Existing Student Info

Dear Parents and Students

For many years ALICATS Dance Studio has provided an exciting performance experience through its recitals.. The annual staple of the dance studio, the recital, conjures images of childhood and Americana for many. It’s a right of passage for thousands of youngsters, a chance to shine in front of family and friends who anticipate with nervous excitement.

The recital offers our students a professionally directed performance that allows them to present their families the results of hard work, dedication, and progress.

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. Although performance opportunities can help prepare some students for a possible career in dance, they also contribute to children’s success in non-dance activities. That onstage experience can result in better 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 students develop retention skills, and by working with their classmates on a group performance, they learn the positive aspects of working as a team to create the best result.

Dedication to recital commitments is the responsibility of both the students and the parents. We’ve created this handbook in an effort to clarify what is expected of parents and students in terms of commitments and responsibility to the recitals, the Studio, and other students and parents.

Preplanning

The recital isn’t a one-day activity. Gather all costumes, accessories, tights, shoes and make-up several days in advance so you will know if something is missing or isn’t right. The school cannot replace a headpiece that is missing a day before the show. Keep all pieces together in one place. It is a good idea to make a check list of all costumes, shoes, tights, and accessories and refer to it before leaving for the auditorium. All costumes that came to you in a garment bag should travel in that bag! This is an easy way to keep things in one place. For both pictures and the performance, please bring extra bobbie pins, hair spray, band-aids, Shout wipes, safety pins, a comb or brush, make-up for touch ups, and Kleenex.

PLEASE BRING EVERYTHING IN A SMALL ROUND LAUNDRY BASKET! Please put the dancers name on the basket as well as EVERYTHING inside it!

Fees

All remaining balances for costumes must be paid in full before the Dress Rehearsal! Your dancer WILL not be able to participate if you have a balance on your account.

Recital Etiquette

The doors to the auditorium will open 15 minutes before show time. Please be on time and obtain seating as the curtain will open at exactly the scheduled time. All seats are reserved! Please check your tickets carefully to see the row and seat you have.

VIDEOTAPING OF THE SHOW, AND FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ARE NOT ALLOWED! Security will be asking all video cameras to be put in the car. If a camera is spotted in the audience, the show will be stopped and you will be asked to leave. It is VERY dangerous to performers to see flashes of cameras or lights in the audience. It is a distraction and will not be tolerated. A professional videographer will be taping the show. All dancers receive a FREE copy of the DVD! A photo DVD can be purchased for $25.00 , that will include photo’s of ALL dances!

As a courtesy to our dancers, PLEASE stay seated during each dance. Security will be standing at each door only allowing it to open between numbers. It is not only a distraction to open the doors in the middle of a dance, it is also rude.

No food or beverages of any kind (including water) are allowed in the auditorium or dressing rooms. ALICATS provides water and snacks for those who need it during the show.

Performers are not allowed in the auditorium before or during the show. Dancers must stay in the assigned dressing room until the show is complete. It is a security hazard to be handing out dancers during the show, as well as extremely rude to not watch the entire show.

If your dancer is in back to back shows, you must pick them up after the first show and bring them back at the proper time for the second show.

PLEASE drop your dancer off one hour before the show. 10:00am for the 11:00am show, 12:00pm for the 1:00pm show, and 6:00pm for the 7:00pm show. It is crucial that we have all dancers ready so the show can start on time! We will not wait to start the show if a dancer is missing. Thank You for helping us have a HASSLE FREE Recital!

Auditorium

No eating, drinking, or smoking is allowed in the auditorium or dressing rooms at Dress Rehearsal or the Recital. Dancers will remain in the dressing room for the entire recital. There will be ALICATS personnel backstage to assist your child with any needs they may have. Family members and friends are NOT to be backstage or in the dressing rooms during rehearsal or recital. The same applies during intermission and after shows. There is a lot of activity in a limited amount of space, and dressing rooms are a private area. Please remind your family and guests to be respectful of these areas. Those who wish to greet a performer after the show may do so in the lobby area.

Dress Rehearsal The Dress Rehearsal allows the students to become familiar with the auditorium surroundings and to feel comfortable with their performance, costumes, and being on stage. It is MANDATORY to be at your dress rehearsal. You will be provided with the start time of your dress rehearsal. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time so we can keep the rehearsal on time. You may leave after your child’s rehearsal. Please note that we will let the dancers done when they are done,

even if it runs over the time originally scheduled. We try our best to run on time however we are dealing with unpredictable children! This is a closed dress rehearsal. Only students are permitted in the theater.

Dancer Drop Off

When you arrive one hour before the show, you will drop your dancer off at designated area. If your dancer is under 7 yrs old, you will receive a lanyard with your dancers name on it. You must keep your lanyard on until the end of the show! Your dancer will be given one after their last dance to wear as well.

Dancer Pick up At the end of the show ONLY THE PARENT WITH THE LANYARD will get in line in the designated area. There will be signs on the wall for each class. Please stand in a group with other parents from your dancer’s class. Dancers are dismissed according to class. Once you have your dancer we will collect the lanyards. Please be patient and understand we have this procedure to keep all of our dancers safe! If we allowed all parents backstage, it would be chaotic! Once all the dancers have been handed back, the stage will be available for pictures! If your dancer is over the age of 7 we will still hand them out at the same location.

ROSES AND CONCESSIONS Throughout the history of dance and theater roses were given as a form of congratulations! We will be selling Roses in the Lobby as well as light concessions. We will also have our Cat Grams for sale! You can send a special note backstage to your excited dancer!

VIDEO TAPING

We hire a professional videographer to video the show. ALL Dancers receive 1 DVD of the show they are in! This is built into your costume Fee. PLEASE let your families know there is NO NEED to Video tape the show! Dance is meant to be watched LIVE not through your camera phone! The dancers are excited for YOU to see them!

NO JEWELRY of any kind: earrings, bracelets, watches, necklaces, etc. Please leave it at home! We are not responsible for anything that is lost or misplaced.Hair

HAIR

Girls hair must be worn in a bun unless otherwise specified by the instructor. It is important that hair does not become a distraction to the audience or the performer. Therefore, it is required that it is pulled back off the dancer’s face. Please use black or brown hair binders when pulling hair back. A hair net can be purchased at any drug store or grocery store and works miracles for bun making! DO NOT send dancers with anything extra in their hair! The headpiece will be placed in the same place for all students in the class. There are no exceptions.

Costumes

We have found it best to keep the smaller parts to costumes like hair pieces or gloves. This way we guarantee nobody loses them before recital! We will be sure to hand them our for pictures and dress rehearsal and then collect them again. Each hair piece has a name and is placed in a separate baggie.

Care

Your child’s name should be placed in all costumes, shoes, tights, and accessories. DO NOT iron any costume. Bringing the costume into the bathroom (not in the shower) while you shower will steam out the wrinkles. DO NOT launder the costume in your washer and dryer, including steam models. Dry Clean ONLY after the recital.

Female students DO NOT wear underwear with costumes, tights ONLY! Tights are Underwear! Boys wear underwear!

Make-up

All female students are required to wear make-up for both pictures and the recital. Make-up is used in theater to help define one’s face on the stage. The lighting used in both pictures and performances can wash out a performer’s face, making it look flat. Girls are expected to at least wear Lipstick, blush, and BROWN eye shadow, (not blue!) and mascara. For the boys, a little cover up and blush works well. If you are unsure of the colors needed please see the front desk! We have lipstick for sale for $14.00 from Mary Kay. We also have some sample colors for you to see!

ALTERATIONS

If any alterations are needed, an in-house seamstress is available to assist you with any sewing needs. If you wish to do the alterations yourself that is fine too! We will be making last minute alterations at dress rehearsal. PLEASE bring a change of clothes in case we need to sew your dancers costume!

Make up Bag or Caboodle!

*Caboodle! You can purchase a caboodle at Target or Wal-Mart. This keeps your

make-up and hair stuff much more organized than a cloth bag.

• – BobbyPins
• – SafetyPins
• – HairPins
• – HairNets
• – Make-up
• – HairSpray
• – EVERYTHING WITH NAME ON IT. EACH ITEM NOT JUST THE CABOODLE!!!