Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Spotlight Feature - JT Church

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Spotlight Feature - JT Church · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
0:11
SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_01: This is Making the Impact, a Dance Competition Podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_01: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:23
SPEAKER_01: In season two of Making the Impact, the Dance Competition Podcast, we're excited to debut a new feature, the Spotlight Episode.
0:31
SPEAKER_01: Spotlight episodes will highlight both fabulous young competitive dancers as well as former competitors who are now working in the industry.
0:38
SPEAKER_01: Our first Spotlight features a talented young dancer who you may remember from Dancing with the Stars Jr.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: and season 13 of So You Think You Can Dance to the Next Generation.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: JT Church.
0:50
SPEAKER_00: Hey everyone, welcome to Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
0:58
SPEAKER_00: Hi, everybody.
0:59
SPEAKER_00: We are very excited about this week's episode as we are kicking off our brand new spotlight interviews.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: This season we will be sitting down with some fabulous new guests who are making the impact in the competitive dance world.
1:10
SPEAKER_00: And tonight's guest is the perfect person to feature in our brand new series.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: But before we jump into our very first interview, let's share some recent reviews from our listeners.
1:20
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we are we have just continued to keep uh getting reviews from people all over the country, all over the world about season one.
1:28
SPEAKER_01: So I would love to share a review from Tap Dance 96 on Apple Podcasts.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: They say, happy to be a part of a podcast that is honest and informative.
1:37
SPEAKER_01: The topics are all relevant and the guests have incredible knowledge.
1:40
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for creating this.
1:41
SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Tap Dance96.
1:43
SPEAKER_01: I'm pretty sure that must have been somebody who was on our podcast.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: So thanks.
1:47
SPEAKER_01: We are glad to have you on here too.
1:48
SPEAKER_01: We are so happy just to hear from all of you and you know, via Instagram, via social media, via email, via the podcast.
1:55
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening.
1:55
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for tuning in every week.
1:57
SPEAKER_01: And if you want to shoot us a message or share a review, you can head to Apple Podcasts.
2:01
SPEAKER_01: And don't forget to hit subscribe for our new episodes that we will be launching on Thursdays this season.
2:06
SPEAKER_00: Let's jump right in.
2:07
SPEAKER_00: I'm very excited to introduce our very first spotlight interview.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: And this young dancer has already had a very successful career, and he's only 14 years old.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: So I'm so pumped to continue to watch his journey through the dance, his beautiful and bright dance career that's ahead.
2:25
SPEAKER_00: From being the runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance The Next Generation to winning Dancing with the Stars Junior as a pro.
2:32
SPEAKER_00: I'd love to welcome the always fabulous JT Church alongside his mom Leslie Church.
2:38
SPEAKER_00: Hi, you guys.
2:39
SPEAKER_00: Hey.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: Hi.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: How are you?
2:43
SPEAKER_00: So good.
2:44
SPEAKER_00: How are you?
2:45
SPEAKER_05: Good.
2:45
SPEAKER_05: We're so excited to be uh featured as a spotlight.
2:49
SPEAKER_05: Yes, I'm really excited.
2:51
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
2:51
SPEAKER_00: I am first time.
2:53
SPEAKER_00: I know.
2:53
SPEAKER_00: You guys are our very first.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: You're the premier interviewees.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: Is that the right word?
2:59
SPEAKER_00: Interviewees for the spotlight feature.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm really, really happy that you guys could squeeze us into your really busy schedule because from what I've heard, it sounds like that uh JT may be booked and blessed right now.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: Is that true?
3:14
SPEAKER_05: Yes, he is.
3:16
SPEAKER_05: He is.
3:17
SPEAKER_06: We are very excited, actually.
3:18
SPEAKER_06: And we do have plenty of time on our hands right now because we are quarantining in Vancouver, Canada at the moment.
3:26
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, that's awesome.
3:28
SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure it's beautiful up there right now.
3:31
SPEAKER_06: It is.
3:32
SPEAKER_06: It's like in the 70s, which is a lot different than our normal Arizona heat right now, which is way over 100 degrees.
3:39
SPEAKER_06: So we're enjoying the break.
3:42
unknown: Yeah.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, yeah.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: I think that that sounds really like a really nice escape.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: So unfortunately, even though you're not outside and enjoying it in the quarantine life, do you uh want to share what you are currently quarantining for in Vancouver, Canada?
3:58
SPEAKER_02: Yes, so I am getting ready to be in my first movie.
4:04
SPEAKER_02: It's gonna be on the Hallmark channel, and I'm super excited.
4:08
SPEAKER_02: It's called The Christmas Waltz, and it'll be coming out this holiday season.
4:13
SPEAKER_02: And my name is gonna be Nikki, so watch out for that.
4:18
SPEAKER_02: I'm really excited.
4:19
SPEAKER_06: He'll be playing um a character that is a dancer, a boy dancer, and it will be involving ballroom, and he will have lines, and uh, you know, it's gonna be really exciting.
4:33
SPEAKER_06: It'll be his movie debut.
4:34
SPEAKER_06: So that's really awesome.
4:37
SPEAKER_01: So many firsts this fall for you guys.
4:40
SPEAKER_01: First podcast, first movie.
4:41
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
4:42
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
4:43
SPEAKER_06: Super proud of him.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: Of course, I'm proud of you as well, JT.
4:47
SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm really excited to to watch that.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: So everybody tunes in, all of all of you listeners out there, be sure to tune in uh this holiday season to catch our spotlight feature episode premiere interviewee on the Hallmark channel.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be really exciting.
5:05
SPEAKER_02: Yes, thank you.
5:07
SPEAKER_01: Well, we know a little bit about kind of the reasons people know about you, but I would love to know more about what you want us to know about you, JT.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: So, first of all, where do you live?
5:17
SPEAKER_01: Where do you dance?
5:18
SPEAKER_01: Do you go to school?
5:19
SPEAKER_01: Like, give me kind of like the day-to-day of JT.
5:22
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so me and my family, we live in Arizona.
5:26
SPEAKER_02: We live in the kind of near Phoenix, also kind of on that side of Arizona, and I live with my mom and my dad, my brother Bradley, who's a skateboarder, and my dog Vader.
5:37
SPEAKER_02: And my dog Vader is seven.
5:40
SPEAKER_02: And yeah, so I dance at Club Dance Studio in Mesa, Arizona, and I love it there so much.
5:48
SPEAKER_02: And I actually go to public school too.
5:51
SPEAKER_02: Of course, with coronavirus and everything, it's been kind of like setback, so I've had to do some online instead, but normally I'm going to actual school, and yeah, that's about it.
6:03
SPEAKER_06: And he's he started high school this year, so yeah.
6:07
SPEAKER_06: So that's a big difference.
6:09
SPEAKER_01: Um 2020 is a big year for you, man.
6:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it is.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: So much is going on.
6:15
SPEAKER_01: Well, how did you start dancing when you were younger?
6:17
SPEAKER_01: What's what's the story behind that?
6:19
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so when I was around like four and a half, around five-ish, me and my family went to like this state, not like state fair, but like kind of town fair.
6:32
SPEAKER_02: And we lived in Virginia at the time, and we were actually going to see my brother's friend do a karate demonstration.
6:39
SPEAKER_02: And right before that, there were like all these vendors set up, and on one of the stages, there were these dancers that were dancing, and I was just like so memorized.
6:48
SPEAKER_02: I was watching them from the second they got on stage to the second they walked off, and then after I wanted to I just told my parents, I was like, hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.
6:57
SPEAKER_02: And so then they signed me up for my first jazz class, and that's when I was five, and then the next year I was asked to join their company for the competition team, and then that's when I got to start training in ballet and tap and hip-hop and ballet.
7:14
SPEAKER_02: Wait, ballet, wait, sorry, ballet.
7:17
SPEAKER_01: You can say ballet twice, it matters.
7:19
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, ballet, tap, hip-hop, and jazz, jazz.
7:23
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
7:24
SPEAKER_02: There it is.
7:24
SPEAKER_02: And so then I started competing with my home studio, Gainesville Dance Center in Virginia.
7:30
SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I've been dancing ever since.
7:33
SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, six years.
7:36
SPEAKER_06: Remember, he went and took like a trial class at this Gainesville, Gainesville Dance Studio, and it was called Boogie Fever.
7:45
SPEAKER_06: It was a jazz boogie fever class.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love it.
7:48
SPEAKER_06: So I was I was happy because there was one other boy in the class.
7:53
SPEAKER_06: So he wasn't the only boy.
7:56
SPEAKER_06: And there was probably a good 18 to 20 kids in this class.
7:59
SPEAKER_06: You know, those are the recreational classes.
8:01
SPEAKER_06: You perform your one-minute dance at recital on stage, you know, it's a big deal.
8:07
SPEAKER_06: But he came out of that class, ran up to his dad and I, and was just like, I love this class, I need jazz shoes.
8:14
SPEAKER_06: Like, literally, like that.
8:16
SPEAKER_06: Because he was so upset that he was wearing sneakers and he didn't have the proper shoes.
8:22
SPEAKER_06: And I said, Well, this is just a trial.
8:24
SPEAKER_06: Like, we're not gonna go buy shoes unless we know you like it or not.
8:26
SPEAKER_06: So literally the next day I was buying jazz shoes and and he loved that class so much.
8:33
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love that story.
8:35
SPEAKER_00: That's so awesome.
8:37
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, he did.
8:38
SPEAKER_06: And and they his teacher at the time was really sweet, but she's like, you know, at five, when you're taking a you know, a recreational class, like some of the kids are, you know, just in there to move, some of them aren't paying attention, you know, everybody's at a different level.
8:53
SPEAKER_06: And she always said JT always was very focused.
8:57
SPEAKER_06: He could pick up the choreography really fast, and he had great musicality, like even at five.
9:02
SPEAKER_06: So she was like, you know, unlike some of the kids that are, you know, it's all fun.
9:06
SPEAKER_06: I mean, it's a fun class, but like she just knew that he could actually move ahead and do the competition team because he he had enough, you know, basic skills in him to do that.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it sounds like you were natural, JT.
9:20
SPEAKER_00: Like, duh, you meant to dance.
9:21
SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad it found you at such a young age.
9:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, me too.
9:25
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
9:26
SPEAKER_01: Well, and Leslie, did you have any experience at all with the dance world before he got interested?
9:31
SPEAKER_01: Or were you just thrust into this world?
9:34
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, literally none because my older son, you know, I guess at that time he was trying different sports, maybe soccer or football, flag football, baseball, you know, the typical things that he was doing.
9:47
SPEAKER_06: And so JT, prior to dancing, he was always moving around.
9:53
SPEAKER_06: So when he was two, I put him in class at the little gym, you know, where he can do his little acrobatics and all that kind of stuff.
10:01
SPEAKER_06: He loved that.
10:02
SPEAKER_06: And then we did a regular gymnastics class at a real gym where he was learning how to walk the balance beam and do floor work and then do you know the bars and stuff like that.
10:15
SPEAKER_06: So he was doing that at four.
10:17
SPEAKER_06: And they actually really wanted him to join a boys', you know, competition gymnastics team.
10:23
SPEAKER_06: Oh, because JT, you know, he taught himself how to do cartwheels, how to do handstands.
10:29
SPEAKER_06: Like he was self-taught.
10:30
SPEAKER_06: So he had a he was had great balance and agility at that age.
10:34
SPEAKER_06: So we just did gymnastics as something to do, you know, as an activity while his older brother was in school.
10:40
SPEAKER_03: Right.
10:41
SPEAKER_06: So it was shortly after that that he then saw these dancers and was like, okay, I want to do that now.
10:47
SPEAKER_06: And so we're like, sure.
10:48
SPEAKER_06: And then that stuck.
10:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:51
SPEAKER_00: Well, it sounds like you guys found a really great studio to introduce him into because this studio is the studio you grew up at up until the time you moved from Virginia to Arizona.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: Is that true?
11:05
SPEAKER_02: Yes, they like that studio they taught me how to dance.
11:09
SPEAKER_02: Like, we didn't move till I was like 11, right?
11:13
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we didn't move to Arizona until I was 11.
11:16
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, that home studio gets all dance sign a chat to you guys if you're listening.
11:21
SPEAKER_02: Um they're the best.
11:23
SPEAKER_06: And Miss Melanie, you're just gonna be able to do that.
11:25
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, especially Miss Melanie and everyone.
11:27
SPEAKER_02: I just appreciate everyone there so much because I wouldn't be the dancer that I am without them.
11:32
SPEAKER_01: Aw, yeah.
11:33
SPEAKER_01: Oh, and I'm sure they're so proud of you and so excited to just watch your watch your journey like everybody else.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: That's really cool.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: Especially your journey, so you've accomplished so much already.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: Like we said in the intro, you know, you just said that you didn't even start dancing until you were five.
11:49
SPEAKER_00: You left Arizona or you left for Arizona when you were 11.
11:53
SPEAKER_00: So how many six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
11:56
SPEAKER_00: So that was like six years between when you started and when you were like launching off to the west coast.
12:02
SPEAKER_00: When what at what age were you when you did say you think you can dance?
12:06
SPEAKER_00: How old were you then?
12:07
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I had like just turned 10.
12:10
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
12:10
SPEAKER_02: I turned 10 in January.
12:12
SPEAKER_06: And he has a great dance birthday because his birthday is January 17th.
12:16
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for competitions, I always have to compete like a year behind.
12:20
SPEAKER_02: So, like when I was 13, I was still competing as 12.
12:23
SPEAKER_02: So it was nice.
12:25
SPEAKER_01: With kids who had just turned 12.
12:26
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
12:27
SPEAKER_01: So yes, exactly.
12:28
SPEAKER_01: He has a great in December.
12:29
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
12:29
SPEAKER_06: So yeah, so you think you can dance.
12:32
SPEAKER_06: That was the 2016.
12:36
SPEAKER_06: So they had, I guess the audition stuff came out around maybe January, February of 2016.
12:45
SPEAKER_06: And he was just a new 10-year-old at that point.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: And y'all were still in Virginia at that point, or had you hadn't?
12:50
SPEAKER_06: Yes, nope, we were still in Virginia.
12:53
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
12:53
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, the show, you know, everybody uh my phone was ringing off the hook the day that they said that they were gonna do a kids' version of the show.
13:00
SPEAKER_00: Really?
13:01
SPEAKER_06: And that yeah, it was like, so you think you can dance the next generation?
13:05
SPEAKER_06: And it was gonna be a nine to 13-year-olds auditioning for that.
13:09
SPEAKER_06: So people like, you know, locally, JT was a popular dancer in our town, right?
13:15
SPEAKER_06: I mean, we're doing, we're dancing at our local studio, we're doing local competitions, maybe one travel competition, but for the most part, it was all pretty much local at your high schools, you know, the local high schools.
13:30
SPEAKER_06: So he kind of had a good following just locally.
13:35
SPEAKER_06: So people were like, oh, that boy, you know, like, oh, he should try out for that show.
13:39
SPEAKER_06: And I was like, I don't know about all this, you know.
13:42
SPEAKER_06: This is, you know, I was very hesitant at first because I thought, let's wait and see how the first season goes and let's see.
13:49
SPEAKER_06: Maybe, maybe the next season.
13:50
SPEAKER_06: Because you're you're young, you know, you're 10.
13:53
SPEAKER_06: And I'm glad I didn't do that because there hasn't been another next generation.
13:57
SPEAKER_06: Right.
13:57
SPEAKER_06: There's only been one season for the kids.
13:59
SPEAKER_00: So could you imagine you would have probably regretted that if you you know totally I can't see that show changed changed his whole course of life.
14:08
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, totally.
14:09
SPEAKER_06: Literally that one choice of him auditioning for that.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: So pretty much it sounds like all of your friends and family and followers locally kind of pushed you guys into taking the go and and go into that audition for for say you think you dance.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure probably his dance how did the dance studio feel about it?
14:29
SPEAKER_00: Were they like definitely do it, go for it, JT, or or they were they were.
14:34
SPEAKER_06: I think there were probably maybe three, maybe four other kids in the studio that were going to um audition as well.
14:44
SPEAKER_06: And what they did with the kids, which I did like, is you were able to send in a tape.
14:49
SPEAKER_06: You know, it didn't have to be in person, like with the adults.
14:53
SPEAKER_06: So we filled out the, you know, the questionnaires and all of that kind of stuff, and then ended up attaching a video.
15:01
SPEAKER_06: They wanted to see a video.
15:03
SPEAKER_06: We just pulled one of his videos from a previous competition, a solo competition that he did, and I sent that over in a in a YouTube link, and I sent it as a private YouTube link so that only the people that had the address could see it.
15:16
SPEAKER_06: Because I never I'm always really careful about what what he does and how he auditioned.
15:23
SPEAKER_06: I don't like, I don't ever want people to be able to go back and look back and say, oh, you didn't make it, or oh, this didn't work out for you.
15:30
SPEAKER_06: You know, it's like I just wanted to kind of keep it private.
15:33
SPEAKER_06: Like, okay, you want to try out, we'll do it.
15:35
SPEAKER_06: Let's just keep it kind of quiet.
15:37
SPEAKER_06: And and if it turns into something great, and if it doesn't, that's okay too.
15:42
SPEAKER_06: He sent in his video, and I remember looking one day because I had to figure out how to send a private link, which was in itself a whole, you know, I'm not a computer savvy, and I figured that out.
15:53
SPEAKER_06: And I remembered I'd gone to sleep one night, and I had probably looked at the video, so it had like six viewings, and I remember like two days later pulling it up to look, and it had been viewed 13 times.
16:05
SPEAKER_06: So I knew somebody was looking at it.
16:08
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: So then what happened?
16:11
SPEAKER_00: I know what's next.
16:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you want to tell the next the next part of the story?
16:14
SPEAKER_02: Do you yeah?
16:15
SPEAKER_02: And so then they called us, I don't know, probably like a few days later, and they told us that I made it to the producer round.
16:24
SPEAKER_02: And we were like, oh, that's nice, but like we were just thinking, like, oh, I bet like they're having a bunch of people make it to the producer round because they want to have a big line of all the kids wrapped around the studio.
16:35
SPEAKER_04: Right.
16:35
SPEAKER_02: So the auditions were coming up, and I was going to a dance convention slash like workshop for a weekend, and actually one of the producers, the executive producer, Jeff Thacker, he was there at the competition portion and he was scattering talent.
16:52
SPEAKER_02: I was going on in the morning and he watched me perform and he came up to my mom after, and we actually thought that he was like another studio owner trying to like recruit me or something.
17:02
SPEAKER_02: And so then he told my mom that he was like, he asked if we had auditioned for so if he can dance the next generation yet.
17:10
SPEAKER_02: We were like, actually, yeah, we'll send the video and he made to the producer round.
17:14
SPEAKER_06: And so actually, let me just stop you for one second.
17:16
SPEAKER_06: It really was funny because JT was doing a solo and he was the only one from his studio.
17:23
SPEAKER_06: So at this point, his studio was attending the workshop portion, but they wouldn't weren't doing the competitions.
17:30
SPEAKER_06: And I was at this point in where I'm like, I want him to compete, like I want to see how he would do against these other kids.
17:37
SPEAKER_06: So it was just him and I.
17:38
SPEAKER_06: So I decided to sit in the front row where it says teachers only, because I'm his mom and I'm a teacher here.
17:45
SPEAKER_06: And so when he finished dancing, you know, he comes running over to me and I'm like, let's sit down and watch some of the others, you know, the other soloists.
17:52
SPEAKER_06: So we're sitting there watching when Jeff Backer came over to me and I didn't know who he was, and he's asking me all these questions, and I'm kind of like a little bit annoyed because I'm trying to watch, you know, what's happening on the stage.
18:03
SPEAKER_06: I'm like, why is this guy asking me all these questions?
18:06
SPEAKER_06: Like, how old are you?
18:07
SPEAKER_06: And what I'm like, and I finally looked at him and I said, Why are you asking me all these questions?
18:13
SPEAKER_06: And he said, Well, I'm the executive producer for So You Think You Can Dance.
18:17
SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
18:19
SPEAKER_06: Oh, oh, okay, okay.
18:22
SPEAKER_06: And then I was like, Why don't we go talk outside where I can actually hear what you're trying to tell me?
18:27
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
18:27
SPEAKER_06: So that was funny.
18:29
SPEAKER_01: But that's wild.
18:30
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, he was there scouting talent and looking for kids in that age group of nine to 13.
18:35
SPEAKER_01: That's crazy.
18:36
SPEAKER_06: So he got to CJT.
18:38
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, he got to CJT, and literally the auditions were being held in New York, Chicago, and LA.
18:46
SPEAKER_06: The LA ones had already happened, and we weren't going to be able to do New York because we actually had a competition with Gainesville Dance Center.
18:54
SPEAKER_06: So the only opening would be Chicago.
18:57
SPEAKER_06: And at that point, Chicago was in like six days.
19:01
SPEAKER_06: Oh no.
19:02
SPEAKER_06: So we had the call that they wanted us to come out, but I still hadn't really bought into the whole thing yet.
19:08
SPEAKER_06: Because I'm like, okay, you know, you're in school, your brother's in school, I'm I'm trying to take care of the family, and this is kind of an inconvenient thing.
19:15
SPEAKER_06: Right.
19:16
SPEAKER_06: So when we saw Jeff and he basically was like, All right, I think that you know, you might want to consider taking him to Chicago to audition.
19:24
SPEAKER_06: And I was like, Really?
19:25
SPEAKER_06: Are you sure?
19:26
SPEAKER_03: Right.
19:27
SPEAKER_06: He's like, No, I think you should.
19:28
SPEAKER_06: And I was like, Okay, so we went.
19:31
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
19:31
SPEAKER_06: Had he not been there and talked to me, I probably would not have taken him to Chicago.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: Really?
19:37
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, because I was just kind of of the mindset of this is gonna be a lot of money, it's gonna be time.
19:44
SPEAKER_06: Right.
19:44
SPEAKER_06: You know, I don't want to go somewhere and then you wait in line all day long and your kid never gets seen, or I didn't know how it all would work, but I just knew that there would be a lot of people there, and I didn't really know if I was prepared for all of that.
19:59
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
20:00
SPEAKER_06: So I literally was honest with him, and I just said, Listen, you're here this weekend, I'm here this weekend.
20:06
SPEAKER_06: You watch him.
20:07
SPEAKER_06: And if at the end of the weekend you think it's really worthwhile for me to take the time and spend the money to go to Chicago, then I'll talk to my husband about it when I get home.
20:17
SPEAKER_06: And then it was pretty much like that.
20:19
SPEAKER_06: And I think he respected that because at the end he said, I do think that you should go.
20:25
SPEAKER_06: And I said, Okay.
20:26
SPEAKER_06: And I called my husband, I said, told him what happened, and then he said, Okay, let's let's look at flights for you guys.
20:32
SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: I just wanted to like make a comment on that whole scenario because, like you said, if he hadn't been there and watched and introduced himself, you probably would not have continued on that path.
20:45
SPEAKER_01: And that just goes to show for all the listeners out there and all the young dancers, you never know who's in the room.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: You never know which connections are gonna are gonna make or break you, you know.
20:55
SPEAKER_01: So, like it always pays to have an open mind and an open heart and listen and be be available to the opportunities because I mean, if if you had just brushed him off as some random dude, you know, like who knows?
21:09
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if we'd be talking to you right now.
21:10
SPEAKER_01: So that's really, really cool.
21:12
SPEAKER_01: That is really cool.
21:13
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah, it was it really I do believe in fate.
21:18
SPEAKER_06: And I do believe that this was also the first time that we had ever done this specific convention.
21:25
SPEAKER_06: So, you know, to be going to a new convention and competing at this convention and then meeting and seeing him there, you know, it was all very random and yet turned out for the best for JT.
21:38
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
21:39
SPEAKER_06: He gave me the opportunity to think, hey, maybe this is a good idea.
21:43
SPEAKER_03: Right.
21:44
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
21:44
SPEAKER_06: I was very hesitant at first, thinking my 10 year old and you know, I don't know if this is the path we want to go down.
21:50
SPEAKER_06: And I was worried that you know, might not work out well for him and could be embarrassing.
21:54
SPEAKER_06: You never know.
21:55
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, right.
21:56
SPEAKER_06: So obviously, from a parent perspective, I'm looking to protect.
22:00
SPEAKER_06: My son, but I'm also looking to give him opportunities.
22:04
SPEAKER_06: And this one presented itself.
22:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: I'm honestly just like hearing your story, it it to me, like it sounds like it's like a movie, you know?
22:13
SPEAKER_00: Like this is like the kind of stuff that you hear, like, oh, the scout came and found the talent.
22:19
SPEAKER_06: You know, it kind of you're right, because I always said he's a little boy from a little small town in Virginia.
22:24
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
22:25
SPEAKER_06: Nobody knows who he is.
22:27
SPEAKER_06: Literally.
22:28
SPEAKER_06: He has an Instagram account that is private, and he maybe has 200 friends that I let him talk to.
22:35
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
22:36
SPEAKER_06: So nobody knows who he is.
22:38
SPEAKER_06: So I'm always like, the show did its job.
22:41
SPEAKER_06: If the show was to try and find new talent across the country in young dancers, they found one.
22:48
SPEAKER_06: They found this little boy at 10 years old from Virginia who came in runner up.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: And you know your journey on the show was just amazing.
22:59
SPEAKER_00: I I was so excited when I heard that they were doing a So You Think You Can Dance junior edition um style because I'm sure Leslie as well, like, and I'm not sure Leslie Church, if you ever really watched So You Think prior to JT doing it, or I'm sure you probably had a little bit.
23:18
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, by that time he was 10, so we had watched the show.
23:21
SPEAKER_06: You know, we we did watch it, but again, it was one of those things where he kind of watched it like later because he was going to bed.
23:28
SPEAKER_06: You know, we would TiVo or D VR these shows and watch them later.
23:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I grew up with So You Think You Can Dance.
23:36
SPEAKER_00: Um, it it came out and when I was in high school.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: So like I think that every dancer's dream, at least for the past 10 years, has been I want to be on So You Think You Can Dance one day.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: You know, like I knew the moment I turned 18, my booty was in New York City standing outside, freezing cold, waiting in line to audition for So You Think You Can Dance.
23:56
SPEAKER_00: And it was so insp exciting and inspiring that they did that flip around for that one season, which you were lucky enough to be a part of.
24:05
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
24:06
SPEAKER_00: And like I sat in my living room and watched all these fierce little children dance for their life on television as just like they were adults and professionals.
24:16
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it truly was so inspiring.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: And I I remember you, JT, on on the show.
24:21
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it was it was so exciting to see this like tiny little child dancing.
24:26
SPEAKER_00: Like I swear, it was so cool.
24:29
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure I'm sure the experience for you was probably really life-changing and eye-opening.
24:35
SPEAKER_00: And was it fun?
24:36
SPEAKER_00: Was it stressful?
24:37
SPEAKER_00: Was it scary?
24:38
SPEAKER_00: What no?
24:40
SPEAKER_02: It was more fun before like any stressful or anything because like we really didn't have anything to lose, like going into like the whole like experience.
24:50
SPEAKER_02: And so I was just happy to be there and to get past the audition round to go to the academy.
24:55
SPEAKER_02: And every day we were like, Okay, like let's start packing because like all these kids are so good.
25:01
SPEAKER_06: And like, even before the show, I had like watched all the kids that I was like dancing with, so I was like, oh my gosh, that's so and so and I was like starstruck because I was like, oh my gosh, like I watch you on YouTube like every day, and so it's like being with all those dancers, it was just like I'm like here, and it's like I have to like he was really nervous to go to the academy week where they've you know, you you have the 100 kids that have made it through all the audition rounds, and you know at the end of this week you're gonna have your top 10, right?
25:31
SPEAKER_06: And so he's sitting in a room with the 100 kids and we're and their parents, and we're having our first meeting, and he's literally looking at me, he's like going, Oh my gosh, mom, there's Dave McRae, oh my gosh, mom, there's Gwynstarner.
25:43
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, like oh my gosh, mom, there's you know, Gavin Morales, and there's all these people that he's been watching and looks up to, and he's like, I don't think I should be here.
25:52
SPEAKER_06: I'm like, I know, I'm like, sweetie, you're here for a reason.
25:56
SPEAKER_06: Everybody in this room now is on the same playing field.
25:59
SPEAKER_06: Absolutely okay, and you just have to just trust yourself and do what you do.
26:04
SPEAKER_06: I always tell him that I'm like, you're the only person that can dance like you.
26:07
SPEAKER_06: Don't try to dance like somebody else.
26:09
SPEAKER_06: Don't try to be like somebody else.
26:11
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, you just have to be yourself.
26:12
SPEAKER_01: And don't forget that because I mean, imposter syndrome starts early.
26:16
SPEAKER_01: Like literally what you just said is I don't think I belong here.
26:19
SPEAKER_01: And that starts early.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: And like, you know, unless unless you have that that support from your parents and from your friends and your teachers and you know, everybody else to remind you that no, you do belong here.
26:29
SPEAKER_01: Like that will follow you.
26:30
SPEAKER_01: So I'm really glad that you have that, you know, you've got people in your life who who are building you up all the time because because it's true, you do belong here.
26:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
26:39
SPEAKER_02: They're super supportive.
26:40
SPEAKER_02: And yeah, the whole academy was like really crazy because every like the top 10, you had to get through like the hip-hop run, you have to get through jazz round, and like all these different rounds, people are getting cut every day, and it was like pretty scary because every time I was like, Oh, like I feel like this is my day, like I'm going home, like ugh, and then next thing you know, I'm making it to the top 10.
27:05
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Oh my gosh, like this is so crazy.
27:08
SPEAKER_06: And then you have to talk about Robert.
27:10
SPEAKER_06: I mean, he was a huge Robert's pick you, but like, you know, when he even just got put on a team, you five boys are put on his team, Team Robert.
27:18
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, because I'm like, hey, onto the team.
27:21
SPEAKER_06: Okay, well, we're probably going tomorrow, so let's start packing, you know.
27:24
SPEAKER_06: But I'm really happy when they can get onto the team.
27:27
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, you know, every single day, I'd be like, okay, you know, you're doing great.
27:32
SPEAKER_06: So when it came down to the end of the week and he's still standing there, I was like, what is going on?
27:37
SPEAKER_06: Literally.
27:38
SPEAKER_06: And Robert picked him and Robert, talk about Robert because he's like amazing.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: So actually, during the Broadway round with Warren Carlisle, he like taught the combo and I was like picking it up, and like I actually was like like doing it pretty well.
27:54
SPEAKER_02: And so then I get to the part where everyone's going to do it in pairs because it was like a for your partner.
28:02
SPEAKER_02: And so I was the last person to go with my partner, and so I was just sitting there, and like it's hard to like kind of mark it and like do it in your chair, because then I just like keep overthinking myself, like that's just like you know, and so I was the last person to go with my partner, and it was like starting out pretty good, and then I literally just blanked, and I had never like done that like on stage before, like ever, like even with competing solos and anything.
28:30
SPEAKER_02: So I was like like a deer in the headlights, like it was like so bad, and I just oh my gosh, like remembering that moment, it was just like so like I just felt like so embarrassed, and then I was like, Hey, I gotta keep going.
28:43
SPEAKER_02: And then I like tried picking it back up, and then you know, hit that last pose with the jazz hands, and I was just like so upset, and I went, no, yeah.
28:51
SPEAKER_02: And then I went and I like went to go ball my eyes out because I was so upset, because like I was doing pretty good, like when we were learning the combo, and then I get out and I just splayed, and I was just really disappointed, and I was like, I'm going home because everyone else like didn't forget the combo, and then like when he was gonna make Robert was gonna make the cut for his team, and he pulled me up and he was like, you know what?
29:15
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm gonna go with my gut, and I really believe in you, and I want to give you a second chance, and you're through to the next round, and that was just like really it was just so amazing because I was like, Oh, I'm like definitely going home.
29:28
SPEAKER_02: And the fact that he was like, I like believe in you, and like I know you can do this, and he gave me a second chance, and that was just like the best thing ever.
29:38
SPEAKER_06: I'm watching from like up at the top of the auditorium, like and I'm watching him, and he messes literally like Darren headlights, like you said, JT.
29:47
SPEAKER_06: Like, yeah, just literally forgot what he's doing.
29:50
SPEAKER_06: He's never stopped before, and my heart just sank, and I thought, oh no, this is it, you know, he's gonna get cut.
29:56
SPEAKER_06: And and I and I was okay with it, but I knew that he was gonna be really upset that he blanked like that.
30:02
SPEAKER_06: But what I told JT is is that he was 10.
30:05
SPEAKER_06: He was the youngest person in that room, okay?
30:08
SPEAKER_06: And he is coming from a competition mentality of while the other people are up on the stage performing, he's cheering for them, he's clapping for them.
30:17
SPEAKER_06: He's like, go so-and-so, yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa.
30:20
SPEAKER_06: He's not thinking about himself.
30:21
SPEAKER_06: He's not thinking about his routine, he's not thinking, running it through his head like he said he is.
30:25
SPEAKER_06: He's just cheering on like you're at a competition.
30:28
SPEAKER_06: And so I said, you know, going forward, like, of course you want to support your friends, but you also got to look out for yourself and make sure that you're taking that time to remember what you're doing and and why you're there.
30:39
SPEAKER_01: Right.
30:40
SPEAKER_01: And how long the fact that he got a second chance was great.
30:43
SPEAKER_01: That's how long do you think that blank out happened for?
30:46
SPEAKER_01: Like a four count, an eight count, a whole minute?
30:49
SPEAKER_06: Like oh, it it happened for a girl.
30:52
SPEAKER_02: Well, I was just like how long did you feel it was, and how long really?
30:58
SPEAKER_02: She also forgot the combo, like literally around the same time.
31:02
SPEAKER_02: So, like normally, if like you're the only one forgetting the combo, you can like still try and look at the other person, but then we were both just like like what's next.
31:10
SPEAKER_02: It felt like four minutes, and then I like kept on like stumbling because I was trying to like pick it up, and like it was just bad.
31:18
SPEAKER_06: That's that's and you could tell on my face too, because I was like stupid.
31:21
SPEAKER_06: Of course, that's the portion that they show on the episode.
31:24
SPEAKER_01: I think that has happened to the best of us, and it's no, yeah.
31:28
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, but when you watch the episode, they were like JT Church, a jazz dancer, is having difficulty picking up the choreography, you know, it's like a bad play, and then he is the jazz dancer, and so it's like, oh, the jazz boy's having a problem with jazz.
31:41
SPEAKER_06: It's like, no, he wasn't having problems with jazz the whole day.
31:44
SPEAKER_06: He's only having problems right now.
31:47
SPEAKER_01: The thing that people need to understand is that you learned choreography from Warren Carlisle.
31:52
SPEAKER_01: That is challenging professional, real dancing, and you learned it probably in the same amount of time that an adult would have learned it for an audition in in life.
32:03
SPEAKER_01: I've done his stuff like, you know, we're short, so that's helpful with Warren Carlisle.
32:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I think some people if if there if there's any room for judgment, it's like it goes out the window when you realize that you're a child learning a professional piece of choreography in like no time.
32:18
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, like full on like hitch kick, yeah, everything.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: Oh, if I know Warren, I I can only imagine what they were throwing at you.
32:25
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
32:27
SPEAKER_02: Every day, like at the academy, it was really hard, especially like in just like learning the choreography, because normally like in my old studio, we would do choreography for like maybe a month straight, and like it was like super like slow.
32:42
SPEAKER_02: We would start dancing so early, and then we would like like spend a lot of time perfecting it.
32:47
SPEAKER_02: But like this was totally different because you literally have to learn a routine and it's our like hard routines, memorize the whole thing, and then go out and perform it in front of judges.
32:57
SPEAKER_06: And so I had never done anything like that before, so it was really like this is where convention training comes into focus because he started doing conventions when he was seven, so he's going into these rooms, you have an hour-long class, you're learning a combo, you're breaking it down, you're performing it, you know, hopefully to be you know recognized by the the teacher or receive a scholarship or something like that.
33:26
SPEAKER_06: So the convention training at these workshops, I think, is so important because it is teaching him how to pick up choreography quick.
33:34
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and if you wanna do anything dance related, you're gonna have to audition for things, and that's like basically like auditioning.
33:41
SPEAKER_02: There there even is auditions at these conventions and like workshops.
33:46
SPEAKER_02: So it's really like training you to hopefully do this and to the real world.
33:52
SPEAKER_06: You have to pick up choreography quickly to be a dancer, you know, to be a working dancer.
33:57
SPEAKER_06: You have to pick it up and you have to know it and be able to perform, execute it.
34:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think I'm so glad to hear you say that from a mom's perspective, Leslie, to like know.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, obviously JT's only been doing conventions at that point by the time So You Think came aboard three years, you know.
34:14
SPEAKER_00: That's and and you feel like those three years really prepped him enough to be able to succeed at this opportunity.
34:22
SPEAKER_00: And you know, that's really impressive for a 10 it's impressive for a 10-year-old no matter what, because Leslie Miller and I we're we're both professional dancers.
34:31
SPEAKER_00: We have done trillions and millions of auditions in New York City and beyond.
34:36
SPEAKER_00: And it that is an extremely hard skill.
34:38
SPEAKER_00: Auditioning is a very, very hard skill to figure out.
34:41
SPEAKER_00: And I also agree with you.
34:43
SPEAKER_00: I grew up in the competitive dance world, and I give all of the props to growing up in that industry to prep me for what it's like to be a professional and audition.
34:53
SPEAKER_00: Picking up choreography is so important.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: And I had 20 dances at a point in time in, you know, in one season at my studio, and I did jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, whatever it is.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: And it felt it made me, you know, really use my brain and learn how to switch gears really quick and change my costume really fast and put my heels on or put my, you know, change my hair, whatever it is, it really preps you for what you're gonna get yourself into when it turns into a professional career.
35:20
SPEAKER_00: So you kind of got a taste of that so young, but I do love the fact that you kind of are giving a shout out to the competitive and convention dance world because it it really does.
35:31
SPEAKER_00: I do believe, I agree, you know, you you cramp so many classes into one of those convention weekends, like you're it's pretty much what it's like in in a real world experience.
35:39
SPEAKER_06: So yeah, for sure.
35:41
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, you have uh just a shorter period of time to learn these things and to make an impression and have somebody recognize you.
35:48
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, you have to still stand out at these events, you know.
35:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so many kids.
35:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's and that's the other thing I think that's worth mentioning.
35:56
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, as this podcast is geared towards the competitive dancer, so like you know, in in your situation, JT, in any audition setting, you usually don't get to do a solo to show yourself off.
36:09
SPEAKER_00: It's usually in a group where you have to stand out in the crowd.
36:13
SPEAKER_00: And and that's I think something that's hard for a lot of young dancers to kind of navigate and learn how to do because your solo might be like the best thing that I've ever seen.
36:22
SPEAKER_00: But when we put a bunch of dancers in a group together, are you still gonna know how to stand out?
36:26
SPEAKER_00: And that's a skill in itself.
36:28
SPEAKER_00: So obviously you've conquered that, you've achieved that.
36:32
SPEAKER_00: Because even though, you know, your initial audition was sort of like a video send-in and a scout from the competition, you still held your own once you got into that group setting at the academy.
36:41
SPEAKER_00: And once you got, you know, onto the show and showed your versatility and showed your musicality and how you pick up things so quickly.
36:48
SPEAKER_00: So that's yeah, I mean, that's so impressive.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: I still can't believe you were only 10.
36:51
SPEAKER_00: Like, wow, my mind is blown.
36:53
SPEAKER_00: I couldn't even like point my feet when I was 10 years old.
36:56
SPEAKER_02: So I couldn't really either.
36:58
SPEAKER_02: That's another problem.
37:02
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'm still working on the Robert always wanted to be like, point your feet.
37:06
SPEAKER_05: They call them biscuits.
37:07
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, all the biscuits, gotta love a biscuit.
37:10
SPEAKER_06: And you know what though, Courtney?
37:12
SPEAKER_06: Like from a from a mom perspective, like totally agree with what you just said because he's 14 now, but the basis of dancing for him has not changed.
37:21
SPEAKER_06: He still needs to train, he still needs to challenge himself, and that's why even now I still have him at a studio because at the end of the day, he needs to be in group dances.
37:34
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
37:35
SPEAKER_06: You don't get jobs as a soloist, you get a job in a group.
37:39
SPEAKER_06: Yes, whether you're working on somebody's tour, you know, if you're if you get to tour with an artist, you're with other people.
37:47
SPEAKER_06: So it's important to work in groups.
37:49
SPEAKER_06: If people don't see you work in groups, I just think it's important to remember that solos are great, but you need to be in groups.
37:58
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
37:59
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and also just to have like consistent training because like just being at a studio and like I don't want any of my like technique and stuff to like kind of like deteriorate.
38:09
SPEAKER_02: Like, I want to keep training and getting even better and like never settling for like half- Yeah, you don't want to be the best one in your group, the best one in your room.
38:18
SPEAKER_06: If you're the best in your room, then you're not pushing yourself anymore.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
38:22
SPEAKER_06: And at your age, you're always gonna need to push yourself and strive to be better.
38:25
SPEAKER_01: You guys are doing it right.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: I mean, listeners, the dance mom specifically, listen up.
38:31
SPEAKER_01: This is this is the way to do it.
38:33
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we didn't even have to bring up your home studio, your home studio, keep training, you know, even when you reach such a high level of being, you know, you're insta-famous now.
38:42
SPEAKER_01: You're one of those kids that people watch all the time on YouTube now.
38:46
SPEAKER_01: So, and and that is so good as for us to hear as dance educators and judges and people in the industry.
38:52
SPEAKER_01: You know, we we see a lot of times as kids who just bop around as convention kids and they don't have any consistent home training.
38:58
SPEAKER_01: And right, you know, so that's that's so, so great to hear.
39:02
SPEAKER_06: Or they're independent and they think that they're just, you know, you know, you do need to be with a studio.
39:08
SPEAKER_06: And we're very lucky at Club Dance because he's dancing with kids that are of a really high caliber, really technically trained kids, great faculty, and they bring in master class teachers to, you know, keep I just think it's really important to not get stuck with just one teacher or you know, absolutely love the studio and where he is and all that.
39:32
SPEAKER_06: But I do think it's important to experience different conventions where you're exposed to different faculty, and it's not just like, yeah, we know you do so-and-so choreography well, but could you do this person's?
39:47
SPEAKER_06: You know, like trying everything.
39:49
SPEAKER_06: I love that JT gets to travel a lot and work with a lot of different conventions and push himself and then has his home studio for you know your day-to-day.
40:02
SPEAKER_00: Attention dancers, sorry for interrupting this fabulous interview episode, but I want to let you know about a dance brand that I love so much.
40:10
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40:12
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40:44
SPEAKER_00: And now let's get back to the show.
40:49
SPEAKER_01: Well, and I really want to hear a little bit more about so we've covered kind of some of your professional career.
40:54
SPEAKER_01: I know there's other things that we can talk about too, but I think our listeners would be really interested to hear about like what your experiences are at competition.
41:02
SPEAKER_01: Do you still compete?
41:03
SPEAKER_01: I'm guessing, right?
41:04
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I try to compete as much as I can.
41:07
SPEAKER_02: Like, especially nowadays, it's really hard because I always have things coming up that are super last minute.
41:14
SPEAKER_02: And just because that's just how it works in the industry sometimes, most of the time.
41:18
SPEAKER_02: So it's kind of just depends on if I have any jobs or if I need to be somewhere to do something else.
41:24
SPEAKER_02: But I always love competing and like making that also a priority because I also love being part of the team and just dancing with all of my friends that I love and doing that, and it's just really fun.
41:36
SPEAKER_06: He doesn't get to do the, you know, we don't have to wheel the rack in with the 20 costumes anymore.
41:43
SPEAKER_06: I I try to explain to him now that it's more about his quality of the dances that we choose for him to be in versus the quantity.
41:51
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
41:51
SPEAKER_06: So maybe when he was a younger dancer, you know, it was a it was a prestige thing.
41:56
SPEAKER_06: You know, I'm in 20 dances.
41:59
SPEAKER_06: It's so exciting.
42:00
SPEAKER_06: And you know, you do have the quick costume changes, and you do have, you know, you have to learn a lot.
42:04
SPEAKER_06: If you can remember 20 dances and compete them, like that's impressive.
42:09
SPEAKER_06: But now it's because we don't have as much time, and his studio is great because they really don't practice on the weekends, so it gives him time to travel on the weekends, yeah.
42:20
SPEAKER_02: And all the kids, because a lot of kids travel for conventions year-round.
42:24
SPEAKER_06: They would do a lot of their extra dances and solo rehearsals like on the weekends, so we never could do a lot of stuff.
42:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
42:32
SPEAKER_06: So he has flexibility now, which is great.
42:35
SPEAKER_06: But he just he just we limit we limit his dances so that he can also do other things.
42:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
42:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
42:41
SPEAKER_00: That's great.
42:42
SPEAKER_00: I'm kind of curious to know what how the transition was from East Coast to West Coast for for you guys.
42:47
SPEAKER_00: Was that a hard transition or was it somewhat easy?
42:50
SPEAKER_00: Was it, you know, did you did you know you had to to make this transition to continue with JT's dance career?
42:56
SPEAKER_00: Is that the deciding factor or you know, a little bit about that?
43:00
SPEAKER_06: I think that initially, you know, I'm from Virginia.
43:04
SPEAKER_06: I had never left Virginia.
43:05
SPEAKER_06: It was one of those things where he came back from So You Think You Can Dance after working with some pretty amazingly talented choreographers.
43:13
SPEAKER_06: And now it was like, how do we keep him growing?
43:17
SPEAKER_06: How can we continue this?
43:19
SPEAKER_06: He's 10 years old at his studio, which which is great, but he'd kind of outgrown it already.
43:25
SPEAKER_06: Like he was already working with the top choreographer at the studio at that time.
43:31
SPEAKER_06: So I'm like, we're gonna have eight more years of like they didn't bring it, they didn't bring in a lot of outside choreography.
43:37
SPEAKER_06: It was very much in-house, which is fine.
43:41
SPEAKER_06: But he knew he needed more, and he had an Al Blackstone solo that we had that year.
43:48
SPEAKER_06: I watched it.
43:49
SPEAKER_06: That he was he had one by Al, and he had one by Robert, and so he was kind of competing those.
43:55
SPEAKER_06: And so when it really kind of came down to he's getting job opportunities.
44:00
SPEAKER_06: He's getting auditions, and they're all in LA.
44:03
SPEAKER_06: And we live in Virginia.
44:04
SPEAKER_06: And you just can't, you know, for an audition, you have to pay to get yourself there.
44:07
SPEAKER_06: So I can't.
44:08
SPEAKER_02: And like I said, yeah, everything's so last minute.
44:11
SPEAKER_02: So it's like, oh, like be here like tomorrow.
44:14
SPEAKER_02: And it's like, we can't just like hop on a flight and we're six hours.
44:22
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
44:22
SPEAKER_00: So it's like Oh, I know that feels we've paid for many of these.
44:25
SPEAKER_06: So it was really like, yeah, we needed to get closer.
44:28
SPEAKER_06: We needed to get closer to LA.
44:30
SPEAKER_06: And Arizona was just kind of like a place where I thought, not in LA, I still have an older son and a family that I want to be able to have a normal kind of home life.
44:43
SPEAKER_06: If we need to go to LA, we can be there pretty quickly.
44:46
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
44:46
SPEAKER_06: And then when we're not in LA, we're home living our normal lives.
44:51
SPEAKER_06: That's great.
44:52
SPEAKER_06: So for us moving, because as soon as we stepped off the plane, you were going to a nationals event with your studio.
44:59
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
45:00
SPEAKER_06: Literally.
45:01
SPEAKER_06: And so we kind of haven't stopped until just now with the with COVID-19.
45:06
SPEAKER_00: Oh, really?
45:07
SPEAKER_06: We've been going.
45:08
SPEAKER_06: So I haven't had too much adjusting because I haven't had time.
45:13
SPEAKER_06: We've been just going, going, going for three years.
45:16
SPEAKER_00: Right.
45:17
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
45:17
SPEAKER_00: You guys are doing so many things and so many great things.
45:21
SPEAKER_00: I'm happy that you found a new dance home in Arizona that you love and a studio that you that's pushing you and giving you that team mentality and and exposing you to even more opportunities.
45:32
SPEAKER_00: And I do I agree.
45:33
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm glad you guys made the move.
45:35
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure it was a tough family decision and to make that happen, but it sounds like that it's it's been beneficial and and worth it the past few years for you guys to be closer to out west because you are right.
45:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean, especially with auditions in LA, which are mainly like TV, movie, film auditions, commercial commercial.
45:54
SPEAKER_00: Those are last minute every single time.
45:56
SPEAKER_00: It's it's that is never planned.
45:58
SPEAKER_06: It's every single time.
46:00
SPEAKER_00: It's it's bizarre how it works out for them.
46:02
SPEAKER_00: Somehow people should finally realize like there's not many, not a ton of film and TV stuff in New York, but one of my film and TV credits was Fossey, and I got the audition the day of, and I had to throw my hair, you know, in a ponytail and show up with my tap shoes, and then the next day I booked the job, you know, like that's how fast things happen.
46:23
SPEAKER_00: So it makes sense that you are a lot closer.
46:26
SPEAKER_00: And I can understand, you know, maybe not going straight to LA and moving in there because that's that's overwhelming, especially for a family.
46:34
SPEAKER_00: Expensive.
46:35
SPEAKER_00: True that.
46:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
46:36
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it sounds like Arizona is a great fit for you guys, and I'm really happy that you guys are that's working out.
46:42
SPEAKER_00: Well, I would like to know a little bit and hear about dancing with the Stars Jr.
46:48
SPEAKER_00: Because as much as so you think you can dance was such a big uh career step for you, and you know, you you got it got your name out there, the exposure, the opportunities, the connections that you've gained from that.
47:00
SPEAKER_00: How did Dancing with the Stars Jr.
47:03
SPEAKER_00: fall into your lap and you were a pro and then you ended up winning the season?
47:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm just so interested to hear about that experience.
47:11
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so after Slight Think, I kind of that whole experience kind of opened my eyes and really wanted to make me work more on other styles that I wasn't super comfortable on at the time, just like working on my technique more and hip hop and some different styles and even ballroom too.
47:30
SPEAKER_02: So after that experience, I really was just trying to like work on my technique.
47:35
SPEAKER_02: I went to YAGP, I actually ended up winning a Hope Award, and so like I kind of was setting like mini goals for myself, which I also think is really important to do just with anything.
47:45
SPEAKER_02: And so I had been working on my ballroom and in Virginia, and when we moved to Arizona, we also have been working on my ballroom too a lot.
47:54
SPEAKER_02: And the audition came around 2018, and I went to the audition in LA, and there were a bunch of kids auditioning to be the pros.
48:06
SPEAKER_02: They picked you.
48:07
SPEAKER_06: It was they reached out to us to see if he would be interested in auditioning, and of course, the answer is yes.
48:14
SPEAKER_06: We would love to audition.
48:16
SPEAKER_06: So the ballroom in the East Coast is very different from the ballroom on the west coast.
48:22
SPEAKER_06: So we didn't have a lot of ballroom options in Virginia, and we had a great place that helped us out, that helped him to get a little bit of cha-cha, you know, under his belt before we did the live shows for So You Think You Can Dance.
48:36
SPEAKER_06: But once we moved out to Arizona, you know, he was able to really, really work on his ballroom technique.
48:42
SPEAKER_06: And so he was working one-on-one.
48:44
SPEAKER_06: We would go into Scottsdale and work at a studio called Imperial Ballroom.
48:49
SPEAKER_06: And, you know, he was learning proper technique and learning the different Latin styles of ballroom as well as the standard styles to get ready.
49:01
SPEAKER_06: So he worked really hard for that audition.
49:03
SPEAKER_06: Then when he made it as a pro, continued to just keep working hard at his technique.
49:09
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
49:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
49:11
SPEAKER_06: So then he, you know, he made it as a pro, which was super exciting, along with some super talented other kids that, you know, are just some of which maybe are more, you know, more focused on ballroom.
49:26
SPEAKER_06: But there were several too that were kind of like him training in all different styles and part of different company, you know, studios that trained in all styles and competed.
49:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
49:36
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that's even the same for regular dancing with the stars.
49:40
SPEAKER_00: We there's a handful of of pros that are on that that were previous competition dancers or professional dancers that were versatile in so many different styles.
49:49
SPEAKER_00: And then there are some that are strictly ballroom focused.
49:52
SPEAKER_00: So it seems like that they kind of cater to that when when selecting the pros for the junior edition as well, which I think also makes you v more valuable in a sense because you have more experience in different styles.
50:04
SPEAKER_00: And you know, being versatile is a huge, huge imp skill to have being it's so important in the industry, which you have now seen because now you pretty much do every style of dance ever.
50:16
SPEAKER_00: And now you're gonna be an actor and you're gonna be reading lines on a in a movie, you know, like that's another layer to it all.
50:23
SPEAKER_06: I'm sure it can be scary, but that is something that we make a conscious effort to.
50:28
SPEAKER_06: Like we use the hashtag for him a lot, which is hashtag I train in all styles, because we want people to know that you know, he's not this one genre kid.
50:39
SPEAKER_06: He can do the jazz, he can do the ballroom, he can do the hip-hop, he can do the ballet, he can do the contemporary, he's done Bollywood, you know, he can do acro.
50:47
SPEAKER_06: I just think for GT, that's what he strives to do is train in all styles and then excel in all styles.
50:54
SPEAKER_06: He wants to be the best he can be.
50:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
50:58
SPEAKER_06: So you can take that and then use it in so many different ways.
51:03
SPEAKER_06: Not everybody wants to train in all styles, you know, you may be just a ballerina and that's okay.
51:08
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
51:09
SPEAKER_02: But especially like like you were just saying, in the industry, it's super important to be versatile and also even like in auditions and stuff, using other styles, like in like if they have you improv and stuff, that's also what can make you stand out a lot, too.
51:24
SPEAKER_02: Cause like, you know, if you're not a jazz audition and you want to throw in a bochic cotta of armor step, and it's just like that's everyone's gonna be like, oh my gosh, like it's also can benefit you with other styles too.
51:36
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, we're gonna have to have you on we're having a versatility episode later this season, so we'll bring you back on uh so you can share all of that with us because that's 100% all the things.
51:47
SPEAKER_00: I'm just so inspired by all of your your achievements so far at at being at such a young age and how wise you are for being so young, and obviously all of these experiences have really, you know, I'm sure made you even more mature than you already are being a teenager.
52:06
SPEAKER_00: You have to like grow up quick when you're on set for for a job and have to know your lines and have to show up for an audition and things like that.
52:14
SPEAKER_00: Like those are adulting things.
52:17
SPEAKER_00: That is what those are what adults do, regardless if Leslie you tag along with JT.
52:22
SPEAKER_00: It's still, you know, you you are acting like you are an adult right now and you have to go to these things, and like that's just so impressive.
52:29
SPEAKER_00: I I'm just thinking about what I was doing when I was 14.
52:32
SPEAKER_06: And it's not even it's not always easy, too, because he is a kid, you know, and and that's what I one of the things that I always try to instill in him is like obviously being humble and being kind, but you know, when you're not having when you don't have a job, it's okay.
52:50
SPEAKER_06: You know, just do what you're doing, just keep dancing, go to school, hang out with your friends.
52:55
SPEAKER_06: You're a kid, enjoy your childhood too.
52:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
52:58
SPEAKER_06: It's it's all about balance.
52:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm curious, what else do you like to do?
53:01
SPEAKER_02: Um, so when I'm not like doing school and dancing, I love to hang out with my friends and just because I don't know, like even things like this, like I'm in Canada for a month, so like I always when I am with my friends, I always try and like make the most of all of my time because I just love my friends so much and like going to movies and just doing normal kid things.
53:25
SPEAKER_02: And I kind of like how they were saying like it's nice to have a balance because it's nice to go to LA and New York and do things, but then it's also nice to come back to Arizona and just kind of like be normal and yeah, it's a great balance for me.
53:39
SPEAKER_06: And when I do have things, I can go, and then I always look forward to coming back to my home, and yeah, it's and you're you know, actually Jeff Thacker, the executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, said to me one time, he's like, you know, you're only as popular as your last job, and and there are a lot of one-hit wonders, right?
54:01
SPEAKER_06: You have one experience, and and that's the thing.
54:04
SPEAKER_06: I don't want that for him.
54:05
SPEAKER_06: You know, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars are television shows, awesome opportunities, amazing families that we're always connected with, but they're also reality TV shows.
54:16
SPEAKER_06: There are things that go into them that are not, well, they're they're for television, right?
54:22
SPEAKER_06: I mean, you want to have people watch with So You Think, you want people to, he had to have a story, right?
54:29
SPEAKER_06: You you're a dancer, but you want people to vote for you.
54:32
SPEAKER_06: You want people to pick up the phone or pick up their thing and vote for this kid.
54:36
SPEAKER_06: So you have to connect to JT.
54:38
SPEAKER_06: You have people bought into the relationship with him and Robert, which is a truly a genuine relationship that they still maintain today.
54:44
SPEAKER_06: You know, they still FaceTime, they they're still friends.
54:47
SPEAKER_06: But there are things about, so you think, even too, that it's a reality show.
54:53
SPEAKER_06: You got to keep that in mind.
54:54
SPEAKER_06: So, yeah, you get a job and it's awesome, and then it's over.
54:58
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
54:59
SPEAKER_00: Right.
54:59
SPEAKER_06: And now what are you gonna do?
55:01
SPEAKER_06: What's next?
55:02
SPEAKER_06: You know, well, what's next is we wait for the next thing.
55:05
SPEAKER_06: And while we're waiting, we're doing normal stuff.
55:09
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
55:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
55:10
SPEAKER_00: That's so important because I know that once I I remember growing up and and I remember probably when I was around your age, JT, like I was taking dance very seriously.
55:21
SPEAKER_00: I knew I wanted to pursue it, so I felt like I had to eat, sleep, breathe, be in the studio, which is partially true.
55:27
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, I knew that I wanted to go to the football games on Friday night at my high school, and I wanted to be a normal teenager.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: And I'm really lucky that my mom agreed with me in that and she didn't push me to be at the studio too much or anything.
55:42
SPEAKER_00: You know, I c I went to my rehearsals that I had to go to, but I knew I wanted to also experience the real high school life, and so I think that is very important to, you know, be able to juggle.
55:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, you can definitely still be successful and still have a really great uh teenage experience while you're dancing as well.
56:02
SPEAKER_00: So it sounds like that you're you're able to do the best of both and you have a really really great life and a really great supportive family of uh that supports you with all of these fun travels and job opportunities and then normal public school life and dance competition life, you know.
56:19
SPEAKER_06: And tell them about what your freshman year, like what's happening at school for you right now.
56:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
56:23
SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah, and I even going like back to like the juggling school and dance and things and having a good balance.
56:30
SPEAKER_02: Like I the I literally just made the team and my high school dance team.
56:35
SPEAKER_02: So I'm like doing that too, and that's also gonna be really fun because I can be part of a team at school too, and it's dancing, so like I'm obviously like love dance, so I'm also super excited to dance at school.
56:47
SPEAKER_02: And there's even another boy that I'm actually really good friends with there too.
56:50
SPEAKER_02: So I'm excited, and I'm excited to go back to school hopefully soon.
56:56
SPEAKER_06: He had to audition and do everything like everybody else, and he made the team.
56:59
SPEAKER_06: And I even told the coach, I said, you know, we do travel a lot.
57:02
SPEAKER_06: This might not be the best option for him.
57:06
SPEAKER_06: You know, who you would understand if if you decided that he didn't make the team.
57:10
SPEAKER_03: Right.
57:11
SPEAKER_06: But she's great and willing to, you know, work with him.
57:15
SPEAKER_06: And I think it's gonna give JT an opportunity to instantaneously have a group that he connects with as a freshman in high school at a big school, but also he's going to get to explore his choreography and and learn learn about the history of dance in school.
57:31
SPEAKER_06: And and so it'll give him another layer of education.
57:35
SPEAKER_06: And I'm excited for him to be able to do that at school.
57:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to that's great.
57:42
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
57:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, really, really cool.
57:44
SPEAKER_00: Yay!
57:45
SPEAKER_06: And then if you want to go to college one day in in and major in dance or business or whatever, like it obviously looks great.
57:51
SPEAKER_06: You were part of your high school dance team.
57:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, extracurriculars.
57:55
SPEAKER_01: Do a little volunteer work too.
57:57
SPEAKER_01: Don't yeah, don't not do that.
57:59
SPEAKER_02: That's right, absolutely.
58:01
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm curious to kind of hear JT and Leslie, what what are your goals for the future?
58:06
SPEAKER_00: What do you do you see yourself, you know, continuing on with this path of pursuing a professional dance career, or do you have other aspirations that you want to go for?
58:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, what what are you thinking about after I know it sounds like far away from now, but once you graduate high school and you turn 18, what what are your plans or do you not know yet and you're just taking it day by day?
58:29
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so it's kind of like a mix because I want to do like so much and different styles of dance too.
58:36
SPEAKER_02: Like I want to do L.
58:37
SPEAKER_02: I want to do commercial work, I wanna go to New York and do theater and maybe even Broadway too.
58:43
SPEAKER_02: And I also want to do acting and singing and things like that.
58:47
SPEAKER_02: So I want to do a lot, but I think I'm gonna cross that bridge once I get to it when I'm at 18 because I still want to be prepared to go to college because I mean I always want to have a backup plan and have like an education because that's also really important for me too, because you can't dance forever and you still have to have something like once you're like like in your like 30s or something when you can't like dance like as well as you can now, like younger.
59:15
SPEAKER_02: No, yeah, but like also I feel like you're only 18 once, and so I feel like if something does come up, I would definitely want to take it because college is always gonna hopefully be there for me and something that I can go back to.
59:29
SPEAKER_02: And like, if there is a major opportunity for me when I am 18, I definitely want to take that because I do want to pursue dance as a professional career.
59:37
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, but I want to do a lot and you can do it all for the future.
59:42
SPEAKER_02: Yes, yeah, yeah.
59:44
SPEAKER_06: Right now, you know, when he started dancing, it was really because that was his sport, right?
59:50
SPEAKER_06: Other kids were playing soccer and hockey, whatever it is.
59:54
SPEAKER_06: Like dance was his sport.
59:55
SPEAKER_06: His love of dance and his passion for dance is so strong, and that I always see dance being part of his life.
1:00:01
SPEAKER_06: I would love for him to obviously look into other options with whether it be Broadway, acting, singing.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_06: Like, I want JT to be like the triple threat, like a Hugh Jackman.
1:00:12
SPEAKER_06: You know, Hugh Jackman can do it all.
1:00:14
SPEAKER_06: He can be the Wolverine and then he can go be the greatest showman, right?
1:00:19
SPEAKER_06: So, like, literally, that's what I would love for JT to try to like emulate somebody like that who who can do it all.
1:00:26
SPEAKER_06: Because I I do think that JT can do it all.
1:00:28
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_00: I think that's great.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm excited to continue to watch your journey.
1:00:33
SPEAKER_00: Like I said, at the very beginning of this interview, I I think you have an extremely bright future and you're just starting, honestly.
1:00:41
SPEAKER_00: And you're so young.
1:00:42
SPEAKER_00: I mean, like I know when even asking that question, it's so hard to answer at 14.
1:00:49
SPEAKER_00: What am I gonna do when I grow up?
1:00:51
SPEAKER_00: I mean, yeah, you know, honestly, you know you love dance, so that's great you have that, and you and it sounds like that you have a good understanding and and knowledge and the fact that like, yes, college is important and yes, it will be there.
1:01:03
SPEAKER_00: And yes, you can't dance forever, but do I jump right in?
1:01:06
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's the hard part as you don't have to think about that just yet, but like that is the hard part.
1:01:12
SPEAKER_00: Once you do get into your junior year, senior year of making that decision, it all of us have had to make it, and it's really hard to kind of navigate what's the best path for for me.
1:01:22
SPEAKER_00: And we've all Leslie and I had two very different avenues as to what we decided.
1:01:26
SPEAKER_00: And Leslie and I wouldn't have met if I, you know, if we didn't make those choices because that's so true.
1:01:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because Leslie and I actually met on our very first professional job working for Royal Caribbean, and we were we were we were roommates.
1:01:39
SPEAKER_05: Oh wow, that's great.
1:01:41
SPEAKER_00: And Leslie was at in college, just graduated college, freshly out of OCU, and I freshly dropped out of college from and and went straight to a job.
1:01:51
SPEAKER_00: So like it's the universe works in weird ways, and you'll you'll make that decision once you get there.
1:01:57
SPEAKER_00: But I do hope that you continue on in your performance career in one way or another, because I do think you're very talented and have a bright future.
1:02:06
SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to continue to watch it.
1:02:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
1:02:09
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
1:02:10
SPEAKER_00: And keep us up to date.
1:02:11
SPEAKER_01: Like, we would love to hear from you, and maybe we'll do a check-in every year.
1:02:14
SPEAKER_01: Like, we'll turn this spotlight episode into like what happens next year with JT.
1:02:17
SPEAKER_06: So yeah, I think it's important for parents of kids like JT that are dancers, competitive dancers, want to dance, that they remember that supporting your kid in dance is obviously important, but making sure that that's what your kid wants to do and that they're not doing it for the parent.
1:02:39
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
1:02:40
SPEAKER_06: You know, like JT dances because he loves to dance.
1:02:43
SPEAKER_06: He could tell me tomorrow I don't want to dance anymore.
1:02:46
SPEAKER_06: And I'd be okay with that because I want my child to be happy.
1:02:49
SPEAKER_06: But we've seen a lot of people too where I feel like the it becomes it more for the kids.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, the parents want it more than that.
1:02:56
SPEAKER_03: They're living through the kid almost.
1:02:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:02:58
SPEAKER_06: And that never usually works out very well because then the the child loses their love of dance.
1:03:03
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
1:03:04
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
1:03:04
SPEAKER_00: Wonderful advice.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_00: And I I couldn't be happier with all of your everything you have to say, Leslie, as far as the dance mom's perspective.
1:03:13
SPEAKER_00: You we've had dance moms as far as judges who are also moms on podcast interviews, but we haven't had like a full-on dance dream dance mom on the podcast.
1:03:24
SPEAKER_00: So you're a first and you're giving such beautiful advice to all of the dance mom listeners out there, which I know there's many.
1:03:31
SPEAKER_02: So yep, she's good.
1:03:35
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
1:03:36
SPEAKER_00: All right.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_00: Well, I feel like that this is a perfect time to wrap up our episode.
1:03:41
SPEAKER_00: It's been absolutely fabulous chatting with you both.
1:03:45
SPEAKER_00: And thank you again for I know you are quarantining, but still squeezing us into your busy schedule while you're booked and blessed on an awesome, exciting new opportunity for you.
1:03:55
SPEAKER_00: But it's I I know I personally know you both, and I it's been really great getting to know you even more during this past hour.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:04:04
SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm so glad that we could be your first podcast interview.
1:04:08
SPEAKER_00: And I would love for you guys to lead us out of the episode.
1:04:12
SPEAKER_00: Either one of you or both of you can, if you have any sort of bit of words of encouragement or advice to any of the dancers out there, any of your fans, anything that you kind of want to just wrap up the episode with.
1:04:26
SPEAKER_02: My advice for any kid that wants to do dance as a career or do anything as a career, is just to like be yourself because that's really important.
1:04:37
SPEAKER_02: No one can be you, and just to really work hard and just believe that you can achieve anything and that if you work hard enough, you can do anything you want to.
1:04:49
SPEAKER_02: And it's just all about consistency and stay committed and motivated, and that goes with anything, not just dancing.
1:04:56
SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, any kids out there, just keep being you and keep doing what you want to do.
1:05:02
SPEAKER_02: And yeah, that's it.
1:05:04
SPEAKER_02: Thank you guys.
1:05:07
SPEAKER_00: We would like to send a huge thank you to JC and its mom leslie for taking time out of their busy schedule to chat with us on our very first spotlight feature.
1:05:16
SPEAKER_00: To stay up to date with JC, you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter at JP underscore church.
1:05:22
SPEAKER_01: If you haven't subscribed to Making the Impact, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Twitter, or Spotify to stay up to date with our weekly episodes throughout the dance season.
1:05:32
SPEAKER_01: We release a new episode every Thursday.
1:05:35
SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out our episode sponsor, PurpleFixties, if you are looking for new dancewear for the season.
1:05:41
SPEAKER_00: They offer a variety of styles in so many different colors so you can mix and match and create the perfect outfit for class.
1:05:47
SPEAKER_00: Check out what they have to offer on their website now at purplefixties.net and use the code IMPACT at checkout to receive 15% off your order.
1:05:56
SPEAKER_00: Guess what, listeners?
1:05:57
SPEAKER_00: Our QA recording episodes are going live to Facebook every other month, and we would love for you to join in on the conversation.
1:06:05
SPEAKER_00: In exactly one week, we will be hosting our very first live episode of the season.
1:06:10
SPEAKER_00: This interactive event will allow listeners and fans to send in questions live on the air that I'll answer alongside some special guests.
1:06:17
SPEAKER_00: Grab your calendar and be sure to pencil in Thursday, October 1st, from 1 to 2 p.m.
1:06:22
SPEAKER_00: Eastern Standard Time so you don't miss out.
1:06:25
SPEAKER_00: We hope to see you there.
1:06:27
SPEAKER_01: Season two of Making the Impact is full of new hot topics, listener questions, and interviews with the pros.
1:06:33
SPEAKER_01: Coming up in the next few weeks, topics include how to take class at convention and in studio, correctly categorizing your dances, and unique choreography concepts.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for tuning in.
1:06:45
SPEAKER_00: Till next time, keep dancing.