Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / From Solo to Squad - Respect and Teamwork in Dance

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From Solo to Squad - Respect and Teamwork in Dance · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_04: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:10
SPEAKER_04: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_04: This is Making the Impact a Dance Competition podcast.
0:15
SPEAKER_04: 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_04: In the competitive dance world, solos seem to be taking over.
0:28
SPEAKER_04: But how does that affect teamwork?
0:30
SPEAKER_04: Today's topic is one that's been requested time and time again.
0:34
SPEAKER_04: How to foster an environment for competitive dancers that encourages working as a team.
0:38
SPEAKER_04: From group activities to communication strategies, we'll share insights on how to bond as a team, improve collaboration, and ultimately take your performances to the next level.
0:49
SPEAKER_01: Hey Danceworld, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
0:53
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
0:57
SPEAKER_04: Hey Court, we are having a great time pre-recording.
1:00
SPEAKER_04: I always enjoy just sitting down and chatting with you before we get the episode started.
1:04
SPEAKER_01: Yes, me too.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: And it is December and nice and chilly over here in New York City.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: But oh my gosh, it is the best time of the year, the most magical time of the year, because the lights are out, it is super festive, and a ton of tourists have they're everywhere.
1:24
SPEAKER_04: But it is nice to drive, you know, drive around, walk around, see all the Christmas lights, see all the holiday decorations.
1:30
SPEAKER_04: And yeah, I'm just excited for a little bit of a break coming up for winter vacation.
1:35
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
1:36
SPEAKER_01: And after that break, guess what, y'all?
1:39
SPEAKER_01: 2025 is here, but also so is the competition season.
1:43
SPEAKER_01: It is so close.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure everyone is hard at work finalizing those costumes, Orion stoning like crazy, cleaning those dances, and getting prepared for the season to begin.
1:55
SPEAKER_01: And speaking of all of that, we want to talk about teamwork today on the podcast because that is a big aspect of the competition season.
2:06
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we are excited to bring on two amazing guests who have some experience in that realm and learn from them and hear about number one, why it's important to just keep that team energy, team spirit going on throughout the season, and then maybe give us some great tips and tricks on how to actually achieve that.
2:24
SPEAKER_04: Because this is actually an episode that we have had requested for quite a while.
2:27
SPEAKER_04: And I think it's just an important topic because studios are always needing that backup.
2:32
SPEAKER_04: They need that help to keep their teams positive and in the right energy level and in the right mindset to work together.
2:40
SPEAKER_04: So I'm excited for our listeners to learn today as well.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
2:44
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2:51
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2:59
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3:08
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3:09
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3:15
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3:26
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3:31
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3:36
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3:40
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3:44
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3:48
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3:55
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4:58
SPEAKER_01: Under the co-artistic direction of Francisco Gella and Usha Marie Zorzano, Zeitgeist Dance Theater is the summer dance company located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
5:07
SPEAKER_01: The name Zeitgeist, derived from the German words Zeit meaning time and geist meaning spirit, signifies the spirit of the times and embodies the essence and spirit of our contemporary era.
5:18
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5:36
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5:45
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6:06
SPEAKER_01: Alright, everyone, we're jumping into this week's chat.
6:10
SPEAKER_01: And it's all about the team this week on making the impact.
6:14
SPEAKER_01: A lot of you are on dance competition teams, a lot of you have teammates that you compete alongside, and that is a very important aspect of being a dancer.
6:23
SPEAKER_01: You're not always going to be a soloist, y'all, and I'm sure we're gonna talk about that today on this chat, but we wanted to talk about the importance of working with a team, team spirit, team building.
6:34
SPEAKER_01: So many things to cover in this episode as we head into the competition season ahead.
6:40
SPEAKER_01: We have two wonderful guests who are joining us on Making the Impact today.
6:45
SPEAKER_01: And our first guest is a returning guest to Making the Impact.
6:48
SPEAKER_01: They are an IDA judge on our roster, and I had the pleasure of actually getting to meet them in person this summer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at Star Talent Nationals.
6:59
SPEAKER_01: I just happened to be in the same place, the same time as Nationals was happening for a family vacation, and we went out to eat and I got to know her, and it was just such a pleasure.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: And to remind all of our listeners out there, her previous episode, season five, episode 183.
7:15
SPEAKER_01: How do competition judges keep their emotions out of scoring?
7:19
SPEAKER_01: Ooh, it's a hot one, y'all.
7:21
SPEAKER_01: Go give it a listen.
7:22
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to welcome back IDA judge Rachel Roberts to the pod.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Rachel.
7:28
SPEAKER_00: Hi, thank you so much for having me again.
7:30
SPEAKER_00: It's always an honor to be here.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: And yes, it was so nice to see you in Myrtle Beach.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: That was such a great time.
7:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know.
7:36
SPEAKER_01: We had, and that was your first time in Myrtle.
7:38
SPEAKER_01: You were being the tourist.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, it was amazing.
7:42
SPEAKER_00: I had the best time.
7:43
SPEAKER_01: I know.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: I loved seeing all your photos.
7:45
SPEAKER_01: It was so fun.
7:46
SPEAKER_01: So and also just a fun fact for all of our Platinum Premium members out there, you may have remembered Rachel from a previous Platinum Premium episode we did last season QA with Courtney.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: That was a lot of fun as well.
7:57
SPEAKER_01: So so thrilled to have you back on the pod and chat about this as an experienced educator.
8:02
SPEAKER_01: And if you could just tell the world and remind everybody a little bit more about you.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
8:07
SPEAKER_00: I grew up dancing in Las Vegas as a young girl and attended the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts High School, where I toured pre-professionally, nationally and internationally.
8:19
SPEAKER_00: I then went to Oklahoma City University, where I was on the American Spirit Dance Company, which it was known as at the time.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And I've had over 20 years of teaching and choreography experience going into my 13th year as a judge and a guest instructor.
8:34
SPEAKER_00: And yes, it's my second year on the IDA roster, which I'm really excited about.
8:38
SPEAKER_00: It was so much fun to uh work with you all last year.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: So I'm honored to be back.
8:43
SPEAKER_00: I've done a lot of work just regionally and locally with some choreography and performance and commercials and other projects.
8:51
SPEAKER_00: And my heart is just really in the studio, teaching, being with the students, and just sharing my love of dance that I've had my whole life.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: So it's exciting to see, you know, the young students grow and learn and all that fun stuff.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to be here.
9:06
SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: We're happy to have you back.
9:08
SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for joining us.
9:10
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
9:11
SPEAKER_01: All right.
9:12
SPEAKER_01: Our next special guest is a brand new guest to our podcast, and I am finally meeting them for the very first time.
9:18
SPEAKER_01: Leslie and I both have admired all of their advice and guidance and work that they're bringing to the dance community, as well as on a lot of our dance teacher forums, sharing some really great words of wisdom.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: And we knew that this guest would be the perfect guest to talk about teamwork today.
9:36
SPEAKER_01: I'm very excited to welcome Shannon and Dolan Kane to the podcast.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Shannon.
9:41
SPEAKER_03: Hi, thank you so much.
9:42
SPEAKER_03: I'm really excited to be here.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: Yay! And I saw that you uh went to University of Maryland.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: You were in my neck of the woods, my hometown for school.
9:51
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
9:52
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
9:53
SPEAKER_03: So I have a master's degree in dance, MFA from the University of Maryland College Park.
9:58
SPEAKER_03: And then I lived in that area for a while and taught at uh studios and uh private K-12 schools and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
10:08
SPEAKER_03: Cool.
10:08
SPEAKER_03: For a while there.
10:10
SPEAKER_03: And uh now I'm based in uh Tucson, Arizona, and I continue to teach at a wonderful studio here, and I'm a blogger.
10:20
SPEAKER_03: And uh as you mentioned, I'm kind of a Facebook addict.
10:23
SPEAKER_03: So I just love getting in the groups and seeing what's going on in uh in Facebook land for dance teachers and sharing what I my experiences and what I've written in the blog with with other folks.
10:35
SPEAKER_01: You know what?
10:36
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot going on on these Facebook forums, y'all.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we need we need more people out there spreading the knowledge because a lot of questions, a lot of conversations.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: And a lot of times we get inspiration and ideas on podcast topics from what's going down in these Facebook groups.
10:56
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and we also get guests.
10:58
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we get ideas for guests.
10:59
SPEAKER_04: So that is where Shannon came from is just being around in the community and like giving good information and feeling, you know, feeling to to our perspective like somebody we want to share with.
11:11
SPEAKER_04: So we're excited to have you, Shannon.
11:13
SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much.
11:14
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
11:14
SPEAKER_01: Yay! All right, let's talk about teamwork today.
11:18
SPEAKER_01: It's an important one.
11:19
SPEAKER_04: It is.
11:20
SPEAKER_04: So we are lucky to have people with a lot of variety of experiences in the studio, Courtney in convention land, things like that.
11:28
SPEAKER_04: Probably with among the three four of us, we probably have something like a hundred years of experience in all of this, just based on how many years we've all been teaching.
11:35
SPEAKER_01: So you're aging us.
11:38
SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, it is what it is.
11:40
SPEAKER_04: We old.
11:40
SPEAKER_04: You can't you can't stop aging.
11:42
SPEAKER_04: Um, but you know, with with age comes wisdom and with time becomes, you know, we have we have a lot to share.
11:48
SPEAKER_04: So I think for our first kind of conversation in this in this uh topic, I want to just touch on how you create a community in a studio versus how you create, like in maybe even unbeknownst to you, like a mean girl bullying kind of a click.
12:06
SPEAKER_04: Because, you know, I think cheerleading dance, gymnastics, anything where there's like a lot of female energy, there can become very easily something negative or there can become something very positive.
12:16
SPEAKER_04: And I'm just curious what your thoughts are.
12:19
SPEAKER_04: You know, how does the good part get developed?
12:22
SPEAKER_00: I'll go ahead and start.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: I guess it it I feel like it starts from the top down.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: I think leadership in general on all levels, from the studio owner to the instructors, they need to take pride in ownership in their team and right away eliminate behavior that's kind of corrosive to building the cohesive team.
12:41
SPEAKER_00: I think the leadership must really get to know each member of the team well enough to know kind of what motivates them, their strengths and weaknesses, and to set the example.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: I feel like the leadership really, like I said, the studio owners, the teachers, they're the most influential people on the team.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: And I consider them a part of the team.
13:00
SPEAKER_00: And so I think it takes hard work and patience from everybody.
13:03
SPEAKER_00: I feel like the mean girl clicks start to happen, they stem from jealousy right off the bat, and miscommunication too.
13:10
SPEAKER_00: I feel like a lot of things come from a miscommunication and it it just kind of snowballs out of that.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: But I think also jealousy is such a big thing in the dance world.
13:22
SPEAKER_00: It's hard not to compare yourself as a dancer to somebody else and to see what you love in them and what you are missing in yourself.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: And so you almost have to turn that around and treat that more as look at them for inspiration instead of from a jealous perspective.
13:40
SPEAKER_00: And I also really like to, when I start choreography, sit down before anything even begins and say, look, every single one of you, especially with younger children, every single one of you makes this picture like a puzzle.
13:54
SPEAKER_00: And if one piece is missing, the entire picture looks completely different and does not portray to the audience what we're trying to portray.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: So there's no one piece that's less important than another, whether you're in the back, whether you're in the front, whether you're doing some harder choreography or some easier choreography.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Everyone works together as a team to create this picture and this feeling that we want the audience to get.
14:21
SPEAKER_00: And so every single person is important.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: And I try to emphasize that like the importance for every person to work together to make that goal happen, that one goal.
14:32
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Rachel, I you said it so eloquently and and kind of touched on a lot of my thoughts as well.
14:39
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I just absolutely agree that the culture of community and teamwork has to be studio-wide.
14:48
SPEAKER_03: And it starts with how we as educators, studio owners talk about ourselves and the respect that we show for ourselves, the respect that we show for one another, the other faculty and staff that we work with, and you know, not putting each other down, even slightly, you know, or or judging one another's choreography, the respect that's shown to the parents, and I get it.
15:14
SPEAKER_03: Sometimes it can be a little tricky because expectations are different among the parent group than they might be for you, but the way we respect the parents and then the way we respect our students.
15:26
SPEAKER_03: And as Rachel mentioned, getting to know them individually and getting them to know one another.
15:34
SPEAKER_03: So I like to spend a lot of time at the beginning of each season doing some get to know you activities, um, surveys, group discussions, icebreakers, um, get to know you dance games.
15:47
SPEAKER_03: Um and I do this even for my students who have been dancing together for a really long time because kids change so much from year to year.
15:56
SPEAKER_03: And what we think we might know about a particular student, what motivates them, what their interests are, what their goals are, that might be totally different based on things that happened out of the studio that are beyond our our knowledge.
16:10
SPEAKER_03: So making the process of getting to know the students and letting them get to know one another a continual thing and not just a box that we check off.
16:19
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: And I also feel too like I tell them they don't have to go home and be best friends with every single person on this team.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: But I require respect from every person on this team for each other.
16:32
SPEAKER_00: And you have to have those bonding times to create those goals to set um markers along the way to make sure you're going to reach those goals and to be on the same page as a team.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: But they're definitely, I do not tolerate disrespect from anybody.
16:49
SPEAKER_00: They don't have to, like I said, go have sleepovers every night.
16:52
SPEAKER_00: But when you're in the studio, you have a mutual respect all the way around.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: Oof.
16:57
SPEAKER_01: Yes, absolutely.
16:59
SPEAKER_01: I I'm really glad that you said that because I think that especially, you know, growing up and being a kid, it is a it's a lot.
17:08
SPEAKER_01: You know, you have you're s you have school and then you have dance, and they might be separate groups of of people.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: Or you might go to school with some of your dance friends or whatever.
17:17
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, there's a lot of influence when you're young and there's a lot of pressure of being cool or being with the cool crowd or whatever it may be.
17:26
SPEAKER_01: And like that's that feels very school related.
17:30
SPEAKER_01: It's a now when you come to dance, this is your extracurricular activity where you are all put together on this team as a unit.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: It is no longer I'm an individual and I'm doing my individual homework and I'm focused on me at school.
17:45
SPEAKER_01: It's now I'm in a I have, like you kind of mentioned, Rachel, like we have a goal to adhere to.
17:52
SPEAKER_01: And there is some, like we have to make this dance look fantastic.
17:56
SPEAKER_01: That is our job as dancers.
17:58
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we're training individually, but when it comes to coming together as a team in and unifying with choreography, that's when that teamwork element really comes into play because now it's not just about you and your training anymore.
18:12
SPEAKER_01: You've put you the work in individually, but now we're all going to have to use that knowledge and those skills to create a a visual masterpiece and work collectively as a unit to do so.
18:22
SPEAKER_01: So I'm really glad that you said that about the respect aspect.
18:26
SPEAKER_01: And it's, I mean, almost like it's crazy, but you kind of have to almost look at it as like a job when it's when it's time to do choreography, because that is really when we can tell who is a team player and who isn't and who's gonna be on board.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: Are you just a soloist over here and that's all you care about?
18:42
SPEAKER_01: Can you work with others?
18:44
SPEAKER_01: And it's um an important trait to that's why a lot of parents put kids in dance, not just to become amazing dancers, but to teach them life skills like teamwork because you're gonna use it throughout your entire life.
18:56
SPEAKER_00: Well, and the dance world is small.
18:58
SPEAKER_00: You never know when one of your old dance friends is gonna be sitting behind that table watching you audition for their show.
19:04
SPEAKER_00: That's true.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: So you want to definitely keep it professional, even though these are young teenagers or young students, they still should be taught about professionalism as well.
19:13
SPEAKER_00: And I tell them too look at the Olympics.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: Like Team USA is a team.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: They they don't go in there necessarily.
19:21
SPEAKER_00: Yes, they want to win medals for themselves, but at the same time, they're going in as Team USA, and a win for an individual is a win for Team USA.
19:30
SPEAKER_00: So it's kind of the same in a studio perspective where you know, whether you're a soloist, duo trio, group, all of those are accomplishments for the studio as a whole.
19:41
SPEAKER_00: And that's try I try to kind of teach them that going into it.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: Like we're looking at this as a whole.
19:47
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
19:47
SPEAKER_04: I th I like that you brought up the Olympics because I, you know, everybody watched it this summer probably.
19:52
SPEAKER_04: And you know, I just remember following Simone Biles, and you know, she she and I can't remember her name, Rebecca and Rebecca from Brazil.
20:01
SPEAKER_04: I can't pronounce her last name, but like they were really neck and neck for a lot of things.
20:05
SPEAKER_04: And, you know, people in sport and people in competitive things, you know, oftentimes there are rivalries and there are very clear, like, you know, we're against each other because we're expected to be the top.
20:16
SPEAKER_04: And they just never, anytime they ever talked about each other, it was always with such respect, such understanding that, man, she works really hard.
20:23
SPEAKER_04: Oh, she works really hard.
20:24
SPEAKER_04: And I think that's something that gets lost sometimes in competitive dance.
20:28
SPEAKER_04: And like you were saying earlier, Rachel, is, you know, you have to, I don't think you said this, but as you were talking, it occurred to me that like everyone should assume the positive rather than assume the negative about somebody else to combat the jealousy.
20:42
SPEAKER_04: You know, well, why is she getting this part?
20:44
SPEAKER_04: Well, don't assume that the teacher is against you.
20:47
SPEAKER_04: Assume that, you know, she has something better in mind for you.
20:50
SPEAKER_04: Don't assume, like, and that is hard.
20:52
SPEAKER_04: Like, I am not a positive thinker generally in my life, and I know a lot of people aren't.
20:56
SPEAKER_04: You know, some people don't see the positive outlook on things first.
21:00
SPEAKER_04: But that would be something I would encourage students to do and parents to do is don't walk into a situation assuming the negative.
21:08
SPEAKER_04: Assume the positive.
21:09
SPEAKER_04: And if you're proved wrong, well then that is what it is.
21:11
SPEAKER_04: But, you know, maybe you're gonna be proved right and like, oh yeah, she is gonna have a better part, or this was the right decision because X, Y, and Z.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Especially like when it comes to the crafting of choreography, like I'm immediately thinking of, you know, the process.
21:26
SPEAKER_01: And if you're in a studio where you're not just banging out choreography in in a few rehearsals, but it's like done throughout the year.
21:35
SPEAKER_01: And if parents have access to the cameras or observation windows and they don't understand how the choreographic process works, works, or they don't understand what's coming next.
21:46
SPEAKER_01: But all they see is their kid in the back, and their kid's still in the back.
21:50
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that kid might have something coming for them, but of course they're gonna jump to conclusions and think the worst.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: Well, my why is my kid in the back?
21:57
SPEAKER_01: And it's like you gotta, you gotta trust this process.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Granted, I don't know, maybe the kid stays in the back the whole time.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: I don't know the process that the in this scenario.
22:06
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, I do think that that could the the parents' view and the parents' persp perspective of how things evolve throughout a competition season or dance season could come into play with that jealousy aspect that we're talking about a bit.
22:22
SPEAKER_04: Well, because they're part of the team too.
22:24
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
22:24
SPEAKER_01: You know.
22:25
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
22:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: It's I mean, a lot of behavior from teenagers and young students comes from home.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: And that's one of them.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: I feel like jealousy, they hear it from mom or dad, and they're, you know, mom or dad's questioning them, why aren't you in the front?
22:39
SPEAKER_00: Why aren't you this?
22:40
SPEAKER_00: Then they start to look and think, wow, why why am I not in the front?
22:43
SPEAKER_00: Well, this girl's always in the front.
22:45
SPEAKER_00: And I think it just keeps feeding and feeding.
22:48
SPEAKER_00: And so you're right, parents are part of the team.
22:50
SPEAKER_00: I think everyone is needs to sit down at the beginning and be reminded of that.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, the studio owners or the leadership needs to right off the bat say there is no tolerance for any kind of gossip or negative words, any of that.
23:06
SPEAKER_00: I mean, not even at home.
23:08
SPEAKER_00: You know, they shouldn't be saying those things to their children.
23:11
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think this is why it's so important to remember that we are educators, right?
23:16
SPEAKER_03: And as educators, we're not only educating the students, but we're educating the their families, their parents and caregivers.
23:23
SPEAKER_03: We're educating, you know, everyone that comes, we come into contact to about what dance really is, right?
23:30
SPEAKER_03: And that it is a process that we go through to create this kind of choreography.
23:35
SPEAKER_03: Things change, things evolve.
23:37
SPEAKER_03: There's a vision behind it.
23:39
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, maybe your kid doesn't exactly fit the frontline vision or the soloist vision for this piece, but they might for the next.
23:47
SPEAKER_03: And even if they don't ever maybe fit that part of the vision, as it was said earlier, they're a really integral part of this puzzle.
23:55
SPEAKER_03: You know, we can't do it without everyone.
23:58
SPEAKER_03: And that sort of mindset, the idea that we are thinking that way and that we're sharing that line of thinking with the parents in particular, but also the students and the other faculty members that we work with is so important.
24:11
SPEAKER_03: It's we're always teaching with our actions and our words.
24:15
SPEAKER_00: I think that too, the communication needs to be consistent and it needs to be frequent.
24:22
SPEAKER_00: That way that it's it's it's always understood and there's always communication about what's happening or what's expected.
24:29
SPEAKER_00: A lot of times when people aren't given expectations, they don't know what you're wanting of them.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: And so they don't know that, okay, maybe you don't want us to gossip or you don't want the negativity, you know, you have to set expectations with everyone that you're dealing with.
24:45
SPEAKER_00: So I think you're right, the communication is a is a big thing to make all this work.
24:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and like for studio owners out there, like you've we've mentioned, like it starts at the top.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: It starts at how you want your studio environment and atmosphere and vibe to be.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: You know, there are some cutthroat studio owners out there, and that's just their way of doing business.
25:09
SPEAKER_01: And then that trickles down into the toxicity of the parents and the kids and the jealousy and the rivalries and all of the things.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: That does exist.
25:18
SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying that's okay.
25:20
SPEAKER_01: I don't love that, but you know, I do think that even a studio who thinks they have their everything covered in their agreement that they send out at the top of the year that parents sign off on that says XYZ, you know, adhere to these guidelines for the season, and those things might get broken, or maybe there's something else that you forgot to include.
25:41
SPEAKER_01: Well, guess what?
25:42
SPEAKER_01: Next season, you better make a list and add that to that agreement and continue to evolve because the list's gonna probably get longer every single year as something else pops up that it, you know, is is messing up the vibe and the environment of the studio atmosphere that's going against what you expect.
26:00
SPEAKER_04: Uh well, and you know, people don't read, so like you know what I mean?
26:03
SPEAKER_04: Like you can't rely on I I feel like there's there are cultures of studios out there where, you know, for better or for worse, the studio owner presents the information once and never revisits it again.
26:16
SPEAKER_04: And that like you just can't be that hands-off when it comes to creating your studio culture and making sure it lasts and endures the way you want it to, because there's it's not like you only have the same hundred kids every year.
26:29
SPEAKER_04: There's always going to be a new face.
26:31
SPEAKER_04: There's gonna be people who left.
26:32
SPEAKER_04: The vibe changes with the personalities that come in and out.
26:36
SPEAKER_04: And so I think to revisit that communication often, like you guys were saying, to make sure that's always sort of in the forefront of how you treat each other, how you treat yourself, how you show up to your job.
26:47
SPEAKER_04: I mean, my sister used to tell my mom, for you guys who might not know, my mom owns a dance studio.
26:52
SPEAKER_04: And my sister is a marketing person.
26:54
SPEAKER_04: And so she would tell, tell my mom all the time, like, you're the mayor of your town.
26:57
SPEAKER_04: You have to show up like the mayor of your town every day, all the time.
27:01
SPEAKER_04: It's like, yeah, that's true.
27:03
SPEAKER_04: You are you are the person that everybody's gonna go to to look to for the guidance of how to behave and how to act and and everything.
27:11
SPEAKER_04: So I think, you know, it's it is a full cultural experience when we're talking about a team at a studio.
27:17
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
27:17
SPEAKER_03: You can't be that person that talks badly about other studios in your area or talks badly about other dances or other dancers at competition and then expect your team to treat each other respectfully and have this nice, wonderful vibe.
27:34
SPEAKER_03: You know, it it if you want to be cutthroat, then that's gonna trickle down through everything, as we mentioned.
27:41
SPEAKER_03: And so I think it really is important that you consider the culture you want to create and remember that that culture go permeates through every part of your studio from your team down to your preschoolers.
27:58
SPEAKER_01: Attention, all dancers.
28:00
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28:06
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28:10
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28:15
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28:22
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28:28
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28:32
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28:42
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28:58
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if a lot of people realize this, but a lot of judges, I myself included, we can kind of tell when there's cracks in your team or when you're not getting along or when you're not working together, or when it's so cutthroat that you're not respecting other studios.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
29:17
SPEAKER_00: Not only the judges, but the backstage employees, the directors of the competitions, and word gets around.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: And so it's better for your team to be cohesive and to have that respect of each other when you're even, I mean, at any point, but it shows better when you're on stage than than if you have those cracks in your team.
29:37
SPEAKER_00: You're not going to be gelling on stage in a performance.
29:41
SPEAKER_00: And so when, for example, when I take kids to competition, I like to kind of have them in a bubble in a way where you're focusing on yourself, no other teams.
29:53
SPEAKER_00: You're focusing on you guys.
29:55
SPEAKER_00: You have a moment before you go on stage as a cohesive team to bring you together, to remind you, to inspire you, to help you kind of all get on the same page before you walk on that stage.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: Leave everything at the door.
30:09
SPEAKER_00: Nothing comes into this competition room.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: Every even in practice, everything stays at the door.
30:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
30:14
SPEAKER_00: And you come in and this is your job at that moment.
30:18
SPEAKER_00: And again, you have that mutual respect.
30:21
SPEAKER_00: You have a uh the same goal, and it shows when you're like that.
30:26
SPEAKER_00: It shows on stage for sure.
30:28
SPEAKER_01: It totally does.
30:29
SPEAKER_01: We can feel the tension unless you're a really good actor, which you do have to learn how to become.
30:35
SPEAKER_01: If as a dancer, we are also acting.
30:38
SPEAKER_01: So the you we always say, like the moment you walk out from the wings, you should be in the zone, right?
30:45
SPEAKER_01: Like the same thing, like you said, leave it at the door.
30:48
SPEAKER_01: If there, if you got in a fight with your bestie and you have a duo and you're about to go on stage, like I should not feel any tension.
30:56
SPEAKER_01: I should see a a real raw performance because you are you are acting for those three minutes on stage and you leave that in the wings.
31:03
SPEAKER_01: And y'all figure that out later.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: But we have a job to do right now.
31:06
SPEAKER_01: It's competition time.
31:08
SPEAKER_01: We have to come together as a team.
31:10
SPEAKER_01: Don't let the jealousy aspects or what happened last night in rehearsal or who won last at the last competition affect the overall vibe on an event because you could be the one that sabotages this the team if you approach it like that.
31:24
SPEAKER_01: And we don't we don't want that.
31:26
SPEAKER_01: We we want you to be working together collectively.
31:29
SPEAKER_01: And now that we're kind of into, I know we talked a little bit about studio, and I'm sure we can still dive into that more, but now we're into like the competition side of it, which I do think that is a big part of teamwork here, especially when we're talking about group uh competition.
31:44
SPEAKER_01: Because a lot of times I feel like it's and we all see it at competition and how the industry is continuously changing, solos are like the thing now.
31:54
SPEAKER_01: It's it's all about solos.
31:55
SPEAKER_01: It's like there's a very small percentage of group dances that are actually hitting the stage, but then there's a trillion million full days worth of solos.
32:04
SPEAKER_01: And that teamwork, you can't really learn teamwork when you're dancing on stage by yourself.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: So, how important is it to still be in group routines with your studio?
32:15
SPEAKER_00: Well, how many shows or or productions do you go see where there are soloists?
32:20
SPEAKER_00: Not very many.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: And if there are, there's maybe one.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: So the likelihood of you being that soloist when you are a professional dancer is very low.
32:29
SPEAKER_00: There's more of a likelihood that you're in a in an ensemble.
32:33
SPEAKER_00: So, and not just even as a dancer, but in other jobs, other areas.
32:39
SPEAKER_00: There's not very many areas of work where it's just you.
32:43
SPEAKER_00: If you own your own business or and that sort of thing, that's one thing.
32:47
SPEAKER_00: But most of the time, especially entry-level jobs, you're working with other people.
32:51
SPEAKER_00: So no matter what direction you go in life, you're going to have to work with people.
32:57
SPEAKER_00: And this is the best way to learn that is to be in group routines as a dancer.
33:02
SPEAKER_00: And it's fun.
33:03
SPEAKER_04: You know, like you're talking about entry-level jobs, working with groups.
33:06
SPEAKER_04: I'm like, oh, and all of those sound terrible.
33:08
SPEAKER_04: But at least at least in dance, you're like, I'm working as a team and it's fun.
33:12
SPEAKER_04: Like, yeah.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
33:15
SPEAKER_00: That should be the number one is you're having fun anyway.
33:18
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I completely agree.
33:20
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
33:20
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I don't, I just think that like this is why we humans started dancing, is because it was a a form really of group expression, right?
33:29
SPEAKER_03: They and you know, not to get all dance history.
33:33
SPEAKER_03: Yes, please.
33:34
SPEAKER_03: People dance together in in, you know, ancient times for a specific purpose, you know, for a ritual or to, you know, get get something done.
33:46
SPEAKER_03: And so I just I feel like it's part of our DNA as humans to move together and to build community through movement.
33:55
SPEAKER_03: And I totally understand why people want to be a soloist.
33:59
SPEAKER_03: I, that was my goal as a as a younger dancer.
34:03
SPEAKER_03: But as a teacher, I just I just go back to that sort of educational mindset of like, this is what dancing, in my opinion, truly is about.
34:11
SPEAKER_03: Um, being together in time and space in a way that we don't do connecting virtually anymore.
34:18
SPEAKER_03: We don't do because of social media and all these other things.
34:21
SPEAKER_03: So the skills that are learned through that and the experience you have through that active dancing with an ensemble is really, really special.
34:30
SPEAKER_03: And I think we need to do more to elevate the value of that to parents and students and within the industry.
34:37
SPEAKER_04: Well, and you really limit yourself with the stories you can tell too as a soloist.
34:41
SPEAKER_04: I mean, of course, there's it seems to be endless amounts of sad, like I could be sad about this, I could be sad about that, I could dance about this sad thing that happened.
34:49
SPEAKER_04: Like that seems to be what we dance about when we dance alone.
34:52
SPEAKER_04: But when you dance with a group, you can celebrate something.
34:55
SPEAKER_04: You can, you know, like I just feel like there's a more stories you can tell as an ensemble.
34:59
SPEAKER_04: And I I totally agree with you, Shannon.
35:01
SPEAKER_04: And I think we need to, as a community, build up the ensemble and make sure everyone everyone everywhere knows like the ensemble is really important in a show, in a dance routine, in you know, theater, like whatever everything is ensemble is important.
35:16
SPEAKER_01: It drives the story of what you're watching.
35:20
SPEAKER_01: Like there might be quote unquote principles or leads in a lot of shows that you go see or live theater, but the ensemble is actually helping drive that story home, and they are equally as important.
35:34
SPEAKER_01: And if you've ever seen like an example, Hamilton is an example for me.
35:38
SPEAKER_01: That ensemble is crucial to the story.
35:41
SPEAKER_01: What blows my mind every time I watch that show is how the principles never leave the stage, but the ensemble is moving props, shifting, the lighting's changing, their costumes are different, they've created that scene.
35:53
SPEAKER_01: They bring them like feather pens and a book and uh something to sign that wouldn't have gotten into their hands if the ensemble didn't bring it to them to drive the story further.
36:02
SPEAKER_01: So if that ensemble missed their cue because they were too busy chatting it up with someone backstage, then that you've ruined the show, literally.
36:10
SPEAKER_01: Like, how do we get Hamilton the feather pen at this point?
36:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, and you have to like that's like a very big way of looking at it in the Broadway scheme of things, but the same thing applies in competitive dance.
36:22
SPEAKER_01: Like so many times there's that one, there's one crucial transition or there's that one crucial changeover that could impact the rest of the dance.
36:31
SPEAKER_01: And obviously things happen on the fly and you make it work.
36:34
SPEAKER_01: We're professionals, but that's another part of working with the team is learning how to fix something on the fly.
36:40
SPEAKER_01: Learning how what do you do in a scenario like this when this happens?
36:44
SPEAKER_01: It's just it's so, so valuable to trust your teammates and understand that like you're on the same page with them.
36:52
SPEAKER_01: Because I've also seen dancers who are kind of just phoning it in and relying on certain dancers to guide them through dances.
36:59
SPEAKER_01: And it's like, we can see that too.
37:01
SPEAKER_01: Like, don't think we can't.
37:03
SPEAKER_01: Just because you think you're in the back corner, I can tell you're phoning it in back there because you don't think you're seen.
37:07
SPEAKER_01: But I'm probably watching the back more than the front.
37:10
SPEAKER_00: Yep, for sure.
37:11
SPEAKER_00: I always watch the back or the sides more than the front, but also, you know, just choreography-wise, even there's so many more fun things you can do as a group.
37:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: Peel, you know, choreography, yeah, like all kinds of fun things.
37:26
SPEAKER_00: Whereas a soloist, you don't get to do any of that.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: Like it's just you.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, there are pros and cons to that.
37:31
SPEAKER_00: But it's just like Leslie said, it's just so much more fun in a group, anyways.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: And a lot of studios now, I hope, anyways, are starting to have more of a, you know, you have to be in X amount of groups before you can have a solo, which I I think is helping a little bit.
37:46
SPEAKER_00: But I love watching groups.
37:47
SPEAKER_00: I love solos, but gosh, I love the energy of a group.
37:51
SPEAKER_01: No, that's when like the choreographers can really create and shine.
37:55
SPEAKER_01: Like they have their vision can truly come to life.
37:58
SPEAKER_01: And as a dancer, it is so rewarding to make that possible.
38:03
SPEAKER_01: Whereas in a solo, there is so much pressure and it's all on you.
38:07
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, and that is I absolutely I don't know how I did it, you know, growing up.
38:12
SPEAKER_01: Because when someone tells me I have to do a solo these days, if I'm teaching or something, I am freaking out.
38:18
SPEAKER_01: Like it is absolutely terrifying.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: It's the last thing that I would ever want to do because as a professional, I've only worked as an ensemble.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: And as a team, I've gotten hired maybe one or two times in my whole entire professional career to do something by myself.
38:35
SPEAKER_04: That one video game commercial where you are a robot and you like run down the road.
38:40
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
38:41
SPEAKER_04: Yes, but you know And like I'm sure that was fun, but like wouldn't have been more fun with like more robots.
38:45
SPEAKER_01: Well, there were other, there were, I was the only robot, but there were other characters.
38:49
SPEAKER_01: So I was still working as a team with them, you know, like and I think one of the only things that really comes to mind, like specifically for my my career as a soloist, was when I was supposed to catch the supposed to be Peter Pan in Finding Neverland.
39:06
SPEAKER_01: And I never got to be, but that's another story for another day, which I think that needs to be a podcast episode.
39:12
SPEAKER_01: And anyway, I that was like a very like rigorous audition process where it they were looking for a specific dancer that could drive this solo in a show.
39:23
SPEAKER_01: And it's like you have to be a certain caliber and expectation, which is great.
39:28
SPEAKER_01: But like there's tons of dancers that are capable of doing that, you know?
39:31
SPEAKER_01: So it's just comes down to preference and who they like best and who fits the costume, right?
39:36
SPEAKER_01: But that's out of my entire career, that's the only thing that I really think about.
39:40
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's a solo, that's a solo track.
39:42
SPEAKER_01: That's a solo job.
39:43
SPEAKER_01: It's like actually, but but that's only like a feature moment in a two-hour production where I'm an ensemble the entire rest of it.
39:50
SPEAKER_01: So you still have, you're not just like sitting in your dressing room, like I'm the star, I'm the soloist.
39:55
SPEAKER_01: Like, no, you still have to teamwork.
39:57
SPEAKER_01: And competition teaches you that, like to transition into pro.
40:01
SPEAKER_03: I'm thinking now of shows, and even the principals get up in the group numbers and have to be part of it.
40:08
SPEAKER_03: If they're not gelled into what is going on with the ensemble or the court de ballet or, you know, whatever, they're gonna look super awkward.
40:18
SPEAKER_03: And and so no matter where you are in dance or in life, you need those specific skills that you learn working as part of a team.
40:28
SPEAKER_03: And I think that that is like something truly special about being a dance teacher is that we have that opportunity to teach those skills in a way that you were saying, like if with school, they're not learning it necessarily, except maybe in a group project.
40:44
SPEAKER_03: Sports a little bit, you know, you know, in a different way, but things like um communicating clearly and collaborating, listening, sharing your ideas, making sure it is seen and and part of the experience, you know, that is just problem solving together.
41:01
SPEAKER_03: Like those are really unique to dance team life.
41:05
SPEAKER_03: And I think that, you know, it's just so important that we remember that.
41:09
SPEAKER_00: The members trusting each other, that's something you you really learn in a group, especially if there's lifting and things like that.
41:15
SPEAKER_00: You build that trust.
41:17
SPEAKER_00: And and that's something you have to learn how to build too.
41:20
SPEAKER_00: You don't just automatically have it.
41:22
SPEAKER_00: So when you are then going into a professional capacity, having to to be able to learn how to trust somebody, yes, that's a process that you learn dancing as a group.
41:34
SPEAKER_03: And even in life, right?
41:35
SPEAKER_03: You take that into your friendships, your relationships with your family, with your coworkers, romantic relationships way down the line for these kids.
41:42
SPEAKER_03: But it's it's really in just so valuable to life beyond dance as well.
41:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you said partnering.
41:50
SPEAKER_00: In that moment, too, when they when they walk off stage, you know, and they've just had this great performance as a group and you just feel their energy and that that camaraderie that happens is is really fun to watch as a teacher.
42:01
SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad you said partnering gives me flashbacks, and Leslie, I know you've been there many times of like, you know, how do how do I'm at an audition and you want me to partner with a stranger?
42:11
SPEAKER_01: How do I trust this stranger to lift me up?
42:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, like that that is like a problem-solving thing where it's like, is it is it a me issue?
42:20
SPEAKER_01: Is it is it my partner issue?
42:21
SPEAKER_01: Is it because I feel inexperienced in this, whatever we're doing, or is it because I have trust issues that someone's gonna drop me?
42:28
SPEAKER_01: And maybe I've been dropped before, or maybe I haven't partnered enough, so I don't feel comfortable.
42:34
SPEAKER_01: Like there's but again, we have to make sure as like choreographers and studios that we're exposing our dancers to everything to set them up for success.
42:42
SPEAKER_01: So when you do get into whatever career path you choose, and if that happens to be professional dance, you have to know what scenarios might pop up so they're not experiencing that for the first time in that moment.
42:53
SPEAKER_01: But oh yeah, remember that time I did this partnering thing in the studio 10 years ago with my friend?
42:59
SPEAKER_01: Like, oh, I've got this, no problem.
43:01
SPEAKER_01: You know, like that's what our goal is as educators and choreographers is to prepare our dancers for what's to come.
43:08
SPEAKER_04: I also like that you brought up the partnering situation because I just a team can also be two people.
43:14
SPEAKER_02: Right?
43:15
SPEAKER_04: A team doesn't have to be 50 people, it's two people.
43:17
SPEAKER_04: And if you don't have experience working with even just one other person, you may not realize that it's a you problem.
43:25
SPEAKER_04: Right.
43:25
SPEAKER_04: If you're doing something and it is not working together and you just never had to step back and say, oh man, maybe I'm doing that wrong.
43:33
SPEAKER_04: Maybe I need to fix something so that it helps them.
43:37
SPEAKER_04: You know, it's so much less sometimes about you.
43:40
SPEAKER_04: But if you're a soloist, all you're worried about is what you're doing.
43:43
SPEAKER_04: And if it's wrong, it's wrong, and it's right, it's right.
43:46
SPEAKER_04: But when you have another person in that mix, what you're doing is wrong for you, could be right for them, could be wrong for them, could be who knows.
43:53
SPEAKER_04: But like a team is also two people, and I think that's important to remember too.
43:57
SPEAKER_01: And like take a note, like you have.
44:00
SPEAKER_01: To know how to take a note to collectively help the team or the partnership.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: And there's a lot of people that are just, I can't, it's not me.
44:09
SPEAKER_01: It's them.
44:10
SPEAKER_01: You know, they're gonna point fingers, they're gonna blame when actually you're the problem.
44:13
SPEAKER_01: Like you said.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: So, like if a if someone of authority, like a choreographer or a studio owner, or a dance captain and professional gives you a note that says, Hey, I see this as what's going on.
44:25
SPEAKER_01: Let's try adjusting this, and you don't apply it, then you're not working as a team.
44:30
SPEAKER_01: You're not you're not making this progress in and help each other out.
44:34
SPEAKER_00: And that's a problem in itself if if dancers are just all about themselves, you know, and that's And not just notes from the leadership or the choreographer or whatever, but notes from your partner.
44:45
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
44:46
SPEAKER_00: Or notes from like if you're partnering with somebody, you have to have that mutual respect to do it in the correct way.
44:52
SPEAKER_00: But you have to be able to give a note, but also receive a note from your peer in a professional way.
45:00
SPEAKER_00: And that's very, I think that's extremely important from your peer to learn how to do peer-to-peer constructive criticism.
45:07
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
45:08
SPEAKER_04: When when it's when it's allowed.
45:11
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
45:11
SPEAKER_04: Because sometimes that is not welcomed.
45:13
SPEAKER_04: So whenever correcting their technique.
45:20
SPEAKER_00: Can we try a different way?
45:21
SPEAKER_00: Or you know, uh just to tell your partner or somebody you're working with what interpersonal.
45:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
45:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
45:30
SPEAKER_01: You know what I just thought of that like I was this dancer sometimes.
45:35
SPEAKER_01: And I it's like mean, but also helping the team at the same time.
45:39
SPEAKER_01: I would be like, I I really am good at memorizing choreography.
45:44
SPEAKER_01: So she really is.
45:45
SPEAKER_01: If like if you teach it to me once, like I I know the details.
45:49
SPEAKER_01: And if you go back and change things, I'm gonna start questioning stuff.
45:53
SPEAKER_01: But if I see like another dancer doing the count wrong or their arm is in the wrong position, I wouldn't call them out, but I would raise my hand and I'd ask the question and I'd be like, is the arm supposed to be here or here?
46:06
SPEAKER_01: And I know what the answer is, but I'm just hoping that Susie over there is listening, which they're probably not, and then they're not gonna take the note when the teacher corrects it.
46:15
SPEAKER_01: But I'm like doing it in a nice-ish way to like help the team so we are cleaner because Susie keeps messing up the arm.
46:23
SPEAKER_01: And like there are probably dancers that are exactly nodding their heads like that's me too.
46:28
SPEAKER_01: I totally feel you, girl.
46:30
SPEAKER_01: I thought that was really pretty about it.
46:33
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if it's nice or if it's just like I don't know.
46:36
SPEAKER_01: Underhanded.
46:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a little underhanded, but you know, we gotta look good.
46:40
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you're not calling anybody out, but like if the person was paying attention, they'd be like, Oh, I guess that's me.
46:46
SPEAKER_04: That's funny though.
46:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm always hoping that there's like others that need the note too.
46:50
SPEAKER_01: Right.
46:51
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
46:52
SPEAKER_01: That's the goal is that you're yeah, you're not singling someone out, but you know.
46:55
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
46:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
46:57
SPEAKER_04: Well, so I wanna, now that we're talking about, you know, cracks, cracks in your team, you know, even in the professional level.
47:04
SPEAKER_04: I'm I'm curious if if you get to a scenario or a situation where like whatever whatever teamwork you had has now crumbled and somehow we've gotten here and things are not working as a team.
47:17
SPEAKER_04: What are some suggestions, some ideas, some games, some processes that people can kind of put a put a fix on this problem and hopefully make it better for the future if things have just kind of devolved?
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48:42
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, like lots of team bonding, like you said, like parties, sleepovers, lock-ins, all the good things.
48:47
SPEAKER_00: But one of my favorite things is you could either do this as a group standing in a circle or pick one team member kind of each day or each week, but finding the positives in each person.
48:58
SPEAKER_00: So for example, you can have like a sheet of paper and put a team team member's name on it.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: And every other team member throughout that day or that week goes up and writes something positive about them.
49:08
SPEAKER_00: Or you can do it in a circle out loud to them.
49:11
SPEAKER_00: You know, okay, let's all go around the circle and say something we really love about Susie.
49:16
SPEAKER_00: And that kind of brings everybody back down, I think, to that level of respect that we talked about earlier and reminds everybody that yeah, we're all human beings here.
49:26
SPEAKER_00: No one's better than anybody else.
49:28
SPEAKER_00: We're all equal.
49:29
SPEAKER_00: Again, we're all here for the same goal, for the same purpose.
49:32
SPEAKER_00: So let's come back to all these good things that we have within this team instead of always highlighting the negative.
49:40
SPEAKER_00: That's one of my favorites.
49:41
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
49:42
SPEAKER_03: So I like to think of it two different ways.
49:44
SPEAKER_03: So I think of the team building, which is about skills.
49:49
SPEAKER_03: So, what are the skills that we need to work together?
49:52
SPEAKER_03: And that comes back to things like um listening to one another, sharing our ideas when appropriate, not sharing them when not appropriate, including everybody's perspectives and thoughts again, where appropriate, following the directions and group problem solving.
50:08
SPEAKER_03: And so those like sort of communication and collaboration skills are what I see as like the bare minimum that a team needs to get by.
50:17
SPEAKER_03: And so I think if you start by putting in the work on that, that can sometimes be really helpful because they're just skills.
50:25
SPEAKER_03: We're not coming at anybody personally and saying, like, you know, you're being really mean, you're not getting along, you're not whatever, because plenty of teams, and the history of Broadway will prove this, right?
50:38
SPEAKER_03: Plenty of teams have produced amazing work just by using that skill set.
50:42
SPEAKER_03: And even though they all absolutely hate each other.
50:45
SPEAKER_03: And we don't want that because that doesn't create like a good feeling for anybody.
50:50
SPEAKER_03: But I think starting for me, I think starting with the skills can be a really helpful, create a helpful baseline.
50:58
SPEAKER_03: And from there, once we sort of do those team building skills, then I think it's a safer place to get into more of like the team bonding, which would I would consider the relationship building.
51:10
SPEAKER_03: So those opportunities, maybe outside of class or rehearsal, to get to know one another, to have shared experiences where they're making memories together that then can become like little jokes and all those fun ways that we connect with one another.
51:23
SPEAKER_03: And I love the idea, Rachel, of um the sharing something that you love about that person.
51:30
SPEAKER_03: And I think um, you know, I've done it with like little notes that they can share anonymously.
51:35
SPEAKER_03: I've also done it in kind of a related to that where the dancers make a dance for each other.
51:41
SPEAKER_03: So they write, they get a name, you know, pull a name out of a hat of one of their teammates, and then they write some things that they like about that person or they admire about them or some experiences that they've shared together.
51:53
SPEAKER_03: And then they use that as the basis of choreography to create something that they then kind of give to the other person as a little gift.
52:02
SPEAKER_03: And for me, sometimes I think that I found that to be helpful because some students don't like saying things verbally.
52:09
SPEAKER_03: They feel like it's cheesy, or they don't like like hearing things about themselves.
52:14
SPEAKER_03: They can't take compliments very well, especially you know, middle school girls.
52:19
SPEAKER_03: But if it's if they can see themselves reflected in a dance that somebody took the time to make for them, they usually really like it and respond well to that.
52:27
SPEAKER_03: So that's cool.
52:28
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
52:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that.
52:30
SPEAKER_01: Great tip.
52:31
SPEAKER_01: Really fantastic stuff, everybody.
52:34
SPEAKER_01: Something that I would love to quickly touch on is just it's it's I wouldn't really say teamwork related.
52:43
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
52:43
SPEAKER_01: I mean it depends, kind of goes back to what we were talking about with the type of environment you're creating at your studio.
52:51
SPEAKER_01: And you know, when you think about cutthroat competitive studios, I'm not gonna say they're not they're not a team, and because they are, they are working very, very hard as a team and they are putting in the work with their team, they're just highly competitive and it comes across as like very aggressive.
53:10
SPEAKER_01: And when you look at them, those types of studios in a pool of others that might be a little bit more friendly and uh not as not as intense and um that type of thing, I think people might look at it in in a bad light uh with with those studios that are they're they're showing up, they're committed to their team, they they just want to win.
53:34
SPEAKER_01: But with that type of studio, I think it's important that if we encounter them, or maybe if I'm talking about your studio that is very highly competitive, we can still be friendly to our competitors, to our non-teammates, to other studios, and also be competitive at the same time.
53:54
SPEAKER_01: I've heard of stories and I've I'm sure I've seen it, where like kids are like fighting on the convention floor, like elbowing kids out the way because they want to be in the front, because they're just so competitive.
54:08
SPEAKER_01: And I don't and again, where is that starting from?
54:11
SPEAKER_01: Is that coming from parents telling them to do that?
54:13
SPEAKER_01: Are studios saying that's what you should do?
54:16
SPEAKER_01: This is the type of way to like get what you need out of convention.
54:20
SPEAKER_01: But I just want to like encourage everyone to be respectful.
54:25
SPEAKER_01: I think we've said the word respect a lot in this episode, and not just with your own team members, but with all participants at any event.
54:34
SPEAKER_01: Like be a be a good influence and be someone that you can a good role model for the younger dancers on your team to show them what type of etiquette you should be bringing to an event.
54:46
SPEAKER_01: And you can still be competitive, but something that comes to mind at comp that I've loved is there's been studios, a few of them, who stand up at awards and clap for the other teams, even for just adjudications, not just overalls.
55:03
SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, it breaks my heart.
55:05
SPEAKER_01: It's so good, it's amazing.
55:06
SPEAKER_01: And it's just so refreshing to see that that is what's being instilled in these dancers because their studios taught them that.
55:13
SPEAKER_01: You know, mom didn't tell them to do that because it's every studio stand, every kid in that studio standing up and representing their studio in that way.
55:21
SPEAKER_01: That is memorable versus the kids that are on their phones with their hands crossed, upset that they got a silver.
55:27
SPEAKER_01: We don't give silvers, but except upset that they got a silver, you know, and we can feel that tension and that negativity instead of like finding those positives, like we've talked about.
55:37
SPEAKER_00: So well, and I think too, etiquette stems beyond that.
55:41
SPEAKER_00: Etiquette goes to how you're leaving the dressing room, how you're treating the competition staff, how you're treating the staff at the venue, how you are perceived too.
55:51
SPEAKER_00: Perception is reality for a lot of people.
55:54
SPEAKER_00: If you're seen on the side of the stage chatting with your best friend and you're looking on the stage at someone performing, it looks to that person that's performing that you're talking about them.
56:04
SPEAKER_00: When really you're probably thinking they're saying, Oh, hey, what do you want to do for dinner?
56:08
SPEAKER_00: You know, but to the person that sees that happening, they think, Oh, that they're talking about me.
56:13
SPEAKER_00: They're laughing about me.
56:15
SPEAKER_00: So it also stems into like perception of what your actions are.
56:20
SPEAKER_00: So I think etiquette covers that wide variety.
56:24
SPEAKER_00: And I really hope, and I I think we're seeing a little bit, like you said, with the standing up at awards.
56:30
SPEAKER_00: I love that, but I really hope they're they're starting to discuss that more as a team.
56:36
SPEAKER_00: Because when I was growing up, that wasn't really talked about.
56:39
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, I do feel like that was almost talked about more in the home at that time.
56:44
SPEAKER_00: I I'm pretty old, so that was a long time ago.
56:47
SPEAKER_00: But I feel like that is part of our jobs too as as instructors.
56:51
SPEAKER_00: We're not just teaching dance and how to do these steps.
56:54
SPEAKER_00: We're teaching such a wide variety of things that will carry them into the world as adults, not just in the dance world, but in the world in general.
57:04
SPEAKER_00: And I feel very strongly that you should teach every person, whether it's the janitor, whether it's the director of the show, every single person you t you treat with the same respect.
57:15
SPEAKER_00: And I hope these kids are really carrying that with them through life.
57:18
SPEAKER_03: Right.
57:19
SPEAKER_03: We're not just training dancers, right?
57:20
SPEAKER_03: We're we're training humans.
57:22
SPEAKER_03: And that's so easy to say.
57:23
SPEAKER_03: And that there are so many Instagram, you know, carousels and reels that go into that message.
57:30
SPEAKER_03: But like we really need to remember it in those day-to-day moments when when we're stressed out about the what's going on at competition or what's going on with our business or what's going on at home.
57:42
SPEAKER_03: You know, we are constantly modeling how to be a good person to our students and just starting with us, how we treat ourselves, how we treat others, and then instilling that in them that they should treat themselves and everyone they meet with that respect again.
58:00
SPEAKER_03: Um is just so important.
58:03
SPEAKER_03: And it's this conversation has been so gratifying just to like know that so many of us are on the same page with that.
58:10
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
58:11
SPEAKER_04: I mean, maybe we fun fact for our listeners, and I think we've said this before, we have a very hard time coming up with titles for our episodes.
58:18
SPEAKER_04: But now that like we've had this episode, maybe the title will have something about respect in it because it's been a trend in the conversation.
58:25
SPEAKER_00: So just label it R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
58:28
SPEAKER_04: Exactly.
58:29
SPEAKER_01: That's it.
58:31
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
58:32
SPEAKER_01: Well, I think this is a really informative and helpful conversation as we lead into that competition season, which is all about teamwork.
58:41
SPEAKER_01: And I love some of the points that we touched on throughout this.
58:45
SPEAKER_01: I love the emphasis on not being a soloist and working with your team.
58:49
SPEAKER_01: And I do uh applaud the studios that encourage group dances and you can't have a solo without being in a group.
58:57
SPEAKER_01: I really, really love that.
58:58
SPEAKER_01: I want more studios to to do that as we continue to move forward in our dance world because it is a very important part of the learning and education in a dancer's journey.
59:09
SPEAKER_01: So uh to our guests, Rachel and Shannon, thank you so much for being here and chatting dance with us.
59:14
SPEAKER_01: This was an awesome discussion, and I hope all of our listeners enjoy it.
59:18
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
59:19
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
59:20
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
59:21
SPEAKER_01: You're so welcome.
59:22
SPEAKER_01: And if you would like to send us out on this episode with one final thought on the topic today.
59:29
SPEAKER_01: So anything that you didn't happen to share that you want to leave with all of our listeners and fans and dancers and studios when it comes to team bonding, team spirit, and teamwork.
59:40
SPEAKER_00: I just think, you know, uh building a strong team takes hard work from every single person and a lot of patience.
59:46
SPEAKER_00: And I just encourage everybody to really create kind humans.
59:51
SPEAKER_00: There's so much talk about being kind nowadays, and it's easy just to say, oh, be kind.
59:56
SPEAKER_00: But truly, are you being kind?
59:59
SPEAKER_00: Really look at that and really look inside yourself to see if you're setting that example as an instructor or as a studio owner.
1:00:06
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think I would say uh that community building doesn't have to be complicated.
1:00:12
SPEAKER_03: So if you think about the way you structure your class, there are so many opportunities that we can um provide for our students to connect one another, to see one another, to engage with one another.
1:00:24
SPEAKER_03: Um, I like to start class by starting in a circle so that they make eye contact.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_03: And I actually make that part of our opening warm-up ritual.
1:00:33
SPEAKER_03: We have to look at each other and smile.
1:00:35
SPEAKER_03: I do a lot of activities where they face, they face each other and they or they move in relationship to one another.
1:00:42
SPEAKER_03: Like we do an improv and your partner's going down to the low level, you need to be on the high level, or vice versa.
1:00:48
SPEAKER_03: And just giving the students opportunities to work together, whether that's giving feedback, creating choreography together, taking responsibility to lead parts of class, like there's so many little ways that we can make teamwork part of our class so it doesn't feel like something extra that we have to fit in somehow.
1:01:07
SPEAKER_03: It can just be a through line to everything we do as dancers.
1:01:12
SPEAKER_01: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about team building, team spirit, and teamwork.
1:01:17
SPEAKER_01: Special shout out to our guests, Rachel and Shannon, for joining us on this chat.
1:01:22
SPEAKER_01: Don't forget to follow them on Instagram.
1:01:24
SPEAKER_01: You can find Rachel at Rachel Benke and Shannon at Shannon Dueling Dances.
1:01:30
SPEAKER_01: Also, if you want even more resources when it comes to teamwork, check out Shannon's website at JanonDuelingdances.com.
1:01:38
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1:03:15
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1:03:17
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