Dear Parents and Students,
Gotta Dance! provides students with exciting performance experiences through its recitals. It’s a rite of passage for thousands of dancers; a chance to shine in front of family and friends, that students anticipate with nervous excitement!
A big part of the dance training process includes learning through performance. The experience helps build self-esteem, self-assurance, and contributes to a sense of confidence. Performance opportunities contribute to children’s success in non-dance activities. That onstage experience can result in better in-school presentations, improved social skills, and strong interview skills for future college or job opportunities.
The rehearsal process is a tremendous learning experience as well. It helps the children develop retention skills, and they learn the positive aspects of working as a team.
It is the responsibility of the ENTIRE COMMUNITY, students, parents, teachers and directors to do their part to make a great show. The recital is only as successful as WE make it - let's work together to make the recital a magical experience for your child!
We’ve created an online survival guide in an effort to clarify Gotta Dance!'s recital process. It can be found below.
We look forward to great shows!
Ms. Anne
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RECITAL CAN BE FOUND BELOW
GOTTA DANCE! PRESENTS...
8TH ANNUAL RECITAL
"THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS!"
THEATRE LOCATION:
to be announced
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023 Time: 6:00PM
RECITAL TICKETS
All seats require a ticket. You do NOT need a ticket for your dancer. No ticket required for lap children. Please read our ticket policy. There are no tickets available at the door. All tickets must be purchased in advance.
Yes, it is assigned seating and yes, there are designated wheelchair assigned areas.
Tickets- $20 Tickets will go on sale on May 1, 2023
MANDATORY TECHNICAL REHEARSAL
MAY 18, 2023 - (THURSDAY)
MANDATORY TECHNICAL REHEARSAL AT THE THEATRE FOR ALL DANCERS INCLUDING TINY TOTS
Dancer Sign-in 4:00 pm SHARP
PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD WEAR HIS/HER 2023 RECITAL T-SHIRT. They should wear black leggings or sweatpants. It is cold in the theatre sometimes so please no shorts.
EVERY DANCER IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND TECHNICAL REHEARSALS and REMAIN UNTIL DISMISSED BY THE DIRECTOR. FAILURE TO ATTEND THE ENTIRE TECHNICAL REHEARSALS WILL PREVENT THE DANCER FROM PERFORMING IN THE SHOW. PLEASE DO NOT ASK IF YOUR DANCER CAN LEAVE EARLY. WE ARE AWARE IT IS A SCHOOL NIGHT AND WE WORK VERY HARD TO GET ALL THE DANCERS DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
We will dismiss students on a rolling basis. We will send out an email the day before rehearsals with estimated times of dismissals. We must be out of the theater by 9 pm. Many students will be done well before then and will be sent out to the sign out table on a rolling basis. We make every effort to finish with our littlest dancers first.
MANDATORY DRESS REHEARSAL
It is our goal to make the entire recital experience a complete JOY for your child. Dress Rehearsal is an important part of ensuring the children enjoy their stage experience.
DATE: MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
There is NO dress rehearsal for the Tiny Tots!
TIME: ALL DANCERS must arrive at 4:00 pm SHARP
LOCATION: the theatre
DANCER SIGN-IN TIME: 4 pm SHARP
GOTTA DANCE! PRESENTS...
8TH ANNUAL RECITAL
"THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS!"
DATE: Saturday, May 20, 2023
DANCER SIGN-IN TIMES:
4:30PM SHARP - DANCER ARRIVAL
5:00PM SHARP - TINY TOT ARRIVAL (if you have a Tiny Tot and an older child, please sign both in at 4:30 pm)
SHOW TIME: 6:00 pm
(Audience Doors open at 5:15 PM)
Show last approximately 1.5 hours.
VENUE: to be announced
VIDEO TAKING and PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT PERMITTED DURING THE RECITAL
NO photography will be permitted under any circumstances. No videoing is permissible. Anyone seen videoing or taking photos will be escorted out of the audience. Please do not test us on this issue. We have had to remove parents from the audience before and hope to never have to do it again.
Preserving these moments in time is SO important for parents and that is why Gotta Dance! goes to great expense to have the show professionally video recorded. You receive a link to the video as part of your recital fee. Additionally, there are commemorative DVDs for sale.
Please respect these rules. Gotta Dance! purchases the rights to some of the choreography and music so that our recording is legal. Personal videoing and/or photography is not only against Gotta Dance!'s rules, it is also illegal.
WHAT TO BRING
- Your child must pack a LABELED water bottle for rehearsals and for show day. No food is allowed backstage or in rehearsal waiting rooms. (If your dancer has a medical reason to have juice for example, just let the Director know at least one week before Dress Rehearsal.)
- Please ensure that your dancer brings a dance bag with their dance shoes inside.
- Make sure that every item is clearly marked with your child's name.
- Do not bring any extra items that can be lost, broken or stolen.
- We have entertaining videos, games and arts and crafts to keep the dancers busy backstage.
- Gotta Dance and the Theatre Staff will not be held responsible for ANY lost, broken, or stolen items while at the theatre.
- NO electronics are allowed backstage. Teenagers will be required to stay off of their cell phones during the rehearsals and shows.
HAIR: Your child’s hair should be in a clean, tight, high ballet bun with no hair on their faces. Please click the link for instructions on how to do this.
For safety purposes, ABSOLUTELY NO JEWELRY is permitted on Picture Day, Dress Rehearsal Day or Recital Day. (Small stud earrings are permitted for females.)
Make-up: It is up to parents whether or not they want to do make-up for picture day.
Make-up is strongly encouraged for Dress Rehearsal and Recital day. Makeup is necessary to avoid a washed-out look under the bright stage lights. Make-up is NOT mandatory. It is up to you as the parent.
Boys should wear stage make-up as well. Again, it is up to you.
As we lead up to recital, your child's dance teacher may elect to link a video of the recital dance here so that your child may practice at home. If the class video you are looking for is not yet on-line, check back frequently.
To see if your dancer's recital dance is here, click below.
TIGHTS
Tights will be issued to dancers one week before Picture Day. Your dancer must wear these same tights for Dress Rehearsal and the Recital. If they rip, you will need to purchase another pair. It is a good idea to put them back in the packaging between wears to protect them from snags etc.
FLESHIES
A “fleshy” – a nude/flesh colored leotard, worn under costumes - is a standard in the industry and allows dancers to make costume changes in the stage wings and in the dressing rooms without fully undressing. Every female dancer, even Tiny Tots, must wear a fleshy to Photo Day, Dress Rehearsal and the Recital Performance. The good news is that they are so stretchy that they can be worn through growth spurts.
A Fleshy can be purchased below. They are $22 each.
DEADLINE TO PURCHASE A FLESHY IS APRIL 15, 2023
The in-theater rehearsals and the Recital are BIG events for your Tiny Tot and we make it as magical as possible for them!
At recital, your child may not “perform” the way that you hope they will. Children at this age surprise and entertain us with what they do on stage! They are young, in a big theater, on a big stage with shiny lights, and their “performance” is quite a feat for these kiddos! Sometimes parents ask, “Why was my kid the only one who chose to lay down and pretend to nap in the middle of the dance number!?” Just know that no matter what your child does on stage, it is not a reflection on whether or not they are cut out for dance! We will do our best to engage every Tiny Tot in the performance but truly, at this age, it is about the fun costume, and the hugs and treats at the end of the show! No matter how they dance, they always steal the show and the audience's hearts! Recital is going to be a magical experience for them!
Practicing at home is a good way to help them be successful when the big day comes. Resist the temptation to overdo it or pressure them. Dance is all about fun at this age!
Please click on the link below for information specific to your Tiny Tots.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Ensure your child has slept well the night before.
- Ensure your child has had a good breakfast and lunch.
- Please ensure that your child has gone to the bathroom BEFORE you sign them in at the theatre. There are restrooms in the main lobby.
- Students MUST arrive to the theatre dressed in their tights and fleshy with a coverup. (The tights go on first and the fleshy goes on next.)
- Students MUST arrive to the theatre with their make-up done and their hair in a ballet bun. (if your Tiny Tot completely melts down and won't let you do their make-up or hair, you can leave that to us but that should be the exception. If they come with no make-up on, we will assume that is your decision and will not put make-up on them.)
- Remind your child to ask a grown up for help if needed.
Gotta Dance! makes every effort to create a safe, fun, positive, rewarding and enjoyable recital experience for your, your guests and your child.
If your child has a medical condition, please make sure that you advise the studio director of this via email at least one week before the show. Rest assured that we always pay special attention to our Type 1 diabetes dancers given the exercise and heat.
Should there be a case where we need to contact you; it is your responsibility to ensure that your emergency contact information is correct in our database.
We will have access to the phone list during the recital. We can hold up to 4 telephone numbers per family. We ask you to check, correct and add cell phone numbers and an emergency contact number such as, aunt, uncle, or grandparent.
Find out everything you need to know about our outstanding Photo Days!
This is an exciting event for your dancer as it is the first time she/he gets to wear the recital costume in full and be photographed with their whole class! They will also pose for individual photos if you want them too. Please mark your calendars for these important days and click on the link for the FULL details!
PHOTO DAYS OCCUR AT THE GOTTA DANCE! STUDIO AND REGULARLY SCHEDULED CLASSES ARE NOT HELD. THE ENTIRE STUDIO BECOMES OUR PHOTO SHOOT LOCATION.
PHOTO DAYS - pending
We are excited to offer you the opportunity to include a good luck Recital Program Message, a Recital Program Dedication, or a Recital Program Business Ad. There is no limit to the number of messages and/or dedications for each dancer. They can come from Mom, Dad, siblings, grandparents, friends – anyone! Dancers can also send these Recital Program Messages to their fellow dancers and teachers! The program makes for a wonderful keepsake after the Recital.
A Recital Program Message is words only and a Recital Program Dedication includes words and a photo. A Recital Business Ad has several options. See the links below for details and pricing.
THE ABSOLUTE DEADLINE IS APRIL 15TH - THAT IS THE LATEST DATE WE CAN RECEIVE ENTRIES. PLEASE SEND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
RECITAL FLOWERS
Avoid the chaos of getting the family ready to attend recital on-time and forget stopping at the grocery store for flowers for your dancer!
Deadline for orders is April 15, 2023
If you ordered flowers through us, your dancer's bouquet will be ready for you to pick-up in the lobby at the start of the show.
We pride ourselves on offering our students high quality costumes that are age appropriate, adorable and will help make magic on stage for you and your family!
Participation in the Gotta Dance! recital experience requires the payment of the Recital Fee for each class the dancer is enrolled in.
Recital fee includes:
• Costume;
• Recital Tights;
• Recital T-Shirt with your child’s name on it;
•Link to recital video;
• Commemorative Recital Program with your child’s name in it
• Rehearsals and Performance in Theater
There is ONE recital costume PER CLASS, even if your child is in a Tiny Tots Combo Tap/Ballet class. Dancers keep their costumes. (Some pieces such as some tiaras and hats and professional ballet costumes (advanced students only) are property of the Studio.) The costume includes: a costume and tights, (There are often, but not always, a matching hair accessory.)
Please note, costumes do not go home with your dancer until the recital is over.