Costumes

You will have 2, 3, or 5 total costumes for your dancer depending on their enrolled classes, and must have the specific shoes and tights listed for each costume. Be sure to buy at least 2-3 pair of each color tights as backups.

If you haven’t done so, be sure to open the costume, try it on and take it for any needed alterations*, and then hang it up neatly inside a garment bag. Label ALL pieces of the costumes. Be sure to steam out the tulle/ruffles so the skirt will lay neatly.

*A note on dance costume sizing*

We do measure your dancer before ordering, so they should have the correct size based on their measurements, NOT based on the size you would expect to see in the label. Your dancer may complain that they feel tight around the neck or the legs, or around the waist. This is normal and expected. They are meant to fit snug around the legs as they are meant to be worn without undergarments for the most part. The neck will sometimes feel tight to a dancer simply because they sometimes have a higher collar or neckline than most street clothes and therefore feel uncomfortable to them. We recommend leaving it unbuttoned or un-clasped in that case until a few minutes before they dance, to minimize their discomfort.

Since the costumes are not custom-made, and dancer bodies are, it is possible that one part or other will be more snug than expected. If it fits well in all other areas then sizing up would lead to the entire costume EXCEPT that snug part needing to be altered, so it’s best to have that one area altered a bit if necessary. 

CHECK your dancer’s shoes and be sure they have the correct, and correctly fitting, shoes and tights that are in good condition for photos and for the showcase. Some parents choose to buy a new pair of each for photos, then use those for recital. If you do so, please make sure to have them wear them to class at least once or twice as well.

A note on jewelry, manicures/pedicures, etc.

Please remove ALL jewelry and nail polish for pictures, dress rehearsal, and recital. Those things, while beautiful, detract from the uniformity and overall look of their group routines and photos.  If you’d like to add earrings or other jewelry for your individual shots, you’re welcome to do so. In addition to affecting the cohesive look of the group, jewelry can be a safety hazard, potentially catching on costumes, causing injury, or becoming lost. Colorful or distracting nail polish can detract from the overall look of the dancers and the performance.

Makeup and Hair

Please remove all jewelry (including earrings) and nail polish on fingers and toes for pictures, dress rehearsal and recital.

MAKE-UP

Foundation, peach pink blush, neutral yet dramatic eyeshadow, black eyeliner and mascara, red lips. Some parents may find it easier to use false lashes versus mascara on the littles dancers, they may tolerate it better. Plan to do your makeup as it will be for the recital.

Boys need blush, mascara, light lip color.

Hair

Use lots of gel, spray, pins, etc. no donuts. Make bun flat against head and very secured. We’ll be at the studio starting at 3.Stage makeup is required so that the stage lights don’t wash out their faces and facial features. It will NOT look so clearly obvious when they’re on stage so please go bolder than you think you’ll need.

Picture Day

We will have costume picture day for our Level 1 and 2 classes, Friday May 9th! Please be sure your dancer is present on these days or they will NOT be in the yearbook! The group photos will be for the yearbook and are required. The individual photos are optional, if you would like to purchase pictures from the photographer. There will be order forms available on-site. You can view and download/print from here as well!

Schedule is still to be determined, but will run roughly 4-9pm. We will take a group shot for each class followed by individual poses for those who plan to purchase in that costume. See the sample schedule to get an idea.

• 4:00 – The Glow Group Photo
• 4:15 – The Glow Individual Photos (optional, if purchasing photos)
• 5:00 – Sunshine Group Photo
• 5:30 – Sunshine Individual Photos (optional)
• 6:00 -I See The Light Group Photo
• 6:15 – I See The Light Individual Photos (optional)
• 7:00 – Fireflies Group Photo
• 7:15 – Fireflies Individual Photos

Costume Notes

Be sure you have:

• All Costumes, taken out of the bag and steamed to remove wrinkles if necessary, with garment bags to keep them protected.
• removed all jewelry and nail polish for pictures, dress rehearsal, and recital. Those things, while beautiful, detract from the uniformity and overall look of their group routines and photos. If you’d like to add earrings or other jewelry for your individual shots, you’re welcome to do so.
• Correct shoes and tights – Refer to the costume notes/pages above:) Contact Premier Dancewear and purchase the correct shoes/tights if you don’t already have them!

Rehearsals and Showcase

Call Times

While not officially set for this year, call time traditionally is 1.5 hours before show start. For example:

• Friday 4:30pm – call time and dress rehearsal starts soon after.
• Saturday 4:30pm -6pm show start
• Sunday 1:30pm – 3pm show start

PreDance classes typically will NOT need to arrive at call time, but will come in with their parents closer to the normal time, dressed and ready to go in their first costume and wearing a cover-up. We do recommend waiting until just before they come backstage to put their lipstick on unless you have lip stain (such as the Maybelline SuperStay Matte lip color Dancer).

Studio Rehearsals

We will have studio rehearsals the week of recital, June 2-5. Exact times/days tbd but are traditionally on Tuesday and Thursday. Predance classes and loved ones will NOT need to be at these rehearsals. Mandatory for all other groups. Dancers will wear all-black dancewear and hair smooth and slicked back in a low pony or bun (good time to practice hair for recital.) Dancers will be expected to stay for the entire rehearsal, which will likely be 4-5 hours. Be sure they’ve eaten a good healthy meal before they come and bring a water bottle!

Dress Rehearsal Friday

Dancer and ONE helper parent will be present at the dress rehearsal please! Gran Finale, Predance and Loved Ones will all go first for the evening, then the loved ones parents and predance classes will be finished for the evening. We will then go back through the show order from the beginning minus those groups. Parents!! This is your only opportunity to take your own photos and videos of the recital routines.

Predance will arrive completely ready to go in their costumes and a cover-up, and will stay with their adult until we call them to the stage.

All other dancers will arrive with hair and makeup completely ready, and in black dancewear for a group warmup. Parents will get everything set up in the dressing areas for the day. Dancers will be released to go get their first costumes on after warmup and dress rehearsal will begin. Dancers will be able to pack up their belongings and go home after their final routines at dress rehearsal.

Showcase Days

ALL dancers will stay through the entire performance, as all will be in Gran Finale and will receive a little commemorative gift at the end of the Gran Finale.

Once the final bows are complete, predance parents will come to the front of the stage and collect their little ones there. Our older dancers and adult helpers will be keeping them safe until the parent or other caregiver comes to the stage to collect them and will then be free to go. The theatre staff will need to clean up the stage so please be mindful and clear the stage quickly so they can work.

Be sure that ALL belongings as well as any and all trash or debris are picked up when we leave the theatre spaces and the backstage/dressing room areas. Any belongings left behind will be taken to the studio and you will need to wait until summer classes start to retrieve them.