Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Julia Galloway and Kiera Letts Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 199 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we revisit the sometimes fraught topic of levels at competition. Love them or hate them, levels generate a lot of feelings, and competition host and judge Julia Galloway and choreographer and IDA judge Kiera Letts share theirs with...

Send us Fan Mail Guest - Preston Miller Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 198 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Preston Miller, owner of TDA Prep, gives us a crash course on the best ways to choose summer or winter dance intensives! Whether you are just starting your dance journey or have a few intensives under your belt, this episode delivers crucial inform...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Katie Lebron and Robert Duran Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 197 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore the exciting world of costuming for competitive dance with Robert Duran, costume designer and former studio owner, and IDA judge and dance educator Katie Lebron.  Topics Include:  How even small details in costuming can a...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Cara Dixon and Megan Meier Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 196 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore just a taste of the exciting and educational world of anatomy and alignment for dancers! Cara Dixon of Relative Motion and Megan Meier of Oklahoma Performing Arts Collective share their expertise as we scratch the surface of...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Alicia Mae Holloway and Peter Stark Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 195 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore the world of ballet competitions and discover that while there are some differences from the competition atmosphere we're used to, there are more similarities than we thought! Joining us today are professional...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Amira Azimi, Cayse Day, Tara Iacobucci Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 194 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by dance studio director and IDA Judge Tara Iacobucci and hosts of the Two Dance Moms Podcast, Amira Azimi and Cayse Day, to talk about ways to support your dancer. Topics Include:  Best practices for parents...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Noel Bajandas, Meghan Sanett Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 193 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are talking about the IT factor - that elusive, un-teachable element that we all strive for. Our guests Noel Bajandas and Meghan Sanett give us some insight into how to develop the IT factor and wow your audience! Topics Include:...

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Yolanda Fernandez-Quincoces, Alexis Toledo Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor The winner of the Making the Impact Award Fan Favorite Contest this summer was "Working Day and Night", a tap routine from Yolanda's Academy of Music & Dance in West New York, NJ. We are excited to share their story on our only Studio Spotlight Feature of Season 6! Fo...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Josh Bergasse, Richard J. Hinds, Sarah Meahl Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 191 of Making The Impact—A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by some of the top choreographers in the industry whose choreography was stolen in a scandal that went viral this summer. Topics Include: The details of how it was discovered that multiple choreographers&a...

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Season 6 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast is finally here! Listen as Courtney and Lesley recap their very busy summers, share some highlights of season 5, and give you a sneak peek into what's in store for season 6! Topics Include:  Cover art contest winners for season 6  Making the Impact Award fan favorite conte...

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor 🌟 PLATINUM PREMIUM EXCLUSIVE! 🌟 Making the Impact Live at the Capezio Flagship Store in New York City! March 2024. This is very special summer bonus episode from our very first ever LIVE Podcast event in New York City at the Capezio Flagship Store! This live event sponsored by Capezio was held in Times Square on Saturday, March 30th,...

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Season 5 of Making the Impact might be over, but we have some fun things in store for you this summer and next season! Thank you for listening and supporting our podcast, and we can't wait for season 6! Mark your calendars - Season 6 launches Thursday, September 5th, 2024! Help support our podcast. Join Making The Impact's Pla...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - IDA Judges Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 190 of Making the Impact, we hear from IDA judges around the country about the highs and lows of the 2024 competition season! Topics Include: Favorite themes at competition Technique issues Music choices Choreography trends Help support our podcast. Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscripti...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Joshua Dawson, Mary Hondal and Laci Justice Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 189 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we hear straight from dancers in three college dance programs - Pace University, University of Alabama, and Point Park University - about what life is like as a dance major!  Topics Include:  How each program is struct...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Suzanne Citere and Amanda Nicole DiTullio Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 188 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, studio owner Suzanne Citere and dance educator and IDA judge Amanda Nicole DiTullio sit down to discuss the pros and cons of using in-house choreographers versus hiring outside choreographers for your dancers.  Topics In...

Send us Fan Mail Guest: Justin Johnson Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor Beyond Belief Dance Company out of Mesquite, Texas, is known for its incredible performance quality, high level of commitment, and unique choreographic concepts. Owned and operated by Justin Johnson (who you may also know as his drag persona, Alyssa Edwards), Beyond Belief Dance Company strives to give the best ins...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Menina Fortunato and Sissa Strain Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 186 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, industry professionals Menina Fortunato and Sissa Strain give us their best advice for dancers making the transition from the competitive world to the professional world. Topics Include:  Things that make you stand out as a begi...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Deborah Engerman and Jim Nowakowski Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 185 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, two seasoned ballet educators join us to discuss all things ballet, from the relevance of a dress code to what they think is missing in the ballet training of competitive dancers! Topics Include:  Why the dress code still matt...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Richshawna and Saliha Sims, and Emily Martin Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 184 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we hear from three perspectives - a studio owner, a dance parent, and a dancer about how to change studios and what to look for when making the decision! Topics Include:  How to recognize when it may be time to change...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Rachel Roberts and Tommy Scrivens Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 183 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, two veteran IDA judges join us to discuss how we remain as objective as possible when judging, while also trying to stay human and enjoy the art of dance! Topics Include:  The different reasons a judge may be emotionally affecte...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Madi Hicks and Doug Baum Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 182 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we talk to two contemporary concert dancers about their experiences in the company dance scene and hear advice for young dancers interested in pursuing this path! Topics Include:  The type of training needed to succeed in the concert dan...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Jodi Ashby and Melanie Manning Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 181 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, two long-time dance parents of competitive dancers join us to give their tips, tricks, and advice for the long and beautiful journey that is the competitive dance world! Topics Include:  Benefits of competitive dance that are speci...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Caroline Lewis-Jones and Rebecca Rowley Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 180 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by certified health coach and dance educator Caroline Lewis-Jones and registered dietician Rebecca Rowley to discuss some ideas for fueling our dancers during competition weekends, as well as during the week!...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Jake Allen Smith and Chloe Roberts Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 179 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we take on one of the hottest topics in the dance industry today - cameras in the classroom! Dance videographer Jake Allen Smith and IDA judge, educator and professional dancer Chloe Roberts share their thoughts on the pros and...

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Cookie Ramos and John Culbertson Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor Dance Attack Miami has been in business for 29 years, and owners Cookie Ramos and John Culbertson see no end in sight for their studio that started with only 7 students! With a focus on quality over quantity, Dance Attack Miami gives a well-rounded dance education that has seen alumni go on to ca...