Responsibilities and Guidelines for the New Parents and Young Cast Members
Welcome to Bremerton Dance Center’s (BDC) Recital! BDC endeavors to maintain high standards of conduct in order to represent our school at its best. The guidelines listed here are for the safety of the dancer, the growth and development of the dancer and the outcome of the final production. Parents and dancers are asked to demonstrate a proper attitude toward their fellow dancers and other people helping with the production. With everyone’s cooperation this will be an enjoyable, successful experience! The dancers are excited about being in a large scale performance. For their safety and for the interest of the school production, they will need to be on their best behavior.
Mission Statement of Bremerton Dance Center:
The mission of BDC is to create and nurture a supportive dance environment by educating and developing dance artists and providing quality dance performance to the Kitsap Peninsula. We promote teamwork, self discipline, confidence and health; all of which lead to personal success and enrich the entire community.
What is Spring Recital?
Each spring Bremerton Dance Center’s school year culminates with a production we name Spring Recital.
The recital consists of two parts. The first half of the show is the ballet portion which is themed around a children’s story and acted out by soloists and ballet classes through movement. The second half is the tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop portion of the show where each class showcases what they have learned through the year.
Performance Day and Time:
BDC performs the Spring Recital annually at Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center in June; please check the January parent letter for the performance day and time.
Parents/Guardians:
1. Because your child will be involved in an activity that is mostly run by volunteers, you will be asked to participate in some way to help support the production. We have many volunteer opportunities that will need to be filled by you and sign-up forms will be posted. Volunteers are used primarily for sewing costumes, moving props, and backstage moms/dads during the show. Please see a production staff member about volunteering or if you have questions.
2. A costume fee will be collected from each dancer for each class he or she is taking. The cost of the costumes will be stated in the January letter. Costumes for the Spring Recital are the property of the dancer. Recital costumes are non-refundable.
3. Be prepared to purchase tickets to the performance if you desire to see the show. We do not give any complimentary tickets to BDC’s Recitals. The theater is extremely costly to perform in and BDC must cover the cost of renting the theater by charging for a ticket.
4. Dancers will not be able to participate in BDC recital if they have a balance due to BDC that is more than 60 days in arrears. If your account is past due by 60 days your child will not be included in the spring production.
General Costume Information:
1. BDC endeavors each year to be responsible to our community and to keep our costume costs at a minimum, therefore, we buy the different materials need to construct most of the costumes to be worn.
2. The costume materials for the girls in ballet classes will consist of a leotard and a tutu, skirt, pants or some other addition with fabric and trims. Boy’s costumes will vary depending upon the class dance.
3. Combo class costumes will consist of a satin base which the dancer will wear for both the ballet and tap portions of the performance. Additional tutus, skirts, pants, fabric and trims will be purchased for both the ballet costume and tap costume to be changed at intermission. Boy’s costumes will vary depending upon the class dance.
4. Jazz, tap and hip hop costumes will be mostly purchased from catalogues, some of these costumes may need to be constructed by parent volunteers.
5. There will be sign-up sheets for parent volunteers to help with constructing the costumes. There may be a variety of jobs available including: cutting, sewing, and gluing.
6. Costumes should be distributed to each dancer during the last two weeks prior to the start of dress rehearsals. Dancers are asked not to wear these costumes outside of dress rehearsals until after the production is done.
7. Dancers will not receive their costumes if they are not paid for.
Soloist in the ballet portion of the Spring Recital:
1. In keeping with the story ballet theme, BDC auditions older dancers to perform the soloist parts in the Spring Recital.
2. Dancers must be in Ballet level 5 or 6 to audition for a solo part. A dancer may not audition if they have been in the Snow Corp in Nutcracker or had a solo part in Nutcracker (e.g. Clara.)
3. Audition date and time for Spring Recital soloists are announced in the letter issued in January.
4. Soloists will have many additional rehearsals to attend. There will be a separate rehearsal schedule issued to soloists, and soloists will begin these extra rehearsals after BDC’s dancers return from spring break.
5. See Recital Audition handout with further information about auditioning as a soloist in recital.
Classes
It is extremely important for dancers to attend their regular classes during April and May preceding the recital. Dances for the recital are learned during your child’s regular dance classes. Therefore, too many missed classes lead to unprepared dancers who are not confident when they perform on stage.
Rehearsals one week before the performance
1. Rehearsals for Spring Recital are conducted primarily during class times (unless you are a soloist in the ballet portion of the show.) However, during the week prior to the Recital date there will be additional rehearsals and pictures for classes at the studio and at the theater.
2. Additional rehearsals will be held at the studio Sunday through Thursday, and at the theater Friday and Saturday, the week before the performance.
3. Attendance to all rehearsals, in addition to regular classes, is extremely important not just to the dancer, but fellow dancers as well.
4. Dancers must arrive 10 min ahead of their scheduled rehearsal time and be in the proper attire.
5. Rehearsal schedules for the week prior to performance will be issued in early May.
6. Dancer’s faces are washed out due to the bright theater lights and therefore are asked to wear make-up. Make-up seminars for parents and dancers to learn how to apply the recital make-up will be given by each class’s teacher. Please check with your dancer’s teacher about these seminars.
Guidelines to follow during Technical (tech) Rehearsals and Performance at theater:
1. Dancers are not to arrive to the performance/tech rehearsal or leave from the performance/tech rehearsals in costume or makeup.
2. No food/drink is allowed in any dressing room. A dressing room is any space where the costumes are staged (i.e. locker room, dressing rooms and classrooms).
a. There will be designated areas to eat.
i. If you need to eat or drink while in costume, please wear a large shirt or garment to cover the entire costume.
ii. If you bring food, please consider the possible mess certain types of food might create by young dancers and the damage this mess can cause to the costumes and choose food accordingly.
3. For the dancer’s safety, running is prohibited under all circumstances.
4. BDC does not provide a backstage mom/dad during tech rehearsals. A parent/guardian must be available during tech rehearsals to monitor their own child if under the age of 13. If a parent/guardian can not be at the theater during these rehearsals, please make prior arrangements with another parent to help monitor your child.
5. During the performance, it will be up to the room mom/dad to enforce the dancer’s responsibilities and keep the discipline needed. If you feel this is not appropriate to have your child monitored by the room mom/dad please make arrangements for your dancer’s supervision.
6. There is no admittance into the auditorium or the lobby by any dancer in costume or make-up, at any time during the day of the performance (before, during, and intermission).
b. The dancers are asked to stay in their designated area when they are not on stage, until the end of the performance if possible, at which time they can greet guests in the lobby.
i. It is much easier to assemble the dancers for performance and curtain call when they are in their designated area.
ii. Use the restrooms on the same level as your designated area.
iii. When back stage, your very, very best behavior is most important. No talking, no running, and do not touch anything (ropes, back drops, props, etc).
c. There is a great deal of down time during the performances, so you as a parent or room mom/dad will need to find things to entertain the dancers to keep them from acting naughty and wanting to play rough and tumble games (i.e. tag, gymnastics, chase, etc). The school has rough walls; slippery/hard floors and serious injuries could result.
i. Videos, coloring, quiet board games are just a few examples to keep the children busy. Please avoid any paints, glue, markers, or glitter; these could be hazardous to the costumes.
7. Parent/guardian will be responsible to help with your child’s make-up. If for some reason you cannot be available to do your dancers make-up for the performance, please make prior arrangements with another parent.
a. Do not forget your make-up remover wipes.
8. Gift giving is optional. Many dancers like to pass out gifts to their fellow dancers that they performed with as a token of “Job well done”.
9. At no time is there flash photography in the auditorium. This is dangerous for the dancers.
10. No recording devices may be used during the recital performance on Sunday; a professional video will be available for purchase. You may record the dress rehearsals on Friday and Saturday.
11. Parents will not be able to save seats in the auditorium before the show. The auditorium will be cleared of all personal items before the doors open to the audience ½ hour before performance time. You will not be seated in the recital audience without a ticket.
Questions about any of this?
Please ask your teachers, BDC faculty or office staff if you have any questions about Recital.
Artistic Director Lawan Morrison
Recital Directors Diana Lau and Mallory Morrison
Office Director Doreen Fox
· BDC Teachers Betsy Congor, Diana Franckowiak, Nicole Parker, Diana Lau, Mallory Morrison, Lorien MacTavish, Nicole Cisler, Sam Alden, Diana George, Hailey Watters, Tami Wojcek, Anna Acker
Happy Dancing!