Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Welcome to Season 8!

Transcript

Welcome to Season 8! · 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?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  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.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_04: I am here with my wonderful co-host, Leslie Maylor.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Hey Courtney, happy season eight.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_04: Can't believe it.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_04: And I don't know if any of our listeners noticed something different about the podcast at the moment.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I guess it depends on where they are and how they're accessing our podcast, because if you're just listening, it sounds like the regular podcast.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, it does.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: But you now, all of our fans, and I'm sure you've been waiting forever for this moment, you can finally see us live in person on the screen.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_04: We have introduced video podcast to season eight of Making an Impact.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_04: And we're excited, question mark?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: There's a very large question mark and some ellipsies.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, it's a it's a very different world out here in Video Land.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um there's makeup required, there's hairstyling required, there's costuming required, lighting required, high quality 4K video required.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, many, many requirements.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: But we we've been doing this for a very long time now.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: And when we started, there was not a video podcast.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: Podcasts, by the way, come from the iPod and are available for listening with your wired headphones because I'm an old lady.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Wait, did you just say the iPod?
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's what podcasts are for.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's a pod, it's from the iPod.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: The row back.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I really I was just talking about my iPod the other day, actually.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: I really miss it.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: I'm afraid to plug it into anything because I'm afraid I'm gonna lose all that music because it's probably corrupted or something, you know?
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_04: Wait, do you even still have the charging cord that it takes?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_04: Remember those really like wide ones that plug into the iPods?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, they're right here next to me.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so like I just hold on to it as a relic of the past, like an eight-track.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you gotta plug that thing in.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta see what's on that.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Napster and Limewire music, that's definitely what's on that.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, 100%.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we we we all we all did that with our with our iPods, but it's funny.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_04: I was actually walking in the subway and there was an advertisement for a website called Back Market, which you can buy like refurbished Mac products and PC products, and they were advertising the iPod shuffle as something that you could like buy again on the back market site, and I'm like, I kind of want that again.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_04: Like that thing was so epic.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I mean they were it was cute.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't have that one.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: I had like the classic, the big with the you know, the touchpad thing, but I do miss it because now I feel like I'm just very boxed into what I ask for when I ask, you know, Siri or Alexa or whoever to play me some music.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm asking for the same thing constantly, and that's why I liked the iPod because you could put it on shuffle or you could have the shuffle only, and it would cycle through all kinds of stuff, and it's like there's so much music I don't even think about wanting to listen to because I don't encounter it.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: So there's there's a case for the iPod, but I digress.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we are here on video now because an i because a podcast apparently can be watched, so we are here for your viewing pleasure.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so you can now watch us on YouTube is a new place that you can listen or watch the podcast, as well as Apple Podcasts hosts video and Spotify, just like where you've always listened before, but click on watch video and you can see some of our fabulous kitty cats that are part of the podcast now.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_04: Chico is here, and you'll never probably see Gatsby because Gatsby is not a lap cat.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_04: So unfortunately, it'll only ever be Chico in my lap.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_04: But I know your baby is always in your lap too, Leslie.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Surprisingly, she's not today.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: She spent all morning in my lap.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Believe she's either in the suitcase behind me on the floor or in her house.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll see if Charlotte comes on today and graces us with her presence.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_04: There's so much potential for like background Charlotte with the bed behind you.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_04: So let's do that one day.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: I hope so.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, listeners, viewers, we're excited to see you.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: We're excited to have new friends.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, now that we have another option for accessing our podcast, um, if you have, you know, friends who do watch podcasts, I'm not a watcher.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I I don't know the people who watch podcasts, but I know they're out there.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: So if you are a new friend, join us in the chat, join us in the comments, join us in our Facebook group.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: We have a lot of places where you can chat with us.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, totally.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_04: And yes, welcome to season eight, y'all.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_04: We have a lot in store for season eight, but before we dive into all of that, let's hear about our summertime because we've been on a summer hiatus with the podcast.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_04: As you know, we had some much-deserved break time and travel time and also a lot of fun this summer.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_04: So, Leslie, what did you get into?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I got married last year.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: If anybody is unfamiliar with my life, we actually did not go on a real honeymoon yet, but we did go to Puerto Rico as just sort of a fun little like long weekend trip.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: I love Puerto Rico.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's beautiful down there.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: We had a great time, relaxed, and it might end up being our honeymoon because just time keeps passing and we keep not going anywhere.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: So if that was our honeymoon, it was great.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Puerto Rico is the best, and I think you guys had some good weather, and I'm so glad you had a little escape and getaway.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_04: But we also had some really fun times this summer, and we did had a trip to Vegas for Dance Teacher Web 2026.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_04: It was so fun.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_04: Like a highlight of my summer.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love I I don't even like Vegas that much per se, like Vegas in and of itself, but it's like the spending time with you.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: We got to do a live podcast recording at Dance Teacher Web, which was we did last year as well.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: This year was just as well attended as everybody.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: We had some questions, people were ready.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Some some good questions.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_04: So that episode will be coming soon.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: The people at Dance Teacher Web, they want the truth, they want to talk about the truth, sugar coated, they are like ready for us.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So, so that was super fun.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: And probably honestly, the highlight, Courtney, is I know it, you know what I'm going to say was the Backstreet Boys concert.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my god.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_04: I'm literally still dreaming about it.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_04: I cannot wait to go see them again and hope that I get to in my lifetime because obviously, you know, we grew up listening to Backstreet Boys, but I walked into that concert saying that I was an in sync girly growing up.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_04: You did.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_04: I was.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_04: I am officially converted to a Backstreet Boys fan after that concert.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_04: It was the best.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: Backstreet is indeed back.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um they were they were amazing.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: The dancing was exactly what you would want from the Backstreet Boys at this point in their career.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: They were fun, they were funny.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: You could tell they still get along, they interact with each other.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: The whole thing of the sphere, all the technological work that somebody put into this was just epic.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_04: It was truly the coolest venue I've ever been in.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_04: And I think like the spectacle aspect of it just made it ten times better.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_04: I would have been just as pumped to see the Backstreet Boys without the sphere, but the sphere really sold it for me.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_04: Like it was just an experience from the moment you stepped foot into the actual venue, and then to hear every single song I forgot about.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, but still remembered the words too.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_04: Knew every word, lost my voice multiple times from singing and screaming the song lyrics, and oh my gosh, I just truly am dreaming about it still.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_04: It was the one of the best top five concerts I've ever been to.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: So if anybody really seen it, let us know.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Chime in Let's Fangirl about the Backstreet Boys.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um the thing that I really enjoyed, and I'm a person who like at the end of the movie, I will stick around and watch the credits because I like to see like and be reminded of how many people put work into something like this, and they ran credits at the sphere, which was so cool to see because it's like this isn't a movie, this is a concert.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, how often there's not a playbill for a concert seeing the the names of the people who who put work into it, and I thought it was so cool that they did that and actually shouted out the choreographer of not only the Backstreet Boys themselves, their choreography, but some of there was choreography done on video with like some really interesting, um again, like I can't even think of the right words to describe it, but like tech effects choreography that was probably done on a person with like sensors and then it turned into something on a screen.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like that choreographer was credited, it was really cool.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Rich and Tone was the choreographer for the sphere performance of the Backstreet Boys, and then the beautiful motion graphic dancers.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure who the actual dancers were, so if someone knows, let me know.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_04: But via Instagram told me that it was Erica Klein who choreographed the pasadà section of the animated graphic in the sphere.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_04: So it was really cool to see those choreographers getting shout-outs.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_04: And yeah, I mean, from beginning to end, if if you are listening to this right now and you can make your way to Vegas before their residency is over, there's a few more.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_04: I think does it end in September?
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know when it ended up.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think it might have ended in August.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: So sorry if you missed it, but I I would not be surprised if they came back for another round at some point because I mean it was sold out.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: We it was packed every night that like we had friends at the Dance Teacher Web who went every night, and like there was not an empty seat in the house, and it's a big place.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_04: I think they just announced a New Year's Eve residency for a few days, and I heard they're trying to push to perform at the Super Bowl, which you know I'm on board with.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, absolutely.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I love all the Super Bowl performances that have been throwbacks in recent years.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's always fun to see like people coming back, and it really is like our generation who has the money to spend and who, you know, kind of cares about this stuff still.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, that's really fun.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we had a great time in Vegas.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you also got to teach in China.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_04: I went to China this summer, everybody.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_04: It was wild and crazy.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't talk about it in our season seven closing episode, but I just wanted to make sure that it it happened and went smoothly before I announced it to the world.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I have officially returned from China.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_04: I was there for about two weeks, and I got to go to Beijing with a dear friend of Leslie and mine, so Ville, who did Royal Caribbean with us.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_04: He joined me on the adventure and tagged along, and it was just an amazing eye-opening experience seeing what the culture of China is like and being hosted there to teach dance and share jazz dance with the dance community in China.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_04: It was so special and beautiful.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_04: So I was really nervous to travel that far and uh originally be invited by myself to do it.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm glad that shout out to Seville for joining me on the adventure because I wouldn't have probably gone unless I had a buddy with me to tag along.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_04: But I'm so glad I did, even though it backed right up to me going straight to Streets Nationals.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_04: So I was exhausted for sure.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_04: That 15-hour flight is no joke, y'all.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, and like a little puddle jumper too, right?
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like from somewhere to somewhere.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: Also, yeah, I think I went like Seoul, and then that was 15 hours, and then puddle jumper from Seoul to Beijing.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_04: So, like it was a full day of travel.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but I definitely would go back.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_04: China is so cool, and I had a wonderful time.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_04: So, thank you to the studio in China for inviting me out.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_04: And yeah, it was a wild and crazy summer, and I can't believe it's already over.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's time to start the year again.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: Is there anything else you want to cover in terms of summer?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_04: So, the final thing that happened this summer was the Dance One Summit that took place in New York City, and this is the second year that the Dance One Summit is back, formerly known as the Dance Teacher Summit.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_04: Last year, Leslie and I had the opportunity to host a live Making the Impact podcast seminar at the summit, which was such a blast.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_04: And this year I had the chance to not only teach for my very first time, but also host some Making the Impact interviews with educators on the step and repeat, which was a lot of fun.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_04: And we hope to share those interviews on the podcast coming soon.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_04: And you also got to go to the Ace Awards again this year.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, and the Ace Awards, congratulations to all of the winners who you will get to meet soon on our podcast because we will be doing another sponsored episode featuring the Ace Awards winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_04: So I can't wait.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_04: I think that was such a fun episode to learn about different choreographers, their process, what it took to get the piece to where it won at a prestigious event like that.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_04: And the show was so fantastic.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_04: Really, really beautiful dancing from all of the choreographers and dancers.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that was that was summer, friends, and now we're on to the the beginning of the dance year.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: The new year is not January 1st, the new year is like August ish, September-ish, still in my world.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: So happy new year.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: Happy dance new year.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_04: A new season is here.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we do have some things to kind of catch up on from last season, though.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: So our Making the Impact Award is something we've been doing for several years now for our competitions that are affiliated with IDA.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, Courtney, you want to talk a little bit about kind of the remaining awards that we have to shout out?
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_04: I know you you've all heard about it.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_04: And we did have one award that came through after our fan favorite contest happened over the summertime months that we want to make sure receives their shout-out right here on the podcast.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_04: And you probably will begin hearing our 2027 regional Making the Impact Award winners as the competition season begins at the top of the year.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_04: So stay tuned for some of those announcements then.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_04: But let me share with you one of our 2026 Making the Impact winners from DECA Dance Competitions event in Meadowlands, New Jersey.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_04: Congrats to Top Tier Dance Academy from Oak Ridge, New Jersey, and Dancer Madison for their solo The Way You Make Me Feel.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_04: Congratulations on winning our award and more to come.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, amazing.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Well, congrats to Top Tier.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: Fun fact Top Tier is one of my major testing studios.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: I do a lot of fittings and testings with the dancers from Top Tier.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: So shout out to them.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you guys, studio owner Ashley, for being amazing and letting me come in and utilize your dancers' feet all the time.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yay! We love that.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, speaking of our Making the Impact award winners, as many of you have been following along and know, if you are a recipient of the Making the Impact Award at an IDA affiliated competition in the regional season, then you have the opportunity to participate in our fan favorite contest.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_04: Now, this takes place at the end of regional season in June, and we put all of the candidates into a voting contest on Instagram where the fans in public get to vote for your routine to determine who is our fan favorite winner.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_04: And if you are the fan favorite winner, then your studio will receive a full studio spotlight interview episode on Making the Impact next season.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_04: And Leslie, would you like to share who our fan favorite winner was for 2026?
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: This was a tough competition.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: I know I checked out who was in the running and how close it was.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm excited to announce our 2026 Making the Impact fan favorite winner is Stacy's Studio of Dance Education from Duluth, Minnesota, for their large group, Somebody to Love.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_01: Congratulations.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: So excited for you guys.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: We are going to release that episode right after you listen to us.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: Continue talking.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_04: Give a listen.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_04: It has released today.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_04: It is kicking off season eight of Making the Impact.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_04: So it was a lovely chat with a new studio.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_04: So definitely give a listen.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: One more follow-up from this summer.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: We were able to release an extra bonus episode.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes our judges are out at nationals, and we can offer podcast, live podcast recordings, group discussions and panel discussions.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: So the Artistry Tours Nationals in Benton Harbor, Michigan, that was hosted by the owner of the Artistry Tour, Holly Shipley.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this episode featured national judges at that event.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: That was Marie Chote, Sally Cofield, Kyle Rostin, and Brittany Nicholas.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it was a really great chat.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_04: I loved listening back to it.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_04: And if you were waiting for some Making the Impact episodes to hit your subscription over the summertime hiatus, that was one of them that you could give a listen to.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_04: So I hope you enjoyed it.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_04: It's a short and sweet episode, but it's really great discussion.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_04: And thank you to the Artistry Tour as an IDA affiliated competition for supporting our podcast and making it possible.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Another thing we always love to do during the summer is host our podcast cover art contest.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: We've been doing this since year one.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: We have two lovely dancers who were voted again by the public to grace the cover of our podcast art, which now you'll see a lot more if you're gonna watch the podcast on the podcast service of your choosing.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: You will see these beautiful dancers.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: After over a hundred submissions, you voted, and we are happy to share our new cover art for season eight.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: Congratulations to Courtney.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: You can do the honors.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_04: Congrats to Mary Adelin from Industry Dance Company in Missouri and Olivia from Morlock School of Dance in Connecticut.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_04: Congrats on winning our new cover art.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_04: It looks fantastic, and we appreciate you participating as well as all of the submissions that we got over the summertime.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Congrats, dancers, and we're excited to see you on our cover art every time we pop in and listen.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, and like Leslie mentioned earlier in the season, if you're new around here, we have a Facebook community and there are a lot of great discussions happening right now in that community that we like to just chime in, chat, check in with each other.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_04: You can ask any questions.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_04: It is a community that is open to anyone in the dance world.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_04: So if you are in competitive dance, whether you're a parent, a teacher, a studio owner, a professional, a judge, a competition director, a business owner, however you are connected, you are welcome into our community.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_04: We do screen all applicants that come in, so you must apply to make sure that you fit the specs.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_04: And we have close to almost 4,000 members in our Facebook community at the moment, which is really exciting.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_04: So be sure to go check it out.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: You can click the link in our show notes, or you can go to Facebook and type in Making the Impact, a dance composition podcast community, to join and submit your application to have some chats with us over there.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: And not to be forgotten, Instagram is almost at 20,000 followers.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I guess I guess IDA has had the little blue circle for a while then.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm just gonna let you know that the blue circle comes with a paid subscription these days.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: What?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_03: Did you know that?
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: No, I don't have a circle.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't pay for anything.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: I thought you had to be like special.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_04: I don't have a circle because I don't want to pay for the circle.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_04: Pay to pay.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_04: It used to be it used to be based on how many followers you had.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_04: And then I think in the past two years, maybe they created a subscription where you now anyone can pay to have a blue circle.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_04: It verifies you and protects your account.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_04: I know.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_04: They get you, they get you.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_04: So well we don't have a circle, but we're not followers.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Blue circle or not, yeah.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: 20,000 people is a lot.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: So go go you, go us.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's exciting.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_04: But we haven't officially hit 20,000.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_04: So if you're listening, okay, we're almost there.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_04: So we need your help.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_04: If you do not follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on Instagram, go give us a follow.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_04: You'll get our judges' tips throughout the season, our weekly podcast releases, as well as be able to see exactly where your judges are each weekend during comp season.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_04: So give a follow at Impact Dance Adjudicators on Instagram.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Courtney, it's time to talk about season eight.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: What is coming up for the listeners?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_04: So many things are coming up, some really great episode topics.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_04: We are we'll be doing bi-weekly releases again for season eight.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_04: So every other Thursday, there will be a new episode with video, which we are so excited about.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_04: Here we are.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_04: Here we are.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_04: And you can now, like mentioned, watch on YouTube as well as an another opportunity.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_04: So depending on where you want to listen to your podcast or watch the podcast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube is here.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_04: And our throwback episodes are also coming back on a bi-weekly basis.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_04: Now, those will not have videos since they are a throwback.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_04: And remember, we didn't record the videos back in the day.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_04: So those are going to be a static graphic, but you can still listen to it on YouTube if you prefer to listen there.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: We also have some episode types that are coming back and staying put because we have got feedback that people like them.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: So our day in the life episodes have done really well.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: People are enjoying them.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: They love to hear, you know, the nitty-gritty about particular tracks in the dance world.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: So day in the life is coming back.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I love the day in the life, and we have some great ones in store.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_04: So if anyone has a specific day in the life that you want to hear from a particular person in the dance world, shoot us a message, a DM on Instagram or an email at podcast at impactdanceadjudicators.com.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_04: We would love to hear the the requests from all of our fans, as well as our IDA competition spotlights, where we feature some of our IDA affiliated competitions and sit down with the actual owners, which I really love because it's a great way to get an inside look into a competition and get to know the owner and their mission.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Behind why they started this.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_04: Sometimes the competition owners are mystery people.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_04: And a lot of competition owners like that, like to be the mystery person.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_04: But I also think that it speaks volumes if they want to get out there, put themselves out there, and openly talk about their mission and why they run their event the way that they do.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_04: And it's a great way for new customers to also discover different competitions.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_04: Because let's be real, there is a lot of competitions out there in the dance comp world.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: And they just keep coming.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: They just keep coming.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, that's that's one of my favorite parts about those particular episodes, too, is that you do get to put a name with a face.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: You get to understand who is this person who's running these events and who's profiting, who's benefiting, who's bringing their expertise, what that what is that?
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, where where are they coming from with this business plan as well?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: So I I really love that we do those.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it's also just nice to to make sure that everybody knows that these comps are affiliated with IDA, that they value what we value and vice versa.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I love helping give a way back to these competitions that support us and use our judges.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that it's also really telling for all our listeners out there to understand why they're using IDA, not only with our affiliation, but after the interview, you'll see where their morals are, where their ethics are in the industry, and get a bigger picture as to, oh, I can totally see why they use IDA judges because of us aligning.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_04: We work with about 15 plus different competitions in the industry, but if you think about it, there's close to 200.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_04: And maybe there's a reason why not everyone is working with IDA.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I don't know, but at least you know that these competitions that we are featuring on our podcast do have our support, we have their support, and we align in our industry values, which is very important.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, similarly, we have some new sponsors this season that we believe in, that we believe in their products and their services.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll be talking more about those obviously as the season goes on.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: So look forward to hearing more about that.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and the fun part about our sponsors this season is that now you can also see then an ad from our sponsors, whether it's a logo or whether it's a commercial, you will get to visualize and see the product or service that they are offering to you, which is going to be really exciting and another perk for adding video.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_04: So stay tuned for that.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_04: And also, our Platinum Premium membership is back again.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_04: And we've been running this since season four.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_04: So we have four seasons worth of episodes that are ad-free.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_04: So if you don't want the ads, you don't want to see the ads, all you gotta do is subscribe to our Platinum Premium subscription, which helps support future seasons of our podcast for only$5 a month or$60 for the year.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: And you'll receive some access to our monthly QA episodes that are exclusive to members only, a surprise merch packet in the mail from me with IDA goodies, as well as the opportunity to join me and other Platinum Premium subscribers on a Zoom live chat where we can talk about how the season's going, ask me personalized questions about your dancers, connect with others from around the world as a fan, and we do that three times throughout the season.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_04: One at the top of the dance season, one right before competition season starts at the top of the new year, and then one post-competition season in May or June.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_04: So it's been really great connecting with so many platinum premium subscribers in that way, in like a one-on-one way on Zoom interactively.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_04: So I would love to keep that going for season eight.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_04: If you want to learn more about our Platinum Premium subscription, you can click the link in our show notes or visit our website at making impactpodcast.com.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: Did you hear any of Charlotte in the loader box?
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Nope.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, great.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: She's like here.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: Come on, you can join us.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: You can come see the people.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Come see us.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I knew she would join us.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: You see Charlotte?
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yay! She says, put me down, please.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: She made her appearance.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: She likes to just sit here.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: She doesn't want to be seen.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that was Charlotte.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: You'll probably see her eventually.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, I love her.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_04: She's so cute.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, one more thing to chat about is something that's available to anyone, you know, in the dance world all year round.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: But that's our online critique service.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: We have the ability to provide studio owners, individuals, teachers with comprehensive online critiques from our IDA judges.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's a service that I participate in, Courtney participates in.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: We have a nice panel of online critique judges to just give you feedback at any time during the year if you need it.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: If you weren't happy with a competition critique you got, if you are worried about your choreography prior to competition and you just want to see, you know, and get some more opinions and some feedback, we have that service available.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_04: It is a service that's been around probably the longest out of all the competitors out there because let's be real, there's a lot of online critiques services that are popping up in the industry, but we at IDA have been doing it since 2016.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_04: So over 10 years of experience doing this.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_04: And I think the other benefit to our service is the fact that we have a panel and roster of different judges who specialize in different skills and genres.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_04: So it's not just one individual trying to crank out a bunch of routines.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_04: We have multiple judges who are available that specialize in this, that specialize in that.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_04: So you're getting individualized personal attention to that submitted genre that makes our service super unique, as well as our 24-hour rush delivery with where there's not that many other online critique services that offer the ability to have that back to you within 24 hours.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_04: It's a quick turnaround time, but we make it happen.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: We do.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I just, you know, shout out to all the judges on the IDA roster who do participate in this opportunity.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: They're the best of the best.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: So whenever you get one of these critiques, you can be assured that this is actionable information that you're gonna get.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: The other kind of part of that service is the choreography consult.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: And Courtney, do you want to talk a little bit about what that is?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we love the choreography consult critique.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_04: I think that we're one of the few that actually do this because a lot of them are focused around just the dancer.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_04: But now if you're a teacher or a choreographer looking for a fresh set of eyes or another point of view on your routine, you can send it to IDA and our professional judges will give you that feedback that you rarely get at competition because the competition feedback is always meant for the dancers performing.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_04: But there's a lot of teachers and choreographers out there that are like, how do I get better as a choreographer?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_04: Is my vision reading or does this transition work?
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_04: Is my theme appropriate?
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_04: Whatever the question may be, you can now send that to us and ask all of those questions, and our judge will give you their professional opinion on how to make your routine even stronger before it hits the stage.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_04: So check that out.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_04: You can submit on our website.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_04: All of our critiques start at$35.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_04: And our website is Impact Dance Adjudicator, Impact Dance Adjudicators.com slash online critiques.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: And listeners and viewers, submissions are still open to become an IDA judge.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: We are looking, we're always looking for new talent.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: At this point, we're really looking for people who are seasoned in the industry who can who can show up and deliver.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: However, that doesn't mean that a newbie doesn't have those qualities.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: So if you are new to the industry, please submit.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: If you have been doing this a long time and are looking for a change and are looking for better support as a judge, this might be for you.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we love all of our IDA judges.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_04: We have a roster of 150 around the country.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_04: We specifically cast and staff competition events in the United States currently.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_04: So if you are international, unfortunately, they haven't expanded internationally yet, but who knows what the future holds.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_04: And I think one of the perks of being an IDA judge is the advocacy that you get working under IDA.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_04: We make sure that the conditions are appropriate, acceptable.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_04: The pay rates are industry standard.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_04: You've received single room accommodations, you get travel stipends, and so many more perks that many of the other competition companies, if you work directly with them, do not offer you.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_04: So we make sure that we are negotiating all of the agreements to help the experience be even more enjoyable for you and at minimum industry standard or better is the goal to help elevate the industry and your experience behind the judge's seat.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_04: So be sure to learn more on our website if you'd like to apply, but you only have a few more days left because submissions close promptly on September 15th.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Courtney, what do we have coming up for season eight for our listeners?
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: We had a very productive, I have to say, brainstorming session this summer.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they're always active, but sometimes it takes like days and days.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_04: But our list is grow like we have so many topics that we still haven't tackled.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_04: And we want to like make sure we're creating a season schedule that caters to the teacher and the parent and the dancer and the season and the everything.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: But so this year I think I just feel like we've gotten like the choice making part, like this the decision-making process has gotten easier over the years because we kind of know, like we know better what we need to do and how it needs to get structured.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so I it didn't take that long this year, which I was I was like impressed by us.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I know.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, most of the time in the past, we've been able to have a little weekends gathering and figure it out over dinner and just a night of brainstorming, but maybe it took less time because we did a virtual situation in our, you know, from a distance because of our schedules.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_04: Um, we also are doing bi-weekly as well.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_04: So half the amount of episodes that we have to figure out.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_04: But we hope that the season schedule that we've mapped out for all of you out there is exactly what you're looking for.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_04: We have some really great topics coming up.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_04: Here's a few teasers that are gonna be launching soon.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_04: One of them is online training and online dance mentoring programs, and if they are necessary, hot one.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: That one is a hot one.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to listen and learn and have opinions.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: Also, we're gonna revisit musical theater to lip sync or not, because that we haven't covered musical theater like specifically in a while.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: Season one.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like it's been a minute.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited to revisit and see.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: Have you know, nine not nine years, how long have we been doing this?
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: 2019.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, seven years is is a long time.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, in this world where things change, change, change, change, change.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, like perhaps opinions have changed, maybe there's a different point of view we can find.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, I'm interested for that one.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_04: And we also have how to stand out in improv battles because I feel like that improv battles are gaining a lot of popularity at competition.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: You can enter them into a separate category or division, or sometimes it's a part of the title competition or nationals or whatever it may be.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_04: And no one really talks about how to improv.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_04: And we've done an improv episode in the past, but how do you stand out when it's in that competitive setting?
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_04: Not just when you're at an audition or not just when you're improving in the studio space, but I think that there's what are the what are the judges really looking for in something that's strictly just improv, which will be a really fun discussion.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: And and the biggest, the biggest episode coming up this season is episode 300.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh, 300.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_04: We literally said we have to make it to 300, and here we are.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_04: It's gonna happen in season eight.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_04: Amazing.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_04: So we don't know what we're doing.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: We don't know.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's that's it's hard.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's hard.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_01: Schedules and timing and locations and everything, but we're gonna do something fun.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna do something big.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_01: If you have any ideas, feel free to share with us.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: We are always here for an idea.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_04: If you want a live podcast somewhere, hey, we might be able to make it happen.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_04: If you want a masterclass somewhere, hey, we might be able to make it happen.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_04: If you want to meet Leslie and I in person for the big 300, we might be able to make it happen.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_04: If you want an entire panel of IDA judges at a live podcast event, oh my gosh, the opportunities and ideas are endless for what we can do for the big 300.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_04: But we gotta do something big.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: We gotta do something big.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: And also, you know, if if anybody has a place they want to host us, do you want us to go somewhere fun?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: Could you get us there?
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_01: That'd be great too.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we are happy and open to any ideas from sponsors who might be interested in sponsoring our 300th episode of Making the Impact.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_04: If you've been a longtime fan and want to help contribute, please shoot us a message.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_04: We would love it.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_04: And we're in the early planning stages of this right now because this isn't happening until I think either March or April is when 300 comes out.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_04: So um, we have a little bit of time.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_04: We would love to hear from you, and we would be so grateful for any sponsorship and support to help make our big 300th episode a success.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_04: I can't wait for it.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_01: Really just excited for what the rest of the season holds.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: And listeners, you make this happen.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_01: You put us on the map.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: Your listening habits and your review writing and your interest in what we are putting out there is why we're successful.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: So just thank you for your continued support, sharing the love, sharing the information, and just engaging with us.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_04: We're grateful for all of our fans, subscribers, listeners.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_04: We're one of the top dance podcasts in the United States, and we wouldn't be here without you.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_04: So thank you again for listening.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_04: Hit subscribe if you haven't on your favorite platform, and also might as well go hit it on YouTube since that's a new one for us.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_04: And you can click next to listen right away to our first episode of the season, episode 270, Studio Spotlight.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_04: Give a listen now, and I hope you all enjoyed season eight of Making the Impact.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_04: Bye.