My First Concert
Tutu’s, tiaras, tights… it must be time for concert!
Being onstage is an exciting and rewarding experience for dance students, and at Simply Ballet we work hard to make it a smooth and enjoyable one.
If this is your first concert, you probably have lots of questions like – what’s involved with participating in a concert? How does it work? What do I need to do to prepare? What does it cost? Hopefully we can help step you through the process so there are no surprises, and everyone has a great time.
What’s involved in participating in the concert?
Students learn their concert dance during their regular class lessons. There is one extra rehearsal, a week before the concert which is a ‘Dress Rehearsal’. This is where students collect their costume and practice in it with their hair done to make sure everything fits, nothing moves while they are dancing, and allows students to get accustomed to dancing in a costume as opposed to their regular class uniform. They also practice interacting with other grades for different parts of the show, entering and exiting the performance space, and how the day will run.
What do I need to do to prepare?
There are a few simple things that will get you on track for a smooth-running concert. Firstly, we’ll send you our ‘Concert Survival Guide’ to read through. This document contains everything you need to know about the day, how to prepare, what to expect, and is full of tips and checklists to help you along the way.
You’ll need to get together a few things like basic make-up, hair supplies, make sure tights and shoes are clean, and bring your costume and everything else required on the day. We also send you a practice video around 4 weeks out from the concert, so you can practice at home with your child if you want to.
Where is the Concert held?
Our end of year concert is held at a purpose built theatre, this year the concert will be held at the St. Ignatius Senior School, Athelstone. They have a 300 seat theatre, backstage facilities, cameras, sound system, lights and expert staff to operate a theatre environment.
What happens on the day?
You’ll be given instructions of how to check-in your child at the stage door of the theatre. On the day, your child will need to participate in a rehearsal on the stage before the performance called a ‘Technical Rehearsal’. This again, is so there are no surprises. Students practice with their costume, the stage lights, sets, and other dancers on stage. We always schedule our littles dancers as close to show time as possible to minimise the time they need to be backstage.
After their rehearsal, our staff will care for them backstage, ensure they have a snack and a drink before the show, and entertain them with games and activities. We even have a quite room where students who need a break from the excitement can have some quiet and relax.
Once the show starts, your child will watch from backstage on large tv screens until it’s their turn to be in the spotlight. Teachers assist them backstage and onstage and they get to show off their hard work. You’ll be in the audience as their biggest supporters and after the show you’ll be able to collect your child from the stage door and go out for a celebration!
What about costume changing, toileting, or if my child gets nervous?
All of our staff have current Working With Children Checks and are governed by Simply Ballet’s Child Safety Policy. Senior and junior students use different toileting facilities and changerooms, and staff supervise students at all times. We have a variety of games and activities backstage for different age ranges, as well as our quiet room for breathing space if needed.
Students go onstage with a teacher or older student acting as a helper. This means if there are any forgetful moments, there’s someone to lend a hand and keep things on track. We aim to prepare students before hand with what to expect onstage, plus they’ve already had a practice – but if there is any hesitation our staff will help your child decide if they want to go onstage or not. Sometimes all that’s needed is a smile and a hand to hold and everything is ok.
What about hair and make-up?
You’ll have access to our hair and make-up tutorial videos to practice with at home, but as always – if you are having trouble just send along the required supplies and our staff can sort out what is needed. Junior students only need very minimal make-up. This is so their features don’t look washed out onstage under the bright stage lights. Hair is generally in a high ballet bun, similar to what you would do for a normal class. We provide headdresses which are returned after the show, and staff will put these on your child backstage.
How much does it cost?
Concert participation is a flat fee depending on the grade, more details will be emailed to you.
If you have any questions about concert, please speak with your class teacher. We look forward to having you as part of the fun!
