Our Year-End Recital will be here before we know it! Costumes, a formal theater, and fantastic performing make it a highlight of our year. We love seeing our dancer’s hard work come together in one jam-packed celebratory weekend!
Whether this is your first or tenth performance with Mellado Dance Elite, we understand that recital time can be stressful! We are asking a lot out of our studio families and we GREATLY appreciate all our families do to make our recital weekend a success.
Today we wanted to take you behind the scenes and give you the “why” behind several of our recital requirements and traditions. Many of the requirements are not unique to our studio, but shared by ALL performers that take the stage!
Below you will find some of the most common questions leading into our Year-End Recital and some information as to “why” we do what we do!
Why does my child have to wear makeup?
We do ask that even our youngest dancers wear blush and lipstick when they perform. Stage lights are VERY bright. Blush and lipstick make sure that your dancer’s features don’t disappear under the stage lights.
Also, depending on where you are sitting in the audience, your dancer may be performing at a pretty far distance from where you are watching. Makeup helps to make sure you can SEE those beautiful smiles!
You can expect to receive a hair and makeup instruction sheet for each of your dancers classes. Please be sure to check with your dancers teacher(s) if you have any questions.
Helpful Hint: Wait to apply lipstick until the last possible moment. Consider looking into a long lasting formula- it will be less likely to smudge!
Does my child really need a ballet bun?
Yes! Do you know that ballerinas have been wearing ballet buns since the 15th century? When your dancer wears a ballet bun they are a part of a long standing tradition! A classic bun keeps a dancer’s hair out of their face, which is especially important if the choreography contains lots of jumping and turning.
A classic, secure ballet bun helps you dancer to feel like a dancer, allows them to confidently move without thinking about their hair, and helps them to identify as a member of our studio family.
Helpful Hint: If you are struggling to get your dancer’s hair in a secure bun, you may be using the wrong tools. Extra large bobby pins and a matching hair net are KEY in getting a secure bun. Check out this tutorial if you need brush up on your bun-making skills.
Why do we need matching shoes and tights for recital?
We understand that buying a fresh pair of tights for the recital may seem unnecessary but shoes and tights complete the costume. When our students match, they appear more polished on stage and the choreography can shine!
Classes that are uniform from head to toe identify as a team. Students are working alongside their classmates to deliver an outstanding performance! Can you imagine members of a sports team all wearing different uniforms? No way! A dance performance should carry that same feeling of unity.
From a practical standpoint, having a fresh pair of tights on hand going into recital weekend gives you piece of mind! Tights LOVE to snag or get giant holes at the wrong moment. Trust us. Have a new pair (or two!) and wait to open them until performance week.
Helpful Hint: Don’t wait until recital week to see what your child needs heading into the performance. Save yourself some stress and secure the correct shoes and tights well before performance week.
Hopefully, this helps to clarify “why” we do what we do leading into our Year-End Recital. Have more questions? Ask! We want all of our studio families to feel confident as we prepare for our recital and are happy to clarify any questions you may have.
We are SO excited to see our dancers on stage and greatly appreciate ALL of our families do in preparation for the performance. June 1st- 3rd is only three months away!
