Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Q&A with Courtney Live 2025 - Platinum Premium Exclusive

Transcript

Q&A with Courtney Live 2025 - Platinum Premium Exclusive · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: 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_03: Happy holidays from Making the Impact.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_03: This week, we are bringing back our fan favorite QA with Courtney as a special holiday treat.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_03: Our QA episodes record monthly as a bonus perk exclusive for our Platinum Premium subscribers.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_03: Each month, I sit down with an IDA judge to answer all of your hot topic questions about the competitive dance world.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_03: Our Platinum Premium subscribers not only get access to these episodes, they also get to pre-submit their questions to receive priority in the recording.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_03: These episodes are packed with educational advice from industry professionals and in-demand dance judges.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_03: And if you want more QA's in your life, help support our podcast by joining our Platinum Premium subscription for only$5 a month to help keep our podcast going for years to come.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_03: Platinum Premium members receive access to our QA episodes, discounts on online critiques, free stickers in the mail, and a Zoom talk back session with me three times a year to connect and check in on your dancer's journey.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: Learn more and sign up now on our website at Impact DanceAjudicators.com slash Platinum Premium or click the link in our show notes.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_03: And now let's jump into our special QA with Courtney live episode from December 2025, featuring special guest IDA judge, the cost aroon.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: Hope you enjoy.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: Hello everybody.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to our next QA with Courtney live on Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_03: We are streaming from our Facebook community and our Facebook page, Impact Dance Adjudicators.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season because we are in December and this is a live QA exclusive for our Platinum Premium subscribers.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: So if you are new around here and you're not sure what that means, we have some fabulous supporters of our podcast who contribute to our Platinum Premium subscription every single month.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_03: And one of the perks of being a subscriber and supporter is that you get bonus episodes that are exclusive to you.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're a Die Hard Making the Impact fan, you love our weekly episodes that release every Thursday to the public, but you want more, join us at Platinum Premium.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: We would be so grateful for your support.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_03: It's$5 a month or$60 for the year.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: And we have had people supporting us for the past four seasons.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: And some of the other perks outside of just this extra QA monthly is that we host a Zoom talk back three times a year with me, where you get to connect with other Platinum Premium subscribers from around the world, but also connect with me on a one-on-one type of way where you can share information about your dancer and their training and their season and ask questions and advice and I consult with y'all.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I would love to connect with you there.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: If you would like to learn more about our Platinum Premium subscription, visit our website at making theimpact podcast.com.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's competition season almost, y'all.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like there are many, many studios who have already started competing.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_03: So if you have, let us know in the comments, especially if you're tuning in.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: We would love to hear where you competed.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_03: How did it go?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: Most many people just have done solos so far, but I have seen some groups hit the stage at convention already this season.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_03: So New Year's coming up.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: Competition season is so, so, so close.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_03: I cannot wait to see all of the dancers hit the stage.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe it's nutcracker time as well for many studios.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: So wishing you all wonderful New Year, holidays, all of the things.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_03: And thank you for tuning in to our live.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: If you are live watching this, then feel free to head to the comments and let us know where you're tuning in from.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_03: If you're a dance parent, if you want to give your studio a shout out, we would love to give y'all a shout-out on the air.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: And also get your questions prepped because this is a QA.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_03: So we do have a few pre-submitted questions that we're going to tackle first.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_03: But for the next hour, I'm going to be joined by a fabulous IDA judge, and we're gonna answer any questions that come our way in the comments.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_03: So if you have a question that you've been dying to ask a dance professional, now is your time to have it answered.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_03: So feel free at any point to share it into the comments and we will make sure that we get to your question.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_03: Final few things to mention on my end before I introduce our special guest for our Platinum Premium.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: We have over 75 members now, so thank you, Platinum Premium subscribers.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: We also have our online critique service at Impact Dance Adjudicators.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: So if you haven't heard about it, we do online critiques.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_03: We've been doing them.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna say that we were one of the first in the industry to introduce this.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of competitors out there now, but I feel like that we do it so so well because we have a plethora of judges who specialize in a variety of different styles who can be genre specialty judges for your dance and submit accurate feedback, customized and personalized for you, up to 20 minutes worth of feedback.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: And we also have 24-hour rush delivery, which is one of the only services in the industry that can make that happen.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_03: And we can because we have so many judges on our roster.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_03: So if you want a fresh set of eyes to watch your dance before you hit the stage, then send it over to IDA's online judges critiques.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: They start at$35 and we would love the support.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: Learn more on our website at ImpactDanceEducators.com.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, everybody, we're jumping into our QA episode.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: Remember, please feel free to say hey in the comments.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: And if you would like to ask a question about anything related to the competition world training, preseason, competition season, summer intensives, pre-professional, college dance, you name it, we will tackle it.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: Get them prepped here, right here, right now.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_03: It can be about costuming, presentation, choreography, transitions, anything you want.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: But also, if you are kind of nervous to pop your question into the comments and would prefer to remain anonymous, you do have that ability to shoot me over a DM on Facebook.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_03: And if I see the notification during the next hour, I will try to tackle your anonymous question.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm excited to welcome a brand new IDA guest who is joining us right here, right now, for the first time on the podcast.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: But also, they are a brand new judge to our roster this season, which I'm so thrilled about.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: We had the opportunity to teach together at an intensive, I would say almost a decade ago, which is the first time I met them.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_03: Now they applied for IDA, and I was so excited because I've been following their journey in teaching and professional dance and they're a tap specialty.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: And wow, they're just so talented.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: And then, even more amazing, I got to see them literally a few weeks ago in Seattle while I was there teaching because they live in Seattle and they swung by and got to watch them dance with me, and it was just so much fun.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_03: So I am very excited to welcome my guest today, IDA Judge Vacas Arun to the podcast.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome, Vacas!
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, good to see you, good to see everyone.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_03: Hello, we're so happy to have you on the podcast.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_03: We're excited to be here.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_03: On the roster.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_03: All things yes.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: So Vacas, you are oh my gosh, we already have comments coming in.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, Vacas is amazing.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you have fans out there.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_03: We love it.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks, Heidi, for watching and supporting.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: I had no idea she subscribes to IDA, so that's you know, so many people do.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_03: And also, this is this is live like on the web, so anyone can tune in right now.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_03: So you have some supporters and we love to see it.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_03: Vacas, if you could share with all of our listeners out there and the podcast world a little bit more about you, where you grew up, how you got into dance, any of your career credits, how you got into dance education.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Like, give us the rundown.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I grew up in the Seattle area, was training here, competing at a local studio, started originally as a tap and hip hop dancer.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I actually got my start because of Bollywood movies.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: There's a Bollywood movie where an actor dances on a moving train, like on top of the train.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: He's literally like on the coach as it goes like across a cliff and through a waterfall, and it's crazy.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: But I was really into trains as a little kid.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: So my parents put it on because they thought that's what would keep me engaged.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then I turned around and did all the dance moves, and they were like, Oh, hold on, there's something here.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: But then they took me to a local dance studio, and they didn't know anything about dance, so they just like took me to a ballet class and I ran out of the ballet class into the tap room and like sat down and watched, and they were like, Okay, this must be a sign.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I started doing tap and uh hip-hop at first.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was like on our back in the day, the Seattle Supersonics were the Seattle basketball team, and they had like a youth hip-hop team that I was on and doing that sort of stuff.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was great.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I started actually not in the competition world, and then I moved studios, ended up competing and taking on all the other styles of dance.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I started ballet, contemporary jazz, all that at like 14.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, moved out to New York for college.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's how uh Columbia.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I went to school not for dance.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: So I guess for those of you out there who are interested about you know balancing non-dance education with a dance career, happy to chat about that.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: But New York, you know, I went there to be immersed in the dance world and take its steps in Broadway Dance Center and jam with all the tap dancers at all the jazz bars and all that sort of stuff.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Did that for a few years and then started touring kind of like during college, actually.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: I started touring for Chloe Arnold's company.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: She has two companies, the syncopated ladies, I think, are the more famous one.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: But she also had Apartment 33, which was a New York-based company, which I was in, which was co-ed.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I was yeah, it folded, I don't remember exactly when, but it did exist for a while, and we did joint shows with the syncopated ladies, and it was great.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: So she was sort of my my introduction to the Troy and Dance World, toured with a bunch of shows.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: I toured with a Bollywood show called Mystic India The World Tour, which was a bunch of fun, and then ended up performing with Stomp for a while in New York, which was a great show, lots of fun.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: Did a few TV gigs, Good Morning America, NBC's New Amsterdam, that sort of stuff.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then I started my own company, which unites tap and classical Indian dance.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: So we have a team of five tap dancers and five classical Indian dancers, and all our work is together.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I have a collaborator who choreographs all the classical Indian material and we create everything together.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: And we started that and company.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's called Project Convergence.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: We actually have two teams now.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: We have a New York company and a Seattle company, which is amazing.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: And they both are on tour now touring our show.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want to know if there's a show in your area, you can go to projectconvergence.org and find it.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: And then I recently moved back to Seattle, where I'm from, and I'm on faculty at the University of Washington now, which is kind of where I ran into Courtney because Courtney was out there teaching at the UW for Francisco's intensive over Thanksgiving weekend, which is great.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: So now I'm back home and teaching some dancers and turning my company out of Seattle and judging on the dance competition circuit as always.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, decided I would finally reconnect with Courtney and do some IDA stuff, which I'm really excited about.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yay! I'm so excited too.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we always need judges that understand tap dance.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: And other styles, which is hard.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_03: Like classical Indian.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm assuming that obviously if you have a company that is collaborating and bridging the those two styles, classical Indian and tap dance, together in a fusion, that you also have you trained in in Indian dance as well?
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I um so I trained in like Indian folk dance, which is sort of what like Bollywood is like the musical theater of the Indian dance world.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: So just like to do musical theater, you kind of need to do the underlying dance styles, right?
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like you need to do like jazz and hip hop and some tap and whatever.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Bollywood's kind of the same, like it's sort of the commercialized version of like this mishmash of like underlying folk dance styles.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I've like trained in those folk dance styles is a funny word because what does it mean to train in a folk dance style?
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: But I've like done those folk dance styles.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: And then my company, so we have like a team of tap dancers and a team of classical Indian dancers, and they're never really doing each other's styles just because there's a bunch of logistical reasons that that can't happen.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I so my collaborator choreographs all the classical Indian material and I choreograph all the tap material, and it's like staged to feel unified, but they're never sort, and there's there's a lot of stuff we borrow from each other because that's the point.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: But I have started taking classical Indian dance in the past few years, and it's really, really hard.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but it's also really fun, I think, as a professional to go back to being a like student in a technique that is really new to your body, because I do think it helps me understand when I'm teaching students in something that I understand really well.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: It helps me kind of like be a student again and understand like what teaching things work for me when I'm like a beginner trying to figure out what's happening in my body.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I've really enjoyed being a student again, which is a great piece of advice I have to dancers, you know, all over is always be a student and jump into new styles, even if it's for an hour and you decide you hate it, that's fine.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: But I feel like the most successful dancers are the versatile ones that can kind of do anything or can can know their body enough to figure out new things.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I completely agree.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_03: And I have two more questions.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_03: One, what did you go to school for if you didn't go to school for dance at Columbia?
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I went to the engineering school.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: I have South Asian parents after all.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: I studied operations research, which is like applied math and optimization.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that now has turned into what machine learning and data science kind of are, but at the time that was the precursor to data science and machine learning being a whole thing.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what I studied.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: I did my master's in it also, actually, while I was on tour, which was insane.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I went to engineering school, lots of fun.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: That's crazy, and that's amazing.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, congrats on that.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: Every major's hard in its own ways.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's true, that is true.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: And then my other question that I want you to share is what are you teaching currently at the University of Washington?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm kind of now taking over the percussive dance portion of the University of Washington's curriculum.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: My first quarter there was actually this past quarter, and I was teaching body percussion, which was really, really fun.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: Body percussion is the basis of a lot of what we did in Stomp.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: And the purpose of that class was to get students to understand different rhythm patterns without worrying of putting on tap shoes and the technique of it all and all that stuff.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: And also because a lot of students in college dance also come from other percussive dance backgrounds, whether that's like Irish dance or flamenco or other things.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so we were like, we wanted a class that could like speak to all of them without being like specific to a specific technique.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was the first class that I was teaching, but then I'm also teaching tap, and then they also have music theory for dancers at the University of Washington, which all the dance majors are required to take, which is incredible.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: That is incredible because as I had a very different expectation going in for my first quarter of teaching body percussion, because I was ready to be like, okay, let's talk about what an and count is, and like really start from the beginning, because a lot of dancers don't even really understand what that space and time is.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: And walking in there and having dancers that understood like triplets and 16th notes, then I was like, whoa, okay, this is really impressive.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then as I was talking to the department, they're like, Yeah, we realized with you know, they're they're really trying to diversify their dance department.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: So they take whacking, they take breaking, they take a piano, which is like a South African street style of dance, they take a lot of really interesting stuff.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so they were like, We just realized as we were kind of diversifying out of the ballet-based vocabulary that like our students did not know how to count music the way that like a lot of other styles just expect you to, and so we just kind of had to give that to them, and I love that.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'm excited to kind of help curate all the percussive dance offerings at the department moving forward, which I'm really excited about.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I feel like they're so lucky to have you there, and that is so unique.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know of many many colleges that have a body percussion program.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: I did take a music theory style class by one semester at Merrymount, Manhattan.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: And we did a music theory episode on the podcast, and I invited my professor onto the pod.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_03: So that was kind of cool and full circle, but I do feel like that's missing in a lot of dancers' training and um just understanding music, like you said, 16th notes and eighth notes.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_03: Even if you played an instrument at some point in your lifetime, you already have a little bit of a one-up in music theory and knowledge, then incorporate into your dance training.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: So there are a lot of dancers who have missed out on that in their lifetime, and then if they get to college, like that should be offered, I feel, because I think it's so valuable.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: So I apologize for like helping this program.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_03: Also, I feel like this is the first time that we've really heard of University of Washington on the podcast and being spoken about as a dance training opportunity for dancers in college.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: So everybody check out the program at University of Washington.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_03: It sounds really great.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they are really progressive and just sort of the types of stuff that they offer, which is really wonderful as somebody who is trained in ballet-based stuff but also enjoys other things as well.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we're thrilled to have you here, and we have some pre-submitted questions that we're gonna tackle.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_03: Are you ready to jump in?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm ready.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, and for all of our viewers out there, don't forget, please send us some questions.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: If you have one that you're dying to ask us, we're here, we're ready, we will get to it towards the end.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_03: But we have three first that we're gonna tackle.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_03: So here we go.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_03: This one feels appropriate to kick it off with since you have just told the world that you specialize in tap dance and we're a part of Stomp and so many things.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_03: This one is coming to us from a dance parent in Illinois, and their question is what advice do you have for tap dancers at competitions who feel like they are struggling with tap dancing on a Marley floor?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_03: How can their sounds be stronger and clearer on stage?
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Hmm.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, great question.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, before I answer the question, I'm going to give a bit of context, just which I think will help.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: And that context is the tap dance is not designed to be on a Marley floor, and most dance forms that are not ballet-based are not.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you go to dance studios in other parts of the world, they're mostly wood.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: And the reason I just give that context is because most competitions are dancing on Marley, and that's because that's preferred for contemporary modern musical theater, jazz, ballet, which is fine.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: But you're dancing on a floor that's not designed optimally for your style.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: We have to do that sometimes as a professional.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's just like part of learning how to execute your style.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing I will say before we get into execution is most competitions I know are okay with a studio representative requesting that the mics be louder or the music be softer.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: And that's a thing that a lot of studios, I mean, depends on a competition.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I would definitely recommend the parent asking the coach andor studio owner to talk to the backstage manager and seeing if that's something they allow.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure there's some competitions that are not okay with it, but if you ask politely, most competitions I know are like, oh, sure, yeah, we can adjust, not a problem.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: So that's the first thing that can help is because you know, when you're doing hip hop or something, like you want the music blurring and loud to like give you the energy.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: But with tap dance, you're trying to balance the music with like your feet.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's something you can request.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that would be my first piece of advice.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then this second one from a training perspective, when I train students at the studio that I teach at, we actually put fake floor mics on the floor and we literally have them practice eating the floor mic, as we call it, meaning like always dancing within four feet of the floor mic.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: So if they're taking up the width of the space that way, they're traveling and using the space.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's less necessary as you get older if you're like 16, 17, 18.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: But with like the littler ones, it's like we train them to be within four or five feet of the mic at all times.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: And we actually the mics are always in sets of three.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: There's a middle, and then there's two on the outside at most competitions.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so we actually train them to at particularly quiet or fast parts to make sure they're placed right in front of one of them.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I think that would be a really good training tactic.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: And the last thing I would say is consider the shoes that you have, which sounds really weird, but there's actually two families of tap shoes.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: One are split sole.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: You can tell split sole if you can really easily fold it like a jazz shoe.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like a jazz shoe, you can just kind of fold it in half and the toe and the heel touch really easily.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: A good tap shoe shouldn't do that, but the early stage tap shoes do that because they're just jazz shoes with taps on, because that's how the starter shoes are.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Another easy way to tell is that there's a little triangle on the toe.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: I call them triangle tap shoes, but then it's probably a split sole shoe.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: So you want a shoe that's a single piece, it can't fold in the middle.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: And they're often slightly more expensive, but those are the more advanced shoes and they're heavier.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: So therefore, it allows you to get more volume out of the floor.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: So there's lots of brands out there: Millen, Ben, Block, Jason, Samuel Smith, Capizio K360, Ruben Sanchez.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: There's a bunch of options.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: But if you're still feeling like you can't get the volume out of the floor, going with sort of a more solid shoe is also often an option.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: So very long answer, but those are in summary, it's like ask your shoe owner to make sure the mics are okay, train your dancer to be optimally placed in front of the floor mics, and then maybe consider different shoes.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then I guess of course just practice.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: If you can't hear yourself in the studio, it's not going to magically happen on stage.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: And I mean, if you have multiple studios and you have one that is designated the tap room, right?
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't have Marley, it has wood floor, and you're used to tapping on that.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe before competition, go into the other studio that has Marley and see if your sound sounds similar and try to figure out what type of weight and dynamic usage and articulation and all of those things you need to enhance or scale back on or whatever it may be to make it sound even stronger on Marley, knowing that you're most likely going to be tapped in.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: On Marley, unless you bring a tap board, which many people do now.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but strongly agree with that.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: Marley feels really, really different, regardless of style.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: So you might as well practice something that you're going to compete on.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: Because yeah, you're going to have to approach the floor differently.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: Because I'm thinking of doing a slide on Marley versus almost impossible.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: Like there's tape in the way.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_03: It's going to restrict you.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_03: It's going to slow your momentum down.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_03: So how you execute that on one floor versus another.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_03: And like this same thing can be so said to every style of dancer as far as learning how to adapt to different flooring.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_03: Even every Marley is different.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: You know, different color Marlies produce.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, black versus gray Marley is actually pretty different.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_03: It's very different.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes there's very slippery Marley.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um and a lot of dancers always, you know, that that's that's a whole nother layer of like other genres with with also like what footwear we choose to wear for stage and in class and all the things.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it's too sticky, it's too slippery.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's like we have to navigate.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_03: How do we how do we make this work?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_03: Like that's part of being a quote unquote professional, even though we're kids in training at competition.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_03: But I think that's the whole point of like you are choosing to present this on a new space, in a new stage, in a new environment, and there's going to be challenges associated with that.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: And how do you overcome them and how do you navigate them?
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_03: So it's all part of the training.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_03: Like that's what it is.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: You're you're taking this risk on purpose.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: So I love that advice.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_03: Finding the tap mics.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_03: I've seen soloists do that.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_03: They're downstage, they are living in that front panel Marley, and they will find that tap mic.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_03: And it makes me so happy because it I just know that they are intentionally thinking about that, and maybe they've trained trained that way, like you described.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_03: But then there's also dancers, and I'm specifically thinking of solos, where they're they come on stage mid-Marley panel or upstage Marley panel, and they don't ever touch the downstage Marley panel.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_03: And I would like to ask the question since you are a tap specialty judge, do you feel like that it would be ideal for dancers to dance more downstage, closer to the mics or closer to the audience, especially in a solo, than living upstage and performing?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: Because obviously there's a lot of choreographers that like want it to use the whole stage, use the use the depth everywhere.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_03: Then there's some that you see that only stay, they just go lateral side to side, but only stay downstage.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_03: So, like, do you have a preference on that?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: My preference is for you to be heard, and I think that's like however you need to do that for stronger dancers who are older, so therefore they just have more weight on them and more power in them.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're dancing a quieter piece of music, then you might totally be able to get away with not depending on the floor mics and being in the middle andor upstage panel of Marley.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: And if that's the case, I go for it.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: I'm happy for you to travel and use the space.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: But when that's at the sacrifice of me hearing you, then it's just really hard for me to judge because I'm judging purely based on watching and not hearing.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't think one is better than the other.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: I do, and judges' trainings mention that to other judges, which is like, hey, I totally understand this comment of using the space, be a bit conscious of like the specific dancer when you're watching a tap solo, because sometimes they might not feel like they can be heard on the middle panel of Marley, and so therefore they're only using the width on the front panel of Marley because they're prioritizing their sound.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: But if if you can be heard and be on the middle panel of Marley, like go for it.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't really mind.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: But it takes that smart dancer and smart choice of whatever music, knowing your power, all of that to only that choice.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, really, really great advice.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_03: Great answer, too.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: I've always I've always wondered about that, but like I personally as a judge prefer the same thing.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: I want to be able to hear you.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_03: So whatever that means to you, I'm not gonna deduct and say use the stage.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_03: If you stayed all the way downstage, but you were clear as day with your sounds, then I'm happy about it.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_03: And like you said, closer to the tap mics.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I love that.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that the whole trend of tap boards that we see often at competition these days, I'm here for it.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_03: I think a lot of people are nervous about it because they're like, well, I can't move through the stage and I have to just stay on one spot the whole time.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: But I've seen people figure out ways to incorporate jumping off the board and doing a little ditty and coming back onto the board, or I've seen people bring a whole thing of boards and they just lie in the front part of the stage and they get to travel side to side, but then you can also hear them.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_03: I think there's creative ways to incorporate tap boards if you want to haul it with you, which obviously is a whole they have the ones that fold up.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, those are nice and portable.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_03: I've even seen dancers bring them to convention and put their tap board out, and I'm on the top of my board.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: Which is not a thing when I was growing up.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm like, hey, like good for you for creating what you need.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's also a whole logistical nightmare.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: So like I rarely ask people, I've never asked anyone to do that just because I'm like, I don't want to add any logistical burden to you.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um but if you want to do that, like to go for it.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_03: That's me with a prop.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, I am not ever going to choreograph a prop into your dance unless you literally say that that's what you want.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_03: Because you already have accepted the fact that this is going to be a huge burden that you're choosing to put on your studio.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: I would never be like, we need this, this, this, this, and it better happen, you know, like because it's it is a logistical nightmare to bring anything additional outside of your costume and your dancer to a competition.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I did it for the first time last year.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: I also set contemporary pieces around the country.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_01: I did a piece with elastic ropes last year, and that was like a one bit because I was like, okay, this can roll up and fold into your bag.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the size of a headband, but it's like also, you know, it expands and take up the space and it creates this nice visual effect of when you let them go, it sort of like, you know, collapsed in, and so it was a nice visual.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: But it's my first I was I've been trying to find that balance of like what sort of production value things can maybe I add without it being like, now you need four F-150s to track this all over the place.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_03: I totally hear you.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: I've used some big props and pieces, but only because studios were like, we want to use this prop.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_03: Can you create to this?
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, all right, if that's what you want, I'll give it to you.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, some studios have like a prop culture where, like, you know, it's just part of the expectation that they have prop parents and there's a whole truck and whatever.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: If that's part of your culture of your studio, then okay, maybe I'll take advantage of it.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: Right, yeah, exactly.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_03: Because it does bring an extra layer of, like you said, a theatrical element to a lot of dances.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't necessarily think props are needed in every single dance, but I think that sometimes if they can be done in the right way and studios are on board, it's like, cool, let's do it.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's a useful, the reason I did it with this studio, it's like the studio I teach at now, is that studio almost never uses props.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so I felt like the students were missing out on their education of like learning to dance not just by themselves, but like with something.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: And in this case, they were like connected to another person.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, it was like a sort of a teaching tool.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like I even went into it being like, I don't know if you're gonna do the best at competition just because you guys aren't used to this.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think from a teacher who doesn't just care about your competition placement, but cares about your ability to work professionally if you choose that that's what you want to do.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like I'm missing on educating you on something that like you're probably gonna use at some point in your professional career.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I would like you to make your mistakes now rather than when, you know, when a patriarch is on the line.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_03: So I love that approach.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I encourage more studios to approach their reasoning behind certain things that they present in a competition from the educational purpose versus I think that we need to do this because it's gonna win, and the judges are gonna love this prop.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I saw another studio do this, and they won first place, so we gotta do that.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: You know, like that's not the reason why we should be incorporating certain elements into our routines.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_03: It should be from that educational point of view.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that every kid should do a dance with a hat at some point, with a jacket at some point, because those are all costuming props that you most likely will have to utilize in a professional setting some way.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_03: So to know how and adding that extra layer of difficulty, even in the cleaning, is your prop face, is your hat facing the right way?
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_03: Are you holding it the right way?
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_03: Are you taking it off at the same count?
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_03: All those extra layers that you don't even think matter, they matter.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_03: And it's you it's meant for education versus, oh my gosh, I have this brilliant idea as a choreographer that I need to create and it's gonna be bah and it's gonna win and all these things.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's like it's not always about that, it's about giving your dancers the tools in their training progress that, oh, have you ever worked with a prop before?
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, have you ever done this type of dance before?
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_03: Like switching it up for that reason, I think, is so great.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it was useful in that case for like the understudy, because the understudy had to work with different partners across the season.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: This is a really good tool for you, actually, because learning to swing when it's just your body dancing versus learning to swing with the prop is a whole different ball game.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: And that was the hardest part for me at Stomp, was like Stomp had so many props, and I was the swing, so I knew four roles.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: And so depending on who was in the cast, it was like, oh, I'm throwing a broom at a different human who's a different height today, you know.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: That really matters.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_03: And you're a different height from the other dancer that's all on, so it's gonna impact how they catch it or whatever.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's such a good point.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_03: I was gonna bring up Stomp because I'm like, Stomp is a prop show, like it is literally a prop show.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: The whole point of it is like different props.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_03: Amazing.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that was an awesome response to our first question.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you for that.
• 31:18
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• 31:33
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• 32:03
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• 32:10
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• 32:13
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• 32:21
  SPEAKER_03: And thank you for being a part of our community and for helping us make an impact in the competitive dance world.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_03: Moving on to our next pre-submitted question.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_03: This one is coming to us from a Platinum Premium subscriber.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_03: They are a dance parent in Florida, and it's a long one, but here it goes.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_03: How would you guide a young dancer towards her dreams of becoming a professional dancer one day?
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_03: I know it's a cutthroat business, and she knows it's a hard industry to get into.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_03: My daughter is almost 11, and she's a kid where if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she answers a professional dancer like a rocket, dancing on a cruise ship or on or on stage in general.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_03: She has been dancing since she was three and competing for five years.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_03: The competition world is so expensive and time consuming, which has me questioning, could we go into a completely different direction and not do it anymore?
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_03: She loves competing, but I know there has to be so much out there that can help her future.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_03: So, how would you guide a young dancer and prepare them for when she turns 18 and can try out for dance industry roles?
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_03: Do you have recommended programs or guidance in preparation for that?
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: Long, but like rightfully so long and like meaty, meaty question.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we needed to like know the details.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's a lot of context and rightfully so.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I am a supporter of competitive dance because I grew up doing that.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_03: So when I look at like where I ended up in my career trajectory, I feel like that I wouldn't have the career today if I didn't do competition dance because it taught me about teamwork, it taught me about being in an ensemble, it taught me a variety of different styles, it taught me how to pick up choreography fast, it taught me how to do reblocks if someone got injured, understudy roles, it taught me how to have a competitive nature and also face rejection.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_03: Like there is so, so, so much good in competitive dance.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_03: But I think it also goes way back to exactly what we were just talking about.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_03: If the studio philosophy and the mentality of the studio is giving you those tools to prepare you for that in the competitive world, not every competitive studio cares if you want a professional career, and they're not approaching the training or the choices that they're giving dancers with the education that we were just talking about.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not saying that studios don't educate their dancers, but I think that there are a lot of studios that are more in it for the win than is this an educational opportunity?
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_03: And am I really helping guide my dancers in the right way to set them up for a professional career if that's what they want?
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_03: So there's a lot of studios that are like, well, we're, you know, there's only gonna be 1% of dancers from my studio that would actually go on to a professional career.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: That might be true, but like this dancer might be that one dance, that 1%.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_03: So we still have to cater to the fact that they want to do that.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_03: So are you giving them what they need and guiding them the right way to prepare them?
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_03: And I guess as a parent, you have to kind of take that in and figure out are they just taking my money or is my dancer getting a lot out of this?
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_03: Is my dancer really growing as an artist?
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_03: Are they getting exposed to a variety of styles?
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_03: Are they are they, you know, all of the benefits that I just described, is that happening?
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: If yes, then I think it can be beneficial to be in competition.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_03: But I also think that the competition industry has shifted a lot since I was a comp kid.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm looking at it from a 20 years ago perspective versus a 2025 year dancer right now, where it's a very saturated industry and there's an intensive every other day.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm not sure how you feel about that, or if you can relate, or if you have any personal experience that you can share for the cost.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: I guess I'm gonna break my answer into like two parts, which I think I will say are the like obviously dance skills and the more like dance adjacent skills, and I'll leave the dance adjacent skills for a second, but like dance skills-wise, I think I'm mostly on the same page as Courtney, which is like competition can teach you a lot of really useful skills, which is like how do you pick up choreography quickly?
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: How do you work with different choreographers?
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_01: How does your body digest different styles?
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: How do you work well in groups?
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: How do you operate in the situation where you know Susie broke her arm and we have four numbers to respace this?
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like those types of situations are really useful.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: That doesn't mean that competition is the only place to get those skills.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_01: So, like I did, for example, I was on a youth tap company before I moved to the studio that I ended up being at for a while.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like I was in a tap dance Christmas carol for a few years, which was a really fun way to learn how like an actual show works versus like a two-minute competition routine.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: It was a great way for me to be like, oh, this is what like a lighting rehearsal looks like.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_01: And this is, you know, because a show cadence of things is very different from like a two to three minute cadence of things.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I think depending on where you are and what opportunities are open to you, there are other ways potentially to gain those skills.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: But I think the skills I'm exactly in line with like Courtney, which is like if you're not getting those skills either through competition or whatever your competition alternative is, then you want to make sure you're getting those skills somehow.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes I think there's also a way to get those through competition without spending as much.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: Meaning you don't need to do nine group pieces in a solo and two duos.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to go to eight competitions a year.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like you can get a lot of what Courtney, I think, is talking about by taking the classes and doing like two group dances and maybe not even a solo.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you can still get a lot of that.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's a lot of where the cost is, frankly, right?
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the competition entry fees I know are high and whatever.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I think the training is the core, and then the other part I think can also scale.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I know it's harder now because it feels like there's less youth companies than there were when like we were training growing up.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I feel like that was more of an option, and now it feels like everything's very competition focused.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: That'd be the technical side of things.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing I felt like I by fluke ganged, but it was not actually explicitly part of my training, was all the other stuff to like be a successful dancer.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm guessing you also feel this way, Courtney, but like we are one person businesses at the end of the day.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_01: Or if you're running IDA, you it's not just one person, it's like how many people?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: Or in my case as a company, you know, I have 10 dancers who I'm financially responsible for.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_01: But even ignoring those situations, like when you're a sole proprietor, like you are you're literally taxed as a one-person business.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: That is how the government views you.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so we don't like just being a good dancer, I don't think means that you survive.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: I make little financial targets of what I want to be earning from different parts of my dance career.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: This is how much I want to be making from judging dance competitions.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_01: This is how much I want to be making from intensives, this is how much I want to be making from choreography.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_01: And then given my fees, how and do I need to adjust my fees or not?
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_01: But like, what is my tactic to get there?
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_01: I need to be choreographing X number of groups at these fees and these many solos, and I need to be teaching at these many local intensives or these many traveling intensives.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's I'm really, really tactical about that.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: And frankly, I think engineering school taught me that sort of way of thinking of like, here is my goal.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_01: I need to be really tactical about building the tools and structures.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: Cause once you have that, like those skills, and I think it's easy to like learning how to network with someone is like a really useful skill.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: This skill that I had to learn to just be like, I'm gonna research these people, I have no idea who they are.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna learn what motivates them, and I'm gonna write them a blind email, and then I'm gonna pray that some of it works.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_01: But those skills I think are really useful and ones that the competition world doesn't often teach explicitly.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I think there's other ways, like if there's leadership opportunities at a club at your school, I learned how to market and present myself because I was a tour guide at Columbia.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so I learned how to publicly speak and how to handle tough questions and complicated situations.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's been huge for my ability as a judge, my ability to market and talk about my company.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I would also critically think about comfortability speaking, comfortability being in public spaces and networking, because believe it or not, I'm actually an introvert, but I've learned to exist in a very dance role that depends on personal relationships.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_01: Those skills are things that are really important also to a successful dance career, that parents could be more tactical about making sure that their kids are gaming.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: And frankly, if they aren't dancers, it might be really useful in whatever are their jobs that you decide to do because being able to network and communicate and brand yourself is useful regardless of what discipline you go into.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_03: 100%.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: So that is always the frustration I have of like it it feels like that part of the industry is like missing from the competition environment.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I wish we like talked about the dance adjacent things more.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like the number of dancers I've worked with who like cannot keep track of their calendars and like sign contracts on time and respond to emails.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, oh my god, please just be an organized human.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, like the business of dance is really crucial to success in the dance world.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_03: And that's hard to figure out because no one really teaches you that.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_03: I do think there's a lot of mentoring programs and gap year programs, and maybe even is incorporated into college degree programs now.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not sure it should be if it's not.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's not just about how do you audition, but it's also about how did you even get into that audition?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_03: Did you look up the auditions?
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_03: Is that a part of your daily routine where you go onto the websites and you mark them into your calendar?
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_03: And did you sign up in time or did you miss the deadline?
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_03: What does your resume look like?
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_03: Did you submit it to the right email?
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_03: Is your headshot formatted and filed with appropriate name that doesn't say 500 numbers dot PDF?
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, like little details that are just businessing that a lot of people don't think about.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_03: And like granted, this dancer is young, but like I do think that just like learning how to respond appropriately, like you said, in an email, professionally, learning how to meet deadlines, learning how to hustle, learning how to network, those are very, very great life skills that can translate in so many ways.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_03: And the dancers that don't really know how to do those things and just think that because they're a good dancer and they show up that they're gonna get a job, they might get the job and they might not get rehired for the job because they don't have that professionalism attached to them yet.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_03: And it just shows like a lack of an experience, which I do think is one of the hardest things that when I mentor a lot of dancers breaking into the industry, that's one of the hardest things for them to wrap their head around is the fact that like at 18 years old, it's almost a liability sometimes for companies to take a risk on hiring an 18-year-old because you have no life experience yet.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like, are you gonna actually show up on time?
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_03: Are you going to make sure that you're on like not coming to work having a wild night out last night and you can't do your job?
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_03: So many factors come in come into play when hiring someone breaking into the industry.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_03: But if you are practicing that professionalism leading up to that and are reliable and are respectful and are communicative and can show those qualities from the beginning, then they're more interested in taking that risk with you, even if you are young and breaking into the industry.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_03: So lots of factors here.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_03: I think that that advice is so important.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you for sharing that.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_03: Really great answer.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess the last part of this that I actually just thought about is like, I don't know if you had this, but I think for me, it's actually been really useful to have the like other skill that I can use to bring an income if I need to that has allowed me to like say no to the dance jobs that are not filling my cup.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_01: Frankly.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I know not everyone does like, don't force yourself to find something that you don't like.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: But if you're somebody who happens to have a passion outside of dance, that might actually be a slightly more financially stable choice.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think it's a bad thing.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: To nurture that passion as well.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: So that like when you're starting out in your dance career, you have something else that's maybe at least bringing in some base level of like income that allows you to stress a bit less.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: Again, there are people out there who all they love is dance and they can't imagine themselves doing anything else.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_01: And don't force yourself to go be a psychologist or something.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's not gonna go well.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_01: I felt like I loved school also.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_01: And as much as I fought my parents for it, I'm actually really happy that I gained a skill that allowed me to gain income in another way that's allowed me to say no to dance jobs that are not filling my cup because I'm not solely depending on it for money.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_01: That's allowed me some like flexibility, which has been really, really nice.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a thing to consider if your daughter is someone who also has other passions outside of dance to balance those in some way.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_03: I don't mean to get into your personal life, but you said you fought your parents.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_03: What does that mean?
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_03: Like you they wanted you to go to school for dance?
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_01: No, other way around, actually.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like I wanted to go to school for dance.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_01: My parents are like very open, but they were like, Look, I frankly, I think they were smart, and I was like a naive 16-year-old, is like really what I was, but it didn't feel like that in the moment because I was 16, you know.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_01: But they were like, Look, we think you should go to college.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_01: We just don't see the point of a dance program, particularly for a tap dancer.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_01: To their credit, my mom went up to the tap teachers at conventions and were like, Hi, I don't know anything about the dance world, but like, do you mind chatting with me afterwards?
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_01: Because my son wants to do this and I just want to understand how this works.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_01: So to her credit, she she yeah, she like she was like, I need help.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_01: And she went and got the information that she needed to.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_01: And she was like, I don't think like college matters if like tap is like the thing that you feel like is your focus, which is true.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know of like a particularly strong college tap program out there, to be frank.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so she's like, Why don't you just go to LA or New York or somewhere and go to school for something else and get your butt kicked in the city?
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_01: Because that's what most people do, anyways.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so they're like, go to school for something else, and like after that, they were also like, once you have your college degree, they're like, You're not our problem, go do what you want to do, and like we have nothing to say, like it's your life.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, you're trained enough that you use them in the right way.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that was like they were just worried, which I think is fair as like you're gonna spend all this money on a dance program, and then like, are you even gonna be successful and get results out of it?
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_01: And are you, and if not, what is your alternate option gonna be?
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that was their concern, which is a totally real concern.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I like to ask because majority of our listeners are dance parents, and these are the type of questions that a lot of them have and also feel when their dancers are getting into high school and are trying to navigate the next steps and do they go to college and things.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_03: So I like to just hear others, other people's experiences and stories and choices and and also outcomes on was it worth it?
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_03: Did you enjoy it?
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_03: You know, so like it is really nice to hear that like you're really glad that you ended up going to school for non-dance, and now you have an additional skill set and another whole side career that can be your your backup plan or can be happening simultaneously with your dance career or can be a part of your life post-dance career.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_03: You know, so that's really great to hear.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_03: So I appreciate you sharing that.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it's not a binary choice.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think American culture likes to be like, pick one thing and like pick what you're passionate about and do it well, and like, you know, Jack of all trades, master of none.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, I'm sorry, like I strongly disagree with that mentality.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I was really focused on my insuring classes, and I also took ballet every single semester for eight semesters, and I took contact improv and I took Pilates, like I took all the things because I was also taking dance seriously.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think you can take two things seriously.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_01: It takes a lot.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I was I didn't have much of a social life, you know, but it is possible to pursue two things if that's the right fit for you.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yay.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I want to just chime in and Maidaline says the cost, you judged my daughter's contemporary solo this year at Celebrity Regional in Texas.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_03: Your critique was so good to listen to, and it was great feedback.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yay!
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, so nice.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_01: That makes me happy.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's why we do what we do as judges is to help dancers break through whatever their speed bump is.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I love hearing that.
• 48:03
  SPEAKER_03: And then we have Jody who chimed in and said, I'm a dance parent.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_03: My dancer wants to dance professionally, but is going to start a degree for interior design.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_03: We shall see how it goes.
• 48:14
  unknown: Yeah.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's awesome.
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_03: That I love that.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, HD TV.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_03: It's like my favorite channel.
• 48:21
  SPEAKER_03: So I support interior design.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_03: I always said if I actually like went finished school or didn't go to school for dance, I would have loved to do like graphic design or something, something along the lines of that.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_03: Because I just I've always been interested in that computer something, but creative, you know.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense to me.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_01: So you're you're both tactical and creative, and that feels like a fun blend of those things.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so we do have another pre-submitted that I'm actually gonna put on hold, and I want to get to this question that popped up into the comments because I really like it.
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_03: And it's also tap specific, and it's not that this is like a tap episode, but also like you are the tap expert here.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_03: So let's pop this up here.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_03: This is from Danielle, and she asked, How do you feel about acro incorporated into tap solos?
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_03: Not just simple stuff like a walkover, but aerials and backhand springs.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'll say safety first, which is you are wearing metal on the bottom of your shoes and you're doing something that requires a strong landing.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you're on Marley, but so I think there's a higher skill level requirement when you're landing in tap shoes, frankly, just because they are not, you know, like they're slippery by design.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_01: So assuming that that is out of the way, which is a big caveat, I would not mind it if it is in the open category, would be my answer to that question.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_01: And the reason, whenever I am approached with a question like this, I like to flip it on its head and see if I'd have the same answer.
• 49:52
  SPEAKER_01: So if I was in the acro category and I had a shuffle ball change in a wing, would I feel okay with that being in the acro category?
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_01: And the answer would be no, it should be in the open category.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I wouldn't.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think the opposite is true, right?
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_01: If it's primarily a tap solo, and like she said, it's not just like one cartwheel or whatever, but we're talking like some more intense things, then like assuming they can execute it well, no problem if it is in the open category.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_01: If it's in the tap category, how I would like to feel is that I would like to well, given how most competitions are structured, I would not deduct points for that because I think that's not how the rubrics are often structured, but I would make a verbal comment about it.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I would say, hey, I don't know if this is really true to the history and style of tap dance, the same way that in a ballet solo, if we just suddenly did a shuffle ball change, it's just like that's not the vocabulary that the style is for.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_01: That doesn't mean it's bad or wrong or anything, but it's just like not fitting of the category that we're in.
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so when I see things like that in general that feel like they're just not in that category, I will verbally comment, but I will not negative it uh just because I'm like, you know, the student doesn't have choice of the choreography, whatever.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_01: There's a follow-up question here on like, is it safe?
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's like the that's dependent on the student executing it and whatever.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_01: It could maybe be safe on Mar.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely not on wood.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_01: If it was wood, I'd love please.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_01: I can see it being safe on Marley, but I will say I've without seeing a dancer doing it, I'm already really nervous and my heart rate is getting up about it.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_03: Like like we're already scared when we see the hurdle or the you know, and uh and you're immediately already thinking, like, oh no, no, no, no, why are we doing that?
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_03: We are in a tap shoe.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so like the safety aspect for me is the biggest concern because like you were in flat, based on how you're choosing to prep, I already know if it's gonna be good or bad.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_03: So then let's add the layer of a slippery tap shoe to the mix, and I'm even more concerned.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_03: So, like, I completely agree with you.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_03: I love how you flipped that scenario around.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_03: That's a perfect way to explain it.
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I say this so frequently with so many other styles of dance that people ask about, especially when it comes to acro, but this the vocabulary of the style could be said about anything.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um so I I don't I don't necessarily want to see it.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_03: I know that there have been tap dancers throughout history who have done acro in their style, and it's like, yes, it's not wrong.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_01: The Nicholas brothers are super famous for that, in fact.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_03: Like they had the flash, that's what made them known.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, granted, and I don't know exactly what their acro training was, the Nicholas Brothers.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, they probably didn't, they just taught it to themselves, probably.
• 52:42
  SPEAKER_03: But like there was something about it that just felt when you would watch them do it, it just felt like effortless and and easy and an exciting thrill.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's not a dangerous, scary thrill.
• 52:55
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that that the dangerous scary thrill is often what I see when I see acro in a tap dance at competition.
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_03: Because they're not, we're not professionals yet.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_03: We we are still trying to navigate mastering steps.
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_03: So to me, it feels like we're putting it in for the wrong reasons where you want to have a trick for no reason, like to have it in your dance, when it's like, let's just focus on the tap dancing.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_03: And like you said, if it has to be there, then let's put it in open.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_03: But if if you don't necessarily need it and it's not really coming off executed properly every single time, and you are this close from landing on your head or rolling your ankle every single time, then like cut the aerial because it probably doesn't even belong in here anyway.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_01: Oh no, like yeah, I would say 90% of the time it's probably not safe, would be my instinct.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_01: But like, yeah, you better be able to land it like 99 out of 100 times without topshoes and 99 out of 100 times with topshoes before it's running in there.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, well, that's that's helpful to hear.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you, Danielle, for one of our questions that popped into the comments.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_03: I love that type of question.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's a good one because I think a lot of people think that we gotta add all these things to make it, and I'm just over here wanting to hear a clean rhythm, clear sounds, understanding of timing, different phrasing that you can utilize.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_03: Like those things matter more to me, and you can make those advanced and flashy and exciting than adding a random acro trick just because you can.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_03: Even like turns in second or like random like things that just people start breaking out into turns in second, which like granted, I've been in a tap dance when I was younger and we did like Ronversay jump at turns in second.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, what were we doing?
• 54:41
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, what now that I see it at competition, I'm just like, wait, let's get back to the tap dancing.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great example of when you flip it on its head, like in the middle of your jazz piece, if you randomly did a cramp roll flap flopshaf change, would that be like normal?
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_01: And the answer is no, everyone would be like, What are you doing?
• 54:56
  SPEAKER_01: So then why is the opposite considered acceptable and normal?
• 55:01
  SPEAKER_01: So if we're gonna like treat every category equally, like we're either gonna be a purist in every category, which it seems like mostly the dance world has aligned on, or we're gonna be open to a lot of openness and mishmash in every category.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_01: But like we have to pick one, and it seems like mostly we've picked the like follow the category, otherwise go into open seems to be what we've at least what we say in our regulations.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_01: We don't often follow that.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_01: That is true.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_01: But at least what is stated on paper seems to be like, hey, if this is a mishmash of these things, then like throw it in the open category, right?
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_01: Which means the open category is not for your third contemporary solo.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_01: Just gonna put that out there.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_03: So let's reiterate that.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like it is for the whatever acro in the tap, or it's for a ballet and hip hop duo or whatever, like things that really are not fitting anywhere else.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're ever questioning, like, I'm not sure where this belongs, guess what?
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_03: Put it in open because there's a lot of dances that are oftentimes placed in an in a inappropriate category where I'm watching it and I'm like, but this isn't that.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_03: So this is too much of a fusion for me to really put this in this category.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_03: And as an educator who made the choice to put it in this category, you should have already felt that.
• 56:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah because you should already know which genres are which.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_03: So if there's ever that that confusion of is this lyrical enough, is this jazz enough?
• 56:22
  SPEAKER_03: Is this tap enough?
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_03: Put it in open, just be safe, safe about it, because everything goes in open.
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 56:29
  SPEAKER_03: Except for like correct.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_03: Like you said, there have been so many times, and we actually have done an episode all about open.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_03: Go give a listen, everybody.
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_03: But there have been so many times where I'm watching a dance that I look in the category and it says it's open, and I'm watching it, and then I'm just thinking, so what makes this open?
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_03: Like I should know why it's open, you know, not just like this could belong in another category.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_03: So what made you put this there?
• 56:55
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, it's because you already have two other contemporary solos and you just needed to have another one.
• 56:59
  SPEAKER_03: Like, that's not the good enough reason.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_03: Make it a fusion if you know it's gonna live in the open category.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_03: Add something else to make it belong there.
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I totally agree with that.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_03: So, our final question that we didn't get to, do you have time to answer it?
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 57:17
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 57:18
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna throw it at you.
• 57:19
  SPEAKER_03: And it doesn't have to be a long answer, but this was a pre-submitted question, and it actually came from our previous last month's QA that we didn't have time for.
• 57:26
  SPEAKER_03: This is Branadance Parent, and their question is what advice would you give a 15-year-old boy to help him bring the facials to his hip-hop class?
• 57:37
  SPEAKER_03: He has musicality, rhythm, and great memory, but from ages 10 to 13, he let the personality shine, but now has pulled back since becoming a teen.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 57:51
  SPEAKER_01: I guess I I also did that, so I guess I would say like this is somewhat part of I feel like the trajectory that I see in students.
• 58:01
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you see a similar trajectory, which I think around this age, like expressing yourself becomes like not cool for a bit.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_01: I did kind of pull out of it, I think, around either my junior or senior year, somewhere there.
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_01: If the student was a natural performer, my instinct is that's gonna come back once they get through whatever puberty fun is going on at the moment.
• 58:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think something that helps is to watch dancers that they're inspired by and see that like performance is a critical part of what makes them inspiring to watch, right?
• 58:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if I, you know, back in the day, it was like YouTube where we watched all the like, you know, Kyle Hanagami became famous and all of those like videos.
• 58:40
  SPEAKER_01: But like I feel like I would watch those, and I was always like taken aback by that was like they're not just good dancers, but they're like they're partying and they're grooving and there's emotion, and like that's that's also part of it, and seeing like the class react to not just them executing well, but just like a strong performance moment, everyone's like, Hey, yeah, because sometimes that doesn't happen in the competition world, and so I think like seeing role models that are you know, I'm sure this dancer has role models that they watch on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, where wherever it is that they find their dance content, and maybe even watching it with them and being like, Hey, you like do you notice that these dancers are engaging in performing both with the camera and with each other?
• 59:20
  SPEAKER_01: And like that doesn't make you better to not perform.
• 59:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 59:23
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think sometimes as a teenager, you get into this like, you know, I'm so good and I'm so cool that like, you know, I don't need to do this.
• 59:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, no, no, no, no, no.
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_01: You're performing artists.
• 59:32
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't want to be performing, go be a drummer or something else.
• 59:35
  SPEAKER_01: But the whole point of this art form is to be on stage and perform.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that would be my recommendation.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_01: This person probably already has role models, watch those role models with them and get them to see that all great dancers are always performing.
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's not cool not to perform.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_01: I went through it and hopefully they will come out of it.
• 59:51
  SPEAKER_03: It's hard.
• 59:52
  SPEAKER_03: This is a hard question that so many people always ask like, how do I get performance out of my dancers?
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_03: That's one of the hardest layers to add to someone's dance training is you can drill the technique and you can rehearse, but like then there's nothing going on.
• 1:00:08
  SPEAKER_03: So I all I always think that create scenarios, maybe the teacher can say, like, all right, in class we're dancing for this artist, and we're gonna use only their music and you're gonna act like that.
• 1:00:19
  SPEAKER_03: You're a backup dancer for this artist.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_03: How would you perform if you were on stage and if in front of thousands of people in what city are you in?
• 1:00:26
  SPEAKER_03: Are you in Brazil?
• 1:00:27
  SPEAKER_03: Like, okay, you're on the beach at Brazil.
• 1:00:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I don't know, just create like a scenario that gets them excited and understanding, like, all right, I'm gonna do this combo now, acting that way, and maybe see if it helps and turn it on.
• 1:00:40
  SPEAKER_03: Especially another thing that I think helps a lot, which a lot of studios have now, and if you don't have this in your studio, I think there's a very easy way to affordably incorporate it is like a little bit of mood lighting in the studio where the teacher can turn the lights off but have some lighting in there, like colorful lights, those little LED strips that everybody has now for everything.
• 1:01:02
  SPEAKER_03: Those cost like 20 bucks on Amazon.
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_03: You can just like perimeter your walls with that and have the ability to like change the mood in the room so it's not just like fluorescent lights and I'm in a dance studio, but like create the setting and environment, even turning off the lights, but having that mood lighting is gonna shift how a dancer is going to perform because they might not feel like all eyes are on you and it's intense.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_03: They feel like they're in this dimly lit, like maybe you can't really see me, and maybe they can see themselves turning on the performance a bit more.
• 1:01:33
  SPEAKER_03: So that would be another idea, like in the classroom.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 1:01:37
  SPEAKER_03: And then obviously, maybe watching them back on video and actually seeing, like, I thought I was performing, but I really wasn't.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_03: And what can I do to actually enhance my performance here or there?
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you know, physically seeing it with their own eyes is always a helpful training tool.
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_01: Two other thoughts here.
• 1:01:57
  SPEAKER_01: I guess the first is like, um, just because like I wish this was not the case, but there's still a stigma against boys dancing.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_01: I would like to dive in with this student and ask why they're not doing that.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because my instinct, at least for me, it was coming from some level of internalized homophobia around dancing and a bunch of other things that was causing me to sort of not fully dance, if that makes sense.
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like just almost my way of like silent quitting, even though I obviously wasn't quitting because I was training thirty hours a week, like it was very stupid, but like you know, so my instinct is there there's some something going on, I think it's worth just asking the question.
• 1:02:33
  SPEAKER_01: And then the last, again, this is not for the parent, but just a realization I'm having is like in classical Indian dance, they teach facial expressions like vocabulary.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's like so critical because I say this a lot.
• 1:02:44
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like the focus is almost the opposite, like the level of focus on facial energy.
• 1:02:50
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes I'm like, guys, can we focus on some technique, please?
• 1:02:53
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but I feel like the dance studio world is the opposite.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_01: We focus so much on technique, and then we're just like, go out and perform and smile.
• 1:02:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why don't you know how to perform?
• 1:03:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, well, because we can teach you how to perform.
• 1:03:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's why.
• 1:03:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like, when I watch like the classical Indian dances and convergence rehears, they literally be like, Well, guys, we're trying to be shy, so maybe we're looking and then we're looking down this way.
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like they think that level of detail of like you see someone and then you notice them noticing you, so like, but you still want to see them.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_01: So you're not looking away, you're looking towards them, but down.
• 1:03:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like they focus to that level.
• 1:03:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it's that's something I like wish we did more of in like competition dance training.
• 1:03:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, okay, don't just say this section is happy, but like I try and do this with students now.
• 1:03:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's like we're gonna do the same phrase, but with these four different emotions, and then like you're gonna watch a buddy and be honest with them about like, did you see that emotion or did you not?
• 1:03:40
  SPEAKER_01: And like for the first few weeks, the answer is probably gonna be that you didn't see it, you might have felt it, but you didn't see it in the and like what tools do we have in our when you can fur your eyebrows, you can raise an eyebrow, you can, you know, there's so many options.
• 1:03:52
  SPEAKER_01: I love side-eyeing to be sassy, that's like a great option, but like we have tools, but we don't train dancers on how to use them often.
• 1:04:00
  SPEAKER_01: So, again, not a great answer for the parent because the parent is not the one doing teaching, but it's just sort of like a this part of a trend, I think, where it's like I sometimes it comes from a place that students want to express themselves, but they don't know what tools to have to express themselves because we're not teaching these tools, we're only teaching these tools, you know.
• 1:04:17
  SPEAKER_03: 100%.
• 1:04:18
  SPEAKER_03: I completely agree.
• 1:04:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I feel like that as a teacher, I didn't necessarily understand how to articulate intention and storytelling and performance quality until I actually started performing in musicals and hearing the choreographers and the directors talk about the story that you have to tell as your character.
• 1:04:37
  SPEAKER_03: And yes, that's a two and a half hour long musical, but I'm still a dancer, and that just shifted my mindset a bit of who I am in this world, and I always try to kind of talk about intention in hopes that it will enhance the performance quality of a dancer if they know what they're dancing about, it should the acting should become a little bit easier if they're not given those tools or even any verbal cues on like, what do you feel here, or this is supposed to be a sad emotion, and digging into those types of discussions, then it's going to be harder for them to emote naturally in their performance quality.
• 1:05:15
  SPEAKER_03: So I always encourage teachers to come up with ideas on how to create the setting and verbalize that to their students to help better enhance their performance quality.
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:05:27
  SPEAKER_01: And then last thought here, also like if the parent is noticing this about their kids dancing, I think they should feel comfortable bringing it up with the teacher if the teacher hasn't noticed it to be like, hey, I'm recognizing this in my child's dancing.
• 1:05:36
  SPEAKER_01: Is this a problem?
• 1:05:37
  SPEAKER_01: And if so, like how do we fix it?
• 1:05:39
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:05:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because like you and your teacher are a team to some extent.
• 1:05:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yes, the teacher is the teacher, but also like you understand what's going on at home.
• 1:05:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like, I sometimes like wish as a teacher that's like I've noticed sometimes.
• 1:05:50
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, hi, like the student feels a bit just like not focused, even though they normally are and they're not present, like, and they're like, Oh yeah, like this thing is going on.
• 1:05:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, oh, I wish I would have like known because then you know, maybe I have to be a bit more positive and supportive and a bit less critical of them for this next month or you know, whatever.
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's important for if the parents to share it with the teachers.
• 1:06:10
  SPEAKER_01: So if the teacher isn't already aware, like they can they can help solve the problem.
• 1:06:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:06:15
  SPEAKER_03: Wonderful advice.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_03: And wow, this was such a fun chat.
• 1:06:20
  SPEAKER_03: Stay in a little extra and answering all of these questions.
• 1:06:23
  SPEAKER_03: It's so great to have you finally on the podcast, finally on the IDA roster.
• 1:06:28
  SPEAKER_03: And yeah, we'll have to have it one.
• 1:06:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I know it really has been.
• 1:06:32
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm so glad you applied this year.
• 1:06:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I feel like we should definitely get you onto a roundtable chat at some point on the pod this season, next season.
• 1:06:40
  SPEAKER_03: So we'll make it happen.
• 1:06:41
  SPEAKER_01: We'll figure it out.
• 1:06:42
  SPEAKER_03: Danielle says, Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
• 1:06:45
  SPEAKER_03: And she was the one who asked our acro and tap question.
• 1:06:48
  SPEAKER_03: So you're welcome, Danielle.
• 1:06:49
  SPEAKER_03: Vacas, could you share with all of our listeners out there how they can follow along with your journey on social media and even give your company another plug if you'd like.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_01: So there's only one Vicasa Rune who's a professional dancer that I know of.
• 1:07:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's very easy to find, you know, me on Instagram or find my website or whatever.
• 1:07:08
  SPEAKER_01: But please feel free to follow along.
• 1:07:09
  SPEAKER_01: A large part of my mission on social media is to like expose what professional dance looks like behind the scenes.
• 1:07:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm always trying to like, here's what it looks like before we're judging, here's our judges.
• 1:07:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, obviously I can't share all the details, but I really try and do that because I feel like I didn't have that insight into like what it actually meant, including the boring parts of like Courtney and I were just talking.
• 1:07:27
  SPEAKER_01: End of year, we're sitting at coffee shop doing taxes.
• 1:07:30
  SPEAKER_01: Not cute, but that's what we're doing.
• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_01: So try and share that.
• 1:07:33
  SPEAKER_01: My company's project convergence.
• 1:07:34
  SPEAKER_01: Again, really easy to Google and find on Instagram or on the web.
• 1:07:38
  SPEAKER_01: And we're touring around the country, so we might have a show near you.
• 1:07:41
  SPEAKER_01: So come check us out.
• 1:07:42
  SPEAKER_01: And if not, I will see you at some IDA event somewhere, hopefully, around the country.
• 1:07:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yay! Well, thank you so much for joining us.
• 1:07:50
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm gonna send you into the backstage as I wrap up the episode.
• 1:07:54
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:07:55
  SPEAKER_03: All right, everybody.
• 1:07:56
  SPEAKER_03: Hope you enjoyed our December 2025 QA with Courtney Live over here on Making the Impact podcast.
• 1:08:03
  SPEAKER_03: This is exclusive to our Platinum Premium subscribers.
• 1:08:05
  SPEAKER_03: So if you were able to tune in live on Facebook, you got a little sampler as to what you could enjoy every single month with some really great questions that we tackled.
• 1:08:14
  SPEAKER_03: And again, we are happy to tackle any question that is about the competitive dance world.
• 1:08:18
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you to my fabulous guest, an IDA judge, for joining and answering so many great questions.
• 1:08:25
  SPEAKER_03: If you would like to learn more about what we do at IDA, visit our website, submit an online critique, join Platinum Premium, and also join and attend an IDA affiliated competition.
• 1:08:38
  SPEAKER_03: We have judges getting ready to go out all around the country.
• 1:08:42
  SPEAKER_03: We have 150 judges located around the country that go to different IDA affiliated competitions.
• 1:08:47
  SPEAKER_03: So if you want quality critique at dance competitions, then make sure you're going to a competition that uses our fabulous and talented judges on the roster.
• 1:08:56
  SPEAKER_03: And thank you to all of the sponsors who helped sponsor our podcast as well.
• 1:09:00
  SPEAKER_03: We are so grateful for you.
• 1:09:02
  SPEAKER_03: And wishing everyone a happy holidays and happy new year.
• 1:09:05
  SPEAKER_03: We will see you in 2026.
• 1:09:08
  SPEAKER_03: Bye y'all.