Hello, CAC dance students and families!
We are getting closer to Dance Recital Week! Below you will find information about tickets, Dress rehearsal, and the performance itself. If you have any questions, please email me at lauren@chesapeakearts.org
IMPORTANT DATES
Our Dress rehearsal is Thursday, May 2nd at 5:45 PM.
The Dance Recital is Saturday, May 4th at 4:00 PM.
Both of these events take place at our Hammonds Lane Theatre, which is the large theater facing Hammonds Lane that you pass when you turn into the Chesapeake Arts Center Parking lot.
TICKETS
Recital tickets are free of charge this year due to an anonymous donation.
Tickets do need to be reserved in advance to give us an expected audience number so we can staff this event accordingly.
Tickets can be reserved using the form on this page.
There will be no physical tickets to pick up or present for entry.
DRESS REHEARSAL: Thursday, May 2nd
When you arrive…
Dancers should enter through the backstage door of Hammonds Lane Theatre starting at 5:45 P.M.
Please check in with your child’s dance instructor(s).
At our Dress rehearsal, all dancers must be accompanied by a responsible adult for the entire duration of the rehearsal. Dance instructors can not provide childcare because they have multiple classes that need their attention.
Costume changes…
Dancers must arrive in costume (or in their first costume if a dancer is in multiple numbers) with hair and make-up done.
Dressing rooms are only for dancers that are in more than one number in the recital. Their costume changes will be done in the dressing room assigned to them. Their names will be listed on the dressing room door.
Costume changes are not permitted in the open space in the backstage hall, as this is an all gender area. There will be pipe and drape cubicles set up if you need to change a costume outside of a dressing room.
Costume changes are not permitted in the bathroom in the lower lobby between the backstage area and the auditorium doors.
The rehearsal process
We will line up all the dancers to run the finale/bows first. After the finale has been rehearsed, there will be some brief announcements and we will run each dance in order.
Dancers need to sit with their class in their assigned row during the dress rehearsal. (There will be signs indicating where to sit.) A staff member or dance instructor will come and get the group to bring them to the backstage hall area before their run-through on the stage.
After your dancer runs their dance(s), they are allowed to leave or they may stay to watch the rest of the classes perform.
PERFORMANCE: Saturday, May 4th
Arrival time…
Call time for dancers age 8 and up is 3 PM. Call time for dancers ages 4 - 7 is 3:30 PM.
Please bring your dancer in through the backstage door
Have your dancer arrive in full costume with hair and makeup done.
Security protocols…
Upon arrival, please check in with your child’s instructor or the parent volunteer for your class. At this time, you will receive a wristband to allow you backstage to pick up your child at the conclusion of the performance. Only adults with wristbands will be allowed in the backstage area.We will not release students without their adult present.
After you get your wristband, have your dancer sit in their designated spot with the other students in their class. (There will be signs and tables indicating where each group will sit.) If your dancer is in more than one dance class, have them sit with the class that performs first.
Dancers need to stay backstage throughout the performance.
At the end of the recital all students will be escorted backstage after the finale. For crowd control purposes and to keep our students safe, only family members with wristbands will be allowed backstage for pick up.
Theater seating…
The theater doors will open at 3:30 for seating.
Adults that are not crew or assigned volunteers will be required to leave the backstage area to get their seats by 3:50.
Parent Volunteers…
Parents of dancers that need help with costume changes will use doors to the left of the auditorium to access the backstage area between numbers only. There will be a CAC staff member stationed at that door.
Parent volunteers that are helping backstage can watch their child perform in the auditorium after they hand off the class to a CAC staff member or dance instructor. We will make sure the parent has plenty of time to get to the auditorium to watch their dancer's class perform. Designated seats for parent volunteers will be in the front row.
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE
The week of the dance recital, take your dancers costume out and hang it up. If it’s wrinkled, please do not attempt to iron it. Hang it in the bathroom during a shower and the steam should help de-wrinkle it. If there are still creases in the costume for the dress rehearsal, CAC has a steamer we can use.
Have your dancer wear or bring an oversized t-shirt or button down shirt to go over their costume to keep it clean.
Bring quiet activities for your child to use backstage to occupy their time. Coloring books with colored pencils (no markers or messy craft items please!), small stuffed animals, puzzles, etc. You are responsible for any electronic devices you bring to the theater (Mini DVD players, phones, tablets, etc.). CAC employees and dance instructors can not watch over your items when your dancers are on stage.
Because we will have a backstage full of dancers in their costumes, we can not allow any food or beverages besides plain water in the backstage areas. Make sure your dancer has eaten a healthy snack right before heading to the theater.
If you bring any makeup or hair styling products for touch ups, please keep them away from any curious children.
Hair pieces or accessories will be handed out to each group backstage. During the dress rehearsal we will take these items back so they do not get lost before the performance.
Thank you for being part of the Dance Program at CAC! I can’t wait to see our students perform!
Sincerely,
Lauren Lowell, Performing Arts Chair
lauren@chesapeakearts.org