We realize that all the information in this letter is a lot to remember and take in at once, but it is essential you read it and refer back to it so that your children enjoy a wonderful performance experience and that your “supporting role” as a parent is as stress-free as possible.  This letter will also be posted, with all the other pertinent end-of-season information on our website: www.realdancestudio.com.

 

*FINISHED PHOTOS: On Saturday, April 1st starting at 1PM, you will have the opportunity to view and purchase the photos that were taken by Donner Photographic on picture day. You will be emailed a link to sign up for a time to come and view them via Sign Up Genius. Please be advised that we will need to adhere to your appointment time.  Showing up earlier results in backlogs and delays. If you come too early you will be asked to wait until the time for which you signed up. At this time, you may reserve space for your child’s individual photo to appear in the KEEPSAKE RECITAL PROGRAM. We thank you for supporting this effort in order to be able to provide your guests who attend our show this lovely program book at no additional charge. There are no charges incurred by you for the group photos that will appear in the program. Remember, you get a free business card ad if you place an individual photo of your dancer in the program! The fees for individual space are as follows: 1/4 page- $75.    1/2 page- $120.     Full page- $225.

Please have your text ready for your individual program ads!

 

*RECITAL TICKETS/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FEE: On or before April 1st your ticket orders are also due. Tickets are $32. Please turn in an envelope and on the front list the following information: student’s first and last name, number of tickets needed, if you require wheelchair seating and indicate payment method. (Cash, Check, Card on File, New Card). At this time there is no limit to the amount of tickets that a family may purchase FOR THE 2PM SHOW. If you have a very large order for the 7PM we might not be able to accommodate if there are other families left without any seats. Tickets are non-refundable. ** On April 1st, the $40 digital download fee required of all dancers for participation in the recital will be charged to your card on file. A link to the digital version of the entire recital will be emailed to you around 6-8 weeks after recital. If you have not received studio emails this season please confirm your email address with us as that is the email to which we will send it. There is absolutely no recording or photographing the recital. Please remind your guests of this! Parent volunteers do not need a recital ticket. If you do not turn in your ticket orders by April 1st you will lose your place in the seating order, which is determined by when you registered. The first person pre-registered back in Spring 2022 will be seated the furthest forward. Please remember the first few rows at the 7PM show are reserved for families of graduating seniors!. Every family must order their own tickets and cannot place an order for or combine with someone else!

 

*DRESS REHEARSAL AT TOWNSHIP CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS: 2452 Lyons Rd, Coconut Creek, FL 33064. Dress rehearsal is Wednesday, April 26th and/or Thursday April 27th. Please see the attached schedules for dress rehearsal to see which day and time your dancer is to attend as well as which recital(s) they’re in.  Dress rehearsal is mandatory for all recital participants. Doors will be unlocked at 4:00 so we may start at 4:30. If you arrive before 4:00 we will not yet be ready to receive you so please do not arrive too early.

 

At the entrance of the theater, you will find tables set up with packets for you to pick up before you enter. Inside this packet, you will find pre-registration information and forms and badges and backstage volunteer line up sheets if you are a volunteer.  WE NEED VOLUNTEER MOMS TO STAY BACKSTAGE FOR EVERY CLASS! Attached to this packet will be ONE WRISTBAND that you must immediately put on your wrist in order to enter the theater. A security guard will be checking those wristbands and they are instructed to not permit entry to any non-performing person, adult or child, who is not wearing a wristband. Be sure that you are prepared! ONLY ONE ADULT PER DANCER FAMILY WILL BE ADMITTED AT DRESS REHEARSAL!!

 

This is a strict, no exceptions policy that you signed off on along with the policy that states that your child must remain backstage for the entire recital.  Your signature was required when ordering your child’s costumes because we’d like to avoid any misunderstanding at the dress rehearsal and recital.  These security measures are taken for the safety of all the children. We take our responsibility of overseeing your children very seriously and their safety and security is of utmost importance! If there is any security policy you feel you cannot comply with please do not have your child participate in the performance. We want to continue to permit parents to attend dress rehearsal and not transition to a closed rehearsal, and we’ve managed to run our rehearsals smoothly for 20 years with these systems in place! It is the responsibility of ALL of us to keep our children safe!  Remember, we are trying to co-ordinate a cast of a few hundred dancers, most under the age of 12. Thank you!

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Once you’ve entered the theater, please be seated in the designated row for your child’s class.  If they’re in multiple classes sit with the one that is slated to rehearse first on the rehearsal schedule. Dancers rehearse IN COSTUME. Their first costume might not necessarily what they wore first on picture day! Please double check the rehearsal schedule. Copies of the order will also be posted in the studio and on the website before dress rehearsal. The dancers should be in full costume and hair/makeup, as they were for pictures. Please be sure that there are no bows sticking out of your child’s ballet shoes, no underwear is showing and no jewelry is to be worn (other than the “recital” earrings for age 7 and up!). Also, be sure your child’s name and/or initials are in every single costume piece, hairpieces, shoes and tights, even earrings (use a marker for initials).  Please do not use their “recital” tights for dress rehearsal, save those for the actual performance. The tights they wear for class are fine for dress rehearsal.

We will call your child’s class on to the stage at their designated time to practice their dances and when they’re finished with their last one they may leave.

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Please do not use the restrooms to change your dancer as not only do you risk missing their next dance, there are often dancers needing to use the bathroom having to wait for someone who is changing costumes in a stall. There are dressing rooms backstage where you may change them.

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We encourage everyone to watch rehearsal since pre-registration is that Saturday and it is a good opportunity to see what the other classes are doing so you have a point of reference when registering for next season. Please do not let your child run around and distract the dancers who are on stage rehearsing. Keep in mind that each parent is responsible for supervising their own child at dress rehearsal; class parent volunteers are for recital day only.  We realize it’s a “school night” and we will move things along as quickly as possible. There’s no food permitted in the theater so if your child needs to eat something, please take them outside.

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*PRE-REGISTRATION AT THE STUDIO: Pre registration will be on Saturday, April 29th from 12-2 PM and May 6th from 12-2PM. There will be more information about pre-registration inside the packet you receive at dress rehearsal. Register early to ensure not only your reserved class space but priority seating for next year’s recital!  Popular classes fill quickly and we hate disappointing any of our returning families. There were waiting lists this year and on May 15th we will open registration to new students. We cannot guarantee your dancer/acrobat’s spot if you don’t pre-register. If you are unsure of your class selection, turning in your form and registration fee holds your place in the ticket order for next season.

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*RECITAL AT TOWNSHIP CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS - Recital day is Saturday, May 13th.  There is a 2PM show (arrival time for dancers 1:30 the latest!)  And a 7PM show (arrival time 6:30 the latest!) . See the attached schedule for your dancer’s performance time! If you are unsure PLEASE ASK! Also, please remember just like with the picture schedule we ask that you DOUBLE CHECK what we have highlighted to be sure that it corresponds with your dancer’s class schedule. Human error can occur and the more people checking it over,  the better! Dancers must remain backstage for the entire performance and all classes will be brought on stage for the finale. Please send smaller children with something to keep them busy while waiting for their turn to dance– e.g.: coloring books and crayons, a doll, puzzles, etc. (no markers please!!). You may also pack bottled water, and makeup and hair supplies for touch ups.  We will have some snack items (pretzels, goldfish BUT NO PEANUTS PLEASE) but you might want to send something to snack on. Please be sure that whatever you send, it should be something that cleans up easily if spilled- that is why water only is permitted backstage.

 

IF YOUR CHILD REQUIRES AN EPIPEN WITH THEM BACKSTAGE YOU MUST PERSONALLY TURN THAT IN TO US AT THE START OF THE SHOW. PLEASE CONFIRM WITH US THAT WE HAVE YOUR CHILD ON THE LIST OF THOSE THAT REQUIRE EPIPENS! 

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As with any theatrical production, there will be absolutely NO VIDEO RECORDING OR PHOTOGRAPHY permitted during the performance. This is also for the privacy and safety of the dancers and comfort of all audience members. Please ask your guests to observe this rule as well. We have hired private security to help ensure that there are no flash photos or videos and the Township ushers will stop any recording or photography they see. Please understand that many people are not comfortable with the possibility that video of their child may end up on a website like YouTube or Facebook without their permission. We ask that you respect the privacy of the other children in your child’s class and do not record. We feel VERY strongly about respecting the privacy of each child.  We cannot control the situation completely but can only hope that parents work together to be certain everyone feels comfortable and secure and their child’s privacy respected.  This is why we go to the time and trouble of having the show professionally recorded and photographed so you do not feel obligated to do that yourself, and can “stay in the moment”, enjoy the show and not be concerned about recording.

 

We will need parent volunteers to stay backstage with each class. Please send an email to us at realdancestudio@aol.com with “Recital Volunteer” in the subject line to let us know you’re available. You still get to see your dancer’s performance from the wings!

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5, 10 and 15 Year Students and Demonstrators:  We will be presenting these very special dancers at the end of Act 1 at the 7:00 show only. Please be sure your child knows that they’re going to be presented, and not to change into their next Act 2 costume until after the presentation.

 

*POST RECITAL DISMISSAL PROCEDURE: We will dismiss each class from the stage at the end of the 2 PM show. Once you pick up your dancer you may go back to their dressing room and collect their belongings. The dancers in the 7PM who may meet their families at the stage door at the end of the performance.

 

*TROPHY WEEK AT THE STUDIO:  There will be one more week of classes, May 15th-20th where your child will get their trophies, 5 year awards and you will have an opportunity to further discuss your dancer’s fall schedule if you have any questions or are undecided about which classes they’ll be taking.

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*SUMMER (JUNE) CLASSES AT THE STUDIO:  If you have friends who want to try our studio, summer is a great time for that since it’s a mini session.  A Summer schedule will be available by dress rehearsal! Thanks for all of your recommendations! Word of mouth is our best form of advertising!

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*SUMMER INTENSIVE: Our summer dance intensive will be the week of 6/19 and the week of 6/26. There will be 3 groups: minimum intermediate experience level entering Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. It will be from 9:00-3:00 PM every day and the cost will be $450 per week, $850 for both weeks.  It’s not a “camp” but more like an intense “boot camp” where there will be 5 dance classes a day with a short break for lunch. You may register your child during the last week of classes after the recital. It’s required for our team members and any child with aspirations of competing for RealDance. A nonrefundable deposit of $200 per week will be required when registering.

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*FALL SESSION: The fall session will begin Friday, August 11th. Again, please pre-register early to ensure not only your reserved class space but priority seating for next year’s recital! We now have waiting lists for many of our classes. We thank YOU, our awesome parents, for helping us grow!   We would hate to not be able to have a space for a returning dancer who misses pre-registration. 

 

*ERRORS AND OMISSIONS:  We work extremely hard to be sure all information, spelling, text, etc is accurate but sometimes mistakes happen! Please double check us and let us know if you find any errors on anything and we apologize in advance if we have omitted anything important. Know we do our best but like we teach your children, it’s not that you make a mistake- it’s how you handle it! We will always do whatever we can to fix it!  Thank you and ENJOY THE SHOW!