TIDC performing arts studio
CONCERT HANDBOOK As at Nov 1, 2017
Philosophy, Policies, and Procedures
Dear Parents and Students, for more than 37 years, TIDC has provided students with an exciting performance experience through its December concerts. The concert―that annual staple of the dance school―conjures images of childhood and the beginning of Christmas holidays for many. It’s a rite of passage for thousands of youngsters, a chance to shine in front of family and friends that they anticipate with nervous excitement. The concert offers our students a professionally directed performance that allows them to present to their families and friends the results of a year’s hard work, dedication, and progress. A big part of dance training is learning through performance. Although performance opportunities can help prepare some students for a possible career in dance, they also contribute to children’s success in non-dance activities. The performing experience helps build self-esteem and self-confidence and can result in better in-school presentations, improved social skills, and strong interview skills for future university or job opportunities. The rehearsal process is a tremendous learning experience as well. It helps the children develop retention skills, and by working with their classmates on a group performance, they learn the positive aspects of working as a team to create the best end result. Dedication to concert commitments is the responsibility of both students and their parents. We’ve created this handbook in an effort to clarify what we expect from you in terms of commitments and responsibility to the concert, the school, and other students and parents. The opportunity to perform in a concert is an exciting, empowering and confidencebuilding part of the training process. This is where we love to watch our students learn about the theatre, rehearsals and teamwork while they enjoy the opportunity to showcase their skills in a professionally run production. Concerts are a wonderful way for students to showcase the results of their hard work and for family and friends to join in the pride of their achievement. We love giving all students the chance to perform for their family and friends in this supportive and fun environment and encourage even our youngest and newest performers to be involved. If there is any reason why your child will not be able to perform at the concert on the dates and times provided in this handbook, please let us know so we can make amendments to the class routines involving them.
In terms of attendance, it is very important that students do not miss any of their scheduled classes between now and concert time so they can spend their rehearsal time together to perform their routines, feel confident and look amazing. If your child is sick for class but well enough to come and watch, this is preferable to missing out altogether. If for any reason your child will miss any of their regular classes in Term 4, we ask that you contact reception to let us know in advance. Please note that unfortunately any families with unpaid dance or costume fees will not be allowed to participate in our concert unless payment arrangements are made.
Table of Contents 1 - Staying Informed 2 – Commitment 3 – Costumes 4 – Tights, Shoes, Hair & Makeup 5 – Planning – Be prepared 6 – Theatre Rehearsals-including drop off and pick up 7 – Concert Procedures-including drop off and pick up 8 – Photo Day 9 – Concert DVD’s 10 – Concert Tickets 11 – Volunteer Information – Concert Parent Helpers 12 – Concert Programs 13 – Trophy Presentation & Picnic 14- Rehearsal & Concert times & locations 15- Contact details
1. STAYING INFORMED: We work hard to make the dance experience organised and fun. Keeping you informed is one of our primary goals. Please read all newsletters and other school information. Newsletters and important updates are always available at the front desk. The same newsletters and updates are emailed to you and updates posted on the TIDC website and TIDC Member’s only Facebook page. If you have any questions regarding the information distributed, we encourage you to contact your class organiser or studio office manager. We are constantly updating our website and Facebook pages. News, important parent and student information, contact information, and more are available online 24 hours a day. Make it your responsibility to keep abreast of this important information.
2. COMMITMENT Our goal is to make the concert an organized, exciting experience for everyone involved. It is a team effort: students, their parents, the teachers, and the director are key players in the show’s success. Home Study: To ensure that the students feel confident about their performance, we ask parents and guardians to encourage them to rehearse their concert choreography on a regular basis. Our goal is to make the concert an organized, exciting experience for everyone involved.
3. COSTUMES Lots of time, effort and money goes into the costumes for each class. They are always age appropriate and of the highest quality possible. Costume Payments- In an effort to ensure that costumes are delivered in time and an organized distribution to our students, costume orders are placed early in the year. We encourage everyone to make regular contributions to their costume bank. Costumes will not be given out until they are paid for in full - Parents or guardians accept full responsibility for all expenses, including surcharges and postage for costumes that are ordered late. TIDC is not responsible if costumes are not received in time for the concert due to late payments. Costume manufacturers do not accept cancellations or offer refunds; therefore the school does not refund costume deposits. No refunds will be made if a parent or guardian withdraws a child from the school after costumes have been organised prior to the concert.
We recommend that you label all shoes and tights with your child’s name. Place the costumes in a garment bag with your child’s name on the outside. Pack accessories in a clear plastic bag (labelled with your child’s name). Hats should be stored in a hatbox or similar container to prevent damage. Ironing - Ironing costumes is not recommended because of glues that may have been used to attach appliques and/or trim. If they become creased in between the time they are given out and the performance we do not recommend using a traditional iron when pressing costumes. Silks can burn, sequins can melt, and fabric colours may change. Hang costumes in the bathroom during a shower or use a handheld steamer. Tutu maintenance - Grasp the waist and give it a gentle shake, then use your fingers to “comb” out any pieces of tulle that are wrinkled. To store a tutu, lay it flat upside down. To help remove persistent wrinkles, hang the tutu in the bathroom during a shower or use a handheld steamer. · Costume racks - A wheeled clothing rack is a smart investment if your child has several costumes. It keeps the costumes organized, prevents wrinkles, and provides some privacy during costume changes. Hang costumes on the rack in the order they will be needed during the show. Underwear - Everyone please wear flesh coloured underwear under your costume. You should not be able to see your underwear under your costume. Girls do require a body stocking for the concert
NOTE:
No jewellery is to be worn with costumes as they can catch on costumes and cause significant injuries – this includes all body piercings.
INVISIBLE bra straps aren’t INVISIBLE! The plastic straps actually shine under the theatre lights. If you are wearing a bra under your costume it must be a flesh coloured one with convertible straps. A Stick- on bra is recommended. Boys over the age of 10years must wear a dance belt for their own protection.
Costumes with fringe- Please do not wash costumes with fringe as it frays. Comb out tangles with your fingers.
TIPS:
Always have a spare pair of tights available. Place costumes in a garment bag for travel. · Carry hats in a hatbox or container to prevent them from damage. Hang costumes before the performance. Place your name in all items including shoes.
4. TIGHTS,SHOES, HAIR & MAKEUP Tights and Stockings - To ensure that there are no discrepancies in colour and style, students are required to have the same tights for all performances. All tights will be supplied through the studio shop and charged to your account. Do not wear or wash them before the performance. (Note: Having a second pair of tights on hand offers students and parents a great sense of security.) Tight requirements will be sent out with costume lists. Please check these off when packing costume bags. · Shoes - All students must have correct footwear for each item. All shoes must be freshly painted as different brand shoes are different shades in colour. Shoe requirements will be sent out with costume lists. Please check these off when packing costume bags. Hair - So that stage lighting does not throw shadows on faces all fringes must be pinned back. Please ensure there are no ‘wispy bits’. Exact hairstyles will be sent out with the costume list – best to have a trial too. Makeup - Makeup is essential for the performance as the stage lighting is very strong and can wash out the best of complexions. For health reasons you must provide your own makeup and hair accessories. ALL U5 U6, U8 Classes - A light make-up - foundation, brown eye shadow, rouge and red lipstick. ALL other classes Foundation, brown & white eye shadow, rouge, eye liner, mascara red lipstick. For all competition students brown & white eye shadow, rouge, eye liner, false eyelashes red lipstick and rhinestone earrings as required, please see costume list or costume coordinator for confirmation. Make-up List “What you will need “ Foundation Pressed powder (to take shine away) Brown eye shadow. White eye- shadow. Mascara. Pink blush. Red lipstick. Liquid eye liner (U10 & up) False eye lashes (U10 & up).
Hair clips, Hair ties – clear or to match hair. Hair gel or mouse .Hairspray (lots & lots!!) Brush, Comb, Silver safety pins, Sticky tape. Scissors. Please ensure that you have all of these things in your dance bag – do not rely on others to have them for your child. Of course, if you are unsure of anything there will be plenty of people to help you
5. PLANNING- BE PREPARED The concert isn’t a one-day activity. Gather all costumes, accessories, shoes, and makeup several days in advance so you’ll know if something is missing or isn’t right. Make a checklist of your child’s routines, listing the costume, tights, shoes, and any accessories, and refer to it to make sure you have all your supplies before going to the theatre. Bring at least one extra pair of tights of each colour. Also bring extra hair gel, hairnets, bobby pins, and hairspray. TIPS: Other handy extras- Baby-wipes to fix makeup mistakes or wash hands. Clear nail polish (to repair minor holes or runs in tights when there isn’t time to change them) BandAids (the “invisible” kind) Snacks - Please do not send your child to the concert with snacks or beverages that could stain their costumes. Plain biscuits, energy bars, apples, carrot sticks, and string cheese are good choices. Water is the best beverage; please do not send juice boxes or other sticky or coloured beverages. And never give them chocolate bars! Please try not to bring anything valuable, especially electronic devices. Our studio and the venue will take no responsibility if an item is damaged, misplaced, lost or stolen.
6. THEATRE REHEARSALS Here at TIDC performing arts studio, dress and technical rehearsals are a super important part of preparing for our concert. This is where we get to see the costumes working on stage in a group to really compliment the dances your children have been working so hard on throughout the year. It gives us a chance to make any adjustments and ensure that everyone has time to get ready between their dances. We can see if any costumes are missing hairpieces or need to be taken in by our experienced costume designers. This is compulsory and necessary to familiarize students with the stage and the workings of the theatre. The rehearsal also allows the students to become familiar with the auditorium surroundings and feel comfortable with their performance, and being onstage. Lighting, music cues, set changes, and all other logistics for an organized and professional performance are rehearsed so that the students make the best impression possible.
Why a rehearsal? Often parents question the importance of the rehearsal for their child. In fact, the key to a successful performance for your child is the rehearsal. Here’s why: The stage is much larger than the classroom and is often intimidating to the children. The stage lights can be frightening and disorienting to young children. Modifications to the choreography can be made at rehearsal. A student who misses the rehearsal will not have the chance to practice any of the changes onstage. Students often rely on the classroom mirrors to help them with spacing and formations. Having the chance to dance without the security of the mirror before the performance is very important for their confidence. Students have the chance to practice their stage entrances and exits and get used to being in such a large space. The rehearsal is the only time of the year when the finale, which involves hundreds of students, is rehearsed in its entirety. Those who miss the rehearsal will have a hard time keeping up with their classmates during the finale. Confidence is critical to a successful performance. The rehearsal offers your child the chance to feel ready for the show. And there’s another big reason why the rehearsal is important. One of the main objectives of our curriculum is to teach the spirit of teamwork and commitment to classmates. When children miss the rehearsal, the result can be confusion for the remaining students (an absence affects spacing and timing). We run an organized and timely rehearsal; your help with the process will guarantee a professional production. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before scheduled time. Students must arrive in their practise uniform. It is a fun and rewarding experience and a great chance to play with their friends and watch some inspiring dancers as they wait for their turn in the spotlight.
STUDENT DROP OFF & PICK UP -_Theatre Rehearsals Teachers, Performers and Parent helpers are the only people permitted in the theatre during rehearsal. Please also note all our helpers have the required qualifications and police checks. As always, the safety of our dance family is our #1 priority. Students will be signed into the venue upon arrival by their responsible parent or guardian and will be supervised through
the duration of rehearsal. Students cannot leave the premises without being signed out by a parent. Parents or guardians should bring the students to the stage door, where they will be checked in and placed under the supervision of the Parent Helpers. Students will be dismissed from rehearsals once they have completed all of their routines, including the finale. When a class has completed its last performance rehearsal, the Parent Helper will bring the group to the stage door to be picked up. Parents are not allowed in the dressing rooms. Please check with you class organiser for pick up times. We are unable to run messages or food to students, so please make sure they have everything before they come backstage for the rehearsal
NOTE: DRESS REHEARSALS:
Students will need to bring along all of their costumes, hair and makeup items for dress rehearsals. This includes hairspray, bobby pins, bun pins, hairnets, stockings, socks, hair ties and safety pins. All costume and clothing items must be clearly labelled and children are asked to bring a healthy snacks with a bottle of water – all labelled with your child’s full name. Our staff and volunteers will ensure that children are reminded to drink water regularly and eat their snacks at the allocated time.
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CONCERT PROCEDURES
STUDENT DROP OFF & PICK UP -_CONCERTS As always, the safety of our dance family is our #1 priority. When students arrive at the concert they are to be signed in by a parent or guardian, and must be signed out when it is time to leave. ALL students are to have their name marked off when they arrive at the venue. If your child has any Medical Conditions that may require attention whilst in our care or are carrying any medication with them, please notify our supervisors when you sign in. It is best to arrive with hair and makeup done and ready to get dressed in costume. When being picked up, all children need to be signed out of the venue by their parent / guardian. Please avoid asking your child to meet you outside the venue or in the car park as a parent has to be seen for you to pick them up. If someone else is picking your child up, they need to have a permission note to show who will be supervising them. Please arrive 1 hour prior to performance. You are welcome to come with your hair and makeup done but do not come dressed in your costume.
Students will remain backstage for the entire performance. Students are not permitted to leave the venue while the concert is running. No student is to leave the backstage area during interval, no exceptions. Only TIDC performing Arts studio staff and registered parent helpers are permitted backstage. We are unable to run messages or food to students, so please make sure they have everything before they come backstage for the concert. After the finale, the Parent Helpers will bring the groups to the stage door or foyer (you will be notified prior to the event) for pickup. Parents are not allowed in the dressing rooms.
NOTE: Please do not attempt to pick up your child during the performance. All students will be under the supervision of responsible adults and will be safe for the length of the performance. The dressing rooms will have a video feed of the performance. Dressing rooms are private areas. Please remind your family and guests to be respectful of these areas. Those who wish to greet performers after the show or present flowers may do so in the foyer or at the stage door areas.
WHAT TO BRING: Students will need to bring along all of their costumes, shoes, hair and makeup items for the concert. Please ensure any medication required is packed and clearly labelled with instructions.
All costume, makeup, shoes and clothing items must be clearly labelled All students are asked to bring healthy snacks with a bottle of water – all labelled with your child’s full name. Our staff and volunteers will ensure that children are reminded to drink water regularly and eat their snacks at the allocated time. Please bring colouring books etc., to keep your child interested while they are waiting for their performances. TIDC performing arts studio will not take responsibility for any items lost, damaged or stolen. All children must bring a clearly labelled bag with extra hair spray, gel, hair elastics, bobby pins, hair ties and safety pins. Costumes are best hung on coat hangers and protected in a costume bag that is clearly labelled. If you have a portable costume rack, please bring it as hanging space is quite limited. . Garment Bags are available at the cheap shops for around $2. No jewellery to be worn on stage unless part of a costume. Preschool and junior students are encouraged to bring a clothes basket with a photo of them on it and their name. Some of our volunteers do not know all the performers names so this makes it easier for them to be able to find your child’s belongings.
NOTE - FOOD AND DRINK - Costumes are easily ruined by food and drink stains. Students are not permitted to leave backstage area so please pack enough food and drink for the entire time. It is important they have something nutritious to keep their energy up as well as something that won’t stain – this means NO fast food, cheese snacks and chips, etc. NO nuts or nut products. They also need to bring A LOT of labelled water – NO soft drink, cordial, poppers or juice as it stains the costumes. This is for both the rehearsal and concert.
AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE- Enthusiastic applause is encouraged; however, it is never appropriate to scream out a child’s name or yell in any way. Children should not bring handheld electronic games or other devices with sounds and/or lights that could be a distraction for other audience members. Because we present a professional performance, we ask that everyone remain seated during the entire performance. If you do leave the auditorium during the show you will be allowed back into the auditorium only between dances. This rule is strictly enforced; please do not create a disturbance with the auditorium ushers in regard to this policy. Children must remain seated for the entire performance. If you think they will have a hard time remaining seated during the performance, please do not bring them to the concert. Allowing children to run around or otherwise disrupt the performance is not fair to other audience members. Parents who bring infants to the performance should quickly exit the auditorium if the infant begins to cry or create a distraction for the audience. Explicit language, inappropriate attire, offensive clothing and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. Consuming alcohol and smoking are not permitted. Private videography and photography is strictly prohibited as we will have professionals attending on the day to provide these services for us leaving you free to sit back and enjoy the show in the moment. It is important that you pass this policy on to your guests. ·
DRESSING ROOMS- Each age group will be allocated dressing rooms. Due to strict privacy laws no family or friends other than performers and parent dressers are allowed in the dressing rooms at any time, they can wait for you outside the stage door. Under no circumstances are males (other than male performers) permitted in dressing rooms. Only children with quick changes are permitted to change back stage. Please bring a dressing gown or cape to keep your costume clean and muscles warm. When the dancers are not onstage they must remain in the dressing rooms with their Parent Helpers
DRESSING ROOM ETIQUETTE- Students must respect other students’ space and property in the dressing rooms. The students will spend more time in the dressing rooms than onstage, so please do your best to keep them organized and clean.
8. PHOTO DAY _ We are so excited to have our fabulous photographers taking snaps of our dancers to create some wonderful keepsakes from our concert. Photo day will take place at the studio on a date TBA and will involve all of our hardworking dancers. Performers will be photographed in full costume with hair and make-up done just as they would have for the show. Exact times for the groups on photo day will be given out a bit closer to the date, but please try to keep the day free until we can advise in more detail. For copyright and child safety reasons, we do not allow any photographs to be taken during the show by anyone other than our contracted photographer. We also cannot allow parents or friends to take photos of students posed and in costume during our official Photo Day, as it can be very distracting and compromise the quality of our reasonably-priced professional photographs.
9. CONCERT DVD’s In conjunction with copyright and child safety laws, personal photography or video recording is strictly prohibited. We have employed professional Videographers to capture these memories for you! The cost of the high-quality concert DVDs is approx. $50 and will need to be pre-ordered and pre-paid for. You will be notified when they are available for pick up. Place your order with your studio office manager to ensure you don’t miss out on this great keepsake.
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CONCERT TICKETS
To create an organized and professional atmosphere, all tickets are reserved seating. Each audience member must have a reserved seat. Our concerts sell out fast so it is important that you purchase your tickets as soon as they go on sale. All tickets are available to purchase prior to the concert. These will be available through Trybooking– a link will be advertised. We do not charge for children under 3 years old to attend the concert, unless they will be occupying their own seat. We also ask that you consider our dancers and other audience members when bringing young children to watch, and if they become loud, distressed or disturb any other audience members, to please take them outside to let off a bit of steam before returning to enjoy the rest of the show.
Please be aware that no one is permitted in the theatre without a ticket – no dancers are able to sit in the theatre to watch.
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VOLUNTEER INFORMATION - Concert Parent Helpers
We encourage every family to volunteer and welcome any contribution you are willing to make. Anyone interested in volunteering must have a current police check. The children benefit from this volunteer effort, so we hope that you will become an enthusiastic member of our volunteer pool. Please consider helping at at least one concert so that all parents get the opportunity to see the show from the audience. Concert week is a hectic experience and all volunteers must work in a cooperative manner at all times. Our backstage managers work very hard to put an efficient system in place, and we ask that all volunteers rely on their experience and follow their instructions. All volunteers will receive an identification badge at the dress rehearsal, which must be worn in the theatre at all times. Please do not bring guests, including children, with you while you are volunteering. Most jobs require limited commitment at a specific time during the rehearsal and/or concert. There are many positions available for men as well as women. Dressing room Parent Helpers: Ensure that children are safe and accounted for when not onstage. Due to child protection laws this is position is open to females only. These mothers will dress your children as room in the dressing room is limited, this way you can watch the show. They are responsible for making sure that each child is in the proper costume, has the proper accessories and shoes, is backstage at the appropriate time, help teachers set the students on stage, and returns to the appointed dressing room after the performance. These parents will be also be responsible for the children at the rehearsal. Security: Check in dancers in as they arrive at the theatre and release them when they are picked up. Ensure that only authorized personnel volunteers are backstage and in the dressing rooms. Back Stage: To help set the stage with props and pulling the curtain in between acts. Parents and staff members who are volunteering to help at the concert will also need to be available for Dress Rehearsal day to ensure they understand their roles and can see how everything will be run on show day.
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CONCERT PROGRAMS
Each year TIDC publishes a program for the concert. It includes all students’ names, running order of the show and photographs of award winners and events throughout the year. 2016 Life Members are recognised in our concert program. These will be available to order at the studio the week before the concert, at the rehearsal and at the performance.
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TROPHY PRESENTATION AND PICNIC
We appreciate that concert day can be a long and tiring one, especially for our youngest dancers. For this reason, we will not be holding a formal presentation ceremony at our concerts, but would love to invite all of our dance families to join us for a celebration and picnic on Sunday December 10, 2017 Carisbrook Reserve Salisbury Park . This is a great chance to mix with everyone and join the kids in showing off some dance moves and partying in a fun and relaxed environment. We are very proud of the achievements that our students obtain during the year with their hard work and dedication in dance and the performing arts. BYO food and drink (although a BBQ and drinks and goodies are available for the students). It is also advisable to bring a chair or blanket to sit on. We thank our Friends of TIDC fundraising committee for their organisation of this great day and for the extras they provide
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REHEARSAL & CONCERTS SCHEDULE
In order for us to give all students as much stage-time as possible, we have divided our classes into 9 separate concerts. We know that our dancers love to perform their routines and show off their hard work as much as possible, and we are thrilled to be able to offer more seating and ticket opportunities by dividing our concerts into groups. By allowing your child to participate in the TIDC concert, you commit yourself and/or your child to the following dates and events:
TIDC CONCERTS & REHEARSALS 2017 November 1 2017 Sunday 3 December,2017 Monday 4 December,2017
Concert Tickets go on sale. Trybooking.com Shedley Theatre OPENING/FINALE REHEARSAL – 10am-12 midday ELIZ JNR CONCERTS 1pm & 4pm Shedley Theatre GG STUDIO CONCERT 1 @7pm
Tuesday 5 December,2017
Shedley Theatre GG STUDIO CONCERT 2 @7pm
Wednesday 6 December,2017
Shedley Theatre ELIZ SNR CONCERT 1 @7pm
Thursday 7 December,2017
Shedley Theatre WEST CROYDON SNR CONCERT 1 @7pm
Friday 8 December 2017
Shedley Theatre WEST CROYDON SNR CONCERT2 @7pm
Saturday 9 December 2017
Shedley Theatre WEST CROYDON JNR CONCERT @1pm ELIZ SNR CONCERT 2 @7pm
***PLEASE CONFIRM WHICH CONCERT/S APPLIES TO YOUR CHILD & ALL DATES /TIMES WITH YOUR STUDIO OFFICE MANAGER and/or CLASS ORGANISER***
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CONTACT DETAILS Key contact information for TIDC Performing arts studio: Kerreane Sarti (Principal) Mobile: 0432 252 268 Email: tidcperformingarts1@me.com Website – www.performingartsadelaide.com.au
We appreciate your compliance with the rules and guidelines in this handbook and hope that the TIDC annual concert will be as fun and exciting for you as it is for all of our staff. Thank you for working with us to create a memorable educational experience through performance for all of our students. We want this to be a very enjoyable experience for everyone involved – especially you! The Concert is for everyone. We understand this may be a lot to take in. Please if you are unsure of anything – just ask! We want to make this an enjoyable and stress free experience for everyone and there is always someone willing to help! Yes, this is a different experience for many of those new to the dance world, but when you put the child first it is always magical! When everyone puts the children first, the concert experience is one they’ll never forget.