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
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Données mises à jour le 02/10/2026
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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 application and audition process.
Topics Include:
The top tips for researching and selecting your dream school
The types of audition processes that exist
The best advice for preparing dancers in high school for success in college dance
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
Find out more about Pace University's BFA in Commercial Dance here!
This episode is sponsored by:
YoungArts Applications are open for the 2027 National YoungArts Competition, available for artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12. Deadline to apply is October 6th, 2026 at 8pm. Learn more at www.YoungArts.org
Check out our service: IDA Online Judge's Critiques Send us a video of your dance and an IDA Judge will critique your routine! You can request a genre-specific specialty judge or add on 10 minutes of additional feedback. 24 hour rush delivery available! Submit your video now!
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 platinums
How competition prepared our guests for their professional lives
The quintessential convo about how small the dance world is
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
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 atmosphere to a stricter approach went with Dawn at the helm
Kristen's memories of choreographing solos via email
The effects both teachers had on Lesley throughout the years, not only in dance but in life
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
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 influence
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
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 @Staceysstudioofdance and be sure to check out their upcoming projects.
Help support our podcast. Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members-only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4-8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
Check out our service: IDA Online Judge's Critiques Send us a video of your dance and an IDA Judge will critique your routine! You can request a genre-specific specialty judge or add on 10 minutes of additional feedback. 24 hour rush delivery available!
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 Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 8. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
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. Thank you to The Artistry Tour for sponsoring this episode and we hope you enjoy!
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 pretty.
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 Season 7
Info on summer bonus episodes
What's new for Season 8
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 7. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
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 pretty.
This is the first episode of a two episode series, so stay tuned for part 2 releasing as a summer bonus episode in June!
Topics Include:
Discussing the reasons we love judging - and the reasons that it becomes harder and harder each season
Travel nightmares and lodging snafus - all to save a dollar
The realities of trying to stay true to your values while adhering to company policies
Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes:
Monthly Q&A episodes released to members only
Priority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.
Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 through 7. No sponsored ads!
20% off all IDA Merchandise
Exclusive bonus content released throughout the year
Discounted IDA Online Critique
Group Zoom check-ins 3x per season with Courtney Ortiz!
Your support helps us produce future episodes of Making The Impact for years to come!
Making The Impact's Platinum Premium -
Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance
Clarice Ordaz - @d8clarice
Amber Nadelkov - @Dancinambs678
This episode is sponsored by:
YoungArts Applications are open for the 2027 National YoungArts Competition, available for artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12. Deadline to apply is October 6, 2026 at 8pm. Learn more at www.YoungArts.org
Catch "Parade" at The Strand Theatre in Marietta, GA, directed by Dawn Parker, through September 20 - Tickets available here!
This episode is sponsored by:
YoungArts Applications are open for the 2027 National YoungArts Competition, available for artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12. Deadline to apply is October 6th, 2026.
Check out our service: IDA Online Judge's Critiques Send us a video of your dance and an IDA Judge will critique your routine! You can request a genre-specific specialty judge or add on 10 minutes of additional feedback. 24 hour rush delivery available! Submit your video now!
Check out our IDA Affiliated Competition: Axis Dance Competition! Visit their website to view their upcoming tour dates!
Applications are open for the 2027 National YoungArts Competition, available for artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12. Deadline to apply is October 6th, 2026. Learn more at www.YoungArts.org
Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo This summer July 27-30, 2027 in Las Vegas, NV! 140+ master classes, seminars, events, & more for continuing education and networking in the dance community!
Brittni Johnson - @being_brittni, @alignment.in.dance
Check out our service: IDA Online Judge's Critiques Send us a video of your dance and an IDA Judge will critique your routine! You can request a genre-specific specialty judge or add on 10 minutes of additional feedback. 24 hour rush delivery available! Submit your video now!
Brittni Johnson - @being_brittni, @alignment.in.dance
Check out our service: IDA Online Judge's Critiques Send us a video of your dance and an IDA Judge will critique your routine! You can request a genre-specific specialty judge or add on 10 minutes of additional feedback. 24 hour rush delivery available! Submit your video now!
