uh IDA making the impact fan.
7:50
SPEAKER_05: She also uses our online critique service regularly, even now.
7:54
SPEAKER_05: She started as, and this is like funny, just to kind of remind everybody, we brought Mary on for our student choreography episode because Mary has been choreographing since she's been at her studio as a student.
8:06
SPEAKER_05: And she would use our online critique service to get feedback on her choreography skills.
8:11
SPEAKER_05: So when we were doing our episode, I was like, hmm, I wish I knew a student choreographer.
8:15
SPEAKER_05: And then I was like, Oh, we didn't.
8:16
SPEAKER_05: Mary Hundel.
8:18
SPEAKER_05: So we had her on the pod.
8:19
SPEAKER_05: It was so great.
8:20
SPEAKER_05: And now I'm excited to welcome you back in another format as a current, you're a newly graduate.
8:25
SPEAKER_05: Is that true?
8:26
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
8:27
SPEAKER_05: I just graduated last week.
8:28
SPEAKER_05: So congratulations.
8:30
SPEAKER_05: It's fresh.
8:31
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
8:32
SPEAKER_05: Awesome, Mary.
8:33
SPEAKER_05: Well, yes, you are going to be sharing your experiences from Point Park University, now breaking into the pro dance world.
8:41
SPEAKER_05: But before we jump into that full chat, can you please tell the world a little bit more about you, where you grew up, um, your early dance training, and now what's on the horizon for you?
8:51
SPEAKER_04: So I grew up in Vermont where I am right now.
8:55
SPEAKER_04: I started dancing at Fusion 802, and then I went to Point Park.
9:01
SPEAKER_04: I got my BFA in dance with a jazz concentration.
9:06
SPEAKER_04: And I am currently going to be full-time dance teacher choreographer, which has always been my like big end goal.
9:14
SPEAKER_04: I'm also going to be teaching Pilates, so I'm really excited.
9:18
SPEAKER_04: I've been doing a bunch of auditions.
9:20
SPEAKER_04: I did cruise ships, Disney, and we'll see where any of those land.
9:26
SPEAKER_04: But for now, I'm really excited to pass on what I just learned to all of my dancers and bring the higher education to a small city.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
9:37
SPEAKER_02: So exciting.
9:37
SPEAKER_05: Congratulations.
9:39
SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much.
9:40
SPEAKER_05: And it was so great seeing you dance and meeting you at the RWS auditions earlier in January this year.
9:45
SPEAKER_03: Yes, that literally was such a highlight of the year for me.
9:48
SPEAKER_03: That was so fun to like see you in person and hear your voice.
9:52
SPEAKER_03: And like it was all real.
9:54
SPEAKER_03: It was not like I literally had to text my mom about it.
9:56
SPEAKER_03: I was like, oh my God, Courtney is exactly like the podcast because we're together.
10:01
SPEAKER_05: And we're just hearing the voice all the time.
10:03
SPEAKER_05: And then you finally put a voice to a face.
10:06
SPEAKER_05: And yeah, I get that a lot, honestly.
10:08
SPEAKER_02: That's funny.
10:09
SPEAKER_05: I love it.
10:10
SPEAKER_05: Well, Mary, we're happy to have you back at Making the Impact.
10:13
SPEAKER_05: So thanks for joining us.
10:14
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
10:15
SPEAKER_05: All right.
10:15
SPEAKER_05: Our next special guest is someone who I actually know from the dance convention scene.
10:22
SPEAKER_05: She has assisted me at dance conventions throughout the years, and I can't believe she's now in college.
10:28
SPEAKER_05: She just finished her freshman year at University of Alabama.
10:33
SPEAKER_05: I'm super excited to welcome Lacey Justice to the podcast.
10:36
SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Lacey.
10:37
SPEAKER_01: Hi, thank you for having me on.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to be here.
10:40
SPEAKER_05: And yeah, so I know that you are super busy throughout the season traveling with conventions and also now as a full-time student.
10:48
SPEAKER_05: So I'm sure you're gonna tell us a little bit about that.
10:50
SPEAKER_05: But I can't believe you're in college.
10:52
SPEAKER_05: Tell the world a little bit more about you, where you grew up, your home studio, and what you're working on.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I grew up in a tiny town in North Carolina.
11:02
SPEAKER_01: My mom actually owns my studio, so I grew up a studio rep, but I started teaching in choreographing actually in my like junior year-ish at the studio.
11:11
SPEAKER_01: So I am also a student choreographer and I'm working on that now more as a college student.
11:17
SPEAKER_01: I come back during the summers and I set pieces.
11:19
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I go to the University of Alabama, just finished my first year.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: It was an interesting year for me.
11:24
SPEAKER_01: It was a hard transition, definitely, for me.
11:27
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I travel on the weekends with a convention.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: And as of right now, I'm at I was at school this past semester, Monday through Wednesday, and then I would travel every single Thursday through Sunday.
11:37
SPEAKER_01: So it was a busy schedule, and it did, it was a lot to try to juggle it all.
11:42
SPEAKER_01: But it was it was honestly a dream come true because I got to do all the things I love too.
11:46
SPEAKER_01: And um, I got to have all my friends at school and also see my friends on the weekend.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's been fun.
11:51
SPEAKER_01: And then I still teach at my studio on Zoom every week at my home studio.
11:56
unknown: Wow.
11:56
SPEAKER_01: And then now in summer, like I said, I'm gonna come home and set pieces and teach here and pass it all on to my kids.
12:03
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
12:04
SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh, you're so busy.
12:05
SPEAKER_05: I'm so busy.
12:06
SPEAKER_05: I'm like, I'm exhausted.
12:07
SPEAKER_05: I'm stressed.
12:08
SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, it's a lot, but it's so much fun.
12:11
SPEAKER_01: I love it.
12:12
SPEAKER_05: Amazing.
12:13
SPEAKER_05: And yes, I'm really excited to have you on because out of all of the schools here today, which we'll find out our last one shortly, and our final guest, you are coming to us from more of like a big, huge university style uh college dance program.
12:27
SPEAKER_05: So I think that perspective will be interesting to hear, as well as being the freshie, the freshman coming to us.
12:34
SPEAKER_05: So excited to hear what you have to share.
12:37
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
12:37
SPEAKER_05: I can't wait to either.
12:39
unknown: Yay.
12:39
SPEAKER_05: All right, our final guest that I'm excited to welcome to the pod is a brand new guest, and also I'm meeting them for the first time.
12:45
SPEAKER_05: But fun fact, I actually just finished watching them dance at one of their final performances at Pace University in New York City.
12:54
SPEAKER_05: They are a graduating senior and they are already working professionally in the biz.
12:58
SPEAKER_05: I see they're gonna have a very bright future ahead.
13:01
SPEAKER_05: I'm excited to welcome Joshua Dawson to the podcast.
13:04
SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Joshua.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: Hi, thank you.
13:07
SPEAKER_00: I'm super excited.
13:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'm thrilled to have you.
13:11
SPEAKER_05: I am so excited that you applied because when I saw a pace student come through in our submissions, I was like, everyone wants to go to pace.
13:18
SPEAKER_05: You know, it's like one of those dream schools that dancers are trying to get into.
13:22
SPEAKER_05: So to have to hear your perspective and hear what your experience has been like, I think it's gonna be really insightful and valuable for all of our listeners out there.
13:29
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely.
13:30
SPEAKER_05: Yay! Please share with the world a little bit more about you.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, my name is Joshua Dawson.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: I'm originally from Charlotte, North Carolina.
13:39
SPEAKER_00: I grew up at a smaller studio with my teacher, but then I switched studios, and my last studio was Havila Dance Company in Matthews.
13:48
SPEAKER_00: So I was doing competitions, all that kind of stuff there.
13:51
SPEAKER_00: Um when I was really young, I like found out I really loved theater.
13:55
SPEAKER_00: Um so when I was 12, I did this musical called Brothers of the Night um with Debbie Allen.
14:00
SPEAKER_00: And that was uh kind of my spark moment, if you will.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: And that's what kind of made me really want to focus on theater.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: And then now I go to pace again, graduating senior, graduate May 20th, so it's coming up very soon, super excited.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, as you said, like my senior year, I was really trying to have that transition between college to professional life.
14:22
SPEAKER_00: So I started like just doing a few more jobs.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: I did the Sugar Hill Alex Strayher and Nutcracker with Josh Bergos, and then I did Jelly's Last Jam recently at the New York City Center.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: Um and tomorrow I actually start a new job.
14:35
SPEAKER_00: It's called NBC Upfronts.
14:37
SPEAKER_00: Um I'm gonna be with uh Shannon Lewis.
14:39
SPEAKER_00: So I'll be doing that actually starting tomorrow.
14:42
SPEAKER_00: So super excited, and I'm ready to like kick start my professional life.
14:47
SPEAKER_02: Sounds like you're doing it.
14:50
SPEAKER_02: Both and barely graduated.
14:53
SPEAKER_05: I love it.
14:54
SPEAKER_05: Well, amazing.
14:55
SPEAKER_05: Congrats on all of those achievements already so far in your early dance career, and can't wait to hear about your college dance journey.
15:02
SPEAKER_05: So let's jump on into this fabulous chat.
15:04
SPEAKER_02: Cool, awesome.
15:06
SPEAKER_02: Well, I am like already so I have so many questions for everybody because all of your experiences are so varied.
15:11
SPEAKER_02: And I think that's just really important to hear from a wide variety of people when we're talking about something as big as a decision to go to college and spend your time and your money on something like dance, you know, with everybody.
15:23
SPEAKER_02: You all probably have, you know, some at least one experience of somebody looking at you kind of funny, being like, dance at college for college?
15:31
SPEAKER_02: Are you sure?
15:31
SPEAKER_02: You know, so I'm curious for all of you and whoever wants to start can start.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: When you were looking for colleges, what schools can you can feel free to name them, or like if you don't feel like you can name them, that's fine too.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: But what were you who were you interested in?
15:44
SPEAKER_02: What programs were you interested in?
15:46
SPEAKER_02: And who did you actually end up auditioning for?
15:48
SPEAKER_04: So I knew I wanted to major in jazz.
15:52
SPEAKER_04: For a while, I thought I wanted to pursue more of the choreography route.
15:56
SPEAKER_04: And I was mostly looking at schools like South Florida that were gonna have a choreography program, but then I realized you're only gonna be young once.
16:05
SPEAKER_04: And if I wanted to dance, I wanted to really like jump into a rigorous conservatory.
16:10
SPEAKER_04: So I looked at like the Cornish School in Seattle, U of A in Arizona, um, Western Michigan, Point Park.
16:19
SPEAKER_04: I think those were really the only ones for me.
16:22
SPEAKER_04: I really wanted somewhere that I would take a lot of jazz dance, but also still do modern and ballet.
16:28
SPEAKER_04: I wanted to stay really versatile because I know a lot of schools you like pick one genre to like focus in, and that's like your main one.
16:37
SPEAKER_04: But we took all three every semester.
16:39
SPEAKER_02: Oh, great.
16:40
SPEAKER_04: Which is ultimately why I picked Point Park.
16:42
SPEAKER_02: Nice.
16:43
SPEAKER_02: And did you audition for all of those, or did you just look into them and kind of make um I looked into them and then distance really affected us too?
16:51
SPEAKER_04: Obviously, you know, Arizona and Washington are really, really far.
16:55
SPEAKER_04: So I ended up only really auditioning at Western Michigan and Point Park.
16:59
SPEAKER_04: So I maybe I should have auditioned for a few more, but I got in to Point Park really early in the audition season.
17:06
SPEAKER_04: So then I didn't have to go to any other sealed the deal for you.
17:11
SPEAKER_05: You were like, This is the one.
17:12
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I was just like, This is it, I know I'm in.
17:14
SPEAKER_05: Great, cool.
17:15
SPEAKER_05: I love that.
17:15
SPEAKER_05: That makes decision making very easy when it when that happens.
17:18
SPEAKER_04: No, I'm so thankful I didn't have to do it all year.
17:21
SPEAKER_04: It was literally early fall.
17:22
SPEAKER_04: I like knew I was in dance-wise and academically, and all your other classmates are still waiting for decision day to hear, but I was like, I'm set, I'm good, I'm ready.
17:32
SPEAKER_05: I love that.
17:32
SPEAKER_05: Cool.
17:33
SPEAKER_05: Let's uh Lacey go next.
17:35
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so for me, I attended a nationals my senior year, and they had what's called the panel audition where all these people come watch you, and they all like a huge amount of people come watch.
17:44
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of intimidating, actually.
17:47
SPEAKER_01: But uh there was a few different people in there, and they were all representing different colleges or cruise lines and all the things.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: And um, at yeah, you were there, and um at that actual audition, I got accepted into both Point Park and Alabama.
18:03
SPEAKER_01: So at the time it was kind of opposite for me.
18:05
SPEAKER_01: I wasn't really looking for a program that was a specific thing for me.
18:10
SPEAKER_01: I was looking more, I knew I wanted a degree, but I was also very set in I wanted to teach, I wanted to choreograph, I wanted I already knew about the job that I had coming up where I could travel a lot.
18:20
SPEAKER_01: And so I knew that I had that.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: So it's more of a choice between if I wanted to focus on that and stay home and save money, or if I still wanted to get my degree and try to do both.
18:28
SPEAKER_01: So I actually kind of got my answer through that audition.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: When I got accepted into those two programs, I started looking more into them.
18:35
SPEAKER_01: And actually from there, I didn't even know that Alabama had a really good dance program until I got accepted.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, wow, let me look into it.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: I actually joked about it with my dad because he's a big Alabama fan.
18:44
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, how cool would it be?
18:46
SPEAKER_01: Even went to Alabama and I laughed it off, and then we looked into it, and I was like, oh wait, it's kind of like good.
18:50
SPEAKER_01: Like excited about this.
18:51
SPEAKER_01: So that's great.
18:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that kind of made up my mind for me.
18:55
SPEAKER_01: I at that point I really didn't know, and that was really early, it was before my senior year.
18:59
SPEAKER_01: So by then I didn't really look at other schools, I looked at those two, and I really loved Alabama when I um visited.
19:06
SPEAKER_01: I fell in love with it, and yeah, that's good.
19:08
SPEAKER_02: Cool.
19:09
SPEAKER_02: That's all she wrote.
19:09
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
19:10
SPEAKER_05: And what a great way to have the school come to you and in the sense of like these there's a lot of dance conventions out there that are creating opportunities now at their nationals or even sometimes at their regionals, where they're bringing the schools to the events to almost scout and audition the talent.
19:27
SPEAKER_05: And not only is it a great way for them to find new interested dancers, but for the dancers to learn about these programs that they might not even be aware about.
19:36
SPEAKER_05: So, you know, I I wish that those types of opportunities uh were around when I was young, because I mean, when we've talked about this on the podcast, I'm like back in my day, it was just like word of mouth, and you had to open Dance Spirit magazine, and they would be like the top 10 dance colleges for tw 2007 when I was a senior.
19:56
SPEAKER_05: And it was just like the go-to schools, and now there's so many more out there that we might not even know have great dance programs, like University of Alabama.
20:05
SPEAKER_05: So I'm really glad that they discovered you and kind of scouted you there.
20:08
SPEAKER_05: That's great.
20:09
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
20:09
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
20:10
SPEAKER_05: Yay.
20:11
SPEAKER_05: All right, next up, Joshua.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: So my uh search experience was it was definitely like strenuous and extensive, just because I kind of was really trying to look at all the different opportunities because I could see myself going a multitude of different routes.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, okay, I could go theater.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: So then I was like, should I get a musical theater degree?
20:33
SPEAKER_00: But then I was like, I really want something dance-heavy.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: So then I kind of uh focused more on dance, but then the question to myself was do I want a con more concert-based conservatory style, or do I want something a little more diverse?
20:49
SPEAKER_00: So as far as all the schools I like applied to and auditioned that, so there was UNCSA, Point Park, Pace, um, the Ailey School through Fordham University, um, Marymount, Manhattan, NYU, SUNY Purchase, University of Arizona, and University of Southern California.
21:07
SPEAKER_05: Wow, like the top ones, like the ones that are.
21:10
SPEAKER_05: You checked them all off for sure.
21:12
SPEAKER_05: You did your research.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: Yes, exactly.
21:15
SPEAKER_00: But that's the thing.
21:16
SPEAKER_00: Like my um my mentor, who's also my dance teacher, she like the summer before my senior year, she made me like make a um a spreadsheet.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: So I had a spreadsheet of all the schools, pros and cons, tuition, everything like written down.
21:30
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
21:31
SPEAKER_00: And one good thing though was there's this college fair that happens in New York.
21:35
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it still happens, but it's called Dance Wave Through College and Beyond.
21:39
SPEAKER_00: And it's like a weekend where you can go talk to all the different schools, and then you can also audition for like a panel of the colleges there.
21:48
unknown: Cool.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: So that made it easy because I was able to audition for some of them there.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: So like I got accepted to point parts through that intensive and I didn't have to like go to The school itself, which helped without having to travel.
22:03
SPEAKER_05: That's great.
22:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but everywhere else I did have to travel to, so my my parents did have to save a lot to go to all those different places.
22:12
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, ultimately it just came down to diversity for me as far as the styles, because a lot, like I said, a lot of schools were like modern contemporary ballet, modern contemporary jazz ballet, and the pace.
22:25
SPEAKER_00: I kind of got that plus tap in hip hop and theater dance.
22:29
SPEAKER_00: And also, since I want to do theater, they also have voice and acting, all the part of the program.
22:34
SPEAKER_00: So that really is what helped me like narrow down my choice there.
22:38
SPEAKER_05: Nice.
22:39
SPEAKER_05: And being based in New York City, I think that is a huge factor of you know, wanting to pursue musical theater and theater in general, just being immersed in that Broadway community and go see shows and go take the classes with the working choreographers.
22:53
SPEAKER_05: I mean, that's a perk of about going to any school in New York or Los Angeles, is that access still where it's not just you're only stuck to what is get being given to you at the school.
23:04
SPEAKER_05: And like I've expressed my thoughts on that at as someone who attended college for just one semester, but it was in New York City at Merrymount, Manhattan.
23:12
SPEAKER_05: And like that was one of the things that that was like so hard for me was the temptation of all the rest of New York City that's surrounding me.
23:21
SPEAKER_05: And I couldn't focus on just being there for school.
23:24
SPEAKER_05: Like I almost wish that I was at like a University of Alabama where I'm like, okay, I'm on the campus and my job here is to go to college and nothing else.
23:34
SPEAKER_05: Don't go to that audition, don't go take class at steps on Broadway, like no other things luring me in and and you know, taking my mind off of the focus.
23:43
SPEAKER_05: So that was, you know, the temptation of New York definitely overwhelms you if you choose to go to school in like a city, even Pittsburgh.
23:49
SPEAKER_05: I mean, you're right smack in the middle of a city.
23:51
SPEAKER_05: You're not at like a major campus style um university.
23:55
SPEAKER_05: So it is, it is interesting.
23:57
SPEAKER_05: And I'm happy that you settled on pace.
23:59
SPEAKER_05: It seemed like a great fit for you.
24:01
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
24:01
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
24:02
SPEAKER_02: Well, let's backtrack a tiny bit and talk about how you feel like your studio training prepared you for the program that you ended up in.
24:11
SPEAKER_02: And I would love to start with Lacey because you're the closest to having been in dance studio training.
24:16
SPEAKER_02: Um it's only been a couple years for you.
24:18
SPEAKER_02: And your my mother owns my studio as well.
24:20
SPEAKER_02: So like I have a little connection with that.
24:22
SPEAKER_02: Um, I know how that is.
24:24
SPEAKER_02: And so it is always nice to like truly you are home.
24:27
SPEAKER_02: When you go home, the studio is your home.
24:29
SPEAKER_02: I know that's like that for most people, but like it's a slightly different beast when it's your, you know, it's like, no, I slept here regularly from day one, like in the lobby.
24:38
SPEAKER_02: But so how do you feel like your program at home helped you in the program you're in now?
24:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so my mom actually we opened our studio five, six years ago now.
24:47
SPEAKER_01: We were at a different one before that, and she taught there.
24:50
SPEAKER_01: She was one of the main teachers, but we used the studio split and now we own our own.
24:54
SPEAKER_01: So it's only been open for about six years.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: But um, part of it was just because she was so interested and so determined to bring different people in to get us the training that she felt we needed and we deserved.
25:06
SPEAKER_01: She was very, very focused on that and she was willing to put a lot into that.
25:10
SPEAKER_01: So um I really do owe it all to her and owe it all to that studio.
25:14
SPEAKER_01: She brought in so many people, she brought in, she brought us to so many places.
25:18
SPEAKER_01: Both my parents, they uh the studio that I've been with just sweet, they um the training that I had definitely prepared me because of the versatility, I will say.
25:26
SPEAKER_01: They brought in people from Derek Mitchell to Frank Musso to Savannah Cobb.
25:32
SPEAKER_01: We have, I mean, just everybody, literally anybody.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: And it and it's not just bringing them in to take one class and they leave, all of them leave with a connection to us, you know.
25:40
SPEAKER_01: So it's like just the people that they are and the way that they bring people and the way they connect to people, that has helped me immensely, both in college and both like in the professional world, in my job now.
25:51
SPEAKER_01: So it definitely has prepared me for most styles that I that could be thrown at me.
25:56
SPEAKER_01: Versatility is probably my main thing.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: Uh the studio, all the different styles we trained in, all the different ways.
26:01
SPEAKER_01: We did a lot of ballroom in the last few years that I was there.
26:04
SPEAKER_01: So just all the new opportunities that I got at the studio kind of prepared me for other things in the professional world and at college.
26:12
SPEAKER_02: That's great.
26:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, and you guys all know this, and we're doing it right now is networking.
26:17
SPEAKER_02: You know, that is that is key to this business.
26:19
SPEAKER_02: So that's great that your mom has has been able to bring people in from outside that y'all have a connection with.
26:24
SPEAKER_01: Right, yeah.
26:25
SPEAKER_01: And she does it for all of her kids too.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: She is just she loves putting them out there, she loves connecting them, she loves so they really do good with that.
26:32
SPEAKER_01: And the studio's been really good help with that.
26:34
SPEAKER_05: Nice.
26:35
SPEAKER_05: I love that.
26:36
SPEAKER_04: So my studio didn't offer modern, which I'm really grateful that I learned it now, but I think I got an amazing, amazing ballet.
26:44
SPEAKER_04: I'm so grateful to the teacher I had when I switched studios in high school for giving me that foundation.
26:50
SPEAKER_04: I felt so prepared compared to a lot of my classmates.
26:53
SPEAKER_04: Like foundationally, like my training was there.
26:56
SPEAKER_04: So I'm really grateful for that.
26:58
SPEAKER_04: And also that I was allowed to choreograph.
27:01
SPEAKER_04: I think knowing that I had that desire made me so confident when we, you know, do our senior capstone.
27:08
SPEAKER_04: I was in charge of our contemporary club.
27:10
SPEAKER_04: So I was really comfortable like choreographing for my peers often.
27:14
SPEAKER_04: Every time we had projects, I always felt ready to be in charge of designing pieces.
27:21
SPEAKER_04: And if my teachers hadn't been so willing to let me do that and have that freedom, I don't think I would have been nearly as prepared to like take on all of these collegiate tasks.
27:32
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's a really great point that you bring that up because actually last week we just released our guest choreography versus in-house choreographers episode.
27:41
SPEAKER_05: And one of the things that we kind of discussed on that episode was the fact that there should be more opportunity for training dancers in studio spaces to explore their choreography and uh work out the kinks on how to become a choreographer in that safe place that is your home studio and learn the ropes under mentorship by the studio guiding you through that.
28:04
SPEAKER_05: And maybe there's like a little showcase, or maybe you are gonna let the senior dancers choreograph something for competition and get feedback.
28:11
SPEAKER_05: Like those opportunities in studio training can then benefit you when you go and make that transition to college because there probably is going to be some type of collaborative work that you do where there might be dancers who are too scared and intimidated because they've never choreographed a day in their life and and they didn't they don't want to fail the class or put themselves out there in college to learn that skill there versus learning it ahead of time at your studio.
28:36
SPEAKER_05: So I love that you know you were presented with that at your home studio.
28:39
SPEAKER_05: And um, I'm also really glad that you mentioned the foundational ballet training because that's another thing that we've we talked about on our ballet episode earlier this season, is that a lot of dancers at some studios don't really take full real ballet classes.
28:53
SPEAKER_05: And as all all three of you know and love, I'm sure, is you're getting real ballet classes at college.
29:00
SPEAKER_05: There's no technique classes, there's no showing up in whatever you feel like it.
29:04
SPEAKER_05: Like there are rules, and it is probably an hour and 15 minutes, at least an hour and 30 minutes, however many days a week.
29:11
SPEAKER_05: Like if you're walking into college and you've never really ever taken a full ballet class before, you're in for a rude awakening when you get there because it's it's like almost like just learning the etiquette and the expectation of how to get through an hour and a half ballet bar or class is a lot to handle for some dancers.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I would say similar, sorry.
29:34
SPEAKER_00: I would say similar to what Lacey was saying, like the versatility at my studio, I think, really helped prepare me for college just because of how much how many different styles we were training in, and also like the amount of outside choreographers that they were bringing in to work with us.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: Um, I remember one time they brought in someone and the assist person who was assisting them, his name is Brendan Moran, but he actually was going to PACE at the time.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: And after class, he had like came up to me and was like, Hey, I think you would, I don't know if you've heard of the school, it's called PACE, and was just like talking to me about it.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: And that's how I was actually introduced to PACE, like my sophomore year of high school.
30:12
SPEAKER_05: Oh wow.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: So that kind of introduced me to that and kind of made me start thinking about colleges because before that I was kind of really set on like Ailey or like Juilliard or something like that.
30:23
SPEAKER_00: But then like because I didn't know of like all the different opportunities, so I would say that exposed me to that.
30:29
SPEAKER_00: But it was really like the diversity in training is really, I think, what helped me the most, especially at a school like Pace, where you do so much, so many different styles and you like rotate with so many different teachers, it kind of helps prepare you for that the best.
30:43
SPEAKER_02: That's great.
30:44
SPEAKER_02: Well, that's really great to hear that so many, so many of your studios, you know, you felt like prepared you well.
30:50
SPEAKER_02: What about your program?
30:51
SPEAKER_02: Do you love?
30:52
SPEAKER_02: Like if you were gonna pitch your school to a graduating, you know, junior or senior in high school, come to my school.
30:58
SPEAKER_02: This is why you're gonna love it.
31:00
SPEAKER_02: Tell us, tell us why you would pitch your school.
31:02
SPEAKER_01: I think it's a it's a very big preference thing.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: I would definitely say to somebody, it depends on what you're looking for.
31:08
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we have a good dance program, and yes, I love it, but it is it's not as rigorous as a solely focused art school because you're you're the classes you're picking, you can only have a certain amount of dance classes a week based on the schedule, and the classes are only like two time two classes a week.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: If I do ballet, I have ballet twice a week and then I have jazz twice a week.
31:29
SPEAKER_01: So it's not as rigorous as an arts program.
31:32
SPEAKER_01: That does work for me, however, because I do so much outside work and outside training.
31:37
SPEAKER_01: So I would say if you're going for a if you're double doubling in something, double majoring in something, or if you're going for a minor, it would help that you have other things on your plate just so that you're not not just for dance, I would say.
31:49
SPEAKER_01: I would also say you would want to find outside training if that's the only thing you're going for, because you don't have a full dance schedule.
31:57
SPEAKER_01: On the flip side of that, I love it because of the university feel.
32:01
SPEAKER_01: I love being at a big university, I love having a football team, I love all the all the parts of it, you know, like that's so fun to me.
32:08
SPEAKER_01: And um, I also they have programs, they have a student organization called Dance Alabama, which I'm a proud member of.
32:13
SPEAKER_01: That is one of my favorite parts of that school.
32:15
SPEAKER_01: We the students run it, the students choreograph the shows.
32:18
SPEAKER_01: Uh we have two shows in the spring and one in the fall.
32:22
SPEAKER_01: So it adds to it.
32:23
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot, it there's a lot of shows going on throughout the year, but there's not a big rigorous training program.
32:29
SPEAKER_01: So the classes are great, uh, the professors are great.
32:32
SPEAKER_01: It's just not as much as if you did go to a place like Pace or Point Park.
32:35
SPEAKER_01: It's just not the same.
32:37
SPEAKER_01: But I like I said, it's a preference thing.
32:39
SPEAKER_01: So I would pitch it as be aware of what you want to go to school for, like what you want, what you picture yourself going to school for and what you picture your year looking like.
32:49
SPEAKER_01: It like I said, it does work for me because of my outside training.
32:52
SPEAKER_01: But if it didn't, then I would definitely have to find outside classes.
33:01
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34:36
SPEAKER_02: I'm curious about Dance Alabama because I have a friend who went there not as long ago as I would have been in college, but pretty long time ago.
34:42
SPEAKER_02: Is Dance Alabama only for the dance majors, or can literally anybody join these, you know, performances and audition and stuff?
34:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it's not just for the dance majors, but you do have to have some type of dance background because we do auditions for the pieces and the choreographers like come to the auditions and we hold it like it would be a regular concert, and you have to audition for the pieces and for the choreographers.
35:04
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
35:05
SPEAKER_01: So um that is especially nerve-wracking for the freshmen because you don't know the people who are choreographing, like the other people have been in school with them, their friends, you know.
35:12
SPEAKER_01: So um, I think it also helps us because it teaches you the audition process and the choreography process, and just like it's completely student run.
35:21
SPEAKER_01: So it's cool to be a part of that.
35:22
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
35:23
SPEAKER_02: And that's great to hear too, for you know, that dance can be in your life, even if you don't major in dance, and especially at a school like Alabama, where like I know they have a dance team, they probably have a drill team, they probably they might have a palm team.
35:34
SPEAKER_02: Like, there's all kinds of ways to be in dance at a big school like that, not only just dance major.
35:40
SPEAKER_02: So that's that's really cool to hear.
35:41
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I love that.
35:42
SPEAKER_00: And also, fun fact, I'm also a tour guide for pace.
35:46
SPEAKER_00: So I actually do like talk about pace and everything it has to offer, like on a daily basis.
35:52
SPEAKER_00: Um but I'm gonna say the um the main thing for pace is just again, like I mentioned, like the versatility in our program.
35:59
SPEAKER_00: So you're training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, ballroom, you have voice and acting classes built into your schedule.
36:08
SPEAKER_00: So it's really just creating super well-rounded dancers and performers.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: Um, but then also you do have a built-in semester in Los Angeles, which is really fun as well.
36:16
SPEAKER_00: So our junior spring, we got to LA and we're working entirely on camera, which is really fun.
36:23
SPEAKER_00: I know this past semester they had working with Kenny Ortega, they're working with Mint Moore, just like really great people.
36:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, and last year I was there this time, and it was really just an amazing experience to kind of be exposed to that whole world because I feel like, as especially like comp and like convention kids, we're used to like maybe a camera being in the convention room or that sense, but like it's different when it's like you're dancing because you're in this commercial selling this product, or you're dancing because you're a part of this film, or dancing because you're framing this music artist in the music video.
37:00
SPEAKER_00: So it's just like learning all those skills about like how to perform in that realm.
37:05
SPEAKER_00: So then you're being prepared for like commercial world as far as like music videos, TV, film, but then you're also being prepared for the theater world, you're also being prepared for the concert world.
37:15
SPEAKER_00: So it just really allows students to kind of go whichever route they want to go.
37:20
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's why PACE, you see so many of our dancers in so many different realms, whether they're on tour with Beyonce or Lil Nas X or whoever, whether they're on Broadway or whether they're in, you know, companies like Hubbard Street or Ailey or whatever the case may be.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: So I think it's just like again, the diversity aspect that I was talking about.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: I think that's just like the biggest selling point at PACE is that you're not kind of pigeonholed into one thing.
37:44
SPEAKER_00: You can see yourself going so many different places.
37:46
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
37:47
SPEAKER_02: Cool.
37:48
SPEAKER_02: And awesome that you have that little tour guide sidekig.
37:50
SPEAKER_02: That's great.
37:51
unknown: Yeah.
37:52
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
37:53
SPEAKER_04: So I think the biggest thing is our studios.
37:56
SPEAKER_04: I know I don't know if that's like unpopular, but we have the most amazing, gorgeous facility ever, and you can use it anytime you want, like when they're not being used for class.
38:06
SPEAKER_04: So that was just really helpful for filming, auditions, and like reels and stuff.
38:10
SPEAKER_04: Um, we also have a pretty diverse program.
38:13
SPEAKER_04: I took private voice, we took acting.
38:15
SPEAKER_04: Nice.
38:16
SPEAKER_04: I took a semester of hip hop, and then we took several semesters of tap besides doing ballet modern and jazz, and we had like improv, contact improv.
38:24
SPEAKER_04: So I think I definitely felt really well-rounded also without having it be a super big city because I was a little scared of New York and my parents were really hesitant.
38:35
SPEAKER_04: So Pittsburgh was a good, like middle, it was definitely still downtown city, but also a little smaller, like more manageable.
38:43
SPEAKER_04: And then you had opportunities.
38:45
SPEAKER_04: I trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater on top of going to Point Park for the past two years.
38:48
SPEAKER_04: I took regular ballet classes there every week.
38:52
SPEAKER_04: So that was like another cool, just like being in proximity to extra opportunities.
38:58
SPEAKER_04: I would say performing is something, if that's like what you're really set on, you might not do.
39:05
SPEAKER_04: It's not everyone's not guaranteed to perform ever.
39:08
SPEAKER_04: So I know people who are going into their senior year that have not performed yet.
39:13
SPEAKER_04: And I'm really thankful that I got to because there's over 350 dance majors.
39:20
SPEAKER_04: So if you want to feel like homie and you really want to know everybody, I don't think this is for you.
39:28
SPEAKER_04: I don't think I knew everybody.
39:29
SPEAKER_04: I knew my class, but it is huge, and most concerts only cast 100 dancers.
39:36
SPEAKER_04: And is that a double cast, or is that just like do y'all do double casting?
39:40
SPEAKER_04: Um, some pieces are double cast, but there's eight dancers in it.
39:43
SPEAKER_04: So it's like there's 16 people in a piece because they're restaging like Valentine works, Graham pieces, Fossey, and there's not 30 people in it.
39:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
39:53
SPEAKER_04: So that's something that wasn't like a huge deal to me as a choreography lover, but I know people who have been like crushed by not performing.
40:04
SPEAKER_04: And obviously, there were you guys only performed like once in the whole year, and that just like, and then there's schools where people perform eight times a year, which is crazy.
40:13
SPEAKER_05: Wow, that's a really great point, actually.
40:16
SPEAKER_05: And really, really good to know.
40:17
SPEAKER_05: I had no idea.
40:18
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, they don't really mention that.
40:20
SPEAKER_04: And I and I don't hear people talk about it, and I really like think that I think you should be cast.
40:28
SPEAKER_04: I do think everyone should perform every year as a dance performance major.
40:33
SPEAKER_05: Like, I don't I don't understand that, but especially when you're paying a trillion million dollars to go to school.
40:39
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I never hear people like your parents probably don't understand that either, right?
40:44
SPEAKER_02: They're like, my mother did what?
40:46
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, exactly.
40:47
SPEAKER_04: And then the shows are incredible and they're so well produced, but so many people are just not in them.
40:53
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's really interesting.
40:55
SPEAKER_05: That's is the is there similar thing, like is that how that works at y'all's schools too, or is it different?
41:00
SPEAKER_05: Is there a guarantee to get on stage?
41:03
SPEAKER_00: I say for pace.
41:05
SPEAKER_00: Oh, sorry, I don't know.
41:06
SPEAKER_00: Well, for pace, I okay for pace, it's all audition based.
41:11
SPEAKER_00: So I guess it's not guaranteed, but usually everyone's a part of it in some way because there's always under studies cast.
41:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I would say our program is a lot smaller, so there is usually a lot more ability for students to perform.
41:25
SPEAKER_00: I would say in total, there's probably like a little over a hundred students as far across freshman to sophomore.
41:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean freshman to senior.
41:34
SPEAKER_00: So there's like a lot less than um like bigger schools, but it it really truly does depend.
41:40
SPEAKER_00: But the thing also is that in the spring, the juniors go to LA, so they're not a part of like the spring showcase.
41:48
SPEAKER_00: So then there really is only like 80 dancers in New York who are a part of the Pace show.
41:55
SPEAKER_00: And then like this past year, I think we had like 12 pieces, so then most students were in it.
42:01
SPEAKER_00: I would say probably like maybe like 10 to 15 students were maybe not cast, but they were cast as like understudies or something like that.
42:10
SPEAKER_00: But everyone at some point has been on, has been in a mainstage show at PACE.
42:14
SPEAKER_00: I don't think anyone ever graduates without having performed.
42:16
SPEAKER_00: But then there's tons of other opportunities that people have.
42:19
SPEAKER_00: Like we have Emergence, which is a senior advanced choreography show that is really large, and everyone performs in that.
42:26
SPEAKER_00: There's other student showcases.
42:27
SPEAKER_00: We have like freshman solos, senior solos, other shows.
42:31
SPEAKER_00: So at some point, people are performing multiple times throughout the year.
42:34
SPEAKER_05: So I can definitely see that being something that is really hard to navigate as someone going to school and being in 15 competition dances their senior year, to then going to college and getting to perform once if you're lucky, if you're cast as a freshman in that dance.
42:51
SPEAKER_05: And it might not even be the dance you want to dance in, but this is what you this is the card you got dealt, and you're lucky you got cast.
42:58
SPEAKER_05: You might never get cast.
43:00
SPEAKER_05: I mean, that is a rude awakening.
43:02
SPEAKER_05: And I think that was similar at my at Marymount too.
43:05
SPEAKER_05: And I did like they did like a winter show and then a spring show.
43:10
SPEAKER_05: And I feel like I got cast in something in the winter, you know, my one time there.
43:14
SPEAKER_05: I did perform um before I left school, but I remember everyone being like, oh, I can't believe like, you know, freshmen never get cast, you know, saying all that.
43:22
SPEAKER_05: And I'm like, what?
43:24
SPEAKER_05: This is crazy.
43:25
SPEAKER_05: Wait, really?
43:26
SPEAKER_05: So I could have cut came here for a whole semester and not danced at all.
43:30
SPEAKER_05: Like that just doesn't make sense to me.
43:32
SPEAKER_05: And I'm glad you brought that up, Mary, because I do think that's something that a lot of that a lot of people don't talk about.
43:37
SPEAKER_05: And I'm really glad you're bringing light to that.
43:38
SPEAKER_05: Because it's important for a performance major, you would expect to be on stage more frequently.
43:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, at um at Alabama for the freshmen, you don't actually you're not on stage for the first year.
43:49
SPEAKER_01: And that's for the program-based concerts that are put together when it comes to dance Alabama.
43:55
SPEAKER_01: That's kind of why I'm glad to have that because the freshmen were able to be in that and you can actually Audition for those.
44:01
SPEAKER_01: But for the program based shows, no, you you we weren't allowed to be in those, weren't allowed to audition or anything.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: But we could work the shows to kind of see how it works and see the behind the scenes and help with ushering and that kind of thing.
44:13
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it is audition-based and it is a small program as well.
44:16
SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of the same as what Joshua was saying, you know, like once you audition, you we probably will be on stage at some point, you know.
44:22
SPEAKER_01: Like you're not nobody's just not on stage.
44:25
SPEAKER_01: So that is that is kind of crazy to me that that's what goes on at point park because there's so many people there.
44:30
unknown: Yeah.
44:31
unknown: Yeah.
44:31
SPEAKER_02: I didn't realize it was such a big program now.
44:34
SPEAKER_02: Like that's I think OCU, when I was there, I mean we started with 60 majors, dance majors, and then graduated with 20.
44:42
SPEAKER_02: And I think that was including performance and management at the time.
44:45
SPEAKER_02: And they have three different tracks now.
44:47
SPEAKER_02: So I do think it might be a little bit bigger.
44:49
SPEAKER_02: But like thinking about a whole program of like three or four hundred dancers, that's wild.
44:54
SPEAKER_05: That is.
44:55
SPEAKER_02: Wow, that that almost feels like you're you're like at a small school, but it's a big school because you don't know everybody.
45:00
unknown: Right.
45:01
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
45:01
SPEAKER_04: And obviously being the class of 2020, sure.
45:04
SPEAKER_04: Like my class was the smallest to start with.
45:07
SPEAKER_04: I think we started with like 70, and that was considered small.
45:10
SPEAKER_04: And then we ended up with 50 because people dropped out for you know whatever reasons.
45:15
SPEAKER_04: But every grade below me has accepted more than 100.
45:19
SPEAKER_04: I think the class below me has 130 come in, and that's just a lot of people to keep track of.
45:25
SPEAKER_04: And their classes were so big.
45:27
SPEAKER_04: My classes were all really small, like 15 people in a dance class, which is what I was used to from like my studio training.
45:33
SPEAKER_04: And their classes were having like 30, 40 people, and that's just a lot of people in one room.
45:40
SPEAKER_05: Especially in a conservatory style program that I feel Point Park is.
45:45
SPEAKER_05: And uh yeah, and wow, that's so interesting.
45:49
SPEAKER_05: I do have another question, and one of the things that I want to just mention after hearing everybody's journey so far and story, I think for all of the listeners out there, parents, dancers who are thinking about college, I think it's it's really, really crucial to get a clear understanding of the environment and the type of program that and the and the type of college experience that you're looking for.
46:12
SPEAKER_05: And that was something that um I wish I did more research on because I think I was prioritizing like the the dance schools, like all the schools that you listed, Joshua, those are all the exact same schools that I auditioned for.
46:25
SPEAKER_05: SUNY Purchase, University of Arizona, California, CalArts, Fordham, all those schools.
46:32
SPEAKER_05: You know, they're just like the top dance schools, and that's all that I cared about.
46:36
SPEAKER_05: I very much wanted, I knew I wanted to be in a in New York City.
46:40
SPEAKER_05: I I wanted to be in New York City, but I like what you said, Mary, about how Pittsburgh was a city and you got a little taste of city life without it being New York City life.
46:49
SPEAKER_05: And then for Pace, it's like you're thrown into New York City life, but you get a little taste of Los Angeles during the program and you get it, you get to see if you like that.
46:57
SPEAKER_05: And that's probably really great for the dance majors to decide I love it out here in Los Angeles.
47:02
SPEAKER_05: I'm totally moving here after I finish, or New York is so for me, I'm gonna stay in this city.
47:06
SPEAKER_05: And then having that safe, amazing, fun college life atmosphere on an actual university campus is something that many dance dancers might desire.
47:17
SPEAKER_05: And you're not gonna get that if you're going to a more conservatory style student style college program in the middle of a city.
47:24
SPEAKER_05: Boss, uh Boston Conservatory, Pays, Marymount, Point Park, they're all in city hubs.
47:30
SPEAKER_05: And if you don't like the city life and you want campus life, then you gotta look for a program that's the campus life because it's very different.
47:37
SPEAKER_05: And like I said, I wish that I was going to the football games.
47:41
SPEAKER_05: I wish that I was going to the fraternity parties and like all the things that you see on like every movie you watch growing up about like college.
47:49
SPEAKER_05: I wish I had that.
47:50
SPEAKER_05: And instead, I was rolling around in modern class at eight in the morning hating my life.
47:56
SPEAKER_05: Like, you know, so that was that was like the rude awakening for me when I made that decision of like, wow, I didn't, I did not want to sign up for this.
48:05
SPEAKER_05: So this is leading into my question.
48:07
SPEAKER_05: What were some of the rude awakenings for y'all going into college?
48:10
SPEAKER_05: Let's say rewind back.
48:12
SPEAKER_05: This is fresh for you, Lacey, freshman year, but like uh Mary and Joshua, rewind back to your freshman year.
48:19
SPEAKER_05: What was one of the hardest things for you to wrap your head around coming from a competitive studio training dancer to now going into college outside of maybe just the living adjustments of college, but like even just dance program-wise, like what was a reality shock to you?
48:34
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I know I'm like fresh on this.
48:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, mine's kind of unique because I don't think a lot of programs do this.
48:40
SPEAKER_01: It kind of shocked me.
48:41
SPEAKER_01: So, in my dance program, I am you have to start out at a certain level of classes.
48:47
SPEAKER_01: So I have to be in jazz 200 and ballet 100, and then I move up to the 300s and the 400s, and that's how it is for everybody.
48:55
SPEAKER_01: But there's also theater majors who may have no dance background that also are available to take these classes, so they'll be in my jazz 100 with me, and then I'll have professors who like to bring things down to a lower level because there are other people in there.
49:12
SPEAKER_01: So, as a dance major, that was kind of shocking to me because I'm here solely for dance and I'm here for these classes.
49:19
SPEAKER_01: So having my level be brought down for the people who are not necessarily dance majors and are not here for this program was kind of like, oh, well, like I get that we're like, I get that we're allowing them to take these classes and have these experiences, but if they're choosing to be in classes when it's not their majors, maybe we should keep the level where it is for the people who are here for that.
49:40
SPEAKER_01: So that to me was kind of just like, wait, okay, like kind of getting used to that.
49:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, and obviously as I as I go on through my years, I'll be going up the levels to the 300s and the 400s, and it'll be harder and it won't and there won't be other people in there to solely be dance majors because they are higher level classes.
49:56
SPEAKER_01: But it was just shocking that like the only classes that I get a week were also not as advanced as they could be because of letting other people take those classes.
50:04
SPEAKER_01: I just always thought maybe there should be a system where we audition to be put in a certain level of class as well to start out.
50:10
SPEAKER_01: And if I stay if I audition into a 300, I could stay in 300 or whatever that is.
50:15
SPEAKER_01: But I just didn't think that everybody should start at the same level if there were diff a lot of different skill levels in there.
50:20
SPEAKER_02: So that was hard for me to kind of wrap my head around, but I think that's one of the main differences of a BA program versus a BFA program because of that exact reason.
50:30
SPEAKER_02: At a BFA program, I think if you're a non-major, you can level into those levels or or you take the non-dance major ballet class because it's fulfilling a requirement.
50:41
SPEAKER_02: And I think with BA, because it's it's a less rigorous program, they that's why they're kind of lumping you in together.
50:47
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I would be very shocked by that too.
50:49
SPEAKER_02: Had I come from you feel like you said, dance competition life.
50:52
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I'm the top of my class, and you're dad, you're like, why are we learning how to tondu?
50:56
SPEAKER_02: Right.
50:57
SPEAKER_01: And I was a little worried about like going to university if it was going to be a super challenging program, but I was able, which I'm very thankful for this.
51:05
SPEAKER_01: Like you said, it's good to find, kind of feel out what your university is going to be like or what your school's gonna be like.
51:10
SPEAKER_01: So when I was touring the school, I was able to take a class and I was able to take a point class.
51:15
SPEAKER_01: And at the time they told me, hey, if you want to, like when I was there, jump into a class.
51:19
SPEAKER_01: I was like, okay, great.
51:20
SPEAKER_01: It was actually a point class, I didn't have my shoes.
51:22
SPEAKER_01: But I wore ballet shoes and I took it on flats.
51:24
SPEAKER_01: So I got to see what it was like, and I was like, oh, okay, great.
51:27
SPEAKER_01: This is challenging, this is fun.
51:28
SPEAKER_01: I love the school, and that's where I was kind of like, okay, I love this.
51:31
SPEAKER_01: So then when I got to school and I got in these classes and they were lowered down a level for the people around me, I was just kind of like, oh, like I wasn't expecting that, you know.
51:39
SPEAKER_01: Like obviously, you can still find training in the basic levels.
51:43
SPEAKER_01: Always.
51:43
SPEAKER_01: You can always find training in a Tondu, you know, like I'm not exactly nobody's nobody's above the basic training, but I am, like you said, paying this much to go to a school to be taught at the level that I applied there for, you know.
51:55
SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of like that was shocking to me, and I know that it will go up as I move on, but that was just one of the main things, I think.
52:03
SPEAKER_05: Mm-hmm.
52:04
SPEAKER_05: That's good information.
52:05
SPEAKER_05: That's really good information.
52:06
SPEAKER_05: I know that was something I dealt with at my uh at Marymount as well.
52:10
SPEAKER_05: We they had um you could audition into placements for ballet classes, so your ballet classes were at all varying levels, and I was placed with like a lot of the sophomores and juniors, and then there were a lot of varying level dancers accepted into our program, I will say.
52:28
SPEAKER_05: And there were like specifically, I remember that I feel like a lot of the female dancers were on the same level.
52:32
SPEAKER_05: A lot of the male dancers were not on the same level, and they would kind of get accepted into the program in hopes that they can build them into this great dancer over four years' course of time, and that's great and fine.
52:44
SPEAKER_05: But also, like, I've been doing this for 13 years on you over here, and I shouldn't like you kind of are feeling like I thought that same type of thing when I did have a little bit of modern background heading into my modern classes, and all freshmen were in the same modern class.
52:59
SPEAKER_05: Like you worked your way up with your class at Marymount, where you're gonna learn Taylor year one, and now you're gonna learn Graham year two, and now you're gonna learn Horton year three.
53:08
SPEAKER_05: That way you're getting the variety of all of the foundational modern techniques together, and that's fine, but then they kind of catered it for our our ballet classes to be, you know, where you kind of belong placement technique-wise.
53:22
SPEAKER_05: So I did appreciate that, but I can understand that being extremely frustrating.
53:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I mean, it's not that I don't like I appreciate people of all skill levels coming in and like working hard in a class.
53:33
SPEAKER_01: Like that's not a problem.
53:34
SPEAKER_01: It's just when somebody who's not who doesn't have like any dance training prior to that class, I just don't find it fair to lower it for those people.
53:42
SPEAKER_01: That's the kind of thing I was and I mean, like I said, any skill levels we're all in it together, we're all working together.
53:48
SPEAKER_01: But when you don't have prior training, I think that's a whole different story.
53:52
SPEAKER_00: Totally.
53:53
SPEAKER_00: I would say the biggest thing, or one of the biggest things is like New York is just so expensive.
54:00
SPEAKER_05: Yes, yes, it runs.
54:02
SPEAKER_00: Even though that's not really like specific to like school, like necessarily, but just like just living in New York, it gets expensive.
54:11
SPEAKER_00: So just like money management was like a first thing.
54:14
SPEAKER_00: I had to be like, okay, like if this is way different than North Carolina, yeah, the dollar isn't gonna get you the same asn't.
54:24
SPEAKER_00: So that was the first big thing.
54:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, after that, I would say like at pace, the first day is placements, as I like some like y'all were mentioning.
54:34
SPEAKER_00: So there's four levels for jazz, four levels for ballet.
54:37
SPEAKER_00: Um, those are like the first two placements.
54:39
SPEAKER_00: So you get leveled on that the first day of class, which is kind of scary, as like I've literally never taken a pace class before.
54:48
SPEAKER_00: Like in my first class is me putting on a number and being leveled with all the freshmen and sophomores together on my ballet and then jazz.
54:57
SPEAKER_00: And then that whole first week, you're auditioning for all the choreographers for the pieces that semester.
55:04
SPEAKER_00: So then at night, yeah.
55:06
SPEAKER_00: So then at night from 5 p.m.
55:07
SPEAKER_00: to 9 p.m., which is your rehearsal block, you're auditioning usually two choreographers a night every day from Monday through Friday.
55:16
SPEAKER_00: So then that was when I was like, I'm used to dancing, but like I'm used to like being at school all day and then going at the studio to train.
55:24
SPEAKER_00: But then this was like I have like a math class in the morning, then I go do ballet, then I go do jazz audition, then I have like an hour to maybe eat, and then I with your dollar that is not going very far.
55:38
SPEAKER_05: Dollar slice, New York City, hello.
55:41
SPEAKER_00: And then I'm dancing all night at the auditions, and then there's also student choreography things that happen, and those rehearsals are happening from 9 p.m.
55:50
SPEAKER_00: to 11 p.m.
55:51
SPEAKER_00: So then I could be at school from 8 30 a.m.
55:55
SPEAKER_00: to 11 p.m.
55:57
SPEAKER_00: with only an hour break the whole day.
56:00
SPEAKER_05: Oh my god, this is insane.
56:02
SPEAKER_05: That's crazy.
56:03
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's a very similar experience.
56:05
SPEAKER_00: I don't know how I made it.
56:07
SPEAKER_00: I think because a lot of people are were talking about like burnout, yeah.
56:10
SPEAKER_00: And that's really a thing that you experience because it's just like you love dance, you love it so much, but sometimes your body is like and mine take a minute, eat more than a dollar slice.
56:25
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
56:25
SPEAKER_00: Um, those are the two biggest like things for me.
56:29
SPEAKER_02: So, fun fact, I don't know if you know this, um Joshua, but Rhonda Miller, who started the PACE program, was she was not there at OCU when I was there, but she worked at OCU prior um to starting the PACE program.
56:40
SPEAKER_02: So the the format that you got you just talked about about your first week, that is the OCU format as well, where you you're being leveled the entire week, ballet tap, jazz, all the things.
56:50
SPEAKER_02: You're also auditioning for company or auditioning for choreography show.
56:54
SPEAKER_02: And yes, same, I had the same experience.
56:56
SPEAKER_02: Class starts at 8 a.m.
56:57
SPEAKER_02: You might have your lunch break, you have rehearsal from four to six, you probably have a night class because it's the only biology class that fits into the dancer schedule.
57:04
SPEAKER_02: And then you have student choreography show rehearsal.
57:06
SPEAKER_02: So like eight to eight to eleven is not unheard of in some of these dance programs for at least a few weeks at a time.
57:12
SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, you're not always auditioning, you're not always in the student choreography show.
57:16
SPEAKER_02: That time of life passes, you know, and depending on whether you do summer school or whether you came in with classes that you've already, you know, if you had IB or AP classes, like some of us graduate early for those reasons.
57:27
SPEAKER_02: But some of these hardcore programs, like I think that's a really important thing to bring up that yeah, you were used to kind of, you know, you had your senior year, it was fun, you did your piece and you had a moment sometimes.
57:37
SPEAKER_02: But then once you get into college, you don't have a moment.
57:41
SPEAKER_02: You have to really love this.
57:49
SPEAKER_05: Hey parents, I have a few questions for you.
57:52
SPEAKER_05: Does your dancer want to have a career in dance post-high school graduation?
57:56
SPEAKER_05: Are you already stressed about the upcoming college application process?
58:00
SPEAKER_05: Should your dancer get a DFA in dance or pursue a degree in another field?
58:04
SPEAKER_05: You can have all of these questions answered by attending an upcoming virtual college prep workshop with Francisco Gala Dance Works.
58:13
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58:32
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58:39
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58:46
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58:58
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59:09
SPEAKER_05: I I'm I'm shocked by that.
59:11
SPEAKER_05: And I can only imagine, like you said, I I don't think that dancers would be ready for that type of strenuous level of dancing and training and being focused, and you know, that is really tough and really late.
59:26
SPEAKER_05: 11 o'clock at night.
59:27
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I know it's the city that never sleeps, but come on.
59:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
59:31
SPEAKER_00: And I felt bad because I would do um, I would do like when I was doing my student choreo pieces, I felt bad because I was like, I'm really having my my cast dance this full out at 10 30 at night.
59:44
SPEAKER_00: Like this is crazy.
59:46
SPEAKER_05: You're like, but this is my time.
59:48
SPEAKER_05: This is like I've earned this position.
59:50
SPEAKER_05: I want to do my choreography, and but then you feel bad about it because this is the only time block to make it happen.
59:57
SPEAKER_05: And like I can understand because you want to take care of your dancers, or you've been in that situation yourself.
1:00:02
SPEAKER_05: Like, yeah, that that is a tough one.
1:00:05
SPEAKER_05: Wow, I can only imagine.
1:00:07
SPEAKER_05: You did it though.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_01: Add on to that, yeah, especially transitioning straight into college.
1:00:12
SPEAKER_01: I know because I literally just did this a year ago.
1:00:15
SPEAKER_01: Already just thinking about moving from home to a place like that is really scary, and to a place where you probably don't know a lot of people and transitioning into college because when you're when you're going to college, I feel like at least I was like, I have no idea what my life's gonna look like.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't know what college is like.
1:00:31
SPEAKER_01: Like, people talk about college and how it's they talk about what it could be like, but you don't know until you get there.
1:00:37
SPEAKER_01: So just like the uncertainty of that, plus the stress of new classes and the how hard college classes are, like that schedule on top of all of that, I can't even imagine.
1:00:46
SPEAKER_01: Like that would stress me out so bad.
1:00:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like I already get stressed by the classes and the academic portion of it, like that would just freak me out.
1:00:54
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so yes, about the crazy schedule, 100%.
1:00:58
SPEAKER_04: That's how it was at Point Park, the ridiculous long days.
1:01:01
SPEAKER_04: We did all of our auditions in one night, though.
1:01:03
SPEAKER_04: So they'd be 45 minutes for each choreographer.
1:01:06
SPEAKER_04: You would do it one time.
1:01:07
SPEAKER_04: Wow.
1:01:07
SPEAKER_04: In like the big group, because you had to fit everyone in so go go.
1:01:11
SPEAKER_04: Auditions for the whole semester were in one week, like three nights in a row for every show.
1:01:16
SPEAKER_04: And then you'd you'd be there from 8 a.m.
1:01:18
SPEAKER_04: to you know 10:30 at night sometimes, which was just insane days with little breaks.
1:01:24
SPEAKER_04: But I think my biggest thing, we did also do levels, they were from our auditions because of COVID.
1:01:30
SPEAKER_04: We didn't have a placement.
1:01:32
SPEAKER_04: Normally you do, but they used our actual school audition to determine our levels.
1:01:36
SPEAKER_04: So I felt like that was maybe not representative of everyone, because obviously, like some of ours were really far in the past from who we entered as.
1:01:45
SPEAKER_04: But my freshman year, we did codified modern.
1:01:48
SPEAKER_04: And then you split into your concentration.
1:01:50
SPEAKER_04: So everybody dances together just with your level freshman year.
1:01:54
SPEAKER_04: And after that, everybody who's a jazz concentration dances together, everyone who's ballet and modern.
1:01:59
SPEAKER_04: But when you're a jazz concentration, you kind of stop doing codified modern, and we did a lot of improv.
1:02:07
SPEAKER_04: So I had like three years of improvisational-based modern, like the rolling experimental contemporary.
1:02:14
SPEAKER_04: And I personally had wanted more technique, like I wanted to learn all the nitty-gritties of those styles.
1:02:22
SPEAKER_04: And I ended up having to like take them as summer intensives to learn them because we did a lot of, and that's great for contemporary for sure.
1:02:30
SPEAKER_04: I definitely learned a lot, but that was something like that kind of shocked me from a first year that was like Lamone, Graham, Horton, really rigorous to like a free-for-all, like whatever kind of you want, like more relaxed.
1:02:43
SPEAKER_04: I was definitely like, where is my flat back right now?
1:02:47
SPEAKER_05: Right.
1:02:48
SPEAKER_04: And and only the modern students got to continue doing modern techniques.
1:02:52
SPEAKER_05: That's what I was gonna add.
1:02:53
SPEAKER_04: Ballet and jazz were kind of just like, and for the jazz, like the the modern concentrations didn't have as rigorous of jazz.
1:03:00
SPEAKER_04: So, like they didn't get to train in as much musical theater, like they never really wore their Laducas, which we trained in them for semesters on end every day.
1:03:09
SPEAKER_06: Wow.
1:03:09
SPEAKER_04: So it just felt very like a wide gap between your concentration and the others.
1:03:16
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, you want to be very specific about what you choose, and you get to choose your concentration, right?
1:03:21
SPEAKER_02: It's not chosen for you.
1:03:22
SPEAKER_04: You can choose it and you can switch it until your sophomore year, but but then it's just hard that you're not getting like they make it sound like you're gonna get everything, right?
1:03:32
SPEAKER_04: And then it's kind of everything, but not quite the same level of everything.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_02: You're getting it, but it's just not equal.
1:03:39
SPEAKER_04: And then that puts people at disadvantages in these concerts, depending on who's coming as a guest choreographer.
1:03:45
SPEAKER_04: If that's not something that you're regularly training in, you're not, you know.
1:03:49
SPEAKER_05: Right.
1:03:50
SPEAKER_05: Only the modern dancers are going to be prioritized for this modern choreographer's piece.
1:03:53
SPEAKER_05: Yes, exactly.
1:03:54
SPEAKER_05: But if there's not a jazz choreographer in the show this year that picks you when you're a jazz concentration, right?
1:04:01
SPEAKER_05: You're like, well, if I would have been able to train in Lamon more, then I could have been considered for this Lamon choreographer.
1:04:07
SPEAKER_05: So yeah, that's frustrating.
1:04:09
SPEAKER_04: And they really did cater to the modern, like most of the concerts were a form of contemporary/slash modern that was very like technical.
1:04:17
SPEAKER_04: And I felt like there was hardly any jazz in the concerts, which was really disappointing because I feel like jazz deserves the love.
1:04:25
SPEAKER_04: Sure.
1:04:25
SPEAKER_04: Well, you're hello.
1:04:26
SPEAKER_04: Who are you talking to?
1:04:27
SPEAKER_05: Concentration, hello.
1:04:28
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, exactly.
1:04:29
SPEAKER_05: You know who you're talking to over here.
1:04:31
SPEAKER_05: We love jazz dance on the podcast.
1:04:33
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, especially if you're, you know, you picked a school that has, and that's the that's the thing about some of some programs.
1:04:41
SPEAKER_05: And and as people will research, they'll learn that like there are some programs that are just straight BFA dance in dance.
1:04:47
SPEAKER_05: There are some programs that allow you to have a concentration in a genre, which I think is really special and great because that, you know, there's not many that say jazz dance can be your concentration for your BFA and dance.
1:05:00
SPEAKER_05: It's there's not there they're far and few between when it comes to jazz.
1:05:03
SPEAKER_05: So when you find those programs that have it, you're looking for like, you know, more jazz representation existing throughout the training.
1:05:11
SPEAKER_05: And well, it sounds like you've got some great training with the Laduca and classes and things, but like even in the performances and the opportunities that are being presented to represent your concentration.
1:05:20
SPEAKER_05: So I can definitely see how that might have been a little shocking to discover and navigate a tough one.
1:05:27
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, for sure.
1:05:28
SPEAKER_02: Well, and I want to say something that kind of circles back to what we were talking about earlier about things you like struggled with or knew about um or didn't know about before you went into the program.
1:05:39
SPEAKER_02: I think it's really important to have these kinds of conversations, par parents out there and students who are looking into a school.
1:05:46
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, listen, Joshua, I'm sure you do an excellent job at your tour guide, but like you work for the school in that capacity, right?
1:05:53
SPEAKER_02: You are giving feedback because the school is asking you to.
1:05:56
SPEAKER_02: If you're looking into a dance program, speak to somebody.
1:06:00
SPEAKER_02: Who is in the program outside of the school?
1:06:02
SPEAKER_02: Take them to lunch, find them on Dance Teacher Network, ask your friends.
1:06:06
SPEAKER_02: Because that perspective, yeah, is going to be a little, it'll, it maybe it'll be exactly the same, but it could be slightly different because the school is good promote themselves the way they want to be seen.
1:06:16
SPEAKER_02: And that's for every school everywhere.
1:06:18
SPEAKER_02: But you got to get the insider info to hear some of the things that, you know, maybe Point Park's not telling you.
1:06:23
SPEAKER_02: Hey, we don't cast everybody.
1:06:24
SPEAKER_02: You could show up here for four years and never be on a stage.
1:06:27
SPEAKER_02: Well, they're probably not going to tell you that.
1:06:29
SPEAKER_02: But Mary's selling point.
1:06:32
SPEAKER_02: So I think that's really important to note for anybody looking for a college, for I mean, truly any anything, music, dance, sports, whatever.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_02: Speak to somebody who's currently in the program to get that slightly more insider info that may help you with a teeny bit of information that you wouldn't get otherwise.
1:06:47
SPEAKER_05: That's why we're here doing this.
1:06:48
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
1:06:49
SPEAKER_02: We try to spread the information, the truth.
1:06:53
SPEAKER_05: I I think this conversation has been so helpful and so interesting to hear because I did not go to school and finish um for four years, unfortunately.
1:07:06
SPEAKER_05: But I am so inspired by all of you and the choices that you've made.
1:07:11
SPEAKER_05: And congrats to Joshua and Mary for both graduating from college and getting your BFAs.
1:07:16
SPEAKER_05: How exciting.
1:07:18
SPEAKER_05: And stepping into that next step of your professional dance journey.
1:07:22
SPEAKER_05: And for Lazy for finding a school that feels like such a good fit for you, that allows you to still do your other job, to give you a BA in dance, to not have that uh hardcore BFA conservatory style program, getting that university experience and football games and all the things.
1:07:39
SPEAKER_05: Like it sounds like you all did your research and found great fits for you, which is wonderful.
1:07:45
SPEAKER_05: There's always gonna be pros and cons.
1:07:47
SPEAKER_05: There's always going to be things that you have to learn the ropes when you get into a new program or any new experience in life.
1:07:54
SPEAKER_05: You know, this is like the first step into a new life experience.
1:07:58
SPEAKER_05: Even on your end, Joshua, you've already started working in the professional world.
1:08:02
SPEAKER_05: As you know, every job's gonna be different.
1:08:04
SPEAKER_05: You're gonna walk into that rehearsal tomorrow for your new job, and it's not gonna be like the rehearsal that you were at for your last job.
1:08:11
SPEAKER_05: It's, you know, but you learn from each experience, and there's gonna be some jobs you love and some jobs you hate in this beautiful dance world.
1:08:18
SPEAKER_05: And that the same thing goes for college.
1:08:21
SPEAKER_05: You know, it's okay if you go to a school and you try it and you say, This just isn't for me.
1:08:26
SPEAKER_05: Like that is absolutely okay for dancers.
1:08:28
SPEAKER_05: And I knew that, you know, speaking from experience on that, that was something that was really scary and hard for me because I felt like I was letting my parents down when I decided to leave school.
1:08:39
SPEAKER_05: I I felt like I was a failure.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_05: I felt like I was, you know, and they kind of no offense, mom and dad, if you're listening, but like they kind of made me feel that way too.
1:08:49
SPEAKER_05: Like they were not supportive of my choice.
1:08:52
SPEAKER_05: They were supportive, they wanted me to go to school and that was it.
1:08:56
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
1:08:56
SPEAKER_05: And and I I better get a degree, and that was it.
1:08:58
SPEAKER_05: And they didn't care how I do it or where I did it, as long as I got that piece of paper.
1:09:02
SPEAKER_05: And like that's so important to so many parents.
1:09:05
SPEAKER_05: But it is important for dancers to know that like this is your choice at the end of the day.
1:09:10
SPEAKER_05: Do not feel pressured to go to school if you don't want to.
1:09:13
SPEAKER_05: Do not feel pressure to go to a specific school that doesn't fit what you want out of your career or your future, if just from pressure of your parents or your studio or your friends or whatever it is.
1:09:24
SPEAKER_05: Like so many uh important um aspects to the decision making um need to be thought about when you're choosing which college to go to.
1:09:32
SPEAKER_05: And it is okay if it doesn't work for you.
1:09:35
SPEAKER_05: Uh I just want to let let dancers know that because it didn't work for me and I turned out just fine.
1:09:41
SPEAKER_05: But there might be a lot of dancers who might feel stuck and say, I have to finish this through.
1:09:46
SPEAKER_05: My parents will like kill me if I don't do this, or you know, feeling that type of pressure, or just feeling like they're gonna be a letdown to their dance community or themselves if they don't finish.
1:09:56
SPEAKER_05: So the most important thing is there's a million schools out there and they're all different.
1:10:00
SPEAKER_02: And there's so many more than there used to be.
1:10:02
SPEAKER_02: I mean, and you can get a good dance education at so many different kinds of schools, at so many different types of programs in states you never even would think of.
1:10:12
SPEAKER_02: Like they're out there.
1:10:14
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I think that's important for everyone to hear as well is that, you know, and yeah, that's another conversation of is the industry too saturated with BFA, b BFA programs?
1:10:22
SPEAKER_02: Maybe, maybe, but that you can still get the education.
1:10:25
SPEAKER_02: There, it's there, there's financial aid.
1:10:27
SPEAKER_02: We didn't even talk about that.
1:10:28
SPEAKER_02: Like, that's another podcast.
1:10:30
SPEAKER_02: But I guess for we we have our guests wrap us up with, I think the question that I'd like to ask, it's very similar to our normal wrap-up question, but what is one piece of advice that you could just leave either a upcoming, you know, a graduating senior in in high school with or an upcoming senior in high school looking for programs.
1:10:50
SPEAKER_02: What's your best piece of advice for them in looking for a college that you could leave us with today?
1:10:55
SPEAKER_04: I would say ask a graduating senior in college what they liked about it before you commit as a graduating senior in high school.
1:11:03
SPEAKER_04: And secondly, pick a school where you are gonna get scholarships because I'm so thankful that I'm graduating with no debt.
1:11:10
SPEAKER_04: And that would not have been possible from a school that didn't give me scholarships.
1:11:14
SPEAKER_04: So please do it is not worth it to pick a BFA where you are going to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.
1:11:21
SPEAKER_04: No school is worth that.
1:11:22
SPEAKER_04: Do not let them suck you in.
1:11:24
SPEAKER_04: No, don't do it.
1:11:26
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
1:11:26
SPEAKER_05: Great piece of advice, Mary.
1:11:28
SPEAKER_05: I'm really glad you mentioned that because, like you said, Leslie, we didn't touch on that at all.
1:11:32
SPEAKER_05: And that is a huge, another huge major point of that college decision is are you gonna be in debt the rest of your life or not?
1:11:41
SPEAKER_05: Because let's be real, dance doesn't really pay all those bills when you get the real world job.
1:11:46
SPEAKER_05: So really smart choice on that end, Mary.
1:11:50
SPEAKER_05: You're you're just so great, Mary.
1:11:51
SPEAKER_05: You did all the research, you knew exactly where to go.
1:11:54
SPEAKER_05: You picked your school, like you got in a whole year ahead, you got all the scholarships.
1:11:58
SPEAKER_05: Like, I'm so impressed by you.
1:12:00
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
1:12:01
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
1:12:02
SPEAKER_05: All right, next up.
1:12:03
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I would just say be very specific in what you want out of your experience.
1:12:08
SPEAKER_01: And that goes with words, dance-wise or personally, too.
1:12:12
SPEAKER_01: Be very specific in what you want because you are looking for how you're going to spend the next four years of your life.
1:12:19
SPEAKER_01: It's not just, oh, I'm just taking college because it's special because it's great.
1:12:25
SPEAKER_01: It's what you're gonna be doing for the next section of your life, and it's a place that you're gonna spend a lot of time.
1:12:32
SPEAKER_01: Just be open, be very open to everything that comes your way.
1:12:35
SPEAKER_01: Um, for me, I've kind of had to wrap my head around the fact that if I do get a job, that's very big, a big move for my career or a very big opportunity for me.
1:12:43
SPEAKER_01: I probably would not be going to school next year.
1:12:45
SPEAKER_01: I would be doing an online program to get a business degree to further myself my education in that way.
1:12:51
SPEAKER_01: So I just think, like you said, if going to college for four years is not as big of a deal and as big of a stressor in your life that people make it.
1:13:02
SPEAKER_01: I think just be really open to everything around you and all the opportunities.
1:13:05
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I would say like two things.
1:13:10
SPEAKER_00: One is just choose a place that feels like home to you, choose a place that feels authentic to you.
1:13:16
SPEAKER_00: If something doesn't feel authentic to you, then it's not the right move.
1:13:19
SPEAKER_00: And then two, this is something that I've like kind of been into implementing in my life, but it's just like don't be passive about your dreams.
1:13:27
SPEAKER_00: Be super proactive about it.
1:13:29
SPEAKER_00: So whatever you're going towards, whatever field you want to go into within the dance industry, make sure you're being active about it.
1:13:36
SPEAKER_00: Don't just let your dreams sit there and pass by.
1:13:39
SPEAKER_00: Like every day, you should be thinking about ways that you can make your dreams happen.
1:13:43
SPEAKER_00: That doesn't mean don't rest.
1:13:44
SPEAKER_00: That means that just means be proactive.
1:13:47
SPEAKER_00: Think about because no one's gonna make your dreams happen except for you.
1:13:51
SPEAKER_00: There's people that can help you and give you the tools, but you're the first one that's going to um set everything into motion.
1:13:56
SPEAKER_00: So just be proactive about your dreams and your passions and you know, see what else you can next.
1:14:04
SPEAKER_05: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode featuring current college students at Dance Programs.
1:14:10
SPEAKER_05: Be sure to follow our guests on Instagram and stay up to date with their dance journey.
1:14:15
SPEAKER_05: You can find Mary at Mary Selene underscore, Joshua at Mr.
1:14:19
SPEAKER_05: dot broadway, and Lacey at Lacey Justice.
1:14:23
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1:14:30
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1:14:36
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1:14:45
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1:14:51
SPEAKER_05: Looking for some outside expertise to fine-tune your dance before hitting the competition stage this season?
1:14:57
SPEAKER_05: Then check out IDA's Online Judges Critiques.
1:15:00
SPEAKER_05: Our seasoned judges will provide you with the video critique of your routine, just like you'd receive at competition.
1:15:06
SPEAKER_05: But with IDA's online judges critiques, we take it one step further with our post-critique additional feedback.
1:15:12
SPEAKER_05: Your judge will go through your routine again, pausing the video to give you even more detailed and personalized feedback.
1:15:19
SPEAKER_05: This game-changing service has helped countless dancers prepare for the competitive stage and is available year round.
1:15:25
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1:15:29
SPEAKER_05: Click the link in our show notes or visit our website at Impact Dance Adjudicators.com/slash one line critiques to learn more and submit your dance today.
1:15:38
SPEAKER_02: Season five of Making the Impact is coming to a close.
1:15:41
SPEAKER_02: Stay tuned for our competition takeaways from your IDA judges and our season five wrap up.
1:15:46
SPEAKER_05: Stay tuned next week for our final episode of season five.
1:15:49
SPEAKER_05: Until then, keep dancing.