Recital is just around the corner and I’ll bet our dancers are as excited as we are to be heading over to Holy Trinity for their Dress Rehearsal Week. Excitement is probably only one of the emotions swirling around in their heads though, and sometimes it can be difficult to know how to be supportive without overdoing it, or not doing enough.

Miss Mary has always suggested that parents tell our younger first time recital dancers that Miss Mary’s studio is being cleaned so for recital we’ll just be dancing in another place, no big deal, just mention it and let it go. Most likely they will too, especially if you treat Dress Rehearsal Week as just part of our regular routine. Making a big deal out of the costume and make-up and how fantastic they look is perfectly fine, and may actually make them generally excited about the whole experience.

Whether your dancer is receiving their 10 year trophy this year or stepping up into the lights for the first time, being nervous about performing is something everyone experiences. If they should miss a step or freeze, or get through the entire routine without putting a toe out of place the reaction should be the same. “YOU WERE AWESOME!” It takes a lot of courage to get up there on that stage in front of so many people and give it your all. It is also physically draining especially when your dancer is in multiple numbers or shows.

After the recital performance you can definitely head out and celebrate! It’s the perfect time to make a really big deal out what they just accomplished. Make sure to remind them of how hard they worked all year to get to that performance, and how amazing it was to see them improve throughout the year. Don’t forget to capture that wonderful memory with a photo of them on our ‘red carpet” outside of the lobby doors!

We’ll see you in the theater!