Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast - Podcasts

68:04

A Crash Course on College Dance Program Auditions

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/10/01

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Lauren Gaul and Ashley Thorndike Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 274 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we're diving into the topic of dance in college, with two experts in the field. Lauren Gaul is the co-founder of the commercial dance program at Pace University in New York City, and Ashley Thorndike is the owner of Dance and College Counseling, a service dedicated to helping high school dancers navigate the college applic...

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60:33

Throwback! S2 Ep 45 - A Look At Competitive Dance...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/09/24

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Clarice Ordaz and Amber Nadelkov Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor We are bringing back our Throwback episodes in Season 8 of Making the Impact, and today we're heading to 2021 to discuss what the competitive dance scene was like in the decades before! Enjoy this look back into the past with guests Clarice Ordaz and Amber Nadelkov. This episode originally aired on January 7, 2021. Topics Include: The days before levels, age groups, and platinum...

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70:49

The Dance Teachers Who Impacted Us featuring Lesley’s...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/09/17

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Kristen Cochran and Dawn Parker Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 272 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we honor the teachers who impacted us during our journey in the dance world. Today, Lesley's teachers Kristen Cochran and Dawn Parker join us to share their memories of teaching Lesley in the studio, and celebrate the successes she's had along the way! Topics Include: How the transition from a more relaxed studio atmosphe...

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60:48

LIVE! From Dance Teacher Web Vegas 2026

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/09/10

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 271 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Courtney and Lesley are live from Vegas, where they hosted a Q&A at Dance Teacher Web! Thanks to all of the wonderful participants for attending! Topics Include: The never-ending levels discussion Lyrical vs contemporary - how to place routines in the correct category How to hold true to your values as a studio when there is so much outside ...

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61:12

Studio Spotlight - Stacey's Studio of Dance Education

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Stacey Dimberio and Brooke MacIver Hosted by Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor The winner of the Making the Impact Award fan favorite contest from 2026 is Stacey's Studio of Dance Education's routine "Somebody To Love"! We are excited to welcome choreographer Brooke MacIver and owner Stacey Dimberio to the podcast to tell us all about Stacey's Studio of Dance Education in this studio spotlight episode! Follow Stacey's Studio of Dance Education @Staceysstudioofdan...

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36:04

Welcome to Season 8!

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Welcome to Season 8 of Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast! Courtney and Lesley have some fun news to share about this season, as well as a recap of the summer! Topics Include: New for season 8 - we're on video! 🎥 Cover art contest winners Exciting opportunities at Dance Teacher Web and Dance One Summit over the summer Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscriptio...

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36:10

Summer Bonus Episode! - Live from The Artistry Tour...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/08/02

Send us Fan Mail IDA Judges - Brittany Nicholas, Kyle Rostan, Sally Cofield, Marie Choate Hosted By - Holly Shipley Produced By: Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast We are excited to have partnered with IDA affiliated Competition The Artistry Tour to host a live-podcast at their 2026 Nationals event this summer in Michigan. The owner of The Artistry Tour Holly Shipley moderated this chat featuring 4 IDA Judges: Brittany Nicholas, Marie Choate, Kyle Rostan and Sally Cofield. Than...

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56:29

Judging Horror Stories - Why Treatment On Events...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/07/02

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Robb Gibbs, Brittni Johnson, and Anonymous Submissions Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor To close out Season 7 of Making the Impact, we are getting real about the often unspoken truths in the dance competition judging space. Veteran IDA judges Robb Gibbs and Brittni Johnson, as well as anonymous submissions from judges around the country, share what it can really be like during those long weekends behind the table. Spoiler alert - sometimes it's not pret...

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34:06

Season 7 Wrap Up!

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/05/28

Send us Fan Mail Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor That's a wrap on Season 7 of Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast! Thank you to all our loyal listeners who have been here since the beginning for all your support, and to our new fans who have joined us this year! We can't wait to share season 8 with you - but for now, happy summer! MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Season 8 is scheduled to release on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. Topics Include: Favorite episodes of Se...

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69:52

Judging Horror Stories - Why Treatment On Events...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/05/28

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Robb Gibbs, Brittni Johnson, and Anonymous Submissions Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor To close out Season 7 of Making the Impact, we are getting real about the often unspoken truths in the dance competition judging space. Veteran IDA judges Robb Gibbs and Brittni Johnson, as well as anonymous submissions from judges around the country, share what it can really be like during those long weekends behind the table. Spoiler alert - sometimes it's not pret...

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94:46

Throwback! - S3 EP 96 – How to NOT be a Stage Mom!

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/05/21

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Summer Aiello & Shannon Thomas Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Our final throwback episode is one for the dance moms out there! Being a dance parent requires learning a lot of new information, from theatre etiquette to competition structures. But one thing that’s not covered in any studio handbook is how not to be a stage mom. Join studio owner Shannon Thomas and veteran dance mom Summer Aiello for this informative chat! This episode originally air...

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79:42

Raising the New Generation - Former Dancers Who Are...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/05/14

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Lynne McNelis and Jennifer Lobaito Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 267 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, two former dancers join us to chat about what it's like to raise competitive dancers in this new era in the industry. From memories of "the good old days" to current challenges and joys, this is an episode you don't want to miss! Topics Include: The search for the right dance studio Differences between the ol...

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50:32

Throwback! - S1 EP 21 – Beyond the Barre - Why Ballet...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/05/07

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Carrie Euker, Holly Gannett Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Today's throwback episode takes us back to Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast's very first season! This episode features IDA judges Carrie Euker and Holly Gannett discussing ways to keep ballet fun, relevant and beloved in the dance competition world. This episode originally aired on March 30, 2020. Topics Include: Ideas for keeping ballet class interesting What judg...

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67:06

All About Pointe For Training Dancers

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/04/30

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Kathryn Morgan and Tommie Lin Kesten Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 265 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, guests Kathryn Morgan and Tommie Lin Kesten join us for an eye-opening chat about pointe! From pointe-readiness to shoe preparation, we dive into the challenges and joys of dancing en pointe! Topics Include: The real amount of training that should occur prior to going en pointe Tips for finding the right ...

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56:50

IDA Competition Spotlight - Star Talent Productions

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/04/23

Send us Fan Mail Guests: Jennifer Armstrong, Devin Pendleton and James Murphy Hosted by: Courtney Ortiz Today's IDA Competition Spotlight episode features Star Talent Productions, based in North Carolina and celebrating their 20th season this year! Owner Jennifer Armstrong and emcees Devin Pendleton and James Murphy join Courtney to chat about their journeys in the competition space, and what makes Star Talent Productions stand out from the crowd! Follow Jennifer Armstrong, Devin Pendlet...

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63:36

Bringing Inclusivity and Diversity to Competitive Dance

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/04/16

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Ty Williams, Tonysha McIntosh, Haley Everett Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 263 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we are joined by studio owners Ty Williams and Tonysha McIntosh, and dance educator Haley Everett to talk about the many ways competitive dance can be more inclusive and diverse. Dancers from all walks of life deserve to feel welcomed and included at dance competitions, and our guests are doing great work...

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60:50

Throwback! - S3 EP 77 - The Open Category -...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/04/09

Guests - Ashley Marinelli and Amy Maze Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Today's throwback episode was one of our most popular episodes in season 3 - expectations in the open category! This conversation is far from over even five years later, and IDA judges Ashley and Amy don't skimp on the advice for dancers entering in this nebulous category. This episode originally aired on November 11, 2021. Topics Include: What dances should (and shouldn't) be entered into the...

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73:07

A Day in the Life of a Competition Staff Member

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/04/02

Guests - Haley Crocombe and Cat Malone Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 261 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, we go backstage with the folks who keep competitions running to find out what a day in their lives look like on a busy event weekend! Our guests today serve as tally manager, backstage manager and emcee and the show can't go on without them. If you've ever wanted to work for a dance competition, this is the episode for you! Topics Include:...

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65:52

Throwback! - S4 EP 122 – The World of College Dance...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/03/26

Guests - Melissa McGhee and Carsen Rowe Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Our next throwback episode of Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast brings back a fan favorite, with more dance team talk! Our guests share what it's like to be on a college dance team, what recruitment looks like, and ways to prep for auditions! This episode originally aired on December 1, 2022. Topics Include: The differences and similarities in the training that goes into preparing for...

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67:51

What To Expect When Transitioning From Studio Dance...

Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast ·

2026/03/19

Guests - Erin Alvarado and Kristin Daniel Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 259 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, LSU Tiger Girls choreographer Kristin Daniel and Texas Tech dance team coach and dance faculty member Erin Alvarado school us on the similarities and differences between dancing at a studio and being a part of a dance team. Topics Include: How studio training can inform your college dance team experience The realities o...

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