About Lights, Lines, and Leadership: The Podcast for Dance & Drill Team
Lights, Lines, & Leadership is the podcast for dance and drill team directors, dancers, parents, and other industry professionals.
From Friday night lights to contest season, we're talking about leadership, performance, team culture, traditions, and everything happening behind the scenes. Real conversations. Real experiences. Stronger teams.
Ep. 13 - Genre Focus: Jazz — From the Football Field to the Contest Floor
Host: Kelli WoodruffGuests: Shannon Dunham We're kicking off our new Genre Focus series with JAZZ! Joining me is Shannon Reznick Dunham—professional dancer, former dance team director, choreographer, and judge—to explore what makes great dance team jazz go beyond turns and leaps. From the football field to the contest floor, we're talking about: Building strong technical foundations while developing jazz style, power, and musicalityCreating choreography that translates to the football fieldWh...
5 Oct 2026
Ep. 12 — Better Together: Building a Strong Band & Dance Team Partnership
Host: Kelli WoodruffGuests: Jed Weeks What happens when the band director and dance team director truly work as partners? In this episode of Lights, Lines, & Leadership, Kelli sits down with former Colleyville Heritage High School Band Director, Jed Weeks, to talk about what made their band and dance team partnership work—and the lessons they've learned through the years. From summer trips to choose music together to preparing long before the first joint rehearsal, Kelli and Jed share ...
28 Sept 2026
Ep. 11 — College Spotlight: TCU Showgirls — Celebrating 50 Years
Host: Kelli WoodruffGuests: Donna Mastandrea Haas, Kelly Patterson, and Esther Pae We’re kicking off a brand-new series, Spotlight on College Dance Teams, with a program that holds a very special place in my heart—the TCU Showgirls! As the Showgirls celebrate their 50th anniversary, I’m joined by three women who represent different generations of this incredible program: founding director Donna Mastandrea Haas, Showgirl alum and alumni organizer Kelly Patterson, and current director and for...
21 Sept 2026
Ep. 10 - Behind the Team: The Heart of Parent Support
Send us Fan Mail Host: Kelli WoodruffGuest: Stacy Lansford A strong booster club can be one of a dance team director’s greatest sources of support—but what does a healthy director–parent partnership really look like? In this episode, I sit down with former booster club president Stacy Lansford, whose daughter graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School in 2008. Stacy served in multiple booster leadership roles and became an integral part of the program during my early years as a direc...
14 Sept 2026
Ep. 9 - Building Stronger Dancers: Strength Training for Technique & Performance
Host: Kelli Woodruff Guest: Erica Hood Today’s dancers are being asked to perform more advanced skills than ever—and technique alone isn’t enough. They need the strength, stability, and stamina to support it. I sit down with Erica Hood, founder of Hoodfit, to talk about practical strength training for dancers and how directors can make the most of limited practice time. In this episode: Strengthening the core, glutes, feet & ankles, and upper bodyPractical exercises that directors can ...
7 Sept 2026
Ep. 8 - Homecoming: The Traditions That Bring Us Home
Guest: Kaylynn Renfro Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Homecoming is more than a football game—it’s a week filled with school spirit, special performances, meaningful moments, and memories that can last long after the final whistle. In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and former Grapevine High School dance team director, Kaylynn, who spent more than 30 years at Grapevine. Together, we look back on Homecoming over the years and share ideas that directors can bring to their own progra...
31 Aug 2026
Ep 7 - Coaching the Whole Dancer: Building Stronger Dancers from the Inside Out
Guest: Sara Kercho Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Great dance teams are built on more than technique, choreography, and clean routines. They’re built by developing the whole dancer. In this episode, Kelli sits down with Sara Kercho, Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Mentally Here, to talk about the things happening beyond the eight counts—team connection, confidence, leadership, performance pressure, and preventing burnout. With a background as a dancer, former dance team director, ...
24 Aug 2026
Ep. 6 - Beyond the 50-Yard Line: From the Final Bell to the Ride Home
Guest: Miranda Richter Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Game day is about so much more than the few minutes a dance team spends performing on the field. In this episode, I’m joined by longtime dance team director Miranda Richter to talk about everything that happens beyond the halftime performance—from the final school bell to the ride home. In this episode, we talk about: Preparing, packing, and organizing before the buses roll Delegating responsibilities to officers, managers, par...
17 Aug 2026
Ep. 5 - Clean It Up! Cleaning Football Routines from Start to Finish
Guest: Kim Cardwell Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Learning the choreography is just the beginning. The real work comes when you start turning a group of individual dancers into a clean, polished team moving together with precision and uniformity. In this episode of Lights, Lines, & Leadership, I’m joined by my longtime friend, former colleague, and THE cleaning queen, Kim Cardwell, for a practical conversation about the cleaning process. We share strategies directors can use throughout footba...
10 Aug 2026
Ep. 4 - Field Tested: Building Football Routines That Dancers Love and Crowds Remember
Guest: Melissa Page Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Football choreography is its own art form. What looks great in the studio or gym doesn't always translate when your audience is watching from across a football field. In this episode of Lights, Lines, & Leadership, Southlake Carroll Emerald Belles director Melissa Page joins me to talk about creating football routines that are visual, entertaining, and memorable. We discuss what styles work best on the field, how to use formations, spacing,...
3 Aug 2026
Ep. 3 - Back to the Basics
Guest: Allie Hudak Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Strong technique isn't built by spending hours in ballet class—it's built through consistency, intentional teaching, and making every minute count. In this episode, I sit down with veteran dance team director and consultant Allie Hudak to discuss how directors can build stronger dancers by focusing on the fundamentals. From foot articulation and pliés to pirouettes, leaps, and strength training, we explore practical ways to incorporate technique in...
27 Jul 2026
Ep. 1 Welcome to Lights, Lines, and Leadership
Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff Welcome to the very first episode of Lights, Lines, & Leadership! In this introductory episode, I share the story behind the podcast, the experiences that shaped my career, and my vision for creating a place where the dance/drill team community can learn, connect, and grow together. Whether you're a director, dancer, parent, judge, or industry professional, my hope is that you'll leave each episode with practical ideas, fresh perspectives, and encouragement for...
27 Jul 2026
Ep. 2 Planning the Year So It Won't Plan You: Setting the Tone in the First 30 Days
Guest: Julie Stralow Hosted by: Kelli Woodruff The first 30 days of the season can shape everything that follows. In this episode of Lights, Lines, & Leadership, veteran dance team director Julie Stralow joins me for a conversation about one of the most important—and often most overwhelming—times of the year. Together, we share practical strategies for establishing expectations, building a positive team culture, creating organizational systems, and planning ahead so you can lead your te...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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