Dance Recital T-Shirts

Dance Recital T-Shirts

Dance recital t-shirts are a great way to promote your annual dance production and your dance school. The t-shirts can also be reused for future events such as casual or smaller performances or parades. You can have students purchase the shirts at your studio or you can sell them on the actual day of your dance recital. I have found it to work well by building in a small additional cost to the costume fee, so that every student receives a t-shirt along with their recital costume. I then would have all the students wear the recital t-shirt for the grande finale of the show. I would assign that they wear something like black dance pants or certain colored shorts to wear with the t-shirt. It always ended up looking nice to have all my students match on stage at once for the finale.

A company that I highly recommend for great quality recital t-shirts that are decently priced is Dance World Bazaar. The website is http://www.dawobaz.com/. The great thing is that they have a lot of stock designs that your studio's name and info can be easily added onto. It is quick and easy to receive and approve samples and the minimum order number is 36 t-shirts. Dance World Bazaar also does custom designs. There were a couple times that they created a special design for me from my own idea or a picture that I had gathered somewhere else. The best part is that the recital shirts are very affordable. There is a small additional charge if you want multiple ink colors or colored shirts other than white, ash, or natural. For an additional $2 per shirt you can also include a list of all the dancer's names on the back of the shirts. I did this several times and it turned out great. Dance World Bazaar can also do program covers and posters to match your recital graphic. You can also pay to have your artwork sent to you on CD-ROM. Dance World Bazaar also does other things like studio logos, other types of dance apparel, dance bags, and jackets. Check it out!

Photographing & Videotaping

Photographing & Videotaping Dance Recitals

Taking photographs and videotaping dance recitals is a touchy subject with parents that one can talk about in continuous circles. If you are a dance studio owner or dance teacher, you know that it is impossible to make everyone happy. Hear are some thoughts about capturing those special moments in dance recitals.

How do you explain to parents why they cannot take pictures or video their child's dance during the performance? One issue is safety. In today's times, you do not necessarily know that every person videotaping in the audience is a loving parent. You never know exactly who is sitting in the audience and what their purpose of being there is. Another safety issue is that a flash going off in dancers' eyes can be dangerous. A flash can be disorientating, distracting, and could cause a serious accident. There is also the occasional safety issue of the audience. There have been stories told how parents got into fist fights in the audience over rude behavior. It is amazing how some people can be so distracting and inconsiderate, such as blocking other people's views, walking up to the edge of the stage during a show, making distracting motions to get their child's attention, or standing up in the row, aisle, or on a seat. If an out of control situation happens, due to people in the audience taking pictures or videotaping, it is appropriate to ban the privilege from future recitals. Many times after experiencing that kind of craziness, parents will thank you for taking efforts to make their viewing experience of the recital more pleasurable.

Other reasons to prohibit photography and videography is to prevent stealing of choreography. Sometimes it does happen that someone will buy a ticket at the door and come into your show to video your choreography and then later use it as their own. I have had this happen to me. One of my pieces I choreographed was performed by another dance school. This also happened to a friend of mine. I was judging a dance competition and happened to view her choreography being performed by another dance studio. You can also remind the parents of your studio that when you buy a ticket to go see any theatre performance, you almost always are not allowed to record the performance. This is teaching proper theatre etiquette. Parents will quickly point out that you are not putting on a Broadway production of The Lion King, but don't be afraid to let them know how hard you have worked on every year's show.

A fair solution to offer parents is to allow them to only take pictures or videotape during dress rehearsal. Most of the time this satisfies everyone involved. Parents will actually get better views of the dance to record, since the audience is not filled with as many people. It will also get rid of all those annoying distractions for the actual show night. Parents can then sit back and enjoy the actual day of the show without being consumed with cameras and camcorders. You can also remind parents that they miss a lot of the show when they watch it through a viewfinder of a recording device. Even if you allow picture taking and videotaping during dress rehearsal, you should still offer a DVD of the performance. Often there are parents that later realize that their movie making abilities aren't as good as a professional. I know from personal experience with my camcorder, that when taping a dance recital, the stage lights interfere greatly with the picture. A professional has the knowledge of working with the bright lights and other problems of videotaping in a theatre setting. If you decide to allow videotaping during your show, you may suggest that people only videotape from the balcony.

When hiring or choosing a videographer, there is a few things to remember. View samples of their previous work and get recommendations. Instruct the videographer to capture all the students in each dance. Make sure he or she tapes in a wide angel and does a couple pans of quick close ups. Make sure to warn parents that the produced videos are not recordings of "their child," but of everyone. Parents do forget this sometimes. Ask the videographer to use multiple cameras. You may also ask the videographer to have an option on the DVD to watch the dances all in widescreen. You can also ask for the dances to be filmed in widescreen and then in the corner of the screen have pop up windows of close ups of each child's face. Finally, make sure your videographer attends the dress rehearsal, so he or she knows the course of the show and can note entrances and exits. You may also request that the person also tapes the dress rehearsal, so that if there is footage accidentally missed or equipment malfunctions, you have a backup. One year during one of the dance recitals I produced, the first dance after intermission was left off the video, because the guy went outside for a smoke. It is ok to videotape the recital yourself, if you have the capabilities and knowledge. It is also easy to burn copies of the DVD's yourself. Just make sure you do a really good job and provide a superior end product.

Don't feel bad about telling your customers about how most of the money goes towards paying the videographer for their time and production work afterwards. Parents must understand that it takes lots of money to produce a recital. Often dance studio owners hardly make a profit, if not at all, on recital DVD's and/or the entire show.

A word about professional rectial photographs. Almost all dance studios arrange a picture day before their recital, where students can have a professional photograph of themself and their class taken. Choose a good photgrapher that delivers quality products, but doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Make the picture process quick and painless for families and offer preordered packages to make the process on your end easier once the photos are finished. Make sure students receive their pictures before the end of your recital season. As far as videos, there is no choice but for students to receive their DVD's after the recital is well over. Announce a pick up day and time when families can pick up their videos at the dance studio.

Lastly, the recital videos and professional photographs should be remembered as a lasting memory. Parents often comment that students watch the DVD all summer. I know I like to go back and watch myself as a child on my old VHS recital tapes. My own children enjoy my old dance recital videos as well as their own. As children grow into adults, they will appreciate the photos and movies of their younger dance years to look back on.

Do A Little Dancing Yourself

Do A Little Dancing Yourself And Perform

Don't be afraid to perform a little in your own dance recital production. Everyone likes to actually see the dance teacher dance once in a while, especially students. Do a short solo or dance with one of your groups of students. You can even make it a surprise and keep it secret until performance day. Perform in good taste and remember that the show is not about you, but about your students.

Honoring Dedicated Students

Honoring Your Dedicated Students

At the end of your recital, honor the students that have been with you for years. For students that have been with you for 5 years, present them with a certificate and/or flowers. Students that you have been teaching for 10 and 15 years present them with an honorary plaque. Make it short & sweet or be a little fancy. For example, have each dancer walk down the center aisle in a formal dress or gown escorted by her father in a suite or tux. Give a brief presentation of her name, her parents names, number of years dancing with you, grade and name of school she attends, her goals, and her dreams. Have the father give her a kiss and escort her up on the stage. Present her with an award and quickly give hugs and kisses. Make the presentation memorable, but keep it moving quickly. Don't get caught up in exteme emotions of crying and babble.

Check & Recheck Tape Marks On Stage

Enter your search terms Submit search form

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.

Entertaining Small Dancers Backtage

Entertaining Dancers Backstage

The hardest part for the moms helping backstage is entertaining the students while they wait. It is a must for the moms to keep the dancers under control so that they do not become restless, loud, or run around. Give your helpers ideas to keep the peace. Have them play quite games as simon says, guessing games, or eye spy. Play a simple game with movements that can be a warm up before the show.

Dressing room moms can bring books to read, coloring sheets, card games, or best of all a portable DVD player with some children's dance movies. Here is a cool sight where you can quickly and easily create a word search. Type in all the dance words you can think of and then it automatically creates a word search. Hand it out to older students to keep them occupied. http:/www.puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp

Be clear if you do or do not allow food or drink in the dressing area or while dancers are in costume. Check the rules of the facility you are using and then set your rules for how you want dancers to handle food and drinks. Lots of times only water is allowed while in costume and food is allowed only after costumes are taken off after performing. If dancers are going to only be backstage for a short time, then food is usually not necessary. If your dance recital is 4 hours long, then you have to be realistic and expect dancers to need a snack at some point. Snacks should be provided by the students themselves or by the backstage moms if they are very willing.

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.

Print Programs For Less

Print The Programs For Your Show For Less

Having the programs made for your dance recital can cost a good chunk of change. First of all, have your programs "copied" by a service such as Kinkos or OfficeMax. It will cost less than having the programs actually "printed" by a company that works with a printing press.

Sell "happy ads" that can be placed in the back of the program to families of dancers. Dancers' loved ones can send messages of congratulations for all to see. Charge by the inch or by the word and charge extra for pictures. The audience loves to have reading material to look at before the show and during intermission. It is also ok to ask local businesses to sponsor your show by placing an advetisment in your program. Send out letters to business owners telling them about your performance and informing them how many people attend your event. Keep the price very reasonable. Business owners like any form of cheap advertising. There may also be families in your dance school that own local businesses, that may love the extra attention. Suggest that those families include a photo of their dancer or her friends in their ad.

Students Dropping Out Of Recital

When A Student Drops Out Of The Recital

How do you handle when a student drops out after signing up for the recital. If a student drops out after paying the costume deposit but before you order the costume, return the deposit amount. The small amount of money is not worth the bad word of mouth that can be spread by an unhappy parent. If a student drops out after you have ordered the costume, politely inform the parent of the costume consent form rules that you hopefully had them sign. Nicely explain you can not refund or return the costume, since it was already ordered. Although, tell the parent you will make one informative phone call to the company to inquire about a possible cancellation or return. Try a phone call to the company and see what they say. All you can do is try. Sometimes they will graciously let you return or cancel. If you succeed or give a little effort, it will make the leaving parent a little happier and hopefully not leave spreading any bad word of mouth. No matter how annoyed or bothered you feel, always be polite.

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.

Reducing Cost Of Theatre Rentals

Rent Your Performance Space For Less

Is the auditorium or theatre that you rent for your recital too expensive? Try this tip. Sometimes, if you're non/profit or giving proceeds to charity, you can lease your performance space for less or free. From your proceeds pay yourself, your staff, and other costs and then make a donation to a local charitable organization. There are many benefits. It is great publicity for your dance studio and it will make those who buy a ticket feel like it is for a good cause. Your local newspapers should publish you for free for making a charitable donation. Every year, pick a different oraganization for around your community to make your donation to. Have people from that oraganization come and help at your recital. Have them sell tickets, usher, hand out programs, sell flowers or concessions, clean up, or help you with whatever else you need. Make sure you state in the show's program about the organization, your proceeds going to charity, and about your past donations.

How To Shorten A Recital

Shorten Your Recital

Are your recitals just getting to long? Does your audience complain the show is just too long? A 4 hour recital is just too crazy for people to sit through. If you have a lot of dancers and want to significantly shorten your show time, then try this. Use longer pieces of music that are 7 to 12 minutes or more in length. Incorporate multiple classes into one larger dance. Have each class do a different section of the song, have the groups move on and off stage throughout the piece of music, or have all the classes dance together. You could cut the running time of your show significantly. Another idea is to divide your show into two acts. Sell tickets to each act as if they were two different shows on the same day. That way families can see their child dance and not have to sit through an entire show. It will also increase the chance of the audience staying in their seats without getting up to leave early. It will take a little extra thinking on your part to try to get siblings in same families to dance in the same act. Leave an hour inbetween the two acts so that there is a transition time between shows for people to leave and arrive to the auditorium, to drop off and pick up children, and meet, greet, and take photos of their dancer.

How To Do Simple Hair Buns

How To Do Simple Hair Buns

Here is a quick and easy bun hairstyle, especially for parents of children that panic about learning to put a bun in their child's hair for a recial. Pull hair into a ponytail in the center of the back of the head. You should not be able to see the ponytail when you look at your face in ther mirror. Take a sock and cut the toe off of it. Put your arm through the sock. Roll the top of the sock from top to bottom until the entire sock form as donut shape. Take your "sock donut" and pull the pontytail all the way through the center of it until the donut is touching your head. Have the dancer drop their head all the way foreward so that the ponytail falls over the top of the donut in a circular fan pattern. With your fingers, adjust the hair to cover the entire sock donut. Take an elastic band that is the same color as the dancer's hair and put it over the entire sock donut. Have the dancer lift their head up. Twist and tuck all of the extra loose pieces of hair under and around the bun in the same direction and secure with bobby pins. Spray with hairspray and use additional spray or gel to tame loose hairs on the rest of the head. A hairnet may also be used over the bun if you wish. Using damp hair for the entire process works the best. For small child dancers or for dancers with not a lot of hair use a smaller child's sock. For older dancers, for longer hair, or for a larger bun effect, use a larger sock, such as a men's tube sock. It can also be useful to sometimes use a sock that is similar to the same color of the dancer's hair.

For more examples on other ways to create hair buns, watch this great video that I found on Youtube from the Anaheim Ballet.