Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a dance competition judge? What does it take to impress the people behind the table?
Join your hosts Courtney Ortiz, professional dancer, educator and owner of Impact Dance Adjudicators, and Lesley Mealor, veteran performer and judge, on Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, as they dive into all things dance competition!
Each week, listen as Courtney and Lesley discuss various hot topics with members of the IDA judges’ roster and other special guests in the dance world, from technique, to costumes, to the dreaded question - “Tights…or no tights?” Stay tuned for special spotlight episodes, round table chats and so much more! Weekly episodes launch every Thursday throughout the dance season! @impactdanceadjudicators
Episodes
240 episodes
The Never Ending Debate - Two Shoes, One Shoe, or No Shoes?
Guests - IDA JudgesHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 d...
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Season 6
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Episode 220
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1:22:22
Genre Spotlight - Breaking
Guests: Bonita "Bgirl Bonita" Saldana and London "Bboy London" ReyesHosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley MealorOur Genre Spotlight series continues with a conversation about the history, culture, and importance of brea...
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Season 6
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Episode 219
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1:31:53
A Day in the Life of an NFL Cheerleader
Guests - Jessica Butler and Madeline MassingillHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 218 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, our "Day in the Life" series continues with a deep dive into ...
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Season 6
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Episode 218
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1:07:54
From Setback to Spotlight - Recovering From a Dance Injury
Guests - Kate Pagano and Andrew WilsonHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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. Guest...
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Season 6
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Episode 217
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1:17:25
Lifestyle Sacrifices You Make to be a Dance Professional
Guests - Casey Carruthers and Amanda LaMotteHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 216 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are discussing the sacrifices that must be made to succeed as...
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Season 6
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Episode 216
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1:11:02
The Importance of Stage Entrances and Exits
Guests - Joseph Corella and Alex FrohlingerHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 215 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're chatting about first and final impressions when performing ...
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Season 6
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Episode 215
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1:07:27
When Your Student is Also Your Child - The Journey as a Dance Teacher & Parent
Guests - Lori Fields and Andrea ZerilliHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 214 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we chat with two dance educators who have had the unique experience o...
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Season 6
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Episode 214
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51:19
Mastering Competition Etiquette: From Dressing Rooms to Backstage
Guests - Miranda Spada and Kyrie KowalikHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 213 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we discuss some of the behind the scenes etiquette that is expected ...
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Season 6
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Episode 213
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1:00:30
Representation and Diversity on Competition Judging Panels
Guests - Crystal Mann-Hollinger and Jody ReynardHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 212 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, diversity and representation take center stage as we discuss...
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Season 6
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Episode 212
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1:06:19
Genre Spotlight - Rhythm Tap
Guests: Angela Carter and Caleb TeicherHosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley MealorIn 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...
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Season 6
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Episode 211
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56:56
Winning vs Losing 2.0
Guests - Emily Williams, Robb GibbsHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 210 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by IDA judge Robb Gibbs and mindset coach Emily Williams to...
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Season 6
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Episode 210
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1:10:51
Regional Differences at Dance Competitions
Guests - Melanie Brooke Durham, Troy HaywoodHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 209 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we take a journey around the United States to discover the diffe...
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Season 6
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Episode 209
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1:15:02
A Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Dancer
Guests - Gene Biscontini, Marina StaceyHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 t...
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Season 6
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Episode 208
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1:22:18
Q&A With Courtney Live 2024 - Platinum Premium Exclusive!
Guest: Dione HamzaHosted By - Courtney OrtizPlatinum 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...
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Season 6
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Episode 207
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59:43
Full Circle Boys - From Comp Kids to Boy Band
Guests - Full Circle Boys (Jagger Moon, James Herron, Sean Garrity, Dossan Bell, and Oliver Hincy)Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 206 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we get a g...
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Season 6
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Episode 206
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1:06:17
From Solo to Squad - Respect and Teamwork in Dance
Guests - Shannon Dooling-Cain and Rachel RobertsHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 205 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are diving into a highly requested topic - team building ...
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Season 6
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Episode 205
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1:03:25
Crafting Competitive Choreography: Insights from Industry Leaders
Guests - Eddie Strachan and Azuki UmedaHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 204 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore the intricate and personal world of choreographing for dan...
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Season 6
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Episode 204
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1:10:40
How to Stand Out At Auditions
Guest - DJ SmartHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 203
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1:12:27
The Product vs The Process
Guests - Julie "JJ" Joseph and Khori PetinaudHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 202 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we bring on two seasoned dance industry professionals to debate...
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Season 6
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Episode 202
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1:09:06
Genre Spotlight - Fosse
Guests - Dana Moore and MaryAnn LambHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 201 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are introducing a new Spotlight Feature Episode series featuring diff...
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Season 6
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Episode 201
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1:09:38
Celebrating 200 Episodes Live in NYC with IDA Judges! 🎉
Guests - Tommy Scrivens, Jacqueline Baligian, Brionna Trilling, Michelle Tolson, Ashley PeterHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 200 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined b...
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Season 6
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Episode 200
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1:22:06
Levels at Dance Competitions - The Conversation Continues
Guests - Julia Galloway and Kiera LettsHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 199 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we revisit the sometimes fraught topic of levels at competition. Love...
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Season 6
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Episode 199
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1:09:20
Intensive Talk - Strategies For Choosing the Right Dance Intensive
Guest - Preston MillerHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn 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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 198
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1:08:43
Costumes for Dance Competitions - Creating the Total Package
Guests - Katie Lebron and Robert DuranHosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley MealorIn Episode 197 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore the exciting world of costuming for competitive dance with ...
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Season 6
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Episode 197
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58:21