Sequins and glitter and bows – OH MY! “What is the point of all of this Recital fuss?”

Recital is like the “graduation ceremony” of the year where the combination of weekly dance technique, focused performance skills and hard work is celebrated on the big stage. It is not a “come and go” occasion, but rather a show where each dancer can celebrate their own contribution to the full production.  We intend for recital to be a special day for families and dancers to take pride in how far their child has grown, and create special memories that they will look back on fondly in future years.

Your child’s dance education is expensive, exhausting and extremely rewarding. Recital prep is early mornings, late nights, and weekends. Recital is speed-eating chicken nuggets in the hallway in between routines. Recital is costumes that itch, tights that ride up, and more hairspray than you can imagine.  But if you can look past the crazy, you will see the magic, and you will understand why recital is so important to your dancer and his or her teachers.

To the non-dancer, all the fuss around costumes, choreography, makeup, and performance skills may seem like a bunch of insanity. However, there is purpose to the madness, and so many valuable life lessons can be learned through performance experiences. This is why we put an emphasis on the importance of community performance opportunities and our year-end recital.

So, back to the question: What is the point of all of it? We’re so glad you asked!    

• To teach ALL the elements of being a performer – from technique in the classroom to the final bow on stage.

• To teach respect for the performing arts and the creative process.

• To teach proper stage language. There is a stage language that all performers are expected to know.

• To teach teamwork. Dancers should understand their role in the big picture within the production team.

• To teach dancers how to be artists, how to communicate through the arts, and how to relate to others.

• To teach problem-solving, critical thinking, and situational flexibility. What if this happens? If this, then this….When this happens, do this…Don’t do it unless this also happens. When in doubt, just keep smiling and dancing. The show must go on!

• To learn to take correction with grace. No dancer is perfect. No performance is perfect. Applying correction is a critical part of the learning process.

Our primary goal is for our dancers to learn the art of performing, as well as to understand the preparation and training required to take their performance from the classroom to the stage.

The recital choreography is designed to take the technical skills that dancers have been working on this year and incorporate them into a recital dance that students enjoy, with music that is relatable to their age and level.  Skills that have been mastered (along with those that are a work in progress) will be incorporated into the choreography, so that the repetition of these skills as students rehearse the dance each week will aid in improving the execution of the various technical elements.  

Our focus is not on perfection of these specific skills (as you know, dance takes years and years of training).  Our focus is instead on using the dance as a fun way to practice targeted age and level specific dance technique and learn performance skills.  Regardless of the dancer’s level and technical ability, performance skills and showcasing their joy and energy when they dance is the primary objective of the recital performance. 

There are few things more rewarding than watching a child come to life on stage! As a teacher, it is what we spend all year looking forward to. As a parent, it is confirmation that despite the challenges, you are doing something right!

www.3-ddance.com