I survived another dance recital weekend

[Briar Rose 7457]

our studio believes in keeping recitals short and sweet. instead of having one long show, they do several short shows. no solos, just group performances. great for families where the dancer is taking one or two classes.

but my girls are in the company classes. that means they performed in every recital-- one show friday, three saturday and one today.

after today's show the girls came home, ate lunch and planted themselves in front of the tv with the Lord of the Rings DVD that my older dd won from the radio station last month. I bet I wont hear anothe rpeep out of them all afternoon.

 

[MAC3]

I too wil be glad when it's all over. Ours is Father's day weekend. They have 2 preformances one matinee & one evening.

My daughter is in the evening one. They girls always put on a great show. But it is 3 hrs long!

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

I love watching my girls dance. and I get a kick out of watching the other acts -- especially the very little girls, the 4 and under set. so cute!

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

but i do need to vent a little.

the rudeness of the audience.

I consider it very rude indeed to leave after your child dances, instead of waiting for the end of the show -- exceptions allowed for the moms of dancers age 4 and under. I watched your child dance, please have the courtesy to watch mine -- she worked just as hard as yours and deserves to be seen.

and please, if you must leave during the show, do it between acts, not while the dancers are on the stage! I had one grandmother walk right in front of me, two grandchildren in tow, just as Jen and Becca's tap class began their number. "Can I pu-lease see my daughters? I watched you child's performance?" good thing they did the tap number in more than one show!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Briar Rose, I hear you on this one--Belle's recital is this weekend. We only do 1 show, but have everyone in it (174 kids this year!). I'll be backstage doing hair for both the dress rehearsal and show.

I agree with you completely about the people leaving early--just plain rude. Another one that gets me is parents who are told ahead of time that the performers stay backstage the whole time (again, exceptions for the pre-K class), but then they let their kids go back and forth and back and forth, up and down the aisles during everyone else's performance. This got so irritating to me last year, I almost said something to the girl in question. At least I'll have an unobstructed (if slightly skewed) view from the wings!

 

[legs22]

Our dance studio does two shows. Each one is 4 hrs. long!!! That is waaaaay too long in my opinion. My dd6 is now in the first half before the intermission. Yes, it is very tempting to leave at intermission and have dd skip the finale. I wouldn't fault any one that didn't want to endure this and wanted to leave early. When I thought dd was going to be in the 2nd half of the show, I told my family to just show up at intermission. When it's your own child it's different but it's a lot to ask your guests to endure. I don't know what is wrong with this owner.
My niece's recital was only 2 hrs. long. Now that is a reasonable amount of time to sit there.

 

[janette]

Ours is next weekend. The studio does the many hours one, there are at least 600 students so even without many solos etc it is very long. They split into sections and my DD's dances are all in the 2nd half so at last that will save us time for the dress reherasal. She likes to watch so we'll be there for the entire recital. Usually 8-9 hours.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

Originally posted by Briar Rose 7457
I consider it very rude indeed to leave after your child dances, instead of waiting for the end of the show -- exceptions allowed for the moms of dancers age 4 and under. I watched your child dance, please have the courtesy to watch mine -- she worked just as hard as yours and deserves to be seen.

I know I have taken your quote slightly out of context, but I wanted to address this part. My DD is 5 1/2 (past the 4 and under crowd, but...), and her bedtime is 8pm. I can let that slide some, but if I let is slide much past 9pm, she is an absolute bear the next day. Our revue does not START until 7 pm. By the time she dances her 2 dances, it is well past her bedtime (not to mention the fact that I have to get a babysitter for her 2yo sister). And our revue is on a Tues night.

While I understand your sentiment, please understand that I have watched your DDs dance at least once or twice already by the time my DD finishes her dances. And have purchased the video in order to see the rest of the revue. But it is not fair to my DD, or her summer camp counselor to keep her up any later that necessary since I have to be at work by 7 am the next day. However, ITA about leaving between dances! I will wait until between performances before I leave.

 

[Robmom]

My DD's recital is this weekend. It will be at least 3-4 hours. She is also in a company class, so she will be in 5 dances. It will be Saturday and Sunday.

Hey Briar Rose 7457 - is your daughter with LI Dance Academy? My DD's school competed earlier this year and was blown away by that school.

 

[minniecarousel]

It's things like this that remind me that I'm sorry I didn't have a daughter! (sports- sports- sports! although older DS did HS drama). These recitals sound like fun - some also sound verrrry looonng!

 

[missypie]

No no no....PLEASE leave when your child is finished! Ours is a large studio. This year the recital started at noon and ended at 8, with about a half hour intermission; I think there were 120 numbers. Although they perform at a fairly large facility, there is no where near enough room for all the families and friends of even half the kids. If you occupy a seat for 4 hours, then there will not be enough room for those whose kids perform two hours after your kid.

Our studio has a definite protocol...moms are always coming and going to help their daughters change (each child is typically in two numbers), but they wait until each number is over, then there's a mass of movement, then quiet while the next number is going on, then it repeats. (So you really can't tell if a mom is leaving for good, or if she is just leaving to help her daughter change.)

Our recital weekend was two weeks ago. One daughter is in company and the other two children take dance, too; plus my DH was in the Dad's Dance. So they were in a total of 8 numbers and we were there about 7 hours each day (on Saturday for the dress rehearsal and Sunday for the performance.)

I am a lawyer. I handle multimillion dollar deals. I deal with people who sue each other. But I'll tell you this: Dance Recital is the most stressful thing I do all year!!!

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

DD5 is having her first ballet recital on the 12th and I am so EXCITED!!! The recital is from 10am until 7pm which makes for a VERY long day. I am going to try to stick it out, but since DD dances at 11am I am not sure she will be able to stay still for the whole show. I am buying the DVD though so I can see all the other kids perform. DD is doing three dances to my shock, a Little Mermaid dance, a cat dance and the finale dance. It seems like alot for a 5yr old to do, but she seems to be able to do all of them at practice. DH is hoping they don't deploy before her recital, but they are slotted to leave for Iraq anytime from the 9-19 of June. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

Good luck to everyone who's having a recital!!

 

[Manda1219]

Oh, I feel horrible for what my mother used to have to go through.

My ballet school did MANY performances throughout the year. Some in Manhattan, and once in Cape May. On average, I had class/rehearsal 5 days a week for 3 hours a day, and on Sundays in Manhattan as long as 7 or 8 hours! Forget it when show time rolled around!!!

When we did the Nutcracker, there were no fewer than 6 performances in 2 weeks! Sometimes a lot more! I'm not sure who was more run down from it, me or her!!! (She helped out with a lot of costuming, and backstage stuff).

All I can say is God Bless you Mom's (and Dad's!) for assisting your kids with this stuff! I see how tough it can be on the parents as well!

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

Originally posted by Briar Rose 7457
but i do need to vent a little.

the rudeness of the audience.

I consider it very rude indeed to leave after your child dances, instead of waiting for the end of the show -- exceptions allowed for the moms of dancers age 4 and under. I watched your child dance, please have the courtesy to watch mine -- she worked just as hard as yours and deserves to be seen.

and please, if you must leave during the show, do it between acts, not while the dancers are on the stage! I had one grandmother walk right in front of me, two grandchildren in tow, just as Jen and Becca's tap class began their number. "Can I pu-lease see my daughters? I watched you child's performance?" good thing they did the tap number in more than one show!

At my dd's show, the children aren't released until the whole show is over. This cuts down on people "dissapearing" as the night goes on. Our's takes place this weekend, and I can't wait. Unfortunately, my dd has dance EVERY DAY THIS WEEK, full of extra classes - mandatory rehearsals. It's a pain, but worth it in the end. The show the school puts on is on par with a broadway show.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Ours is Thursday. Finally last year our owner figured out that it is less stressful if it is NOT the last week of school, which is exams.
We have ours at a local professional venue. It costs more than it used to ($13 a ticket vs. $8) but for the AC and the professionalism it is worth it!
My DD#1 is finishing her 9th year. She is in the preteen company and is in 3 dances, plus her hip hop class dance. DD#2 is in the junior company--this is her 6th year--she is in 3 dances. Those days of leaving at intermission after one dance are gone, now they have 7 total plus finale!
I stay backstage every 3 years--last year was my year--then I let the other company moms have a turn at backstage mom. It's harder when I have more than 1 kid to watch. I make sure they are 100% ready for their first number before I sit down and always run down to the dressing rooms at intermission. I also take a fan in for the dressing room if need be for the girls. By this time when they are 9 and 12 I would hope they would be a little more self-directed and I don't have to freak out about every little accessory! I do their makeup beforehand, and this year DD#2 needs a french braid so we have an appt. at 1PM--some things I leave to the pros.
I can't believe some studios let people come and go! If they have that many people they should get a bigger venue or have more than one show. On Saturday I have to go to my nieces recital. It is run in such a classless way I just dread it. The girls sit out in the auditorium until about 3 dances before their own, then they dance, then they come back out! There is no AC where they do it either. It really makes us appreciate ours all the more. That is the same place where instead of buying tap shoes, they have a big pile you can pick from , kind of like bowling shoes. Yeah it saves money, but yuk! They called last week to see how many tickets we wanted and DH asked and I mouthed "One, you go!" but no dice. Only BIL is coming to ours because his girls have their dress rehearsal that night. At least theirs is only $6.50!
Robin M.

 

[legs22]

I can't believe some places have 8-9 hr. recitals! That is ridiculous!

Our studio charges $20 per recital ticket. Student that dances in the recital must also pay $12 for their seat.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I can't wait to tell dh that the 2 hr. recital wasn't so bad after all!!! Our dance school has their recital on one Sat. but two shows...10:30 and 2:00. About 1/3 of the classes dance at both. The kids can not leave before the end and no one is allowed back stage during the show. You sign your child in at the beginning, go to your seat and then take them out after the finale. We seem to have a lot of family/friends that leave after their particular child is done. But since the kids can't leave, the immediate family has to stay!! We have ours in Mechanic's Hall in Worc. for those of you from the area. It's very nice but seating is tough if you're on the floor. People just don't care about those behind them and stand younger kids on their laps so they can see better. Even get up and wave to their kids on the stage!!! And at $20 a ticket, I want to see the kids, not the back of your 3 y/o's head!!

My dd, 10, only takes Irish Step class so she only dances once and it was #28 in a program of 36. But, hopefully they won't ask the advanced group of steppers to dance in both shows next year. I sure don't want to spend my day there!!

 

[Nancy]

Ours was this weekend. This is the first time in about 5-6 yrs that I actually got to sit and watch the whole show. My 2 older girls were on the comp team and had 8 costume changes...plus little sister did 7 dances so I was always back stage.

I am also amazed at some people...they don't pay any attention to the rules. Our studio states very plainly and repeats it many times during rehearsals that no child is to sit in the audience in full costume...partial costumes are ok as long as they are covered by something...I saw so many kids in full costumes right down to their tap shoes it just amazed me. Also lots of announcements about no flash photos...dangerous to the dancers...but again...tons of flash photos. You can video tape but only from your seat or standing in the back of the performance hall...behind all the seats. (great view from there...perfect for taping) and yet I saw parents standing up in front of people taping their kids. One dad got in an argument because he refused to sit down until the ushers made him.

I understand that people need to leave early...but I agree, lets wait until the kids aren't dancing. The people next to us left just as my daughter started to dance. They even said to my youngest "oh is that your sister up there? She said yes...but they still continued to crawl over us to get out.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

Originally posted by Robmom
My DD's recital is this weekend. It will be at least 3-4 hours. She is also in a company class, so she will be in 5 dances. It will be Saturday and Sunday.

Hey Briar Rose 7457 - is your daughter with LI Dance Academy? My DD's school competed earlier this year and was blown away by that school.

no, we go to North Shore Studio of Dance.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

Originally posted by jwsqrdplus2
I know I have taken your quote slightly out of context, but I wanted to address this part. My DD is 5 1/2 (past the 4 and under crowd, but...), and her bedtime is 8pm. I can let that slide some, but if I let is slide much past 9pm, she is an absolute bear the next day. Our revue does not START until 7 pm. By the time she dances her 2 dances, it is well past her bedtime (not to mention the fact that I have to get a babysitter for her 2yo sister). And our revue is on a Tues night.

While I understand your sentiment, please understand that I have watched your DDs dance at least once or twice already by the time my DD finishes her dances. And have purchased the video in order to see the rest of the revue. But it is not fair to my DD, or her summer camp counselor to keep her up any later that necessary since I have to be at work by 7 am the next day. However, ITA about leaving between dances! I will wait until between performances before I leave.

I can see your point on a weeknight -- but I was talking about a 1-hour performance on saturday afternoon.