Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / The Duo/Trio Category at Competition

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The Duo/Trio Category at Competition · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_06: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_06: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_06: This is Making the Impact, a Dance Competition podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_06: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance, from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_06: The duo trio category at competition can sometimes be small, but it's mighty.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_06: From breathtaking partnering to synchronized time sequences, a duo trio is often a coveted opportunity for dancers.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_06: Today on Making the Impact, we chat with IDA judge and educator Julie Sports and choreographer Chase Haley Bowden about the world of Duo Trios.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_04: Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_04: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_04: Hello, Courtney.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_04: Happy holiday season to you.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: Happy holidays.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_04: It is festive and beautiful over here in New York City.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_06: It's also festive in Montclair, New Jersey.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_06: We have our tree.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_06: I have decorated my front like lawn.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_06: I've never had a front lawn.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_06: And so I have lights up on my little trees outside, and it looks so cute.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_06: So happy about it.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_06: It makes me joyful every time I come home.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_04: I know.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_04: We get a live tree every year, and I love it because the apartment smells beautiful.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_04: And getting out all of my vintage Christmas decorations and decorating my apartment is my favorite thing.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_04: I like the only thing that's missing is a fireplace.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_04: I need a fireplace and I do not have that.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I have a space heater that is that doesn't really help in a radiator that maybe like I could, I don't know.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_04: I want to get like one of those like mantle fireplaces that's like a fake fireplace, but it's a mantle and you can plug it in.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_04: That's what I need.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, I think they're pretty legit.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_06: I have I have um a family member that has one and it's lasted a long time, so I think it might be a worthy investment if you could find the space.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe I'll do it.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe it's a good present for you.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_04: Today on Making the Impact, we're talking about duo trios.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_04: I'm really pumped about this one.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_06: Me too.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_06: This is uh sort of, I don't know, it feels sort of like an overlooked topic in the competitive dance world because the world is so solo heavy these days.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_06: But you know, duos and trios are an important part of learning to dance with people.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_06: And um, you know, they're some of my favorite uh parts of competition, so I'm excited to chat with our guests today.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, me too.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_04: Can't wait to dive into this chat.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_04: And for all of our listeners out there, I just want to send a quick reminder that if you are not in our Facebook group, don't forget to join.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_04: It is free to join.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_04: We are chatting dance over there and it is called Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast community on Facebook.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_04: We have close to 1,500 uh people in our group, and it uh we accept anyone who is a dance lover.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_04: If you are a fan of the podcast, if you're a dancer, a choreographer, studio owner, dance parent, uh, dance teacher, dance professional, dance judge, business owner, whoever you are, come enjoy some dance convos over there.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_04: We post our podcasts every week when they go live.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_04: We always have people asking questions.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_04: We also post our QA lives that are exclusive to our platinum premium members in our group.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_04: But while we go live, we are going live in the Facebook community.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_04: So that is a way that you can watch if you happen to be available each month when we record our QA's lives with me and a special guest, IDA Judge.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_04: So join the fun over there and um start some conversations as we head into the into the dance season.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, and one of the fun things that we do in the group also during competition season is just ask you where you're competing.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_06: So people share pictures of their kids competing and winning their prizes and everything.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_06: So it's just a neat way to to make friends and say, oh my gosh, you were that that event.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, I saw your solo.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_06: That was so good.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_06: Like that's my favorite part, I think, during the season of the group is just the connections people make around the country.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, me too.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_04: And as we're getting closer and closer to competition season officially starting after the new year, you will start hearing some of our Making the Impact Award winners as they start coming in from IBA affiliated competition events.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_04: So can't wait to start sharing those.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_04: But before we jump into this week's episode, let's share our sponsors for season five.
• 4:17
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• 5:24
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• 5:25
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• 5:29
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you to Franciscogulla Danceworks for being our season five premiere sponsor.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_04: All right, listeners, it's time to jump into this week's episode, and we're talking about duo trios.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe you have been a dancer in a duo trio at competition.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe you never have, or maybe this year is your first year where you're going to have a duo partner.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_04: We're gonna talk about all the things the judges are looking for, what the choreographer should be implementing into the choreography of duos and trios, and how that's different than maybe a group routine.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_04: And we have two brand new guests joining us here at Making the Impact today.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_04: The first guest that I'm excited to welcome is someone who I've known my entire life.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_04: I grew up dancing alongside her and looking up to her my entire life at our dance studio in Maryland at Hotshots, or also known as Dance Dynamics, or also known as Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_04: We had a ton of names over there.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_04: We sure did.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_04: And she is a spectacular dancer and educator.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_04: She is an IDA judge.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_04: She's been on the roster since the very beginning.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_04: I'm excited to welcome Julie Swartz to the podcast.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome, Julie.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks for having me.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_05: I'm really excited.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yay! I know I'm so pumped to have you, and I immediately thought of you for this episode because, like I said, you were one of the older girls at my studio.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_04: I actually grew up having duos with your younger sister.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_05: Which is crazy, right?
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_04: So crazy.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_04: Shout out to Tracy Swartz out there.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_04: Love you, girl.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_04: But I always looked up to you because you were always in duos and trios with Linnea and Donna and just killing it.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_04: And you would do every genre tap, lyrical, jazz.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_04: And I just like admired you my entire life.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_04: So when we were doing a duo trio, that means first of all, that means a lot coming from you.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh, stop it.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, for sure.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_04: You just you were the duo trio queen.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, Julie has so much experience in this, and now being on the other side of the table as an as an educator and as a judge, I'm sure you've watched your fair share of duo trios.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm sure you can absolutely, you know, give that perspective as well.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_04: Julie, if you wouldn't mind telling the dance world a little bit more about you, where you grew up, what your career was like, and what you're working on now.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_05: So I grew up in Maryland going to the same studio as Courtney.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_05: We uh let's see, I started when I was about three and was in the competition world until I graduated high school.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_05: I went on to Records University and I was on the dance team there.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_05: So I continued dancing and then started my professional career when I was about 22 and danced for I did some cruise ships.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_05: I did a lot of it was with Spirit Productions, which I went on to do a lot of shows with them, which I'll come back to that later because I have a fun little tie-in later with that.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_05: But I recently just uh moved to, well, gosh, it's been almost six years now.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_05: I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and I started up a business here where I'm using my dance and I'm also a personal trainer.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_05: I use all of that training to help figure skaters now.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I've kind of branched off into the figure skating world, which I've learned so much about.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_05: But um, going back to Spirit Productions, I just actually choreographed a routine with my friend who also works at the rank.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_05: She actually owns the rank, but we choreographed a number together for Spirit Productions, which it's a show called Christmas on Ice, which is actually how Danielle, the girl that I choreographed with, her and I met through dancing at or through dancing and skating with Spirit Productions.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_05: And now we are choreographing for them, which is which is cool.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_05: It's like a first full circle moment, which is really awesome.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_04: Like you choreographed an ice skating routine, not just a dance routine, like an ice skating routine at the end.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_05: So so it's kind of cool because my friend Danielle is a figure skater.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_05: She was a professional figure skater for a while, and me being a dancer, we kind of use the two to choreograph together.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_05: So she does a lot of the footwork.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_05: I do a lot of the upper body and arms and stuff like that.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_05: And so it's kind of a cool like partnership that we have choreographically now that it's just been fun branching into a new world of figure skating and learning a lot about the parallels between dance and figure skating because there are so many and being able to help them with my training and my knowledge is is pretty cool.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_05: So wow.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_06: So yeah.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_06: Is there a lot of figure skating in Charlotte?
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_06: Like, is that a hub or something?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_06: There's a good amount.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_05: Um, my friend Danielle, her family owns, it's called Extreme Ice Center, and it's a huge figure skating and hockey facility.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_05: It's got two sheets of ice, plus, I run the gym upstairs, which is where I hold all my dance classes and personal training lessons and all that stuff.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_05: So that there's two, I I think two main ranks in Charlotte.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_05: But yeah, it's it's pretty popular here.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_05: Nice.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_04: And I had the opportunity to teach the figure skaters at your rank a few summers ago.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_04: And it was so cool to work with figure skaters in a dance setting, and they were so excited.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_04: And then you sent me a video of the combination that I taught them, and they put their their shoes on, their skates on.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_04: Their skates, yeah.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_04: And they went onto the ice and they tried to do it on a skate.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my god, it was so cool.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my god, they they still talk about that to this day.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_05: Like they they love because I like to bring guest teachers in and stuff and give them a different experience, and they are so hungry, they're all such like hard workers and so driven because they have to be in this sport, and um, just seeing how how hungry they are for different training is is really cool.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_04: Yay!
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_04: I I love where your career has taken you and so proud of you as a business owner.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_04: So congrats on that, and thanks for being here today.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for having me.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_04: All right, our next special guest is a brand new guest joining us to making the impact.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_04: And this is someone who I have had the opportunity to work alongside, teach alongside, take their class before, watch them teach at Revel Dance Convention last season.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_04: It was such a treat working with them the past year, and they are a successful choreographer, educator, and dancer in the Los Angeles scene.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_04: I'm excited to welcome Chase Haley Bowden to the podcast.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome, Chase.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_04: What up, Corey?
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: Chase, I'm so thrilled to have you here.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_04: And I know that I mentioned this before we started, but for all of our listeners, I really wanted to have you on the podcast because you create such beautiful works of art what in your choreography and a lot of the work that you post often are duos.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you do such extensive partnering, and I think that is a huge aspect to duos and trios and the connection and relationship within that in choreography.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_04: So I and also being a male, I think that um, you know, obviously, as we know in the dance world, the the men are often lifting a lot and doing a lot of that heavy partnering.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm sure you know your fair share of um epic lifts and partnering throughout you can incorporate and disperse into your choreography, but I'm excited to hear your perspective on this chat.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: No, totally.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to get into it.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_04: So, Chase, if you wouldn't mind telling the world more about you, where you grew up, what your early dance training was like, um, what took you to LA, any career credits, and what you're working on now.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, so my name's Chase Haley Bowden.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, at my mom's dance studio.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's where I trained until when I was until I was about 16 years old.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then I moved to Miami, Florida.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: I trained at a studio called Dance Town.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: I was a dance town for like a year and a half, and then uh I moved to LA when I was 18 and uh started my professional career right when I was 18.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: What I've been working on recently, you know, as a dancer, I danced for different artists like Sierra and Gwen Stefani and just different cool people like that.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh did like movies, TV shows, all the things.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: And uh then I said, you know what, I'm my body's done.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's time for me to choreograph.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I'm I'm 25 and I decided to get into choreography probably last year.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: But um I was kind of doing both since I was 18.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: I was teaching at the Edge Performing Arts Center when I was 18 years old and taught there until COVID hit, obviously.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: But I always had a passion for teaching and educating, and then as a choreographer, I've been recently I just worked on Derek Cup's tour, so I choreographed about six numbers for his tour that's out right now, so go see it.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing.
• 13:42
  unknown: Yes.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I choreographed on So You Think You Can Dance, I choreographed on Dancing with the Stars, so yeah, did uh did a bunch of cool little things the last couple years and it's been a it's been a fun ride, and now for the rest of the year it's kind of quiet.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh just got engaged, so we're doing a lot of wedding planning stuff.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you guys, thank you.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: So we're really focused on uh locking down a venue before the year ends.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um gosh, yeah.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's yeah, it's a it's a journey, that's for sure.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, that's that's a little bit about me.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_04: You've done so much in such a short amount of time already in your very young career, and I can only can't wait to continue to follow your journey as a choreographer in this industry.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait either.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_04: Well, thank you both for being here.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_04: Let's jump in and talk all about duos and trios today.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_06: Duos and trios.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_06: Well, so I want to hear just about each of your first experience performing a duo trio because I don't even think I ever did one.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_06: Not one that was like really I did a few that like I choreographed for like a talent show with a friend, but we didn't do them at the studio for competition or anything because we were not a huge competition studio.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_06: So it was like it was enough to like do some group dances and maybe somebody got a solo.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_06: But like, so I'm curious for like people who did duo trios, like when was your first experience?
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_06: What was that like?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_06: What did you like about them?
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_05: I started when I was it was either five or six.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_05: Uh they paired me up with another girl at the studio who was my same age.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_05: Uh her name was Linnea Williams.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_05: Shout out to Nay.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_05: She was on the podcast a few.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_05: She was on the podcast.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_05: And so was Donna, I think.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_05: Donna was on the podcast.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_05: I know it's crazy.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_05: Um but yeah, they paired us up, they paired us up at such a young age and we just became instant like best friends from there.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that added a lot to us performing together was the friendship that we had off the stage.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_05: I think that really fed into it.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_05: So um, yeah, ever since I mean, we did a jazz and a tap duo when we were, I'm pretty sure we were five or six.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_05: And then um, every year after that, up until we graduated high school, we had at least one duo together.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_05: Wow.
• 15:53
  unknown: Yeah.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah, that that partnership happened early.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_04: And like y'all stayed together in that partnership until the end, like oh yeah, your entire comp years.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, they gave us duos every single year.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and we're still like best friends today, which is really cool.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_05: So it's that's what I love about the dance world too, is you create these friendships and they last for a really long time, which it which is awesome.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah, right, yeah, that's a nice experience.
• 16:17
  unknown: Yeah.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: For me, I was a studio owner's son, so I had like 10 duets.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like different people, but I'm like trying to think back like what was my first duet?
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember I like broke my wrist and I had a cast on the first time I performed a duet.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: I know that for sure.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Summer.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: How old were you?
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_03: Do you remember?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was I was uh 11 years old.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: I was 11.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: The first my first year of dancing, I was I guess 10, but I was more so over prop and I had a mohawk and long tacky pants and crossed my arms and swayed side to side.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what that's what I was about.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: It was not bad.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: I had a pretty good hit a I would hit a coffee grinder here and there.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: As you do, yeah.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: I was the stuff, which still is that that that right there.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: I see that a competition, I'm like, I remember that.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I resonate with that.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, my first my yeah, my first duet, I was 11.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: We had a bench, we had a prop in the duet, nice, and uh I had a cast on, and uh, I was so nervous.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: I remember just being so nervous, and like, you know, you're dancing with a girl and you're like, I for me, I was like, okay, cooties, like, no thanks, like I'm good.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I was very much so like not wanting to connect or anything like that.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_04: Especially like the boy, like being the boy, you know, like I feel like you know, when you're little, they're like the the everyone's like, it'll be so cute if you guys do do a duo together, and the kids are like, Oh god, like I don't want to dance with you.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: 100%.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: But uh then as time went on, obviously that changed.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, that was probably like that first year, and then the next year, like all it flipped for me, and I was like, Wait, I love this, this is awesome.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_04: I think that something that comes to mind.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I'm curious, did you and I I honestly can't remember, Julie, so you have to remind me, but did either of you have solos prior to the duos?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_05: I'm trying to remember that too, actually.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_05: I think it was the same year that we had our first duo that we both had a solo as well.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah, we kind of the duos is like what I knew from the beginning, right?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_05: So like I I didn't know what it was like not to have a duo.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I held just as much of importance to that as I did, I think, my solos.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_05: Just because it was how we started, you know.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but it was, it was um, I was just thinking about what the first duos were.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_05: It was um Betty Boo from our jazz and then my boy lollipop for tap.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_05: And like if you could see these videos and like our wings and tap, like we're just literally like doing straddles off the floor.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_05: Like it was awful.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_04: I've seen her post some, and I think we might have to post them in our Facebook group for everybody to love and enjoy of tiny Julie doing her first.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_05: Crazy.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_04: Chase and sure.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_04: Chase, you said you started dancing at 10?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_04: So you didn't have away with that.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_04: Did you start a so did you do solos before the duo, or was like the duo your first taste?
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: I did.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you did?
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, the solo was the first taste, yeah.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: I uh I did a solo song.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it was the Amy, my mom's name is Amy, and it was Amy by Damian Rice.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: And uh like I had that long, like a long blue mesh t-shirt and uh long khaki pants like to my shins.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I don't know what the kids call them these days, but like uh what what are you what are you um paws or like fingers?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah, the little fossil.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh yeah, rocking a trying to hit a single heel stretch.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: I know I I know I hit the heel stuff.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my god, no, yeah, it was great, it was it was real good.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: But funny enough, like that'll be my my uh I don't know.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm in like wedding mode, but that'll be my first like dance song with my mom for sure.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, that's cool.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_06: And then somebody needs to project the video of the dance on the while you're dancing.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_06: Uh oh.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: That would be awesome.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like that would distract them.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like they'd be like, oh my god, that is epic, you know?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'll be like, hey, look down here.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: Right, we're doing something better over here.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: But that is a great idea.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: I love that idea.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_04: Oh man.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I was I was curious about the solos because I feel like that maybe back in the day, and I'm saying back in the day, at least like I'm looking at like when I was a young dancer back in the 90s, back in the early 2000s, there was a you know, when competition wasn't as like oversaturated as it as it is now.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_04: I feel like that you had to kind of earn the solo back in the day, and the duo trio was the stepping stone to get to the solo, if that makes sense.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_04: So, like, you know, right now I feel like every kid gets a solo.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_04: You want a solo, you want a solo, you get a solo.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_04: But I remember that like my before I had a solo, I had a duo trio.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_04: And I had to prove myself in the duo trio to show that I could work with the team and work alongside other dancers.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_04: And did we mesh well together?
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_04: Were we were we doing well at competition?
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_04: And then once we kind of proved ourselves, then I got a solo eventually.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_04: So I don't know if it works like that anymore.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_05: Like now that you say that, I think I did have my duos before my solo.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_05: I think I'd have my first solo when I was seven, and I did a do the duos before that.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah, I think we did kind of have to earn it.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_04: It wasn't like solo comp, you know, back in the day.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_04: It was group comp and solos are a special like addition type of thing.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_04: So I just kind of like to put that in there because now I think that duo trios are actually we I I feel like we see less of them at competition.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_04: There's it's not a big pool of duo trios that are entering into competition.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_04: There's more solos than duo trios, which I kind of wish it was the reverse because I think there's so much more, not more, you can learn a lot of things in solos as well.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_04: But like there's something really special about partnership and and learning that.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: In a duo trio versus you being the only person on stage by yourself.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I agree.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_05: The to just the teamwork factor in general, right?
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_05: Like working with someone, having to like have that connection, that chemistry with someone else.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_05: I think that is so important to find while you're dancing.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_06: And if you're choreographing it properly, which I would like to get into, you the choreographer is hopefully choreographing those elements into it.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_06: It is, I have to work with this other person.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_06: I have to give and take and things like that, as opposed to it just being two dancers doing the same dance at the same time, the end.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_06: So I would love to get into thinking a little bit about the competitive side of things.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_06: When you're watching dances at competition, what are you seeing that you like in a duo trio?
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_06: What are you seeing that you would like more of?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_06: Because a successful duo trio has some elements, you know, that you're not gonna see in a solo.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_06: Solos don't involve working together with anybody, you know.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_06: So I would love to hear a little bit about that.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like what's I, you know, just judging every weekend and that kind of thing, what I see all the time is just the lack of connection and eye contact.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: My big thing is eye contact with each other.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like I we you sit there and you feel like you're judging two solos at the same time sometimes now.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: And there's no there's no connection or partnering for that matter.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: And even if you are partnering or connected, you're not connected to each other.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: And that's everything is telling that story because if you're not telling your if you're not telling that story with each other, then what are we what are we watching?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Or watching us two solos on stage still.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I feel like that's like something that I always look for in duos, trios is that connection and what is your intention here?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: So like what is your story?
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me your story right from the start.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: You have to be locked in with each other opposed to being out to the audience, because that just comes off as I'm just caring about myself and not my other partner on stage right now, and making sure that I look good.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then it becomes like a selfish thing.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: So my that that's something that I feel like is just lacking so much is the connection, and even when you are connected, is are you really connected with each other?
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Are you really having that eye contact and telling that story?
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's my biggest, my biggest thing that I'm seeing.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, for sure.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_05: I agree.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_05: I think that's one of my biggest critiques is I feel like I'm watching two solos instead of the duo and that that camaraderie between the two of them.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that a lot that goes into that is pairing kids up accordingly, right?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_05: Like if they're if they're if they get along, if they're friends, we can usually tell that on stage, right?
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_05: Because they have this connection with each other.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_05: And a lot of times I'll I'll say, I'm like, I can tell that you guys love each other or that you're friends because it just shows on stage.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_05: They look at each other, they smile with each other, like there's just this connection that I think goes a long way when you're watching it on stage.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_05: And a lot of times, like if they're not looking at each other, which a lot of times is the choreographer, but like not maybe choreographing it to them to connect enough, right?
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_05: But you can usually always tell like these kids like dancing together.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that that adds a whole nother element to the dance.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_06: I think there's room for that sort of, yes, we're doing the same thing at the same time, because like we want to see precision.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_06: Of course, like there's elements of that that I do want to see with the duo or trio.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_06: And not all dances need like this whole, you know, communication thing.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_06: Some of it's just like we're doing a dance and it looks really good.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_06: Like that's the point.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_06: Cool.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_06: But if that's the entire three-minute dance, okay, then you it might be really good.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_06: You might be doing the things at the same time.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_06: But then that other dance over here that's telling me a story and communicating and also doing the things, that's that's my dance.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_06: That's my gold.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_06: That's my not gold, but you know, wow, what year is it?
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_06: Gold.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_06: Platinum.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_06: I think it's because we've been talking about the good old days that I've learned, oh yeah, the gold.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_04: Well, my gosh.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_04: I I mean, I think what you both said is so crucial for all of the choreographers first to hear and the dancers to hear.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_04: But I think that it first starts with choreographers.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_04: Are you giving the dancers the tools to create the connection?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_04: Are you telling them we you should be looking at each other here?
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_04: Or when you're going to this partnering moment, make sure you make eye contact, like reiterating that and incorporating that into the choreography to establish that connection and storytelling through the movement.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_04: And then from there, are the dancers delivering?
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_04: Are the dancers did the dancers get the tools that they needed and the instruction and the intention and the performance aspect?
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_04: Are they adding that to it once they hit the stage?
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_04: Because there's only so much the choreographer could do.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_04: Now, as we know, we've all witnessed dances where the choreographer didn't do enough and the dancers are just doing what they were given, and the choreographer didn't give them the tools.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_04: You know, it has to go both ways, I think, because then there's times when you see epic choreography where the choreographer did did their job, but the dancers just aren't giving it.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_04: There's no connection, there's no eye contact, they're just kind of phoning it in and going through the motions.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_04: And great, the choreography is beautiful.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_04: Execution, technique, sure.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_04: But did you perform?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_04: Were you in it?
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_04: Were you really there?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_04: Were you telling the story?
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_04: And what you said, Chase, about how, you know, if you're just focused on the audience and performing forward, I think is is so helpful to hear when it comes to duo trios because I do think it should be about that partnership more.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_04: It should be approached as what is the story between these two people or three people standing on stage.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_04: The audience is just there as a bonus versus solos are sometimes more we're projecting to the audience and we're performing for those people sitting in the house.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: We should watch that on Little World on stage and we're just like captivated.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's like we're we're watching a movie, you know?
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's what it that that's what it that's what it needs totally.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that's something too.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like I feel like the kids, how many times do we like judge a uh scholarship audition and they really want that scholarship?
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: And they're just like coming to the table and like dancing off like towards us and like doing the little things, and it's like, okay, you could tell that we really want it, but like just put like take us to where you are in your own world, like take it, like captivate us that way because that's what's gonna sell.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's what sells 10 times out of 10.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that's so for like a duo and trio, they think performing to their judges is what's gonna sell, and it's actually uh that is not it at all.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: What's gonna sell is them taking us on that journey, watch it like as if we're watching that movie and the story unfold on stage.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: If they just that that's the big thing that needs to be focused on now is just take us on that journey in your own world on stage and let us just enjoy.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_05: And right, you have that you have that other person that is there to tell that story with you, so it makes it that much easier to tell a story, right?
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_05: Because you you have someone else to relate to and to and to bring that story to life, you know.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_04: Calling on mini.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_04: Do you have a dancer between the ages of seven to ten who loves to dance?
• 28:55
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• 28:58
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• 29:03
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• 29:13
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• 29:23
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• 29:33
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• 29:39
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• 29:45
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• 29:51
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• 29:59
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• 30:05
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you to Francisco Gala Danceworks for being our season five premiere sponsor.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_06: Speaking of that other person and like how that is helpful.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_06: So when you're casting a duo trio, like Julie, you said you got partnered with Linnea really early and y'all stayed together.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_06: And did you have other duos with other people too?
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_06: But like that was the one you were consistent with, kind of?
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_05: I had like, I think one duo with my sister, and then we had some trios with Okay.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_05: They would they would bring like other people, like with Donna and then a couple other people, but for the most part, it was it was the two of us in our duos, and then they would sometimes add someone else in as well.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_06: So like but it's because it worked.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_06: It's because it worked and y'all related so well, and they, your studio owner, your teachers knew that.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_06: So what advice do we have for studio owners and and choreographers who are kind of stuck in that like, well, everybody wants this.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_06: I want to give people opportunities, but how do you pair people?
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_06: Is it, you know, convenience?
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_06: Is it age?
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_06: Is it level?
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_06: How are you best pairing people to do this for the best possible outcome?
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_05: I think I think a lot of it is luck at the beginning, right?
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_05: Like you just like you kind of look at dancers and you're like, oh, I think that they would be good together.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_05: And so you try it, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_05: But I like I was saying before, I think seeing how they are just in the studio together and how they relate to each other, how they get along.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_05: I think that you obviously don't want to pair two people up that don't get along or that don't express enough or you know, stuff like that.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_05: I think that there's also something in them having similar styles or similar movement qualities.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_05: Um, yeah, just that you can maybe see from classes and stuff like that.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_05: But I think a lot of it is trial and error.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_05: I think I just got lucky because they put us together and it worked and you know, we became so close and stuff like that.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_05: But I think a lot of it may just be trial and error.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_05: I don't think it's necessarily an age thing.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_05: Obviously, it helps if if they are the similar age, but I think it can work either way if they have that same like love for dance, approach for dance, love for each other.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_05: I think that all of that really goes a long way.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I feel like for me, I had a different experience growing up and how I was placed in duos and trios, right?
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I was a studio owner's son, and I think the way my mom approached the placement of everything was I have I had one duo partner that we would have like two duets together, right?
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: So that was like the main like duo partner, but then I would have I literally had a duet with five different people.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: For different for different reasons, right?
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: So one was like my main duet partner, we were like brother and sister growing up, but then I had another that was like my best friend through high school, and she was a big, big tapper uh and wasn't as well for uh versatile, but I just we were just best friends and we just wanted to dance together.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I was like, We're doing mom, like we're doing this, and we actually choreographed it ourselves, so we just did it.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then you have another one that's another, like maybe one of the stronger dancers of the studio.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_00: My mom was like, All right, let's go here too.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then there was one that wasn't the strongest but had a lot of potential.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: So my mom was like, I'd like for you to partner with her because I can see the potential in her, right?
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you can lift her up and bring that and like that experience and that knowledge to you know the stage by doing it that way.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it kind of depends on the studio and you know, the decision with the teacher, because sometimes you can be placed together for your ability, sometimes it could be for you see potential in somebody, or sometimes it's like I feel like this would be a challenge for whomever, and I think this would be good to you know, good for them.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I think there's a lot that could go into it when it comes to picking and deciding your matchup of duos and trios and all those things, which is I think is really cool.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: I loved how my mom did it.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: And if I were a studio owner, I would I would totally do the same.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: She's gonna help your kids grow more.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, I like I like the idea of it pushing the pushing that dancer up to the like with the potential and challenging them and pushing them to the next level to be able to feed off of the energy of this other dancer who may might be at the same level as them or might be a little bit higher than them, or might be, you know, the performer, and they're not the performer.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_04: So then they're gonna, you know, feed off of that energy and become the performer alongside of them.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_04: Like there's so many things that we can learn from the people that were placed alongside, whether it's a group, a trio, a duo.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_04: But that's what's so special about dancing alongside others, is that you can feel feel the energy and be inspired by each other versus you're solo, you're in your zone, it's just you, you're only thinking about you and the audience.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_04: And yeah, you know, and that's where the teamwork comes in as well, which I think is really important.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_04: But there have been many times where I've seen, and and it, you know, it sounds sounds not me or anything, but I've definitely seen mismatched casting when it comes to duos or trios.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_04: I've definitely seen that and watched it where it almost feels a little awkward on stage that just haven't really found it.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's just like I'm I'm actually sitting there watching them be thinking like, do they even want to be dancing together?
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_04: And like and then I'm like, okay, well, what was the reason why they got paired?
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_04: Like, as a judge, I don't want to be sitting there thinking, why were you paired together?
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_04: It should be an automatic, I see why you were paired together, you know, type of casting.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that casting is important with all of those different things, whether it is quality of movement, maybe it's age, maybe it's level, maybe it's friendship, maybe it's performance quality, whatever the reasoning is, there needs to be something that meshes, I think.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_04: Because if there isn't one of those things, it's just gonna be kind of two solos like we've talked about that we don't want to see.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_06: Well, I think as a choreographer, when you're faced with that situation of either there's pressure from the parent or there's pressure to be fair to everybody to make sure everybody has it, you are gonna end up with a mismatched partnership, probably, because nothing's nothing works out perfectly.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_06: But I think the choreographer just has to be very savvy about those moments.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_06: And okay, well, maybe I have a really, really good turner and a really good technician, but this other person is not that.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_06: Well, you have to find a way to make both of them shine.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_06: Like it's it's gonna take a little more work to make that duo or trio shine because everybody's just got different qualities.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_06: But like, like you said, Courtney, like there are moments I'm like, why?
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_06: But then, but then there's moments where you're like, I see what they did because they're making both of these kids look really great at what they do.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_06: And it's most of the time, it's not the crazy partnering or the amazing seek sequence of turns that are so perfect together because you don't have those balanced talents, you know, together.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_06: But usually that's a more entertaining dance if it's very, you know, if the people are a little bit different, I think.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_05: I love seeing like musical theater, for instance.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_05: You may have one that's really a really strong technician and the other that's not, but they both have this like love and this drive up there that like with you know, their personalities and everything like that.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_05: And it just works in that sense.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_05: It may not work in other styles, but in a certain style, it works perfectly.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_05: So I love seeing those moments where like I'm like, good job, choreographer.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_05: Like you found a way to highlight both of these dancers in the exact way you needed to, and it just made made the dance that much better.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I love that.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_04: Something I'd love to dive into is is partnering in ah and like the the discussion of that as dancers who have partnered and also as uh as choreographers or how people should be approaching it.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_04: And I know Chase, you have done a ton of partnering in your uh dance life.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_04: So do we feel like that partnering needs to exist in every duo or trio?
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_04: Is it a requirement in the choreography, or do you enjoy to see it?
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_04: Would you prefer to see it?
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_04: What are your thoughts on just partnering choreographically?
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I feel like for me, I think it's very vital and it's important to partner and tell that story, uh, especially when it's just the two of you on a stage.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: But also it could just be depend on the storyline and what story you're trying to tell.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there's a there's always a story of like you can uh you can always still partner by moving around each other's negative space too.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: Which is just as important that but the connection is everything.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: The connection is everything for me.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like uh something that is lacking a ton is when you are partnering, is the connection.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_00: You can be connected, like you see a lot of couples on stage, and let's say you like dip, you dip, put somebody in a dip.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just going very generic, like you dip somebody.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_00: Are you really dipping them?
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_00: Or are you just standing tall and you're just keeping that distance and you're like looking at your partner instead of being fully invested into it?
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like the investment into partnering these days is lacking a hundred percent.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: And the don't not being afraid to get close and to tell that story and get in just get and be with one another.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's just so it's so so important.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like I am on like a broken record when I say that a competition because I'm I'm like you know, hit to hip, like get in, like that's what it's about.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like, and uh of course, like when you're younger, it's a little it's it's tough because you gotta it's a little awkward sometimes.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_00: I was there too, and I yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: But as you get older and as you're as you're performing duos and trios, it's it's just so so important to just it doesn't matter what your outside life is like because when the music comes on and what it turns when that music turns on, you have to be in that story.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because as dancers, we can be in any story we want to be in, period.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_00: Whether we're learning a combo in class and we feel like it it's marinated, let's put the story on it, right?
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_00: Or and any uh any competition piece you can pee, it could be in a group, it could be a solo, it could be a duo.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think what's so important uh for teachers to give to the students is just tell them like it's it's just so vital to put yourselves in those shoes, right?
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you like maybe you're not getting along with your duo partner at the time, but when the music comes on, you gotta be in that story.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta you gotta put everything aside because that's that's everything to the performance.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's everything to make it come to life.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_00: And uh yeah, sorry, I just went on a rampage, but um when it comes to when it comes to the connection and the partnering, I feel like for me, I think it's necessary to help the story come to life.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we just can't something that I see is just people being afraid to get close and to feel that connection and the eye contact and uh and the storytelling.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_06: The eye contact, yeah.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_06: With the physical closeness of it all, and like you said, even something as simple and as basic as a dip, you have to be willing to let somebody hold your weight and give your weight to somebody because then it's dangerous.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_06: If you're not willing to fully commit to the thing you're doing with another person, it's not safe.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_06: You know, so like you said, get yes, yes, maybe we're 12 and it's awkward, but like you got to get out of your head about it because somebody's gonna fall on their face.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_06: If you're like, oh, this is awkward, I can't touch them.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_06: Yes, you can.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_06: And like obviously we have to be mindful of the how and the where and the context and everything, you know, for that kind of safety, but also physical safety.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_06: I can't drop you.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_06: I can't be mad at you and like oh, I don't care anymore and just drop you on the floor if we're partnering.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's also like the the energies between each partner.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like when you take a you take two soloists and you put them together, whenever you start partnering, it's like uh it's like an awkward tension at first.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: You don't you gotta figure out that tension, you have to build that trust, you have to build like and it it's like honestly, it's such a um chemistry builder.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a team builder.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like whenever you're partnering, it's always gonna be, and I say this when I'm choreographing on you know, professional jobs.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: I I I forgot where I just said this last time.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_00: I thought I was I choreographed for a cruise line in uh May or something like that, and uh it was a very heavy partner-based routine, and it was very awkward, and you know, they're professional dancers and it was awkward for them.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I just and it's like uh I'm trying to think of the analogy that I use, but whenever you're taking two separate energies and you put them together, it's like a relationship too.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_00: You have to build that, you have to um you have to communicate, you have to there's there's just so much that goes into it, and uh it's just about getting on that same page.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_00: That's everything.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_00: Totally because you're taking two different, completely different people and you put them together, and then it's about making that, you know, making that come to life, making that tree grow.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_04: Anything to add, Julie?
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_05: Um, I mean, well, similar, I mean, to what he was saying with there may be times that these dancers aren't getting along, right?
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_05: Or they're they're having a bad day or whatever.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_05: But like when you get on stage, you become actors, right?
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_05: So no matter what's going on outside of it, like there were times, even though we didn't do a ton of partnering, Lynne and I, but there was a trust factor there where, you know, there may be a a day that we're not getting along and we don't really want to dance together.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_05: But your job as a performer is to go out and to to be actors and to pretend like, you know, you love each other, whatever whatever the storyline is.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and I think that that partnership and the understanding that you have with one another, that's where that really comes to play.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_05: And no matter what's going on, you just come together and you you do what you have to do.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I couldn't agree more with all of it.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's something that's hugely important to mention, and you all said it is trust.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_04: Trust is such a huge word when it comes to partnership and a relationship between the other person.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_04: It's not just about you in that moment.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_04: It's a team effort where you have to work together.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_04: And especially for my potentially female identifying dancers or the dancers who are getting lifted or partnered.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_04: It's not you cannot just be dead weight not doing anything.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_04: You have to make sure that you are active, you're supporting yourself, you're you're communicating with your partners.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_04: Saying, how can I help you?
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_04: What do you need from me?
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_04: Do you need me to hold you here a little bit stronger?
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_04: Do you need me to hold my core here a little bit more?
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_04: What could you like?
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_04: That's the only way.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_04: You can't just be like, pick me up and, you know, just hope that they yeah.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_04: Like that's and as a as a tiny, small, petite dancer, I'm always the one being thrown around.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_04: I'm always the one being lifted.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_04: And I can't tell you how many partners I've had that have never asked me what they need, who who, you know, I I'm doing more of the work than they are.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_04: And because I'm a good partner, I know that I am, because I've learned how to through the years.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_04: And the only way that you're gonna learn is by doing it.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_04: And the best way to start doing it is in a safe place with someone that you're compatible with in a studio setting where you have the time to rehearse it and you have the time to communicate and you have the time to make sure it feels perfected and well crafted because you never know in the professional world, and I've been there a million times, where even in the audition, before you get to the job, you might be partnering with a total stranger.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_06: Total stranger who shorter horrible.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_06: Tell me why the short girl gets partnered with some a man shorter than her.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_06: Like that is not helpful.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_04: Give me a six-three guy any day.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, it happens, like I and it's just like it's such a hard, it's a hard position to be in because even like, I mean, I've been on professional shows where I'm just like, yo, partner, come on, like get it together.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, there are people that have been in Hamilton that are literally like, oh, my partner.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_04: And it's just like, you're in Hamilton, like you have you know, you're like how did we get here?
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_04: How did you get here if you couldn't even partner?
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_04: So it is important to learn that trust aspect.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_05: And it's it's a yeah, it's a safety thing too, right?
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_05: Like you don't wanna, I don't I never want to be watching a dance and be like, right, like be scared that someone's gonna fall.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_05: And that's where that that communication between the dancers comes into play because you have to tell each other what you need and practice it enough where you're not getting on stage and just going for it and hoping for the best, you know.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_05: Like it's gotta, you've gotta be watching it and trust that, like, I don't know.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_05: There's nothing I love more than seeing lifts done just with ease.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_05: Because you and you can tell that they've been practicing it and practicing it.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_05: And like I said, it's a it's a safety thing.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_05: You don't want to see these dancer dancers getting injured or putting themselves in like the line of fire to just to do a lift, you know.
• 46:13
  SPEAKER_04: Something quickly I want to just mention with that, the safety aspect, and it's helpful to hear, like even on the professional world.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_04: Please practice your partnering before you go on stage if you have if you have time.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_04: If there's a big lift, if there's something that kind of makes you a little nervous, doesn't go well every single time.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_04: Grab your partner and say, we got to run that lift really quick before we hit the stage.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_04: Because in the professional world, that is what happens.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_04: You typically will never go on stage without having done that partnering at before you hit the stage.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_04: Whether it's at curtain call, like you know, 30 minutes before show, there's something called lift call in a lot of performances where someone's watching and there's there's spotters there.
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_04: Spots and making sure that everything's gonna go well.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_04: And then that way you feel good about it.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_04: Then it's a communication.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, can you give me a little bit more here?
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_04: Great, all right, we're feeling good, let's go.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_04: And everybody's on the same page because that is it's it's hugely about safety, especially for young dancers training.
• 47:05
  SPEAKER_06: I want to mention really quickly like the question you asked, Courtney is is partnering a qu a requirement kind of for duos and trios in the competitive world?
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_06: And I'm gonna say no because I feel like with the advent of your So You Think You Can Dances, we've seen professional people do these like insane partnering things that are dangerous and they've done their lift call and they've practiced and they trust each other, and like I trust all this is happening fine.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_06: But I think people, because like Julie, you said y'all didn't do a lot of partnering.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_06: That wasn't a thing, it wasn't really a thing.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_06: Pre- Exactly.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_06: And I think now everybody, choreographers, feel very pressured to put a lot of that into pieces with dancers that are perhaps not ready.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_06: And so while yes, I do like to see like physical weight sharing and interaction between duo trio dancers at at all ages.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_06: Like, of course, yes, please interact with each other.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_06: I think sometimes I watch competitive dancers, especially in the higher levels, and literally the whole dance is just people picking each other up and putting them underneath each other.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_06: That's what it is, and that's really difficult to judge because I didn't see a chausset, I didn't see a pirouette, I didn't see a wing, I didn't see something I can like actually use a textbook and tell you how to do that better.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_06: I can say, okay, that lift looked a little off, or maybe help your partner get up off the floor better by using your plie, but sometimes it gets difficult to accurately score those kinds of routines, I think.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_04: It depends, I guess, on the genre, I'd say.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_04: Like you know, obviously, if it's a jazz dance, like I want to see the chaussets and the things, and you can have a little partnering here and there.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_04: And like I think you're probably mainly talking more about the contemporary world, sure, where it is just primarily a lot of duo triers are just weight sharing and partnering the whole time.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_04: And right.
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_06: And like which I think there's a place for that, sure.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_06: But like, like I said, I is it a requirement?
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_06: I think it's it's a cool addition when it's warranted and your your students can do it well.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_04: When you're advanced enough.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_06: I wanna wanted to throw that out there for the folks out there, like, oh my god, I have no idea how to choreograph that really cool stuff.
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_06: Well, neither, neither do a lot of people.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_06: So you're not alone, you can still make a cool dance without it.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, definitely.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_04: And like know how to teach it if you're gonna put it into the choreography.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know what I mean?
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I feel like there's so many times that I see lifts that I'm like, you're prepping into that wrong.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I can already tell it's gonna be a disaster before it's just wrong from the start.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_04: I'm just like, I I personally like I am always the person being lifted, like I said, but I don't know how to do some of the lifts.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know how to be the base of some of the the lifts that exist.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_04: So I actually never choreograph partnering in my work because I don't know how to teach it.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_04: Like literally, I feel like, you know, uneducated by saying that I can obviously learn, but yeah, but I've just never been in that position to be like, oh, well, this is the grip here and this is the grip there.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_04: Like even like ballroom partnering, I'm usually the, you know, I'm being led.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_04: So I don't know like how to do certain hand grips or footwork and things like that.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_04: So I, you know, obviously we can always learn and grow and educate ourselves and find those tools, but it is important for safety and training aspects to know how to act properly teach the partnering or the lifts that you're going to be putting into choreography and not just saying, Oh, I saw that on YouTube or Instagram.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_04: Let's try to recreate it, you know?
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_05: Like, and I think I think also like making sure it transitionally works within the dance as well, right?
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_05: Like you always see these like prep, okay.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_05: We obviously see ellips coming and then it's a disaster, like just from the beginning.
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_05: I just I think it's super important to choreograph it in a way that it just flows throughout the dance as well.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_05: Chase, do you have any like partnering tips for choreographers out there?
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was thinking about it.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like what you said was very vital and just knowing, like having having that sense of knowledge and having that background before when you're going to teach something and being just so secure, having like when I choreographed on So You Think, like I had assistance with me in everything we tried.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_00: When you go into that thing, when you go into that show, you have to have option A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I had every option in the back of my head for like a quick change.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, it's not working, let's try this.
• 51:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, it's not working, let's try this.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, I feel like it's just so it's very important to have like for safety measures, like have a spotter, have people around, but also as a choreographer, you have to be so direct in what you're teaching and what you're going to do when it comes to partnering because that's like that's everything.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_00: You can't second guess, like, yeah, I think we're gonna like go here and then try this and try that.
• 51:33
  SPEAKER_00: No, you have to go in and like make sure you're direct with them because it's like it's safety, you know, that's everything.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_00: But it was funny too.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like a lot of my creativity or lift, because I'm always trying to think of something that hasn't been seen before.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm trying to think outside the box.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_00: And growing up, I actually didn't have a male teacher growing up.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_00: I would have guest paragraphers come in, but I didn't have a male teacher that would c uh that I had every week in my studio.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I really relied on YouTube and social media to learn uh different, you know, tricks or partnering, or oh, I saw this, like, and I would rewind it on YouTube and try to study it, and then I would grab my door partner and be like, all right, let's try this, but then let's add this to it, or try you know what I mean?
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's that that's that's how I uh that's how I grew with my partnering and my creativity was studying from years past and people before me, and then trying to one-up it and trying to try a different way or technique or you know, things like that.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_00: But um I think whenever you're gonna teach your student lifting or partnering or anything like that, just make sure you're direct as possible and confident as possible in what you're about to say because you have people at risk.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_00: So that that's my big thing.
• 52:51
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• 52:54
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• 52:57
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• 53:00
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• 53:19
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• 53:30
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• 53:50
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• 53:57
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• 54:03
  SPEAKER_04: We can't wait to see your dance.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_06: I think that that's a really great thing you brought up was that you had assistants around you.
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_06: You had people that were like, okay, you know, we're gonna save this if it falls apart.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_04: No, totally looking at the person that you're about to share weight with and lift or partner with, like the eye contact aspect.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_04: There's so many times where I can see dancers like grab hands and okay, we're about to share weight, we're about to head into this lift, and there's they didn't even look at each other, they're looking past each other.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, what?
• 54:41
  SPEAKER_00: Totally.
• 54:42
  SPEAKER_06: Like and then you see like the the scramble.
• 54:44
  SPEAKER_06: I'm like, of course it didn't work out.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_04: Of course it didn't.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_04: You didn't even look at them.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's a it's a confidence thing too.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_00: Before you go into a lift, it's confidence thing, like, all right, I'm gonna nail this.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's like when you're teaching uh your students, like you they're going for like, let's say, like a triple pirouette, and if they're second guessing it in their head before they even take it, they're probably not gonna hit it.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of the mind, it's a mindset too.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_00: You have to flip that switch and be like, all right, I'm gonna nail this, we're gonna nail this, like uh, we're gonna get the and it's gonna be safer that way too.
• 55:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're already going into it second guessing, you might be waiting on a you know, a disaster to unfold right in front of you.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_00: So confidence is so so key in the choreographer, but also in the students because they're gonna go off your vibe.
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's like in a assistant in a convention classroom.
• 55:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, if the assistant is shaky, or what they run the class.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_00: Jackie Slate's one of my mentors, and that was the first thing she was like, name name the three like importance in a classroom.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_00: She was like, You have assistant, you have the teacher, and you have the students.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Okay, students, teacher, assistant.
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_00: Wrong, try again.
• 55:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I kept going, and she was like, assistant one, you know, students two, teacher three.
• 55:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Interesting, holy crap.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you're going I was a convention kid growing up, and I was and every weekend I was like, dang, I want to be the assistant.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like I wanna I want to get there so bad.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_00: I want to be an assistant one day on a convention because that's so cool.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because they they run the classroom.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it's the same thing when you're like choreographing a partnering thing, like you are you are running the show, you are setting the tone, and you want to make sure that everybody's on board because they're gonna look up to you.
• 56:22
  SPEAKER_00: They're inspired by you, they look up to you, you get them every single week.
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_00: And when it comes to partnering, you have to just give off that aura of like, guys, we're gonna nail this, and this is about to be epic.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like, this is gonna be so cool.
• 56:34
  SPEAKER_00: We got this, we got this.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_00: Keep feeding that in into your students instead of all right, we're gonna try this, but I I I don't know, just being shaky about it, you know.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's it's it's a it's a confidence thing for sure.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_05: I think another thing I love seeing at competition is at the beginning of the season and you see a duo, and maybe they're doing maybe they're a new partnership or they're doing some stuff that they aren't quite super confident in yet, but then you see them later in the season and you're like, oh my gosh, this just completely makes sense now.
• 57:04
  SPEAKER_05: So, like, yeah, that's another part of the competition world that I love seeing the growth that the partnership makes from the beginning of the season to the end.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and I think that allowing that partnership to really grow through the season is super important and keep, you know, just practicing and connecting and finding ways to to make each other better through the season.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_05: I I love that aspect of it.
• 57:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, because the more times you do it, the the the better it's gonna get.
• 57:28
  SPEAKER_04: It's gonna get better and better.
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta work out the kinks the first few times.
• 57:31
  SPEAKER_04: You're gonna add the next layer and the next layer.
• 57:34
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe our performance was lacking this time, and by the end of the season, it is probably by nationals or that last regional, it is probably that duo trio that your teachers knew were gonna have were gonna happen.
• 57:44
  SPEAKER_04: That's why they paired you together.
• 57:46
  SPEAKER_04: That's why they gave you this choreography, they gave you this song, this genre, all of the things come together by the final.
• 57:52
  SPEAKER_04: And that's and just for dancers out there, like that's I'm so glad you said that, Julie, because it is okay if it's not perfect right away.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_04: Like it needs to take time to marinate, it needs to take time to evolve through the season.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_04: Like you're gonna find things that work and and you can tweak and adjust because it is a partnership.
• 58:10
  SPEAKER_04: That's the special thing.
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_04: Versus when you're in group choreography, it's a little bit more like cutthroat, it has to be this because precision and group and whatever.
• 58:19
  SPEAKER_04: But this is a duo or trio.
• 58:21
  SPEAKER_04: There is only two or three other people on stage, or one or two other people on stage alongside of you.
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_04: So that that partnering aspect, I think, and the teamwork aspect of it is allowed to evolve and and you know, change and sculpt into this beautiful art by the end of the season.
• 58:38
  SPEAKER_05: Just like any relationship, too, right?
• 58:40
  SPEAKER_05: Like it's it's it's you're just relating to, you know, real life.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_05: Like let that partnership grow.
• 58:45
  SPEAKER_05: Keep finding ways to connect more and to to make that partnership something special.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_04: Love it.
• 58:52
  SPEAKER_04: I think we covered it.
• 58:53
  SPEAKER_04: I think we did too.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_04: This is so great.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_04: I'm I'm thrilled that we finally had this chat.
• 58:57
  SPEAKER_04: It it is so necessary.
• 58:59
  SPEAKER_04: And we wanted to put it um here in our season before the actual official competition season kind of starts after the new year.
• 59:06
  SPEAKER_04: So uh to all of the listeners out there, if you're a dancer, if you're a choreographer, if you're a teacher, if you're a parent, maybe your dancer has a duo trio coming up this season, make sure you press play and have them listen to this, sit down, make it homework for them so they can go into the competition season with the with the right tools to succeed in their duos and trios.
• 59:27
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm our guests here.
• 59:28
  SPEAKER_04: They shared so many valuable tips and tricks on how to make it happen this season.
• 59:33
  SPEAKER_04: So thank you to Julie and Chase for joining us on the podcast.
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_04: Love having you both.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_04: So much fun chatting dance.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_04: And thank you so much.
• 59:41
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, we'll have to have you back.
• 59:43
  SPEAKER_04: More there's always something to talk about.
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_04: So we're we'll have you back on a podcast again soon for more dance topics and yes, and hopefully you will we'll all see those things that we talked about while you're judging at competition this season and sitting there enjoying in the audience.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_04: So, for all of our guests, how we have you lead us out on making the impact is with one final thought on the topic.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_04: You can talk to anyone you'd like.
• 1:00:08
  SPEAKER_04: You can talk to the dancers, the choreographers, the teachers, the partnering.
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_04: You can talk about anything you'd like when it comes to duos and trios.
• 1:00:15
  SPEAKER_04: Final thoughts.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think just talking to the dancers specifically right now.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_05: There's obviously solos are great, right?
• 1:00:23
  SPEAKER_05: It's great to show you, show off and everything that you can do, but there's something really special about duo trios and the way that you can connect with another dancer.
• 1:00:32
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that you need to just embrace it more, right?
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_05: Like take it, whatever that connection is that you have with that other person, allow it to grow.
• 1:00:42
  SPEAKER_05: Find moments outside of the studio to connect.
• 1:00:44
  SPEAKER_05: That friendship or that that love that you have for each other is going to show on stage.
• 1:00:50
  SPEAKER_05: And we love seeing that as judges, seeing how the dancers connect and how much they love dancing together.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_05: So I think that's just such an important part.
• 1:00:58
  SPEAKER_05: So embrace these moments that you have to dance with other people and really just try to find ways to connect as much as possible.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you cover the dancer, so I'll go choreographers.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, to the choreographers, really, I we talked about it earlier on, but really focus on having your kids connect to one another, working on that eye contact, working on telling that story and moving with intentions because sometimes you see on stage like a you know, a chasse, step leap or like a pirouette.
• 1:01:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what's the meaning behind that pirouette?
• 1:01:30
  SPEAKER_00: What's the if you're gonna be to be doing a duet, like what what what is the connection, what is the meaning behind it?
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_00: How are you gonna connect that with the story?
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that's something that's lacking as well.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_00: So really be on your dancers about putting themselves into those shoes because as dancers we can become any character we want to become, any story we want to dip our uh shoes into, we can put ourselves there, and that's the beauty of it.
• 1:01:51
  SPEAKER_00: So really focus on putting those students putting your students into those shoes and telling that story and moving with intention with one another and that eye contact, please, God, eye contact, one another.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_00: Please, please do it.
• 1:02:07
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, just really, really making sure that implementing that into your studio, uh, you know, that connection with one another when it comes to duos and trios, because it's it's everything.
• 1:02:19
  SPEAKER_04: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about duos and trios.
• 1:02:23
  SPEAKER_04: Don't forget to follow our episode on the you can find Julie on Instagram at JulieSortIn at Julie.
• 1:02:48
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• 1:02:56
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• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_04: Be sure to check out IDA affiliated competition starte.
• 1:03:07
  SPEAKER_04: StarTalent will be celebrating their 18th season in 2024.
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_04: They are thrilled to continue to work with Impact Dance Adjudicators by having IDA judges on all of their Word.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_04: StarTalent holds events in West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
• 1:03:25
  SPEAKER_04: And their national finals will take place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 19th through 23rd, 2024.
• 1:03:31
  SPEAKER_04: Their program was created to provide a positive dance environment for both recreational and competitive dancers.
• 1:03:37
  SPEAKER_04: Their goal is to offer an atmosphere that is fun, organized, and better for your dancers, teachers, and parents.
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_04: StarTalent means that competition is about becoming the best dancer that you can be in performance and attitude.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_04: Awards are presented by category and visitors, and high school awards are decorated by three levels.
• 1:03:58
  SPEAKER_04: To learn more about StarTalent, have to register for an upcoming event on the 2024 website at StarTalentProduction.com.
• 1:04:06
  SPEAKER_04: Or check out their Facebook and Instagram at StarTalentProductions.
• 1:04:21
  SPEAKER_04: Hope you're having a wonderful season.
• 1:04:23
  SPEAKER_04: We'll see you next week.
• 1:04:24
  SPEAKER_04: Until then, keep dancing.