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Age Range Expectations · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:38
SPEAKER_04: Courtney is joined by some of IBA's most experienced teachers, Emily Branaghan, Jessica Olmer, and Miranda Sveda to lay out their expectations for the minis all the way to the seniors.
0:51
SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I am flying solo today without my amazing co-host.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: I wish he was here, but Leslie Mueller is here in spirit with us.
1:07
SPEAKER_00: And today we are talking all about age range expectations.
1:12
SPEAKER_00: So in the classroom at the competition stage, we are here to discuss that in full detail.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: And I have some awesome IDA judges and special guests on board today for the podcast.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: We have Miranda, Emily, and Jessica.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: Say hi, y'all.
1:29
SPEAKER_00: Hey.
1:31
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
1:32
SPEAKER_00: All of these IDA judges are also full-time dance teachers.
1:36
SPEAKER_00: So we are doing a recording session during the day this today because all of these amazing teachers have to teach tonight.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: And we really wanted to make sure that we had experienced teachers who are also current active teachers teaching all age ranges on the podcast to discuss this topic because these three ladies obviously know what it takes to make an eight-year-old dancer train and do what they do.
2:03
SPEAKER_00: And they have, you know, worked with dancers of all ages throughout their years as dance educators.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: So very excited to discuss this topic today.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: And let's just get a little background of all of our amazing guests.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: So let's start with Miranda.
2:20
SPEAKER_01: All right.
2:21
SPEAKER_01: Hi, everyone.
2:21
SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to be a part of the podcast today with all these other amazing people.
2:26
SPEAKER_01: I actually grew up in a really small town in southwestern Pennsylvania.
2:31
SPEAKER_01: And I went to the University of Buffalo to get my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and was able to work with a lot of different choreographers and kind of work on my own choreography at the same time.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: And then after graduation, I stayed in the area where a bunch of just teaching opportunities kind of opened up to me.
2:50
SPEAKER_01: And then I sort of affiliated myself with the studio in Tanawanda, Tanawanda Dance Arts.
2:55
SPEAKER_01: Shout out to them.
2:56
SPEAKER_01: And um I've been teaching there for almost about eight years now, primarily working with the um competitive team.
3:02
SPEAKER_01: And then the last two years, I've opened up my own program, my own mentoring program called Lead, where I get to work one-on-one with kids ages six to eighteen who are looking to actively pursue a career in dance.
3:15
SPEAKER_01: So that's what I do during the week.
3:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's awesome.
3:17
SPEAKER_01: It's been really great.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, I judge my dance competitions on the weekends.
3:21
SPEAKER_01: So you will either find me sitting in the audience or judging.
3:24
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, the life of a dance teacher.
3:27
SPEAKER_01: But that's that's me.
3:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm married.
3:28
SPEAKER_01: I have two dogs that are both outside.
3:30
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, living the Buffalo dream.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: Yes, amazing.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for joining us, Maria.
3:38
SPEAKER_00: Of course, thank you for having me.
3:39
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: All right.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: Next up is Jessica.
3:43
SPEAKER_05: Hi, I'm Jeff.
3:44
SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much for having me.
3:46
SPEAKER_05: I'm very excited to be here and talk with all of you guys.
3:49
SPEAKER_05: I started dancing when I was four years old, and in high school, I studied a performing arts studio as well as a very strict Russian ballet school in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
4:00
SPEAKER_05: From there, I decided to continue my dance education and was accepted to University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a contemporary major.
4:08
SPEAKER_05: Studied under some of the pioneers of dance and some of the most amazing choreographers that are out there today.
4:15
SPEAKER_05: Then I decided to transfer to University of the Arts and also studied several genres.
4:20
SPEAKER_05: From there, I said, I'm ready for my dance career.
4:23
SPEAKER_05: So after my sophomore year, I started auditioning and it led me to so many wonderful things.
4:29
SPEAKER_05: I danced with the All Star 76ers, the Philadelphia team.
4:33
SPEAKER_05: I was able to do a lot of celebrity performances.
4:37
SPEAKER_05: I filmed an NBA commercial with Pink, which was really cool.
4:41
SPEAKER_05: And then yeah, she was fun.
4:44
SPEAKER_05: And I also danced with several local companies, choreographed for the indoor fancy mummer brigade in Philadelphia, which is a really big thing.
4:53
SPEAKER_05: But I found that my passion was really continuing dance education for children and choreographing.
4:59
SPEAKER_05: So I am currently have been the six for over 16 years uh the artistic company director for American Dance Academy in Hocast in Delaware, and uh have been teaching for over 20 years in several prestigious studios in this area.
5:14
SPEAKER_05: I've judged for seven years, regionally, internationally, nationally, and I choreograph for the high school musical in my area and uh just and have begun to an inspire to inspire program to continue to inspire children in the arts.
5:31
SPEAKER_05: So that's where I'm at, and my proudest accomplishment is my two children, ages 10 and 4.
5:37
SPEAKER_01: Yes! No big deal.
5:38
SPEAKER_01: I just threw all that on the mob.
5:40
SPEAKER_01: Right.
5:41
SPEAKER_00: Superwoman in one day.
5:43
SPEAKER_00: Seriously, you are a superwoman.
5:46
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like now that I'm got to hear both Miranda and Jessica, your background a little bit more in depth.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: I feel like that all four of us, when we get to Emily, we're gonna all find out that we've all kind of started our own little like passion projects, it sounds like I love that.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: Inspiring.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: Yes, girl power.
6:07
SPEAKER_00: All right, thanks, Jessica.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: Emily, you're up next.
6:10
SPEAKER_02: Hi guys, my name is Emily.
6:12
SPEAKER_02: I'm originally from Connecticut.
6:14
SPEAKER_02: I grew up dancing and competing from the age of you know, three up through high school.
6:18
SPEAKER_02: I actually graduated high school early to start training in the city and then moved out to Los Angeles.
6:25
SPEAKER_02: I lived there for 12 years.
6:26
SPEAKER_02: When I got there, I did the whole commercial dance and print and modeling situation, fell back into teaching because that was always kind of my side hustle.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: Um, I started a youth competitive program in Los Angeles and it started with a bunch of mainly like youth and minis, little guys.
6:46
SPEAKER_02: We started with 14 kids, built it to 50s, 50 kids and decided thank you.
6:53
SPEAKER_02: Built a passion project from there, like you were talking about.
6:56
SPEAKER_02: It's called the Empower Movement.
6:58
SPEAKER_02: It teaches kids to find their inner beast, if you will, or their self-esteem through dance and through competitive dance as well as just like fitness and movement.
7:08
SPEAKER_02: Then turn of events, moved back to Connecticut a couple of months ago.
7:13
SPEAKER_02: I freelance here now, and I'm also a part of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance.
7:19
SPEAKER_02: WiPad power.
7:21
SPEAKER_02: I just became a member as well.
7:23
SPEAKER_02: Welcome.
7:24
SPEAKER_01: Just did the course like a week ago.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: Oh, welcome to the tribe, girls.
7:28
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
7:28
SPEAKER_02: Our goal is to keep kids happy, so um, safe, and healthy through dance.
7:33
SPEAKER_02: So that's me.
7:34
SPEAKER_02: I judge, I teach here, there, and everywhere now.
7:36
SPEAKER_02: So I'm I'm happy to be here.
7:38
SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Courtney, for having us.
7:39
SPEAKER_02: Of course.
7:40
SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I'm so inspired by this group right now.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: It's so great.
7:45
SPEAKER_00: Like I mentioned, we are discussing age range expectations today.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: That is our topic.
7:51
SPEAKER_00: And obviously, as you just heard, this panel that we have is absolutely spectacular.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: And they all have extensive experience working with a variety of age ranges in their teaching career.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just curious as to we'll start from the beginning.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: What are your expectations when you're teaching specific age ranges?
8:14
SPEAKER_00: And we're talking just as a teacher in the classroom right now, um, you know, when you have uh the little six-year-old nuggets, they're so cute, they're adorable, they're in a tap ballet combo class or something.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: What are your expectations in those types of classes for ages like six to eight?
8:33
SPEAKER_05: I think number one, we always have to remember um that these young dancers are literally learning how to like write their names and the letter, you know, just letters in school.
8:44
SPEAKER_05: So we can't overchallenge them in a sense.
8:47
SPEAKER_05: We want to make sure that they're having a great time and feeding their passion.
8:52
SPEAKER_05: You know, they just love to dance around.
8:54
SPEAKER_05: So I think really musicality is so important for young dancers just to understand music and how to move with music.
9:02
SPEAKER_05: And the basics, the basics are so important.
9:05
SPEAKER_05: They have difficulty remembering things from one to the next, so continuing to just teach up two basic steps and then maybe try to speed it up with faster music at the end.
9:17
SPEAKER_05: But slow, teach the process slow, there's no rush in it.
9:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree, um, Jessica.
9:25
SPEAKER_01: And I think too, as teachers, especially in this generation, we can feel super pressured to be like, here's the six, seven-year-olds, we're gonna start teaching them the heel stretches and the leg spins, and you kind of feel pressured to give them the best training right from the beginning.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: And it took me a while to realize that for a lot of these kids when they're six, five, even now, I mean, my studio accepts two-year-olds.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: This is their form of social interaction.
9:49
SPEAKER_01: So this is their way to kind of get into a classroom with kids their own age who are all doing the same thing in a structured, disciplined environment where they can learn to express themselves.
10:00
SPEAKER_01: So sometimes you have to take a step back and say, okay, it's not, it's about the steps and it's about teaching them technique, but it's also about how to hold yourself, how to listen, how to stand in a line, how to, you know, stand with your hands on your hips.
10:14
SPEAKER_01: Like that stuff is so important because it translates into that discipline when they get older.
10:19
SPEAKER_02: I think also going off what you said about the discipline is to from day one create boundaries in your classroom of when we when we change our shoes, we put our we put our bags up on this platform and they stay here every single week.
10:34
SPEAKER_02: When we get ready for ballet, we put our backs on the mirror and we wait for the teacher to call us over.
10:39
SPEAKER_02: Like little things like this that kids can, like you said, remember and retain from weeks.
10:44
SPEAKER_02: They need to retain.
10:45
SPEAKER_02: Like they need a routine.
10:46
SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: It becomes as easy as getting that shuffle standing against that wall.
10:51
SPEAKER_02: So repeating the same exact formula.
10:54
SPEAKER_02: I always like to tell my kids, regardless of their age, that just because we're using repetition, it doesn't mean that we're doing something wrong, right?
11:02
SPEAKER_02: We're repeating because we need to memorize and and feel comfortable.
11:06
SPEAKER_02: We're not repeating something because it's wrong and you're not doing well.
11:10
SPEAKER_02: Repetition is is meant for growth.
11:13
SPEAKER_02: So just starting that at that young age, and like you said about uh the music and musicality, it's so important that at that age for them to get those quarter notes, stay in a dead, a steady downbeat, like consistently, and then go from there.
11:28
SPEAKER_01: Right.
11:28
SPEAKER_01: And I think that that will pave the way too, like as you start to advance and then they increase in age, the discipline's there, the structure's there.
11:36
SPEAKER_01: They're starting to understand how to count to eight, what it means to be in a formation, so that when the next level comes up, yes, that's already done and you can start to advance them.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
11:45
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, I love that.
11:47
SPEAKER_00: I remember when I was young, I mean, counting and you know, timing that you guys just discussed, that is so important.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I feel like it was one of the first things that I remember learning.
11:59
SPEAKER_00: And even in just the school system, it like every kid probably takes music class at school.
12:05
SPEAKER_00: And I remember like, hopefully, and I remember like we had like a tennis ball, and our music teacher would just make us bounce the ball on the beat and like find the tempo.
12:14
SPEAKER_02: That's a good tool.
12:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I I for whatever reason, I mean that wasn't even a dance class, but I remember that.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: And right, and even right like non-dancers at school were learning how to find the downbeat and find the tempo and what that is.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: So teaching that from the very beginning, musicality and timing is so important because that's something that I use.
12:36
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm a counter like crazy as a teacher.
12:38
SPEAKER_00: Oh, same, yeah.
12:39
SPEAKER_00: Same, do not not count.
12:41
unknown: Right.
12:41
SPEAKER_00: So um, teaching it from the beginning, it's same with exactly discipline, like that is huge.
12:47
SPEAKER_00: That's I think that's a really, really big one to discuss because if you are familiar with me, I don't teach in the studio often and regularly.
12:55
SPEAKER_00: I am more of a guest teacher.
12:56
SPEAKER_00: So when I do go guests to studios, I can tell what their classroom atmosphere is like and how lenient it is or how disciplined and you know, strict it is.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: And it's interesting to see, you know, even from the the the minis, you know, the little ones.
13:10
SPEAKER_00: Right.
13:11
SPEAKER_00: Regardless if they're recreational or if they're competitive, I think that there should be some discipline in the classroom to which will only go with them as they continue to train and grow.
13:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and they're less, they're less worried about what other people are thinking of them.
13:26
SPEAKER_01: You know, when you try to bring in that discipline at like a later age and they're so self-conscious and they're worried about what everybody else thinks of them.
13:33
SPEAKER_01: When you instill it when they're young, kids are just like absolute sponges.
13:37
SPEAKER_01: You know, you have to sort of teach it when they're open and like willing to receive the information instead of later when they're kind of shut down in their ways.
13:45
SPEAKER_00: As we continue on, like let's discuss, you know, your petite, your junior.
13:51
SPEAKER_00: You know, these these dancers are between the age of like nine to twelve.
13:55
SPEAKER_00: What kind of expectations do you have in the classroom?
13:59
SPEAKER_00: What steps are you working on in particular genres?
14:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, things like that.
14:05
SPEAKER_00: Anything coming to mind offhand?
14:08
SPEAKER_02: Terminology.
14:10
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
14:11
SPEAKER_02: Terminology.
14:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, definitely.
14:13
SPEAKER_02: Not only not only the names of steps, but in tap the components of the steps.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: What's a shuffle?
14:18
SPEAKER_02: It's a brush and a brush and a spank or a brush and a brush, whatever your dialect is from where it goes.
14:23
SPEAKER_02: How many counts does it get?
14:24
SPEAKER_02: How many sounds?
14:25
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
14:26
SPEAKER_02: How many sounds?
14:27
SPEAKER_02: Same in ballet.
14:28
SPEAKER_02: I should be able to sit down in my chair with a junior and say you're gonna do tombe potabare.
14:33
SPEAKER_02: And they should be able to execute and tell me what that is.
14:36
SPEAKER_05: Um, I think like, I think from even from like the petite's and minis, and then you're moving into the juniors, I think that we're we start to combine all of the all the different steps into one longer combination.
14:49
SPEAKER_05: So they're basic steps combined and understanding the vocabulary, the translation is really important.
14:57
SPEAKER_05: What what does it mean from French to English?
15:00
SPEAKER_05: What yes, how can you show me it?
15:03
SPEAKER_05: So that when they do get into that older experience, that if you are sitting in the chair and you can you can just show the step um immediately.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: I think for me, for junior levels, I feel like they're at that age where they don't realize that they're now kind of being looked up to by the minis and the petites, but they're still so young that they're kind of being mentored by the older dancers.
15:27
SPEAKER_01: So you want to have them, you want to challenge them, but also realize that they're still young.
15:31
SPEAKER_01: So I feel like the two concepts that I do a lot of with juniors is like weight shift and accents, like because I feel, especially with the way choreography gets anymore, if they don't know how to shift their weight quickly, or I do across the floor skills where they're changing directions, like introducing that without making it too overwhelming because they're so used to doing things one way up to that point, because they've probably had uh what would you say, maybe five years or less of training.
15:58
SPEAKER_01: So they're doing something the same way all the time.
16:00
SPEAKER_01: And now this is kind of the year where you start to shake it up a little bit.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Right.
16:04
SPEAKER_01: Like instead of doing pot de beret, well, now we're gonna turn the pot of beret.
16:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:08
SPEAKER_01: Or, you know, start to work on how to go from a pier wet, maybe not from your traditional fourth position, but maybe you do a Shanet ball change prep, something like that.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: Because then that's gonna definitely help when you get into the teens and the senior level where it's really more intricate.
16:23
SPEAKER_01: They already have those concepts started.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: And something to think about with this age range in particular is that this is like a really important age range, I feel because um, you know, this the dancers can really launch here or, you know, they might stay where, you know, at what their level, depending on you know what their training was previously, how devoted they are, how committed they are, what they're how they're doing in the classroom, if they're really taking it seriously.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, this is pre-growth spur, pre-puberty.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: And if if all the foundation is there properly, it'll, you know, they have all the potential, you know, if they're really focusing in the in the when they're like 10 to 12.
17:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, so another thing that I want to just touch on is the fact that this with the junior age range is also the time when they are really eager to now that they have the basics and you know, found their love for dance and are getting better as dancers, now they're like, I want to try all the hard tricks, even if they're not ready for them yet.
17:29
SPEAKER_00: So, like as teachers, what do you feel is right?
17:32
SPEAKER_00: Do we do we keep it, you know, basic and you know, keep working on the fundamentals until you're ready?
17:39
SPEAKER_00: Or do we challenge the dancers at this age and see how they do it, even if it's a little bit sloppy, even if it's a little bit like we can fix the technique later?
17:48
SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, do you say, nope, we're not moving forward, you're not gonna do a triple until you can suspend out of your double, you know, things like that.
17:55
SPEAKER_05: Well, like you said, I think it's a really good training year.
17:58
SPEAKER_05: So I usually kind of use that junior, those junior years to really work on and refine those the fettes and the triples and those techniques, but they will not be seen on stage.
18:10
SPEAKER_05: Yes, it's in the classroom and they're gonna get repeated corrections.
18:15
SPEAKER_05: Um, but unless someone's like, you know, delivering it pretty good, clear, then it won't it won't be seen on stage until they're ready to I love the question the question the kids is is this gonna be in our dance?
18:29
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely not.
18:30
SPEAKER_01: It will not be in your dance.
18:32
SPEAKER_01: Um we're just gonna work on this.
18:34
SPEAKER_01: One day, one day.
18:36
SPEAKER_05: Just keep working.
18:37
SPEAKER_02: And as long as they're like things that they can do safely, like something that they're not gonna go home and try and like get get seriously injured.
18:45
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's a big thing too.
18:47
SPEAKER_02: Like especially with tricks and things like that.
18:49
SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, say a switch leap.
18:51
SPEAKER_02: What we're gonna give it a shot.
18:53
SPEAKER_02: It's the end of class, everybody's working hard, whatever it is.
18:56
SPEAKER_02: But they come across the floor and I say at the end, I'm like, okay, so this is not something we're gonna go in the backyard or on the trampoline and do.
19:03
SPEAKER_02: This is a classroom only activity.
19:05
SPEAKER_02: And I make sure I repeat that to the parents.
19:07
SPEAKER_02: That's a good idea.
19:09
SPEAKER_02: Because because you can get a kid coming back.
19:11
SPEAKER_02: Well, her mom said you can you showed them this and she went home and she rolled her ankle and now she's out for six weeks and the parents upset and the kid is injured.
19:19
SPEAKER_02: This is a this is a classroom activity until I say otherwise.
19:23
SPEAKER_02: I like to set those boundaries with them because they're they're kids and they're excited about learning these concepts.
19:29
SPEAKER_02: So they're gonna want to do it 24-7.
19:31
SPEAKER_02: Same in tap work.
19:32
SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't need my petites going home at seven and eight being on the top of their shoes, especially on their tile floor floor in the kitchen.
19:40
SPEAKER_01: Right.
19:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I feel like you gotta kind of throw like the term, like throw them a little bit of a bone.
19:46
SPEAKER_01: Because I do a lot of private lessons with my mentorship kids, and I find that at the junior level, especially, they don't understand the concept of why do we have to stand in this position and do plate, relevant, please, relevant.
19:58
SPEAKER_01: They don't understand the importance of that, and I totally get it.
20:01
SPEAKER_01: I didn't either at that age.
20:02
SPEAKER_01: We're looking at it from a completely different perspective.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: And honestly, in a private lesson setting, you're there to give them, in my opinion, you know, strong technique, and that's what that's for.
20:10
SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, you want to kind of keep them in.
20:13
SPEAKER_01: So you want to sort of give them a little taste of, you know, today we're at the end of class, like you said, Emily, we're gonna, we're gonna just try a fun step today.
20:20
SPEAKER_01: Something that they can do might not look pretty, but it's manageable, just so that they have something that they want to keep coming back and working for.
20:27
SPEAKER_03: Right.
20:27
SPEAKER_01: Because it does, it can become monotonous.
20:29
SPEAKER_01: I feel like it's the level where you don't want to push them far enough where they're gonna go on stage and not have the right technique, but you don't want them to be bored.
20:36
SPEAKER_01: Right.
20:36
SPEAKER_01: I feel like that's the that's the hard age because again, your music choices are limited with that age.
20:41
SPEAKER_01: They're not quite ready to, you know, do the fun choreography and the fun concepts because they're they're not mature yet.
20:47
SPEAKER_01: So they kind of get into this like plateau phase.
20:50
SPEAKER_01: So you got to keep them engaged enough safely and appropriately.
20:55
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I agree with that.
20:56
SPEAKER_05: Even like you said, when changing facings, um, even with jumps and grandma's and and turns across the floor, like those kind of things, they definitely need to understand direction a little bit more, like spatial, be more spatially aware.
21:10
SPEAKER_05: So any of that will will challenge them, their minds.
21:14
SPEAKER_01: Knowing where stage right is, where stage left, you know.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: That way when they try and reverse, I mean, how many times have we said we're gonna face away from the mirror and run your routine?
21:22
SPEAKER_01: And you get that handful of kids that are so confused, and I'm like, you just have to look at it as now this is your mirror.
21:29
SPEAKER_01: That's still stage right and that's still stage left, but they don't understand that.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: So that's important too, with you know, directions.
21:34
SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the teens and the seniors at the same time because now you know these dancers are a little bit more mature, they are growing.
21:43
SPEAKER_00: Some of them might have sprouted up like overnight, and they have don't know how to like control their body anymore.
21:50
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's what's transitioning into the teen.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: They're also like going into a higher caliber level, I would say, at competition because the talent is they.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: You know, what are what are some of the things in the teen classes that you look for that you're working on?
22:06
SPEAKER_00: I know that for me, whenever I teach and I teach a lot of jazz, I expect my teen and senior levels to understand how to reverse and across the floor.
22:15
SPEAKER_00: If we do a progression of some sort, like a miniature combination across the floor, the dancers should know it.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: But when I when the when we go to the left, the first three should already know what to do and I shouldn't have to discuss it.
22:28
SPEAKER_00: That's something that I grew up doing and I expect the same out of my classes.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: I feel like that's kind of getting lost in class these days.
22:36
SPEAKER_00: A lot of dancers have expressed to me, I well, we never do the left.
22:41
SPEAKER_00: What?
22:41
SPEAKER_00: What do you talk?
22:42
SPEAKER_00: Excuse me?
22:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, what?
22:44
SPEAKER_00: You only have never done the left.
22:46
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you should never say that out loud.
22:47
SPEAKER_01: And I think yeah, and I think that's a good tool to use as well because you find in the teen group that that's where a lot of the chit chat starts to happen.
22:54
SPEAKER_01: And that's where they form their little clicks and you're teaching, and you notice on the side of the room, like you should have no time to talk.
23:00
SPEAKER_01: So I think by instilling in them that by the time that last group, like you said, Courtney, goes across the floor to the right, you better have it to the left, gives them that chance to limit the talking and the you know extra stuff happening on the side, and they should be working on the left side.
23:13
SPEAKER_00: Right.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: Focus on your class, you know, like that exactly.
23:17
SPEAKER_00: That's so true.
23:17
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I think I taught last week and we did a progression.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: And then the dancers are literally just like they get to the, you know, left side and they're just hanging on the ball.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the etiquette, the etiquette, yes.
23:30
SPEAKER_00: Etiquette's gone.
23:31
SPEAKER_00: And there was not even a single dancer who was like, all right, I gotta figure out what they said.
23:36
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
23:37
SPEAKER_00: And it's like, as dancers, it it's hard to keep this age range invested and not chit-chatting and not having, you know, all those conversations, but they have to remember if they're taking this seriously, which if they're still there by teen age and senior age, they are taking dance seriously.
23:53
SPEAKER_00: They look forward to coming to class, they they hope to improve.
23:57
SPEAKER_00: So they have to make sure that they're really taking advantage of, you know, class for what it is.
24:01
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think like what I suggest, especially from my my junior dancing dancers moving into the teen level, is take summer class because that summer, that summer into going into the teen level, you're gonna be you're gonna go into the teen level.
24:18
SPEAKER_05: So it's gonna allow you to understand and advance yourself before you actually hit class in the fall.
24:24
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, I think summer dance is so important and valuable to any level of education, you know, and and studying with so many different teachers, like having more than one voice in your head is so important.
24:36
SPEAKER_05: But you know, from juniors into teens, there is a big bridge there, and you have to find a way to fill that so that you feel strong, like Courtney says, because Courtney comes to our studio and teaches.
24:48
SPEAKER_05: I want to make sure those new little teenies can learn her combo across the floor just like my seniors.
24:56
SPEAKER_05: And you know, it's it's kind of a hard thing.
24:59
SPEAKER_05: So we we bring them during the summer and they train during the summer to try to grow in their strength and you know, work with the advanced level just to kind of get thrown into the mix a little bit.
25:12
SPEAKER_01: Because eventually, you know, you think about the senior level, when you get to that point, that senior level is gonna dwindle because people are gonna graduate and you have to, you know, you kind of have to groom right the under, you have to get them ready, you know.
25:24
SPEAKER_01: And we our studio makes it a requirement that you do so many summer classes um during the summer.
25:30
SPEAKER_01: You have to take private lessons, you do acro, you do all kinds of stuff just to keep them engaged.
25:35
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, when we find those kids that are jumping up to that next level, you know, that's where it's super important, like you said, Jessica, because that's really what you're doing.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: You're trying to get the next level ready to keep bumping it up.
25:46
SPEAKER_01: Because the senior level is always gonna is not not just always gonna be there because they're gonna graduate and they're gonna move on, and you know, you have to get them ready.
25:54
SPEAKER_05: I think it's kind of important to blend juniors and teens together at times, and teens and seniors at times, and then you're always kind of creating like a good teamwork flow between both groups.
26:06
SPEAKER_05: So as they progress up through more seniors, yeah.
26:10
SPEAKER_05: Um, and then they know how to perform and dance together at the end of the day.
26:13
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and they're learning from each other.
26:15
SPEAKER_02: There's there's so much that the juniors can learn from the older kids, and vice versa.
26:20
SPEAKER_02: The attach that the juniors have, the teens and seniors need a reminder of all the time, like 24-7.
26:26
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
26:27
SPEAKER_05: I just love the energy juniors bring to like any dance.
26:31
SPEAKER_01: They're super inhibited.
26:32
SPEAKER_01: They just they just go, they just go, and that's what that's what gets left.
26:37
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's what's missing a lot of times, especially in the senior level, even more so than the teens, because they're they're just so worried about what they look like, and they're worried about what everybody else is doing and what award this person's getting and how I'm matching up to that.
26:50
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, guys, just go dance, just worry about what you're doing.
26:53
SPEAKER_01: And I think, like you said, Jessica, it's important to have that so it's not just just the seniors all the time and just the teens all the time and just the juniors that you find that mix at some point, even if it's just a class a week, yeah, to get them integrated, or mentorship, like um, like pair up your juniors with your teens and your seniors, and vice versa.
27:11
SPEAKER_02: So they have someone who may be in the same lane that they want to go down eventually.
27:17
SPEAKER_02: So they're working together and it keeps both parties accountable.
27:21
SPEAKER_02: I've got to work hard for my senior, I've got to be a good example for my junior, and vice versa.
27:26
SPEAKER_02: I think also mentorship from us at that age, they're trying to figure out what they're gonna do with the rest of their life.
27:33
SPEAKER_02: Can they make a career?
27:34
SPEAKER_02: This is difficult.
27:35
SPEAKER_02: They've probably got people in their ears saying, you know, this, that, and the other thing about it working or not for them.
27:41
SPEAKER_02: And for us to take the time to sit down and go, hey, where do you see yourself with this?
27:47
SPEAKER_02: What can we do to get you to your goals?
27:49
SPEAKER_02: You know, map out your summer.
27:51
SPEAKER_02: What are we gonna do for you for summer this year?
27:54
SPEAKER_02: Be a part of that process with you so they feel like they have that safety net to come back to um when they're going through these hard decisions, and it kind of, for lack of a better word, empowers them to get there a little faster.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: Awesome, y'all.
28:08
SPEAKER_00: Well, I'd love to discuss now that we talked about uh what we expect in the classroom, we are all judges, we are all IDA judges, we judge a lot, and I would love to know what you expect from particular age ranges at competition.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: When you see a petite age eight solo come on the stage, regardless of the level, what are your expectations?
28:34
SPEAKER_00: And that being said, I want to just quickly say that this is, you know, relating to levels because it's like, oh, well, if they're eight, but what if they're recreational compared to advanced?
28:44
SPEAKER_00: You know, what are the, you know, that's in a way a level discussion, which we're gonna have another podcast about as well.
28:51
SPEAKER_00: But back when we were all probably competing, there were no levels.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: No.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: So your level was actually based on your age range and the expectation as to what a dancer should be doing at the age of eight or at the age of 12.
29:06
SPEAKER_00: And that being said, now that the levels are introduced, it makes it a little bit harder as well to really understand not only what this age should be doing, but now what this level should be doing.
29:17
SPEAKER_00: Because, you know, if there's an eight-year-old advanced dancer, should they be doing like quadruple pirouettes?
29:24
SPEAKER_00: Should they be doing like catch turns and aerials?
29:26
SPEAKER_00: Is that normal for an eight-year-old to be doing?
29:29
SPEAKER_00: Or are we as judges, even in the advanced level, still looking for the fundamentals and the basics?
29:35
SPEAKER_00: You know, what are your thoughts on the expectations of the ages at level at competition?
29:42
SPEAKER_05: I think number one, like I feel like, and shout out to Minnesota, but like I have seen little guys doing four pirouettes in the like in the beginner level, and I'm like, wow, I'm just in a whole nother planet.
29:56
SPEAKER_05: So I'm very clean and crisp, and like I just I want to talk to their teacher actually because I need to get inside their brain.
30:05
SPEAKER_01: I can't get my dancer to find two pairs of the same tap shoes.
30:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
30:09
SPEAKER_05: So so um regions are very different.
30:12
SPEAKER_05: Um so that comes to mind when I'm sitting at a table, and also keeping an age appropriate is so important to me.
30:22
SPEAKER_05: Um for the young ones.
30:24
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, my daughter is four, and I just I just want her to be a little girl as long as possible and still maintain, you know, if she's clean and she's dancing, like, you know, just having a great time in that beginner level, and you can tell she's polished.
30:39
SPEAKER_05: I think that's a great routine.
30:41
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
30:41
SPEAKER_02: I I think if if you like you said, they drop down from the Minnesota dance gods and they can do clean quads on both sides, go for it.
30:50
SPEAKER_02: But I still want to see those basic steps at that age.
30:53
SPEAKER_02: Like I want to see you be able to do whatever you call it, a chasse or a Lindy and a back step.
30:59
SPEAKER_02: And I want to see your clean pivot turns with a nice spot and finish of directions, all of those things.
31:05
SPEAKER_02: But then if you can do other things as well, go for it.
31:08
SPEAKER_02: Um, as far as what you said about the age-appropriate um concept, my my biggest trick for that is have think about the child singing you the lyric.
31:20
SPEAKER_02: Like if if you cannot picture that six, seven-year-old child speaking that lyric to you, like in conversation, and not only understanding what it's talking about, like contemporary lyrical, jazz tap, whatever the genre, right?
31:38
SPEAKER_02: Um not only understanding it, but like being appropriate to come out of their mouth too.
31:44
SPEAKER_02: So those are my that's my easiest go-to.
31:47
SPEAKER_02: Like, if my child were to sing me baby got back, would I have a problem with that?
31:52
SPEAKER_02: Like, that's an extreme example, but you know, it makes sense.
31:56
SPEAKER_02: So that's that's how I look I look at it.
31:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think for for any eight-year-old, no matter what level, no matter how many years, I think of the presentation on stage, taking responsibility for their routine.
32:09
SPEAKER_01: Whether you train one hour a week or whether you're in the studio 15 hours, I want you to come on stage with confidence.
32:15
SPEAKER_01: I want you to have that routine rehearsed because everybody, regardless of how much hours you spend in the studio, has the same amount of hours in a day.
32:22
SPEAKER_01: So there could be that one dancer that takes one hour of class a week, but she has her routine nailed down because she goes home and she practices it and she really focuses on like the counts and the corrections and the details.
32:33
SPEAKER_01: And then you have Susie Q, who spends 20 hours, but she barely has time to practice it and it's kind of sloppy, or they forget their dance.
32:40
SPEAKER_01: And you know, sometimes as a judge, you see the quadruple pirouette, you see the, you know, the step aerial into the leg tilt, and you're like, oh wow, that kid can do that.
32:50
SPEAKER_01: And then you see them come out of it and their knees are rotated in, or you see them step for that pirouette with the most sickled foot you've got, and that immediately takes away the shock value.
33:00
SPEAKER_01: Then you have the next dancer come on stage that gives me a double, but it is perfect.
33:05
SPEAKER_01: And I all I can think about is how how well trained she is that she remembered to put her foot parallel with her back heel up and her front heel down.
33:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
33:12
SPEAKER_01: So those are the things that I think the wow factor gets diminished because you see all the other stuff that they either didn't get taught or they didn't pay attention to.
33:20
SPEAKER_01: And I think along with appropriateness as well, sometimes as a judge, I get so uncomfortable watching what they're dancing to.
33:28
SPEAKER_01: They could be brilliant.
33:29
SPEAKER_01: And it's, I want to say it's not really their fault.
33:31
SPEAKER_01: They're kind of being, they're doing what they're being told.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm not a fan of the wing.
33:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it's just you you lose the you lose how you want genuine, you want genuine performance.
33:41
SPEAKER_01: And half the time you know that those dancers don't know what they're dancing about.
33:45
SPEAKER_01: Um, they're just being told what to do, or they have choreographed facial expressions, or they're just doing what they see on TV or YouTube.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: And you can't even appreciate what they're doing because you're so like, I don't feel right watching this.
33:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: And that even comes, you know, I know we're kind of talking about the younger age range right now, but that even applies to our teen and literally now that you know a lot of teachers feel like, oh, well, now they're mature, now they can have this mature style.
34:14
SPEAKER_00: And it's like, well, this girl's actually only 13.
34:17
SPEAKER_01: I was just gonna say you have to remember they're still 13.
34:19
SPEAKER_01: They're a teen or a senior, but they could still be 14, 15 years old.
34:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're gonna find their um, their individuality and their sexuality and all of that on their own terms.
34:29
SPEAKER_02: If they start turning that on at 16 and that's their journey, let them go for that, but maybe not put that on the 12 or 13-year-old who has no life experience in that way and let her dance as her adorable bubbly self, or maybe she's really gritty and grungy or whoever she is.
34:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
34:47
SPEAKER_02: Um, individuality and finding how to how to maintain that, even in your group setting, helps me to find their genuine performance quality.
34:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
34:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because we haven't really even discussed group really.
35:00
SPEAKER_00: We've been kind of thinking solo only.
35:03
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
35:04
SPEAKER_00: But yes, like all of this applies to group routines as well.
35:07
SPEAKER_00: Kind of like Miranda, what you were mentioning, I I completely agree in the sense that the wow factor is what everyone thinks is the hottest new thing.
35:16
SPEAKER_00: I think that teachers need to realize that, of course, we're excited to see these huge achievements and these awesome tricks that your dancers can do.
35:24
SPEAKER_00: But the in and the out is just as important as the actual execution of the preparation and finish, right?
35:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
35:32
SPEAKER_01: I think like the last, I would say the last two to three years as a teacher myself, that's kind of what I've been reviewing my soloists and my group routines on a case-to-case basis and saying, okay, what is this dancer's strengths and what should she and should she not be doing?
35:46
SPEAKER_01: Just because she's a 14-year-old doesn't mean she needs to do X, Y, and Z in her routine.
35:50
SPEAKER_01: Because at the end of the day, what she's presenting on stage needs to be her best presentation of herself or himself.
35:57
SPEAKER_01: And so I've really had to kind of almost think less as more sometime and just sort of think, okay, it's it don't get pressured to do what she wants to do or what I think I need to do, highlight her.
36:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, highlight that group.
36:09
SPEAKER_01: You know, and then the junior group's gonna change every year.
36:11
SPEAKER_01: The teens group teen group is gonna change every year.
36:13
SPEAKER_01: Like your teens in 2019 might be the best teen group you've ever had.
36:17
SPEAKER_01: And then you go to 2020 and you get a teen group that is kind of going back to square one.
36:22
SPEAKER_01: So you have to sort of always reevaluate what you're doing with them.
36:25
SPEAKER_00: Do you guys feel that adding levels into the mix at competition has kind of shifted and changed the expectations for what we look for in age ranges?
36:37
SPEAKER_00: Do you think that plays a part in it?
36:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, we kind of touched this a little bit, but advanced level dancers, which can be, you know, dancing from six hours or more a week to however many they choose to, 20 hours or more a week.
36:54
SPEAKER_00: Do you think that this these levels have made dancers maybe who aren't considered advanced wanting to explore new things before they're ready to?
37:05
SPEAKER_00: And I'm just curious to know how far should we go with pushing those boundaries?
37:11
SPEAKER_00: And does the levels play into that at all?
37:14
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I think like for the beginner level, they just want to have fun.
37:19
SPEAKER_05: They just want to enjoy dance, they don't want to be too committed.
37:24
SPEAKER_05: They have other things going on in their life, and they're they're enjoying like just just performing on stage every now and then.
37:31
SPEAKER_05: And then you get to the intermediates where like, okay, maybe we just bumped up from the beginner and we're getting into intermediate and we're working on these more advanced steps, and then you get to the advanced where, you know, there's usually a sometime most of the time a huge jump in the caliber from intermediate to advanced.
37:49
SPEAKER_05: Um so I have to, even if I'm watching a senior routine and it's just beginner, I really like to look at, you know, why they're in that category and kind of find, hey, they're really enjoying it and they're they're they're super clean.
38:04
SPEAKER_05: I want to kind of create keep continue their passion.
38:08
SPEAKER_01: I think like beginner level too, especially when you start to get to the 16-year-olds and and you kind of look at it and you're like, well, 16-year-olds and the beginner, like sometimes you think, well, what's the point?
38:17
SPEAKER_01: Like people have that thought, but you have to remember too that the competition doesn't have to just be about executing crazy steps.
38:23
SPEAKER_01: Getting them on stage in front of judges to get critiqued is a huge deal.
38:28
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that sets that sets you up for so many great things in life.
38:32
SPEAKER_01: And just to have them get that opportunity to have the spotlight on them, to go on stage and you know, not run away and like that's that's a big deal.
38:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
38:41
SPEAKER_01: So instead of looking at it as there's a 16-year-old in the beginner level, and you know, she's doing that.
38:46
SPEAKER_01: Applaud the 16-year-old for putting herself out there, you know, and having that chance.
38:51
SPEAKER_02: I find the intermediate to get a little bit muddy.
38:56
SPEAKER_02: Um, either, either they're just kind of on the brink of beginner, and maybe they could stay there and and like hone their skill, or they should be in the advanced category.
39:06
SPEAKER_02: Um, I think, like you guys said, there's like the difference between like this is my extracurricular.
39:12
SPEAKER_02: I love performing, this is fun for me, I feel good about myself, and this is pre-professional, right?
39:17
SPEAKER_02: We're training towards a goal.
39:19
SPEAKER_02: So even watching in the intermediate category, sometimes I find myself either wanting wishing they were bumped down or wishing they were bumped up.
39:28
SPEAKER_02: So for me, in my like perfect world, I would eliminate that middle ground because I don't know, like I've seen it abused a lot just as a teacher at competition, and my kids will look at me as a true like beginner who maybe takes a little more class or does more routines, has to be in that intermediate category and go, Miss Emily.
39:49
SPEAKER_02: There is no way she did 16 dances today.
39:52
SPEAKER_02: There's no way she's intermediate.
39:53
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, well, that's what your teacher says.
39:55
SPEAKER_02: So she is, and we're gonna do our own thing.
39:57
SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, even that too, like if they're in seven routines, I don't consider that a beginner because that's at least seven hours a week of training, regardless if it's technique or rehearsal, right?
40:09
SPEAKER_02: So I think if those rules can be like kind of an across the board.
40:14
SPEAKER_02: Right.
40:15
SPEAKER_05: Or I've also kind of witnessed um studios adjusting to intermediate when they find out an more advanced studio is there and it ha they've moved down to intermediate just for what purpose.
40:28
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
40:29
SPEAKER_05: Right.
40:29
SPEAKER_02: Um regardless, I guess.
40:32
SPEAKER_05: I don't know how we're helping.
40:34
SPEAKER_05: I don't know how we're helping in that instance.
40:36
SPEAKER_05: Um, so yeah, I definitely agree.
40:38
SPEAKER_05: The intermediate level needs some adjusting and some, you know, get that microscope out and start looking in deeper to that one.
40:45
SPEAKER_01: So and I think it's also our responsibility as teachers too to know your market and to know, you know, my studio is located in a smaller area and we kind of have a mix.
40:55
SPEAKER_01: We have some kids that are on the competitive team that just like to be there.
41:00
SPEAKER_01: We have some kids that I could potentially see pursuing a career.
41:03
SPEAKER_01: And so knowing that, we like to give our students a variety of competition experience.
41:08
SPEAKER_01: We go to some competitions during the season that we know we're gonna sort of be hanging in, and then we know which competitions, if we go to, that those kids are gonna be discouraged.
41:18
SPEAKER_01: But then we have a competition where we want them to have a bit of a challenge.
41:21
SPEAKER_01: You know, if you have if you have more of like an intermediate group, there are certain competitions that are, I think, kind of like the Olympics of dance.
41:28
SPEAKER_01: Like you kind of go there and you know what you're gonna expect.
41:31
SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
41:31
SPEAKER_01: So I think you got to make sure that you're not setting your kids up for failure, you're not setting them up to be like, I have these advanced kids, I'm gonna take them to this competition so they can cream them out.
41:40
SPEAKER_01: Like what are you doing?
41:41
SPEAKER_01: You know, so you have to know your market too.
41:44
SPEAKER_01: Because, like I said, every competition works differently and and we know which ones are gonna best fit your studio.
41:49
SPEAKER_01: You know, I don't think we do our kids a service by going to the competitions where you know they're gonna come out on top all the time.
41:55
SPEAKER_01: And I don't think we're really doing our kids a service to take them to a competition where we know where they're gonna get creamed and discouraged.
42:00
SPEAKER_01: You got to figure out where you lie and give them a little bit of everything so they know what is out there.
42:05
SPEAKER_01: Handling a win is almost just as important as handling a defeat.
42:08
SPEAKER_01: You know, like you handle a win and you get right back in there and figure out how to get how to get better.
42:13
SPEAKER_01: And you know, you handle you handle a loss and you figure out how you can get back in there and get better.
42:17
SPEAKER_01: So it is you got to figure out how to do both.
42:19
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
42:20
SPEAKER_05: And look at it as okay, well, these dancers, they were stronger than that.
42:26
SPEAKER_05: Uh what inspired you by what respect that, yes.
42:29
SPEAKER_05: Respect them.
42:30
SPEAKER_05: I I have I am not jealous of any studio, you know.
42:34
SPEAKER_05: I really enjoy seeing everybody's work and process on stage.
42:38
SPEAKER_05: And, you know, that's what the dance world is.
42:40
SPEAKER_05: We're all four of us sitting here talking.
42:43
SPEAKER_05: We all come from all different backgrounds, and that's what you want to teach your students.
42:47
SPEAKER_05: You don't want to teach them like, oh well, don't talk to them, you know.
42:50
SPEAKER_05: Right.
42:51
SPEAKER_05: You're you might be dancing one day together.
42:53
SPEAKER_05: So it's it's a different yeah, it's a different outlook.
42:56
SPEAKER_01: And we kind of lose the whole the whole nature of what dance is.
42:59
SPEAKER_01: You know, dance is to me like a celebratory art form.
43:02
SPEAKER_01: It's it's a it's a form to bring people together.
43:05
SPEAKER_01: And when you're in a studio, you're there because you all like to dance.
43:08
SPEAKER_01: Right.
43:08
SPEAKER_01: So you're all there for a common purpose.
43:10
SPEAKER_01: And for you to, you know, as a teacher to start to separate that, you you're doing you're not really teaching your kids dance.
43:16
SPEAKER_01: You know, you lost the whole why of dance in the first place.
43:20
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
43:21
SPEAKER_02: Holding on to that why is so important.
43:24
SPEAKER_02: Like at the end of the day, trophies are not, scores are not, comments are not.
43:28
SPEAKER_02: What is the end goal?
43:30
SPEAKER_02: The end goal is to have a really solid dance education and to find joy in what you do on a daily basis.
43:37
SPEAKER_02: Because let's face it, a lot of these kids, this is their whole life.
43:40
SPEAKER_02: Do you want that to be a joyous experience for them?
43:42
SPEAKER_02: Or do you want this to be something that they look back on and have to do a lot of work on their self themselves to, you know, get through?
43:50
SPEAKER_02: Like, what is this experience for them?
43:52
SPEAKER_02: You're part of their whole life.
43:53
SPEAKER_02: This is their this is their makeup for life.
43:57
SPEAKER_01: When I was in high school and I would worry so much about my calculus homework, you know, like I needed to get a good grade in calculus.
44:03
SPEAKER_01: I couldn't tell you one thing about calculus right now.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: Dance, even I mean, you want them to be able to go on to life and remember what dance taught them and how they can bring dance into their life.
44:15
SPEAKER_00: Thanks again to our guests for joining us for this conversation about age ranges.
44:19
SPEAKER_00: To learn more about our guests, follow them on Instagram.
44:22
SPEAKER_00: Jessica at JWO Dance, Emily at M Branagan, and Miranda at Miranda Rose Beta.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: A quick quote from one of our sponsors in IBA affiliated competition.
44:34
SPEAKER_00: Beta Dance Competition is America's live judging competition.
44:37
SPEAKER_00: Their live judging format is extremely unique in the industry.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: Dancers are asked to stay on stage following their routine.
44:44
SPEAKER_00: Each of the judges provided exclusively by Impact Dance adjudicators will provide immediate feedback live over the microphone.
44:50
SPEAKER_00: This format allows for a very personalized educational experience where the dancers are able to apply their critiques immediately to their next routines, with the purpose of improving as the day goes on.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: Something else that makes Diva different is that they are a competition with the cause.
45:05
SPEAKER_00: Diva was born as a way to raise awareness for the CDLS Foundation, a rare genetic syndrome that Jack, one of the owner's sons, was born with.
45:13
SPEAKER_00: Jack was the inspiration for Diva, and you may be lucky enough to meet him at one of their upcoming events.
45:18
SPEAKER_00: And last but not least, Diva provides all routine photos and videos absolutely free.
45:24
SPEAKER_00: For more information on Diva, head to their website now to register for an upcoming event at divacomps.com.
45:31
SPEAKER_04: Do you have a question you've been dying to ask a judge?
45:33
SPEAKER_04: Now's your chance to send us your questions.
45:35
SPEAKER_04: We might answer them on the show and give you a shout out.
45:38
SPEAKER_04: Submit your questions to us on our website at www.impactdanceedjudicators.com/slash podcast via audio or text.
45:46
SPEAKER_00: If you liked what you heard on today's episode and want more, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.
45:51
SPEAKER_00: The more positive reviews we get, the more great content we can bring to you all about things dance competition.
45:56
SPEAKER_00: Head over to Apple Podcasts to rate us and leave us a review now.
46:00
SPEAKER_04: Coming up in the next few weeks, we've got poison dance, technique, plus bonus QA episodes with Courtney.
46:06
SPEAKER_04: Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts and tune in every Monday for new episodes.
46:11
SPEAKER_00: We're so glad you joined us for this episode of the Making the Impact Advance Competition Podcast.
46:16
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in.