


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, owner of Impact Dance Adjudicators, and Lesley Mealor, veteran performer, dance teacher, and judge, on Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, as they dive into all things dance competition!
Each week, tune in as Courtney and Lesley discuss various hot topics in round table discussions with IDA Judges, from technique, to costumes, to the dreaded question - “Tights…or no tights?” Courtney will even fly solo on special Q&A episodes where she will answer YOUR questions about dance competitions!
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SEASON 4
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FEATURED IN THE JANUARY 2022 EDITION

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Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor have known each other since 2008, when they were lucky enough to book their first professional jobs with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. They became fast friends, sharing a tiny cabin on the ship and having a blast performing aboard the Vision of the Seas.
Over the past 11 years, their lives have taken them through auditions, tours, teaching, judging, and survival jobs, and through it all, they've remained close, both as friends and colleagues in the dance industry. Impact Dance Adjudicators was developed by Courtney with Lesley's help, and they both work hard to keep each other sane throughout the busy competition season!
The addition of the IDA Blog in 2017 added another element to the IDA brand, and is overseen by Lesley. After several years of producing educational and informative dance blogs, from the perspective of actual competition judges, both Courtney and Lesley wanted an additional way to reach the dance world with the quality content that's found in the blog.
Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast was conceived as a tool for dance educators, dance parents, and dancers to be better informed about what the judges are looking for at competition, as well as helpful training tips, information about competitions that use IDA judges, and advice about any and all things dance!
