Everything you need to know to help your child shine.
I’m sure you’ll agree how fast this year has flown by. When your child started their dance lessons earlier in the year and came home excitedly talking about their end of year showcase, it would have felt like ages away.
But it’s almost here. It’s already term 4!
And while your child is busy practicing and refining their dance for the big day, there’s a few things you need to know as a parent (especially if this is your first dance showcase).
They’ll be buzzing with a combination of nerves and excitement so having you fully onboard with what happens on the day will help your child relax and enjoy the experience. And since we’ve been doing this for many years, we’ll do our very best to support you and your child.
The top 3 things you need to know about the dance showcase
1. The importance of costumes, hair styles and makeup
Your child has worked hard all year to learn their dance routines, to perfect their movements and to enhance their passion for performing arts. Costumes, hair styles and makeup are all part and parcel of the fun. Hair is usually pulled off the face into a bun for a uniformed look, with makeup being applied to accentuate their facial features (and big smiles). Your child may have a couple of costumes depending on the number of dances they are participating in.
2. What to expect on the day and the leadup to the showcase
In the weeks leading up to the showcase, we may schedule a couple of dress rehearsals to ensure all costumes are fitted correctly. This also helps the students get into show mode, knowing how they’ll all look together as a performing group. You will be well informed of dates through newsletters and our noticeboard. On the day, we ask that you allow enough time to arrive at the venue and get your child inside, so they can prepare – last minute makeup, costume adjustments, running through stage positions etc.
3. The importance of the dress rehearsal
If you’ve ever taken part in any performance, whether it’s a dance or school concert, you’d know how important a dress rehearsal is. We take the dancers to the theatre, so they can familiarise themselves with the space, the stage and backstage. The theatre is a lot different to our dance studio. We show the students which ‘wings’ they’ll enter and exit through and how to use the space of the stage (which is usually larger than our studio). If a child misses the rehearsal, they feel a bit lost compared to the other children and it is often noticeable.
Many parents ask about the dance showcase make-up requirement
It’s not unusual for parents to be a little hesitant to allow their younger children to wear make-up to their end of year dance concert. Parents don’t want their kids growing up too fast and looking older than they are – we understand this.
But what we say to parents is the tradition of wearing make-up on stage dates back hundreds of years. In the days before we had cameras that zoom in and project the performers onto the big screens (think about any major concert you’ve ever been to), make up was used to highlight and exaggerate facial features so audience members could see expressions from miles away.
You’ve spent a bit of money throughout the year on dance tuition, and you’ve paid for showcase tickets, costume hire fees and optional items such as DVD’s and professional photos. So, when your child is on stage with 15 or so other dancers, you want to be able to pick out your child.
This is where make-up helps.
Traditional stage make-up involves:
A base colour of foundation that’s ideally a shade darker than your child’s natural skin tone (as bright theatre lights can make you look washed out, pale and ghost-like)
Eyes being highlighted with eye liner and white pencil in the corners, with theatrical ‘lines’ flicking out from the outer edges of the eyes, so they look wider
False lashes are used to enhance the eyes even more, but are generally only used by older students
Bronzer is applied to cheeks to warm the face up for the same reasons as using the darker shade of foundation
Red lipstick is used to highlight the big smile on your child’s face
Have you got any questions about the end of year dance showcase?
Our end of year dance showcase is a culmination and presentation of your child’s year worth of hard work, dedication and a recognition of their passion for performing arts. All the important info will be emailed to parents and posted in our members only area, including tutorials on how to create a ballet bun and apply stage make-up.
Drop in and chat to Anne at any time. As a dance mum for many years, she’s more than happy to answer your questions.
Alternatively, you can email us at: info@kgdancers.com