Are you ready to dazzle and amaze your audience with an incredible dance show?
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just starting out, or a teacher wanting to showcase her pupils, putting on a show that wows your audience takes careful planning, hard work, and a lot of creativity.
In this blog post, we’ll share our top tips and tricks for putting on a dance show that will leave your audience speechless. From selecting the perfect music to creating show-stopping choreography, we’ll guide you through every step of the process. Get ready to show the world what you’re made of – let’s put on a dance show!
Do you want to know how to put on a concert for your dance studio, not only that, it has to be a magical event for both your parents and your students.
Preparing for your annual recital or concert is both time-consuming and exhausting. What with thinking up new ideas, choreography, music, and costuming, you barely have any time left for yourself and your family.
Why is it a Good Idea to Have a Concert for your Studio?
A dance performance or show is not only a great way to showcase your studio’s talent, but it also provides an opportunity for your dancers to shine on stage. From costumes to choreography, there are many elements that go into putting on a successful dance performance.
There are many reasons why studios do concerts and here are some of them:
- End-of-year show/celebration
- Dancers love to perform and show what skills they have learned to their friends and family
- Good preparation for competition work and build up your dancers’ self-confidence as they can dance without being judged
- To encourage new students to sign up at your studio
- A great form of advertising within your community
- As fundraisers for your studio and for charity
How To Put On A Concert For Your Dance Studio
First of all, you need to decide what type of show you want to put on. Will it be a show-stopper spectacular that will be glitzy and polished, and run for a few nights, or will it be more casual, fun, and just aimed at your pupils and their families?
Choosing a theme for your show is always a good idea so that it ties together better. There is nothing wrong with having a random bunch of acts thrown together, but to me, it looks more polished if it sticks to some sort of theme. It could be anything from Dancing Around the World, to Save our Earth, to a full-out production of the Nutcracker.
The next thing I do is list all my classes and then find music to suit each age group. I always make sure that I purchase the music so that the copy is good and you don’t hear funny noises in the background.
We have a costume wardrobe, so I always try and fashion items around what we already have so that I don’t need to make too many new costumes.
Also if it is a family show, make sure the music is clean. There is nothing worse than watching children dancing with a bunch of swear words going off in the lyrics.
When it comes to choreographing the numbers, everyone does it differently. I listen to the music and make notes of the highs and lows, but as far as steps go I usually choreograph with the dancers in front of me so that I can make sure they can manage the routine easily.
It does take lots of drilling and taking the items section by section to make sure that it is well rehearsed and all the dancers know exactly what they are doing.
The important thing is to keep the show moving and keep the audience entertained, including those impatient fathers that have been dragged away from their sport to watch their children dance.
Here are some pointers to help your show run smoothly:
- Keep the speeches and awards short sweet, and to the minimum. People are there to watch the dancing, not listen to rambling.
- Pick a theme to work around. It just makes everything flow more smoothly.
- Make sure all your music is family appropriate. A lot of music nowadays is X-rated.
- Music should be properly cut and edited.
- Try to start with a slower number, or the littles while they are still fresh. The number before the interval and the number at the end of the show should be lively, upbeat, and highly entertaining. Stay away from too many slow numbers in the second half of the show. Always end a concert on a high, so that your audience leaves the theater feeling good.
- Make sure that your dancers are suited to their parts, and that the numbers that they are in are age appropriate.
- Rather than closing the curtain after each number, try to keep your concert flowing by blending the music and letting dances follow straight on. This is also good training to teach your pupils to exit and enter the stage gracefully.
- Try to experiment with new ideas and concepts each year. Let some of your seniors try their hand at choreography. You will be surprised by what they can come up with.
- Last, but not least, remember to have fun. We find the last quarter of the year tiring, and this is the reason we do our concert at year-end, to keep the pupils motivated with something fun to work on.
- Make sure you get enough volunteers to help backstage. You can use teachers, advanced students, and even an eager mother or two. It definitely helps things to run smoothly if everyone has an assigned job and knows exactly what they are responsible for.
In conclusion, putting on an amazing dance show is an exhilarating experience that requires dedication, creativity, and teamwork. From selecting the perfect music and choreographing mind-blowing routines to designing stunning costumes and creating a captivating stage setup, every aspect of the show must be carefully planned and executed.
But when all the hard work pays off and the final performance comes alive, the feeling is absolutely electrifying! The energy, passion, and talent of the dancers combined with the enthusiastic support of the audience make for an unforgettable experience that leaves everyone buzzing with excitement.
So, if you’re thinking of putting on a concert or show, don’t hesitate! Embrace the challenge, unleash your creativity, and get ready to witness the magic that unfolds when a group of passionate individuals comes together to create a mesmerizing dance spectacle.
This is the time to shine and make memories that will last a lifetime!
Wow, sounds like putting on a dance show is a whole bunch of hard work and planning. You did a fantastic job explaining the steps to pull this off, I never realized what all was involved in such a activity, sounds like you have much experience in this stuff.
How far ahead of a show do you need to start these steps to be ready on time?
It really depends on how perfect you want your show to be. Some teachers start a year in advance. We work on about three months if we can, although not always possible due to so many other studio commitments like exams.
I found your article very interesting. My sister-in-law actually owns a dance studio in New Jersey and I will be sure to relay this page to her. I’m sure she will find it very insightful and useful. I think it’s a pretty cool concept to host a concert. It definitely sounds like a lot of fun for everyone involved. You have such a wonderful website. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks for the kind words and yes although hard work, it is fun.
Great Review on how to create concert.I recall learning the thing call as the 5 W 1 H, it applies for any successful event in placing it on track, and your information on why the event, place all this 6 element 🙂
Where
When
Who
What
why
and How 🙂
I sure this articles will help a lot for people who planning to create a concert, and I love your Final statement ” Remember to have fun ” I believe that the key for a great performance 🙂 .
Cheers Michel
Thanks for the input Gilbert. Yes this one does make sense.