Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Big Name Dance Conventions vs In-House Dance Conventions

Transcript

Big Name Dance Conventions vs In-House Dance Conventions · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_04: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:10
SPEAKER_04: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_04: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:15
SPEAKER_04: 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_04: Dance conventions have been around for decades, but with so many options now, we know it can be challenging to decide what kind of event to attend.
0:33
SPEAKER_04: On today's episode of Making the Impact, we discuss the pros and cons of two types of conventions: the big, high-profile events, as well as smaller in-studio conventions.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here like always with my co-host, Leslie Mealer.
0:53
SPEAKER_04: What's up, Courtney?
0:54
SPEAKER_04: Uh, listeners, if you just heard a tiny meow, that's your third co-host, Charlotte, my cat.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: Charlotte's always here.
1:01
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
1:02
SPEAKER_00: She is ready for recording day.
1:04
SPEAKER_04: Yes, she likes to be part of everything, you know.
1:06
SPEAKER_04: But yeah, we have a fun episode today.
1:08
SPEAKER_04: I'm really excited about this one, Court.
1:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this is a great discussion, and we're talking all about the dance convention space.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: And we have two brand new guests who are joining us on the podcast, two new voices.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: We love having new guests over here on Making the Impact after six seasons.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: You know, there's so many more people to get on the podcast.
1:25
SPEAKER_04: And here's some new ones.
1:27
SPEAKER_04: Here are some new ones.
1:27
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I love to have new friends on as well because that just, you know, expands our reach and then makes even more connections, which is what we're all about over here at Making the Impact.
1:36
SPEAKER_00: Yes, we are.
1:37
SPEAKER_00: And before we jump into our episode this week, all about dance conventions, we have to share our recent Making the Impact Award winners with you.
1:46
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you've heard me talk about it all season long, and we have been awarding our Making the Impact Award sponsored by Impact Dance Adjudicators at IDA affiliated competitions around the country.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: If you are attending an IDA affiliated event, you might be the lucky winner of our Making the Impact Award Judge's Choice, which means that your judges on the panel from IDA get to pick that one dance from the entire weekend that they just cannot stop thinking about, that they want to recognize you for making an impact in the competitive dance world.
2:19
SPEAKER_00: And one of the huge perks of winning this award is getting a shout-out right here, right now, live on the podcast.
2:25
SPEAKER_04: We are really excited to congratulate from Endless Talent Dances event in Taylorsville, North Carolina.
2:31
SPEAKER_04: Congratulations to Star Steps Dance Center from Lenore, North Carolina, and dancer Josie for their solo, You Mean the World to Me.
2:38
SPEAKER_00: Congratulations, Josie, and congrats to all of our recent Making the Impact Award winners.
2:42
SPEAKER_00: If you are the winner, make sure that you register your award so you can hear your studio on the pod.
2:47
SPEAKER_04: And listeners, we would be remiss if we did not mention our wonderful sponsors that keep this podcast up and running.
2:53
SPEAKER_04: And you know, listen, I'm a podcast listener.
2:56
SPEAKER_04: I'm guilty of fast-forwarding through these ads.
2:58
SPEAKER_04: However, these ads are not just your blue aprons, your Casper mattresses.
3:02
SPEAKER_04: These are actually dance-related ads from companies that we support and that we uh really believe in.
3:09
SPEAKER_04: So take a listen.
3:10
SPEAKER_04: You might be surprised what you hear.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: And use that promo code y'all.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: Let's hear from our sponsors.
3:17
SPEAKER_04: Moving through a competitive dance season comes with a lot of excitement along with top-level goals.
3:22
SPEAKER_04: But sometimes, as you find yourself saying, straighten your knees or use your turnout, does it feel like the progress doesn't match the work?
3:29
SPEAKER_04: Well, let me introduce you to relative motion.
3:31
SPEAKER_04: Relative motion revolutionizes the way dancers understand their body in motion.
3:36
SPEAKER_04: With patented color block apparel, anatomy is brought to sight for the dancer, and their goals instantly become visible and measurable.
3:42
SPEAKER_04: Relative motion simplifies the mind-body connection, so it's like turning a light bulb on to all your students training.
3:48
SPEAKER_04: And it's actually that instant.
3:50
SPEAKER_04: But the best part is the relative motion training program, which cues all their exercises with both anatomical terms and coordinating colors, so dancers of every age and level have access to understanding what the goal is and how to get there.
4:03
SPEAKER_04: You can access relative motion through their online teacher training programs, starting with tiny technicians, ages three to eight, the Total Technique Academy, ages nine and up, and the Props Advantage, integrating prop training into your studio effectively.
4:16
SPEAKER_04: Follow them on Instagram at RelativeMotion Dance to see their program in action, and then head to relativemotiondance.com or download the Relative Motion Technique app in the Apple or Google App Stores to get started.
4:27
SPEAKER_04: And exclusive for our listeners, use our podcast promo code IMPACT10 in all caps to receive an additional 10% off of any of their online training programs, or$400 off your in-studio workshop.
4:39
SPEAKER_04: You're just one step away from your strongest season ever with Relative Motion.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: Alright, Dance World, we're heading into our next episode over here at Making the Impact.
4:49
SPEAKER_00: And this week we are talking all about dance conventions.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: And what's the difference between one of those big, huge, large-scale dance convention events versus maybe a smaller scale, in-studio style convention that's a little bit more intimate, that is only with your studio and not in a huge ballroom with carpet and lights and flash and photographers and videographers.
5:13
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk all about that today and learn about the differences, the pros, the cons, and maybe by the end of this chat, you might be interested in hosting your own in-studio event or signing up and attending a big, huge, beautiful, amazing dance convention next season in 2026.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: We have two brand new guests who are joining us over here on the podcast.
5:34
SPEAKER_00: I'm so thrilled to welcome them.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: The first is a studio owner perspective that goes to many dance conventions with their studio as well as hosts in-studio events.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: And I have had the pleasure of judging their beautiful dancers on stage at competition.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm very excited to welcome Brittany Barber to the podcast.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Brittany.
5:54
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
5:55
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Courtney.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: You're so welcome.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad that you could be here.
5:59
SPEAKER_00: I know you're coming right off of a dance convention weekend as it is.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: Yes, ma'am.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: Yes, coming fresh off of a weekend.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: You know, the dance convention and competition hangover is absolutely real in this dance world.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: Monday is recovery day for not just the dancers, but the studio owners, the teachers, the owners, everybody.
6:17
SPEAKER_03: Yes, it is a non-stop weekend from start to finish, but it's so good and it's so rewarding.
6:23
SPEAKER_03: So you kind of forget that you have the dance convention hangover at the end of it, but Monday hits hard.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: Well, Brittany, if you could share a little bit more about you, where you grew up, your early dance training, any career credits, and when and why you chose to open a dance studio and become a studio owner.
6:43
SPEAKER_03: So I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida.
6:45
SPEAKER_03: I've been dancing since I was two years old.
6:47
SPEAKER_03: I don't really know anything else.
6:50
SPEAKER_03: I never did sports of any kind.
6:53
SPEAKER_03: I danced.
6:54
SPEAKER_03: So dance was a part of me.
6:56
SPEAKER_03: It feels like it's part of my DNA.
6:58
SPEAKER_03: And I I danced locally at a studio here, and then I went to performing arts middle school and high school.
7:03
SPEAKER_03: And then upon graduation, I went to University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated with my BFA.
7:10
SPEAKER_03: And then I went on to dance uh professionally on cruise ships with Hall in America line through Stiletto Entertainment.
7:18
SPEAKER_03: Unfortunately, from that, I did gain a little bit of an injury.
7:22
SPEAKER_03: So I ended up coming home to teach and found my deep love with that.
7:28
SPEAKER_03: Like never knew that that was really in there, and then decided that I wanted to give Jacksonville something different that wasn't your just regular studio, something that was more pre-professional based, something that could challenge the kids and create a community of like-minded individuals.
7:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you have definitely done that because I have witnessed a lot of your dancers go off to have beautiful professional careers.
7:51
SPEAKER_03: I can say that I have like a 95 percentile of my graduated seniors that are working professionally, and that is insane.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: It's rare to be able to see and hear that.
8:03
SPEAKER_00: I mean, let's be it's hard to even keep seniors at the studio until graduation, you know?
8:08
SPEAKER_00: So that's really awesome to hear.
8:11
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, you're doing such great work and uh congrats on all your studio success.
8:16
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: Yay! Happy to have you here on the pod.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: So excited to be here.
8:21
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
8:22
SPEAKER_00: Our next special guest is someone who I get to work with every single weekend because he employed me.
8:28
SPEAKER_00: He is my boss.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: And it's been such a treat to be on the convention faculty at Streets Dance Convention for the past two seasons and hopefully many more years to come.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm so very excited to welcome the owner of Streets, Mr.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: Ty Riley.
8:45
SPEAKER_00: Hi, how's it going, everyone?
8:46
SPEAKER_00: I'm super excited to be here.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: Yay! Thanks so much for all your support in IDA and making the impact.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: And I love being on the Streets team.
8:54
SPEAKER_00: It's just been such a blast and a pleasure.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: So thank you for having me as well.
8:58
SPEAKER_05: Definitely love having you, and it's definitely a a match uh made in heaven, and we're uh having fun every single weekend.
9:05
SPEAKER_05: So it's definitely a blessing for sure.
9:07
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
9:07
SPEAKER_00: So Streets has been around for many years, which you're gonna tell us all about.
9:11
SPEAKER_00: 17, if anyone was wondering.
9:13
SPEAKER_00: But I also thought that it would be really important to have a dance convention owner perspective on this chat to just hear exactly how and why you got into this world and what it's like to run a big, huge scale dance convention.
9:27
SPEAKER_00: So thanks for being here and same type of deal.
9:30
SPEAKER_05: Can you share a little bit more about you?
9:32
SPEAKER_05: Sure.
9:32
SPEAKER_05: So I didn't actually start dancing till I was 19.
9:36
SPEAKER_05: I actually played sports growing up.
9:38
SPEAKER_05: So it was I'm from a very small town in Texas where basically football and baseball is king.
9:43
SPEAKER_05: If you're a boy, that's usually what you did.
9:44
SPEAKER_05: And it wasn't until I kind of got into college where I got introduced into a little bit of the dance world, a little bit of the hip-hop world, and I fell in love with it.
9:54
SPEAKER_05: And I actually kind of pre-taught myself or like uh was self-taught through music videos and YouTube.
10:00
SPEAKER_05: YouTube just came out at this time, so like year one, uh, kind of taught myself all these dance movies started coming out.
10:07
SPEAKER_05: I got very inspired, and I ended up getting asked to teach for a dance studio, hip-hop, before I'd ever taken a dance class.
10:15
SPEAKER_05: So I went completely backwards.
10:16
SPEAKER_05: I would never recommend that.
10:18
SPEAKER_05: It was a struggle for sure.
10:20
SPEAKER_05: But that is actually where I got introduced to dance conventions at.
10:24
SPEAKER_05: And I fell in love with dance conventions.
10:27
SPEAKER_05: I never knew those things existed.
10:29
SPEAKER_05: I had no clue that even was a thing.
10:31
SPEAKER_05: So I went to my first dance convention, which was hours away from my small town.
10:35
SPEAKER_05: We had to travel.
10:36
SPEAKER_05: And at that time, I was basically like a broke college student on that ramen noodle diet, like trying to just survive.
10:42
SPEAKER_05: And I fell in love with it.
10:44
SPEAKER_05: And I was like, wow, this would actually be super incredible to bring to my hometown to get uh my, you know, home-based dance community a little bit more training where we didn't have to spend so much on traveling and going to all these conventions that were so far off.
10:58
SPEAKER_05: So that summer I created Streets in 2009.
11:03
SPEAKER_05: And I really just wanted it to be a special event for my hometown.
11:08
SPEAKER_05: And then after that event, they had such a great time.
11:11
SPEAKER_05: I was like, okay, I'll do it next year.
11:12
SPEAKER_05: But then I found a couple more people that traveled in from Louisiana, and they were like, hey, we kind of have the same problem.
11:18
SPEAKER_05: Not much comes around us.
11:19
SPEAKER_05: We always have to travel three, four, five hours to any dance event.
11:23
SPEAKER_05: So I started hosting them in different areas that really didn't have that dance convention experience or that dance convention community that came to those cities.
11:31
SPEAKER_05: And since then it has grown leaps and bounds to a full tour, 20 plus cities.
11:36
SPEAKER_05: And now we're on season 17, which is just wild.
11:39
SPEAKER_05: If you could have asked my high school self if I've ever been in the dance world or owning a dance convention, I would say no.
11:45
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I went to college for engineering.
11:46
SPEAKER_05: That's like completely, completely different than what I'm doing now.
11:50
SPEAKER_05: So it's just completely, it's just crazy.
11:52
SPEAKER_05: You never understand where your life's gonna take you.
11:54
SPEAKER_05: And I found this path and I fell in love with it.
11:56
SPEAKER_05: And this is what I love doing every single day.
11:58
SPEAKER_05: And every single weekend is just such an inspiration to meet all these new dancers.
12:02
SPEAKER_05: And then we have done in studio conventions before, and that's honestly one of the biggest things that has helped me grow from being a one city event tour to now 20 plus cities, nationals in the works.
12:15
SPEAKER_05: So we could definitely get into that, but that's just something that's been very special to me.
12:19
SPEAKER_05: So that's great.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
12:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's so awesome.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: It's I think it's such a cool story.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: And and Eve, I didn't know that you I assumed that you probably went to school for business.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you wanted to, you know, own a business, and here you are, engineering, and boom, now you're a dance convention owner.
12:36
SPEAKER_05: Like, that's so crazy.
12:38
SPEAKER_05: I've always been interested in like the business world, and I did own like a little advertising business at one time, but uh, it wasn't ever anything that I was like, this is this is the thing, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
12:49
SPEAKER_05: And then I just got introduced to the dance world and I was blown away.
12:52
SPEAKER_05: And you know, always got to give like props to the studio that gave me a fresh start.
12:56
SPEAKER_05: Their name was I Real Dance in Beaumont, Texas, and then just growing from there.
13:02
SPEAKER_05: We still do that event in Beaumont every single year.
13:04
SPEAKER_05: As a matter of fact, that's coming up in like two to three weeks.
13:07
SPEAKER_05: Um, where we'll be back in Beaumont.
13:09
SPEAKER_05: So just bringing it back home and plan on doing that until we, you know, we finish.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: So wow.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
13:15
SPEAKER_05: Yay.
13:16
SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks for sharing that and thanks for being here on the podcast.
13:19
SPEAKER_05: No problem.
13:20
SPEAKER_05: Super excited to be here.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: All right.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: It's time to jump into this chat.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: Big dance conventions versus in studio conventions.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yes.
13:29
SPEAKER_00: We love a versus.
13:30
SPEAKER_00: We love a versus.
13:31
SPEAKER_04: Yes, it's one of our most popular structures of events or events of the podcast, which are kind of like events, you know?
13:39
SPEAKER_04: We're attending.
13:39
SPEAKER_04: People attend when they listen.
13:40
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
13:41
SPEAKER_04: I digress.
13:42
SPEAKER_04: All right.
13:43
SPEAKER_04: Well, thanks y'all for being here.
13:45
SPEAKER_04: I can't wait to hear the different perspectives and the different pros and cons of each version of event.
13:50
SPEAKER_04: But so, Ty, we heard a little bit about how you just even came to own this kind of business.
13:55
SPEAKER_04: Brittany, I want to hear a little bit more about your studio and how you choose, why you choose to attend conventions.
14:02
SPEAKER_04: And have you always, has your studio always attended conventions?
14:05
SPEAKER_03: So we have been around for 10 years.
14:07
SPEAKER_03: This is our 10th season.
14:09
SPEAKER_03: And from day one, I knew we were going to attend conventions because I feel it's incredibly important for my dancers to be exposed to working professionals in the industry.
14:23
SPEAKER_03: That networking is so important for them to get in front of those people.
14:28
SPEAKER_03: Most of those people are going to be people that are casting you or the choreographer of, or a lot of jobs are done by word of mouth.
14:35
SPEAKER_03: So I just think it's really important for them to get in those rooms and meet fellow dancers and also train from these working professionals in the industry.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree.
14:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
14:48
SPEAKER_00: Regarding in-studio events and going back to Thai, kind of like what you mentioned, you started with your one event and then you kind of sprinkled around to different studios to help grow your events.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: Why did you decide to bring the big dance convention to those markets?
15:07
SPEAKER_00: Could could you have just done this by popping around in and out of different dance studios and just hosting the smaller, more intimate in-studio style events?
15:14
SPEAKER_05: I I think there's it's a little bit for convention.
15:18
SPEAKER_05: It is a little bit of a different type of business model as well, depending on what your main goal is in the in the end.
15:25
SPEAKER_05: For me, it was always I wanted to like I created these in-studio uh events and workshops and like you could you could call them conventions to personally introduce myself to these uh studios, to tell them my story of how I got started, to inspire them, and hopefully just offer a few things to eventually get them to the bigger event where I do feel like the energy, the atmosphere, the inspiration, the connections, the support from all the dancers is really what was important to me.
15:55
SPEAKER_05: And, you know, just the love in the room.
15:57
SPEAKER_05: I I really wanted everybody to get a chance to experience that.
16:00
SPEAKER_05: Whenever I did these, like it it was a little wild, like whenever I look at it now, but I I know I did, I think one summer I did 63 of these, and I did them for free.
16:11
SPEAKER_05: What?
16:12
SPEAKER_05: So I traveled across the country on my own dollar.
16:15
SPEAKER_05: I did four a day.
16:17
SPEAKER_05: What?
16:18
SPEAKER_05: So we had them scheduled like at 9 a.m., 12 p.m.
16:21
SPEAKER_05: 3 p.m.
16:22
SPEAKER_05: and 6 p.m.
16:22
SPEAKER_05: in different cities across the country.
16:25
SPEAKER_05: And I basically would would do these classes and I would have a talk at the end of it, give out some scholarships, and try to just introduce streets to the world.
16:36
SPEAKER_05: And that for the first for the first probably 10 years, I did those every single off season.
16:42
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
16:42
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
16:43
SPEAKER_05: And that was just it was hard.
16:45
SPEAKER_05: It was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.
16:47
SPEAKER_05: And I, but I honestly feel like that's how the growth happened is because of the in studio events.
16:55
SPEAKER_05: Because those studios got a chance to experience and get a taste of what's what basically streets had to offer, and then they would be either interested or they weren't.
17:02
SPEAKER_05: And either way, that was happy with me.
17:04
SPEAKER_05: I knew that some people would just take this free uh in studio event and do nothing with it.
17:10
SPEAKER_05: Say farewell.
17:11
SPEAKER_05: Right, right.
17:12
SPEAKER_05: And some people would love it.
17:13
SPEAKER_05: And I that I understood that was a part of it, and I went into it with no expectations and just you know came out with a lot of people really interested.
17:22
SPEAKER_05: So I think there's pros and cons to both, which I'm sure we're gonna chat in and go from there.
17:26
SPEAKER_05: But I I think it was a huge part to where Streets is today with doing the in studio.
17:31
SPEAKER_04: Wow.
17:32
SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, you're like how many owners of businesses show up for free to give you the service and then like succeed.
17:43
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
17:43
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's like you hear sort of about that.
17:45
SPEAKER_04: It's like I was peddling my wares and nobody cared and whatever, like, you know, every every entrepreneur in history, but like you did the thing, and now 17 years later, you have this huge business.
17:54
SPEAKER_04: And I bet you you still have customers who showed up to those free classes.
17:57
SPEAKER_05: Oh, I do, and they'll show me pictures too.
17:59
SPEAKER_04: Oh my god.
18:00
SPEAKER_05: Baby tie, I call it baby tie, and he just he doesn't look the same.
18:04
SPEAKER_05: But uh it's it's crazy, it's wild to look at because it will have, I mean, I've seen kids go from our Street Stars program, which is our five to seven-year-olds.
18:12
SPEAKER_05: I know every convention calls them a little bit different, a younger age group, but they're they're graduating.
18:16
SPEAKER_05: And I even have people on my staff and on my faculty that were a part of our our teams and stuff, and that's the full circle moment.
18:24
SPEAKER_05: And I know, like with the studio too, seeing your kids go all the way through and then coming back or you know, going out in the professional world, that's that's what's been incredible seeing that over the past couple of years.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
18:36
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
18:36
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I'm that's amazing.
18:38
SPEAKER_00: So, Brittany, I know that y'all t attend a lot of dance conventions during the season, but do you also have any in-studio style events that you've done in the past or still currently do?
18:49
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I always try to incorporate one in-house convention every season.
18:54
SPEAKER_03: Nice.
18:55
SPEAKER_03: The only reason why we haven't ever done it has been because of weather cancellations.
19:01
SPEAKER_03: Oh no.
19:01
SPEAKER_04: Okay, Florida.
19:03
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, thanks, Florida.
19:04
SPEAKER_03: Thanks for the hurtings.
19:06
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that is that's the only reason why we haven't done it.
19:09
SPEAKER_03: So I I personally think that there's pros to both.
19:13
SPEAKER_03: I I think that dancers should be exposed to both of them.
19:17
SPEAKER_03: I don't think that it should be one or the other.
19:19
SPEAKER_04: When you bring in a convention, is this a you're organizing teachers on your own to come in, or are you like partnering with an organization that does this?
19:28
SPEAKER_03: So I have in the past done a convention that has come in.
19:33
SPEAKER_03: Then they or they like would give me a list of teachers that I could choose from, and then that would who that would be who they would bring in.
19:43
SPEAKER_03: They would organize it completely on their end.
19:45
SPEAKER_03: Now I utilize a different organization that does simply the same thing, but they're not a convention.
19:52
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
19:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: If that makes sense.
19:55
SPEAKER_03: So it's not the convention itself is coming in, but it is a group of industry worker working professionals that are coming in to educate the dancers.
20:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
20:06
SPEAKER_04: So there's multiple ways to do this, I think is what I was wanting to make sure everybody understands.
20:11
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
20:12
SPEAKER_03: And there is like we do like um a workshop, if you will, over the winter with like teachers that I bring in that are essentially like alumni from my studio, but I prefer to have them do all of that back end work rather than me having to do it, because then I think it kind of takes the stress off of it and it's allows them to bring in their best and who they think would be best with my dancers, and then me to just get the dancers ready, kind of, you know.
20:46
SPEAKER_00: Join us for an unforgettable experience at the Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo, taking place this summer at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas from July 22nd to the 25th, where dance enthusiasts gather to elevate their teaching skills.
21:01
SPEAKER_00: With over 140 masterclasses, there's something for everyone, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out.
21:07
SPEAKER_00: Dive into cutting-edge insights that will transform your studio.
21:11
SPEAKER_00: From innovative marketing trends to effective retention strategies, you'll leave the Dance Teacher Web Conference equipped with the tools to succeed.
21:19
SPEAKER_00: And don't miss the exclusive movement and dance classes with industry professionals, where you can learn unique choreography that will spice up your lessons.
21:27
SPEAKER_00: Plus, the Dance Teacher Web event connects you with other fellow educators and industry celebrities from around the world.
21:33
SPEAKER_00: I'll even be attending and teaching this year at the Dance Teacher Web Conference and would love to see you there.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: With extended access to their event app, you'll have the luxury of revisiting sessions and notes long after the conference ends.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: Explore the Expo Hall for the latest trends in costumes and dancewears, and be sure to participate in the Grand Finale giveaway, where over$20,000 in prizes awaits.
21:56
SPEAKER_00: Use our exclusive podcast promo code.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Impact 50 in all caps for an extra$50 off registration.
22:05
SPEAKER_00: Don't miss out on one of the biggest dance teacher events of the summer.
22:09
SPEAKER_00: Secure your spot today at Dance Teachers Summerexpo.com.
22:13
SPEAKER_00: Get ready for an amazing journey in the world of dance education at the Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo.
22:25
SPEAKER_00: You're like essentially with some of the in-studio convention organizations that are out there, and there are definitely plenty.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: You're they're curating the service for you and you're paying them a fee so you can have just sit back and kick your feet up and say, Hey, what date is it?
22:41
SPEAKER_00: How much do I am I charging everybody?
22:43
SPEAKER_00: Great.
22:43
SPEAKER_00: All right, y'all, you better be here.
22:45
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's what hands off.
22:46
SPEAKER_03: Yes, exactly.
22:47
SPEAKER_00: And then there's a lot of other studio owners that want to be in control and also feel like that they can make it a little bit more affordable and bring in less known teachers and there's not extra service fees, and there's, you know, whatever it is.
23:00
SPEAKER_00: They want to crunch those numbers.
23:02
SPEAKER_00: And again, that takes time.
23:03
SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, it's it's all it's honestly sometimes a convenience aspect if you decide to go with a service provider that's gonna do all of this for you in a package deal versus you having to do all the logistics yourself.
23:15
SPEAKER_00: It's a lot.
23:16
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
23:17
SPEAKER_03: I I feel like with the conventions, having to register for four to five of those every season is enough.
23:27
SPEAKER_03: And and if I can take one more thing off my plate, then I am all for it.
23:31
SPEAKER_00: Yep, yep.
23:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, delegating is really is really good.
23:35
SPEAKER_03: Like so it took me a long time.
23:37
SPEAKER_03: It took me a long time to get there.
23:41
SPEAKER_00: Me too.
23:41
SPEAKER_00: I'm still I'm still learning that as a struggle.
23:45
SPEAKER_00: It's hard.
23:47
SPEAKER_03: I'm at the front of the struggle bus.
23:49
SPEAKER_04: Oh, there you go.
23:50
SPEAKER_04: Placement is key.
23:51
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, placement's key.
23:53
SPEAKER_04: Well, so I wanna for the people out there, because I mean I we may have some listeners.
23:57
SPEAKER_04: I feel like we might not, but we might have some listeners who really don't know what a convention really entails on either end of the side of the spectrum.
24:05
SPEAKER_04: So, Ty, you own one.
24:06
SPEAKER_04: Can you tell us about sort of the structure of your convention, which I'm assuming kind of is similar to many of the bigger ones out there?
24:13
SPEAKER_04: How does how does your weekend look?
24:15
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so usually on a convention weekend, everybody does it usually very similarly.
24:20
SPEAKER_05: Some people will will rotate days away, or maybe they'll have competition in the morning in classes at night.
24:27
SPEAKER_05: The general structure is usually a Friday, Saturday, Sunday event.
24:32
SPEAKER_05: Fridays are normally your competition only day.
24:34
SPEAKER_05: So usually we're starting in the morning, 7 or 8 a.m., usually competition all day.
24:40
SPEAKER_05: That usually ends at night, whether it's 10, 11, hopefully no later than that.
24:45
SPEAKER_05: And then Saturday and Sunday is your main class days.
24:48
SPEAKER_05: Now, normally on Fridays, a lot of times we'll have optional master classes if anybody's in there and wants to just take any classes.
24:54
SPEAKER_05: And a lot of companies do that as well.
24:56
SPEAKER_05: And then Saturday and Sunday is your main class days.
24:58
SPEAKER_05: So you'll usually have a period from 8 a.m.
25:01
SPEAKER_05: to 2 p.m.
25:01
SPEAKER_05: on both days where it's filled with classes in different ballrooms.
25:05
SPEAKER_05: So whenever we say ballrooms, we're talking about ages.
25:07
SPEAKER_05: So the ages will stay in a certain ballroom.
25:10
SPEAKER_05: Uh, usually we run five rooms at a time, depending on the size of the event.
25:15
SPEAKER_05: Sometimes it's four, uh, if we have to combine like teens and seniors, or if they're separated.
25:20
SPEAKER_05: Um, so if you're someone that isn't familiar with dance conventions, every single age group you'll be put in there by ages.
25:26
SPEAKER_05: And that's usually the skill level that you'll have for that room.
25:29
SPEAKER_05: They'll stay in that room, and then faculty members, the teachers at the event will rotate into those rooms and teach each of those ages a different class every hour, is usually uh what it is on average.
25:41
SPEAKER_05: Toward Saturday night, we have another set of competition for usually for groups.
25:45
SPEAKER_05: And then on uh Sunday, usually after all the classes are done, we'll have a closing show and then a scholarship ceremony where not only are they winning things like coming to nationals or next season for free, but there's also a lot of opportunities from outside companies that give many, many different things like acceptance into uh agencies, programs, dance programs, different things like that for a lot of our older dancers or even our younger dancers.
26:11
SPEAKER_05: There's a lot of opportunities out there uh whenever it comes to a dance convention.
26:14
SPEAKER_00: I think that's a really important aspect of a dance convention.
26:18
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's what sets it apart from a dance competition, and especially nowadays where conventions are booming.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: I mean, let's rewind back to before streets even existed.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: I there weren't that many dance conventions on the scene back in like 2005, the early 2000s.
26:35
SPEAKER_00: We probably had Tremaine, NYCDA.
26:38
SPEAKER_00: Who else?
26:39
SPEAKER_00: I mean, all the dance one events were like just starting.
26:42
SPEAKER_05: There's like a good core DMI, yeah.
26:44
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there's like a good core of five or six that was pretty much in there.
26:47
SPEAKER_00: So there were some, I mean, obviously, like they have been around, but it is a a newer phenomenon of the dance world where the uh because of the growth of just the dance competition industry in general, there's more dance studios now, there's more dancers that want to dance, there's more dancers that want to compete.
27:04
SPEAKER_00: There's studios who love the competition aspect, but also really value the the training and the education aspect.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: And I think that that is one of the differences between comp versus dance convention.
27:15
SPEAKER_00: You get a little taste of competition, but I think the primary focus at convention is the education.
27:21
SPEAKER_00: And with that, being seen in in front of a lot of different potential high profile people in the industry that are connected to different organizations that might be scouting, that might be looking for new talent or up-and-coming talent that's about to break into the industry, and then being able to be scouted for those types of um opportunities, summer programs, agencies, like you said.
27:45
SPEAKER_00: I think that is definitely one of the pros.
27:47
SPEAKER_00: Not saying that you can't get that at an in-studio convention, but I think that there's less opportunity if you're keeping it within an in-studio convention versus a big, uh, big large scale.
27:58
SPEAKER_03: That is absolutely why we go to the big conventions.
28:01
SPEAKER_00: Right.
28:02
SPEAKER_00: Tell us more.
28:04
SPEAKER_03: That's why we do them both.
28:05
SPEAKER_03: I think, you know, you can't take that opportunity, those kinds of things, being getting scholarships with agencies and and that kind of in college.
28:16
SPEAKER_03: You you don't get that from in-house.
28:18
SPEAKER_03: You know, you get an intimate experience, which is something that's invaluable.
28:23
SPEAKER_03: But I mean, some of these kids wouldn't be able to go to college or wouldn't be able to go out to LA or New York or whatever the case may be if they didn't have those opportunities in front of them to uh grant them that exposure.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:36
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exposure.
28:37
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
28:39
SPEAKER_00: Or just like kind of, you know, give them a taste of reassurance, I guess, to know like you've been seen and there's something special here.
28:48
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, maybe you're not the star at your studio and you got recognized at this event that had over a hundred and two hundred kids in each room.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: You know, like that's an achievement.
28:58
SPEAKER_00: I think that's really um versus no offense to it in studio.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: I think that there is, again, we'll talk about the pros, but like to be able to be acknowledged in a sea full of dancers at a large-scale event is a huge achievement for dancers.
29:11
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, not everyone's gonna walk away a winner.
29:14
SPEAKER_00: That's just part of the deal.
29:15
SPEAKER_00: Whereas like a regular dance competition, a lot of times a lot of people are walking away with as a winner, especially when you're going to a competition with levels.
29:24
SPEAKER_00: We've talked about that many times.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: So, like again, I think that the stakes are a little bit higher at dance conventions, and I think there's a little bit more reward.
29:32
SPEAKER_05: Right.
29:33
SPEAKER_05: And like a dance convention, it's like most of us, we don't do levels.
29:37
SPEAKER_05: It's either your competitive or your showcase.
29:39
SPEAKER_05: And the showcase is usually only held for someone that's like a company member that's like doing a solo or someone that doesn't want to win an award or anything like that.
29:47
SPEAKER_05: So I I I really think that I mean, there's there's definitely the intimate experience, I think, is huge whenever you're dealing with in studio, but again, you're just amongst your peers that you train with every single day.
29:59
SPEAKER_05: I think it's not always also just about the type of scholarships.
30:03
SPEAKER_05: I think it's just about the the ability to get inspired by someone that you didn't know that that's the correct way to do that dance or something.
30:12
SPEAKER_05: Right.
30:17
SPEAKER_05: I would tell my, you know, you tell your class, like, hey, we're going full out.
30:20
SPEAKER_05: And you're just like, you're not going for it.
30:22
SPEAKER_05: Like, if we know what I'm talking about.
30:23
SPEAKER_05: And then we go to a dance, I'm like, that's full out.
30:26
SPEAKER_05: And then you're like, there, then they understand.
30:28
SPEAKER_05: Then they get it.
30:28
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
30:29
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
30:30
SPEAKER_05: Um, so I think it's just kind of like a it's a good slap in the face.
30:32
SPEAKER_05: And it's also kind of like, that's wow, that's incredible.
30:36
SPEAKER_05: Like, that's where I want to strive to be.
30:38
SPEAKER_05: That's what I I really want to try to do.
30:40
SPEAKER_05: And then that could help people grow.
30:42
SPEAKER_03: That that's why I think both are beneficial.
30:46
SPEAKER_03: You know, you have the dancers that maybe don't feel as comfortable or confident in that big environment setting that feel more at home when they're dancing at home.
30:57
SPEAKER_03: So the in-house gives them a moment to shine too, because they're around, although we know that they need to break that, but putting them in those convention settings and then also giving them that intimate in-house kind of allows some of those dancers to come out of their shell a little bit more too.
31:13
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I agree.
31:14
SPEAKER_03: You know, it kind of eases them into that because that can be very overwhelming being in a room of 200 plus dancers, you know, like that that's intimidating.
31:22
SPEAKER_03: It is.
31:22
SPEAKER_04: Well, and there's there's no way to prepare anybody for that.
31:25
SPEAKER_04: It's like you don't know till you're there and you're in the moment and you're like, oh, this is Yeah, it's sink or slim.
31:31
SPEAKER_03: Your fight or flights has to sick sink in at some point, you know.
31:35
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
31:35
SPEAKER_00: And even learning in an environment like a big, like a large-scale dance convention, it's way different learning experience.
31:42
SPEAKER_00: You don't have your mirrors anymore.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: Like if that's a safety net that you're so used to.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: And I think like the pro to that is getting dancers to understand how to learn and grow and work in different environments in different settings.
31:56
SPEAKER_00: Because you're not always going to have a mirror.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I just went and did auditions at Pace University and I and we didn't have a mirror in the dance room for the auditions.
32:03
SPEAKER_00: And I was just like, what's going on?
32:05
SPEAKER_00: How are we not using a mirror for this audition?
32:08
SPEAKER_00: And like they're, I mean, obviously they're per practically professionals, but they're used to it because they've grown to understand that this is the environment.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: We're not like relying on the mirrors anymore and just understanding how to learn from just a person on stage dodging over different people's heads.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: You can't see.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: Like, are they switching lines?
32:26
SPEAKER_00: Are they not?
32:27
SPEAKER_00: Sorry about it.
32:28
SPEAKER_00: Like, you gotta find a place to to move and dance to your best ability.
32:31
SPEAKER_00: Like the whole environment aspect of that is a very different setting than your intimate dance studio.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: And I think that it's important for dancers to learn how to do it all.
32:40
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think it helps them manage themselves.
32:43
SPEAKER_03: Like when they get thrown out into the real world world, you're not gonna have, you know, the comfort of your studio to go back to to take class every day.
32:52
SPEAKER_03: You're gonna be thrown into a room with a hundred different strangers all the time, you know, it's how you handle yourself.
32:58
SPEAKER_03: And if you don't learn that prior to getting out there, then that's how a lot of dancers fear away from it.
33:04
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
33:05
SPEAKER_04: Well, and I think too, I mean, how often do you get to be in a room that size?
33:10
SPEAKER_04: Like even if it's crowded, those ballrooms are huge.
33:12
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
33:13
SPEAKER_04: You have never been able to move or never been asked to move in that.
33:18
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's a big space.
33:19
SPEAKER_04: And so I always see kids on stage sometimes, and you can tell how big their studio is because they're dancing in this teeny space on this giant stage.
33:26
SPEAKER_04: And so, you know, I think that's one of the pros too of a convention is like when you get there, if you have the ability to chasse for your life across the room, like take it, man, because that you're not always gonna be given this opportunity of space.
33:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
33:41
SPEAKER_03: Or just other dancers from other places that all like have the same passion and love that you do.
33:47
SPEAKER_03: Like, there's something really, really special about the convention setting ballroom, like that that love in the air.
33:54
SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
33:54
SPEAKER_03: When it when it's magical, it's magical.
33:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
33:58
SPEAKER_05: I mean, there's there's guy, there's people that whenever I started going to conventions, I was already like 19 and 20.
34:04
SPEAKER_05: So I'm like, I'm like rolling into a convention room, sometimes with 13-year-olds and stuff like that.
34:09
SPEAKER_05: So I like I would hide in the back.
34:11
SPEAKER_05: Uh, but this is how I trained.
34:12
SPEAKER_05: Like there was no hip-hop teachers where I lived.
34:14
SPEAKER_05: This is basically how I trained whenever I started going to conventions.
34:18
SPEAKER_05: And I just I literally remember like the the people that helped me out.
34:22
SPEAKER_05: And I will never forget them.
34:24
SPEAKER_05: And I've even employed them, I've tried to give them opportunities and like to have some really good relationships with a lot of the people that like even like assistants at these conventions that were out, uh, like pulse and different things like that, that I just was like, I'll never forget them.
34:38
SPEAKER_05: And that's how I tailored like our company team to be the same way on making that difference.
34:43
SPEAKER_05: So I think just the camaraderie is just something to be applauded and just respected and just love it.
34:51
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I think it's just so incredible for so many kids in the same room.
34:55
SPEAKER_00: And you know what, everybody?
34:56
SPEAKER_00: I hope that everybody listened to that because you never know who you might be talking to, communicating with, working with that dancer back there who's 20 years old, who wants to take class, you would have never known that they might have been they might be giving you a job down the road.
35:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because of side-eye items.
35:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know.
35:18
SPEAKER_00: It's just such a small dance world.
35:20
SPEAKER_00: And I think that like, you know, your your reputation in the industry and and how you act towards others, whether they're your your competition or not, you know, at and I think what's so special about dance conventions and the big ones when you're surrounded by others is that we're all in this class together.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: We are not competitors in this moment.
35:41
SPEAKER_00: We didn't do a our routine at competition.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: We're all learning this choreography exactly the same way at the exact same time.
35:49
SPEAKER_00: We're on the same playing field.
35:51
SPEAKER_00: How do you stand out if that's your goal?
35:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, some people can take class for class, and I'm all here for taking class for class.
35:58
SPEAKER_00: But let's be real, sometimes people are cutthroat about class being a competition.
36:03
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it is, you know, we do have audition classes for that purpose, but other times you want the teacher to notice you and all the things.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: How do you stand out alongside others not from your studio that you're comfortable with?
36:17
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you're the best one at your studio, but now you're not the best one in this room anymore.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: So how do you stand out next to that person when we're all learning the same material?
36:25
SPEAKER_00: There's we you can't rehearse it more, you can't have a flashier costume.
36:30
SPEAKER_00: Right.
36:30
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
36:30
SPEAKER_04: You can't change it to the right side if the right side is your best side, but they choreograph it on the left.
36:34
SPEAKER_00: Right.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: There's some so many times people ask me, like, can I do my right, my left side leap instead of my right?
36:41
SPEAKER_00: You cannot no girl, sorry.
36:43
SPEAKER_00: But it's the right side leap.
36:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
36:46
SPEAKER_00: So I think those are important lessons for for dancers to learn in the convention room as well.
36:51
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
36:52
SPEAKER_04: Speaking of that, this isn't really on our list of questions, but I think it's important to hear kind of from both of y'all.
36:59
SPEAKER_04: So for Brittany, how are you choosing which conventions to go to?
37:03
SPEAKER_04: Like, what are you looking for?
37:04
SPEAKER_04: Because I know there are some conventions, and this has been a conversation, I think, on the Facebook, the Facebook um for a while now about like, well, so many conventions just like throw out choreography and that's it.
37:15
SPEAKER_04: Like that's what that's what they're doing.
37:17
SPEAKER_04: That's what I'm paying for, is them to learn a combo.
37:19
SPEAKER_04: But some are a little bit more education-based or technique-based.
37:23
SPEAKER_04: Like, how are you choosing what it's what's important to you as a studio owner when you're choosing a convention?
37:27
SPEAKER_04: And then tie, like, what is Street's whole deal.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: Are you frustrated with not seeing the results you know your students are capable of?
37:40
SPEAKER_00: Then it's time for a transformation.
37:42
SPEAKER_00: Relative motion is going on tour and maybe heading to a studio near you, bringing their groundbreaking technique and exercises right to your doorstep.
37:51
SPEAKER_00: They are traveling to 30 different cities, partnering with studios nationwide to host exclusive 90-minute masterclasses.
37:58
SPEAKER_00: And this isn't just another workshop, it's a chance for educators to witness relative motion strategies in action.
38:04
SPEAKER_00: Their approach revolutionizes how dancers understand their bodies in motion, making anatomy visible with patented apparel.
38:12
SPEAKER_00: The Relative Motion in Studio Workshop Tour is designed to supercharge your students' technique and ignite their motivation to achieve more.
38:19
SPEAKER_00: This isn't just for your students, it's for you.
38:23
SPEAKER_00: The teachers, educators, choreographers, and studio owners.
38:26
SPEAKER_00: You will experience firsthand how these strategies accelerate progress and cultivate a culture of success in your studios.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: Remember, a studio is more than just a business.
38:36
SPEAKER_00: It's a vibrant space for dreams, creativity, and community.
38:40
SPEAKER_00: Don't miss out.
38:41
SPEAKER_00: Register for their upcoming workshops today at the relative motion experience.com slash tour or click the link in our show notes.
38:50
SPEAKER_00: And we're thrilled to offer you an exclusive discount code to receive 10% off their in studio workshop.
38:56
SPEAKER_00: Use the code IMPACTINALCAPS at checkout.
39:00
SPEAKER_00: It's time to transform teaching and fast track students' progress like never before with Relative Motion.
39:13
SPEAKER_03: What is important to me is that the the teachers on the faculty and the the convention as a whole, the staff, everyone, that I that there's a warmth to it.
39:25
SPEAKER_03: That they are there for the children and not there for an Instagram post or a Facebook post.
39:33
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
39:34
SPEAKER_03: I am strong on education, but I think that mental health is important.
39:40
SPEAKER_03: I think that creating an environment and a community amongst these dancers that doesn't create that tension of competition.
39:48
SPEAKER_03: And I think that starts from the top, obviously.
39:51
SPEAKER_03: You know, it has to be a thread throughout.
39:53
SPEAKER_03: I look for for kind humans.
39:58
SPEAKER_03: I look for kind humans.
39:59
SPEAKER_03: That's what I want my dancers to be surrounded by is kind humans.
40:03
SPEAKER_03: I I want people that want to nurture them.
40:06
SPEAKER_03: And and I guess it's a little bit of overprotectiveness, but I just want them to be, I want them to be surrounded by educators that really care for the dancer itself.
40:16
SPEAKER_05: I think from day one, it was very, very important to set your integrity, set what you're looking for for your event and what you're looking for your faculty members to be.
40:28
SPEAKER_05: We all know the term, like not every good dancer is a great teacher.
40:31
SPEAKER_05: And we all understand that even if they're great choreographers, sometimes they just don't fit the mold of what you want out of your values and out of your integrity and everything that you stand for as a person and as a company.
40:46
SPEAKER_05: First and foremost, whenever I'm looking at faculty or anybody that's teaching these kids, I'm looking for genuine human beings.
40:53
SPEAKER_05: Do they care?
40:55
SPEAKER_05: Are they like that?
40:56
SPEAKER_05: Comes first and foremost.
40:58
SPEAKER_05: That it that cannot overcome be overcome by like choreography or anything like that.
41:02
SPEAKER_05: They actually have to care for the kids.
41:05
SPEAKER_05: They have to be humble.
41:06
SPEAKER_05: Like I've seen so many people that just seem like they're there, like in the past, like whenever I used to go to conventions, they were there to teach the class and they would sprint off.
41:14
SPEAKER_05: You'd never see them again.
41:16
SPEAKER_05: And I'm just like, sit down and talk to the kids.
41:19
SPEAKER_03: They seem unapproachable.
41:20
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, like being able to be approached.
41:23
SPEAKER_05: Like one thing that we do, like at streets, is like after the event all over, a lot of the faculty members, if they haven't had to leave for the airport, they're taking photos.
41:30
SPEAKER_05: They're and that's their genuine want to do that of just trying to say goodbye to the kids and uh tell them they did a great job.
41:38
SPEAKER_05: And I think that's just so important.
41:40
SPEAKER_05: So, like in choosing a faculty and choosing your staff, there's a vibe and that you basically must have.
41:47
SPEAKER_05: And that is the uh you're genuine, you're a great person.
41:50
SPEAKER_05: If you're not following at least that, uh I don't care what else is coming after that.
41:54
SPEAKER_05: And I think that then portrays through the event in providing like an atmosphere that hopefully is uh no stress, hopefully makes people feel like home to where they it is an extension of their studio.
42:06
SPEAKER_05: And I know there is a lot of great conventions out there.
42:09
SPEAKER_05: Like I see it every single weekend.
42:11
SPEAKER_05: I I follow them, I keep up with everybody.
42:13
SPEAKER_05: There's a lot of great conventions out there.
42:15
SPEAKER_05: So there's a lot of great choices.
42:17
SPEAKER_05: And I do believe that there is a perfect match for every studio.
42:20
SPEAKER_05: And that is a perfect match for sizes of conventions and sizes of in-studio events and everything too, because I know we had some amazing, really great customers whenever we first started, whenever we were very small.
42:33
SPEAKER_05: But then once we became a certain size, we were no longer their perfect match.
42:37
SPEAKER_05: And that's something that we always understand, like as business owners, like, hey, there may be just a time frame or something that else that they're looking for.
42:45
SPEAKER_05: But then we have other people that may be falling into that role later on.
42:49
SPEAKER_05: So it's just something that, like, as people are listening out there and they're trying to decide between in studio events or conventions or any of the dance uh different ones that are out there, try them out.
43:00
SPEAKER_05: I mean, just see what you like, see what you love, and there's no harm or foul trying another one.
43:04
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I just think that there's so many options out there that are great.
43:08
SPEAKER_05: Um, and I can't stress that enough that there's no one perfect thing that's gonna match every single studio out there because somebody else's needs are not the same needs as your dancers.
43:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's really great.
43:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that, you know, especially for any listeners out there who maybe, like we kind of said, haven't attended a larger scale dance convention or might feel intimidated by that.
43:29
SPEAKER_00: I think that the in-studio convention or intensive option is a great stepping stone to get to that point.
43:35
SPEAKER_00: And like Brittany mentioned, you know, there are organizations, there are conventions that that are out there that do have the ability to bring the the convention to you.
43:45
SPEAKER_00: If that sounds more enticing, if that feels like a nice way to ease into it.
43:49
SPEAKER_00: But just remember that, you know, the pro to doing this is the fact that you don't have to travel, you don't have to pay for a hotel, you're in your safe space of your own environment, and it's an intimate Atmosphere.
44:01
SPEAKER_00: You're getting, you know, more personalized direction and attention from these faculty members that you might not get at it at a huge event.
44:09
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, again, I think the perk to that is you're creating a relationship that feels like you're going to feel less intimidated and less nervous and less scared because I've already had them as a teacher before and they came to our studio and I feel good about what to expect walking into their class.
44:26
SPEAKER_00: Because oftentimes, let's be real, a lot of people don't do research, even though you can learn everything you need to know about a dance convention faculty on social media.
44:34
SPEAKER_00: Like kids, do your research before you step foot into a classroom.
44:38
SPEAKER_00: Please.
44:38
SPEAKER_00: I you know, like what style is this?
44:40
SPEAKER_00: What's the vibe?
44:41
SPEAKER_00: What should I wear?
44:41
SPEAKER_00: What shoe should I have on?
44:43
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's the research the dancer should be doing.
44:45
SPEAKER_03: Or what have they done?
44:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:48
SPEAKER_03: What's their bio?
44:50
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, what's their bio?
44:51
SPEAKER_03: Know who they are.
44:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:53
SPEAKER_00: And I, you know, I think that that is part of the experience.
44:56
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes dancers walk into big conventions like, who's this?
44:59
SPEAKER_00: Where am I?
45:00
SPEAKER_00: What class is this?
45:01
SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, they don't even know what's going on.
45:03
SPEAKER_00: They just showed up for the day.
45:05
SPEAKER_00: And it's like, no, you should have an idea as to what you're about to walk into for every class that you walk into.
45:11
SPEAKER_00: And I think that that, like bridging that gap a bit, starting with an in studio, could help studios and dancers feeling a little bit more comfortable to like grow into that big style convention.
45:22
SPEAKER_05: And one thing that we actually, whenever we did our uh in studio event, one thing to think about too, like as a comparison, is for an in-studio event, we're bringing three to four faculty members usually to these events, as where we bring nine to every single full streets event that would be a bigger dance convention.
45:41
SPEAKER_05: So it is less styles.
45:42
SPEAKER_05: Cost is of course gonna be usually lower than going to uh a bigger dance convention.
45:47
SPEAKER_05: Of course, you don't have the hotels or anything like that.
45:50
SPEAKER_05: But it does allow for the studios to get to know your kids on a little bit more of a personal level, and you're gonna get to know the the teachers a little bit better because you're gonna be in a like a classroom of say 30 people, right?
46:01
SPEAKER_05: Uh or maybe less, where they're gonna have the opportunity.
46:04
SPEAKER_05: And one thing that we did is we always gave a lot of scholarships to get them to that bigger event.
46:08
SPEAKER_05: So you may have more opportunities as kind of like that, hey, this is the tester, this is kind of like what we're expecting.
46:13
SPEAKER_05: This will get us to the bigger event from that same company or something similar to another event or something too.
46:20
SPEAKER_05: So there's so many different opportunities and there's different forms of those opportunities, whether it being like they're trying to get you to the bigger event, or there's more opportunities like at a bigger event to get you to go do things beyond into your dance career.
46:32
unknown: Yeah.
46:33
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of options out there, y'all.
46:35
SPEAKER_00: One of the things that comes to mind, I think, with like a big large scale production event of a dance convention that you can't get at an in studio is the production quality and the production value of the actual event and the atmosphere.
46:52
SPEAKER_00: You know, I everyone has seen it on social.
46:54
SPEAKER_00: I mean, the stakes are getting higher and higher with like what is expected when you walk that first walk into a dance.
47:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Ty, you've you're feeling it.
47:02
SPEAKER_00: I can see the stress.
47:03
SPEAKER_05: What happened to the banners at the back door?
47:05
SPEAKER_05: Right, just a banner.
47:06
SPEAKER_05: Just a balloon.
47:08
SPEAKER_00: You know, like got fire on stage, everywhere.
47:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, like it's a it's the atmosphere, it's the whole experience now.
47:16
SPEAKER_00: And someone started it, someone saw a photo.
47:19
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I need that, I want that.
47:21
SPEAKER_00: If I want to stay relevant, if I want to stay competitive and make you come to my event, I need to have the LED screens and I need to have the built-up stage.
47:28
SPEAKER_00: And that's something that you can't get at an in-sidio event.
47:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean, sometimes we'll bring a banner, sometimes we'll bring a merch table, maybe some swag.
47:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, some swag.
47:38
SPEAKER_00: Maybe they'll put little lights on the floor, you know, and maybe a videographer.
47:43
SPEAKER_00: I don't even know.
47:43
SPEAKER_00: Or it's the teacher.
47:44
SPEAKER_00: Right, or it's the teacher, you know, so it's like a lower budget, lower scale production.
47:49
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that in a crazy way, especially in the age of social media, people want to be able to have this background and this effect and this look back in the back uh to show where they are.
48:02
SPEAKER_00: And it's like it's just like a big, huge event now, you know?
48:05
SPEAKER_00: It's crazy.
48:06
SPEAKER_03: And I think the dancers really enjoy that.
48:08
SPEAKER_03: Like there's there's something magical in the air with that, you know.
48:12
SPEAKER_03: Like it's it's a it's it's like breathtaking almost.
48:16
SPEAKER_03: Like that's a huge event for them.
48:18
SPEAKER_04: Well, and it's it's it's just a spectacle, you know, and even for the parents and everybody, it's like it's a big deal when you can share that live stream, you know, link to your friend or to your grandparents, and then they see what this really is.
48:30
SPEAKER_04: It's not this like, you know, we're not on the community center's YMCA stage.
48:34
SPEAKER_04: Like this is a really big deal, you know.
48:36
SPEAKER_04: So it does have that sort of important feeling to it.
48:40
SPEAKER_04: But I think that you're you're also paying for that.
48:42
SPEAKER_04: Right.
48:42
SPEAKER_04: So like don't get it twisted.
48:44
SPEAKER_04: There's an entry fee, is what it is, because some some part of that entry pay fee paid for the LED screen.
48:50
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
48:51
SPEAKER_04: 100%.
48:52
SPEAKER_05: And something I always think about this time of the year, and it's going to keep happening till usually we finish in May, is a lot of our senior dancers, this will be their last time to be on the stage.
49:04
SPEAKER_05: So having the opportunity to be on a dance competition stage with that production and getting their final solo, their final group dance, and the tears start flowing, and it's like a bittersweet moment.
49:15
SPEAKER_05: That hat that's something special too.
49:17
SPEAKER_05: And I think that you know, those senior dancers of like, this is the beginning of the end, or this is my last event, and I have to decide if I continue dance or if I do something else with my life.
49:29
SPEAKER_05: And that's just always, I know, a hard situation for everybody.
49:32
SPEAKER_05: So I just got goosebumps when you're it's it usually starts happening in March whenever we start seeing some tears because it's kind of reaching the end of the cities, and it's just usually I'm MC, so I'm right there, they're right next to me, and it gets me every time.
49:45
SPEAKER_05: I'm just like, all right, next up to the stage.
49:49
SPEAKER_05: It's really hard.
49:50
SPEAKER_05: Um, and then you know, just the tears start flowing, but it's it's special, and just seeing that, and then they could go back and like have the videos, the memories, and then the memories of these events, um, I think is special too.
50:03
SPEAKER_05: So creating memories, I think, is key.
50:05
SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
50:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and one of the things with the production value that you often don't really get at other dance competitions now in that comparison, is the the lighting and and the backdrop.
50:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, like you said, what what happened to just popping up a banner in the back and calling it a day?
50:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, let's be real, many competitions still do that.
50:26
SPEAKER_00: But most dance conventions are elevating that production quality and that experien that on stage experience for the dancers.
50:33
SPEAKER_00: I mean, as a kid, how cool is it to like go out on stage, there's like fog on stage, there's like a cool backdrop that matches your costume, the lights are going.
50:42
SPEAKER_00: And even the fact that like the stage lights are dimmed for your entrance and they dim for your exit, that is such a big huge aspect to me.
50:50
SPEAKER_00: Because growing up going to just competitions, house lights were on, stage lights were on, and that was it.
50:56
SPEAKER_00: Like the whole time.
50:57
SPEAKER_00: You didn't get any lighting cues or anything like that.
51:00
SPEAKER_00: So it really truly feels like a performance when the lights get to go down and up.
51:05
SPEAKER_03: I go back to convention competition days when there was no stage and you danced on the wood floor that they put together.
51:12
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
51:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
51:13
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
51:14
SPEAKER_00: Though, yep.
51:15
SPEAKER_00: There was definitely no lighting slip sliding down there.
51:18
SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's some barley rolled over top of the carpet sometime.
51:22
SPEAKER_05: Technology has been a blessing for everything from stage production.
51:26
SPEAKER_05: I remember CDs.
51:28
SPEAKER_05: I mean, please don't ever take me back.
51:31
SPEAKER_05: No, CD out, putting in a new one, one song per CD.
51:35
SPEAKER_05: Oh my god.
51:36
SPEAKER_05: Please never.
51:37
SPEAKER_04: Freaking binders.
51:38
SPEAKER_04: The binders label it.
51:39
SPEAKER_05: You have to like relabel every single time.
51:41
SPEAKER_05: If I looked in our office, I could still find those.
51:43
SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah.
51:44
SPEAKER_05: They're still here.
51:45
SPEAKER_05: I've got them in the drawers.
51:46
SPEAKER_05: Relics.
51:48
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
51:49
SPEAKER_00: And you know, I think like we've kind of discussed, the other pro to attending a convention is the is the added competition, which you would not get at an in-studio event if you were to host it.
52:00
SPEAKER_00: I think the in-studio convention is strictly for an intimate-setting educational purpose to get closer one-on-one interaction with some of these faculty members that maybe you would have never dreamed of having step foot in your studio.
52:13
SPEAKER_00: But I do think that there are a lot more pros to going to the big gun style convention because you do get the added bonus of competition.
52:22
SPEAKER_00: And I say it's a bonus because I know that it is like the driving force of our industry.
52:26
SPEAKER_00: And it, you know, it is a huge selling point for so many studios.
52:30
SPEAKER_00: They've worked on all these dances, and this is this is what they do.
52:33
SPEAKER_00: But I think that like competition is kind of like the counter, the the secondary to convention.
52:39
SPEAKER_00: The f the first point of convention is the classes, the education.
52:43
SPEAKER_00: Um, that's what people are really seeking out of that.
52:45
SPEAKER_00: And we add that competition in there as a bonus because everyone wants to compete.
52:49
SPEAKER_00: Everyone's been working hard on their dances, and now you don't have to.
52:53
SPEAKER_00: I mean, most people still will go to a regular competition, but it's kind of like, okay, we're checking off two boxes this weekend.
52:59
SPEAKER_00: We're doing convention and we're doing a little bit of competition, and that's a pro.
53:03
SPEAKER_03: I agree.
53:04
SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
53:05
SPEAKER_00: Is there any other final questions, Leslie, that come to mind?
53:09
SPEAKER_00: I think we're good.
53:10
SPEAKER_00: I think we covered everything.
53:12
SPEAKER_00: Unless there's anything that yeah, that y'all share that come to mind that we haven't discussed.
53:17
SPEAKER_03: I don't think so.
53:19
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think we kind of I think I think we just confused everybody because there's pros to both.
53:24
SPEAKER_03: So do it all.
53:25
SPEAKER_03: Right.
53:25
SPEAKER_03: Right, exactly.
53:26
SPEAKER_03: Do it all.
53:27
SPEAKER_03: Don't say no, just do it.
53:28
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there it's definitely pros to both.
53:30
SPEAKER_05: Uh, I I definitely I don't know if anybody's coming out of this in it with it a better idea of what to do, but I don't think there's a wrong decision, is what we're trying to say here.
53:40
SPEAKER_03: I think I think the wrong decision would be not to try it.
53:43
SPEAKER_05: Right.
53:43
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
53:44
SPEAKER_03: Not to try either.
53:45
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think any more time you could get your dancers, if you're at a studio, introduced to different choreographers and just the exposure of learning from different people than they learn from every single day is a very big plus and will add value to the future of their dance life.
54:00
SPEAKER_05: If they learn from the same choreographer over and over, it'll be very hard for them to adapt later on down the road if they want to do this professionally or anything whenever it comes to the dance world.
54:11
SPEAKER_03: Completely agree.
54:13
SPEAKER_05: Go do it.
54:15
SPEAKER_05: Do it in studio, do a convention, do a competition, do a mall.
54:21
SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoyed our latest episode all about big dance conventions versus in-house dance conventions.
54:26
SPEAKER_00: Huge shout out to our special guests, Ty and Britney, for joining us on this chat.
54:31
SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to follow them on Instagram.
54:33
SPEAKER_00: You can find Ty's Dance Convention at thestreetsdance and Brittany's Dance Studio at Britney Boyd Dance Company.
54:41
SPEAKER_00: Also, if you'd like to learn more about Streets Dance Convention and come jazz dance with me at a city near you, visit their website and register for an upcoming event in their 2025 and 2026 season at thestreetsdance.com.
54:56
SPEAKER_04: Don't forget to follow Making the Impact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, and pretty much everywhere you listen to podcasts.
55:02
SPEAKER_04: And if you want more exclusive episodes, support our podcast by joining our Platinum Premium membership for only$5 a month.
55:08
SPEAKER_04: Subscribers receive free Making the Impact stickers, shout-outs live on the air, ad-free listening, and exclusive access to our QA episodes for members only.
55:17
SPEAKER_00: Be sure to check out IDA affiliated competition Streets Dance Convention.
55:22
SPEAKER_00: At Streets, it's not just about pushing your technique.
55:25
SPEAKER_00: It's about creating a positive, welcoming space where dancers of all styles can learn, grow, and feel supported.
55:32
SPEAKER_00: Their faculty is made up of world-class down-to-earth instructors who bring a personal touch to every interaction, so you'll leave each class feeling more confident and motivated.
55:41
SPEAKER_00: And it's not just about the dancers.
55:43
SPEAKER_00: Streets deeply cares about dance teachers and studio owners too.
55:46
SPEAKER_00: Throughout the weekend, they offer special classes and seminars just for you, designed to support and empower the people who shape the next generation of dancers.
55:54
SPEAKER_00: And the best part, teachers and studio owners attend a Streets event completely free.
55:59
SPEAKER_00: I'm so honored to be on tour with Streets this season as their jazz faculty.
56:04
SPEAKER_00: And if you attend a Streets event, you'll be guaranteed to receive fantastic judge critiques with an IDA judge on every judging panel.
56:11
SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a dancer, teacher, or studio owner, Streets is all about good vibes and lasting inspiration.
56:16
SPEAKER_00: Check out their 2025 tour dates with events across the United States and register now before it's too late at thestreetsdance.com.
56:25
SPEAKER_00: Hope to see you there.
56:27
SPEAKER_04: Season six is on a roll with some great new episodes coming your way, including toxic studio behaviors to look out for and the perfectionist mindset.
56:35
SPEAKER_00: Wishing you all a wonderful dance season.
56:37
SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next week for some more great episodes.
56:40
SPEAKER_00: Until then, keep dancing.