Recital costume measurements are taking place soon, and recital is the talk of the hallways at the studio!  As we begin preparations for the Spring Concert in the fall, this when we sometimes have parents ask, “Why should my child participate in the recital?”

This is an excellent question, and an important one!  Dance is a performing art, and we want every child to experience the joy of being onstage.  While I could talk for hours and hours about the benefits of performing, I think there are really three core reasons why it is significant:

Progress

Throughout the dance season, our students are making awesome progress in class.  And when I say “awesome” I don’t necessarily mean the obvious, like learning fancy ballet steps (although that is pretty awesome too!).  What I mean is that the super-shy child comes out of her shell, or the child who said “I can’t” now says “I can,” or the teenager who struggled to smile now shines with every practice.  Seeing this kind of progress in class is great, but having it showcased on stage is priceless!  Performing allows these children to demonstrate their progress – both with the steps AND with their confidence.

Potential

For our students, and for their families, the recital is an excellent time to see what everyone else is doing!  Young dancers are inspired by seeing different styles of dance from backstage, and will often think to themselves, “I bet I can do that too!”  Parents in the audience, too, are able to see the potential dance holds, as they watch a variety of styles and age groups.  Dance offers the promise of so much growth if a young child sticks with it and works hard; the recital performance helps bring this potential to the stage.

Passion

Performing, for many young students, holds an excitement like nothing they’ve experienced before.  They may still be nervous, which is quite normal and expected, but we often see even the shyest child light up with joy when they step onstage.  A passion for dance, even if it didn’t seem obvious before, can bubble up to the surface after performing!  (Don’t be surprised if you end up watching the recital DVD on repeat!)  It’s this growing passion – not perfect technique or memory – that makes dancing so special.

If you have any questions (or hesitations) about having your child perform, I invite you to come talk with me or with another one of our wonderful SDC team members!  We love any opportunity to chat about performing.

– Ms. Julie