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What Dance Competition Judges Want To See On Stage This Season · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_19: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_19: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_19: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_19: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_19: The 2026 competition season is here.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_19: Today on Making the Impact, IDA judges from across the country chime in with the things they want to see from you this season.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_19: From costuming to choreography and everything in between, this is an episode to take to heart before you head to the stage.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_03: Hey everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host, Leslie Mueller.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_19: Hey Courtney, we are just in it to win it.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_19: Competition season is here.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's here, everybody.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, we've been waiting for the season to begin.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I'd say that when February rolls around, that means it's kickoff season, for sure.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_03: As we've mentioned, maybe some of you have already started competing in January.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_03: I know I've already been out with conventions, which usually always start a little bit sooner.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: But as far as competitions, they're happening now.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_03: So we can't wait to see the talent on stage.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: We can't wait for updates from you all in our Facebook group.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_03: And we also can't wait to start sharing our Making the Impact Award winners throughout the rest of the podcast season.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_19: Yep.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_19: Can't wait to get it all started.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_19: But today we have a really great episode for you.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_19: This is one of our favorite kinds of episodes to do, where we have all of our judges chime in about what they are looking forward to seeing this season.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_19: Thank you to everybody who participated.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_19: But before we get started, we have a sponsor to tell you about.
• 1:52
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  SPEAKER_03: Click the link in our show notes now to register and don't miss out on experiencing the Dance One Summit this summer.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: Alright, Dance World, we're here today with many IDA judges from the roster who are chiming in to share with you on how you can prep for the season before you hit the stage.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: Because we're getting an inside look, a heads up before you even hit the stage as to what a judge is actually looking for on stage.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: This is what the judges want to see from you.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: So what a helpful episode for us to give you at the top of competition season, because that'll make you even more prepared once you listen.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: We're going to jump into the choreography that we see at competition.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_03: And we have a handful of judges who chimed in to talk about some of the things that they hope to see on stage.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: Let's hear from our first judge.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_10: Hi, dance world.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_10: This is IDA Judge Amanda from Virginia.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_10: And my comment is going to sound a little goofy, but I would like to see more dancing this season on the competition stage.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_10: We talk a lot here at IDA about tricks and acro making their way into all the genres, but I also want to address this sort of trend of making pictures and poses to music.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_10: It's become very trendy to do sort of stop-motion choreography to sometimes not even music, but sound effects strung together.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_10: And while it can be really cool and innovative and certainly has its place, it does become super redundant over the course of the weekend when we're sitting there judging and every routine has that kind of feel to it.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_10: And we never really get to see you move and dance and make connective tissue through your dance phrases.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_10: So I'd love to encourage dancers and choreographers really to take a look at your routines and make sure that your dancers are actually dancing this season and enjoying it while they do.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_09: Hey, this is IDA Judge Maddie from Tampa, Florida.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_09: And something that I would like to see this season is more movement and fewer tricks.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_09: I know we say it all the time, but I really want to see dancers enjoying transitions, finding different qualities of movement and playing with all of those amazing textures, as opposed to showcasing a gymnastics routine or what I like to call a yoga class on stage.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_09: So, yes, please, please, please dance this season.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_09: We want to see it.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_09: We're rooting for you, and I can't wait to see you up there.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: All right, everybody.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: So you heard from our first two IDA Jadiz, Amanda De Tullio and Maddie Marcatis.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: And they just want to see y'all dance.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_19: Just dance, guys.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_19: You know, it's so funny that they this is where we kicked off because it I've been thinking about this a lot lately, that, you know, dance has evolved so much over the years.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_19: And I'm talking of over hundreds of years, obviously.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_19: And but at the beginning, a lot of dance, like as we think about ballet and court dance, was really a lot of posing.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_19: They walked over here and they looked like this, and then they walked over here and they looked like that.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_19: And it was very regal and composed and calm.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_19: And it's it's so funny that like we've almost in certain places gone back to that, except it's, you know, as a group, and maybe you're doing things faster.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_19: But like Maddie said, some of it is walk over here and do a downward dog, walk over here and do Warrior One.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_19: And it's so interesting, just because I wonder what that's about.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_19: Like there's got to be some kind of somebody out there do some research and like do a paper or a thesis on the full circleness of posing in dance.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's you're not wrong.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_03: And that is such a funny way to look at at how dance has evolved.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_03: I I definitely agree with both of these judges.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_03: I often am saying that in critiques.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: I I'm like, I know, I wish I was there was a a little bit more movement in this routine based on the style that's entered.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_03: So oftentimes we're lacking transitional steps, we're lacking traveling through space, we're not seeing like the full picture of the genre that's being displayed.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: And instead, we're just kind of highlighting different layers of flexibility and everybody doing something different to create a tableau.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_19: And and like that's I remember when that first kind of came around in competition land.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_19: And it was it was different.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_19: It was, it was way different than what we were seeing, which was very little stopping, you know.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_19: And now it does seem like all there is is stopping.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_19: And part of me wonders if I can kind of give you, not that I give anybody a pass, but when you're working with students who maybe lack the skills to be in unison during a transition, or they don't have a lot of vocabulary, then okay, how are we in it?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_19: Again, I'm I'm using these words and it's not really the right words, but like we're kind of you have to kind of game the system to compete.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_19: And you're like, well, what am I doing with this group of kids who doesn't have all these foundational things?
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_19: Somehow we've we've gotten to the point where we're competing.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_19: How am I going to make them look good?
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_19: And the answer sometimes is, well, let's all go over here and pick a pose and hold it.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_19: And let's all go over here and do a little a day tournée and then pick a pose.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_19: Like maybe that's how they're doing it.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_19: But when when I see this kind of stuff in more advanced levels, that's where I get a little bit like, what are you doing?
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_19: Like you're not hiding anything at this point.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_19: Everybody obviously has skills.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_19: Like, let's show some skills.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_19: Right.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_19: Yeah.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_03: And then a lot of people may think that we have to have a lot of skills in our routine to succeed.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that on my end, maybe we're not talking about like the flashy wow tricks when we say skills.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: I'm looking for more of the vocabulary of traditional steps within that genre that are often missed because we're replacing them with pictures and shapes or big flashy tricks that may or may not always be executed at their best.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: And with that, let's hear from our next judge.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, this is IDA Judge Melanie in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_05: One thing I'm looking for this dance competition season is attractive acro, not the use of some partially done acro moment that you think needs to be put in because it's a quote trick or can be tricky.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_05: There is no prerequisite that says this routine must have an aerial or this routine must have a front and back walkover.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_05: The only category that it needs to be in is the acro or acro dance category, where obviously 50% of it needs to be clean acrobatics in acrobance, and the other 50% needs to be dance technique.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_05: Do not feel that you must put something in where the dancer goes upside down over their head just because it needs to be there.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_05: If they're still working on it, keep working on it.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_05: It needs to be attractive.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_05: It needs to be technically correct.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_05: And it also needs to be pretty and joyful to watch, especially as a certified acro dance judge.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_19: Ooh, we love a certified acro dance judge.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, we do.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_03: And it kind of that goes exactly hand in hand with what I was just saying.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you, Melanie, for being on the exact same page as me because not even just relating to acro tricks, but any trick in general.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: But obviously, we have seen a rise in acro lately on stage at competition.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I do feel that a lot of people think that they must have some type of acro skill in a dance, in every genre at this point in time, to quote unquote win.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_03: And that's not necessarily true.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_19: Right.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_19: And I think, you know, we talk about this all the time.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_19: I'd rather see kind of what you're 99% sure of rather than something you're still at a 50-60%, you know, functionality on.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_19: And that becomes even more important when we're talking about acro.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_19: We're talking about something where you're going upside down, your hands aren't on the ground, where you're, you know, shifting your weight, that kind of thing.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, and I I there is something to be said about it being attractive.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_19: Like if I don't want to see your aerial with flexed feet, you know, that's not how an aerial is supposed to be done.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_19: It's supposed to have pointed feet.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_19: You're not supposed to look like, you know, unless it's some kind of weird spider aerial where you're like being a character with flexed feet, sure.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, I really want your feet to be pointed.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_19: So yes, I think your skills, you know, and what she means by attractive is more like a refined.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_19: Like I want to see a refined skill with technically correct elements, in which case that is an attractive looking skill.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's across the board with everything we put into our dances.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_03: And yes, are there going to be things that we're still working on that what maybe we would want to showcase to a judge?
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: But at the same time, there still needs to be the emphasis of clean technique attached to it.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: The amount of, like you said, back walkovers with bent legs, uh, I mean, kickovers with bent legs, forgotten about feet, the technique to me, boom, is already gone.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: They're releasing off their heel, they're not taking off from a tandu, their arms aren't overhead, their shoulders are in their ears, just across the board.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: I already can tell based on how they're prepping for whatever skill they're about to present, the technique's not refined, the technique's not attractive, and the execution isn't going to be as strong as it could.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: So then I start wondering on the judges end, why did we put this in here?
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, we want to work on this skill, but sometimes we have to as with as a teacher and even as a parent accept the fact that maybe we're not ready for this skill just yet in our solo or just yet in our group dance.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: And that is okay.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_03: Find something else that looks just as like even better to replace it in the choreography.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: All right, and we have one more judge to chime in and tell you their thoughts on another choreography specific bit of feedback.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: Let's hear from them.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_17: Hello, this is IDA Judge, Ashley Peter from New York City.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_17: And one thing I really want to see on stage this season at competitions is dancers being utilized in ways that aren't the most obvious.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_17: So, you know, if you have a lot of group dances, especially if you have a couple really solid technical dancers, you know, you're gonna feature them, put them down stage center.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_17: But for us as judges, it is always so exciting when we see a dancer being utilized in a way that you wouldn't always think, or taking someone who might not be the strongest technician or dancer at the studio, but they have that spark, they have that thing.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_17: And then also really finding ways to showcase dancers in different ways.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_17: Because for us at the judges' table, if we see the same dancers downstage, front and center, over and over and over again, it gets generic to us.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_17: But if you really utilize all of your dancers and get creative in the ways that you can showcase them and change up the formations, it's always really exciting to us.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: I agree with Ashley Peter.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_03: Me too.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: I I love not knowing what's coming.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_03: I don't I don't want to be able to pre-predict what type of formation who's gonna be in the front based on me watching the whole studio all weekend because we are watching you as an entire entity most of the time at regular dance competitions.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_03: The judges are not swapping out and doing rotation shifts.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_03: It's the same three judges for the entire weekend.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: So we sometimes need to look at it from that point of view as to does that look too similar to my last dance?
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_03: Did I feature that same person too much?
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I already featured them in the last dance, who else can I feature here?
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_03: So everyone is kind of getting different chances to be showcased.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_19: Absolutely.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_19: And I think that's just, you know, a nice challenge for teachers and choreographers as well.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_19: Like if you are, you know, the sole jazz teacher at your studio and you have all these jazz routines to choreograph, you know, I feel for you because that's a lot.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_19: But that's also a really good personal choreographic challenge to say, okay, it's not always going to be Sarah.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_19: It's not always gonna be Katie.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_19: Who else can I put in this spot?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_19: Who else, and and what are we doing in that spot?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_19: Is it does it always have to be a heel stretch?
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_19: Does it always have to be a turn sequence?
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_19: Maybe it doesn't.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_19: Maybe there's something else you can do.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_19: And I just think that, you know, to be able to challenge yourself as an artist is just as important as the kids seeing that that is happening as well, you know, because you we're all working with with aspiring, you know, dancers and possibly choreographers and teachers and studio owners.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_19: And so that, you know, to be able to be a part of that as a student, to be utilized in a different way is gonna impact them as they move forward in their dance journey.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_03: And something else to just think about from uh like a studio-wide perspective is the judges aren't the only ones that notice this.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_03: So that's another thing to think about is that even people that know nothing about dance are probably clocking the fact that the same kids in the front, the same kid's kid is getting that feature.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_03: And but there's uh there's 20 other kids on stage.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_03: Why isn't anyone else getting that feature?
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm sure that those things probably go through their head as well.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_03: And it might not even be directly attached to their kid.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: It might just be something that they notice choreographically that that one dancer or those two dancers are the only ones ever getting a moment.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: And I feel like often these days, is another kind of trend that I've noticed in choreography, is you see choreography and then you see everybody pop down to the floor, then one person stands up and does something.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_03: And then they move formations and then they do the same thing again on a different part of the stage.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_03: Someone else has a little moment.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like little spotlight features plopped into the choreography.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_03: And the choreography would be just as fine without that.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: But for some reason, we want to highlight these dancers, and I'm not mad about it, but let's change it up and make, like you said, Lizzie, different skills that are being displayed, different dancers.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: Even if it is a hipshake, one, two, three, and and a cute little personality moment for that dancer, like why not?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: Let's change it up a bit.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_19: And I think too, I mean, just add it, add to the list of what choreographers and dance teachers are responsible for.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_19: But, you know, you're you're teaching an entire group of children and choreographing for an entire group.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_19: So when, you know, maybe Janice over here is is never featured.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_19: So a lot of her routine, if you really break it down to one kid, she's squatting and then she's moving, and then she's, you know, kneeling and then she's moving.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_19: So if that's kind of like your MO for choreography is to do sort of the pop-up features, think about everybody else that's not doing the feature.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_19: How much dancing are those students actually doing when their part is just to support the group?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_19: You know, like yes, we obviously want to promote teamwork.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_19: And if if the the skill involves people lifting or people posing or people just, you know, completing the picture, that's great.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_19: But is all that one student ever getting to do is complete the picture?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_19: That's not fair.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_03: Good point.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_03: And we notice.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_03: So I love that.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: Teamwork makes the dream work.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_03: And enough about choreography.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_03: We've talked about that.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm sure there will be other instances that we mentioned throughout this episode.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_03: But let's talk about the dancers and maybe a little bit about their execution on stage.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_03: Let's hear from our first two judges about this.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, this is IDA Judge Chloe Adams from Los Angeles, California.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want dancers to feel first, then move and express from that place.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: So often I see expressions that look right but don't feel connected.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: When emotion starts internally and there's real intention and a clear why behind the movement, it moves beyond just performing and becomes something real and impactful, no matter the style.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_07: Hey guys, this is Cynthia Frias from San Antonio, Texas.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_07: I'm so excited to be part of the Impact Dance Adjudicators this season.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_07: One of the main things that I'm looking for is performance and artistry quality in dancers.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_07: While technique is something that is super, super, super important to me, what really separates a great dancer for me is when they're able to use that technique and give me an amazing performance that captivates all of their audience members into following the storyline that they were given.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_07: Can't wait to see everyone kill it on stage this season.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_07: Me too, Cynthia.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_07: I can't wait.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we're talking all about the dancers out there.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: So if you are a dancer listening, this one's for you.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it's a big critique here that we often say every judge on the panel talks about storytelling, performance, and intention in the movement.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_19: I love that Chloe brought up sort of the phrase of start with why.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_19: If anybody out there is in the self-help world, you'll know the book Start with Why by Simon Seneck.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_19: And it's a great way to just be in the world of anything.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_19: You know, why do you do anything that you do?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_19: Why do you have the job that you do?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_19: Why do you pursue the things you love?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_19: Why, why?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_19: Start with why.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_19: And that matters so much in dance.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_19: And that's something that you as a dancer, if any dancers are listening, can do for yourself.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_19: You don't have to be told necessarily the why.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_19: You know, if you are listening in class, if you are in ingesting the information your choreographer is giving you, you know, hopefully it's enough for you to kind of start putting all that together yourself and deliver on stage.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_19: Um and that's something you can work on continuously.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_19: That's not, you know, that's not a one and done.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_19: That is learning how to do that as you move forward in your career.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I think finding that why and finding that that feel and your love of dance, when you discover that, which you wouldn't be showing up one, two, three, four, five days a week at your studio if you didn't enjoy the activity.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: So the love is there.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: We just now have to figure out a way to show it through our performance and emotion in our movement.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_03: And that's something that we see in class often.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we see frustration in classrooms as well.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_03: And that's just part of training.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: But when we get on stage, we almost have to become we have to just remove all of the frustration if we have any and become an actor and really dig deep to find that love of dance.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_03: Because if you can find that, your performance will naturally read to the audience.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_03: And we as judges can see it.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_03: We can see it in your eyes, we can see it in your movement quality, we can see it in the way that you your body language.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_03: There's so many ways that we can see how much you love to do this.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_03: So let it feel natural, let it feel authentic.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's the most important thing.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_03: But I love that uh Cynthia brought up that technique's important, but performance matters just as much.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_03: And we say it all the time.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_03: Performance is often the same, almost the same, if not the same, uh, amount of points in your scoring on the judge's end for most competitions.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_03: It's like a 40 for one and a 30 for the other, or could be matching even.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, that's an important layer to our performance once we hit the stage.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_03: And we have two more judges to chat a little bit more about intention and artistry.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_12: Hi, this is IDA judge Thomas Grimms from Brooklyn.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_12: The thing that I'm looking for on stage, I think, this year, is to see dancers really embracing being in the moment.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_12: So often I see so many dancers and multiple dancers.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_12: So many dances and not finishing that dance before they move on to the next.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_12: I want them to be able to embrace the moments that they're in so that they can excel in those moments.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_12: And then later on, once they move on to their next piece, they'll be fully engaged in that movement.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_12: You know, I want to see more quality over quantity.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_12: I think that is something that the dancers can really embrace.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_12: And I think that they'll realize that that's something that will really, really make their technique stand out, their performance stand out, and overall just really embrace the moments and make it more enjoyable for the judges and the audiences to see.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_18: Hello, this is Tara Yakabuchi from Rhode Island.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_18: And what I would love to see on the competition stage in 2026 is a deeper understanding and comfort level of your artistry, of your storytelling, of who you are, of the confidence in yourself and what you have done to prep to be to this moment that you are in on the stage at any given time.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_18: Continue with your technique.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_18: Know your pieces so well that you're able to really enjoy and really explore, and in the end, ultimately enjoy the experience.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_18: Best of luck.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_18: Can't wait to see you on that stage.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_19: Oh, well, thank you to Tommy and Tara for those uh pieces of advice for this season.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_19: I would also love to see more being in the moment, more being confident in what has gotten you to this point.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_19: I think so often, me included, like in life, also in dance, you know, I'm thinking about everything but the moment.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_19: I'm thinking about what somebody's thinking of me, you know, what the judges are thinking, what everybody is thinking.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_19: I sometimes like hover above myself sometimes and like I'm watching what I'm doing as opposed to just like realizing what I'm doing.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_19: And I think I think that happens on stage a lot for people because it's it's a nerve-wracking experience.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, it is hard to trust your past and trust your journey when you're up there and the lights are shining and your makeup, you know, is on and you're just ready to go.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_19: Sometimes you just go and you don't even realize that it's finished.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_19: You know, you say things happen in a flash and it was that was like it never happened.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_19: And that's that's what happens when you're not in the moment.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_19: You're not really relishing what's going on.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_19: So I would love to see that as well.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_19: And if anybody has any more tips, you know, for how to make that happen, I'll take them too.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I also loved what Tommy said about quality over quantity.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that can apply to so many layers of the competitive dance season.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_03: You know, immediately we probably think of, oh my gosh, well, you know, I am I'm in 20 dances and I'm overwhelmed and I can't even, I barely have time to change my costume before I'm out on stage again.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_03: And like, how am I supposed to get into the mindset and give a performance of a lifetime when I'm back to back to back?
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: Well, maybe that's where the quality versus quantity comes into play.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_03: See how the season goes.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_03: If that's you this year, if you feel overwhelmed, if you feel like it's a little bit too much for you to really get out there and give it your a hundred percent all versus only your 75% all because you're still stressed that your turn sequence didn't go well from the dance before, but you only had five minutes to change and you can't get into the mindset of the dance that you're about to hit the stage in.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe that means we should scale back, reel it back a little bit next season.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_03: Scale it back.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_03: And this applies to the studios too.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not just talking to how many dances a kid is in or a parent can afford to put a kid in.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: I'm also saying to the studio, maybe we scale back how many numbers we bring to competition we are presenting.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_03: That way we have more time to rehearse a a sh smaller amount of routines.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: And that way the dancers can feel confident coming out on stage.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: I'm always gonna give a little bit of grace at the top of the season in February and January, maybe even a little bit into March.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_03: I'm giving some grace it when it comes to uh not not being present on stage because I can see the concentration faces working really hard, um, remembering what comes next might be your first time hitting the stage.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_03: But by the time we get to April and May and or whatever your last competition is, I expect it to be uh at its highest potential, at its at fully invested, committed in the performance, in the technique, in every layer of that dance.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_03: And if it's still not there yet, then that means maybe we're a little we maybe we've jam-packed our season too much where we can't really hone in and focus on what really matters, which is going out there as a team, especially in groups, and be able to all feel confident together, not oh gosh, I don't know if I'm gonna nail this turn.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, no, you're gonna nail this turn because you've practiced this turn so much, you've done this on stage five times.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_03: We've rehearsed it like crazy, go out and be confident.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_03: So I and that will immediately make the dancers perform even stronger if you're walking out on stage feeling good with what you're about to present.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_03: Totally agree.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_03: Well, some great advice so far from all of our judges.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_03: They are sharing it all here.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_03: So we're gonna continue on.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_03: And next up, we have I'm gonna actually, we're gonna hit three judges now because they all kind of had the same thing to say.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_03: This is a popular one.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_19: And you know, I have to mention to just the listeners that, you know, a lot of our judges don't know each other.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_19: A lot of our judges do know each other, but in this instance, our judges were asked to just send a voice note in with what they want to see.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_19: Nobody was conversing.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_19: This wasn't a conversation, this was just a one and done.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_19: Send us what you want to see this season.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_19: And I always find it so interesting.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_19: Like, not only number one, that a lot of people say essentially the same things, but then it's the who, because we know a lot of these judges.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_19: And I'm like, oh yeah, these these two people have such a similar aesthetic.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_19: It makes sense that they said this.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_19: And then sometimes it's like, oh, I I didn't realize they would have really honed in on this, you know, knowing what I know about them.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_19: So you it just goes to show, like, it's we're all behind the table for a reason.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_19: You know, if you ever are questioning, you know, why a judge is there, think about this kind of episode.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, there's just a lot of us that are on the same wavelength, and that says something.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_03: I completely agree.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_03: So let's hear from our next three IDA judges.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_01: Hi, this is IDA Judge Matthew from North Carolina.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: I am so excited to see dancers connect to the music.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, bring your technicality, yes, bring your artistry, but really connect to the music and bring us on that journey.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: When all of that comes together, it is a really beautiful experience and it is rewarding for the audience and the judges alike.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, this is IDA Judge Melanie from Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_05: One thing that I am looking for this dance season at competition is connection with the music, but not just in the movement.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_05: Making sure that you're not over-exaggerating the facials.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_05: Don't over-exaggerate what you think needs to happen.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_05: Keep organic, keep it true, and make sure that we can really see the movement quality matching the quality of the music.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_05: So if it's happy, please be happy and not a forced smile.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_05: That way we can truly see that not only are you happy to be up there, but we are happy and maybe feeling all the emotions, whether it's also maybe a little sad.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_05: So you can really be drawn into your story.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_04: Hey there! IDA Judge Sally Cofield here from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_04: I am really wanting to just see that music come to life on stage.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_04: So take that choreography that you've been given, close your eyes, let that music flow through the choreography, let the music initiate everything, and apply that choreography to what that sound is in the music.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_04: Be the music.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_04: Simple as that.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_04: Have fun, let's shine this season, see you out there, happy dancing.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_03: So, one of the things that I really love about what all three judges said is that yes, we are all listen we need to listen to the music.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: We need to make the m the music come to life.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: But then I also loved that Melanie didn't talk too much about interpreting the music with our dancer body and how we're executing the choreography, but relating it to the expression and the facial expressions that should convey through the type of music that you're dancing to.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that goes hand in hand with storytelling and intention, but also music styles are possibly and lyrics are possibly influencing the type of emotion that you are portraying on stage as well.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_19: And I think it's important to remember the venue when we're talking about music and emotions and how to portray them.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_19: You know, as of this recording, we are coming out of the UDA Nationals weekend where everybody is, you know, rightfully so, amazed by the skill and talent level of these dancers.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_19: But their facial expressions in relation to the music are completely choreographed for a reason, because of the the venue that they're in and the style of dance that they are performing.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_19: In our dance competition world, some of that might not be necessary.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_19: We are, you know, at least I can speak for myself, and I think some of these judges, we're looking for genuine emotion.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_19: And yes, it has to be heightened, but it doesn't have to be quite as dramatic and big and over the top as you might think it need to be, it needs to be in our venues.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_19: You know, we are looking for genuine, authentic, connected emotions to your music.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_19: And when that doesn't happen, there's like a misalignment.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_19: And that's where I think I lose not interest, but I lose understanding of your story if your music and your facial expressions and your body language don't all fit together.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, totally.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_03: There have been so many unbelievable dances hit the stage.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_03: I can tell there were well-trained dancers that are all the team aspect is there.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_03: They are united, they are confident and they are ready to hit the stage.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_03: They've drilled the routine from morning, noon, and night.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_03: Every it feels like there's the total package.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_03: And then the one thing that sometimes can hinder their score for me is if the facial expressions are a little bit too over the top and in my face.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_03: And it makes me a little uncomfortable watching personally, and I don't know if other judges feel that way, but it just becomes a distraction because everything else looks so good.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, oh, I just I wish it was just a genuine natural performance.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_03: You can handle it.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_03: You're so talented.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: Don't think that you have to do this over-the-top expression because I'm sitting literally only a few feet away from you.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_03: And granted, I know that we're performing for the entire audience, which we say all the time, make sure you're performing to the back of the house, not just the judges.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_03: And it that's true.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_03: It's not just about performing towards us.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_03: I want you to perform to everyone, but there's that like fine line of stepping too far with our facial expressions and not having enough facial expressions on stage.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just something that we learn as we navigate competition life and performing.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I definitely I love that we're talking about music here and movement quality as well, which is a big one for me that I want to see more dancers connect to the music, listen to the timing, not rush their musicality.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_03: Choreographers, I want you to explore more use of musicality, maybe going in and out of dancing to the lyrics versus dancing dancing to the bass in the back or the drumbeat in the back or the accent there.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_03: I want a little bit more variety there as well.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_03: So when I do see that, and then I see dancers with a really tuned-in-ear executing that really well, it makes me excited as a judge.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_19: And I'm I'm just thinking about, you know, the variety of music that can be used to help with that.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_19: You know, if if everything has similar instrumentation with similar instruments, you know, then you're gonna get the same kind of movement quality.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_19: But, you know, if you have a piece of music that includes very light strings or very pounding rhythms, like you can move in those ways to mimic, you know, what you're hearing in the music.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_19: And I I would just encourage everybody, as I always do, to dive deep into a rabbit hole of music and don't just land on top 40.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_19: Don't just land on the thing that you heard on the commercial that everybody else heard on the commercial.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_19: You know, I think at one point there was there was that trend of, you know, there was some car commercial and everybody was like, this is the newest best song.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_19: And you heard the whole, you know, Ford probably made a lot of money or whoever profited off of that.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_19: But um, yeah, dive a little bit deeper, find some different music out there, because that's only going to enhance your work.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_03: And with that being said, final thought on music.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, a lot of dances are set and they are ready.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe we can't change the music at this point in the season, right?
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_03: That is okay.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_03: However, there's always new ways to hear different parts of the song.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_03: And for the dancers, I very much encourage you to study the music that you're dancing to, not just your solo.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_03: Every single dance that you're going to be hitting the stage, you should have the music accessible to you saved on your phone or your computer in the cloud, wherever you should be putting headphones on, high-quality headphones.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_03: And I know y'all have them.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_03: Don't tell me you don't, because I know y'all do.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_03: So put on your AirPod Maxes, put on your beats, put on your Bose headphones, and listen to the music that way because it's gonna sound very different when it's on your ears versus when you're in a space.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: You might hear the little tiny nuances in the background that the the choreographer choreographed to and you could never understand that musicality.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_03: But then you put it on your headphones and you hear it finally.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_03: Then you're gonna click into it.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna make your ear even stronger when that music's projecting out into the audience in a big auditorium.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_03: So please study your music and that will also allow you to then hear the different types of textures that you can apply into your dancing.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: So smooth, sharp, strong, still, um, different variety in how we're executing the movement quality based on all these fun layers of the song that you're listening to.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_03: Dance educators, this one's for you.
• 36:02
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• 36:11
  SPEAKER_03: Join dance teachers, studio owners, and leaders from across the country, August 13th through 16th, 2026 in New York City for an experience that goes far beyond a typical conference.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_03: Dance One Summit blends artistry, pedagogy, leadership, and business into one powerful event.
• 36:31
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• 36:38
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• 36:44
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• 36:48
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• 36:52
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• 36:57
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• 37:04
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• 37:19
  SPEAKER_03: All right, and speaking of textures and style, I think our next few judges have a few things to say about different elements within your routine and how to enhance them even more.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_03: Let's hear from our next judge.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_20: Hi, this is IDA Judge Amanda from Stanford, Connecticut.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_20: And I am so excited for the 2026 season.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_20: I'm really looking forward to see some nice grounded performances, really great use of our plie and transitions that then can move into explosive risk taking.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_20: But by establishing the foundation so that that moment of big risk um reaps a big reward because it's being fueled from a place of technique and yeah, an overall sense of groundedness in the performance and really actively engaging through our muscles.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_20: Super excited for 2026 and setting my best stall.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_03: Ooh, groundedness.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_03: I like this one.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_19: I like that a lot from Amanda.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_19: You know, being an adult of a certain age now, Plié really is your best friend.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_19: Plié helps you in so many ways, not only in dance.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_19: I fell over Christmas.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_19: I fell.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_19: I stepped off a curb.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_19: It was so embarrassing.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_19: But I'm pretty, and it was a really big curb.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_19: It was like one of those historic streets with like cobblestones and a very, very big curb.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_19: And I just turned around too quickly and didn't realize where I was.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_19: And I didn't get as hurt as I think I probably would have because my quads and my center were able to like lower me to the ground essentially, like I kind of did a plie to not fall on my face.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_19: And it really made me very grateful for the years that I spent dancing because my body knows how to protect myself.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_19: My body knows how to absorb shock and absorb, you know, surprise situations that you're not ready for.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_19: But when you're ready for it, when you're in a piece of choreography that you've trained for, that you know, you can take that risk deep in your plie.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_19: Allow yourself to jump a little bit higher because you can.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_19: You, you know what you've done to be able to get to this point.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_19: And so I love that her big risk, big big reward.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_19: I think that's so true for everyone.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_19: Like, don't be afraid.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_19: Your body will save you.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I think that use use of plie is so important.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_03: It's one of my my biggest critiques that I'll often say uh at competition.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_03: And uh dropping the pelvis, feeling connected to the floor, being grounded, taking up space, all of that really comes from your use of plie.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: With that, I can tell if a studio embraces groundedness in their technique or if the stage is just slippery or if they don't.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_03: So there's a we can't always use the excuse of this stage is so slippery.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_03: It's like I can tell based on how you're executing your movement if you're trying to be grounded and you are you've trained to be grounded, but the stage is or your shoe is preventing you.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_03: That's a very different scenario than I can tell when you've never used your plie in your life to the maximum capacity that you should.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_03: And then you're using the slipperiness as an excuse.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_03: So there's to me, I can I can visually as a judge and a professional already see that.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_03: So with that, how do we fix it?
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_03: Make sure that we are prepared with our footwear and having solutions to make our footwear be the consistency on the bottom that we need to execute our movement grounded with with groundedness on stage and have no excuse.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_03: You have to be prepared.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_03: You have to come with, I don't know what solutions are allowed on stage these days, but like we would do the Coca-Cola on the bottom of our foot with a little wet paper towel.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_03: I would bring a wet paper towel backstage.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_03: I would be blotting my feet until the moment I went on stage, really making sure that consistency feels good to get me through a two-minute dance.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_03: Some competitions, there's a rosin box on the stage, a lot of them don't allow that.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_03: Don't bring that on if you absolutely know it's not allowed, but like just coming prepared.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_03: And I know that's hard to say when like you haven't been able to feel the stage or whatever.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_03: But you want to you want to make sure that especially even after your first dance, if you're like, oh, that was slippery out there.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, well, how do we fix that?
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_03: We can't just continue to use that as a reason for us to not be able to be grounded because then you're gonna fall out of your pirouette and you could potentially fall out of your leap and you could potentially make me really nervous when you jump into your acro skills because you're not connected to the floor.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_03: And oftentimes that's linked to my shoes are too slippery and the stage was too slippery.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_19: Well, and I think too, you know, like you said, sometimes there's situations where you don't know what the stage is gonna be and you're not sure.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_19: And you know, that's in the moment, that's when you have to be a smart dancer.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_19: And if you are like, if that first triple pirouette goes awry because it's too slippery, okay, in that moment, the next pirouette I do, it's not three anymore.
• 42:19
  SPEAKER_19: It's not three.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_19: And that is something you have to learn for yourself how to manage in the moment, what what little tweaks you have to make to keep yourself safe.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_19: Yeah.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_19: And that's a learning, it's a learning curve, you know, and what what you're comfortable with on stage is going to be different depending on the venue.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_19: And that's just another beautiful thing about our our you know, dance world is that it's never the same.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_19: It is never the same twice.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_19: You will never have the same performance, you will never have the same class.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_19: And that is actually a really great thing for us as human beings to like learn how to adapt.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, it matters, it matters.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_03: It's us, that's such a great point.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm so glad you brought that up because I think that that can be applied to any dancer, any age, any level.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_03: We have to start training them to start knowing how do I modify this in the moment, if if there is something that is preventing me from executing this to my fullest.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_03: There's ways to scale it down.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_03: And when I see smart dancers making those choices, again, we as judges don't know your choreography.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_03: So we won't even know that that was supposed to be a triple there and you chose a double, but you suspended and you had a clean pop-out.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's exciting to me.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna praise that no matter what, if it's well executed.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_03: Or maybe you gotta take that extra millisecond to really find your your core, find your center before you whip into your pirouette.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_03: Because if not, if you were really connected to the floor, you could just go for it.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_03: But in this instance, you have to take that beat.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just navigating that moment.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_03: I love that you said that.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's super helpful advice.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_03: Well, our first judge Amanda in this session mentioned transitions in her comments, and our next judge has something something to say about that.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_08: Hello, I'm Kirsten Leshber, IDA judge from San Antonio, Texas.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_08: And this season I want it to feel like we're Really prioritizing the importance of our transitions in our routine.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_08: I notice as a judge, when I'm watching performances on stage, I really know what's about to come when it comes to like the technical sections, just because when I'm looking at the performance quality, it definitely drops as we're getting into these harder skills or even these harder dance breaks of the routine.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_08: And I wanted to feel like we're not able to anticipate what's next in our performances.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_08: So if we're concerned about executing a skill really well, we need to really find the intention of the routine again and making sure that we don't allow our performance quality to drop just because we're anticipating what's next in our choreography.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_19: That's a good one.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_19: Yes.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_19: And we talk about this all the time, like the concentration face, and I see you stressing during some lovely, beautiful part of the dance.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_19: I'm like, why is she stressing?
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_19: And oh, here comes the turn sequence.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_19: Like it's it's you can just see it happening in real time.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_19: And so, and but that's why the transitions are so important because that is what is setting you up for success.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, we talk all the time about focusing on transitions more than the big trick and the big skill, you know, and this is why.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_19: It's because if you don't have a solid transition, your skill is going to suffer.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_03: Totally.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_03: And not even just in the performance and facial expression, which again, if I'm watching you perform, which most likely is your face and your body language, yeah, I I already know what's about to come.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I shouldn't.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_03: I should be surprised at every moment of your dance.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_03: I should never know what's about to happen.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, unless you give me a, you know, clean preparation and then I already have an idea of what's what type of move you're going to do.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_03: But as far as like the surprise element of a skill or something that stresses you out, remove the stress from the performance.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_03: But with that, I think that uh transitions are are so so important because they connect one step to another.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_03: That's the whole point of them.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_03: Have we done a whole episode on transitions?
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_03: I think we did.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like it was last season or season before.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we've we've done an entire episode talking specifically about transitional steps and why they are so important.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes I feel like there aren't enough transitional steps from given from the choreographer to help make the dancers succeed.
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_03: And if you feel like that your dance is one trick, then another trick, then another trick, but there's nothing in between, and you're not even able to transfer your weight or catch your breath or square off your hips or whatever it may be, then maybe we need those transitional steps in that routine.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_03: And as a dancer, I as much as we trust our teacher, sometimes you can speak up and say, I'm having a really hard time getting from my firebird jump to a double pirouette without a preparation.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_03: How can we can we modify this transition?
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_03: Is there a way to streamline this to make me feel more com confident to execute it better?
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_03: Because sometimes the teachers might not even realize that it's a difficult transition because they haven't physicalized it.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_03: And the dancer's trying to do it and they're like, it's really hard.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like, is there another way we can streamline this and make it easier for me?
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_03: So just a little tip to dancers to like advocate if you need to, specifically more so in solos.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_03: And then but with that, I think that our transitions, I I notice this as much as what Kirsten does is the anticipation.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_03: I want to see every step matters to me.
• 47:17
  SPEAKER_03: Every single step in the dance matters to me.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_03: So you can't chop off the seven, eight of the of that eight count because you want to charge ahead and go do your leap or charge ahead and go into the next thing, because then that also connects to them, connects me to the fact that you're not counting your music, you're not connecting to your music, you're not on your timing, that's gonna immediately make me give that correction.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_03: So make sure we're following through with everything, connecting those transitional steps to naturally lead into what's to come.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_19: And I have to throw in a little personal anecdote about transitions and being somebody who had not physicalized something.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_19: You know, so I think when you're choreographing, sometimes I don't maybe depends on who you are, but like you're kind of marking it and you're like, okay, the dancer in my head can do that, and here it is.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_19: And so I was choreographing someone's solo once.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_19: She was taller than me, which isn't hard to do because I am 4'11.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_19: But it was really fast.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_19: It was very fast jazz solo.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_19: And I had not, I had not considered that she was taller than me.
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_19: And she could not physically move and get grounded enough to move as quickly as I could.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_19: And I had not even really done it full out because I had just choreographed it and said, okay, here we go.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_19: Like you're you're doing this now.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_19: And she struggled and struggled and struggled and struggled and ended up being, you know, could pull it off, but like she was she was really pushing it.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_19: And I used that piece of choreography for something for myself a few years later.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_19: It was so hard.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_19: It was so fast.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_19: And I literally, she had like graduated and like gone on about her life, and I texted her and I was like, I am so sorry.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_19: Do you remember that solo that was like so fast?
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_19: And you kept saying this, Leslie, it's so fast, it's so fast.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_19: It was so fast.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_19: And sometimes you have to like put it on yourself to realize, oh gosh, that transition is really quirky.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_19: Like that doesn't actually work.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_19: Maybe like fake dancer in my head can do it, but real dancer in front of me, that's gonna be hard.
• 49:07
  SPEAKER_19: So, you know, pull your ego aside, as we always say.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_19: You may need to amend something.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_03: It's hard.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_03: As a as a choreographer, it is very hard to sometimes create transitions that work, that make sense for what you're trying to achieve.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I feel very lucky at this point in time, but it also may be a flaw of mine when it comes to choreography, because I have to physicalize everything that I do because I always tell myself if I can't do it, the dancer can't do it.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, I'm the professional over here.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_03: I I know how to transition.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_03: But if it feels weird for me, it's gonna feel weird for them.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm the kind of teacher at this point in time at 36, 37 years old, that I can still do it.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_03: Now, what happens when I can't anymore?
• 49:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, that's the question.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_03: But I've heard a lot of teachers gaining an assistant, workshopping it on someone that's a little bit more advanced than maybe the dancer they're working with.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_03: That way they can give give some feedback back and forth and say, hey, does this feel right for you?
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I think honestly that can happen in this in the solo rehearsals too.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_03: So don't be afraid to communicate and not just say, this is what it is and it has to be this.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_03: Don't be afraid to speak up and say, this feels a little awkward.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_03: Can we can we modify?
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_03: Can we not just I don't like this?
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_19: That is a different conversation, but this doesn't feel comfortable.
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_19: I don't know if I'm gonna be able to achieve this.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, yeah, that's the caveat there.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, I'm looking back at my souls when my teacher would throw me the craziest things.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_03: She would expect so much from me and was like, try this out.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_03: Tell me if it works.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_03: And I would just do crazy, crazy tricks.
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but there are always ones that stressed me out.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I would, I remember being like, I just don't know if I can get it.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I don't think that this tombe is enough.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_03: I think I need a Shene and a double Shene into a Tombei to get more momentum, you know, things like that.
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_19: Well, you knew you knew what you needed.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_19: You knew yourself well enough to know this ain't gonna happen for me.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_19: Like I need more.
• 51:01
  unknown: Right.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm thinking that was when I was like a teen or older, you know.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_03: I I didn't know any any different when I was a mini or a junior.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just going with the flow.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_03: Throw yourself into stuff.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_03: Transitions, they matter, they're important.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_03: Don't cut them short, make the most of them.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, Kirsten has one more thing to share.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_03: And we also have another new judge to chime in as well.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_08: Hi, I'm Kirsten Leshber, IDA judge from San Antonio, Texas.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_08: And this season I want us to be really, really intentional with our eyes, making sure that whether it's a solo, duet, trio, group, large production, whatever it may be, that we're really being intentional with where our eyes are.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_08: We don't need to be staring down at the judges the entire routine, but making sure that in our transitional moments or even getting into technique sections of the performances, that we know where our eyes are and making sure that we're really being intentional with where our focus is throughout the routine, it really polishes a performance and it also makes us feel more connected to you if you're really being mature in your eye contact and making sure that you're telling a story in every section of the routine.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_15: Hi, this is Sarah, IDA Judge from Oklahoma.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_15: One thing I'd like to see on the stage this year for competition is just kids going out of the box, dancers finding ways to be more themselves and not doing what everyone else is doing.
• 52:18
  SPEAKER_15: So don't be afraid to be you.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_03: Eye contact and individuality.
• 52:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, absolutely.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_03: Eye contact is probably another.
• 52:27
  SPEAKER_03: I I've been saying this.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_03: They're all my biggest, one of my biggest critiques that I say every weekend.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_03: But we're all on the same page here.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_03: And these are all like spot on things that I know I say frequently in the judges' seat.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: And eye contact is a big one for me.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_03: I want to know where your eye line is, your eye, uh, I don't want you to be looking down.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_03: I want your focus to turn and look at something to the right.
• 52:50
  SPEAKER_03: And I want to know what you're looking at over there.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_03: And you can put whatever in your head to make it feel believable, but I should be fully invested.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_03: And I think the eyes t tell the story.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_19: I do.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_19: And it's it is, I can see how it is hard on a stage.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_19: Cause I for a while it was hard for me.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_19: You know, there's nothing out there.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_19: It's dark, there's lights in your face, you know, you you're not sure what to look at.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_19: And people say, you know, look at the exit sign.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_19: I don't think you need to look at the exit sign.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_19: I think it's a skill of visualization and not allowing your eyes to just glaze over because we can see when that happens.
• 53:23
  SPEAKER_19: You know, so like Courtney said, like whatever is in your mind's eye, you have to see that thing and you have to believe that it's there to be able to make a believable story out of what you're doing on stage.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_03: It's so important.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_03: Truly, if you're wondering why your tech, your performance score isn't where it wants to be or is hindering you, or if that was a common critique, uh, is your performance quality.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_03: It could also be your focus and your use of your eyes that aren't uh fully invested in that performance.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_03: So keep the eyes off the ground.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_03: I know a lot of our littles love to look down.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we can see the lack of confidence if you're if uh when your eyes start to shift, especially in groups when the eyes start going side to side and you have to look out the corner of your eye to see what the person next to you is doing.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_03: That immediately shows lack of confidence, lack of remembering what comes next.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_03: So that goes back to our confidence chat as making sure that we can be as confident as possible when we hit the stage.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_03: So eye eye contact, super important.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_19: And I think, you know, I love what Sarah said about just being confident and being you and not, you know, kind of following the trends.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_19: And that it's almost a hard thing to talk about with competitive dancing in a competition setting.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_19: I think I see that more in convention settings where it's like you are learning and then you're performing something you just learned, because that is almost more of an opportunity to be yourself because something is new.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_19: And I I guess you can see that too, you know, in solos and, you know, there's there's a lot of trends that that tend to happen, tend to come and go with competitive dance and the music we use and costuming and themes and uh things like that.
• 55:03
  SPEAKER_19: So I'm I'm all for being yourself and being confident in what that means.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 55:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's important to find that as a dancer because especially if you are a soloist, you want to have a little bit of individuality, but then it also can go hand in hand with a studio entirely as a whole, like feeling like whatever you're bringing to the stage as a studio is you, is your own studio vibe.
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's not gonna be the same as the studio next door.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_03: It's not gonna be the same as the studio that traveled three, three hours to this event.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_03: I think that we should be as judges, we should be able to see a distinctly different vibe style flavor from each studio that comes to the stage instead of like generic copy and paste that are oftentimes following trends to try to stay relevant.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, do you be be proud of who you are, and then for the dancers, find that within yourself as well.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_03: All right, and speaking of studios, it's time to talk about teamwork at the studio, which is a big one because it's not all about a solo.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's not always a solo competition.
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of us are on studios and a lot of us are on teams for a reason.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_03: So let's hear from our judges.
• 56:18
  SPEAKER_06: Hi, this is IDA judge Katie Pluhar from St.
• 56:22
  SPEAKER_06: Louis, Missouri.
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_06: This season I'm looking for teams that truly dance together.
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_06: I want to see connection, trust, and dancers who support each other from the first count to the last.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_06: The strongest groups aren't just clean, they have a shared confidence and a clear sense of unity.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_06: Every dancer matters, and when everyone fully commits, it elevates the entire routine.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_06: I want to see you enjoying your time on stage, feeding off each other's energy, and performing like a team that believes in one another.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_06: So remember to dance for each other, trust the process, and have fun out there.
• 56:52
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, this is IDA Judge Mary from Florida.
• 56:55
  SPEAKER_02: Something I would love to bring to the competition stage this year would be dancers being present during an award ceremony.
• 57:02
  SPEAKER_02: Not only do you as a dancer put in work all season for that moment, but us as adjudicators, we have also tried to give you our very best behind the table at your event.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_02: So put down your phones, listen to the specials, the scholarships, and your placement awards.
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_02: Clap for one another, stand up and receive your award, say thank you and be gracious.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_02: Say congratulations to other dancers as well.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_02: Let's all try to live in the moment a little bit more this season.
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_19: All right.
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_19: Yes.
• 57:28
  SPEAKER_19: Um, teamwork does not start and end when you're dancing.
• 57:32
  SPEAKER_19: You know, you're a team, the entire process.
• 57:35
  SPEAKER_19: You're a team from, you know, when you get into the studio together to when you travel to your event and how you represent yourselves throughout the event.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_19: So, you know, we can and and don't think that we don't see it.
• 57:47
  SPEAKER_19: You know, yes, we're there to judge your routines, but we have eyes, we have ears, we see and we clock everything.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_19: So, you know, we know that you're the team that sits there on your phone the whole award ceremony.
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_19: You don't get up to say thank you for your award, you know, and like, yes, is that gonna matter to your score?
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_19: No, I'm still gonna score you what you deserve based on your performance.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_19: But, you know, does it kind of make me wonder what you're doing, why you're here?
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_03: Goes back to the why.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_03: Why are we dancing?
• 58:15
  SPEAKER_03: You know, why are we here?
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_03: Is it just for the trophy or is it to to bond with our team?
• 58:20
  SPEAKER_03: Is it to achieve uh hit hit goals and um make our studio proud and make our parents proud?
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_03: And I love that you that you said that because it is a team effort to show grace, to uh lose gracefully, to win gracefully, to be uh respectful backstage to all of the workers, the staff members, the judges, the awards host, your teachers, your parents that are all making this possible.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_03: So really representing your team very well is an important attribute to have at competition as well, not just about you're dancing all the time.
• 58:59
  SPEAKER_03: It's also the off-stage performance, too.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_03: And going back to Katie's and making sure that you do feel very connected with your team.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_03: I love when I hear that studios do different types of bonding activities, maybe like before a competition weekend or the day before at the studio or whatever it may be to just kind of get everybody in the same room, same space, go over some things that they're maybe goal setting that they want to achieve for the weekend, um, how they want to approach the weekend, but then also maybe some icebreakers to just get everybody on board as a team.
• 59:32
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we get so focused on my solo or my small group, but there's also the minis that are looking up to you if you're a senior dancer.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_03: Or uh there might be the senior dancers who are so focused on school that they can't even focus on their team.
• 59:46
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, okay, let's get into the mindset when we when we enter that space, we're here for one another.
• 59:52
  SPEAKER_03: We're here to support each other.
• 59:54
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, I just I just love to see that teamwork aspect.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_03: And it's gonna translate into how you perform on stage too.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_03: For sure.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_03: All right, costuming is something we have not discussed, but we have to.
• 1:00:05
  SPEAKER_03: And a few judges have a thing or two to say about costumes, which I'm sure we could talk so much l more about.
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_19: That's why we have so many episodes devoted to them.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, absolutely.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_03: So maybe here's uh a few tips that you can implement into your costuming before you hit the stage this season at competition.
• 1:00:26
  SPEAKER_14: Hello, this is IDA Judge Mary from Alabama, and I am so excited to see more age-appropriate costumes.
• 1:00:35
  SPEAKER_14: I absolutely love to see dancers walk on stage looking and feeling so confident, knowing that their costume is exactly what is right for them, for their age, for their level, and for the style of dance that they're performing for us today.
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_14: I can't wait to see even more of these amazing costume choices this season.
• 1:00:59
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, this is IDA Judge Melanie in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1:01:03
  SPEAKER_05: One thing that I'm looking for while judging this season at dance competitions is just seeing the overall picture.
• 1:01:09
  SPEAKER_05: Whether it's a solo, duo, trio, quartet, small group, large group, line production, anything that you're bringing onto this stage, we can see the whole gambit of what you're bringing on.
• 1:01:20
  SPEAKER_05: What I mean is head-to-toe, toe-to-head, competition, where and ready to go.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_05: You can be in all black, that's great.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_05: You can be in an exact costume that matches the theme.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_05: I want to see a cohesive look so that that way we aren't kind of looking around saying, I'm not finding the matching.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_05: I'm not really feeling how this is cohesive and together.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_05: That way, when the dancer or dancers turn to the side, we're not questioning angles, maybe making sure the fit is correct.
• 1:01:46
  SPEAKER_05: Again, they are children.
• 1:01:47
  SPEAKER_05: So we want to keep safety in mind.
• 1:01:48
  SPEAKER_05: We want to make sure the judges are comfortable watching on the audience, but also the dancer is comfortable to do the best that they can do.
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_03: Great advice here on costuming from our judges and what they want to see.
• 1:02:00
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that that is so, so important.
• 1:02:02
  SPEAKER_03: Age-appropriate costuming as well as costuming where a dancer feels confident is really important when you are the performer on stage.
• 1:02:12
  SPEAKER_19: Absolutely.
• 1:02:12
  SPEAKER_19: Confidence is key.
• 1:02:13
  SPEAKER_19: I mean, even just walking around in the world, you want to feel confident in what you have on.
• 1:02:17
  SPEAKER_19: And that makes total sense for being on a stage where a whole bunch of people are looking at you, right?
• 1:02:21
  SPEAKER_19: You want to be confident, you want to feel good about what you're wearing and what that means and what that what you're presenting to the audience.
• 1:02:28
  SPEAKER_19: And I think Melanie, I really appreciate what she said about everything being cohesive, you know, and it can be simple.
• 1:02:34
  SPEAKER_19: You don't have to go all out with rhinestones and sequins and fringe and the whole nine yards.
• 1:02:39
  SPEAKER_19: You know, it can be very simple and be effective.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 1:02:42
  SPEAKER_03: Just a well-thought out presentation, I think is important.
• 1:02:46
  SPEAKER_03: And that really stems from the studio and the vision of the choreographer and uh how much thought they really put into selecting this costume from the presentation side.
• 1:02:57
  SPEAKER_03: Does it match the story that we're telling?
• 1:02:59
  SPEAKER_03: Does it make sense?
• 1:03:00
  SPEAKER_03: And then with that, presentationally, how how did we style it?
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_03: And is everyone on the same page with that?
• 1:03:06
  SPEAKER_03: Because presentation is something that we can control, making sure our hair looks polished, making sure that there's no holes in our tights, no holes in our shoes if we're wearing them, that uh we're bobby pinning headpieces and all of those things.
• 1:03:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's just being all on the same page as a team to know how we're coming out on stage uh to present each dance individually and cohesively.
• 1:03:27
  SPEAKER_03: So I really love what she said there about that.
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_03: Cause there have definitely been instances where, again, you know, I feel like that we all kind of have an idea that at this point in time in competition world that the costume isn't often critiqued these days.
• 1:03:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's really not.
• 1:03:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's, you know, and the only time I really will actually critique the costume itself is if it is unsafe for the dancer and it is exposing the dancer in uh unsafe way.
• 1:03:56
  SPEAKER_03: I will mention that.
• 1:03:58
  SPEAKER_03: But also only if it's like real it really makes me turn my head and and question why did we go in this this direction?
• 1:04:05
  SPEAKER_03: Like we're doing a dance about baseball, but we're not wearing a baseball uniform or something baseball inspired, you know, like just and and it and then doesn't make sense.
• 1:04:14
  SPEAKER_03: It's not like it's it just wasn't thought out well enough.
• 1:04:17
  SPEAKER_03: So to me, there's sometimes I question it.
• 1:04:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's very, very rare, but I have seen it on stage.
• 1:04:22
  SPEAKER_03: And it's just making sure that we're bringing that total package look from because even though we think costuming isn't critiqued, it's still the total package and makes your vision come to life.
• 1:04:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but with the age appropriateness, I'm excited to see some tights on stage, hopefully.
• 1:04:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um for for our younger dancers in particular.
• 1:04:40
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I I don't think it's a bad thing for all dancers to wear tights occasionally at some point in their lifetime.
• 1:04:44
  SPEAKER_03: Dancers should know what it feels like to wear tight as well in their years of training.
• 1:04:49
  SPEAKER_03: And if they never have, to me, that's a problem.
• 1:04:51
  SPEAKER_03: And that also goes back to wearing shoes too, which hmm, we talked about this so many times on the podcast.
• 1:05:00
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe we need to hear it one more time from another judge.
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_03: Mary Roberts is back to tell you one more thing about shoes.
• 1:05:07
  SPEAKER_14: Hello, this is IDA Judge Mary, and I am so looking forward to watching competition season this year, and every time a dancer walks on wearing shoes, they are doing just that.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_14: They are wearing two shoes, a matching pair every time.
• 1:05:28
  SPEAKER_19: Yes, a matching pair, not one and the other, not a jazz shoe and a ballet shoe.
• 1:05:34
  SPEAKER_03: I've really never seen that unless it was very obviously part of the part of the choreography, but but like a clean, a clean looking stage shoe too.
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_03: Like again, presentation.
• 1:05:44
  SPEAKER_03: If we're gonna wear a turner, I've seen dancers come out with their big toe sticking out the the turner on stage, and then add the layer of, oh well, I'm only gonna choose to wear one and it's all and it's looking busted.
• 1:05:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's like no, but first we should have two on.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_03: Second, they need to look stage ready.
• 1:06:02
  SPEAKER_03: So just coming out with the appropriate footwear, stage ready.
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_03: Stage ready.
• 1:06:07
  SPEAKER_03: That's that's really what it comes down to.
• 1:06:08
  SPEAKER_03: Stage ready.
• 1:06:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's different than rehearsal.
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_03: As a lot of people don't think, oh well, I rehearse in this shoe.
• 1:06:15
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I rem back in the day when we wore shoes on stage, which now we don't, we had rehearsal shoes and stage shoes.
• 1:06:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I know that's expensive, but that's what we did because unfortunately we couldn't have our shoes looking dirty on stage.
• 1:06:31
  SPEAKER_03: Now we can kind of get away.
• 1:06:32
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of dancers don't even wear shoes on stage anymore.
• 1:06:35
  SPEAKER_03: But if you are wearing a turner specifically, which is very popular, then make sure they look good.
• 1:06:41
  SPEAKER_03: Because I've seen some raggedy turners on the streets.
• 1:06:43
  SPEAKER_19: They are raggedy, and they do get raggedy quicker than anything else because of the way they're designed to fit.
• 1:06:48
  SPEAKER_19: And you know, this is the price we pay.
• 1:06:50
  SPEAKER_19: Like there has not yet become the technology to keep your toe from popping out after a certain amount of time because they are supposed to fit tightly.
• 1:06:57
  SPEAKER_19: So that might just be one of those things that, like, okay, well, if if people are committed, you must be committed to buying multiple pairs a year.
• 1:07:04
  SPEAKER_19: Because we nobody has yet figured out how to keep them intact for much longer than, you know, several months at a time.
• 1:07:12
  SPEAKER_03: Two shoes or no shoes.
• 1:07:14
  SPEAKER_03: Everybody over here on making the impact.
• 1:07:16
  SPEAKER_03: We will die on this.
• 1:07:18
  SPEAKER_03: We we will.
• 1:07:19
  SPEAKER_19: We're gonna find a whole bunch of IDA judges one day just dead on the hill.
• 1:07:22
  SPEAKER_19: Hill of turners.
• 1:07:24
  SPEAKER_19: Hill of two shoes.
• 1:07:26
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we've heard so many great clips from our IDA judges.
• 1:07:31
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you to all of the judges who have contributed to this episode.
• 1:07:35
  SPEAKER_03: We have two final clips to share with you all that I think are really, really great to end and lead out our episode.
• 1:07:41
  SPEAKER_11: Hey, dance fam, it's your IDA judge, Jess Beach from Baltimore, Maryland.
• 1:07:46
  SPEAKER_11: And I would love to encourage dance appreciation heading into 2026.
• 1:07:51
  SPEAKER_11: So we are going to these dance competitions.
• 1:07:53
  SPEAKER_11: We're spending so much money and so much time.
• 1:07:56
  SPEAKER_11: And I feel like we don't ever really sit down and watch.
• 1:07:59
  SPEAKER_11: I would encourage studios when they have a break in the schedule, have a seat in the audience.
• 1:08:04
  SPEAKER_11: Enjoy the show.
• 1:08:06
  SPEAKER_11: Look at what's successful, what you love, have intellectual conversations at lunchtime about it and get back to supporting, encouraging, and appreciating this beautiful thing we call dance.
• 1:08:17
  SPEAKER_11: We spend so much time doing it.
• 1:08:19
  SPEAKER_11: Let's continue to support each other moving forward.
• 1:08:22
  SPEAKER_11: Have a great season.
• 1:08:23
  SPEAKER_16: Hi, this is IDA Judge Rachel Roberts from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• 1:08:27
  SPEAKER_16: And this year I would love to see dancers and choreographers going old school.
• 1:08:31
  SPEAKER_16: So many try to be different, but now different is actually going back to basic technique, ballet-bass lyrical, modern bass contemporary, entering the ballet category, wearing two shoes as you would in a professional job, seeing dancers actually move around the stage, especially soloists.
• 1:08:47
  SPEAKER_16: I appreciate the contortion ish control, but I don't want to see that for two and a half minutes.
• 1:08:52
  SPEAKER_16: How do you move?
• 1:08:53
  SPEAKER_16: How do you interpret the song?
• 1:08:54
  SPEAKER_16: And just a reminder, sometimes less is more.
• 1:08:57
  SPEAKER_16: Good luck, everybody.
• 1:08:58
  SPEAKER_03: I liked it because it rounds out everything you talked about.
• 1:09:01
  SPEAKER_19: Yes.
• 1:09:02
  SPEAKER_19: Rachel and Jess, what wonderful comments to leave us with today.
• 1:09:08
  SPEAKER_19: You know, I think she's right.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_19: Rachel says everything, essentially, she said everything old is new again.
• 1:09:13
  SPEAKER_19: Full circle.
• 1:09:14
  SPEAKER_19: We are back.
• 1:09:15
  SPEAKER_19: Being different means going back to the basics and everything else that she mentioned.
• 1:09:18
  SPEAKER_19: And I totally agree with that because there's a reason that worked.
• 1:09:23
  SPEAKER_19: There's a reason those ways of dancing and ways of teaching and choreographing worked.
• 1:09:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:09:28
  SPEAKER_03: And Jess's recommendation to sit down and enjoy the competition and appreciate dance because we love it.
• 1:09:36
  SPEAKER_03: Watch and learn from others, support others, cheer for them.
• 1:09:39
  SPEAKER_03: If you like what they're doing on stage, go up and tell them that they did a great job and that you were inspired by their piece.
• 1:09:45
  SPEAKER_03: I think we need a little bit more of that camaraderie at competition.
• 1:09:49
  SPEAKER_03: And oftentimes, you know, sometimes we're moving a mile a minute.
• 1:09:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like we've said, you have five minutes to change and you're out again on stage.
• 1:09:55
  SPEAKER_03: But if you do have that downtime, if you're off for a session, instead of going to the pool, maybe sit into the audience and watch some new dancers that you've never seen before.
• 1:10:06
  SPEAKER_03: They might uh really inspire you and make you fall in love with dance even more and help make your performance and motivate you to give a stronger performance once it's your time to hit the stage.
• 1:10:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:10:17
  SPEAKER_19: And I think, you know, especially with a lot of studios these days committing so much time to being at dance competitions, you know, there's studios out there that are out there six, seven, eight, nine times a season every weekend.
• 1:10:30
  SPEAKER_19: Well, so that also kind of limits your opportunity as a dancer to see other forms of entertainment.
• 1:10:36
  SPEAKER_19: You know, you might not be going to the high school musical, you know, on a Friday night to see your friend in Footloose.
• 1:10:42
  SPEAKER_19: You might not be going to the local production of a Christmas carol because you're so busy at dance competitions.
• 1:10:46
  SPEAKER_19: So this is another opportunity for that, like you said, camaraderie and talking about dance and speaking about dance and understanding why you like this versus why you like that.
• 1:10:55
  SPEAKER_19: And I think that's that's something we're kind of missing in society is sort of intellectual conversation about your likes and your dislikes and why did that work?
• 1:11:05
  SPEAKER_19: And why do you think that didn't make any sense?
• 1:11:07
  SPEAKER_19: You know, we do this all the time.
• 1:11:08
  SPEAKER_19: We have discourse about dance.
• 1:11:11
  SPEAKER_19: And, you know, it, it, it's interesting because you hear different perspectives and you learn about yourself and you learn about the world around you.
• 1:11:18
  SPEAKER_19: And so if all if your only opportunity to witness dance is at dance competition, well, take that opportunity, you know, and sit down and and watch a category that you're not used to, or watch a level that you're not used to, and not to be judgy or to be mean or to, you know, rag on somebody, because I think that you could get into that territory really quickly, but use it as an opportunity to learn and to understand more about what you do and about what you love.
• 1:11:42
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 1:11:43
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 1:11:44
  SPEAKER_03: I totally agree.
• 1:11:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I knew I wanted Rachel's clip to round out our episode because it really does wrap up everything that so many of the other judges already said in our clips.
• 1:11:56
  SPEAKER_03: So, Rachel, you you hit the nail on the head.
• 1:11:59
  SPEAKER_03: You said you gave us the full perfect wrap-up to lead out our episode.
• 1:12:04
  SPEAKER_03: We covered so many different topics here from the judge's perspective.
• 1:12:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it is a really great episode right here, right now.
• 1:12:12
  SPEAKER_03: Share with your friends, share with your studio owner, share with other dancers to get ready for the season ahead.
• 1:12:18
  SPEAKER_03: All right, happy 2026, y'all.
• 1:12:20
  SPEAKER_03: See you on the competition stage.
• 1:12:26
  SPEAKER_03: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about what the judges are looking for on stage this season at competition.
• 1:12:33
  SPEAKER_03: Shout out to all of the IDA judges who helped contribute to this episode and sharing your clips with us.
• 1:12:39
  SPEAKER_03: Be on the lookout this season to see IDA judges behind the panel at IDA affiliated events.
• 1:12:46
  SPEAKER_19: Don't forget to follow Making the Impact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, and pretty much everywhere you listen to podcasts.
• 1:12:52
  SPEAKER_19: And if you want more exclusive episodes, support our podcast by joining our Platinum Premium membership for only$5 a month.
• 1:12:58
  SPEAKER_19: Subscribers receive free Making the Impact stickers, shout-outs live on the air, ad-free listening, and exclusive access to our QA episodes for members only.
• 1:13:06
  SPEAKER_19: Join now at Impact Dance Adjudicators.com/slash Platinum Premium or click the link in our show notes.
• 1:13:14
  SPEAKER_03: Be sure to check out IDA Affiliated Competition High Demand.
• 1:13:18
  SPEAKER_03: High Demand Dance Competition takes the competition experience to a whole new level.
• 1:13:23
  SPEAKER_03: High Demand appreciates the creativity and hard work that goes into a performance and believes that their stage is the Performers and Choreographers Canvas to make their collaborative art come to life.
• 1:13:34
  SPEAKER_03: HD aims to provide a fresh, fun, and professional experience for their dancers and families to take home with them forever.
• 1:13:41
  SPEAKER_03: High Demand offers three competitive levels, full IDA judging panels, and the ability to choose your stage lighting for every event.
• 1:13:49
  SPEAKER_03: At every regional event, HD also offers improv competitions, dance-off entertainment challenges, and complimentary stretch classes on the stage so dancers can feel the floor and start the competition like a professional.
• 1:14:02
  SPEAKER_03: HD is proud to provide their dancers with so many different custom awards, cash prizes, and continuing education scholarships.
• 1:14:10
  SPEAKER_03: To learn more about high demand and to see if they're coming to a city near you, visit their website at HDdancecompetition.com or find them on Instagram at HD DanceComp.
• 1:14:22
  SPEAKER_19: Coming up soon on Making the Impact, we've got a throwback episode on Shock Value and an episode all about the juniors and teens.
• 1:14:30
  SPEAKER_03: We'll see you next week for another great episode on Making the Impact.