1. In regards to the dress rehearsals (at the Tenney Grammar School), performers should come dressed in costume, minus the performance tights, and proceed to the gym. All dancers must attend the dress rehearsal in order to perform in the show. Only females are allowed in the gym (boys will have their own dressing room), so please make appropriate arrangements when scheduling who will bring your dancer (s) to the rehearsal. If the performers are in more than one dance, they should dress in the costume that they are wearing first and bring the others on hangers. When dealing with costume accessories, it is easier to put all accessories (tights, gloves, headpieces, feathers, etc.) associated with a costume in the bags that we’ve supplied with your costume. Make sure to label all costume pieces and shoes to avoid mixing costumes with other dancers and so that when we find anything that has been left behind, it can be identified.
2. For, both, the rehearsal and the performance, please have dancers leave all jewelry, including rings and earrings, at home.
3. All dance shoes should be cleaned before the recital. Any all purpose household cleaner will do. Make sure that all white tap shoes have their original white ribbons in them. If you have misplaced them, you can purchase 1/2” gross grain ribbon at any sewing or craft store (1 yard cut into 2 equal pieces). Make sure to double knot all tap shoes. We have seen many a child stop dancing to tie a bow and before they know it, their dance is over.
4. Each class has been instructed on a specific hair style. If you are unsure, please ask your child’s teacher. If your hairstyle is a bun, the secret is a hairnet. They are available in any pharmacy such as CVS, Rite Aid & Walgreens, to name a few. They come in envelopes of three and should be the same color as the performers hair. Use bobby pins to secure shorter pieces and again, they should be the same color as the performers hair. Bangs must be pulled off of the face as they cast a shadow over the dancer’s eyes. All hairstyles should be sprayed with hairspray to keep it in place during the performance. Note: Gel can also be used to pull shorter hair into a bun or a pony tail. Even classes who have been instructed to keep hair down should spray it to prevent fly-aways.
5. Make up onstage is necessary to prevent your dancer’s face from becoming washed out. Mauve or pink eye shadow, blush (high in the cheekbone), clear red lipstick and mascara should be applied on the day of the recital. Please refrain from using body or hair glitter. It is not necessary to put make up on the dancers for dress rehearsal. Dress rehearsals are used to eliminate costume mishaps and work out any technical glitches so that we can bring you as professional a show as possible.
6. Dancers should not wear undergarments. They hang down and show under the tights. We have ordered high quality tights for this reason. The tights will be distributed as the show draws near and are only to be worn on the day of the recital. On the dress rehearsal, the dancers can wear their class tights.
7. No one is allowed in the auditorium for the dress rehearsals. Please inform whoever will be taking your dancer so that there are no misunderstandings. The dress rehearsal is also used as a technical rehearsal for the backstage crew and it must be completely quiet in the auditorium.
8. On the day of the recital, performers are to arrive no later than 10:15 am for the 11:00 noon show and 2:15 pm for the 3:00 show. Please factor in parking and travel time. Dancers are to stay in their assigned dressing rooms during the entire performance. We will provide water in the dressing rooms and ask that although the dancers should be hydrated it will be necessary to make sure that our younger dancers have used the bathrooms well before it is their turn to go onstage. All students are in the Finale’. Do not take your dancer into the auditorium during the show. The staff will come into the auditorium at intermission and collect any misplaced dancers. Please adhere to this rule; it would be completely unfair for us to allow anyone to bring their dancer into the auditorium without allowing everyone to do the same. The dressing rooms are quite large and the dancers will get to see the recital, as it is being performed, on closed circuit TV.
9. On the day of the recital, check the line-up of the show to find out when you will have to come back to change your dancer for the next number. We have tried to space all combination ballet/tap classes so that there is only one number in each half of the show. This way, it eliminates the need to pop in and out of your seat during the performance. This can be distracting to others around you who are trying to watch the show. At intermission, you can pick up your dancer from the dressing room to bring them out into the lobby or outside for some fresh air. Please bring an oversized shirt or bathrobe on the day of the performance. Dad’s oversized button down shirt are ideal for covering up costumes without messing up hairstyles. Dancer’s must be covered up whenever they are outside of the dressing room.
10. We know that you want pictures of your child performing, so we have hired a professional videographer to tape the show for you. Video equipment and flash photography are not allowed in the auditorium. The flash is disruptive and dangerous to our dancers and cannot be permitted. It also distorts our video. There will be staff members in the audience to strictly enforce this rule. Please inform your guests. The professional videographer will capture it all.
11. Any and all balances should be cleared up by June. Dancers will not be allowed to perform with an outstanding balance, of any kind.
12. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. Please, remember that throughout the year we try to make your child’s dance experience as positive as possible. We understand that you may have had to leave work early or arrange for a baby sitter for younger siblings, but try to stay positive in front of your dancer, so that all of the time and energy, as well as sacrifices, will be worth it. We ask you to adhere to the rules and regulations for the benefit of our dancers and the quality of the performance. We are also training dancers to continue on in a professional capacity and this is part of their training. This may not be as important to the parents of a 5 year old but, trust me, this will be extremely important to that very same dancer 10 years from now. I am quite sure that there are studios out there where your child can come out and sit in the audience and there are camera flashes going off every 10 seconds. The staff at Dance Images Dance Center respects the time and energy that you and your families have put into your training to put on such a show. Every year, we are consistently being told that our show is among the most professional. We can only bring you
that kind of product if everyone adheres to the guidelines that we have outlined for you in this packet. Our dancers have worked hard for this day and they deserve to have it be about them, all of them.
