Dance recitals can be stressful! There are countless moving parts to preparing for a dance recital (wrangling your dancers and their parents to name just one). To help you out, here several things you should do before the big day to ensure your show runs smoothly!
1. Start by building your project plan.
You’ll be able to use this high-level project plan for all your recitals. Make sure you include every aspect that goes into planning a recital, from the logistics to the program to promotions.
One key area that you should plan well in advance for is professional videography. We found that many dance studios have their annual dance recitals about the same time of year – late May and early June. If your dance studio has a need for dance recital video, it’s best to contact us early to discuss your production need and schedule that date!
2. Help the parents to help you.
Make your parents’ recital information packet a useful tool, not just another long document they have to read. Break information up into checklists and include a master calendar with deadline dates highlighted. Make concise “do and don’t” lists, such as how they should care for the costumes. Set out parental responsibilities and what you expect from them. Share information on how they can help their kids stay focused and work through any dance recital jitters.
3. Do the same for your volunteers.
Volunteers should have specific tasks and responsibilities, so nothing falls through the cracks. Have regular check-ins with the volunteer team to get updates and make sure everything is on track.
4. Take advantage of the digital age.
Push out recital-related announcements and reminders through your parents’ portal or mobile app. Have an online hub for recital information for parents and volunteers that includes a calendar and discussion forum. You could use a private Facebook page set up just for recital management or another family/event project management tool. Make your parent and volunteer information packets available online so people can download a second copy if needed.
5. Have extras.
You can’t have spare, complete costumes laying around. That’s not realistic. Yet you can have extra hair and costume accessories — especially those little pieces that tend to go missing at the worst times. If any routines have props, have a few extras of those as well. If you have a repeat offender, you can think about asking the parents to buy extra accessories themselves.
6. Don’t wing your opening and closing speeches.
Your students don’t wing their dances. You choreograph it out, and they rehearse. Do the same with your speeches. Write them down. Practice them, so you know exactly how long they are really are. Practice them in front of some trusted people and get their feedback. Don’t stress about them, just treat them as you would a dance you’d perform.
7. Hire A Professional Videographer
We know and understand that students, teachers, and audiences enjoy reliving the performance, not only in the weeks and months after the recital dance, but in years to come. Video recording is also important in terms of review and future growth of the studio and students. Make sure you hire the right videographer to keep your memories sharp!
8. Track all your expenses.
It’s not glamorous, true. However, how successful can any dance recital be if you’ve gone way over budget? Not very successful. Stay on top of what you spend.
Interested in Learning More?
You can trust that if SharpShooters Video shoots your show, we do whatever we can to make it look & sound as good as possible. Because when your show looks good, you look good. And that's what everyone remembers!
Ready to get started? Click here to get a price quote for your upcoming show or dance recital.