The holiday season is here and with it, the glorious return of Holiday Presentation Week! What is Holiday Presentation week you ask? It's a wonderful showcase celebrating all your dancer has learned this year so far. For some of you, this sounds exciting and thrilling. For others, this sounds like a giant ballet slipper of stress. If you are the latter, never fear — this guide’s for you!
What is Holiday Presentation Week exactly?
During the week of December 12th 2016 through December 18th 2016 you and your family will be sitting in on your child’s normally scheduled dance class. You will get to see all the dance moves they have been working on and then your child will perform a thirty second to one minute solo.
How do I prepare my dancer for this presentation?
Be on the look out for an email sent within the past few weeks with links to various songs. Play the songs for your child and have them chose one to make up a solo to. Please make sure the song you select is appropriate for the style of dance your child is taking (example: classical music for a ballet class, or a current top 40 radio song for hip hop). Once the song is chosen, play it for your child a few times and have them dance along. You do not need to worry about providing the music during the presentation, all of the studios will have the songs we sent in the email ready to go.
What are the expectations of my teacher?
Here is the best part, this is no pressure celebration. The teachers at Tiny Dancers are happy when a dancer gets up in front of an audience and performs, regardless if that means they simply twirl until they fall down. You do not need to choreograph a dance with your child, or have them memorize anything. Students in a pre-ballet class or older should be showcasing some of the vocabulary they have learned in class. If your child is nervous about this, have them get some ideas after class from their teacher!
What if my child refuses to dance?
Every year I have at least a handful of students who refuse to dance. This is completely normal and understandable. Imagine walking in to a room full of strangers sitting a couple of feet away and you have to perform! At this point I usually ask the child if they want to dance with me, or a friend or a sibling. If they still refuse then that is that. I would never force a child to perform or make them feel bad if they didn’t. While performance week is great practice for our end of the year recital, forcing a child to perform could leave a more lasting case of stage fright that follows them to the recital.
How can I make this day more special for my dancer?
This is an easy one, talk it up! Let them know how amazing it is that they are performing for their family. Bring a big support group (grandparents love this!) and maybe even a bouquet of flowers for all their hard work. Most importantly keep it fun and pressure free!
I am looking forward to seeing all the unique dances!
Love, Miss Karly