As our spring recital draws nearer and nearer, we are busy getting our dances ready, costumes finalized, and of course, all the logistics figured out. We are so focused on producing an AMAZING show that often times, we forget that the point of a recital is to perform for an audience!
It is a golden moment for our dancers and it is what they have been working so hard on this entire year. Recital is not only a way for them to show you what they have accomplished skill wise but it also builds confidence and is REALLY fun!! We have talked a lot about what dancers and parents can do to prepare for the big day. If you haven’t already, check out these two great blog posts all about just that: Behind The Scenes At Recital and How To Care For Your Costumes. In all the recital prep, we have yet to talk about the other half, the audience!
So today we thought we would talk about performance etiquette. In other words, as an audience member, how can you do your part in making sure the recital goes off without a hitch? Whether you are new to live performance or someone that sees dance regularly, it is always a good thing to do a refresh of the theater etiquette before attending a show.
Below we have listed a few basic principles (and explanations) that can be applied anywhere you watch dance or live performance in general.
- Stay until the end of the performance. We know that when you come to see our recitals at Mellado Dance Elite, you have a special dancer that you are excited to see. We want our audience members to remember that there are MANY dancers who have worked hard all year for this performance. Staying until the end of the show will demonstrate such amazing support for ALL of our MDE dancers. We also have a final bow at the very end where the dancers get to look out into the audience, you want to make sure you are there for that beautiful moment! Mellado Dance Elite students are required to stay for the full performance. Please do not attempt to pick up your child during the performance. All students will be under the supervision of responsible adults and will be safe for the length of the performance. The dressing rooms will be stocked with various activities to keep dancers busy.
- If you have to exit to the lobby, make sure to do it in between dances. Although the dancers may not be able to see details, they can see someone leaving the auditorium. This can create a distraction for the dancers while they are performing. Most importantly, the auditorium will be dark during the performance. The light from an opening door can be very distracting and disorientating for a dancer. For the safety of our dancers, if you must exit the auditorium, please do so in between pieces.
- No cell phone use during the performance. The light from your devices may cause the same disorientating effect as mentioned above for a dancer on stage. Also, during a live performance we recommend audience members to just sit back and enjoy the moment. Soak it all up! Recitals come with proud, silly, and emotional moments. You will miss that if you are busy on your phone!
- No photos or video. We have taken care of this for you so you can truly enjoy the show! You will receive a DVD (and digital link!) of the performance as part of your recital package. Photography from the performance is available to purchase here.
- Have your dancer participate in the final bow. Like we mentioned earlier, the finale is a highlight for our dancers! The dancers get to finally look out into the audience and take in the reward for all their hard work. We think it is the PERFECT way to end the year and your dancer will not want to miss it!
As you can see, performance etiquette has a few top priorities: the dancer’s safety and enriching the experience for all. We want all of our dancers and audience members to enjoy themselves at our show and these simple principles will ensure that that can happen. If you have questions about performance etiquette, our staff members and teachers are always here to help!
We cannot wait to get our MDE dancers on stage and we know it will be an incredible recital!
