Dance Recital Tips - The Way They Should Be Written

#1 Your child is a preshush snowflake. We know this.  So is the person's child beside yours. Remember that. Everyone wants to to see their child perform. As a result, please refrain from the following behaviors:

• Stressing yourself out as if recital is an audition for the Joffrey Ballet.  It's not. And even if it was, it's the child's audition. Not yours.
• Yelling at your child and then yelling at them for crying because their eyes will be red on stage.
• Standing in front of people during the performance, thereby obstructing the view of someone else's preshush little snowflake.
• Talking during the performance. Just because you aren't interested, doesn't mean the person beside you isn't.
• Criticizing another child.  You don't know if their parents are sitting next to you.

#2 Respect the dance teachers and staff.  

• They will be busy. Do not take this time to ask if Little Suzy did a good job or if there will be dance class next Thursday.
• Do not ask the photographer (if there is one)  to take special pictures for you. He/She is also very busy.  There is a picture day for these kinds of requests.

• If you want to watch the dances, have a seat. Standing at the side of the stage is rude. It distracts from the dance, especially if your child is very young.  Buy a ticket and sit down. Many parents have to run back and forth between costume changes. It's part of the experience. Embrace it. 

#3 This relates to the first item. The recital is more than your child's class. There will be many, many numbers performing as there are many children involved. 

• Your child's dances will not be the first few numbers so that you can "get out of there."
• Allowing your child to watch the older kids will fill them with wonder and develop a deeper love for the art.  (Trust me on this.)
• If you must leave, do so quietly, without making a scene.
• Yes, it may take 2-2.5 hours for the recital to be finished. Enjoy it. These children have worked hard for many months to put on a good show for you.

#4 Things that I shouldn't have to say, but...

• Please refrain from using profanity in front of the children. It may be ok for you, but it may not for the kid standing next to you.
• Turn off your phone. No one cares that you're so important that you have to take a call in the middle of a performance.  It's rude.  And if you must take a call, go outside.
• Applaud for everyone.
• Thank the teachers for teaching your children.

Of course, they can't really put this stuff into a parent note.  But it would make things easier on everyone if they could. ;-)

57 Easy Steps for Preparing the first Competition of the Year - the week before.

1. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
2. Check Dance Competition Hub for complaints about how long it takes the competition to put out a schedule.
3. Compose packing list.
4. Clean out last year’s costumes from Dream Duffel.
5. Pretend like you don’t care about how much money you are packing into a rubbermaid container, never to be worn again.
6. Get on Amazon to order new hangars because there is not a single costume on a hangar in the bag.
7. Email teacher to find out if costume was supposed to have two gloves.
8. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.\
9. Run to drug store for eyelash glue.
10. Find full tube of eyelash glue that you just bought last fall  in side pocket of Dream Duffel.
11. Google how to clean 3 ounces of smashed 5 month old deodorant out of a canvas bag.
12. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
13. Taken inventory of make up.  If you have everything you need, you’ll be ordering a different brand this year.  If you are out, so is the store where you buy it.
14. Check the jewelry box.  Note that one earring is missing.  Email teacher to order a new pair.
15. Remember that you do not yet have a hotel. Spend approximately 4 hours on the computer researching prices, proximity of hotel to the venue, and availability of a continental breakfast that you’ll not even be able to eat because you have to leave the hotel so early each day because your dancer manages to have a 7 am call time both days.
16. Get on Twitter to complain about hotel prices.
17. Priceline and hold your breath.
18. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
19. Email teacher to see if she has a schedule yet.
20. Wonder why your emails to the teacher are suddenly bouncing back as undeliverable.
21. Drive to rehearsal.
22. Write a check larger than your car payment to cover entry fees.
23. Claim the “lost” glove from step 7.
24. Return home and realize that the costumes are still laying on your bed.
25. Throw costumes on top of your dresser. You’ll finish in the morning.
26. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
27. Get on Twitter to complain that there is no schedule.
28. Morning is here.  Get packing.
29. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
30. Carefully place each costume into its own garment bag. 
31. Label each garment bag with the name of the number and your child’s name.
32. Lay each costume neatly into the Dream Duffel.
33. Put make up, tights, earrings, and accessories each in their own little pocket.
34. Take a picture of your masterpiece because an hour into the first day, nothing will be in its place. 
35. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
36. Check your team’s Facebook page.  Read that the competition has not put out a schedule, but they would like for you to bring a 10X12 float for a spirit contest and would like you to follow their very strict guidelines for entry.
37. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
38. Unpack Dream Duffel so that you can recount the costumes to make sure you have everything.
39. Ask your dancer (even if she’s 17) to make sure every shoe has a right and a left.
40. Fill your car with gas.
41. Count costumes again.
42. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule.
43. Begin packing snacks for 14 hour days.
44. Realize that you have no snacks and go to the store.
45. Return home and pack the snacks.
46. Play a round of Tetris to remind you of how to pack your clothes, the Dream Duffel, the snacks, the shoes, the dancer’s bag of clothes that aren’t costumes into a trunk that is only half of the size of the items you are bringing.
47. Count the costumes again.
48. Pack the trunk
49. Look at the competition’s website for a schedule. It’s there!
50. Realize that your child’s first dance is at 7 a.m.  Her second one is at noon.  Her third is at 8 pm.  Awards are at midnight.
51. Buy more snacks.
52. Put the venue address into your GPS.  Realize that three blocks from your house, your GPS has updated to the latest version and it’s driving you in the wrong direction.
53. Arrive at venue only to realize that all of the roads around and leading up to the venue are closed because of a street fair. 
54. Obtain detour map from helpful volunteer.
55. Drive in circles for approximately 45 minutes.
56. Arrive at venue in a rush, thinking you are late, to find out that the competition is running two hours behind, despite having only started an hour ago.
57. Have fun and be prepared to do it all again in a few weeks!

*Yes, I know.  Not everyone does all of these steps and some of you do other steps.  It’s ok.

Virtual Dance Competition Entry Giveaway!

Imagine a dance competition with no hotel fees, no gas, no driving.  You don't have to get up at 5 am and stay until midnight.  You don't have to deal with cranky people.  You don't have to pay $12 for a program.  All you have to do is DANCE!!!!

That's what Virtual Dance Competition offers you--a chance to show off your skills...and just DANCE!

I don't know about you, but my last competition bill was nearly as much as my house payment.  Can I tell you how much it costs to enter a number at Virtual Dance Competition?  Can I?  $29.  EVEN FOR SOLOS!!!

But guess what?  We're going to give away FOUR entries absolutely free!  We want you to try this competition out...and tell your friends how much fun it was!

I'm sure you have lots of questions.  I did.  I found most of the answers here in the FAQ and in the Guidelines.

The contest will end Monday, April 7 at midnight.  You need to submit your videos by April 30th (as that's when your winning code will expire.)

So what do you need to do to enter?  Tweet about the contest.  Every day that you do, you get another entry.  You can also like Virtual Dance Competition  and Dance Parent Problems on Twitter and Facebook (if you already do, say so and you're entered!)  It's that simple.

Winners will be notified on Monday, April 7.  Please respond by Friday, April 11 to receive your code.





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