Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Summer Bonus Episode! - Live from The Artistry Tour Nationals 2026

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Summer Bonus Episode! - Live from The Artistry Tour Nationals 2026 · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_02: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:11
SPEAKER_02: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_02: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_02: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:24
SPEAKER_01: Hey y'all, it's Courtney Ortiz here of Making the Impact.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: And we are excited to share our summer bonus episodes with you as we patiently wait for the launch of season eight.
0:34
SPEAKER_01: We are thrilled to have partnered with IDA affiliated competition, the Artistry Tour, where they hosted a live podcast at their 2026 Nationals event this summer in Michigan.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: The owner of the Artistry Tour, Holly Shifty, moderated this chat featuring four IBA judges: Brittany Nicholas, Marie Chope, Kyle Rostin, and Sally Cofield.
0:55
SPEAKER_01: Thank you to the Artistry Tour for sponsoring this episode, and we hope you all enjoy the listen.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: Also, stay tuned.
1:02
SPEAKER_01: Making the Impact of Dance Competition podcast is back on September 3rd for season eight.
1:08
SPEAKER_01: Mark your calendars, and we'll see you then.
1:13
SPEAKER_06: Thank you guys for being here.
1:15
SPEAKER_06: My name is Holly Shipley Cantor.
1:17
SPEAKER_06: I'm the owner and founder of the Artistry Tour.
1:20
SPEAKER_06: We are an Impact Dance Adjudicators competition where our full judges panel is staffed by IDA.
1:27
SPEAKER_06: And I am very excited to be moderating this panel discussion with our judges at our 2026 Nationals, our first ever nationals.
1:37
SPEAKER_06: So thank you so much for joining us.
1:40
SPEAKER_06: And we are recording live on stage in front of an audience here.
1:46
SPEAKER_06: I would love to introduce our judges, but I think that they do a better job introducing themselves.
1:50
SPEAKER_06: So let's go one at a time down the line.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Hi, my name is Kyle Roston, living in Columbus, Ohio right now.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: Been a dancer since I was about 15 years old, went to Point Park University, danced all over the world.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: Now I do a lot of ballet, contemporary.
2:05
SPEAKER_05: Hi, I'm Brittany Nicholas.
2:06
SPEAKER_05: I'm from Newport News, Virginia, but I'm now based in New York City.
2:10
SPEAKER_05: And I am a Broadway girly with the original cast of Mean Girls and Juliet, Tammy Faye.
2:16
SPEAKER_05: I'm currently with Stranger Things as the assistant choreographer and movement director.
2:20
SPEAKER_05: And I've done a couple of tours.
2:22
SPEAKER_05: Matilda, Billy Elliott is the dance captain.
2:24
SPEAKER_05: I'm here because of IDA.
2:26
SPEAKER_04: I'm Sally Cofield, trained in jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet, every style, even clogging.
2:32
SPEAKER_04: And I have toured the world as soon as I graduated high school.
2:34
SPEAKER_04: I got to go to Europe, dance in a show.
2:36
SPEAKER_04: And my daddy always said dance would never take me anywhere.
2:39
SPEAKER_04: And I proved him wrong.
2:40
SPEAKER_04: Got the college degrees, the bachelor's, the master's, ended up directing for Disney and getting to do music videos.
2:46
SPEAKER_04: And now I'm here.
2:46
SPEAKER_03: Hi everyone.
2:47
SPEAKER_03: I'm Marie.
2:48
SPEAKER_03: I am from the Cleveland, Ohio area.
2:51
SPEAKER_03: I went to Amda College of the Performing Arts in New York City in Los Angeles.
2:56
SPEAKER_03: I've studied in musical theater, tap, commercial jazz, a little bit of everything.
3:01
SPEAKER_03: I've gotten to perform on cruise shifts, theme parks, resorts, tours, musicals, and I'm so excited to be here today.
3:08
SPEAKER_03: What a great time at Nationals! And now we get to chat with you all.
3:10
SPEAKER_03: Thank you for having us.
3:11
SPEAKER_06: It's such an honor.
3:12
SPEAKER_06: We have been able to work with all four of you, either this season at Regionals or last season at Regionals.
3:17
SPEAKER_06: And I wanted the four of you here at Nationals with us.
3:20
SPEAKER_06: Thank you for being here.
3:21
SPEAKER_06: And we are excited for this discussion.
3:24
SPEAKER_06: We have some dancers in this audience, and hopefully some dancers listen to the recording once the podcast gets posted.
3:31
SPEAKER_06: But I'd love to ask you, and I'm just gonna open this up to whoever would like to speak.
3:35
SPEAKER_06: What's one thing that you learned as a young dancer that you still carry with you today in your professional career?
3:42
SPEAKER_00: I learned at a young age to be nice to everybody, especially backstage people, people that take care of your costumes, your mom, your dance teachers, your peers.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: Be nice to everybody because you never know when you're gonna run into them again, and you never know who's going to help you get that next gig.
4:02
SPEAKER_05: I learned about being a hard worker and professionalism.
4:06
SPEAKER_05: Everyone is talented.
4:08
SPEAKER_05: If you move to any of the bigger cities to work, everyone is talented.
4:12
SPEAKER_05: But the hard work and just the professionalism.
4:14
SPEAKER_05: You don't know how many rooms I've been in where they're like, we heard from so-and-so about how great you did.
4:20
SPEAKER_05: And that is even before I even step in to sing or dance or anything like that.
4:24
SPEAKER_05: So it's very important.
4:25
SPEAKER_05: Be nice, be on time, be a hard worker because that will keep you working and get you work.
4:30
SPEAKER_04: Also, being resilient.
4:32
SPEAKER_04: When I was in Los Angeles, I felt like I was a heavier dancer.
4:35
SPEAKER_04: Now looking back, I was like a size eight.
4:36
SPEAKER_04: Every audition I went to was an experience, and I didn't have a thick skin.
4:40
SPEAKER_04: And I would take it as a negative thing rather than a growth thing.
4:44
SPEAKER_04: So what I'm learning now is every experience is an experience, and not to let that push me out but make me work harder.
4:52
SPEAKER_04: It's just a numbers game.
4:53
SPEAKER_04: Put yourself out there, take classes, get to know people because the dance world is smaller than you think.
4:59
SPEAKER_04: Get to know them because later in life they may be casting for a show and you're friends with them and now they're calling you.
5:06
SPEAKER_04: So just getting to know people and being kind and making your world bigger than just your world.
5:11
SPEAKER_03: I think something that was really great to learn was that I won't always be the best in the room.
5:16
SPEAKER_03: I won't always be the best on the stage, but I can still have fun and I can still be myself and show what I have to offer because it's not always about who has the highest score.
5:26
SPEAKER_03: It's not always about who has the best technique, the best trick.
5:29
SPEAKER_03: Sometimes it comes down to your energy on the stage or your performance quality or just having that little something special that sparkle.
5:36
SPEAKER_03: So not always being the best at something doesn't mean you can't still succeed and find your niche within the industry.
5:43
SPEAKER_03: Closing that out too.
5:44
SPEAKER_04: Enjoy the process.
5:45
SPEAKER_04: When you're here, enjoy performing.
5:47
SPEAKER_04: That's what you work so hard in a studio for a performance, not for score.
5:50
SPEAKER_04: Enjoy the performance.
5:51
SPEAKER_04: We're just three or four people down there.
5:54
SPEAKER_04: And yes, we're knowledgeable, but this is just our opinion.
5:57
SPEAKER_04: You might go to another competition where other people have different opinions.
6:00
SPEAKER_04: So don't worry about the outcome.
6:01
SPEAKER_04: Have fun with the process.
6:02
SPEAKER_04: That's really important.
6:04
SPEAKER_06: The next question I have: you all have incredible experience in different facets of this industry.
6:09
SPEAKER_06: But when you're specifically at the judges' table for competitions, what are you guys actually looking for?
6:16
SPEAKER_06: And is it different than what you thought mattered when you grew up competing or performing?
6:21
SPEAKER_06: And does it vary what you're looking for by what competition you're judging for?
6:25
SPEAKER_03: For me, seeing thousands of routines every judging, multiple seasons, it's those routines that dared to be different, that stepped out of the box, that thought, how can we make this more than just steps?
6:37
SPEAKER_03: How can we make this dancing?
6:39
SPEAKER_03: How can we make this art?
6:40
SPEAKER_03: Those are the routines that truly catch my attention and draw me in.
6:44
SPEAKER_03: We don't always have perfect technique.
6:46
SPEAKER_03: Maybe we trip that day, but if you are performing and connecting with us and telling us a story and giving us a message and finding a way to make it into more than just steps.
6:55
SPEAKER_03: And that's the beautiful thing about being a dancer, is it is an athletic ability, but it's also a physical art form.
7:02
SPEAKER_03: I'm always looking for that lecture, something special that's gonna stand out in a way that not everyone else is doing.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: When a kid is up on stage or any dancer and they care, like there's just something we say it's heart sometimes.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: When you see a kid just trying their hardest, and you can just tell they care so, so much, and you can connect with them.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: It's such a special thing, and it's not something that can be taught, but when you have it, you have it, you know.
7:30
SPEAKER_00: And I would say, Holly, you actually have brought a lot of those kinds of dancers together with the artistry tour.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: I said it this morning in our opening number rehearsal.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: All of these dancers here care so so much, and they just love to dance.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: And it's really cool to see as a judge who travels all over the country, kids are working really hard everywhere, but those special kids, those special kids that really care.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: Also, you can't argue with technique, so take ballet.
7:56
SPEAKER_05: I would like to add, I'm a very full picture person, and I'm just gonna say this because I come from the competition world, and it's giving we want to be in the front.
8:05
SPEAKER_05: And what's interesting is anytime you're on a project, they put you wherever they want to put you, whether that's the front, side, back, upstairs, and everybody is important.
8:16
SPEAKER_05: Everyone is important.
8:18
SPEAKER_05: So I really like to look at the full picture because we're working as an ensemble.
8:22
SPEAKER_05: Everybody is important, and I really like to look at the entrances and exits, how we're working together to tell the story and just all the teamwork.
8:30
SPEAKER_04: Yes, Brittany.
8:31
SPEAKER_04: I love that you just said that because I say that in my critiques a lot.
8:34
SPEAKER_04: I look to the back row and I go, you might think, and I'll talk to the dancers in my critiques, and I'll say, I see you in the back.
8:40
SPEAKER_04: You might think you're not important, but I see you and you're bringing it, and I love you.
8:44
SPEAKER_04: And even the ends of formations, those are bookends.
8:46
SPEAKER_04: They frame the whole picture.
8:47
SPEAKER_04: There's reasons why you're put certain places, but every single place is important.
8:51
SPEAKER_04: Every single dancer is important in a group.
8:54
SPEAKER_04: It's a team, it's not an I.
8:55
SPEAKER_04: I love that you said that because I don't think that gets addressed enough.
8:58
SPEAKER_06: Thank you, Kyle, for that note of three passionate dancers together.
9:02
SPEAKER_06: That's one reason why I founded this competition.
9:05
SPEAKER_06: I grew up as a comp kid based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
9:08
SPEAKER_06: Shout out to Center Stage Dance Academy, where I grew up.
9:11
SPEAKER_06: But I love dance.
9:14
SPEAKER_06: I loved competitive dance.
9:15
SPEAKER_06: I loved being able to see all the studios in my area or going to nationals and seeing studios from other states coming together and performing.
9:22
SPEAKER_06: And it really was just the performance of the piece.
9:24
SPEAKER_06: Seeing the vision and all the dancers being a part of that is what gives me joy.
9:28
SPEAKER_06: As a competition owner, I get a bum sometimes I have to work because I prefer to be in the pit watching all of the dances.
9:34
SPEAKER_06: And I'm in awe still, every performance, every competition.
9:37
SPEAKER_06: I love it.
9:38
SPEAKER_06: The fact that we're able to attract those dancers in those studios and they want to be here together.
9:42
SPEAKER_06: And I think we've had a good culture at our competitions with those studios.
9:46
SPEAKER_04: And that's I really want to say thank you because I think you are the first competition I've seen that really weights artistry so much higher than technique, which is rare.
9:54
SPEAKER_04: If you're gonna go audition and be a commercial dancer, you just need a really good double and you need personality and you need connection with the director or the audience because you don't see people on stage for gaga doing turns in second.
10:05
SPEAKER_04: You just don't.
10:06
SPEAKER_04: So you really have to have that passionate part that connecting with the audience, and you're rewarding that with the passion is part of the score.
10:14
SPEAKER_04: And I think that's a hard thing for people to get used to.
10:17
SPEAKER_04: But we love that.
10:18
SPEAKER_04: We love that you're leaning towards.
10:19
SPEAKER_04: Let's see that performance.
10:21
SPEAKER_06: So good job.
10:22
SPEAKER_06: Speaking of artistry, artistry can be hard to teach.
10:25
SPEAKER_06: Technique is trainable, artistry is harder.
10:28
SPEAKER_06: So, what are some effective ways that dancers can do inside and outside the studio to develop and grow their artistry?
10:35
SPEAKER_03: Exposing yourself to as much art as possible in all of its forms.
10:40
SPEAKER_03: Go see the Broadway show shows that come in tour, go see the play, go see your local productions, go to a museum, watch those music videos, check out the TV shows.
10:49
SPEAKER_03: There's so many cool TV shows and movies now that have dancing in it.
10:52
SPEAKER_03: It's about exposing yourself to all types of art and allowing yourself to be open to inspiration from anywhere.
10:59
SPEAKER_03: It can come from nature, it can come from your family, it can come from a dream you had, but try to make yourself open.
11:05
SPEAKER_03: Look and find those sources that inspire you.
11:08
SPEAKER_03: We have Instagram, we have YouTube, you can look up old videos, new.
11:12
SPEAKER_03: There's great things out there.
11:13
SPEAKER_03: And it's about having that desire and passion to educate yourself and be willing to experience something new and try something uncomfortable.
11:21
SPEAKER_03: Go take a class that you're not familiar with.
11:23
SPEAKER_03: Maybe you're not great at hip-hop, go do that and be open to what that feels like in your body because you're gonna learn something from it, even if you don't intend to be a hip-hop dancer.
11:31
SPEAKER_03: You can take something you've learned from that class.
11:33
SPEAKER_03: Maybe it's the way someone else was moving and you're inspired by them.
11:36
SPEAKER_03: That's another thing.
11:37
SPEAKER_03: Be inspired by your peers because everyone out here is bringing so much heart and passion and wonderful skills, and it's underrated to remember that these people, yes, it's a competition, but they're also friends and family and people sharing their art with you.
11:54
SPEAKER_03: So be open to experiencing new things.
11:57
SPEAKER_04: As young dancers, when you said watch videos when I taught my high school program, I always had a historical segment before we started each style.
12:03
SPEAKER_04: So showing them Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
12:05
SPEAKER_04: Kids today, sometimes I'll ask, they don't know who Fred Astaire is.
12:08
SPEAKER_04: It's a different feel than other current dancing.
12:11
SPEAKER_04: So watching those and knowing where dance came from, the history of jazz, it came from African roots, that all the different histories and why they're there and infusing that into you.
12:19
SPEAKER_04: But connecting with your music is the biggest thing.
12:21
SPEAKER_04: Become the visual representation of the music.
12:23
SPEAKER_04: That's the dancer's job.
12:24
SPEAKER_04: I want to see the music come to life.
12:25
SPEAKER_04: So I always have my dancers lay down, close your eyes, just listen to your music, and just picture the dance and then connect the choreography you were given with, oh, there's a violin sound right there.
12:35
SPEAKER_04: I need to execute that step, that violin sounds, or if it's a drumbeat that's really staccato and sharp, then I need to execute whatever that choreography was like that.
12:44
SPEAKER_04: So they need to really connect with the music, and I think that really helps the dancers.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: Don't be afraid to talk to people, like your peers.
12:50
SPEAKER_00: I always teach in my master classes, don't be afraid.
12:53
SPEAKER_00: If you see something you like, go tell them.
12:55
SPEAKER_00: Compliment them and ask them what they do.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: What did they do to get to where they are, even technique wise?
13:02
SPEAKER_00: Why are your turns so fierce?
13:04
SPEAKER_00: Tell me about it.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: Performance-wise, how does this person connect to their music so well?
13:09
SPEAKER_00: How do they tell that story?
13:10
SPEAKER_00: Ask questions.
13:11
SPEAKER_00: Ask your teachers, ask your judges if you can, and your masterclass teachers and your comp directors.
13:18
SPEAKER_00: Ask questions to get to what you want.
13:20
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
13:21
SPEAKER_06: I think when I started taking dance seriously in middle school, it was when I really started listening to the music.
13:26
SPEAKER_06: I would read the lyrics and I'd really try to understand the song too.
13:30
SPEAKER_06: At that time, I was also taking violin, piano growing up, where I was able to learn and understand and comprehend music, be able to listen to it.
13:38
SPEAKER_06: When I was teaching the students who were taking music in school or outside did have that musicality a little bit, they were just more advanced than some of the other dancers as well.
13:47
SPEAKER_06: I don't know if you guys have seen that and your experience as well.
13:49
SPEAKER_04: We've seen dancers that have that musicality and we're excited when we see that.
13:53
SPEAKER_04: We're just like, wow.
13:54
SPEAKER_04: And it doesn't need to have tons of technique because it still is amazing and it becomes the music and it moves us and the score is really high.
14:01
SPEAKER_04: And that's the artistry point.
14:02
SPEAKER_04: And technique is great.
14:04
SPEAKER_04: If it's in there, we want it to be good, but it's not necessary.
14:07
SPEAKER_04: It's that musicality connection that's really the focus that's important.
14:10
SPEAKER_06: We may have dancers in this room, or maybe they're prepping for the showcase after this recording, or there may be dancers who listen to the podcast after it gets published, but they know that dance needs to be a part of their adult lives.
14:25
SPEAKER_06: I just want to open this up and talk to you guys what real options are out there for them.
14:28
SPEAKER_06: What are some different paths and career paths and ways that they can go in this industry?
14:33
SPEAKER_06: There's so much to do.
14:34
SPEAKER_04: Like I said, I had a father who didn't necessarily think it was a career path.
14:38
SPEAKER_04: And he was like, You got to get a real job, you got to go to college.
14:40
SPEAKER_04: And I did those things, but I was never happy.
14:42
SPEAKER_04: And dance always found its way back into my life, whether it be teaching or all of a sudden Radio Disney calls and says, We need a performing group in Sacramento.
14:50
SPEAKER_04: Would you pioneer it, start it, and audition it, run it?
14:53
SPEAKER_04: Great.
14:54
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so now I'm in charge of a performing group.
14:56
SPEAKER_04: We got to open for Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato.
14:58
SPEAKER_04: Every time an artist came, we got to do an opening.
15:00
SPEAKER_04: I never saw that coming.
15:01
SPEAKER_04: It just kind of happened.
15:02
SPEAKER_04: Oh, now I have a high school program that needs a high school teacher to teach dance.
15:06
SPEAKER_04: Okay, let me go run and get my master's and my credential and let me teach a high school program.
15:10
SPEAKER_04: Great career, medical benefits, summers off.
15:12
SPEAKER_04: So there's all those places that I went after I even danced professionally.
15:17
SPEAKER_05: So many different ways that you can make a living and enjoy dance.
15:21
SPEAKER_05: Started out with doing intensives.
15:23
SPEAKER_05: Like I said, I'm from Virginia.
15:24
SPEAKER_05: And I went to New York with the Alvinaley summer intensives.
15:27
SPEAKER_05: They happen in the summer.
15:28
SPEAKER_05: Joffrey has them, ABT has them.
15:30
SPEAKER_05: There's so many intensives.
15:32
SPEAKER_05: And then I also would go and take class.
15:34
SPEAKER_05: I would look at Broadway shows, figure out who the choreographer is, they're teaching somewhere, or their associates are teaching somewhere.
15:41
SPEAKER_05: And I would go take class and be like, hi, I'm Brittany.
15:44
SPEAKER_05: It's just getting yourself out there.
15:46
SPEAKER_05: There are also a couple of websites, like casting websites.
15:49
SPEAKER_05: Playbill.com is one of them.
15:51
SPEAKER_05: There's Actors Equity SAG, like some of those websites that have castings on them that you could go to.
15:57
SPEAKER_05: People do open calls, especially a lot of the cruise ships and things like that.
16:01
SPEAKER_05: But I would say most importantly, it's the networking.
16:04
SPEAKER_05: And when I first started, I went to everything.
16:07
SPEAKER_05: Even if they were looking for someone completely different than me, like six foot blonde.
16:11
SPEAKER_05: I would just be like, Hi, I'm here.
16:14
SPEAKER_05: Because I really just love to dance.
16:15
SPEAKER_05: And I was like, oh, I can go in this room and dance and sing, but people will take notice.
16:21
SPEAKER_05: And then you get to meet casting directors and choreographers.
16:24
SPEAKER_05: I think figuring out which classes you want to take and finding some summer intensives is a good start.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: I lived in New York City for 13 years.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: I went on maybe five auditions that entire time, but I was consistently working because I was one of those guys who would go to the parties or the gatherings, and I was super social.
16:41
SPEAKER_00: I would always put myself out there and I would meet new people.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: You're taking class here, why maybe I'll come and join you?
16:47
SPEAKER_00: Or you're talking to people in class and they're like, hello, my company has an opening for an apprentice or a touring member.
16:53
SPEAKER_00: Why don't you come take class?
16:55
SPEAKER_00: Being nice to everybody and finding those relationships helps as well.
16:58
SPEAKER_00: And a note to the parents who are unsure if their kids should go into the dance world or the arts world in general.
17:04
SPEAKER_00: I went to Point Park University.
17:06
SPEAKER_00: I finished school with 60 some dancers.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: There's musical theater, 100 some.
17:12
SPEAKER_00: Most of them are not performing, but they are almost all working in the arts industry.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: Being a dancer, being a singer, being a musical theater person, being anything in the arts, it can lead to so many other things.
17:24
SPEAKER_03: You can be an agent, you can be, you know, casting, choreographing, stage management, and payment management, company management.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: There's so much, but it starts through the arts.
17:36
SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we get stuck in our head about, oh, I am this.
17:39
SPEAKER_03: I am only a dancer.
17:40
SPEAKER_03: It's like, then you've boxed yourself in.
17:42
SPEAKER_03: There's no reason to do that.
17:43
SPEAKER_03: There are so many options out there if you're willing to be open to those experiences.
17:47
SPEAKER_03: I know when I was finishing competition and looking at what I wanted to do and what kind of performer I wanted to be, I thought, okay, I'm going to be this one thing.
17:56
SPEAKER_03: And then I had so many new experiences that helped open the doors for me and see, wow, I like doing this.
18:00
SPEAKER_03: Wow, I didn't even know that was a job.
18:02
SPEAKER_03: There's cruise ships, theme parks, resorts, tours, industrials, ads, commercials, TV shows, movies.
18:09
SPEAKER_03: We have other parts of being a performer that aren't even the performing part is the choreographer, the teacher, the director, the casting.
18:16
SPEAKER_03: There's so many things to do involved in the arts.
18:19
SPEAKER_03: And I think being a dancer and being an artist, you just need to be open to seeing where might my passions and my talents fit.
18:27
SPEAKER_03: And like we've all said, it really does come down to being kind, being friendly, getting to know people.
18:32
SPEAKER_03: Follow your favorite choreographers on social media, follow those casting companies.
18:36
SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of video submissions now available.
18:40
SPEAKER_03: Video submissions are so much more common and just creates a lot more opportunities for people to be able to take part in these experiences, even if you don't live in New York City or LA or Atlanta or Chicago.
18:51
SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of options out there if you're willing to look for them.
18:54
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think you can live anywhere these days because they'll just fly you wherever and everything's video submission.
18:58
SPEAKER_04: So if you're worried, like I live in a small town and you're at that level where you want to try, start going for it now.
19:04
SPEAKER_04: It's a numbers game.
19:05
SPEAKER_04: The more you put yourself out there, something's gonna stick eventually and don't give up.
19:08
SPEAKER_06: Are you guys finding that social media accounts for young dancers?
19:12
SPEAKER_06: Or is that helping, getting gigs or connecting at all now?
19:15
SPEAKER_05: Social media does help.
19:17
SPEAKER_05: The casting is now starting to look at social media, but I would like to point out that it's actually not for what you think it's for.
19:24
SPEAKER_05: It is to see who you are.
19:26
SPEAKER_05: There have been instances where people have not gotten jobs or because of what they've posted on social media.
19:33
SPEAKER_05: So just be careful, right?
19:34
SPEAKER_05: Social media, it's become a brand almost.
19:37
SPEAKER_05: And if you want to keep a page private, maybe do that.
19:40
SPEAKER_05: But I just encourage people to just be very careful with what they put on social media because casting, yes, and directors and choreographers are looking at social media.
19:50
SPEAKER_05: But the positive of that is I actually booked SNL from social media.
19:54
SPEAKER_05: Someone saw my page and was like, she looks short, you know.
19:57
SPEAKER_05: So the positive of it is they are starting to look at social media as well.
20:01
SPEAKER_05: I actually don't have much dancing on my social media, but people can tell just like the pictures you post, how you present yourself, you know, behind the eyes.
20:11
SPEAKER_05: I say the soul, people can tell.
20:13
SPEAKER_06: Great.
20:14
SPEAKER_06: So next we have some questions that were submitted to us.
20:17
SPEAKER_06: We opened a poll online on our social media accounts.
20:20
SPEAKER_06: We also had a table up at our merch booth during our nationals this weekend where dancers could submit.
20:25
SPEAKER_06: We can't get to all of those questions, but we did pick out some.
20:29
SPEAKER_06: So this first one says, Why does tap seem to be scored so critically in comparison to other dance styles?
20:37
SPEAKER_06: And Marie, I'd like to start with you to answer this one.
20:39
SPEAKER_03: Tap is one of my specialties.
20:42
SPEAKER_03: And with a style of dance that is a specialty and we have a panel with multiple skill sets, sometimes you get judges who know more about tap.
20:51
SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you get judges who don't know as much about tap.
20:53
SPEAKER_03: So there can be a little bit of a difference in how we're judging it based on what level of understanding we have of those intricacies.
21:00
SPEAKER_03: And if we do have that understanding, I'm really looking at those fine details, making sure that we're not just moving our body and looking like we're doing our steps, but are we actually using the correct part of the foot?
21:12
SPEAKER_03: Are we getting all of our weight onto our toe stands?
21:14
SPEAKER_03: When we do that heel dig spank, is it a spank or is it a slide?
21:18
SPEAKER_03: It's more detailed because it's a nuanced category.
21:23
SPEAKER_03: And with that comes such specific technique.
21:26
SPEAKER_03: Tap being one that not everyone has had access to that kind of training.
21:30
SPEAKER_03: You may get a variety of understanding of what that looks like.
21:34
SPEAKER_03: So some people will judge higher, some people will judge lower, but it is one of those that is really gonna have extra special attention because of the uniqueness of the skill.
21:43
SPEAKER_05: For me personally, rhythm is very critical in tap.
21:47
SPEAKER_05: We want rhythm in all of the genres, but rhythm is very important in tap.
21:51
SPEAKER_05: You just have to be critical if you're not on a certain rhythm, if you're not on the ball of your feet, if you're dropping your heels, if I can't tell the difference between a shuffle and a flap, if they're Uneven, unless you're supposed to be pushed.
22:02
SPEAKER_05: There's certain things that you just have to have a foundation of and tap.
22:06
SPEAKER_05: And you just have to be critical in order to understand where you need to grow.
22:11
SPEAKER_04: And you're either on that downbeat or you're not.
22:13
SPEAKER_04: It's black and white, really.
22:14
SPEAKER_04: It's like math.
22:15
SPEAKER_04: It's like you're part of the drumming.
22:17
SPEAKER_04: With metal on your feet, you're a percussion instrument, part of the band.
22:20
SPEAKER_04: And you've got to be on that downbeat.
22:22
SPEAKER_04: Whatever's in between is a syncopated sound.
22:23
SPEAKER_04: But sometimes it's black and white.
22:25
SPEAKER_04: They're on it or they're not.
22:26
SPEAKER_04: And so the score is easy to find sometimes.
22:28
SPEAKER_04: Depends.
22:29
SPEAKER_03: So because you do have those taps on your feet, not only do you need to look like you're moving together for new group routine, you have to sound like you're together.
22:37
SPEAKER_03: So it's when those tap steps aren't together.
22:39
SPEAKER_03: We hear it and we see it.
22:41
SPEAKER_03: So there's that extra layer of precision required, especially in the group routine.
22:45
SPEAKER_03: Definitely.
22:45
SPEAKER_06: You want to sound like one pair of tap shoes, even though there's 12 of you.
22:48
SPEAKER_06: I'm gonna move to our next question here.
22:50
SPEAKER_06: How size inclusive has the dance industry become for plus size dancers?
22:55
SPEAKER_06: I love this question.
22:56
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
22:57
SPEAKER_04: I think that's great that the dance world has changed because I struggle with my weight when I was young in Los Angeles and it was like, okay, I can have one carrot today, or I can't.
23:04
SPEAKER_04: As long as you can move, connect, and you have that artistry, it doesn't matter anymore.
23:09
SPEAKER_04: You do have directors that sometimes have body types, that's their favorite, and you're gonna run into that.
23:13
SPEAKER_04: There's nothing you can do.
23:14
SPEAKER_04: But lately and now, it doesn't matter.
23:17
SPEAKER_04: And we love to embrace all sizes, all ethnicities.
23:21
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
23:22
SPEAKER_04: I think it's changed so much.
23:23
SPEAKER_03: I want to open that up to looks in general because we are in an industry where it does matter what you look like.
23:29
SPEAKER_03: Because let's say we need a character that is really tall.
23:33
SPEAKER_03: I'm not really tall, so I'm not gonna get that job because that one's not for me.
23:37
SPEAKER_03: I was talking earlier and saying that there was a time when I auditioned for something and they didn't have a budget for wigs, and it was a show that needed females with longer hairstyle so they could style in the appropriate era for the 60s, and that wasn't me because I have short hair and so I wasn't able to be considered for that job.
23:55
SPEAKER_03: But there's always gonna be something about your look that is being judged because it is a physical art in a medium, but those jobs that aren't right for you aren't right for you.
24:05
SPEAKER_03: There will be places where you do fit, and I think looks and age and everything is now more open.
24:13
SPEAKER_03: There's more opportunities.
24:14
SPEAKER_03: You can be a dancer of any age, any size, any height, and there will be somewhere for you out there.
24:20
SPEAKER_03: You have to be willing to look for those opportunities, be open to it, and know that sometimes it's out of your control.
24:26
SPEAKER_03: Maybe they need someone who happens to fit in the costume of the previous person.
24:29
SPEAKER_03: You can't control that.
24:30
SPEAKER_03: You don't know who they were.
24:31
SPEAKER_03: Continue being yourself, and there will be a place for you.
24:35
SPEAKER_06: This next question came from us at our nationals.
24:39
SPEAKER_06: It says many competitions allow judges to advance dancers to a higher level based on their performance.
24:45
SPEAKER_06: Should judges also have authority to move dancers to a lower level when warranted?
24:50
SPEAKER_06: Or is it time for the competition world to reconsider the use of levels entirely?
24:58
SPEAKER_06: I love, I love that.
25:00
SPEAKER_06: I know Courtney has brought this up before.
25:02
SPEAKER_06: I'm making the impact of it.
25:04
SPEAKER_04: It's so hard because studios don't always know where to put a dance.
25:07
SPEAKER_04: Struggles with okay, is this dancer or this dance going to be put in intermediate?
25:12
SPEAKER_04: Or should we put them down a little?
25:14
SPEAKER_04: Not just not, they're not sure.
25:15
SPEAKER_04: So I think that's a great question.
25:18
SPEAKER_04: I don't even know where to start on my answer.
25:19
SPEAKER_04: Let's go, Brittany.
25:21
SPEAKER_05: Here's an interesting tidbit.
25:23
SPEAKER_05: I actually started in the gymnastics world.
25:24
SPEAKER_05: They have created just a rubric of you cannot move up to a certain level unless you have these basic skills, right?
25:32
SPEAKER_05: And it's like everybody goes through that, you get a check on that skill, and then you can move up.
25:37
SPEAKER_05: Part of that is safety, right?
25:39
SPEAKER_05: If someone is not ready for a skill, it could potentially be life-threatening.
25:43
SPEAKER_05: And when I look at dance sometimes, I'm like, ooh, I wish we could do the same thing because it's like if you can't hold a passe, how can you hold on flat?
25:52
SPEAKER_05: How can you hold it in relevant?
25:54
SPEAKER_05: And then how can you be in a triple pirouette if you can't even hold a clear passe?
25:59
SPEAKER_05: So I say that to say the progressions, and that's giving ballet, tap, jazz, everything has a basic progressions that I don't know, maybe there's a committee that could figure out just a baseline of these are the skill sets for certain things.
26:15
SPEAKER_05: With the levels, when I competed, there were no levels.
26:19
SPEAKER_05: If you got an honorable mention, I would get my little ribbon.
26:22
SPEAKER_05: My mom would be like, You got an honorable mention, you know what you need to work on.
26:25
SPEAKER_05: And I'd be like, Yes, ma'am, you're correct.
26:27
SPEAKER_05: I say that to say, I just want to encourage the teachers and the studio owners to think about the levels of skill, what skill levels you need to have in order to be intermediate, advanced beginner.
26:43
SPEAKER_05: The tumbling is where we get a little bit tricky.
26:46
SPEAKER_05: I'm being so transparent.
26:47
SPEAKER_05: Hello, everyone.
26:48
SPEAKER_05: Because if you were in the beginner level doing tumbling and you're doing it well, that to me goes, oh, maybe they shouldn't be in the beginner level.
26:59
SPEAKER_05: I just want to encourage people to be honest.
27:02
SPEAKER_05: And I think that if you move to an advanced level, A, that says something about your skill set.
27:09
SPEAKER_05: If we move you, that means that we complimented you and said, hey, this dancer is really good.
27:14
SPEAKER_05: And we want to challenge them to be better.
27:16
SPEAKER_05: And you can't become a better dancer until you are put next to someone that might be better than you, right?
27:22
SPEAKER_05: And that's just the truth.
27:23
SPEAKER_05: Iron sharpens iron.
27:25
SPEAKER_05: And so even as a dancer, I want to encourage you to be like, hey, I want to be better.
27:29
SPEAKER_05: I may need to move up and not potentially place in the top 10.
27:33
SPEAKER_05: And that's okay.
27:34
SPEAKER_05: Because I'm also gonna add that there were people that placed in the top 10 every competition I went to with my little ribbon.
27:42
SPEAKER_05: And then guess what?
27:43
SPEAKER_05: We're in the same room on the same job.
27:45
SPEAKER_05: And it doesn't matter.
27:46
SPEAKER_05: But yes, I don't think people should be bumped down because I haven't personally experienced that.
27:52
SPEAKER_05: I think if they are in a more advanced level, they have something to learn there.
27:56
SPEAKER_05: I do want to encourage people and studio owners to think about where you're putting your dancer and push them to be a better dancer and don't put them in a beginner category because you want them to place first overall.
28:07
SPEAKER_04: And also if they put them in that beginner category and they are better, it's sad to those dancers who truly are at that beginning level because now they almost don't have a chance to win because that higher level dancer has been pushed down, so they can win, which takes it away from those that are at that true level.
28:21
SPEAKER_04: If that makes sense.
28:22
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, be conscious of that.
28:24
SPEAKER_04: I think it's important.
28:25
SPEAKER_03: I think there's an industry-wide struggle with the leveling, and there's only so much framework within the software that we have for competitions.
28:34
SPEAKER_03: There are different options out there, but it would have to be something that we're able to address as a whole industry of what do we do with levels?
28:41
SPEAKER_03: How do we level dancers?
28:43
SPEAKER_03: Is it something the studio does?
28:44
SPEAKER_03: Is it something we do?
28:45
SPEAKER_03: Are there no levels anymore?
28:47
SPEAKER_03: Now that we've made a choice, can we change the software?
28:49
SPEAKER_03: There's possibilities out there, but it would have to be a discussion across the board so that change could be made.
28:54
SPEAKER_03: It's wonderful to see all levels of dancers.
28:57
SPEAKER_03: We want to keep it inclusive for everyone because it's about sharing your art and sharing your performance.
29:01
SPEAKER_03: Levelless, maybe not gonna happen yet, but we appreciate what is brought to the stage.
29:06
SPEAKER_03: And as Britney said, think teachers about where you want to push your dancer, what skill sets you're putting in their routine, and where that falls.
29:13
SPEAKER_04: Every competition you go to has their rules and this is what makes up a beginner, this is what makes up an intermediate.
29:18
SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure if every competition says what Britney said.
29:20
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
29:21
SPEAKER_04: Intermediate, you should be completing clean doubles or triples.
29:24
SPEAKER_04: Okay, and if you're executing these skills, then you should be in this.
29:28
SPEAKER_04: Now that does take away a little from the artistry though, because what about those dancers that are amazing artistically and can move their bodies in ways that it's just phenomenal, but if they don't have the skills in there, they still deserve to be up in that higher level because of their delivery, because of their artistry.
29:43
SPEAKER_04: So there's that fine line.
29:44
SPEAKER_04: That studio owner should know that dancer and know that they will do well and push them to be at the higher level always.
29:50
SPEAKER_04: Don't take the lower road, take the higher road.
29:52
SPEAKER_05: That's my advice.
29:53
SPEAKER_05: Sorry, I would like to add because we keep talking about technique.
29:56
SPEAKER_05: A reminder that technique also means the lines and shapes.
29:59
SPEAKER_05: So you get an advanced dancer that may not have a triple pirouette, that's okay.
30:04
SPEAKER_05: But we can see the pictures very clearly, we can see the musicality, all of that blends in together with the total package of dance.
30:13
SPEAKER_03: So just wanted to put that out there.
30:15
SPEAKER_03: So just how many turns?
30:16
SPEAKER_03: There's multiple elements in your body control and your understanding of floor work, of partnering, of musicality, of performance quality.
30:24
SPEAKER_03: So there's a lot of skill sets.
30:25
SPEAKER_03: So it is tricky because not only is it an athletic ability, but it's an art too.
30:30
SPEAKER_03: So it's always going to be a little subjective.
30:32
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
30:33
SPEAKER_06: As a competition owner, I will say we have four levels.
30:36
SPEAKER_06: We have a beginner intermediate advanced.
30:38
SPEAKER_06: We also have an inclusive level.
30:40
SPEAKER_06: And I still don't know if we have it right for myself and our team, we're always open and listening, but just the industry as a whole, I don't think we have it right.
30:49
SPEAKER_06: And I think part of it is having more flexibility on what we can do with our competition software.
30:55
SPEAKER_06: So right now, if it was the judges, you place each routine on levels.
31:00
SPEAKER_06: We don't have the ability to do that currently with the software that we have.
31:04
SPEAKER_06: Some larger competitions may have their own proprietary software and engineering teams managing that.
31:09
SPEAKER_06: But for the most part, most competitions use a few different companies for software.
31:14
SPEAKER_06: And we don't have the ability to really modify that at the moment.
31:18
SPEAKER_06: It's you have to enroll when you register, you have to register the routine as a level.
31:24
SPEAKER_06: So if any software companies listen to this recording afterward, let's connect.
31:27
SPEAKER_06: We can work on it.
31:28
SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's Courtney's next endeavor.
31:31
SPEAKER_06: I think that it could be a deep dive.
31:32
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
31:33
SPEAKER_06: Let's do it.
31:33
SPEAKER_06: Does anybody have software engineers?
31:35
SPEAKER_06: So I think we have time for one more question.
31:37
SPEAKER_06: We had a conversation geared towards the dancers and their families, but I also want to address the dancers and studio owners in the room.
31:43
SPEAKER_06: What's one thing that you want to make sure they take away after this weekend at our nationals or any of the teachers or studio owners listening to the recording afterwards?
31:52
SPEAKER_00: I don't need to talk about level.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: Kindness above all, in this world, just try to be kind to everybody.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna get you far in life.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: Work hard, be kind, and that that's enough.
32:06
SPEAKER_05: When I was doing the opening number and in my classes, I kept being like, why are we doing this?
32:11
SPEAKER_05: What is your reasoning behind it?
32:13
SPEAKER_05: I encourage us all to go back to whatever that is because dance is joyous, dance moves people.
32:20
SPEAKER_05: Someone in the audience might be seeing something for the first time and something will touch them.
32:25
SPEAKER_05: And it's a really beautiful thing.
32:28
SPEAKER_05: I just encourage us to go back to that, even with the competition of it all, right?
32:31
SPEAKER_05: We get into it and we're like, oh, the levels and the plaques and the ribbons.
32:35
SPEAKER_05: But it's like, do you actually really like to dance and love to dance?
32:38
SPEAKER_05: Because if you did, it wouldn't matter.
32:40
SPEAKER_05: And if you don't, then that's also okay.
32:43
SPEAKER_05: There's so many other avenues that you could do, but just to remember the joy and remember why you're doing it.
32:50
SPEAKER_04: Teaching a high school program changed how I saw dance.
32:53
SPEAKER_04: I never expected to be a high school teacher, but I ended up loving it because I would get any random baseball players, football players taking my program and learning how it developed them as people.
33:04
SPEAKER_04: And now they had confidence to speak in their English class, giving an oral report and that they were terrified before because they gained confidence putting themselves in front of people dancing and it changed people.
33:14
SPEAKER_04: I had a kid that had been born with club feet, he's now a cruise ship dancer, and those kind of stories warm my heart that his parents put him in dance as a freshman because he had awkwardness and it magically transformed him.
33:26
SPEAKER_04: But I think dance has so many more wonderful things that we need to focus on the joy and the passion and forget about the scores, just enjoy the process of being here.
33:34
SPEAKER_04: You practice in a studio for a performance.
33:36
SPEAKER_04: So every competition is just a performance for an audience and love it.
33:40
SPEAKER_04: Have a great time with it.
33:41
SPEAKER_04: If you happen to get some great high score, great.
33:44
SPEAKER_04: If not, just be proud of yourself and love the moment and meet other dancers and start to create that community for yourself.
33:52
SPEAKER_03: I want to encourage originality.
33:56
SPEAKER_03: We have access to pretty much anything you want to find on the internet.
34:00
SPEAKER_03: There are trends, tricks, catchy things, songs that get popular, moves that become popular, cool stuff that we see on TikTok.
34:08
SPEAKER_03: We're like, oh, I want to do that TikTok dance, or oh, that song I saw it on So You Think You Dance.
34:13
SPEAKER_03: Now I want to dance to it.
34:14
SPEAKER_03: In a world where you have access to so many different things, keep finding your originality, your unique voice, what you have to offer and you can bring to the table.
34:24
SPEAKER_03: That's really gonna be like, wow, that is your voice.
34:27
SPEAKER_03: That is your art, that is your passion and what you have to bring to the table.
34:31
SPEAKER_03: That's what sticks out after watching thousands of dances every year.
34:35
SPEAKER_03: Is those pieces that I'm like, I've never seen anything quite like that.
34:38
SPEAKER_03: That was such a unique concept, or what a weird song, and how different, or did you see that crazy lift?
34:43
SPEAKER_03: I've never seen anything like it.
34:44
SPEAKER_03: It's really special to see those things.
34:46
SPEAKER_03: And I just want to encourage everyone to keep making art.
34:49
SPEAKER_04: That was the focus of the question is what can you bring?
34:51
SPEAKER_04: What do you need to hear from us?
34:52
SPEAKER_04: So next season you've got some advice, right?
34:54
SPEAKER_04: Be original.
34:55
SPEAKER_04: Try to steer away from picking mainstream popular songs because they're gonna be at every competition all season, and we're probably gonna hear them a thousand times.
35:01
SPEAKER_04: I remember the year Rise Up was the contemporary song.
35:04
SPEAKER_04: I must have heard it a thousand times.
35:06
SPEAKER_04: So if it's a movie that's really popular and the kids want to do it so bad, say I love that idea, let's save it for next year when it's had a break from the world.
35:13
SPEAKER_04: So picking that original music, having that originality is super important.
35:18
SPEAKER_04: And costuming, just making sure everybody in a group feels and looks good in the costume.
35:23
SPEAKER_04: Just appropriate costuming everybody so they feel strong and feel their best.
35:27
SPEAKER_04: And being original, I loved that.
35:29
SPEAKER_06: Make art, make art.
35:31
SPEAKER_06: Thank you guys so much.
35:32
SPEAKER_06: That's all the time we have for today, but I really appreciate your expertise and for joining us.
35:37
SPEAKER_06: And thank you to our audience here at Nationals for tuning in and listening.
35:41
SPEAKER_06: And we are so excited to continue on with the rest of our show.
35:46
SPEAKER_06: We're gonna go into our final showcase here at Nationals.
35:48
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.