May 2016 Recital Day Tips
| May 2016 Recital Show Times and Dancer Arrival Times | |
|---|---|
Show |
Arrival Time |
| Friday, 7:00pm | 6:00pm - 6:30pm |
| Saturday, 3:15pm | 2:15pm - 2:45pm |
| Saturday, 7:30pm | 6:30pm - 7:00pm |
| Sunday, 1:00pm | 12:00noon - 12:30pm |
| Sunday, 5:30pm | 4:30pm - 5:00pm |
|
|
Getting to the Theater
Location – Swarthmore College
Our Recital will be held at the Pearson Hall Theater in the Lang Performing Arts Center at Swarthmore College. Here is a map in .pdf format (easiest for most people to print), in .doc format, and in .jpg format. Allow enough time to find parking and to walk to the theater.
Parking at the Performances
Parking at our performances has been tight in recent years, partly the result of our studio growth and partly due to alternate events being held at Swarthmore the same day and time as our recital. Although we did not particularly want to have one of our five shows on Friday evening at 7:00p, and another at 7:30p on Saturday, Swarthmore hoped that splitting our shows like this would ease these parking issues. Swarthmore has also suggested that to whatever degree families can carpool to the theater, instead of driving individually, would be a good thing.
For Audience Members
Please tell any of your guests about our rules for audience members.
Please Be Respectful of Other Audience Members.
- Do not talk while parents are trying to watch their children dance.
- Do not stand up and block the view of parents who are trying to watch their children dance.
Seating at the Theater is on a First Come, First Served Basis.
The seating at the theater is general seating and is on a first come, first serve basis. It is our policy to open the doors to the auditorium approximately 30 minutes before the performance begins. Seats may not be taken or saved until the doors are opened. When we have two shows on the same day, the audience must completely clear the theater between the shows. Families attending the first show cannot save seats for the second show. Between shows, the audience will be asked to clear the auditorium and the doors will be closed before the next show. The doors will re-open one half-hour before the next show begins.
SPECIAL NOTE: Families of Recital Volunteers will be seated 15 minutes earlier than the main audience.
In the past, we have had a significant problem with volunteers and other patrons saving seats in the auditorium prior to the show beginning. To avoid hostility in the audience we have to ask that families be present to be seated. Saving 1 or 2 seats is acceptable but sending in one person to save 5 or more seats is not.
Every year people inform us that they are upset about excessive seat saving. As long as we keep our General Seating policy, this is a difficult situation for our staff to police. Given the number of people coming to the theater, it is impossible for our staff to sort out the multitude of scenarios that can arise. We, ultimately, have to rely on an honor system. Our only solution to this problem would be to switch to a Reserved Seating policy instead of our current General Seating one.
Note: Reserved Seating would solve the seat saving problem we sometimes have, although it would create a whole new set of problems as far as ticket purchasing and distribution is concerned. We are open to your feedback. The poll we took a few years ago was overwhelmingly positive for keeping general seating, but we are open to changing that should it be widely requested.
No Photography is Allowed During the Show!
At the Performance please DO NOT use any kind of camera or video equipment (including cell phone cameras) during the show. Due to space constraints, it is not possible to allow everyone to take pictures. See our Recital Photo Page for details and other options. Please make sure anyone who is coming with you to the Recital is aware of this policy. Violators will be asked to leave.
Please Leave and Enter the Theater Between Numbers.
If you need to enter or exit the theater at any time other than the Intermission or at the end of the show, you will only be allowed to do so in between dances and not during. The auditorium doors will remain closed while the dances are on stage. If you must leave early, or arrive late, please leave and enter the theater between numbers. When an outside door is opened in a darkened theater, it floods the darkened theater with light. When the dancers are dancing on stage, it is distracting to both the audience and to the dancers. It is therefore our policy to keep the auditorium doors closed while numbers are being performed. If audience members need to enter or leave the theater during the performance, they will have to do so in between the dance numbers.
No Food or Drink in the Auditorium
The theater has a policy that absolutely no food or drink may be brought into the auditorium. Please respect this policy - if you must eat, do so in the lobby and clean up afterwards.
Audience Members with Special Needs
Please let us know in advance if anyone in a wheelchair or anyone with special needs will be attending by filling our our Special Needs Form. We will need to know your name and phone number, the person’s name, the show they will be attending, the need that they have, and any special seating requirements. There is wheelchair access to the theater. Please check out the theater at the dress rehearsal. If you have any trouble locating doors or ramps, please call the studio.
Please Respect our Volunteers
Do not give our volunteers any problems or treat them badly. They are volunteering their time and doing their best to help. If there is a difficult issue or problem that cannot wait, ask to speak to Mr. Paul.
General Ticket Policies
• Anyone who is not dancing and is not a volunteer needs a ticket to enter the auditorium for each performance.
• Children age 4 and under who can sit on a parent's lap do not need tickets.
• Tickets for one show cannot be used for other shows.
• Volunteers do not need a ticket for the show they are volunteering in. They do need a ticket for the other shows.
• Tickets will be available for pick up starting in early May. Tickets not picked up at the studio will be held for you at the theater ticket tables.
• Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable.
Tips for Dancers
Be on time or you may miss your number.
Your children have worked hard all year to be ready for the recital. Please have them at the auditorium on time, as we cannot hold up the show to wait for them. Plan to arrive an hour before the recital begins.
Some students’ dances are all before the Intermission (Act 1); some students’ dances are all after the Intermission (Act 2). Some students have dances in both Act 1 & Act 2. Regardless of when their dances are, all students must arrive by the times listed above.
Younger dancers should arrive in costume unless it is raining. All students should enter the building, go down the stairway, read the signs telling them what dressing room they are in, sign in at our sign in table, and go to their dressing room.
Leaving Your Child With Us
Any parent/guardian who has a child in a show but who will not be attending the show must notify us. You may leave your child with us at the theater. We have volunteers who will take care of your child between and during the shows. You only need to arrange your child's transportation.
Picking Up Your Child After They Dance
Please pick up your child at the dressing room during the intermission or at the end of the show.
During the actual recital, parents/guardians must wait until the intermission or the end of the show to pick up their children. At the intermission and at the end of the show, our volunteers are easily able to help parents pick up their children.
Do NOT come backstage at any other time.
People may not come backstage to take their children while the show is going on. We are caring for several hundred children. It is extremely disruptive when someone comes backstage or down to the dressing rooms (unannounced) while dances are in progress to have an unauthorized pickup. We are totally focused on getting the children ready for the stage. At the intermission and at the end of the show our volunteers are easily able to help the parents pick up their children. Please do not come backstage at any other time. Families that disregard this request and disrupt the back stage area might not be allowed to participate in future performances. We understand that emergencies may occur. Should an emergency occur, simply let us know what the emergency is as soon as possible (preferably before the show), and we will do our best to help.
Picking Up Older Students
Our policy is that we want parents to physically come down to the dressing rooms to pick up their children at the intermission or at the end of the show. We have so many children we are caring for, that for safety’s sake, we cannot just release the children on their own and assume that they will find their way to their parents up in the auditorium – there are a huge number of legal and insurance liability issues we would have to address first before we could do this.
Certainly some children are responsible enough, but some are not. It is impossible for our volunteers to know who is and who is not responsible. Please assume that you have to personally and physically come to the dressing room to pick up your child at the intermission and at the end of the show unless you are notified otherwise.
Note: Due to the continued ever changing College, Insurance, and State guidelines, we will be creating an updated dismissal procedure. Please bear with us as we try to navigate these requirements.
Students need to Remain in their Dressing Rooms during the Intermission if they are Dancing in the Second Act.
If students are dancing in the second act, they are not supposed to come up into the lobby and socialize during the intermission. They must remain in their dressing rooms unless they have permission to leave or have a job to do. During intermission, we are still getting students ready and lining them up for numbers in the second act.
No Street Shoes are Allowed in Dressing Room "A"
Students (and volunteers) who are in our Dressing Room “A”, our most chaperoned dressing room, cannot wear street shoes in the Dressing Room. The floor has a special dance surface that can be damaged.
NO MEN are allowed in the Women's changing rooms.
Pick up your dancer in the hallway. There are many volunteers in the dressing room who can help if your child has a problem.
Emergencies
We understand that emergencies may occur. Should an emergency occur, simply let us know what the emergency is as soon as possible (preferably before the show), and we will do our best to help.
Things to Consider In Advance
Eat Before, Not During, the Performances
- Please make sure your child eats a healthy meal before the performances; they will not be able to eat during the show.
- Students may not eat in the dressing rooms. We cannot risk food being spilled on costumes. In addition, if one child eats anything, all of the other children want something to eat. This cannot be allowed.
- Students who are in only one show should not bring food backstage.
- If your child is in two shows on the same day, pack them a non-messy meal and water to eat between the shows (not during the shows). Many families eat in the upper-level hallway to the right of the theater between shows. For most students there is not enough time to go to a restaurant. Please do not come backstage while the show is in progress to pull your child out early so they can eat. We cannot dismiss students early from the first show so they can go out and get food before the second.
Students must change in the dressing room, not the bathrooms.
Please review the costume page for details of how to handle modesty issues, quick changes, and other costume concerns. Plan ahead.
Label all costume parts. Make sure you have all your costume parts with you.
Label all costume parts, including tights, shoes, costumes, and headpieces, with your child's name. You may also want to label anything else your child will be bringing with them. Be sure you have all of the parts of your costume - tights, shoes, headpieces, accessories.
Bring something quiet to do.
During the recital, students wait in the dressing rooms before their numbers go on. There are video monitors of the show running in each dressing room. Please have your student bring something quiet to do while they are waiting for their number to go on. Please do not bring anything valuable or easily breakable.
Recital Sign In and Dismissal Policies
Swarthmore College, our Insurance Company, and the State of PA are now all requiring that we tighten up how we Sign-In and Dismiss students at our Recitals.
Before Recital Day:
- Explain the basic sign-in/out procedure to your dancer. Let them know that they are expected to remain backstage until you come to the sign out table to get them, either at Intermission (if they are finished dancing) or at the end of the show.
- If your student will be driving herself to the theater, please send us an email stating that you give your minor permission to sign himself or herself in and out. Explain to your teen that he/she will still need to sign in when she arrives, that she may only sign herself out at the appropriate time (intermission or the end of the show) and that she may not leave the backstage area at any other time during the show.
- If you have a Very Special Situation (such as having to leave early to attend a Wedding or Prom), and will need your dancer to leave the theater early (rather than waiting for Intermission or the end of the show), send us an email in advance, explaining your situation in detail so our volunteers and the security guard will be aware of your situation.
Signing In at the Theater
- When you arrive at the theater on the day of the performances, you should head from the lobby down the main stairway to our sign-in table, which will be located at the base of the stairs.
- All dancers (everyone) must sign in at our Sign-In table.
- Dancers should sign in at least one half-hour before the show begins, whether they are in the first act of the show, the second act of the show, or both. We need to check that all dancers are present and to get them ready to go on stage.
- If the student is under age 18, a parent or guardian must come to the table with the student to sign them in. (The exception to this is 16 and 17 year old students whose parents have emailed us in advance giving permission for their child to sign themselves in and out.)
- Dancers who are 18 or over may sign themselves in and out; however, they may only sign themselves out at the appropriate time (the intermission or the end of the show) and they may not leave the backstage area at any other time during the show.
Wristbands:
- As part of the sign-in process, we will give each parent a wristband with a number on it, which will be needed for sign-out. We will make a note of this number on the sign-in form.
- At sign-in, we will ask who will be signing the student out, and record this on our sign-in/out form.
- When it is time to dismiss, the sign-out parent, with the wrist band (with the correct number), must come to the sign in/out table to pick up their child.
- If one parent is signing in and another is picking up, you may pass the wristband from the sign-in parent to the sign-out parent.
- If a circumstance arises where one parent or guardian needs to drop off, and a different parent or guardian will be picking up (and you are not going to see one another to pass the wristband), tell the staff when you sign in. They will record the name and contact information of the person picking up.
- Note: We, currently, do not know what our procedure will be for people who misplace a wristband; but it will probably involve waiting and phone calls until someone can sort it out.
Parents & Dressing Rooms
- After signing in, we “generally” prefer that the students head back to the dressing rooms by themselves. We will have volunteers to escort younger children to the correct place. However, there are two main exceptions to this:
- If your child has several costumes and needs help setting up in the dressing room, we will allow a (female) parent to sign in on our "visitor log" and go to the dressing room to help the dancer. You should leave the dressing room once you are finished helping the child set up.
- If you think your child might be frightened or anxious about heading back to the dressing room without you, we will allow you to sign in on our "visitor log" and go back to the dressing room with your child. You may stay for as long as your child needs you.
- Once the show begins, only parents with volunteer wristbands (they will be a different color) will be allowed in the Dressing Rooms (with the exception of parents with children who are scared).
Picking Up Your Dancer and Signing Them Out
- Students will be dismissed at Intermission (if they are only dancing in the first Act), or at the end of a show (and at no other time).
- When you sign your child in, we will ask when you plan to pick up your child:
- At intermission (if they are only in Act 1)
- After the show (If they are in Act 2)
- At intermission of the next show (if you are in two shows on the same day and wish to pick up at the intermission after Act 1 of the second show)
- At the complete end of the next show (if you are in two shows on the same day and wish to pick up at the end of the second show after Act 2).
- (Students in both shows may also be signed out after the first show and signed in again before the second show.)
- Students who are only in the first Act of the show need to be picked up at Intermission
- Students who are in the second act of the show may not leave the signed-in area at Intermission; they must stay in their dressing rooms. These students will need to be picked up at the end of the show.
- If students are staying for two shows on the same day, we will take care of the students in between shows if a parent or guardian has not signed them out. If they are signed out after the first show, they must be signed back in for the second show and have the wristband number either re-recorded or re-issued.
- , Please do not tell your children to just meet you in the lobby. We cannot dismiss children without someone to sign them out. A parent or guardian with a wristband must come to the sign-out table to pick up the child.
- If you have a Serious Last-Minute Emergency and need us to dismiss your child at a time other than Intermission or the end of the show, please let the sign-out staff know and give them a detailed explanation. They will need to clear it with Mr. Paul. We will work with you when you have extreme emergencies.
Special Notes:
- Students Purchasing Food - Dancers are welcome to purchase food items at the concession tables before they sign in. Please eat this food either before you sign in, or at lunch time in the hallway. Do NOT eat in the dressing rooms. Note that once signed in, students will not be allowed to go to the concession tables, even at Intermission, so plan ahead and purchase your food before signing in.
- Volunteers - Please set a good example by respecting the sign in/out rules and the security of the backstage area. Volunteers need to follow the same rules and may not take their children out of the backstage area until Intermission or the end of the show. Volunteers also need to sign their children in and out, so that our sign in/out records are accurate.
- Older Students - Need to respect the security of the backstage area. Students who are in the “Stage Right Dressing Room” (the old Quick Change Room): there is a door to the Lobby off this dressing room – you are not allowed to walk out that door. Students in the downstairs’ “B, D, and E” Dressing Rooms, there is an exit door in the Vending machine area – you are not allowed to walk out that door. You are only allowed to exit the backstage area via the sign-in/sign out table at the appropriate times. If you need something from the lobby, DO NOT GO TO GET IT. Ask a volunteer or a teacher for help. (Obviously, in case of fire or other serious emergency, you may use the nearest exit.)
- Adult Students (age 18 and older) - Please also set a good example and follow our sign in/out process and the security of the backstage area. Do not wander in and out of the backstage area during the show. Send us an email in advance if you have an emergency requiring you to leave at a time other than the Intermission or the end of the show.
If your Child is in Two Shows on the Same Day
- You may Sign your child out after the first show and Sign them back in for the second. Note: If your child is in the second act of the first show, there generally is not a lot of time (about 1 hour) to take them out to a restaurant before you have to return for the second show. We recommend that you pack a lunch and eat at the theater.
- You may give another adult permission to sign your child out, but you must notify us when you sign your child in.
- If a student is in two shows and needs to eat lunch in between shows and has not been signed out, the teachers and volunteers will bring the students to the Stage Left Hallway/Lobby to eat lunch. We do not eat in the dressing rooms or the auditorium. Students are not allowed to wander off, and students must stay in the area where they are placed. STUDENTS CANNOT GO OFF BY THEMSELVES.
If a Friend or Relative wishes to greet a Dancer
- Parents and or Relatives who have children in both shows, and who want to see their children in-between shows, but who do not wish to sign them out; should plan on visiting with them in the Stage Left Hallway where we will be having them eat lunch. (Note: Stage Left is the Dancer’s Left not the Audience’s Left – If you are in the lobby facing the theater, the Hallway where you can meet is to the right). Students who have not signed out may not leave this hallway.
- We are not able to accommodate requests to greet dancers at the intermission of any show (that is in between act 1 and Act 2 of the same show). We are too busy getting the students ready for the second act.
Questions?
The recital is an exciting time for the students. If you have any questions about the performance, dates, costumes, or whatever, please call us; we are there for you.
