Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Continuing Education for Dance Teachers

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Continuing Education for Dance Teachers · 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?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  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.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Continuing education as a dance teacher can be daunting.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you find the time, money, and energy to gain new skills?
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Luckily, it's easier than ever to level up your teaching through free resources, online classes, and in-person events.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Today on Making the Impact, we're joined by two dance educators who give us some insight into their favorite continuing ed programs and explain why it's imperative for dance teachers to continue to learn and grow.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, y'all.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_05: Welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_05: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host, Leslie Mueller.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, Courtney.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, listeners.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: We are so excited to be back with you this week.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, we are, and this week's episode is for the teachers out there.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_05: We are talking about continuing education, different types of courses that you can continue to learn and grow as a choreographer, as an educator, as a dancer, as you are at your studio throughout the years.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_05: And we're excited to have some new guests joining us on this week's episode.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_05: So hooray for all the teachers out there.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_05: We love you, dance educators.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're super stoked to talk about this topic.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many things out there, uh, free and paid and otherwise, uh, to heighten your knowledge that's just going to continue to give the dancers and the dance teachers of tomorrow more information.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So excited to chat a little bit about those.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: But I think we have a little announcement today, don't we, Courtney?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, we have an announcement to make over here at Impact Dance Adjudicators, and I am so excited to share with the Dance World, a brand new IDA affiliated competition who is joining and partnering with us this season.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_05: They are America's largest dance competition.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_05: And that dance competition is Starbound.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_05: Woo! Woo! Starbound!
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Starbound was one of my first competitions.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: I absolutely have like video, probably on a VHS or something, of you know, my solo from Starbound.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really, really cool that we are now partnering with such a long-standing uh company in the industry.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, I agree.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_05: And I am so excited and thrilled for this opportunity to grow with Starbound this season.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_05: They have over 60 events in their 2024 season.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_05: That is huge.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_05: Wow.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_05: They're running around between three to four regional events every single weekend.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_05: And like you said, Leslie, they've been around for a very long time.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_05: I too attended a Starbound event back in the day, back in the 90s.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_05: I have a trophy back home from Starbound.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I absolutely do.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think I have my critique sheets.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna have to go home uh in a few weeks and find them.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, it's just so full circle to be here and for Starbound to reach out to IDA and support what we're doing in the industry, especially with them having been around since 1994, they've been doing this.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_05: So nice.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_05: It's pretty, it's pretty awesome.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_05: And we are so excited and thrilled for this opportunity.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_05: So all of our IDA judges can't wait to go out at a Starbound event.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_05: There, they might be at an event if you're attending.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_05: So if you are, if you have Starbound on your schedule, all the studios out there, then be on the lookout for possibly an IDA judge sitting on that panel alongside some of the Starbound veteran judges as well.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_05: They host events all across the country.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_05: You can find an event pretty much in every single state in the United States.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_05: So go check out their full schedule now on their website at starbound.net.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_05: Register for an upcoming event if you haven't yet.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_05: And we are so thrilled for this partnership with Starbound.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you, Starbound, for supporting IDA and our judges.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_05: And before we jump into our episode this week with our two special guests, we want to tell you a little bit more about our spectacular sponsors over here at Making the Impact.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_05: Hey teachers and studios, get ready to experience Relative Motions Total Technique Academy, the ultimate resource to unlock incredible technique results in your dancers, while feeling renewed creativity in designing a results-driven season unlike any before.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_05: The Relative Motion Total Technique Academy program will help your studios faculty transform into a powerful streamlined team where they will meet unbelievable goals and redefine your program's vision with cutting-edge training.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_05: In just 90 days, your dancers will experience a technical transformation by helping your dancers tap into their mind-body connection, eliminating self-doubt, and accessing the freedom and strength in their movement.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_05: Mark your calendars for the official launch of the Total Technique Academy on January 8th, 2024.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_05: Registration for this digital teacher training course will be open from December 28, 2023 until January 7, 2024.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_05: By joining the training, you and your faculty will receive 12 weeks of dance magic, with one module released each week and lifetime access to the content.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_05: You can work through the program at your own pace, giving you all the flexibility you need to shine.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_05: Plus, get ready to hit the dance floor with one live session each week throughout the 12-week program.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_05: If you want to learn about Relative Motion's Total Technique Academy before officially registering, don't miss out on their free webinar scheduled for the end of December.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_05: Stay connected on social media at Relative Motion Dance for updates, and register now for their upcoming Total Technique Teacher Training Academy.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_05: Visit their website at therelative motion experience.com slash technique or click the link in our show notes to register now.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_05: Coming to you from our season five premiere sponsor, Francisco Gella Danceworks, I'm excited to introduce New Century Dance Project, a festival of performance and choreography.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_05: New Century Dance Project focuses on teaching the craft of choreography and why it's important for both choreographers and the dancer.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_05: Festival components include a choreography intensive for dancers ages 15 to 24, a choreography competition, concert performances, and community outreach events.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_05: The seven-day intensive starts every day with a technique class.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_05: After that, participants will head into classes and seminars that aid in the choreographic process, such as compositional techniques, improv, use of props, music selection, partnering, lighting and design, and so much more.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_05: What sets this intensive apart is the ability to hear and see various artistic voices throughout the week, allowing new choreographers to develop their unique style.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_05: The choreographic competition offers three age groups, high school, undergraduate, and emerging professional.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_05: The competition results in a critic choice winner judged by a distinguished faculty and a people's choice winner, voted by the audience for each age division.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_05: If you are an aspiring choreographer ages 15 or older, looking to advance your competition knowledge and display your work in an artistic choreography competition, then look no further with the News Century Dance Project, taking place this summer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from July 29th through August 4th, 2024.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_05: The deadline to submit your choreography for consideration is by March 1st, 2024.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_05: Use our exclusive podcast promo code Making the Impact in all caps when registering for the festival to receive$75 off.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_05: Learn more on their website at newscenturydanceproject.org.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_05: All right, Dance World.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_05: We are back over here at Making the Impact.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_05: And like I said, we're doing an episode for the teachers.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_05: I can't wait to dive into continuing education certifications and courses that are available out there for all of you fantastic dance educators to continue to learn and grow as an artist and educator.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_05: It's gonna be a great discussion with two brand new guests to our podcast.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_05: And I can't wait to hear from them and learn more about them.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_05: The first guest I'm excited to welcome is a studio owner based in New York State.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_05: I've had the pleasure of working with her dancers actually at a summer intensive a few summers back, and it was such a great experience.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_05: And she is going to bring the studio owner side of this chat when it comes to continuing Ed.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm excited to welcome Rebecca Tyler to the podcast.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Rebecca.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much for having me, guys.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_05: Really excited for you.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_05: And I if I have been following along on your Instagram and social media journey, and I'm pretty sure you just moved into a brand new studio space.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we did.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_02: We moved a week and a half ago into our new space.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: We are finally we bought the building rather than renting, so we're it's been a little bit crazy, but we're super excited about all that.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_05: Congrats.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_05: Well, Rebecca, if you wouldn't mind telling the world more about you, where you uh grew up, what your early dance training was like, how you got into studio ownership, and how the season is going.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I'm from a tiny little town called Sydney, New York.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: We're kind of in the center of the state in the middle of nowhere.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_02: Every time I say New York, people think New York City, and it's really more cows than skyscrapers over here.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I grew up uh a small studio in my town.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: I graduated high school a semester early to move to the city and do the class, take class as much as you can while waitressing kind of thing.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Decided maybe I do want to go to college after all, continued to study dance at SUNY Potsdam, then moved to SUNY ONIANA to study child and family studies with a child development concentration.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: And in 2015, I opened up my studio.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'm back in my little hometown and raising up the next generation of rural New York dancers over here.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and you want to give your studio a shout out?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, my studio is Limitless Performing Arts Complex.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_05: Amazing.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_05: Well, we're thrilled to have you here.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much for joining us on this chat.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks for having me.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_05: All right, our next special guest is joining us from the Chicagoland area.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_05: I had the opportunity to meet her in person a few summers back in Chicago while I was teaching there.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_05: And she is a dance educator.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_05: She teaches at a lot of different studios.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_05: She is in demand, y'all.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_05: I'm excited to welcome Jamie Harris to the podcast.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Jamie.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very excited.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_05: Super excited to have you.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_05: I know that you are a Making the Impact fan and listener, so thank you for your support.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_05: And thank you for being such a great uh dance educator, uh, teaching at so many studios in Chicago.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_05: So tell the world a little bit more about you.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think I have like a very uh typical Chicago suburb resume.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: I started, I grew up in Park Forest, Illinois, which is like southeast suburbs, and then moved around at least 45 minutes or half an hour around the radius of Chicago.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: So Chicago is always accessible to me, which as you know has amazing dance, especially like growing up in the 90s and Joffrey moving there in 97, and it was just a really wonderful, blessed time to grow up.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: I went to American Dance Center, very proud of it.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: They're going on their 52nd year this year, which is awesome.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: I had to say that because that's huge.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's great.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: That is, and I am very blessed to have the foundation and the training and technique that I have, and that's why I'm such a big fan of you, Courtney, is we mesh well a lot on that foundational technique.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's so important.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: I've been teaching 22 years.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm currently at three studios, but I have subbed at over 45 in this area.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: Which is crazy.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: I know when I was having my kids, I didn't want to teach full-time.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what makes me unique is I did get into so many studios from the north side, west side, um, the city itself, and got to view the different ways the good, the bad, the what works, what I what I want going forward for my kids, and what I see great areas or problematic areas, and it gave me a really big picture of like what's needed or what's really working great, and then started really continuing.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: I went to Columbia, College Chicago, in sh in the city, which is modern based, and had an amazing experience there.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: I like so many other dancers, did the Joel Hall, Gushi Ordano, Lu Kante, Chicago Human Rhythm Project back in the day.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm just and then the Joffrey, of course.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: I was in their first Chicago cast of the Nutcracker at like 12 or something.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: And then I was too tall.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: But I still make connections with people like professionals from the company that I danced with back then.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: I still talk to to this day and took master classes from after that.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it was really an amazing my resume is my teachers and my education.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I knew I wanted to go down the teacher route very young because those people inspired me so much.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'm really excited about this topic and so thankful that you asked me to be here.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_05: Awesome.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_05: I know.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_05: I'm so glad that you were available and um I can't wait to learn from you as well on this chat.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_05: So thank you so much for being our guest today.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_05: You're very welcome.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: All right, let's jump in.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, jump right on in.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks again, y'all, for being here today.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I am excited to hear everybody's perspectives.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: I want to start out though with just seeing, just asking what you guys are certified in.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: What continuing education programs do you want to just shout out right now and sing their praises?
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Because we we want to give the most information possible to our listeners today.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: So, Rebecca, I'll start with you.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so starting when I first started out as a teacher, I did the DMA certification in ballet and jazz, which is an exam-based certification.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: I grew up at a DMA studio, so that was kind of my entry into the teaching world.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_02: So that was the first thing that I did.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_02: The other big major teaching certification that I did was American Ballet Theaters National Training Curriculum, which is a more intense program.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: You go to the city, I think the first session is like 10 days or something, and the other ones a week, and then they get shorter as you get into the higher levels.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I did pre-through three, which is the first one, and then four, five, six, which is the next one.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, those are my big teaching certifications.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: And then continuing on as a studio owner, I'm a member of More Than Just Great Dancing, which is an affiliated studio group.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of continuing ed through webinars and different things monthly, um, as well as bigger trainings, like um conference type trainings.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: And through More Than Just Great Dancing, I'm actually a certified coach now.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I went through a big coaching certification with them.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: And now I help other studio owners.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_05: I love hearing that.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_05: And especially for a lot of our listeners out there who are probably dance educators and studio owners like yourself, knowing that there are resources out there to help you business as a studio owner, I think is really exciting because that's like, you know, we're talking about continuing Ed as a dance teacher, but a lot of the studio owners are like, I'm a great dance teacher, but I this whole business thing is stressful.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_05: And how do I do this and market and all the things and obtain students and whatever you have to learn about being a business owner?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_05: So um more than just great dancing sounds like such a great resource for studio owners to look into um where they can have support from others and also just learn and grow from each other as business owners.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it definitely has totally changed me as a studio owner.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: And then both for the studio and as a teacher, we are WiPad certified as well.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_02: So that was also really important to me to bring in that advocacy piece to make sure that we're keeping our dancers safe too.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_05: Let's jump on over to Jamie.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_05: Tell us some of your favorites.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, well, I first started with, I'm gonna shout out because she's right down the street, Andrea Trench's uh Discover Dance.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: I cannot say enough about the resources that she has, especially for new teachers to teach young children.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: That is a vital part of your education and your training.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: When you're little, your technique is founded there.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: Some of your most well-trained teachers should be teaching the younger kids, like full stop.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: But if you do have younger teachers that want to learn, she has all of the resources for that.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: So big shout out to Discover Dance with Andrea.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: I also love and did over COVID because what else are we gonna do?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: PBT.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: I could not say enough about that.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: Even if you do not have the facility to hold all of the balls in the bands, if you are any kind of jazz modern or ballet teacher, PBT and PCT you can incorporate into your classrooms just in your regular classes.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Highly, highly recommend.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: It gives you a whole nother set of tools for your toolbox and could not say more about that.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: Progressing ballet technique, which is a series of muscle memory exercises, and to uh especially, I think if I this is an opinion, but like that nine through twelve age, really what muscles are you using?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it focuses on that.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then PCT is progressing contemporary technique.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I haven't heard I have yet, I know I have yet to do it.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: That's probably gonna be my next third.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: I do one a summer, roughly.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like I try to do some kind of education over the summer since it's a little bit slower for me, but I have taken a few classes and it's very it feels very normal for me, which is like a Graham Horton Cunningham based class with balls and blocks and bands.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like that sounds really and awesome.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like they're the same.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, cool.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yes, and it's and it's it's not expensive for you to do as an individual, whereas you know, some get up into the hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and it's worth it if you're going to use it.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: This it's not too much money, and usually the studio owners are winking to you, Rebecca.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it like will help out, you know, the teachers that want to bring something to studio if it benefits the studio, you know.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes, like I had one of my studio owners go and say, like, listen, do this, I'll pay half.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was great.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: So it made it super affordable for me.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: And my last one that I had to do because it's local, and a big shout out to it, and my favorite that I have done is the Joel Hall breathing floor bar technique.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: He is a jazz legend here in Chicago, very ballery ballet-based.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: I call it like all of his answers are jazz arenas, I call them.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: And that breath to movement is very like vinyasa yoga-y, and I use it in almost all of my classes.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: Some form of it.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: If they don't want a floor bar, I incorporate it in there.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: So it just gives again more tools for my toolbox.
• 18:56
  unknown: Okay.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: Those are my favorites.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's a couple more, but yeah, I mean, those are just a few.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_05: Both of you shared some really great things, and especially the PBT and PCT that I'm just now learning about.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_05: I've definitely heard about PBT before, but I haven't heard about the contemporary version.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that would be super beneficial for a lot of dance teachers to take advantage of, especially because we know the whole dance world loves contemporary dance these days.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot of lost art in like the modern-based techniques.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: I don't really see it too much in contemporary classes.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: If I teach teach a contemporary class, it's gonna be Graham and Horton and Cunningham.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, like that's gonna, it's gonna be a modern class because I'm seeing a lack of foundational like modern technique in contemporary.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Say it again.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's a thing.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's a thing.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and yeah, I mean, you brought up some good points that I would love to hear Rebecca's opinion on um about why why do you think continuing education is a good thing for teachers and why is it, you know, I think necessary.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: I totally agree.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: And it's something that we as a studio really push for our teachers.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: We provide certain things in-house as well as encourage them to seek their own opportunities outside of the studio.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: But I think it's vital.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, probably most people at some point in their training had a teacher that you know didn't do continuing education, that the things that they were teaching didn't really line up with the things the other teachers were teaching at that point.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's just really important to make sure because information changes.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: Science is evolving all the time.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: We're learning so much more about the human body as well as the human mind and psychology and things like that.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: There's so many more things, more information available to us now than there was 20, 30, 40 years ago.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's vital that we're as educators staying on top of our education and from a more philosophical standpoint.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: I feel really strongly that I can't ask the students to constantly put themselves out there and try new things and learn new things and grow in new ways if I, as a leader, am not also doing the same thing.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's really important for us to lead from the front in that regard as well, that we're never going to stop learning, just like we don't want them to stop learning either.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, I love that.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_04: That was so needed to hear.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_04: I can't wait to make a little audio clip of that to share with the the world.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I think that too, even like what you said, I look at like a lot of my quote unquote continuing education as my professional dance career, is like how I look at that.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_05: And that's very different than how a dance teacher who is in not New York City, you know, like where I'm surrounded by nothing but dance here, and also all of the things I've done in my professional career have taught me how I've learned so much from each choreographer, from each dancer I'm dancing alongside, like just like those life skills and then education alongside of it with different types of choreography and things.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_05: However, I think that it is really important.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: For people to know that like continuing education is is beyond just taking dance classes all the time.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_05: Like, I think that's a step in the right direction, especially when dance conventions come in into your area, you know, and then now they're accessible to you, they're coming to you.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_05: You as a teacher, at the minimum, should be watching the class, like at a minimum, because you can learn so much from the educators that are standing on that stage and are educating your your kids.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_05: But why not get up on your feet and move around a little?
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_05: You don't have to be full out with feeling, but even just understanding like what this weight transfer feels like, or just getting your brain to remember like how to pick up choreography quickly.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_05: So then you can better help your students when they go back into the classroom and say, Well, I learned that combo too.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_05: And I didn't think that that weight transfer was that hard.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_05: But I can now help you navigate that weight transfer because you learned it too, instead of just watching it.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_05: So I think that's a step in the right direction.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_05: But again, I also think that there are so many more, like you said, accessible programs out there that are even virtual now that uh that teachers can continue to educate themselves on in a lot of different things that maybe you maybe that's not what you learned in college.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_05: You know, there's so much more out there.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I think even this podcast is a great example of that.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's so many free resources through podcasts and social media.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: We have so much, so much available to us without without even a pay gate on it.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, any job, any career you go into, I was a certified nurse assistant for several years.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: You have to like I don't care if you work at Starbucks, you have to can like you have to keep, you know, educating yourself.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: There's always, there's, there's always something more, something different, something new.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: Whether you work at Target, whether you're a doctor, whether you're anything, you have to every two years renew your certification or whatever.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: Teachers have to do it.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like we don't have these kids for just one year.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we have them for 15, 16, 17 years, you know, and like they said, like with your bodies and with science and with we know better changing constantly.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't continue education, like you will be that like dinosaur, you know, that's not relevant, not current.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, some it's like you said, it is part of your professional career.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: It is your resume at that point.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like me at 40, I'm not going to be on the stage kicking it so much with you know, two kids, but like now this is my resume.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, so I love I love that perspective.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of the first things you said when you were introducing yourself is that my resume is the people I learned from.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I really love that.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's, you know, I I think sometimes if you didn't have a performing career, like it could possibly feel like, oh, well, what do I have to show for myself?
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you have that.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: That is so important.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: That list of people that told you how to do this, you know, like that's amazing.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: I did a Dance Masters Wisconsin, and one of they sat in front of the teachers, and I was like, listen, if you don't have a performing career, I would argue that a teaching resume to be a teacher is a like more important.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because there are a ton of amazing dancers that can come in and teach a combo.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: But sometimes not even teach though.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think teach is the right word.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: Give, give a combo.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: Good one.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: Because there is a difference, right?
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: That you know, a good dancer does not a teacher make.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Unpopular opinion, right?
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like, but like it's fun to like hear about their experiences and the professional world.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: That is education in itself when we're talking about breaking a step down, what muscles to use, right?
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: The anatomy, the kinesiology of it, like you have to have to know your stuff at this point because the parents are getting educated.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: And the students are getting educated.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many amazing online platforms and Instagram followers to do dance, uh, Doctors for Dancers.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you have WiPad, you have Nima, like that has content on their websites free to use all of the time.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, and that's that's available to the parent as well.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: So, you as a teacher, you as a studio owner, have to realize your parents are getting educated.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: So, you better.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what we want.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we really do we want everybody to take advantage of this information because all it's gonna do is elevate the industry and elevate the seriousness of what we do.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: And so, like you said, Jamie, if you do fall back into that, like, well, I just I've always done this and this is what I'm gonna do, your business is gonna suffer, your students are gonna suffer, your everybody's going to suffer.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that's not what we want as an industry.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right, 100%.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: And as we see now, dance is getting more acrobatic, it's getting more physical.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: The injury rate is it's horrible.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's astronomical.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: I danced my entire life.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: I danced a lot every day.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: Never ever had any of these injuries that these dancers have because the what they're doing now is well over, you know, what a child I think should should be.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I did, you know, preparing for this, I did talk to several doctors that are dance physiotherapists, and the overuse injuries are real, they're there are real.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: So educating parents, educating students, educating teachers, what you're doing, Courtney, is a real thing, and like God bless you for it.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: But it's much needed.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_05: Speaking of the acro, you know, in the in the industry, and I'd love to hear, well, first, have either of you done the acrobatic arts certification or anyone at your studios have done it, and have you heard anything about it?
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I haven't done it personally, but one of my teachers.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: I I have several friends.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: I have not done it personally.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_05: Do you I mean, I think, and I haven't either, but I think that is so, so smart and so needed and so helpful for where our dance industry has shifted because, like you've said, it's just become so acro heavy and so acro influenced with a lot of our choreography these days and just like quote unquote keeping up with the trends almost where it's like every kid sees on Instagram that someone can do a backstep out.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_05: Next thing you know, they have to learn how to do a back step out.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_05: But then there might, I mean, I don't know about y'all, but like growing up in the 90s and the early 2000s when I was training, Acro was not anything like it is now.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_05: Like there, we had a quote unquote tumbling class in our studio, but like we learned how to do like back walkovers and bridges and a cartwheel.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_05: Like we didn't learn how to flip and do like these high impact, like demanding skills that are like actually meant for gymnastics on sprung floors, but we're doing them on like smaller steel floors or concrete.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_05: So um I do I can't stress the importance of the acrobatic arts curriculum that is out there and accessible.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_05: And I think they do a lot of virtual things.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_05: I think they do some um in-person uh seminars and things like that.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_05: I think you can like bring them to your studio.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_05: Like there's just so that that's just so needed for a lot of the teachers that might feel like this whole acro thing is a little going over their head and they they don't feel confident about it.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_05: But how can I bring that into my studio correctly?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_05: Because that's my next question is like, I think there's a lot of, I think we see a lot of these injuries because of lack of continuing education, because teachers are trying to keep up with the times and be trendy and jumping ahead before they're ready and experienced and educated to teach some of these things, even for contemporary, e for hip hop, for a tap, for all, I mean, everything.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_05: Because, oh, well, TikTok's cool.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm gonna add hip-hop, but we don't have a hip-hop teacher, so I'm just gonna teach TikTok moves.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, come on, like if you want to add hip-hop to your curriculum, either gain the experience that you need, find the qualified educator that's put the work in.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_05: Like, you know, I think those types of things need to happen a little bit more.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_05: So I do like to, I want to applaud acrobatic arts because I think they saw that need in the industry where they're like, we can fix this, we can help you, we can help you get to where you need to.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that there's like a lot of different, I mean, I haven't looked fully into it, but I do think there's a lot of tiers of of continuing ed within acroarts, which is really exciting.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: I think that like progressive training, which acroarts is such a great example of, is so, so, so important to making sure that they're getting this skill before they move on to the next skill.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: Cause I know we all have students that come in, they're like, well, I need to learn how to do a side aerial now.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_02: Because if I want to win first overall grand champion of the world, then I need to do the side aerial.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_02: So it's so important for us as educators to make sure that we're backing that up with, okay, so we're gonna learn how to do a cartwheel first correctly with the straight legs and the pointed toes and finishing to make sure that we're building those skills rather than it's so easy to get caught in that TikTok track.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, the TikTok track to be cool.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, all of our students do it.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_02: They come in with the videos, I want to learn how to do this.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_02: And like, A, we need to make sure that they have those skills to build up to that thing.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: But then we as educators also need to sometimes be like, I am not the gray to teach you how to do whatever that just was.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's hard, but it's so important to sometimes say, you know what?
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm actually not the person for that specific skill, but I know someone who can help you and just connecting people that way when we don't know.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love I love that thought.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's something that a lot of teachers need to take to heart a little bit more because we can't, we can't be everything to everyone.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: Every studio, I've I've said this before, every studio, every teacher is not everything to everyone.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: You have to recognize where you excel and where you need help, and then go and take those, either take the courses, find the education for yourself, or find, like you said, Courtney, the qualified educator who can do that and then elevate your program even more.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: And you can sit back and be like, look who I brought in.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: Look what I've done for my studio.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: Good for you.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: You can still get the accolades.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like you made that happen, but you didn't have to do it yourself, you know, and either take the time that you don't have or not take the time that you don't have and do it poorly.
• 32:14
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• 32:24
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• 32:32
  SPEAKER_05: The festival components include a choreography intensive for dancers ages 15 to 24, a choreography competition, concert performances, and community outreach events.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_05: The seven-day intensive starts every day with a technique class.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_05: After that, participants will head into classes and seminars that aid in the choreographic process, such as compositional techniques, improv, use of props, music selection, partnering, lighting and design, and so much more.
• 32:58
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• 33:04
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• 33:21
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• 33:26
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• 33:35
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• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was one of my friends, she's a ballet teacher.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_01: She said, you know, successful people surround themselves with people smarter than them.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so I I think, you know, as I see a lot of especially younger ones that are hungry, there's a lot of that ego of, well, you know, I need to know everything all of the time.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then as you get older, you're like, I don't know anything.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_00: I I do this one thing and I do it really well, and that's where I'm gonna stay.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, oh man, because we were just it's just brought up in a different time.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: I'm of the opinion that TikTok needs to go away forever.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm that's that guy, I'm that person.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm just I see very few positive things about it that can't be used on another platform.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_01: If there is positive content, that positive content can be viewed on the eight million other social platforms that we have.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: But oh man, this limited like box dancing needs to just go away forever.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: But as far as you know, bringing people in that know better and trusting that person, right?
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's really hard.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_01: And my most successful studio owner pals do that.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_01: They they just like trust and they verify that you know what you're doing, trust mercy, like right.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then they they let go and they let you do what you do and you let you do it well.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I think then there's that like lack of proving it that that stops.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I need to prove myself, prove myself, prove myself.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: No, just be solid in what you're doing and just keep, you know, keep changing, keep doing it with with current events.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm also that person that thinks contemporary words should go away forever, too.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's how old I am.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: Hot take.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_05: Ooh, wait, what did you say?
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_05: You you won't do that.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: The contemporary word should go away.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: Contemporary.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: Contemporary what contemporary modern contemporary modern, contemporary ballet, contemporary hip hop.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: What are you talking about?
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's an adjective, you know.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I hear like new modern when I hear contemporary.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_01: The new modern.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm old, it's fine.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_02: I have a lot of college professors who would agree with that statement though.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_05: That's because it's very different.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_05: Like college dance is so different than competitive dance and and studio training and even dance team dance.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_05: You know, like there's so many avenues of our beautiful dance world and where our where our kids go after, we want to make sure that they are set up and have a little bit of that foundational modern.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_05: So when they walk into that program where that modern teacher is gonna agree with what Jamie just said, they're not gonna be like, oh, you're just a stereotypical competition dancer that knows nothing about the foundational elements of modern dance.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_05: Actually, you do because you were properly taught the foundational techniques of contemporary and modern and all of these different genres that we teach in our studio.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_05: So one thing I want to ask kinesiology and anatomy that that was briefly mentioned and also kind of goes hand in hand with acro and injury, that's usually something that isn't taught in the studio setting, like to the dancers, and is typically taught usually when you get into a college program, is like most of the time the first time dancers are learning anything about that.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_05: And what about the teachers that didn't have the opportunity to go to college and didn't have the chance to learn that?
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_05: I think that it is crucial and it's so important for dancers to understand the mechanics of the body to be a better educator.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_05: And even for me, like I'm almost asking like selfishly for me, because I didn't go to college and I'm a dance educator.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_05: But and I will say that like I started to, I started to learn more about my body, and this sounds horrible, the more injuries I obtained because then I had to go to physical therapy, and then my physical therapist explained what's wrong with me.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_05: And I'm like, oh, that makes sense.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, now I understand.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_05: And then I understood how to fix it for me as a dancer, and then I understood how to teach it in a better way because I understood my body more.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_05: So that being said, do you are are y'all aware of any courses out there that we could pass to anybody that says, I want to learn more about kinesiology, I want to learn more about anatomy, but maybe you need a refresher or didn't learn it at school.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, sure.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know any um specific injury prevention courses.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_02: I will say that the ABT National Training Curriculum course was very physiologically developed.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_02: So it they do talk a lot, like it's it's all infused into the program, even though that is a ballet curriculum program.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: Aside from that, I know we brought in massage therapists, we've brought in chiropractors, different people, physical therapists into the studio.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: And that's been really helpful for our dancers to talk through when I do this, it feels like this, and why is that happening?
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_02: And just trying to and this we have the internet, which is so great.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_02: So even though it's not like a specific course, just learning about the names of muscles and infusing that into your teaching, I think is really valuable for our students as well.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm gonna piggyback on that exactly.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: Lisa Howell is a great resource, she's like the first person, I think that I found out was like going from studio to studio, um, educating dancers and teachers alike and studio owners.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_01: One thing in common when I do talk to my doctor friends, when you know a little, it's almost more dangerous than knowing everything.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_01: And dance teachers and studio owners need to, and this is a direct quote, stay in their lane.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: When a student comes up and says, I have this going on, and the dance teacher doesn't want to look unknowledgeable, they're like, Oh, it sounds like this or it sounds like that.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like, listen, y'all, you're you're not a doctor.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_06: Go to the doctor.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, stay in your lane.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, we know if it persists, we know to rest it.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: If it hurts, don't do it.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's my that's my wheelhouse.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if it hurts, just stop doing it until a the pain goes away.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you just pulled a muscle, maybe you pulled a hamstring tendon, like you don't know.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: Just rest it.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_01: If it hurts, don't do it, and then go see somebody.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing that's I highly, highly recommend for studio owners and teachers, partner with a local doctor, like develop a relationship with somebody.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_01: We are so fortunate out here in the Chicago suburbs to have Dr.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_01: Carrie Sconey, who is a dance physiotherapist.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_01: She is an amazing resource to have.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, like sometimes I text her, like, hey, should I send this person to you?
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_01: Or what do you think about this?
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_01: Also, she posts so much content on social media that's free for dancers and teachers and parents and students about like if you're feeling this, this is what it could be, this is when to go see a doctor, all of that.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_01: And the other person I'll plug is the dance scientist, I think her name is.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: She's so dope.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_04: We had her on last season.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, she's a wonderful resource for children and parents and teachers and all of the things.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: So there is a lot of available resources, but teachers themselves, like, unless you're going to go to a college and take courses and get a degree.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_01: My studio owner, Jamie, at my Frankfurt studio, um, IPAC is actually going to school to be a physical therapist assistant because she just sees the demand for it in our area.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_01: We are very careful about it in our studio as far as injury goes, but she sees it, you know, all around us.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_01: So she's like, I want to help.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: I got to do something about this.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to be proactive.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so, but unless you're doing that and getting a degree, like stay in your lane, partner with a doctor, have them in.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_01: You can teach them about their body.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_01: They need to know their body parts.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I have dancers that don't know what like their scapula is, you know, like they should know this is your instrument.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: You should know the parts of your instrument.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_01: You get one.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I have I have dancers at 17 that are done.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_01: 15 that'll never dance again.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I've seen it.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's horrible.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: But again, it's lack of education, lack of training.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why we're here talking today.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think um you plugged it earlier, but the resource um Doctors for Dancers is such an amazing place to go because they just have a list of dance-related physiotherapists, PTs, doctors, orthopedists.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I would, I would guess because the the trend is there's a whole lot more of those kind of specialized doctors now than there ever have been.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in a major city, there is probably an orthopedic orthopedist or a physical therapist who specializes in dancers or at least at the very least, high endurance athletes.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_00: Not that it's the same because it's really not.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_00: You can't go to a, you know, a PT that specializes in soccer players and expect him to really understand what a dancer does, but it's close, it's closer than nothing.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_00: But in every major city, I would, I would venture to guess there is somebody there affiliated who has some dance experience who has treated the professional dancers in that city, in that town.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_00: And it's remarkable working with a PT who knows what dance is and what the expectations are versus not because I have had three ankle surgeries.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all, if you've listened to the podcast, you have been with me through all of them.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the first PT I went to had no dance experience.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_00: The things that they were asking me to do to rehab were not at all related to anything I was going to need to do as a dancer.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't helpful.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_00: They were, it was too easy.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: It just, they just did not understand the demand that I was gonna, you know, have to be under if I wanted to dance again.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_00: Post second and third surgeries, my PT, shout out to Spear Physical Therapy and Gwen Gaffard.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_00: It is a dance specialist PT uh location of Spear.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's in Times Square.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_00: They serve the Broadway community, they serve almost all of the um dance colleges in the city.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_00: And she herself was a professional Irish dancer.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, like it's it.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_00: She knew exactly what I meant.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: When I say, well, when I when I descend from releve, right here as I'm in demi releve, that's where it hurts.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_00: She she knew exactly what I meant and exactly why that was happening.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I just encourage anybody.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: Who's you know out there needing any kind of care, Doctors for Dancers, they're gonna help you.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_00: If they can't help you, I don't think anybody can.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_05: Great.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_05: I want to give a quick plug to actually one of our podcast sponsors who I think could be a really great resource for a lot of studios out there who are looking to step up their anatomy game for students and teachers, and that is relative motion.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_05: They are our podcast sponsor, so shout them out.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks for supporting us.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_05: But also, I absolutely love what they're doing for our industry.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_05: They've created, they're more than just their leggings.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_05: I don't know if anyone's seen these epic leggings that they've created that are actually like color block paneled leggings that all highlight different parts of your legs to use as a training tool while you're at the ballet bar to say, okay, make sure you're using your rotator so I see the purple panel come through on the on the inner thigh, or make sure that like this part of the shin is facing whatever direction.
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, I haven't taken their class, but like that's what these leggings are utilized for as a tool to enhance the training, cues for the dancers to understand, cues for the teachers to share with the dancers, and it's those light bulb moments in class, which I think is is like more of like a hands-on type of approach, which is really exciting.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that's how a lot of dancers prefer to learn, is if they can see it instead of just sitting down in a class and looking at a skeleton, they're feeling it, they're seeing it, they're doing it.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I think that's really exciting.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_05: And they also do a lot of teacher courses as well to help uh the studio owners and the teachers start implementing that into their curriculum at the studio for technique-based training and um different body alignments, anatomy, stuff like that.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_05: So I think what they're doing is really exciting for our biz and industry.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_05: So I would put that down as another resource to check out to all of our studio owners out there.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that is awesome.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_05: Let's quickly talk about some of the continuing education uh opportunities that exist throughout the summertime.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_05: I feel like that's like the big turnover in the season for a lot of dance studios.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_05: You know, recital has finished, maybe you're going to nationals, maybe you're not going to nationals, maybe nationals is over.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_05: And next thing you know, there's all these different little teacher seminars and summits that pop up over the summer around the United States and elsewhere in Canada, worldwide.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_05: Have y'all ever participated in any of them?
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_05: Have you attended?
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_05: And if so, what was your experience like?
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I used to be Die Hard Dance Teacher Summit back in the day.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_02: No more dance teacher summit for the last few years.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_02: So I haven't made it over to the web yet because I'm a East Coast girl, but I do teacher training, which is a more than just great dancing training that they do virtually.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_02: So we do that virtually with our whole team over the summer, and then a member rally, which is another more than just great dancing conference.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_02: And it's more like a leadership conference almost, but specifically for dance educators and studio owners.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_00: Rebecca, nice.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_00: So you've had your studio for nine years.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_00: When you started, were you already in more than just great dancing, or did that happen after, like at some point?
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_02: So I was in my second or third year when I joined.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_00: And just because I I know some people don't know what that program is or what that company does.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_00: What led you to go into that?
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_00: And what differences have you noticed in your business since that has started for you?
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think the biggest piece is support and having a close-knit group of other studio owners that are walking the walk with you and walking through the fire at times with you.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_02: Having people who get it is so important.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_02: And then having that education piece because so there are so many resources for teachers, but it was really the first time that I felt supported on the business side because our industry is really unique.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_02: So any general business type things, I'm like, okay, that's great if you own a car wash.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I'm not sure how that transitions into plas.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_02: So um marketing as well as management.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, it's just really changed how I look at the studio, um, looking at it like a business because it needs to be a business if it's going to continue to stay open, which was especially important through the pandemic and all of that gloriousness that we all experienced together.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, it's just really helped professionalize my studio so that we've been able to survive the things that we've been able to survive.
• 48:20
  unknown: Okay.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_00: I just wanted to take that little tangent really quickly while we were on that topic, because it was important.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, totally.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, Jamie, can you go ahead with Courtney's question about the like the summer programs and stuff?
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I remember doing it in my early to mid-20s, um, when I didn't have uh people that didn't get care of.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't remember which one it was, but I just remember the connections and like the amount of fun I had.
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_01: Also, I was in my 20s.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so everything was fun, dance related.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the connections that you do make, you know, no matter what you do, whether it's education or anything, isn't invaluable, I think.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_01: So anytime that you have the opportunity to go somewhere and make new friends, or you know, especially since somebody like not from your area, Chicago dance community is big, but it's very small.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I know y'all know what I'm talking about.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like even nationally, our dance community is big, but it's very small.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_01: Is right, so everybody kind of knows everybody based on like Facebook posts or Instagrams, you know kind of what lane people feel about different things, and that's cool.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_01: You can find your people and you can find your community if something like a big conference is is not, you know, part of your thing.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like right now, I've taken probably a very long pause from judging because I cannot be away from my house for four days.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like my husband's third shift.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_01: I'm pretty much a single mom at this point of two very small children.
• 49:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like, there's there's it's not an option for me.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I will be taking a break from like again being away.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_01: I can do like dance masters and stuff like that.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_01: That's like a day or two.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_01: And usually, like, those people are really cool about having like my kids hang out at the hotel and go swimming and stuff.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like, they've been really great.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_01: But I mean, as far as for like four days at a time, when my kids are in junior high, Courtney, I'll call you.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'd be like, hook me up with the judge.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm ready to go back to judging, hook me up, like, let's go.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: But like summits and stuff like that in the summer when they're not in school is even worse.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_04: Ah, that's true.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_01: What I would like to see, those of you that do conferences, is maybe shorter education in like different cities, do like a two-day in the bigger cities for those of us that cannot either spend the money because let's be real, those kind of things are expensive.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_01: And that's not accessible to everybody, you know.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, some of the studios that need the most training are the lowest income.
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_01: And like groups and stuff that cost like a monthly or annual fee, it's just not an option for them.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_01: They're right, they're dealing, they're bringing kids in that can't pay tuition at all.
• 51:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's just being close to like I'm closer to I live in Joliet, basically.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm on the plain field Joliet border, and I teach free dance classes at my kids' grade school because there's so much talent and dance classes aren't an option.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_01: So the studios that are over here, they're either huge and thriving and have hundreds of kids, or they have a hundred and they're hanging on by a thread.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's very hard to find that middle ground by me.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's nice to know that there are like affordable options out there and on the internet for people and studio owners and teachers.
• 51:41
  SPEAKER_01: I would love to see dance teacher conferences on a shorter, smaller scale, maybe tour, just like a convention.
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, more of those.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_01: I know there's a couple, honestly.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_01: I like they're kind of new, and I I wish I knew more about them, but you know, like I know there was uh like dance three, oh, is it Richard?
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_01: And like back in the day, it was like Louise while I was a three-suring 60 dance festival.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_01: They were going around for a while, and you know, I took it with my friend Louise and Richard and all these people.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_01: Discover dance, I think, was there like that was cool.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's something that needs to come back, and that's something like, and there needs to be a few of them.
• 52:22
  SPEAKER_01: There needs to be versatility, right?
• 52:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah, so that's that's my view.
• 52:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, mom of two kids and leaving for four days is not an option in the summer.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, let's let's make it just a little two cents.
• 52:35
  SPEAKER_01: But again, if you get to go and you can go and you have the ability, absolutely, like even if all you get is like a fun time and meeting people, totally worth it, totally worth it.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_05: So, I mean, I've looked at some of the schedules of some of these conferences that happen over the summer that are typically around like five days to a week long, and like it is expensive.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you think about just hotel rooms and flight and and where they are like they're not going to just like Codunkville wherever, they're going to Vegas, right?
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_00: Vegas expensive place to get to.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be expensive.
• 53:09
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but like I do think that, and I could be wrong, but I if they haven't, I do hope that they're doing virtual options where people they're filming each class and you can just tune in or maybe like you know, pay to watch at a later date if you can't physically make it.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_05: Like, I think that that needs to happen if it's not happening, because like you said, not everyone can afford to go, can get time off, can do that.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_05: And I'm happy that these things are existing.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_05: I I definitely am, but something else I want to just like mention that I've noticed, especially working in the dance convention scene, is that there are a handful of dance conventions, which you would think would be like the perfect opportunity for teachers to want to continue ed at these dance conventions while their students are can learning new things, but there's a like a lack of interest from the studios that attend to get into a quote unquote classroom or seminar or on their feet to learn.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_05: A lot of dance conventions have started to eliminate the teacher classes because there's no attendance and it's just a waste of time for everybody.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_05: And and I know for me, like as a dance educator, I would love to do a teacher class.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_05: Like that is something that interests me equally as much as teaching the kids.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_05: And I and like there's so many.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, it depends.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_05: Like, there's a lot of studios that are like, I don't have time for that.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_05: I need to manage the kids.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_05: I think that's probably I don't have time to think about me, you know?
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_05: And like, sure, convention is long, there's competition, you're stressed out about getting first place.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_05: You need to make sure the kids all get seen in class and get called out, like whatever your reasoning is.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_05: But at the same time, like you could just let the kids do their thing and you go do your thing and learn something new and walk away with something else besides just watching your kids dance at the event.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_05: So I wish that more student studio owners and teachers would take advantage of those opportunities that are presented so we can amp that up a little bit for the conventions that are wanting to offer it because they do want to, but it's it's very mixed.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_05: It's like 50% of the studios are like, I want that, please include it.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_05: And then when they do, no one comes.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_05: Even the studios that are like, I want to do it, you know?
• 55:09
  SPEAKER_05: So it's a tough thing because like that could kind of be what you're looking for, Jamie.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_05: Is oh look, this XYZ conventions in town this weekend.
• 55:17
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, they're offering teacher classes.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, there's a seminar I'm interested in.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_05: Perfect.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_05: Like, I'm gonna throw my kid in in the teen class and I'm gonna go learn something, you know.
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_05: Like that sounds like the best of for everyone, but I don't know, it's it's hard, it's hard navigating it.
• 55:36
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• 55:49
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• 55:57
  SPEAKER_05: Not only are these incredible outcomes for the dancer alone, but this trickles into the full studio.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_05: Whether it's feeling creatively energetic as a teacher, having a dynamic faculty that moves as a team, seeing mind-blowing numbers in class retention, or even developing a life-giving studio culture.
• 56:13
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• 56:26
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• 56:31
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• 56:40
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• 56:47
  SPEAKER_05: Or click the link in our show notes.
• 56:49
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• 57:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think and and I could be totally wrong, but based on the social media chatter and like just having a like if I I told you, Courtney, how many studios are in my area, it's read Donkulus.
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_01: Just in Plainfield, Illinois, there's like 13 or something.
• 57:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy.
• 57:31
  SPEAKER_01: But like when you go to these conferences and you're and you're a teacher, it's intimidating when you have 20-year-olds in that teacher class and you are 40 to 60 years old.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I think I think us teachers need to like kind of grow a pair, like the just do it, lead by example.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, don't be scared, don't be scared to do it.
• 57:53
  SPEAKER_01: I still take class from Joel Hall.
• 57:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I haven't lately, he's mad at me, but going in there just as my my age, I'm taking with his company members, and like at first I get so nervous because I'm dancing with people half my age, and it's intimidating.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: I think people gotta let that go and just dive in and recognize, like, no, you do have the technique, and you're probably stronger than these people because they've skipped this technique and this technique and skills, and like 90s kids have and early and before have that foundational core and technique, and we gotta just like own it and just do it and dive in.
• 58:34
  SPEAKER_01: Don't don't fear it.
• 58:35
  SPEAKER_01: You can get nervous, of course.
• 58:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's scary when you have you're teaching belly and jazz for two years, you haven't tapped in a while, you're rusty, right?
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_01: Right, like this is a perfect opportunity to get that dust off, no judgment.
• 58:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like it should be called no judgment teacher classes, right?
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's right.
• 58:52
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 58:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I I think that's part of the problem.
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_01: I really do.
• 58:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then the young teachers don't think they need it.
• 58:59
  SPEAKER_05: No, it's true.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_05: It's true, you know what I mean.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_05: I I wish it was like more seminar-based classes so that like teachers don't have to like put on a leggings and stuff and do a whole thing.
• 59:08
  SPEAKER_05: Like, if they want to stand up and feel something out, that's fine.
• 59:11
  SPEAKER_05: But I don't think it needs to be like they are sweating and leaving like they just got the full-blown workout.
• 59:15
  SPEAKER_05: I think it just needs to be more like like approach as a teacher training class, like in in different ways, whether that's across the floor training or we're gonna just sit down and talk about like competition expectations or just anything to help you as an educator grow without feeling like you just took the senior class, you know, at convention.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_01: I would teach that class, I would take that class, yeah, all day.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I think maybe if it's marketed more that way toward the teachers as well, like this is like a like it's not I'm gonna give a combo and you're gonna do the combo because if you want to do that, just go take the senior class.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_02: So I think marketing it, we're we're gonna talk about the things that we saw at competition last night and maybe some injuries that I'm seeing a lot of knee braces, and maybe we're gonna talk about things that we can be doing to see less knee braces next season.
• 1:00:03
  SPEAKER_02: Or I know I really loved when they did like Pilates or yoga, like different kinds of things like that.
• 1:00:09
  SPEAKER_02: Can I shout out like specific conventions?
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_02: Is that okay?
• 1:00:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, okay.
• 1:00:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I know Embody does a lot of like mindset type classes and mental health type classes that have been really great.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_02: I know usually Melissa, the ballet teacher at Velocity, does a Pilates class for teachers that really I just like it for myself.
• 1:00:28
  SPEAKER_02: I leave a few exercises for the kids, but really I just enjoy taking it.
• 1:00:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I know Revel last season did Wi-Pad talks with the teachers.
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_02: I was lucky enough to be part of that with them.
• 1:00:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I think doing these different more seminar type things rather than just the convention teachers giving class to the teachers and making it more educator focused, I think is super valuable.
• 1:00:50
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I hope that more people start going to them because it's really disheartening.
• 1:00:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's kind of fun sometimes when I walk in.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's me and my three teachers, and we're the only ones in the class.
• 1:00:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, wow, we are getting one heck of a day right now.
• 1:01:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, what a bank for our book.
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I want to see more classes available.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't think it needs to be every single time block all day long for teachers because I know we'd like to pop in and see what our kids are doing, especially our wild minis.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_02: But I think, yeah, having more classes would be amazing, but we need to go to them.
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_02: Just like I know a lot of studios ask their kids to go to every single class.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I know you're not a tapper, but borrow your sister's tap shoes and get in there, put on your sneakers and try your best.
• 1:01:32
  SPEAKER_02: So again, I don't know how we can ask that of the kids when there's all of two teacher classes in the weekend and we're like, hmm, maybe next time.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:01:41
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:01:41
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta you have to hold yourself accountable in order to, you know, it starts from the top.
• 1:01:46
  SPEAKER_00: So like set that example, like you say.
• 1:01:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's great.
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have, you know, I'm an old school dance Olympus girl from back in the day, 90s style.
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_01: There were amazing teacher classes.
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I I think I was a teacher for dance at Dance Olympus like at least two times in the early 2000s, but I don't remember ever paying for it as a teacher as well.
• 1:02:08
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe competitions instead of a because you have now you don't have 30 kids like we did in our, you know, competition team back in the day.
• 1:02:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now you have 70 kids going to these from sometimes one studio, and not every studio can afford to pay for the teacher's hotel and teachers admittance.
• 1:02:25
  SPEAKER_01: So, how many teacher passes do you get?
• 1:02:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what help?
• 1:02:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, I think I was gonna sound that studio owners need to help.
• 1:02:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if if it's not mandatory, the teachers won't go because they're not gonna pay for it, right?
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right?
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if if it's mandatory, I'm not you're gonna pay for it.
• 1:02:44
  SPEAKER_01: If it's volunteer, I'll think about it, right?
• 1:02:47
  SPEAKER_01: But probably not, you know.
• 1:02:49
  SPEAKER_01: But when you have 70 kids, the studio owners cannot sometimes take that class because not all the parents are there.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes there's one parent for every three kids.
• 1:02:58
  SPEAKER_01: So now they're juggling way more kids than we used to back in the day in different rooms and stuff.
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_01: So the more teachers that go, maybe more passes can be offered to the teachers from the convention.
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like I know that if like they're not hurting for money, there doesn't seem like that's a problem.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_01: I know space is expensive, but maybe in sense of to get those teachers in those teacher classes just for the sole purpose of educating them, we got to realize what our priorities are.
• 1:03:28
  SPEAKER_01: Is it like making an extra buck or is it getting that education out there that's really important?
• 1:03:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like what is your purpose?
• 1:03:36
  SPEAKER_02: And that and that can really be seen as a reinvestment in the studios, right?
• 1:03:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like the studios that are training these dancers, the more that we can invest in those teachers who are training those kids, those studios are going to grow and it's gonna help the industry as a whole if we circle that investment back to those teachers.
• 1:03:53
  SPEAKER_02: And just like you were talking about before, Jamie, with those lower income teachers.
• 1:03:58
  SPEAKER_02: I I know a lot of the comp or the conventions scale it.
• 1:04:02
  SPEAKER_02: So you get one free teacher if you bring 30 kids, and two free if you bring more kids and more kids.
• 1:04:06
  SPEAKER_02: So the bigger studios are getting more passes, right?
• 1:04:09
  SPEAKER_02: But really, maybe those smaller studios who are bringing seven kids are really the ones who would really benefit from you throwing them a couple free teacher passes.
• 1:04:20
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if any convention teachers listen, but just some thoughts.
• 1:04:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:04:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's 1000% accurate.
• 1:04:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's hits a nail on the head for sure.
• 1:04:27
  SPEAKER_05: Or like just like discounted, like half price teacher.
• 1:04:30
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, like, can we let just make it a little bit more, you know, affordable, accessible?
• 1:04:35
  SPEAKER_05: Because there are more than just probably the studio owner and their right hand at the studio that might want to participate in these opportunities that are there, whether they're taking class, whether there's seminars that they're missing out on, whether there's talk backs that they could sit in on, but they're not invited because they don't have a teacher pass.
• 1:04:50
  SPEAKER_05: Like, I definitely agree.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_05: I think that that's all.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_05: And I hope the conventions are listening because we're talking about continuing ed over here.
• 1:04:57
  SPEAKER_05: And this is great ways to continue the education for all.
• 1:05:01
  SPEAKER_05: So what a great chat, y'all.
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_05: I'm so sorry we have to wrap it up because it goes by so quickly.
• 1:05:06
  SPEAKER_05: But I think we really covered a lot of great resources for studio owners for teachers to look into a lot of different platforms and certifications that we discussed.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_05: And we will definitely continue this discussion in our Facebook group too, once this episode launches.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_05: So if there's other ones that we missed that other teachers have listened and said, Oh, I want to chime in and share that, we would love to get the ball rolling over there.
• 1:05:28
  SPEAKER_05: So if you are not in our Facebook group, make sure you join Making the Impact Dance Competition Podcast community so we can continue the conversation.
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_05: And I'd love to give a huge shout out to our special guests, Rebecca and Jamie, for joining us here on Making the Impact.
• 1:05:42
  SPEAKER_05: Loved having you.
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for all of the continuing education that you have put into your dance careers and the time that you've spent educating your fantastic dancers.
• 1:05:51
  SPEAKER_05: So grateful for you and the knowledge you shared.
• 1:05:54
  SPEAKER_05: Well, thank you for having me.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_05: Of course.
• 1:05:56
  SPEAKER_05: How our guests always lead us out on making the impact is with one final thought.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_05: On the topic today.
• 1:06:01
  SPEAKER_05: And you can speak to whoever you'd like to talk to out there.
• 1:06:03
  SPEAKER_05: You can talk to the dance competitions or conventions.
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_05: You can talk to other studio owners giving them advice.
• 1:06:09
  SPEAKER_05: You can talk to other dance educators like yourself.
• 1:06:11
  SPEAKER_05: You can talk to brand new dance educators breaking into the world.
• 1:06:14
  SPEAKER_05: Anything you'd like to share?
• 1:06:16
  SPEAKER_05: Final thoughts on continuing education.
• 1:06:18
  SPEAKER_01: This is, I guess, to everybody, parents, students, studio owners, conventions.
• 1:06:23
  SPEAKER_01: We need to start going back to basics.
• 1:06:26
  SPEAKER_01: We need to start going back to the foundation.
• 1:06:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're losing our way a little bit as far as what's our priorities and what's important.
• 1:06:32
  SPEAKER_01: And what's important is the future of the dancers in this industry.
• 1:06:36
  SPEAKER_01: And we want them to have long and beautiful and successful careers if they want it.
• 1:06:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then we want them to be able to teach until their 60s and 70s.
• 1:06:44
  SPEAKER_01: So please, if you need help, I am always on Instagram at Ms.
• 1:06:50
  SPEAKER_01: Jamie Dance.
• 1:06:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like I will steer you in a direction.
• 1:06:53
  SPEAKER_01: Please educate yourself so that we can do this for the future of our kids and the industry.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_01: And we don't have, you know, broken dancers at 30 years old.
• 1:07:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 1:07:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, totally agree with that.
• 1:07:04
  SPEAKER_02: And then I think on the studio owner side, I want to talk to that a little bit of just we as studio owners have so much power to empower our educators to make sure that they're taking advantage of all of these resources available.
• 1:07:18
  SPEAKER_02: And I know when I was first getting started out, it's really cost prohibitive to do a lot of these things.
• 1:07:22
  SPEAKER_02: So I think my hot take is A, that you can't not pay people for training that you are requiring.
• 1:07:29
  SPEAKER_02: And that means both paying for the training as well as paying for their time to take the training.
• 1:07:33
  SPEAKER_02: If they're taking off from their waitressing job or whatever they have to do, or at least that's what I was doing when I was starting out and teaching.
• 1:07:40
  SPEAKER_02: If you're taking off from your job to go to a convention for the weekend, you need to be paid to attend that convention.
• 1:07:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I think number one, starting with paying people for the time that we are requiring them to be at work because it's the law.
• 1:07:52
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes our industry tries to pretend like, no, no, no, no, no, it's fine.
• 1:07:56
  SPEAKER_02: We're we're just volunteering.
• 1:07:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's not.
• 1:07:58
  SPEAKER_02: There's laws.
• 1:07:59
  SPEAKER_02: So we have to make sure that we're following them and we're paying people for what we're requiring them to do.
• 1:08:04
  SPEAKER_02: But then also putting it just into your budget.
• 1:08:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I say that as a studio in a town of 3,600 people.
• 1:08:11
  SPEAKER_02: And that's not a town of 3,600 people next to a bigger town.
• 1:08:15
  SPEAKER_02: We are the big town.
• 1:08:16
  SPEAKER_02: We are the big town of 3,600 people in a small hundred student studio.
• 1:08:21
  SPEAKER_02: So I say that coming from a really, really small place, that it's important for me to make those investments in my staff because those are investments in my students.
• 1:08:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's really important for us as studio owners to build that into our budget and build that into our business model to make sure that we are creating and facilitating those opportunities for growth in ourselves, in our staff, because that's what's going to grow our students.
• 1:08:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I think that's so important for other studio owners.
• 1:08:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I hope that the studio world continues in that direction.
• 1:08:53
  SPEAKER_05: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode all about continuing education for teachers.
• 1:08:57
  SPEAKER_05: Shout out to our special guests for joining us.
• 1:09:00
  SPEAKER_05: Don't forget to follow them on social media.
• 1:09:02
  SPEAKER_05: You can find Jamie at Miss JamieDance and Becky at Becky's Adventures.
• 1:09:08
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to follow Making the Impact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, and pretty much everywhere you listen to podcasts.
• 1:09:15
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• 1:09:21
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• 1:09:29
  SPEAKER_00: Join now at Impact Danceadjudicators.com slash Platinum Premium or click the link in our show notes.
• 1:09:35
  SPEAKER_05: Be sure to check out IDA affiliated competition, Just Dance Invitational.
• 1:09:41
  SPEAKER_05: Are you looking for a dance competition that features free workshop classes, free photo and video, cash prizes, and full panels of IDA judges at every event?
• 1:09:50
  SPEAKER_05: Well, look no further than Just Dance Invitational.
• 1:09:53
  SPEAKER_05: Just Dance Invitational will be hosting eight different events in their 2024 season.
• 1:09:58
  SPEAKER_05: From California to Indiana.
• 1:10:00
  SPEAKER_05: Find them in a city near you.
• 1:10:02
  SPEAKER_05: Just Dance Invitational's mission is to invest in the future of our dancers.
• 1:10:06
  SPEAKER_05: By supporting these young artists, their goal is to create an atmosphere that allows for empowerment, self-expression, and growth.
• 1:10:14
  SPEAKER_05: Registration is now open for their 2024 season.
• 1:10:17
  SPEAKER_05: Visit their website to learn more at JustdanceInvitational.com.
• 1:10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes as we close out 2023 with topics including duos and trios, ballet, and more.
• 1:10:31
  SPEAKER_05: Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.
• 1:10:34
  SPEAKER_05: Stay tuned for next week's episode.
• 1:10:36
  SPEAKER_05: We'll see you then.
• 1:10:36
  SPEAKER_05: Until then, keep dancing.