Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

Guests: Jamie Hodgins and Rebecca Brettingham-Filice
Hosted by: Courtney Ortiz & Lesley Mealor

The International Competitive Dancer Registry, or ICDR, is a new organization that aims to protect, verify, and safeguard competitive dancers' personal information. Today on Making the Impact, we are joined by Executive Director of the ICDR, Jamie Hodgins, and studio owner and advisor Rebecca Brettingham-Filice to learn more about what the ICDR stands for and how dancers, studio owners, and parents can get involved!

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 - Sign up now for only $5/month!

This episode is sponsored by:
International Competitive Dancer Registry - Safe. Fair. Verified. 

Follow your Hosts & Guests!
Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz
Lesley Mealor  - @miss.lesley.dance
Jamie Hodgins - @jamie_hodgins
Rebecca Brettingham-Filice - @mindfuldancers_
ICDR - @icdr.dance

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 us on social media at @impactdanceadjudicators and for a list of IDA Affiliated dance competitions, visit our website at www.impactdanceadjudicators.com
Support the show

Guests - Jonathan & Oksana Platero
Hosted By - Courtney Ortiz and Lesley Mealor

In Episode 251 of Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast, professional dancers and educators Jonathan and Oksana Platero share their extensive experience with partnering and lifts. From stints on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as years of teaching on the convention circuit, these two bring both performer and educator perspectives to the conversation!

Topics Include:
The responsibilities of both the leader and the follower in partnering
How to help dancers develop trust and confidence in each other for lifts
The most misunderstood parts of lifting and being lifted in 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 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month!

Follow your Hosts & Guests!
Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz
Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance
Jonathan Platero - @jonplaterodude
Oksana Platero - @oksanaplatero

Check out our guest’s current projects! 
Blood Love - A Vampire Pop Opera - get tickets for Jonathan and Oksana's new off-Broadway musical running from February 13-March 29!

This episode is sponsored by:
Check out IDA Affiliated Dance Competition The Artistry Tour!
Visit their website to register for a 2026 event!

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! 

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! 

Support the show

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 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month!

Follow your Hosts & Guests!

Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz
Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance
Halle Mastroberardino - @hallemastroberardino
Donna 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

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 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month!

Follow your Hosts & Guests!
Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz
Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance
Brion Waston - @brion_marquis
Cassidy 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

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 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 - Sign up now for only $5/month!

Follow your Hosts & Guests!
Courtney Ortiz - @courtney.ortiz
Lesley Mealor - @miss.lesley.dance
Tommy Tibball - @Tommytibbs
Madi Hicks - @madihicks
Jason 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