Guests - Deborah Engerman and Jim NowakowskiHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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

Changing Studios - When Is It The Right Time?

9 days ago 1h 4m

Guests - Richshawna and Saliha Sims, and Emily MartinHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 184 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we hear from three perspectives - a studio owner, a dance parent, and a dancer a

How Do Competition Judges Keep Their Emotions Out of Scoring?

16 days ago 1h 17m

Guests - Rachel Roberts and Tommy ScrivensHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 judgi

Pursuing a Career in Concert Dance

23 days ago 1h 20m

Guests - Madi Hicks and Doug BaumHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 h

Advice from Veteran Competitive Dance Parents

Apr 4th, 2024 1h 20m

Guests - Jodi Ashby and Melanie ManningHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 adv

Nutrition for Dancers - How to Fuel Your Body Properly

Mar 28th, 2024 1h 5m

Guests - Caroline Lewis-Jones and Rebecca RowleyHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 180 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by certified health coach and dance educator Caroline Lewis-Jones and r

Cameras in the Classroom

Mar 21st, 2024 1h 25m

Guests - Jake Allen Smith and Chloe RobertsHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 classroo

Studio Spotlight - Dance Attack Miami

Mar 14th, 2024 1h 8m

Guests: Cookie Ramos and John CulbertsonHosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley MealorDance 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 stud

Hip Hop at Competition - What is Missing in the Genre

Mar 7th, 2024 1h 11m

Guests - Justin Streeter, Angelina and Karlo FamilaraHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 177 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by Justin Streeter, and Angelina and Karlo Familara, all educators

Mini Dancers Who Peak Too Early

Feb 29th, 2024 1h 33m

Guests - Kate Biernat and Krysten DanielleHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 176 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we focus on the tiniest dancers who defy all expectations, only to burn out at a young age.

Perfecting the Pirouette - Tips from the Pros

Feb 22nd, 2024 1h 28m

Guests - Drew Burgess and Lisa Curatolo TurpinHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 175 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, pirouettes are the name of the game! We hear from Lisa Curatolo Turpin, director of Exp

Homeschooling and Dance - What's Right For Your Dancer

Feb 15th, 2024 1h 5m

Guests - Rachel Edelbrock and Dana ThompsonHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 174 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by homeschooling dance mom @dancemomdana Dana Thompson and studio director R

Behind the Curtain - What You Need to Know Backstage at Competition

Feb 8th, 2024 1h 19m

Guests - Jordan Keyon Moncrief and Ashley PeterHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 173 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are focusing on the show that goes on backstage at a dance competition! Former bac

When the Parent Wants It More Than The Dancer

Feb 1st, 2024 1h 2m

Guests - Kimberly Soel and Kevin GrantHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 172 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, dance educators and IDA judges Kimberly Soel and Kevin Grant join us for a discussion about dan

A Crash Course on Award Ceremonies 🏆

Jan 25th, 2024 1h 15m

Guests - James Murphy and Maria PomerleauHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 171 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we go deep into one of the most confusing parts of the competitive dance world - awards cere

Studio Spotlight - Steps Dance Center

Jan 18th, 2024 1h 15m

Guests: Rebecca Rosenberg and Emily RosenbergHosted by Courtney Ortiz On this week's episode of Making the Impact, Courtney chats with Rebecca and Emily Rosenberg, co-owners of Steps Dance Center in Naperville, Illinois. You may recognize Steps

A Day In the Life at a Dance Competition

Jan 11th, 2024 1h 8m

Guests - Jessica Olinik and Amy TullyHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 169 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by two IDA judges who also wear other hats in the dance world to chat about what g

Boys Dance Too!

Jan 4th, 2024 1h 22m

Guests - Colin Bradbury and Sean Aaron CarmonHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 168 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're bringing in two accomplished male dancers to discuss their experiences as boys who

Q&A with Courtney Live 2023 - Platinum Premium Exclusive

Dec 28th, 2023 55m 29s

Guest: Tommy ScrivensHosted By - Courtney OrtizSpecial BONUS EPISODE! A Platinum Premium Exclusive! To end out the 2023 year strong we are bringing back our popular Q&A with Courtney LIVE episodes! Our Q&A episodes now record monthly for Platin

Ridiculous Expectations of Competitive Dance

Dec 21st, 2023 1h 40m

Guests - IDA Judges and Podcast Fans!Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 166 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we hear from YOU, our listeners, as well as special guest IDA judges about the ridiculous expect

The Duo/Trio Category at Competition

Dec 14th, 2023 1h 4m

Guests - Chase Haley Bowden and Julie SwartzHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 165 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, duo/trios take over! The dance competition world can feel solo-heavy sometimes, so we are

Continuing Education for Dance Teachers

Dec 7th, 2023 1h 10m

Guests - Jamie Harris and Rebecca TylerHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 164 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, dance educator Jamie Harris and studio owner Rebecca Tyler join us for an informative discussi

Dance Conventions vs Dance Competitions

Nov 30th, 2023 59m 46s

Guests - Amanda Carter and Sarah MattesonHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 163 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, studio owner Amanda Carter and dance educator, adjudicator, and dance mom Sarah Matteson joi

Pay Rates for a Professional Dance Career

Nov 23rd, 2023 1h 20m

Guests - Ashley Marinelli and Kalie-Ann NassouraHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorHappy Thanksgiving! In Episode 162 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we tackle a topic that has been requested for years - pay rates i

Studio Spotlight - Dance Force Australia

Nov 16th, 2023 1h 1m

Guest: Nicole WellsHosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley MealorOur first international studio spotlight features Dance Force Australia, owned and directed by Nicole Wells! Dance Force's programming includes several unique offerings for students who