Practicing at Home: Recital Edition

We absolutely love it when our students say they want to practice their recital dance at home.  Their enthusiasm is contagious, and then everyone in the class wants to practice at home too! 

But as a parent, how should you go about encouraging this?  Is there such a thing as a too much practice?  We’ve got all your practicing-at-home answers right here:

Should I make my child practice their recital dance at home?

The short answer here is no.  We don’t believe practice should be forced, or it can become completely unenjoyable.  But we do think it’s helpful for you to encourage it!  You might say, “Why don’t you practice your dance for 10 minutes and then we’ll play freeze dance together...  are you in?”  (Of course, then you have to follow through on your promise to freeze dance!)

When my child practices, there seem to be a lot of forgotten or rushed steps.  Does this mean she’s going to be a mess at the recital?

Nope.  Keep in mind that the recital dance is a group dance, and so practicing at home is completely out of context.  Your child is well-oriented with her group in the studio classroom, so remembering everything at home by themselves is a challenge.  Remember also that every child develops memorization skills at their own pace.  It will “click” for them in time!

What if my child expresses that they’ll be nervous onstage?

Know that this is completely normal and expected for nearly every dancer.  Reassure them that it’s OK to feel nervous (that most people do) and their familiar classmates and teachers will be with them during the show.  Talk with them about building up the courage to do their best, and remind them that you’ll be smiling and clapping for them from the audience.  Remind them that you’ll be proud of them no matter what.

Should I practice the steps with my child?

Not necessarily.  We recommend that children practice on their own in order to build their self-reliance and confidence, without mom or dad swooping in to help.  Practicing for the recital is not like studying for a test, where you might be able to cram the material into a short amount of time.  We want the recital to truly reflect all of our students’ abilities and progress, not what they drilled at home.

What else helps with practicing at home?

Listening to the recital music is really helpful, even if it’s in the car on the way to school.  Knowing the music is key to understanding the counts and rhythms in choreography, so the familiarity can make a big difference in your child’s learning curve and confidence.  Also helpful?  Encourage your child to ask questions in class if they’re not sure about a step!  Our teachers welcome their communication so we can make sure everyone feels prepared. 

The excitement for recital is HUGE for some dancers and a little scary for others.  Keep the conversation going at home by supporting your dancer’s efforts to practice without any added pressure.  We want to keep their spirits high and their insecurities low!

Recital Expectations for Your Little Ones

Performing in the recital is a brand new experience for most of our young dancers.  And while some will find it exciting, others might be a little nervous!  In our experience, one of the keys to recital success is encouraging your child to do their best and reassuring them that you are proud no matter what. 

 So, what’s it going to be like when the big day rolls around?  What’s reasonable for you to expect from your child?  We’ve put together some of our best advice for a rewarding recital experience with your little one!

 Remember that ….

• Dancing on stage in front of hundreds of people is a pretty big deal! Some dancers are shy and others ham it up.  However they react, all of our young dancers are gaining a tremendous amount of confidence by performing in front of a crowd.  Through this process, they are learning about self-expression, demonstrating their skills, and gaining a sense of accomplishment.

• Strong emotions might occur, and that’s totally OK!  We’ve seen dancers who are so excited to perform they can hardly stand still, and others who suddenly become worried that they can’t see mom and dad way out there in the audience.  In our experience, most of these big emotions dissipate after dress rehearsal.  But we do have a few special tactics to calm and comfort our littlest performers when needed, so rest assured they are always in good hands!

• Live performances can be unpredictable—and often in positive ways. But you may wonder whether your little one will forget the dance routine or if they’ll have a case of stage fright.  Though those things do happen sometimes, they don’t mean your child’s future in dance is over.  (In fact, far from it!)  We know we can’t predict exactly what will happen, but we can guarantee that we are as proactive and prepared as possible.

• Our curricula are designed to focus on gross motor skills and dance fundamentals.  Our students are being taught age-appropriate movements that align with their physical development.  Don’t expect your little one to perform with the same knowledge and skills of a dancer who is older or more experienced!  Technical progress comes over time as each dancer moves through our class levels at just the right pace.

• Success come in many forms, and we do not promote perfection as one of them!  Instead, we talk in class about the dancers trying their best and having fun while they perform.  Success is both the child who comes off stage beaming with joy AND the one who shyly admits she enjoyed it; it is both the child who remembered every step AND the one who forgot a few but worked super hard.  We want to celebrate every version of recital success!

We hope you enjoy watching your dancer onstage at the recital and seeing how far they’ve come this year.  All of us at Expressions Dance are super proud of our young dancers' progress!

Behind the Scenes at the Studio

Have you and your child ever wondered what goes on at Expressions Dance when you’re not there?  There’s a whole other side to the dance studio that some people never know about!  Here’s a little report on how the magic happens and what you don’t usually see …

Documents, spreadsheets, and software, oh my … You don’t usually associate these things with teaching dance, but it’s how we stay organized and prepared.  On any given day, you’ll find Expressions Dance staffers plugging away at computer work, all in the name of maintaining reliable systems so we can serve you better!

Creating classes … Expressions Dance teachers are in constant creative-mode, working on which curricula will be the focus of which class, how that material will be introduced, and to which music.  They are always experimenting with different combinations of steps to find just the right mix for each class’s students.

Marketing development … You know the fun social media posts you see?  Created and scheduled behind-the-scenes!  That amazing master class opportunity coming up?  Contracted last year.  The new brochures, flyers, or rack cards that go up at the front desk?  You guessed it; they were all designed and printed with months of planning from our marketing calendar.

Problem-solving … Whether we’re troubleshooting a scheduling snafu, juggling a tricky music edit, or working through a budget, there’s always some element of problem-solving at play.  Our creativity can’t stop at the classroom doors; we need to use it everywhere!

Performance prep … The recital may only come around once a year, but the work needed to make it successful goes on all year long.  From planning choreography to choosing costumes, and from reserving the venue to setting the show order, every detail is sharpened before the information becomes public.

So now you know: Expressions Dance is full of bustling activity, even when classes aren’t in session!  The best part of the day though, comes when we see our first group of students for the day.  It’s when the behind-the-scenes hustle pauses and we all get to do our favorite thing in the world: teach dance!

Practicing at Home: Dos and Don’ts

Many of our students absolutely love practicing dance at home.  You’ll find them twirling in the living room and tapping in the kitchen—they just can’t contain their enthusiasm!  It’s not uncommon for a parent to tell us that their child feels compelled to choreograph with their friends after school or teach their stuffed animals how to piqué and passé.

 If your child is one these non-stop movers, you might have started wondering, “What can I do to encourage this practice in a safe way?  How can I foster this passion?” 

 At Expressions Dance, we get it!  And we’ve got some great advice for you here with our Dos and Don’ts for practicing at home:

First and foremost, Do designate a specific spot in your house that is “dance practice” space!  This could be a room or hallway with very little furniture, or perhaps your garage—somewhere that is easy to move in.  Don’t allow tap shoes on your easily-scuffed floors, and never allow your child to practice in pointe shoes at home (even if she has earned her shoes). 

 Do challenge your child to practice what they remember from class, but don’t worry if they just want to improvise their own moves!  Resist the urge to “teach” the dance steps yourself; Do allow your child’s dance teacher to be the authority of those skills in the classroom.

 Don’t expect perfection with at-home practice; it should feel relaxed and carefree as much as possible.  Do suggest that your child practice with music (any music!) since it will help them become even more familiar with finding the beat and keeping time with rhythms.

 Also take care to supervise when your child practices; do watch what they’re doing at home to ensure they are safe—and don’t hesitate to join in the fun!

Practicing dance at home should always feel comfortable and supportive so that your child can unleash their creativity and joy for dancing.  If you ever have any questions about what is safe or appropriate to practice at home, please ask!  We’re happy to help.

FIND THE PRACTICE VIDEOS FOR RECITAL DANCES HERE!