5 Recital Tips for Dance Parents

Can you believe it?! Recital 2021 is just 3 short months away!! Here at the studio, we are gearing up to celebrate on the dance floor! Check out our earlier blog post to learn all about our recital theme this year, Celebrate Good Times! 

With the excitement brewing over here at the studio, we’d like to take a moment to make sure that all that excitement doesn’t turn into stress for our dance parents! We know that recital can be a lot of information. Especially for new dance parents, it can feel overwhelming. 

Whether you are a returning dance parent with years of recitals under your belt, or you’re experiencing your child’s very first recital this year, it’s our goal to make things as easy as possible. So we’ve put together a list of our top 5 tips for a smooth, successful, and joyful recital!

5 Recital Tips for Dance Parents:

1. Be sure to read your Positions emails!

This one is at the top of our list because it is simply the KEY to making sure you stay in-the-know. Over the next few months, our recital details will continue to take shape and we’ll be updating you every step of the way. ALL important information will go straight to your inbox.

If you haven’t marked your calendar yet, be sure to pencil in our photo day, dress rehearsal, and performance day in now! Access these dates HERE. 

2. Handle your costumes with care!

• Keep them hanging up inside their garment bags, away from pets and children.

• We know the kids will be tempted, but don’t let your dancer wear their costume around the house until AFTER recital. 

• Hang tutus upside down in the bathroom for a few days as shower steam flattens the wrinkles. 

• Keep small accessories and hair pieces with each costume in a bag or other safe compartment. 

• Be sure to save an extra pair of tights for recital day, or double check that yours don’t have runs or holes. 

3. Encourage your dancer to practice their routine at-home and perform for family members!

This is one of the BEST ways to limit pre-show jitters and nervous mind-blanks on stage. Practicing their routine at home without other dancers to follow ensures that they REALLY know their choreography well. In addition, getting used to having a set of eyes on them can make them comfortable in front of an audience before the big day! Plus, it’s fun for YOU to see their progress!

4. Practice doing stage make-up and hair before the big day! 

Getting your dancer’s hair and make-up looking stage ready can be one of the biggest challenges for new dance parents. We’ve got some tutorials for you! Click HERE for a great tutorial on ballet buns. Click HERE for a stage make-up tutorial. Dress rehearsal is a great time to try out these techniques, so be sure to leave some extra time and practice doing it exactly how you will for recital day!

Pro Tip: Be sure to secure hair pieces with PLENTY of bobby pins, as they can easily fall off on stage. 

5. Organize everything the night before so you can really cherish the special moments with your child. 

A stressful recital day can take away from the magic that you and your child will feel on their performance day. Trust us, you’ll want to have plenty of time for pictures, smiles, and hugs. Pack your bag the night before, organize costumes, and plan your day out. Thank us later!

Putting this list together already gave us the warm and fuzzies that we feel EVERY single year during recital time. It is truly a magical time for all of our dance families. Parents, prepare to be amazed by your child’s bravery, beauty, and skill when they take the stage. 

To stay updated on ALL things recital over the next couple of months, be sure to check out Recital 2021 Info Page on our website. It’s our one-stop-shop for all of our recital information. We will continue to update it as details take shape. As always, contact us if you have any questions

Positions Happenings: Take a Look at our February Newsletter

Wait…. Where did January go?! Winter is flying by this year and we can’t complain. The season of LOVE is upon us as we head into Valentine’s Day! This month on the blog we are featuring our February Newsletter. We’ve got tons of exciting events and important studio updates for our dance families!

Read on to stay in the know about all our exciting dance events in Babylon:

1. Don’t forget to purchase your Paper Hearts! 

The hearts are flying over here at the studio! This month we are selling paper hearts! Proceeds benefit the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition. Stop by the front desk to learn more and purchase.

Thank you in advance for your help in supporting this great organization!

2. Winter Break is February 17th-23rd

There are no classes this week! We are wishing all of our dance families a relaxing break. Take some time to restart and refresh as we head into recital season! 

Classes are canceled but we WILL be offering a Winter Break Camp for kids ages 3-10. See below for details! 

3. Join us for Mini Winter Camp on February 18th and 19th! 

Ms. Assante, from St. Joseph’s Nursery School, and Miss Kelly are teaming up again for another fun Winter Camp! On Tuesday, we are throwing a pancake and pajama party that you won’t want to miss. Wednesday will be a Mad Scientist adventure! 

Join us for one day or two! Camp pricing starts at $40 for one day and $70 for both days. Ages 3-5 will camp from 9am-11pm and ages 6-10 will camp from 11:30-1:30! Contact the studio at 631-669-8612 to register!

4. New Year, New You: Our Adult Fitness Contest ends on February 16th

We are in the final stretch before we announce the winner of our adult fitness! Don’t forget to get those classes in before the 16th! Whoever attends the MOST classes by this date wins a $50 Positions gift card. We believe in you, let’s tackle those fitness goals together at the studio! 

Review the adult fitness schedule here! We’d love to see you in class. 

5. Save your spot for Pinot Noir at the Barre! 

Sorry kids, this one is adults only! On February 17th, we are so excited to host a Special Event for just $30/person. This class will feature a barre workout to get you up and moving. After that, guests will enjoy a wine, cheese, and chocolate pairing class to make your workout even sweeter!

Call 631-669-8612 to reserve your spot! See you on February 17th from 7pm-8:15! 

6. Spend Your Summer With Positions Dance Studio!

Summer is the perfect time to work on technique in a stress-free and fun environment! Look for the summer dance schedule later this month. Take 10% off your tuition if you register before April 30th! 

7. Frozen Kids: Save the date for our Spring Musical! 

Positions students will be presenting Frozen Kids on April 26th at 2pm at the Argyle Theatre. Don't miss this family-friendly performance! 

Tickets go on sale February 28th. We can't wait to see our students shine!

8. Positions Dance Studio Evening at the Argyle Theater

Tickets are on sale now for Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Argyle Theater and it’s a special night for Positions Dance Studio families on February 21st at 7:30pm. Be sure to grab your discounted ticket for $59 (normally $74)! Tickets for kids 12 and under are $35. Contact the studio to purchase tickets!

9. Mark your calendars for Recital 2020! SO exciting!

We know it’s early, but over here we are ALREADY busy planning for our fabulous June recital. Important dates for you to know include Dress Rehearsal on June 27th at 11am and Recital on June 28th at 11am and 4pm. 

Mark your calendars now so those dates don’t sneak up on you, and check back to the recital page of our website to stay in the know. It’s going to be a great show!

We are SO excited to be offering so many new events and workshops for our Positions families! Have an idea that you’d like us to add to the list? We’d love to hear from you! Contact the studio today! 

What Makes Positions Dance Studio Different

We know there are so many great dance studios to choose from in the Long Island area. When deciding where your child is going to dance, there are so many different factors to consider and we totally understand that. What are the teachers like? How well maintained is the facility? What is the classroom dynamic? A dance studio often becomes like a second home for young dancers and their families. That is why it is SO important to find one that you and your dancer connect with.

We feel great about all the things that make Positions Dance Studio different from all the other studios in the area. We pride ourselves in cultivating an environment where our students come out of dance class learning not only dance steps but more importantly, life skills. We are very confident that you will feel just as great knowing that your dancer’s second home is at our studio. “For Your Island,” a local show concentrating on the arts, culture, and entertainment in Long Island,  featured our studio. In the episode, you will get to know the studio owner and director, Kelly Peckholdt, see the space, and get a glimpse into our classes. It is the perfect first step in getting to know our studio and its values.

As you can see, at Positions Dance Studio we truly care about each and every student. It is one of our top priorities to make long lasting, positive relationships with all of our students and their families. We have classes for students no matter what stage in their dance journey they are in. Our family-friendly environment helps our students gain self-confidence, self-esteem, and discipline all while maintaining age and developmentally appropriate classes. Using age appropriate music and costumes in class and for performances will always be our policy. We want your kids, to be kids!

Our experienced and qualified teachers keep our students busy learning proper terminology and technique while teaching them important life skills such as discipline, focus, and grace that they will carry well beyond their dance years. We are beyond passionate about dance along with creating an all-inclusive, positive environment for our students.

Like we said, we know there are a ton of great studios out there and we are SO honored that our students have chosen our studio as their home away from home.

If you would like to learn more about what sets Positions Dance Studio apart contact us today or stop in during one of our Open House Events (6/25 4:30-6:30, 6/26 4-6, and 6/27 6-8). We are now accepting enrollment for our Fall 2018/2019 session and would love to see you there!

Is Your Child Ready For Dance Class?

Knowing when your child is ready for dance class can be tough! Whether you have a toddler, preschooler, or a child in elementary school, making the decision to sign your child up for dance classes may be nerve wracking. Every kid is unique and of course, you know your child best! To make the choice just a tad easier, we thought we would share a few tell tale signs that your little dancer is ready to jump right in!

• They LOVE music and movement! Does your dancer demand their favorite songs in the car? Do they start wiggling when a song comes on? Have they ever put on a “show” for you in the living room? If yes, then they will love dance class!

• They are ready to take class independently. We DO offer classes for children 18-36 months accompanied with a parent ( called “Dance With Me”) but if your child is older than 3, they will have to be emotionally ready to take class without a parent in the room. Sometimes the adjustment takes a couple weeks and that is OK. We do have viewing windows in our studios so you can be sure to peek in.

• They can follow simple instructions. We realize we are talking about little ones so we DO NOT expect perfection but your child should be able to follow simple instructions most of the time. Some examples of what we ask in class are: imitating the teacher’s movement, taking turns, and making a circle with their new dance friends.

Like we mentioned, each child is different and we love that! We hope this list gives you a little more confidence knowing your child is ready to have a blast with us in class. If you are still not sure, give us a call or contact us here to schedule a free trial class! Getting a tour of the space and meeting the director before the start of a new class can make the transition so much easier for both you and your child, so what are you waiting for??

How To AMAZE Your Dancer At This Year's Recital

Recital week is almost here at Positions Dance Studio! We could not be more excited to see all the hard work come to life and I’m sure you and your dancers feel the same. They have put in countless hours at the studio and you have supported them every step of the way. It is time to celebrate right?! With all the fun and excitement comes something else not so pleasant, STRESS. Yes, recital week is stressful for everyone (for us too!). There are costumes and accessories to pack, special hair and makeup to master, a handful of different check-in times to keep track of, and much much more. It is a lot to handle for the seasoned dance parent not to mention for those first timers out there! We want to make sure we are doing all we can to make your week as easy as it can be for you and your dancer. Let’s face it, if you are stressed out, your dancer will be stressed out too. And that is not fun for anyone. So we thought we would give you a few ways you can feel less of that awful stress and more of the fun and excitement. Following these tips will ensure that you can AMAZE your dancer at this year’s recital!  

• Read EVERYTHING. Twice. Make sure you are really going through all the emails and handouts you receive from the studio. They contain information like check-in times, order deadlines, day-of instructions, etc. Take the time to really process the information and write reminders in your calendar.

• Take Inventory Now. Do you have all the right shoes? New tights in the correct color? All hair and makeup supplies? Have you double checked all costumes and their accessories? Figuring out you are missing something last minute could be the worst feeling ever! You will feel much better knowing you have a few days to run to the store rather than just a few hours.

• Make a recital day PLAN with your dancer. Everyone will feel much better after you talk through logistics and expectations. Talk with your dancer about when you will start getting ready, who will be helping with quick changes, when will they eat, and when and where you will meet them after the performance. You will rest assured knowing they know what to do and they will feel more prepared in handling the day without you.

• Be positive, have fun, and enjoy every second! Recital is only once a year and trust us, it goes FAST! Be proud of your dancer no matter what happens on stage. It takes a lot of guts to get on stage and your dancer wants no more than to do the best they can do. Don’t be shy in telling them how you feel after their performance. Performing after all the preparation should feel amazing and as their parents, you get to share that feeling with them. They deserve that shining moment and so do you. Make sure you take a moment or two to look around and feel the joy with your dancer.

We want nothing more than for you and your dancer to enjoy this moment because it is the BEST part of being a performer (and a proud parent too) and like we mentioned, it will go fast! Take the stress out of the week and you will be able to truly savor each precious moment.

Have any questions about recital week? Check out this FAQ page we have and call or email the studio with anything you don’t see mentioned.