The weeks leading up to, and the week of a dance recital, can cause a lot of stress for dancers as well as for their parents.
Recital is the culmination of a year’s full of hard work, and each dancer wants to shine in front of fellow dancers, family, and friends.
This can all lead to getting over stressed, so we are providing some quick tips on how to keep a level head during the days leading up to your next recital.
Start Planning a Few Weeks Before the Actual Dance Recital
It is a good idea not to wait to the last minute to plan things, so it makes sense to start getting the things you will need (costumes, accessories, shoes, tights, etc.) together in a safe place in your room. This will help keep you organized as your approach recital.
Some Key Preparation Ideas
It really helps to label everything you plan to take to the recital hall. Our studio provides every dancer a personalized garment bag with their names and dance numbers on it.
The garment bag includes all costumes, accessories, tights, and recital T-shirts if purchased.
We suggest that the dancer or parent further places a label on the bag indicating which shows they are in, the dance order for each show the dancer is in, and noting any quick costume change-over situations.
This step goes a long way in making sure the dancer is ready and increases the chance of keeping calm when it is show day.
Use a Checklist
When you do your pre-planning leading up to recital week, make sure you use a checklist of the things you need to pack, tasks you need to accomplish, and anything else you need to make sure to remember.
Do this early and double check at least once. This helps in making sure nothing falls in the cracks.
Extras
Make sure to pack extras of the key things you may need during rehearsals and recital shows. Extras of things like tights, safety pins, hair spray, and make-up can really come in handy and helps keep you calm.
Memorize the Rehearsal Schedule and Start Times for Actual Recital Day(s)
Rehearsals are an important part of every studio’s recital week, so it is important you know the exact rehearsals times for your dances.
Know when, where, and what costuming you need for each of the dances when it comes to rehearsals. It is important not only for you to be there on time, but it also impacts the other dancers in your routines.
Make every attempt to get to the rehearsal hall ahead of time, not just in time or late.
Food and Water
It is usually a good idea to pack some food, and especially water, as rehearsals and recital shows can often run a long time. Nourishment and water can be essential to keep you feeling and performing at your best.
When packing food for backstage, make sure you check with you studio for any backstage food policies.
For example, our studio has a number of dancers with nut allergies, and we ban any foods with nuts in them to prevent any medical situations for those children with allergies. Just ask the studio owner what types of foods are not permitted backstage.
To those of you dancers who are veterans of multiple recitals, these steps are probably already part of your routine. Those of you dancers who are fairly new to recital week, or this is your first recital as a dancer or dancer’s parent, these steps can be invaluable to having a stress free and fun recital experience.
