Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Ty Riley and Britney Barber Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 224 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're debating the pros and cons of two types of dance convention experiences - intimate, in-house conventions and large-scale, big-name dance conventions. Owner of Streetz Dance Convention, Ty Riley, and studio owner Britney Bar...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Mandy Yip and Malece Miller Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 223 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by two amazing acro specialists, professional dancer and educator Malece Miller, and founder of Acrobatic Arts, Mandy Yip, to discuss how to keep the artistry in acro dance.  Topics Include: A brief history of acro and a...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Erin Marino Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 222 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, industry professional Erin Marino shares her insight about how to craft a reel that best represents you! Casting directors, agents, and choreographers look to a dance reel or video footage to find out anything from your personality to your technical...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Leslie Scott Zanovitch and Dr. Christina "Dr. T." Donaldson Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 221 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are shining a light on an uncomfortable topic - the over-sexualization of kids in the competitive dance world. Please take care when listening, and screen this episode before listening with...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - IDA Judges Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 220 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we devote a full episode to the conversation that seems to never end in the competitive dance world - to wear two shoes, one shoe, or no shoes? Our IDA judges chime in with their thoughts and we (try to) look at the opposing point of view! Topics Incl...

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Bonita "Bgirl Bonita" Saldana and London "Bboy London" Reyes Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor Our Genre Spotlight series continues with a conversation about the history, culture, and importance of breaking. Our guests are two giants in the field - Bgirl Bonita, studio owner and Team USA Breaking Olympic coach, and Bboy London, member of the...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Jessica Butler and Madeline Massingill Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 218 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, our "Day in the Life" series continues with a deep dive into the world of NFL cheerleading! These talented performers share what it's like to represent some of the country's biggest teams, and how they g...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Kate Pagano and Andrew Wilson Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 217 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we take a look at what it's like to recover from a dance injury. Guests Kate Pagano and Andrew Wilson, alongside your hosts Courtney and Lesley, share their personal experiences and advice for how to cope with an injury both me...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Casey Carruthers and Amanda LaMotte Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 216 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are discussing the sacrifices that must be made to succeed as a dance industry professional. From lifestyle sacrifices to personal sacrifices, your hosts and guests get real about what it actually takes, and whether or not...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Joseph Corella and Alex Frohlinger Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 215 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're chatting about first and final impressions when performing on a competitive stage! Entrances and exits may seem small, but our guests are here to tell you why they make a big difference! Topics Include:  Choreographe...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Lori Fields and Andrea Zerilli Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 214 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we chat with two dance educators who have had the unique experience of having their own children (and in Lori's case, her grandchildren!) as students in the dance studio!  Topics Include:  If favoritism is really a thing when...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Miranda Spada and Kyrie Kowalik Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 213 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we discuss some of the behind the scenes etiquette that is expected from dancers, parents, and audience members at competition with IDA judges and dance educators Miranda Spada and Kyrie Kowalik. Topics Include:  the "why&quo...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Crystal Mann-Hollinger and Jody Reynard Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 212 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, diversity and representation take center stage as we discuss why it's so important to have a well-rounded judging panel. Topics Include: The different kinds of diversity we should see on a panel of judges - style spec...

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Angela Carter and Caleb Teicher Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor In the second Genre Spotlight episode of Season 6, we are joined by two tap dance professionals to get specific about rhythm tap (if there were such a thing). Tune in to hear more about that caveat! Topics Include: Why there might feel like there is a difference between tap styles What judge or au...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Emily Williams, Robb Gibbs Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 210 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by IDA judge Robb Gibbs and mindset coach Emily Williams to bring back a popular and important topic in the dance world - winning and losing. Both are bound to happen for all dancers, so how can you prepare for each scena...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Melanie Brooke Durham, Troy Haywood Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 209 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we take a journey around the United States to discover the differences we see in each region at competition, and chat about how those differences can impact scoring, perception, and more! Topics Include: Why regional differenc...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Gene Biscontini, Marina Stacey Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 208 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we chat about what it's like to have one of the most unique jobs in the dance industry - working for a cruise line! Our guests have years of experience performing on the high seas, and we can't wait to give you the ins an...

Send us Fan Mail Guest: Dione Hamza Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz Platinum Premium Exclusive! To end out the 2024 year strong we are bringing back our popular Q&A with Courtney LIVE episodes! Our Q&A episodes now record monthly for Platinum Premium subscribers only. Dive in to a chat about all things competitive dance with Making the Impact host Courtney Ortiz and special guest IDA Judge Dion...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Full Circle Boys (Jagger Moon, James Herron, Sean Garrity, Dossan Bell, and Oliver Hincy) Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 206 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we get a glimpse into the lives of The Full Circle Boys! The five members of this boy band started out as competitive dancers, and their music is quickly making its mark in...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Shannon Dooling-Cain and Rachel Roberts Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 205 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are diving into a highly requested topic - team building and team bonding. The most successful teams are the ones that work together seamlessly, and that starts with fostering a sense of community and shared commitment...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Eddie Strachan and Azuki Umeda Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 204 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore the intricate and personal world of choreographing for dance competition with two listener-chosen industry leaders. Eddie Strachan and Azuki Umeda have a wealth of knowledge to share and inspire up-and-coming choreograph...

Send us Fan Mail Guest - DJ Smart Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 203 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, convention director and professional dancer DJ Smart joins us to share some insider tips on how to stand out at all kinds of auditions, including at conventions, for colleges, and for professional jobs! Topics Include: Why first impressions really do cou...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Julie "JJ" Joseph and Khori Petinaud Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 202 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we bring on two seasoned dance industry professionals to debate the merits of the product versus the process in dance, both competitively and professionally. Topics Include:  Examples of a product-focused process an...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Dana Moore and MaryAnn Lamb Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 201 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are introducing a new Spotlight Feature Episode series featuring different genres of dance. Kicking off this series is a subgenre of jazz dance - you know it when you see it - Fosse! With us today are two giants in the industry, Ma...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Tommy Scrivens, Jacqueline Baligian, Brionna Trilling, Michelle Tolson, Ashley Peter Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 200 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by some incredible IDA judges and dance educators to answer listener-submitted questions, and celebrate 200 episodes of our show live in person in New York City! T...