Planning a big show takes a lot of time, and a lot of preparation. So, it’s important to get started early!
In putting together the Official TutuTix E-Book, we consulted several studio owners to get an idea of how and when they plan their recitals.
Take a look at the dance recital preparation timeline we’ve created below, and see how it stacks up against your current planning schedule!
According to the studio owners we worked with, these are some recommended checkpoints throughout the year to make sure you’re on track for a successful dance recital.
July
Use summertime to your advantage by preparing for next year’s recital now! But, keep an easy pace: you’re helping yourself by starting this early, so there’s no need to rush through these early planning sessions.
Consider:
- Recital Themes
- Recital Music
- Basic Choreography
- Student Goals
August
By August, try and have your music for the recital chosen, even if your choreography isn’t fully fleshed out yet. By having music picked, you can move more quickly to build choreography that fits the music’s narrative. Plan some specific choreography moves – start your dancers on their tougher moves from day one!
Also, go big this year and start planning your performance venue and booking a recital date. The earlier you get your location settled, the sooner you can focus on getting parents involved.
September
Build some of the tougher choreography moves into class warm-ups and technique sessions. Adjust your choreography to best fit your group of students.
October – December
Keep your dancers’ muscle memory and flexibility intact by continuing to practice the spring’s tougher moves. Come spring, you and your dancers will be pleasantly surprised by the progress that’s ben made all throughout the year!
Costumes. Costumes. Costumes. Get those costume orders in! Misty Lown of “More Than Great Dancing” explains in detail how her studio saves money every year from a carefully planned approach to costumes.
January
Set up as much as possible for the final recital before you really dig in and start teaching final choreography. That means:
- Finalizing Venue Details
- Online Ticketing
- Program Printing
- Audio Rental
- Parent Volunteers
- Merchandise
If you can nail down the details early, only a follow-up is needed later in the spring.
February – March
Hopefully the logistics of your recital are mostly taken care of by now, and you’re in full teaching and dancing mode. Don’t forget to wrangle parent volunteers and have costumes fitted, but otherwise put your energy into your students!
April
Time to follow up with ANYONE and EVERYONE involved with your recital to make sure everything is in order! And, it can’t hurt to send out several final reminder emails to parents.
May/June
Final Recital Season Once Again!
