Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

Impact Dance Adjudicators
  • 4.7 (258)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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

  1. 1D AGO

    Throwback! S4 EP 120 - Stage and Costume Malfunctions - What To Do During Onstage Mishaps

    Guests - Halle Mastroberardino and Donna Michelle Vaughn Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Our throwback episode of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast covers the many ways things can go wrong at a live dance performance, from costume malfunctions to dropped props and more! Joining us for this discussion are professional dancers and IDA judges Halle Mastroberardino and Donna Michelle Vaughn to give you some tips and tricks to salvage any mishaps that might happen on stage! This episode originally aired on November 17, 2022. Topics Include:  Best practices for a dropped prop The one time you MUST leave stage when something goes wrong How to avoid costume mishaps before they happen Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceHalle Mastroberardino - @hallemastroberardinoDonna Michelle Vaughn - @Slimglam_d This episode is sponsored by: 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!   Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1h 9m

  2. JAN 8

    A Day in the Life of a Dancer on Tour

    Guests - Brion Marquis Watson and Cassidy Noblett Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 249 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, our "day in the life" series continues with a job most dancers dream of - being on tour! Broadway touring dancer Brion Marquis Watson and veteran of commercial touring, Cassidy Noblett, join us today to give us their perspectives on the tour life!  Topics Include:  The challenging parts of being on tour, both physical and emotional The differences in touring with an artist compared to touring with a musical What a typical schedule is like for each type of tour Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceBrion Waston - @brion_marquisCassidy Noblett - @thumperduce Check out our guests' current projects!  Find Brion on tour with MJ The Musical!Catch Cassidy in the new Michael Jackson movie coming out in April 2026! This episode is sponsored by: IDA Affiliated Competition - Elevation On Tour! View their upcoming 2026 tour dates on their website! Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1h 12m

  3. JAN 1

    The 2025 A.C.E Awards Winners - Sponsored by DanceOne

    Guests - Tommy Tibball, Madi Hicks, Jason Williams, and Courtney Barclay Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 248 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, the 2025 A.C.E. Awards winners join us for a look inside the prestigious competition, which took place in New York City in August. This event brings together choreographers and dancers from all over the country, and the competition was fierce. Enjoy this chat with the winners! Topics Include:  How each choreographer developed their vision for their piece What the casting and rehearsal process was like Advice for up-and-coming choreographers Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceTommy Tibball - @TommytibbsMadi Hicks - @madihicksJason Williams - @thejasonwilliamsexperience Courtney Barclay - @courtneyraebarclay This episode is sponsored by: The DanceOne Summit The premier event for dance teachers and studio owners to unite. share. inspire! This summer in New York City - August 13-16th, 2026. Register now for $100 off using promo code: 100Summit2026  Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1h 13m

  4. 12/25/2025

    Q&A with Courtney Live 2025 - Platinum Premium Exclusive

    Guest: Vikas Arun Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz Platinum Premium Exclusive! To end out the 2025 year strong we are bringing back our popular Q&A with Courtney LIVE episodes! Our Q&A episodes now record monthly for Platinum Premium subscribers only. Dive in to a chat about all things competitive dance with Making the Impact host Courtney Ortiz and special guest IDA Judge Vikas Arun! This episode was recorded in December 2025. Topics include: Tap dancing on marley floor Performance quality in hip-hopWhat steps should young dancers be doing to prep for a career in danceDo we support acro elements in a tap dance?  Want more Q&A episodes?  Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority to have your questions answered each month on the live Q&A.Ad-free listening for all of Seasons 4 & 5. No sponsored ads!20% off all IDA MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Host & Guest! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizVikas Arun - @vikas_arun_ Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media at @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at  www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1h 9m

  5. 12/18/2025

    Throwback! S5 EP 157 - Mastering Movement Quality in Dance

    Guests - Chip Abbott and Summer Renner Disher Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor Today's throwback episode brings back an important topic - movement quality! Our spectacular guests, studio owner Summer Renner Disher and dance educator and choreographer Chip Abbott school us on the importance of movement quality for competitive dancers, and give tips on teaching techniques for all ages! This episode originally aired October 19, 2023.  Topics Include:  How to talk about movement quality in class Unique approaches to teaching movement quality Why the quality of your movement quality can make or break your score at competition Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceSummer Renner Disher - @summerrennerdisher, @rennerdanceChip Abbott - @chipstergram This episode is sponsored by: 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!  Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    57 min

  6. 12/11/2025

    Why Lyrical Dance Should Be a Priority in Your Weekly Training

    Guests - Jeremy Duvall and Lindsey Klein Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 245 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Courtney and Lesley discuss lyrical dance and its importance with two dance educators known for their love of lyrical. Jeremy Duvall and Lindsey Klein give insight into exactly why lyrical deserves regular training from tiny dancers to adult professionals. Topics Include:  A brief history of a lyrical legend, Doug Caldwell, and his influence What we consider true lyrical and why it sometimes seems to be disappearing from studios and competitions How to incorporate lyrical into your class schedule Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceJeremy Duvall - @jeremyduvallLindsey Klein - @lindseytklein Check out some of the resources we discussed on the episode! Love Is All That Matters - Doug Caldwell choreographyFind out more information about Oklahoma City University's Ann Lacy School of American Dance & Entertainment auditions here!Find out more information about Boston Conservatory at Berklee here! This episode is sponsored by: Oro Dance Competition - IDA Affiliated Competition! Learn more and register for an upcoming event www.orodance.com Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1 hr

  7. 12/04/2025

    Throwback! S3 EP 84 - Parent Etiquette - From Studio to Stage

    Guests - Emily Branigan and Hillary Zbyszinski Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor This throwback episode takes us back to season 3 of Making the Impact, where dance educators and IDA Judges Emily Branigan and Hillary Zbyszinski shared insight about expectations for dance parents. As we head into competition season, enjoy this refresher course on parent etiquette! This episode originally aired on December 30, 2021. Topics Include:  How to set the right example for your dancers in the audience and backstage Why competitions have photo and video rules, and why you should follow them General studio do's and don'ts for parents Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance Emily Branigan - @embranigan Hillary Zbyszinski - @hzbyszinski This episode is sponsored by: 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!    Join our NEW Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you! Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox! Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    1h 8m

  8. 11/27/2025

    Fundraising For Competitive Dance

    Guests - Christine Brocious and Megan Woods Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor In Episode 243 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, Courtney and Lesley are joined by podcast fans, dance moms, and fundraising queens Christine Brocious and Megan Woods to talk about the many ways fundraising can help offset the financial burden of competitive dance! Topics Include:  Types of fundraising that exist How to determine what type of fundraising would be successful for your studio Ways to engage both the dancers and the dancers' families in fundraising effors Help support our podcast! Join Making The Impact's Platinum Premium Subscription today! Your membership includes: Monthly Q&A episodes released to members onlyPriority 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 MerchandiseExclusive bonus content released throughout the yearDiscounted IDA Online CritiqueGroup 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month! Follow your Hosts & Guests! Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortizLesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.danceChristine Brocious - @cbrocious02Megan Woods - @meggybethwoods This episode is sponsored by: Check out IDA Affiliated Competition True Dance Challenge!  Join our FREE Facebook Group and connect with us! Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would love to hear from you!  Join our Newsletter for weekly episode releases straight to your inbox!  Follow Impact Dance Adjudicators on social media @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website atwww.impactdanceadjudicators.com Support the show

    57 min
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4.7
out of 5
258 Ratings

About

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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