Taking Care of Costumes - Dos & Don’ts

There’s nothing else quite like a dance costume—it carries the excitement of the performance yet to come, and of course, there are all those sparkles!  For many children, wearing a costume brings out the confidence and poise they’ve been working so hard on in class, and it is one of their most favorite parts about dancing on stage. 

Because dance costumes are made from specialty fabrics, they can’t be treated like regular clothes.  From stretchy lycra-blended leotards to the embellishments of sequins and beading, costumes are made from finicky materials.  For this reason, we do not recommend washing them, but a little extra TLC can go a long way! 

Taking care of your child’s costume can be simple if you keep these Dos and Don'ts in mind:

• Do encourage your dancer to find a safe place at home to keep their costume.  Help them understand that this will keep it in tip-top shape for photos and performance time.

• Don't allow playtime in the costume.  If something spills on it or it rips, it is too late to purchase a new one!  Save the dress-up time for after the recital.

• Don’t allow your child to eat messy foods or drink anything but water when wearing the costume for photos or the performance.  This helps prevent irreversible damage that can be caused by the dyes and enzymes in food and drink.

• Do keep tutus upside down on the hanger, unless otherwise specified by your child's teacher.  This helps keep the tutu fluffy!

• Do purchase a nude leotard undergarment for your child if they complain that the costume is itchy.  These undergarments can be worn at all times for comfort and modesty; ask us for recommendations.

• If the costume is wrinkled, Do allow it to "rest" outside of the garment bag.  Using a steamer is OK too if you are experienced with one.

• Don't forget that costumes are made-to-order but not custom-made, so small alterations (such as tacking straps or hemming pants) may be needed to ensure the fit is just right.

• Do make sure the costume is ready to go when needed!  Make sure it is not crumpled or missing anything, and bring it with you in its garment bag.

If you ever have a question about the best way to store or care for a specific dance costume, please ask!  We understand that costume care can feel like completely new territory, so we're happy to help anytime.

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!