Guests - Rayne Thiemann and Brionna Trilling Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 237 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're exploring the ways facial expressions can inform performance quality in competitive dance. Joy, fear, sadness, curiosity and more can all be expressed through the face, and contribute to the success of a piece. IDA judges Rayne and Brionna share their tips and tricks for achieving the most honest and real performance quality in co...
Guest: Samantha O'Neil Hosted by: Courtney Ortiz DECAdance Competition provides a totally unique competition and “un”convention experience, with genre-specific adjudicators, live music at their “un”convention, and complimentary meals for studio owners! On this week's episode of Making the Impact, Courtney sits down with DECAdance Competition owner Samantha Tirone O’Neil to learn more about this incredible company in our first IDA-affiliated Competition Spotlight! Products and ...
Guests - Kiyah Rush, Megan Friedman, Brandi George Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 235 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are excited to learn more about the world of dance convention assistants. Studio owners Megan Friedman and Brandi George join us, along with professional assistant Kiyah Rush to give us the inside scoop on what it takes to land this type of opportunity! Topics Include: The benefits of being a student-level assistant&nb...
Guests - Tracey Boon and Rachel Perlman Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor This season on Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're throwing it back to episodes we loved from previous seasons! Today on the podcast, we are headed back in time to 2021 with a topic that is still relevant now - how to develop a competitive mindset. This episode originally aired on May 6, 2021. Topics Include: Ideas to encourage the development of a competitive mindset H...
Guests - Lex Dorohoy and Amy Tully Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 233 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we tackle a tricky topic - how many solos does a dancer really need? IDA judges and dance educators Lex Dorohoy and Amy Tully join us to break it down and reveal the ideal number of solos for a successful season. Topics Include: The benefits of doing multiple solos The challenges that come with doing multiple solos What the jud...
Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 232 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Courtney and Lesley hosted a live Q&A in July 2025 at the Dance Teacher Web in Las Vegas! Topics Include: Competition choreography do's and don'ts Inappropriateness at competition How to retain students when the grass might look greener at another studio Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your memb...
Guests - James Du Chateau and Lizzy Steirer Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor The winner of the Making the Impact Award fan favorite contest from 2025 was Dance Fusion Performing Arts Studio's routine "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" We are excited to welcome choreographer Lizzy Steirer and competition director James Du Chateau to the podcast to represent Dance Fusion in this studio spotlight episode! Topics Include: Dance Fusion Performing Arts Studio's unique class offerin...
Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Welcome to season 7 of Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast! Courtney and Lesley kick off the new season with a recap of the summer and share some exciting news about what's coming up this year! Topics Include: How we spent our summer months! News & Updates Cover art contest winners for season 7 Making the Impact Award fan favorite contest winner Upcoming episode topic teasers and new features Help support our ...
Guests - Maddie Marcadis & Stephani Sosa Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz In our special summer bonus episode of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Courtney hosted a live podcast event at Streetz Dance Convention's Nationals where parents, students, and teachers joined us for a Q&A alongside some fabulous guests! We loved connecting and meeting so many Making The Impact fans this summer! Topics Include: The significance of versatility and technique in dance trainingThe fi...
Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Season 6 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast is a wrap! We have had such a wonderful year discussing some unique and important topics in the dance industry, and we're excited to reminisce, but also give you a sneak peek at season 7! Topics Include: Favorite episodes of season 6 Info on summer bonus episodes What's new for season 7 Help support our podcast. Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription ...
Guests - IDA Judges Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 230 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we invited our IDA judges to chime in with their takeaways from the 2025 competition season. These judges have seen it all, from coast to coast, and this season did not disappoint! Topics Include: What your judges LOVED seeing on stage this season Headsprings - the go-to skill of 2025 Pirouette technique and executionCompetition etiquet...
Guest: Peter Chu Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor Contemporary dance is a genre that can be hard to define, but what everyone can agree on is that it is one of the most popular styles of dance in the industry. Peter Chu joins us on our final genre spotlight episode of season 6 to discuss the ways contemporary dance has evolved and why it will take ongoing support from the community to allow it to continue. Follow Peter Chu on social media @peterchuthis! Help support ...
Guests - Gregory Kanelos and Jenny Hogan Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 228 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, our "day in the life" series continues with a look into studio owner life! We hear from two different perspectives - Jenny Hogan, owner of Brava Dance in New York for 16 years, and Gregory Kanelos, owner of Studio G Dance Company in Massachusetts, celebrating their 5th season! Topics Include: How each studio got their start Wh...
Guests - Kasie Auten and Brittni Johnson Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 227 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we explore how and why dancers are susceptible to a perfectionist mindset, and discuss how to use those traits to your advantage while also staying grounded. Topics Include: Strategies to focus on progress rather than perfection How studio culture can be a factor in whether dancers strive for perfection How perfectionism ...
Guests - Joey Ortolani and listener submissions Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 226 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we invited our listeners to share their experiences with toxic behaviors they've encountered at dance studios. We hear (anonymously!) from dance teachers, dance parents, and dance studio owners the things to look out for that may make your dance experience less than satisfactory. Also joining us is IDA judge and studio owner Jo...
Guests - Sally Cofield, Krysten Danielle Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 225 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're joined by two IDA judges to spill the tea on the hot topic of perfect scores in competitive dance! Topics Include: Are judges even allowed to give a perfect score? What goes into considering giving a perfect score - technique, performance, or more? The benefits and detriments of receiving a perfect score Help supp...
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 Barber join us to give their unique perspectives! Topics Include: The benefits of bringing a small convention t...
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 acro-dance Why safety is the primary concern when inserting acro into dance routinesWhy teaching cur...
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 children. Topics Include: What counts as sexualized choreography? How over-sexualization of children at a y...
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 Include: The variety of reasons to wear two shoes Why dancing barefoot can be beneficial A few ar...