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Season 7 Wrap Up! · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:10
SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_01: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:15
SPEAKER_01: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:25
SPEAKER_02: Hey everyone, and welcome to our season seven Wrap Up Episode.
0:31
SPEAKER_02: It's Courtney on Impact, and I'm here with Leslie Miller, my fabulous co-host.
0:37
SPEAKER_00: What's up, Courtney?
0:38
SPEAKER_00: What's up, listeners?
0:39
SPEAKER_00: What's up, Chico the Cat?
0:42
SPEAKER_00: Chico's here, Charlotte here on your lap.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: She's not, surprisingly.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: We always have our kitty cat friends.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: I think she's it's hot today, so I bet you she's somewhere trying to be cool.
0:52
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, it is.
0:53
SPEAKER_02: It's finally hot.
0:54
SPEAKER_02: We are finally officially in summer.
0:57
SPEAKER_02: And can you believe that season seven is already over?
1:01
SPEAKER_01: I can't really.
1:02
SPEAKER_01: It's it's been it's been a wild ride since 2019, and somehow here we are in 2026, and it's seas season seven.
1:10
SPEAKER_01: And if listeners remember from like season one, season two, season three, I'm always like, are we gonna run out of stuff to talk about?
1:18
SPEAKER_01: And we have not.
1:21
SPEAKER_02: Truly never.
1:22
SPEAKER_02: I mean, even with this season of us kind of going a little bit more bi-weekly with some new additions and throwbacks added to the mix, we still had a whole darn list of extra topics that are probably gonna happen in season eight.
1:37
SPEAKER_01: This is true, they just keep coming.
1:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, so thanks to our listeners for always giving us inspiration and thanks to the dance world for just always evolving.
1:45
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
1:46
SPEAKER_02: Well, we are here with our wrap-up, and for all of our listeners who are diehards and know the drill, we also launched uh a final episode of our season seven today as well.
1:58
SPEAKER_02: So give a listen to that if you haven't.
2:00
SPEAKER_02: It's all about judging horror stories and what it's like to be a dance competition judge when it comes to treatment and offer details and expectations and where the industry is right now.
2:13
SPEAKER_02: And it's also a two-parter.
2:15
SPEAKER_02: So part one, you get to listen to now, but part two is coming your way as a summer bonus episode while we are on hiatus over the summer months because sadly, this is the last episode that you will listen to in season seven.
2:27
SPEAKER_01: It is, but you know what?
2:28
SPEAKER_01: Everybody needs a break every now and then, and that includes us.
2:31
SPEAKER_01: So, Courtney, what's your summer looking like?
2:34
SPEAKER_02: Oh, you know, every year it just is busy, but again, I am trying my hardest to have a few days at home.
2:43
SPEAKER_02: Like I straight up said before I overbooked myself, I need to stay home in June.
2:50
SPEAKER_02: I need to not travel until nationals, but you know, that that didn't really happen.
2:56
SPEAKER_02: So I have a busy June set up with a few teaching gigs, but definitely some time spent home.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm going on vacation, which I'm very excited about.
3:07
SPEAKER_02: And I have a Nationals with streets in July.
3:11
SPEAKER_02: I have some more exciting things that we can tell everybody about in podcast land for the summer.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: But what's your summer looking like?
3:19
SPEAKER_01: Well, I too am going on vacation.
3:21
SPEAKER_01: Actually, might be on vacation when this releases, so I will be listening.
3:25
SPEAKER_01: Listening from sunny Puerto Rico.
3:27
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I'm actually I am not super, super busy this summer, which is exciting, but I am going to be judging my first nationals at in a while.
3:35
SPEAKER_01: It's been a minute since I've been in a nationals.
3:37
SPEAKER_01: So if anybody is headed to Branson, Missouri with stage one, I will be there for the first half of Nationals.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: I'm super excited to get out there and spend a little bit of summertime.
3:48
SPEAKER_01: I love that.
3:49
SPEAKER_02: That's gonna be really great.
3:51
SPEAKER_02: And I know a nationals is a whole nother beast.
3:53
SPEAKER_02: I mean, to all of the listeners out there who are going to Nationals, I hope you have the best time ever.
3:59
SPEAKER_02: Usually our nationals are around these days four to five to six to seven, sometimes eight days long.
4:06
SPEAKER_02: So hope it's in a really fun spot with lots of things to do for the whole family.
4:12
SPEAKER_02: You know, we have our standard Orlando and Myrtle Beach and California and Vegas is a popular nationals destination.
4:21
SPEAKER_02: So, and yours is kind of like a you know, a little casino adventure entertainment hub where you're heading.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's there's a whole theme park in Branson.
4:29
SPEAKER_01: Great.
4:30
SPEAKER_01: Um, lots of stuff going on in Branson.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: I've I haven't been to Branson in a few years, so yeah, I'm excited.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: So if anybody's headed out there, give me a shout.
4:37
SPEAKER_01: Would love to say hello.
4:38
SPEAKER_01: And what else?
4:39
SPEAKER_01: We have so much going on.
4:41
SPEAKER_02: We do, and I think that before we jump into all of our stats and all of our upcoming news with the podcast for our summertime hiatus, let's announce some of our final Making the Impact Award winners of season seven.
4:56
SPEAKER_02: And I'm sure you've heard all season long that we give away our Judge's Choice Award at IDA affiliated competition events, and this is strictly for the regional season, so we have a few final leftover winners that we would like to share with you.
5:11
SPEAKER_01: From Star Talent Productions event in Richmond, Virginia, congrats to Forest Dance Academy from Forest Virginia for their production Good vs.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: Evil.
5:19
SPEAKER_02: From Onstage America's event in Coral Springs, Florida, congrats to That's Dancing from Lake Worth, Florida for their small group When I Was Four.
5:29
SPEAKER_01: From Endless Talent Dances Event in Winston Salem, North Carolina, congrats to Dance Fever from Charlotte, North Carolina for their small group, This Gift.
5:38
SPEAKER_02: From Decadance Competitions event in Hasbrook Heights, New Jersey, congrats to Just Off Broadway from Hillsdale, New Jersey for their large group All Aboard.
5:48
SPEAKER_02: And next up on our list is our fabulous Platinum Premium subscribers.
5:53
SPEAKER_02: And we love y'all because you help make this podcast possible.
5:58
SPEAKER_02: Our Platinum Premium subscribers get exclusive content to monthly bonus episodes, live QA, and some additional perks, including a live Zoom chat with me three times throughout the season.
6:12
SPEAKER_02: Our next one is scheduled in June, coming up soon.
6:15
SPEAKER_02: That's where I get to sit down and hear all about how the season went.
6:19
SPEAKER_02: Recital, final competitions, if you're prepping for nationals, if you're heading to summer intensives.
6:24
SPEAKER_02: I get to know a lot of the platinum premium subscribers who are diehard making the impact fans, and they get to ask me personalized questions on the Zoom chat about their dancer or advice for their dancers' future.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: So it's a really great perk as well.
6:38
SPEAKER_02: And if you are a platinum premium subscriber, we appreciate your support and want to give a shout-out to some of our recent platinum premium subscribers.
6:47
SPEAKER_01: Thanks for your support to Carrie G, Kim S, Sarita R, and Debbie Joe T, a studio owner of Dance Concept in Texas.
6:56
SPEAKER_01: She says, Loved chatting with you during the teacher forum at Dallas Streets.
7:00
SPEAKER_01: Honestly, there isn't a topic you've addressed on the pod that I haven't loved.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: I've inhaled them all.
7:05
SPEAKER_01: You have great guests, and definitely have your thumb on the pulse of the Dance Comp world.
7:09
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
7:10
SPEAKER_02: Yay, we love that.
7:12
SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Debbie Joe, and it was so great chatting with you at Streets.
7:16
SPEAKER_02: And we love all of our platinum premium subscribers.
7:18
SPEAKER_02: So if you are listening and you want to help support our podcast for many seasons to come, because remember, this is a free service, but it isn't free to make possible.
7:28
SPEAKER_02: So we have a lot of people on the back end that we want to thank, including our fabulous editor, Usama, who edits all of our episodes.
7:37
SPEAKER_02: And I want to thank my co-host Leslie Mailer, who joins me every single week and pours her heart and soul and love of dance onto the podcast for Seven Seasons Strong, and all of our amazing guests who join us to chat dance year after year.
7:51
SPEAKER_02: We're grateful for all of you and we love making this podcast possible, but we need some help and support from the fans out there.
7:58
SPEAKER_02: So thank you, Platinum Premium subscribers.
8:01
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
8:02
SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, speaking of numbers, we have some stats that we want to give you guys.
8:07
SPEAKER_01: You know we love to give stats.
8:08
SPEAKER_01: A lot of a lot of this is for us, but some of it's for you.
8:11
SPEAKER_01: Because in season seven alone, we have had over 70,000 listens.
8:16
SPEAKER_01: That is like I still can't get over these these numbers sometimes.
8:19
SPEAKER_01: I don't like math, but like big numbers, that's impressive.
8:22
SPEAKER_02: I feel like that's huge.
8:23
SPEAKER_01: I mean Well, it is because listen to this next number.
8:26
SPEAKER_01: Our total downloads since season one is 774,610.
8:33
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
8:33
SPEAKER_02: We almost hit 775,000 listens and downloads.
8:38
SPEAKER_02: I'm waiting for the day.
8:40
SPEAKER_02: I mean, oh my gosh, we're getting closer.
8:42
SPEAKER_02: I wonder when we're gonna hit.
8:44
SPEAKER_01: Again with the math.
8:45
SPEAKER_01: I don't like it.
8:46
SPEAKER_01: This is probably wrong.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: But we've had seven seasons.
8:48
SPEAKER_01: We've had have approximately 700,000 listens or downloads, right?
8:53
SPEAKER_01: So that's a hundred thousand a season-ish, give or take, seventy-four thousand six hundred and ten.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: So it would stand to reason by the time we get to season ten, that'll be a million-ish, probably a little bit more, because we keep we just the reason we have that extra 74,610 is because we keep getting more and more popular.
9:11
SPEAKER_01: So those are like extra little add-ons every year to that 100,000 baseline.
9:15
SPEAKER_01: I'm assuming, you know, we can assume that.
9:17
SPEAKER_02: That means we have to go to season 10.
9:19
SPEAKER_01: We got because we gotta get to the million.
9:22
SPEAKER_02: We have to.
9:23
SPEAKER_02: I was thinking, okay, we gotta at least get to 300 episodes in my head of podcast lands.
9:28
SPEAKER_02: But I don't know if we're gonna hit 300 in our next two.
9:32
SPEAKER_02: I think we're gonna have to hit 10 seasons to make sure we get that.
9:35
SPEAKER_02: Maybe that's the final announcement of when making impact officially when we call it a day.
9:41
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, is when we hit one million listen.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: All right, listeners.
9:45
SPEAKER_01: Well, you tell us, tell us what you think.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: Should we continue this indefinitely or are we aiming for a million and then we're gonna say farewell and on to the next journey?
9:53
SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh.
9:55
SPEAKER_02: I I mean, I don't know.
9:56
SPEAKER_02: It's up to us, Leslie.
9:58
SPEAKER_02: We're the ones that are doing it every week.
9:59
SPEAKER_02: It's true.
10:00
SPEAKER_02: We're sitting down bi-weekly now, but yeah.
10:03
SPEAKER_02: We put a lot of a lot of time and thought and effort into this podcast.
10:07
SPEAKER_02: It's a lot of brainstorming sessions, it's a lot of collaborating, it's a lot of time spent on Zoom chatting with one another.
10:14
SPEAKER_02: Goodness for Zoom.
10:15
SPEAKER_02: Even industry research, our eyes are everywhere.
10:18
SPEAKER_02: Just a constant deep dive.
10:19
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
10:21
SPEAKER_02: So it is a full-time gig, but it's definitely a gig that we spend a lot of time doing, and we do it for y'all.
10:28
SPEAKER_02: We do it for the fans.
10:28
SPEAKER_02: So, like, thank you for all the listens.
10:30
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for sharing.
10:31
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for continuing to listen to old episodes.
10:34
SPEAKER_02: We love it.
10:36
SPEAKER_01: And thank you for our 4,000 members in our Facebook group.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: You guys are awesome too.
10:40
SPEAKER_01: We love, I love the conversations there because they tend every now and then I'll see us a post reposted in another dance group.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: But most of the time I would say people stick to our group, have the conversation there, keep it a little bit more community friendly.
10:54
SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of us know each other, um, you know, through judging, through teaching, through just the whole industry.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: So it does really feel like you can come to our Facebook group and have a civil conversation about an industry that sometimes does not feel so civil, R E C previous episode.
11:10
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, thanks, thanks everyone for just contributing and being a part of this because the dance world is only the dance world because of the people that make it.
11:19
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
11:21
SPEAKER_02: Well, we have a few episode stats that we need to get to, and it's always our favorite part of our our wrap-up episodes because we gotta know who is in first, second, and third of the all-time most listened to episodes.
11:35
SPEAKER_02: But before we hear those three, we have to share our most popular episode of the current season, season seven.
11:43
SPEAKER_01: Alright, listeners, what do you think the most listened to episode of season seven was?
11:47
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna give you a second, take a moment, think about it in your head.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: Hmm.
11:52
SPEAKER_01: You hopefully you listen to it.
11:53
SPEAKER_01: Hopefully you listen to it.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: All right.
11:55
SPEAKER_01: The most listened to episode of season seven was episode 253, released February 5th, 2026, right after my birthday.
12:03
SPEAKER_01: What dance competition judges want to see on stage this season?
12:07
SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
12:08
SPEAKER_01: I wanted to know.
12:09
SPEAKER_02: I get it.
12:10
SPEAKER_02: I understand.
12:11
SPEAKER_02: You know, it's these buzzy topics that that just draw people in, and everybody wants to know what a judge is looking for.
12:20
SPEAKER_01: That's of course, that's the premise of this podcast.
12:23
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
12:23
SPEAKER_02: That's why we started this podcast.
12:25
SPEAKER_02: So to have a topic like that in that episode featured a lot of chime ins from your actual judges from our IDA judging panel.
12:33
SPEAKER_02: So it popped right there at the top of competition season.
12:36
SPEAKER_02: That way you could listen and hopefully implement.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: Yes, and of course, we have our top three most listened to episodes of all time.
12:45
SPEAKER_01: This little musical episode, I feel like, happens every year where they kind of rotate a little bit.
12:50
SPEAKER_01: Some of them hold steady.
12:52
SPEAKER_01: But alright, the third most popular episode of all time.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: Season three, episode 87, Stage Presence, Why Performance Matters.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: This is where it was last year.
13:02
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, same spot as last year.
13:04
SPEAKER_02: So it's staying strong in third.
13:06
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
13:08
SPEAKER_02: And I think we're all gonna be surprised but not with our uh our first and second place second most listened to episode of all time is season four, episode 127, competition trends, the good, the bad, the ugly.
13:26
SPEAKER_02: And fun fact, that was our first place winner last season.
13:29
SPEAKER_02: So what could be in first now?
13:32
SPEAKER_01: Who knows?
13:33
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
13:33
SPEAKER_01: Could it be season one, episode four, lyrical versus contemporary, separating the styles?
13:40
SPEAKER_00: She's back.
13:41
SPEAKER_02: She it's back, it's back in number one spot.
13:45
SPEAKER_02: And it was it was saying strong in the number one spot since last season.
13:50
SPEAKER_02: And last season was the first time that another episode took first place.
13:55
SPEAKER_02: Crept in there.
13:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but you know, we love it.
13:58
SPEAKER_01: We love it when they come back.
13:59
SPEAKER_01: We love that people, you know, I see people reference that episode a lot when somebody asks the question because it continues to be asked because this conversation will never stop.
14:08
SPEAKER_01: You know, what's the difference between lyrical and contemporary?
14:10
SPEAKER_01: Boom, here's this episode.
14:11
SPEAKER_01: But I don't want to say it's textbook because I'm sure there are some textbooks out there, but like this gives you a lot of information.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yep, it really does.
14:19
SPEAKER_02: And there's two of them, y'all.
14:20
SPEAKER_02: We did two lyrical versus contemporary.
14:23
SPEAKER_02: So give a listen if you haven't.
14:25
SPEAKER_02: It's our most popular episode ever.
14:29
SPEAKER_02: And speaking of popular and faves, Leslie, do you have any faves from the current season that you loved recording?
14:36
SPEAKER_02: Our guests, the topic, the discussion.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I really had two that really stood out to me as interesting and fun and different and stuff that we had not necessarily covered yet.
14:47
SPEAKER_01: You know, it wasn't a it wasn't a repeat, it wasn't a part two.
14:50
SPEAKER_01: These were brand new topics.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: So I really enjoyed episode 249, A Day in the Life of a Dancer on Tour.
14:56
SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
14:56
SPEAKER_01: So I think that is that was interesting for me, you know, to hear more about other people's experience on tour because there's so many different kinds of tours.
15:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, that one was really fun.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: And then I really enjoyed 251 partnering in lifts, tips and tricks for the pros, because that is again something I feel like studios most studios don't put forth in their training.
15:19
SPEAKER_01: A lot of times, you know, you and I are both examples of like having to learn how to partner on the job.
15:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
15:24
SPEAKER_01: Um, and that is really stressful and challenging.
15:27
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, hearing about ways to make partnering a little more accessible was kind of cool.
15:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I completely agree, especially because we see it on stage all the time, and sometimes it's done exceptionally well, and other times it's done in a little bit of a dangerous fashion.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: That makes me nervous.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: So we were hoping that whoever listened to that episode was able to implement some of those tips from our pros in that chat, which was so much fun.
15:52
SPEAKER_02: And two new guests on that one as well.
15:54
unknown: Yeah.
15:55
SPEAKER_02: One of my faves this season was why lyrical dance should be a priority in your weekly training.
16:03
SPEAKER_02: Dreams.
16:03
SPEAKER_02: Because we love lyrical.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: Yes, we do, we love lyrical, and so do y'all, because lyrical versus contemporary is a top episode.
16:11
SPEAKER_02: So we love lyrical dance, but it's also sort of fading away or blending or fusing in with contemporary and kind of a lost art, like tried and true authentic lyrical is a lost art.
16:23
SPEAKER_02: So I thought it was a really unique discussion that we had where we got to remind everyone why it's important, why it should be a part of your weekly training, and how to bring it back because I want to see it more on stage, and if I don't get to see it on stage, I at least hope that you are doing it in the studio.
16:44
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we also had two new guests on that podcast, Jeremy Duvall and Lindsay Klein.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: So they were a wealth of information.
16:51
SPEAKER_01: Really enjoyed hearing from them.
16:54
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was a great one.
16:55
SPEAKER_02: So we had some fabulous chats all season long with really great guests, really great topics.
17:01
SPEAKER_02: So if you still haven't finished season seven, make sure you get the ball rolling, cuz guess what?
17:07
SPEAKER_02: It's over.
17:08
SPEAKER_02: It's over.
17:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
17:10
SPEAKER_02: And we introduced some new episodes this season on season seven, like we always do.
17:14
SPEAKER_02: We kind of sprinkle in a few newbies into the mix, and one of those was actually a style of episode that we introduced in season one of Making the Impact, and then we kind of took a hiatus for six seasons and decided that it was time to bring it back, and that was our competition spotlight features, where we got to sit down with IDA affiliated competition owners and learn more about how they got into the business of owning a dance comp, what it takes to run a dance competition, what makes their competitions unique, and hopefully for our listeners, maybe it was an inside look to a brand new competition that maybe you've never attended or would like to attend and are gonna put onto your competition schedule for this year.
18:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I really enjoyed.
18:01
SPEAKER_01: I am typically not a part of that episode format, but I like listening to them as well because it's just an opportunity to learn about another business and hear their story, which I think is a little bit missing sometimes in the world, you know, from like an outside party to do the interview and to just kind of dig deep.
18:18
SPEAKER_01: So those were super fun.
18:20
SPEAKER_01: I hope everybody enjoyed them.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: And like you said, another chance to get people to know what we do and who supports our business and who we support.
18:28
SPEAKER_01: We continued our day in the life episodes, which are really some of my favorite ones that we do.
18:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think we're gonna have to brainstorm and figure out what type of day in the life we're gonna add into season eight.
18:39
SPEAKER_02: We haven't started our brainstorming yet.
18:41
SPEAKER_02: So if you are listening and you're like, oh my gosh, I want to hear what it's like to be a this, let me know what you want to hear on the episode, and we will make sure that we get some fabulous guests to share their stories with you.
18:57
SPEAKER_01: Yes, and last but not least, this season we introduced throwback episodes, and we really want to know, listeners, did you love them or did you hate them?
19:05
SPEAKER_01: Because we kind of loved them.
19:07
SPEAKER_02: I mean, we loved them because we needed to go bi-weekly, and we're all about transparency here on the podcast.
19:17
SPEAKER_02: We are, you know this.
19:19
SPEAKER_02: Our lives are busy, Leslie and I, and we've come a long way since we started the podcast, and I love to talk about how consistent we've been for six seasons straight.
19:30
SPEAKER_02: And I still even think with season seven, we are extremely consistent.
19:33
SPEAKER_02: We just scaled back a tiny bit, and we had a handful of throwbacks that kind of filled in the gaps throughout the weeks, and it just allowed us to carve out some time for other things in our lives.
19:46
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes it was just really hard to align not only just our schedules, but then two other guests' schedules to all come together at the same time on the same time zone on the same day and sit down for an hour and chat dance.
19:59
SPEAKER_01: Man, those time zones really, really kill us sometimes.
20:02
SPEAKER_02: For anyone who has ever dreamt of starting a podcast, the hardest part is getting the scheduling done.
20:07
SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna lie.
20:08
SPEAKER_02: I think that you can sit down and record and talk, and that's the easy part, and then you can outsource the editing or whatever, but making sure that people schedule a line with the guests that you are dreaming to have or the people that are eager to be on your podcast, it is so darn hard to do.
20:23
SPEAKER_02: So it was definitely easier this season.
20:25
SPEAKER_02: We recorded a few less episodes than normal, but I also filled in with some episodes on my own flying solo for those competition spotlights.
20:33
SPEAKER_02: And I think it worked out, honestly.
20:35
SPEAKER_02: It was fun to like throw some throwbacks in the mix.
20:39
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
20:39
SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's I think it's nice for the folks who are newer listeners, to be honest.
20:45
SPEAKER_01: Like when you're holding your phone and you're paging through 250 episodes to try to find episode three, like that just takes a million years.
20:53
SPEAKER_01: So it happens to just show up on your phone right there, ready to go.
20:56
SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, then you didn't have to do any extra work.
20:59
SPEAKER_01: So I think that's a nice feature.
21:01
SPEAKER_01: And then also it just allowed us as well for the episodes that we did produce with new topics, allowed us to focus on those a little bit more in depth with our questions and with our topic selection.
21:12
SPEAKER_01: It just felt easier.
21:13
SPEAKER_01: And you know what, folks?
21:14
SPEAKER_01: Work smarter, not harder.
21:16
SPEAKER_02: That's it.
21:18
SPEAKER_01: That's it.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yes.
21:20
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because you know what?
21:22
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes, like last season in particular, there were there were times where I was like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna fit a podcast recording into my week?
21:29
SPEAKER_02: I don't know, I don't know if it's possible.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: You know, and you have to because we are like consistency is key.
21:35
SPEAKER_01: We are consistent.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: You meet Courtney and Leslie, like you just know these people are consistent.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, we would never have dreamed of like skipping a week because we were too busy.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Like, that's not a thing.
21:46
SPEAKER_01: So this enables us to like actually do the work and keep it consistent and make sure that we are lining up with your expectations as listeners.
21:55
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we do want to hear from you.
21:58
SPEAKER_02: Maybe we'll do a poll on the podcast.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: Podcast group and ask, did we love them or did we hate them?
22:04
SPEAKER_02: Did you even listen to them?
22:05
SPEAKER_02: Hopefully we did.
22:06
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, who knows?
22:07
SPEAKER_02: I I do think that if there's diehards, they probably skipped because they probably listened already.
22:13
SPEAKER_02: Unless it was a topic that they're like, oh, I forget what that one was all about.
22:16
SPEAKER_02: Let's refresh.
22:18
SPEAKER_02: But definitely for a lot of our newer fans, and because, like you said, we have six seasons of content that there are definitely episodes that I'm sure newbies never went back and listened to.
22:28
SPEAKER_02: So I was I was here for it.
22:30
SPEAKER_02: It worked great for us.
22:32
SPEAKER_02: But if you have recommendations on what will work even better for us for season eight, we're here for suggestions.
22:37
SPEAKER_01: Suggestion box is open.
22:41
SPEAKER_02: Alright, so we have some new things coming for the upcoming summer, and I'm sure there will be some new things in season eight as we continue to brainstorm and plan in our summer hiatus.
22:54
SPEAKER_02: But let's talk about some of the upcoming things that are popping up for us this summer, and one of those is Dance Teacher Web.
23:03
SPEAKER_02: Fingers crossed, Leslie, that you will be there with me again this season.
23:08
SPEAKER_02: But we had so much fun at Dance Teacher Web last year.
23:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was amazing.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: It was so, so, so cool to see people from all over the country, new friends, friends who already knew the podcast.
23:19
SPEAKER_01: We had such a nice turnout for that live episode, and then we were able to release it for everyone to hear.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: It was just amazing.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: So stay tuned to see if I will be in attendance.
23:29
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I really hope that you can be there, and I will definitely be there this summer.
23:34
SPEAKER_02: It is taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Paris Hotel August 6th through 9th, a little later this summer than last year.
23:42
SPEAKER_02: It took place in July last year, but I still think it's gonna be a really great event, even though it's in August.
23:48
SPEAKER_02: Don't let that hold you back from attending because so many fabulous teachers and educators and instructors come through for tons of different seminars, movement classes, business classes.
24:00
SPEAKER_02: It is really a great way to kickstart your dance season at Dance Teacher Web.
24:05
SPEAKER_02: And I want to give a shout out to Steve and Angie for inviting me back and also allowing us to host the podcast at the event.
24:13
SPEAKER_02: It was really, really a great discussion.
24:15
SPEAKER_02: So give a listen to that episode if you missed out on it.
24:18
SPEAKER_02: It's a good chat, and we hope to have another one coming your way.
24:22
SPEAKER_02: Another event that is happening this summer that you do not want to miss is the Dance One Summit taking place this year in New York City on August 13th through the 16th.
24:36
SPEAKER_02: It is falling over a weekend, and I will be there teaching a few classes and seminars, and hopefully making the impact will also be there.
24:47
SPEAKER_02: So Leslie will be joining me and we will be doing some fun things around the event as well as hopefully going to see the Ace Awards again because that was such a treat.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that was also a really good episode that we did this season with the winners of the Ace Awards.
25:01
SPEAKER_01: That was so cool to see them back in action at the Dance One Summit.
25:06
SPEAKER_01: And it's been years since that event was taking place, so it is back in action.
25:09
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to see it again this coming year.
25:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's gonna be great.
25:13
SPEAKER_02: So stay tuned for more updates as we get closer in August for what we'll be doing at the Dance One Summit.
25:20
SPEAKER_02: But if you're going to be in attendance, make sure you come find us and say hey, get some stickers from us.
25:26
SPEAKER_02: We'll be walking around and we'll be having a good time.
25:28
SPEAKER_02: So we can't wait to connect with you there.
25:32
SPEAKER_01: And you have a summer podcast at Streets, correct?
25:36
SPEAKER_02: So many darn summer podcasts are happening this summer.
25:40
SPEAKER_02: Wow, yes.
25:41
SPEAKER_02: I'm really excited to have another live podcast happening at Streets Dance Conventions Nationals, which I'll be in attendance, as well as an IDA judge on their judging panel for the national event, and we will be doing another live pod there, which is super fun.
25:57
SPEAKER_02: We had it take place towards the end of the event last season.
26:00
SPEAKER_02: We had a lot of dancers come, parents come, teachers come asking some really great questions.
26:04
SPEAKER_02: We launched that episode as a platinum premium exclusive.
26:08
SPEAKER_02: But this season we will be launching our live from Streets Dance Conventions Nationals as a summer bonus episode.
26:14
SPEAKER_02: So if you are attending Streets Dance Conventions Nationals, be sure to register for the event.
26:19
SPEAKER_02: It is free, but we want to make sure that we can give you a nice little goody bag and know that you're gonna come and show up and chat dance with us, get your questions prepped.
26:27
SPEAKER_02: Can't wait to meet all the Die Hard Making the Impact fans at Nationals.
26:33
SPEAKER_01: Alright, well, that is all the events, the actual in-person events that are happening this summer that we know of.
26:38
SPEAKER_01: There could always be more.
26:39
SPEAKER_01: You never know.
26:40
SPEAKER_01: But we also have some online events that are happening that happen every summer for Making the Impact.
26:46
SPEAKER_01: And the first one is our Making the Impact Award Judge's Choice fan favorite contest.
26:52
SPEAKER_02: Ooh, the fan favorites.
26:53
SPEAKER_02: So all of those Making the Impact Awards that you've listened to us announce throughout the entire season, now all of those winners are going to come together for a voting contest in June.
27:05
SPEAKER_02: And we will announce the date soon.
27:07
SPEAKER_02: We will be in touch, say post it on our social media as to when that is taking place.
27:12
SPEAKER_02: But if you are a recipient of a Making the Impact Award, you are eligible to be entered into the fan favorite contest.
27:18
SPEAKER_02: However, I'm putting this disclaimer out there.
27:21
SPEAKER_02: If you are listening but you did not register your award, then you will not be eligible to participate.
27:27
SPEAKER_02: You must register your Making the Impact Award.
27:30
SPEAKER_02: And how you do that is by scanning the QR code on the back of your physical plaque that you've received on site at an IDA affiliated competition.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: There's also a link or you can shoot us a DM and ask us, how do I register my award?
27:43
SPEAKER_02: I'm a winner.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: And that way you can take place in our upcoming fan favorite, which is really exciting.
27:49
SPEAKER_02: So many people get involved and vote like crazy.
27:52
SPEAKER_02: And it's been a blast doing this contest for the past few years.
27:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I love that it involves everybody.
28:00
SPEAKER_01: Anybody can participate in voting, right?
28:02
SPEAKER_01: So you're bringing your grandparents, you're like, click on this, you're trying to tell them how to vote.
28:05
SPEAKER_01: Like it's it's interactive for everyone.
28:08
SPEAKER_01: But when the winner wins, the winner gets a full episode devoted to their studio on our podcast.
28:15
SPEAKER_01: And I think that is has been the coolest part is to meet studios from around the country, hear about what makes them special and unique, and just get to know the people who are doing good work out there.
28:26
SPEAKER_01: Because the Making the Impact Award is all about recognizing good work in different ways than scores.
28:31
SPEAKER_01: So I think that is the coolest part is hearing from studios you might not otherwise hear from.
28:36
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I completely agree.
28:38
SPEAKER_02: It's been lovely connecting.
28:39
SPEAKER_02: It's also a great way for us to help support our IDA affiliated competitions who allow us to give away this award at their events.
28:48
SPEAKER_02: So then it's also supporting their customers who attend uh and are choosing to go to IDA affiliated comps.
28:54
SPEAKER_02: It's just like a big celebration for all.
28:56
SPEAKER_02: And I think that it's just so unique that we have this tie-in to offer an interview on a podcast.
29:04
SPEAKER_02: That's just such a unique feature that not many people can get out of an award that they win at a competition.
29:11
SPEAKER_01: Right.
29:11
SPEAKER_01: It's not just a plaque, it's not a banner, it's not just a thing you can hang up in your studio.
29:15
SPEAKER_01: Like this will live in perpetuity.
29:17
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, people can go back to it anywhere in the world and hear about your studio.
29:22
SPEAKER_01: So thank you to all of the participants who have registered your award so far.
29:26
SPEAKER_01: If you have not done so, please do so you can be involved in this contest this summer, and best of luck to everyone.
29:32
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and I want to give a shout-out to our fan favorite winner from last season.
29:38
SPEAKER_02: That is Dance Fusion Performing Arts Studio from Allentown, Pennsylvania.
29:42
SPEAKER_02: For their large group, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
29:45
SPEAKER_02: You can give a listen to our full spotlight episode featuring their studio on the podcast from season seven.
29:52
SPEAKER_02: It kicked off our season.
29:55
SPEAKER_01: And another fun thing that we offer to our listeners, and I mean really to anybody, but I I think it's mostly our listeners who participate, um, is our cover art contest to be the dancers on the podcast cover art.
30:08
SPEAKER_02: Yay.
30:09
SPEAKER_02: It's a fun one that we do, and the dancers get involved.
30:12
SPEAKER_02: You have to find your best dance shot, is what we're looking for.
30:15
SPEAKER_02: We want to see a photo of you in action.
30:18
SPEAKER_02: And if you look at your screen wherever you're listening to this podcast, you might see two fabulous dancers behind our logo who are featured on our season seven.
30:28
SPEAKER_02: And those dancers are Ava from Missouri and Avari from Texas.
30:33
SPEAKER_02: So they are going to be there for the remainder of the summer until season eight is announced.
30:38
SPEAKER_02: But we will have two brand new dancers gracing our cover art for season eight with our cover art contest that is going to be launching in July.
30:49
SPEAKER_01: Another thing happening coming up this year is our IDA Judge submissions.
30:53
SPEAKER_01: We are always looking for new faces to join our roster to go through our pre-screening process.
30:59
SPEAKER_01: So that submission opens up on our website on August 1st.
31:03
SPEAKER_01: So get your resumes ready, get your information about yourself ready, and submit away.
31:09
SPEAKER_02: Yes, please stay connected with us on our website and make sure you get your submission in quick because submissions will close September 15th on the dot.
31:19
SPEAKER_02: So you only have a month and a half to apply to be considered to join our IDA roster of Impact Dance Adjudicators.
31:27
SPEAKER_01: And as usual, we are always looking for more friends too.
31:29
SPEAKER_01: So please join our Facebook community.
31:31
SPEAKER_01: We are making the impact a dance competition podcast community.
31:34
SPEAKER_01: You'll find us.
31:35
SPEAKER_01: We're right there.
31:36
SPEAKER_01: Join us.
31:37
SPEAKER_01: You have to submit a couple of answers to some questions just so we know that you are truly involved in the dance world, and then you'll be admitted for all of the fun happenings there.
31:46
SPEAKER_02: Yes, y'all.
31:47
SPEAKER_02: And as we are heading out with this wrap-up episode of season seven, we want to hear from you.
31:53
SPEAKER_02: If you have any ideas for future Making the Impact topics that you want us to cover that we haven't touched yet on the podcast, now is the time.
32:03
SPEAKER_02: Shoot us a DM on Instagram on Impact Dance Adjudicators Instagram account.
32:08
SPEAKER_02: Shoot me a DM on Facebook, shoot Leslie a DM on Facebook, pop it into the comments on our Facebook group, shoot us an email at podcasts at Impact Dance Adjudicators.com or visit our website.
32:21
SPEAKER_02: There's so many ways to get a hold of us, but we want to hear from you if there's an episode that you want us to tackle for season eight.
32:28
SPEAKER_01: And there's also this cool new feature on Apple Podcasts called fan mail.
32:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:34
SPEAKER_01: Like this is everything is the future.
32:36
SPEAKER_01: Like we live in the future because you can now just click a link and send us a message.
32:43
SPEAKER_01: Is that how it works?
32:44
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it's available actually on every podcast platform.
32:48
SPEAKER_02: It's in our show notes.
32:49
SPEAKER_02: So right at the top of every show notes now, it'll say send us fan mail.
32:53
SPEAKER_02: And if you click it, you can literally send us any message you want and it goes right to our phone.
32:58
SPEAKER_02: So we want to hear from you.
32:59
SPEAKER_02: Send us some fan mail about the episode, about the podcast, send us some love.
33:03
SPEAKER_02: There's also a way to send comments on specific episodes in Spotify if that's your player of choice, which I do love listening to podcasts on Spotify personally.
33:13
SPEAKER_02: So nice.
33:14
SPEAKER_01: Well, yeah, again, we live in the future, so we have many ways to be in contact.
33:18
SPEAKER_01: So please reach out.
33:19
SPEAKER_01: We are we are happy to hear from you.
33:22
SPEAKER_02: And we have some fun things coming your way in season eight, but you're gonna have to wait a few months until you find out what they are.
33:31
SPEAKER_02: And that season eight is officially launching on September 3rd, 2026.
33:38
SPEAKER_02: Can't believe it.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: Can't wait.
33:40
SPEAKER_01: Well, until then, Courtney, or really until uh summer.
33:45
SPEAKER_01: I bid you adieu.
33:46
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I will see you in person sooner than later uh this summer.
33:51
SPEAKER_02: And we wish you a fabulous summer with your dancers, the bucket nationals.
33:55
SPEAKER_02: Have a great recital, and we'll see you in season eight.
33:59
SPEAKER_02: See you in season eight.