Happy New Year

*This recital theme follows the months throughout the year and all the special holidays and events we celebrate*

Act I

Scene I

"Lets Celebrate"

New Years Eve 200?- Open your recital with an energetic dance to the most popular party song of the year. You can use a large group and several groups of different ages to fill up the stage with lots of dancing.

Valentines Day- For an older mature dance, costume dancers in hot pink sequin dresses and dance to Pink by Aerosmith.

St. Patricks Day- Wear green and tap to Happy Feet (High Heels Mix) from the album Something for Everyone by Jack Hylton & his orchestra.

Happy Birthday- This is a dance for a duo or small group of little dancers. Dress them in bright colored party costumes and party hats. Build large wooden boxes for the dancers to pop out of. Have them dance to Disney's A Very Merry Unbirthday from Alice & Wonderland.

Happy Anniversary- Perform a solo or a group dance to Love Changes Everything by Michael Crawford.

Scene II

"Spring"

April Fools Day- Tap to That Old Black Magic from the album Wild Cool & Swingin' by Louis Prima, Keely Smith Butera & The Witnesses. Of course costume dancers in black.

Easter Lambs- Costume your little cuties as lambs and have them dance to "Mairsy dote and dosey dotes and little lambs eat ivy."

May Day- Choreography a dance around a may pole and have pretty dancers twirl and skip with ribbons around and around. Use the music Sunday Morning Suite or Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills.

Mother's Day- Incorporate a sentimental moment into the show by having your older students dance to Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion or Terms of Endearment.

Graduation- Choreograph an abstract modern piece to Time After Time (The S.F.E. Version) by Tara Morice from the Something For Everyone Album.

Act II

Scene III

"Summer"

Memorial Day- Seek out camoflauge dance wear and choreograph to Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum. The song can also be found on the Forrest Gump soundtrack.

4th of July- There are many songs you can choose to dance to for a 4th of July theme. Try having smaller dancers tap to a combo of Yankee Doodle Dandee and an upbeat version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Costume dancers in red, white, & blue from head to toe and have them dance in front of large red, white, and blue stars.

Father's Day- Bring down the pace and do a lovely choreographed dance to Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. Incorporate long white pieces of tulle during the wedding portion of the song. You may use only older dancers or a variety of ages of dancers throughout the piece. There won't be a mom in the house with a dry eye.

Labor Day- A group of dancers can do a modern piece with large push brooms. Experiment with pushing, swinging, throwing, twirling, and hanging on them. Use the TV Song by Blue Man Group from the Album Audio.

Sweetest Day- Tap dance to Jump, Jive, An' Wail from the album Wild Cool & Swingin' by Louis Prima, Keely Smith Butera & the Witnesses. If you like, you can use props such as boas, parasols, or canes.

Scene IV

"Fall"

Halloween- There are two dances in this section. First have dancers dressed as trick-or-treaters in a halloween costume of their choice. Have them dance with matching pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets. Use the song I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow. At the end of the dance have the dancers sit on hay bales that are set up as scenery. Then have a solo dancer come out and tap to Come On To My House by Rosemary Clooney. At the end of the witch's dance, have her motion to the trick-or-treaters and they will then run after her off stage.

Harvest- If you have a group of tumbling students, do a tumbing routine with lots of tricks and dancing to Cotton Eye Joe by the Rednecks.

Thanksgiving- This is a fun routine for 4-5 year olds. Costume the kids as Indians and have them dance to I'm An Indian Too by Ethel Merman from Annie Get Your Gun. At the end of the dance have the dancers sit Indian style with arms crossed in 3 seperate circles. Continue the dancing to Steady As A Beating Drum from Disney's Pocahontas and have them end in multiple totaum pole poses.

Scene V

"Winter

*Decorate the stage with a lighted Christmas tree and an antique style love seat.*

Happy Holidays- A ballet dance for intermediate students. Costume dancers in matching dresses with half wearing green and half wearing red. Have the girls dance in with presents. They will dance with the presents and place them under the Christmas tree. Use The Nutcracker Op 7: No 2 by Tchaikovsky.

Clara- Choose an older and qualified student to dance the part of Clara. Use The Nutcracker Op 71: No 1 by Tchaikovsky. Have clara come onto the stage in her nightgown and a battery operated candle. Have her dance around the tree, shake the presents, open a box and discover the nutcracker. After dancing with the nutcracker she falls asleep on the love seat while holding him.

Mice- Small dancers dressed as mice enter and run around and tease sleeping Clara. They wake her up and scare her and take the nutcracker. Have Clara and the mice dance to The Nutcracker Op 71: No 7.

Sugar Plum Fairy- The Sugar Plum Fairy now enters and vanishes the mice away with her wand. Clara sits back on the love seat with the nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy dances to her theme music. Have the Sugar Plum Fairy dance on pointe. Towards the end of the dance of the sugar plum fairy, have Clara get up and dance with her. Have them perform fast jumps together towards the end of the music. End with Clara holding the nutcracker sitting on the sugar plum fairy's knee as the curtain goes down.

Grande Finale

"New Years Eve 200?"

Have all dancers on stage performing an easy combination with simple arm movements. Use levels so everyone can be seen. Position older dancers around the stage so that younger dancers can follow them. Use the song Celebration by Kool and the Gang. Make sure everyone, including yourself and your staff takes a bow.