Check & Recheck Tape Marks On Stage

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Double Check Your Stage

Just about every dance instructor uses tape marks on the stage floor to serve as guides for where dancers need to stand on stage. We all have no problem checking our stage markings before the show begins. Although, always remember to check or assign someone to remember to check the tape marks during intermission. It is very easy to loose a tape marking during the show. I have seen tape marks carried off on bottoms of shoes, on costumes, on backs, in hair, or just plain picked off by a tiny dancer that would rather pick at your stage floor than do their dance on stage. It is easy to forget to check your stage floor during that all to quick intermission, when you feel like you have a long list of things to do in that 10 to 15 minutes before the curtain rises again. Remember to deligate and your directing experience will be a lot easier. A note about taping the stage. Colored electrical tape works great. I would use electrical tape and then place dot stickers ontop of that. I would label the front row dots with capital letters and the back row dots with numbers. Also, remember that some 3 & 4 year old dancers may have trouble reading some of the numbers and letters. When teaching them their dance routine, make a special point of teaching them their assigned numbers. Think of it as a little extra academic learning.

Organized Costumes In A Dressing Room

Keep Everyone's Costumes Organized In The Dressing Room

Have dancers bring their costume and dance shoes in brown grocery sacks. Clearly right the dancers name on the front of the bag and line the bags up on the floor. All dancers need to do is reach into their bag to find all of their costume essentials when getting dressed and then everything is quickly placed back into the bag when dancers undress. This way a dressing room full of dancers can quickly find their own stuff and not loose or accidently switch costume pieces with someone else. It is much easier for dancers to stay organized with this "sack" system than with racks full of costumes that seem to never get hung up properly. When dancers leave the dressing run, have them double check their belongs and make sure they have everything or that their stuff is ready to go and in good condition for the next performance.

Benefits For Helping Backstage

Gives Benefits For Helping Backstage

Every recital needs moms to help backstage to help the dancers. Give incentives for those parents who sign up to help. Give 2 free tickets to them if they help backstage. Reserve 2 seats in rows 1 to 4 for parents who help. Give each helping parent a matching recital t-shirt. State clearly that parents will still be able to see their child dance on stage, even though they are working backstage during the show. Have a disignated area for backstage helpers to sit or stand to see their child when they to out on stage to dance. Acknowledge parent helpers in the program and in any speech that you may give at the end of your show. Don't forget to later send thank you notes! If parents feel appreciated, then they will sign up to help again next year.