Festival Of Dance Handbook
This spectacular and exciting event takes place each year.
For every student at DNE school of dance, the Festival is the culmination of an entire season of hard work and training. It is a wonderful extravaganza, a fun, lively professional show with fabulous sets, props, and stage lighting. This yearly event allows our dancers the opportunity to experience the joy and satisfaction of a performance.
The Festival of Dance is truly a family experience that will be a highlight of your child’s year. Festival performance dates are advertised in our Fall Newsletter. Dress rehearsals, picture day and all additional information are advertised in our Spring Newsletter.
Dress Rehearsal
The entire DNE staff is committed to running a smooth and enjoyable dress rehearsal; however, the process does take time and patience on everyone’s part. Please have patience with the entire DNE staff. All dress rehearsals are held at The Collins Center, Andover, MA (Andover High School).
There are no regularly scheduled classes the week of dress rehearsals and Festival performances.
We will run through the finale first, so when your dancer(s) are finished rehearsing their routine(s), they are free to go. The dress rehearsal process takes time to ensure each class has the time and opportunity to rehearse their choreography on stage. This ensures the dancers feel comfortable and confident for their performance(s). Dancers who do not have costume changes will stay seated with a parent in their designated class seating area. Dancers who do have costume changes will have the band/choral rooms (if available) or public restrooms for costume changes.
There will be a class parent for all classes at the dress rehearsal. The class parent will be the only parent to take the class to start the finale lineup, return the dancers to their seats, then bring them back to the stage for the performance rehearsal, then again back to their seating area. If the class has a costume change, the class parent will also stay with the class. If you would like to be a class parent, please see our office staff. You must not have any siblings with you at the dress rehearsal and you must be able to stay with the dance class at all times.
Quick Costume Changes
For dancers with two or less routines to change their costumes, please follow our guidelines:
* Your costume must be brought backstage before the performance begins.
* Please find a staff member to appropriate place your costume in the correct designated area.
* Your costume(s) hanger needs to be labeled with your name permanently attached.
* If you have more than one quick change, each costume/shoes should be hung separately and labeled appropriately.
* All your costumes should also have your name written on the tag.
* The proper shoes need to be hanging on that costume hanger in a clear plastic bag with your name written on it.
Picture Day
Peter Noël Photography Studios, Melrose, MA will be the photographer for our dancers for this Season. Picture day is held at DNE school of dance…picture day, arrival times & floor information are available in your Spring Newsletter.
*Photography Order Form will be sent home with your dancer(s).
All photo packages and monies are to be given directly to the Peter Noel Photography Studio’s staff representatives on your dancer’s picture day. All pictures will be mailed directly to you.
We strongly recommend you have your paperwork and payment prepared prior to your arrival to expedite the photo schedule. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact them prior to picture day.
All dancers must arrive in full makeup, hair and costume.
We do not have the space for your dancer to be changing and fixing hair. Students that have more than one costume may get changed in designated areas. PLEASE no personal picture taking while the Peter Noel photographers are shooting. You will be asked to put your camera away. Group photographs will be displayed in our Reception Area for all open houses in August and at the start of our next Season. If you choose not to purchase a package, we ask that you still attend the group photograph for display purposes. If you cannot attend, PLEASE let our office know so we do not wait for your dancer for group photographs. We will not be able to wait for any dancer if they are late for their photography time.
Hair and Makeup
All hair must be pulled back into a low bun with no bangs. From a distance, bangs cover the entire face not allowing the audience to see the dancer’s full face. If you have any questions about making a bun, see your instructor for pointers. Hair Product Recommendations: Dippity Doo, Stiff Stuff, Aqua Net, and a fine toothed comb. Do not wash the hair the day of picture day, dress rehearsal or Festival performance…hair that has not been washed is easier to style and will hold for a longer period of time.
Makeup must be simple with neutral and natural tones. Stage lighting washes out faces with no makeup at all. Please use a base makeup, face powder, eye shadow that best complements your dancer’s skintone, mascara, blush and everyone must be wearing Red Lipstick!
Video
Joe Spanos Video Productions will be filming the video again this year. They also will have order forms available the day of the Festival at our front table. If you have any questions about your video or would like to order a video after the performance, please call Joe Spanos Video Productions.
Personal Videography & Photography is Strictly Prohibited!
Video cameras and photography are not permitted at Dress Rehearsals or Performances. They are extremely distracting to dancers on stage performing and to the families sitting near you. They are a safety hazard to our performers and are not permitted! No exceptions!
Tickets
Ticket pricing and availability will be advertised in the Spring Newsletter.
Doors open one hour before showtime.
Parents with one (or more) child in all three performances will receive two complimentary tickets for their inconvenience.
If you need more tickets than your allotted family limit, please call the studio at 978.251.1700 on the date tickets go on sale to be placed on a ticket waitlist. The waitlist is a first come/first serve…our office staff will contact you as soon as tickets are released and can be sold. Please note: there is no guarantee that we can accommodate everyone on our waitlist.
There will be no reserved seating.
Security
One parent will bring their dancer(s) to the dressing rooms and chaperones as soon as they arrive. That one parent will receive a stamp on their hand designating that they are the only parent/family member who will be permitted in the dressing rooms and hallways. No other family member or friends will be permitted in the dressing rooms or adjacent hallways. Once your child is settled in their dressing room with their chaperone, you will then need to exit the dressing room area and proceed to the auditorium through the main entrance to be seated for the show. At the end of the performance, please be patient as people exit the area and pick up their child. Your dancer’s chaperone will stay with their class until every child has been picked up by their designated parent. All Side doors of the auditorium will be locked from the hallways with security and can only be opened from the inside of the auditorium in case of emergency!!!
We strongly recommend that you do not leave the auditorium during the performances out of respect for other families. If you need to leave the auditorium for any reason , other than intermission, you will only be permitted to re-enter between routines…no exceptions!!!
Under no circumstances are dancers allowed to enter the auditorium!!!
DNE is under strict fire codes and dancers are not included in the approved fire safety number of people that we can have in the auditorium…no exceptions!
Five & Ten Year Awards
The Five and Ten Year Awards Presentation is held after intermission at each dancer’s performance. Each recipient receives a trophy for their dedication to dancing five or ten consecutive years at DNE school of dance. They also receive a $50.00 gift certificate for a five-year award and $100.00 gift certificate for a ten-year award that they can use at DNE to continue their passion and love for the art of dance. To be eligible for these awards, DNE dancers must dance five or ten consecutive years. If the dancer skips a season or drops out of a season before the season ends, the dancer is no longer eligible for an award. The dancer that stops dancing for a year, or does not complete a season but then returns, would start at Year One for eligibility for a five- or ten-year award.
Performance Tights
Tights must be purchased at DNE to ensure proper tight style, design and color. The tight requirements will be posted in our reception room prior to the sale date which will be listed in our Spring Newsletter.
All dancers must have the proper shoes and tights for picture day, dress rehearsal and performances.
Your dancer’s instructor may require a black/nude leotard to wear under their costume or special shoes or shoe color. Dancers should not wear underwear under costumes. All above requirements will be posted in the reception area and must be purchased at DNE unless otherwise noted.
Graduating Seniors
We invite all of our graduating seniors to perform in all three Festival of Dance performances. This is not a requirement. If your dancer is interested in performing in our Senior Dance, please have him or her contact Miss Mandra or Sue in the office. Additional information, rehearsal scheduling and rehearsal pricing will be available at that time.
Festival Program Advertising
Send your dancer(s) a special message in our Festival Program!
This is also a wonderful opportunity to advertise your business.
We offer one line messages for $15 * Business Card size for $25 * Half Page for $50
* Full Page messages or advertisements for $75.
Please see or call the office for advertising details….
Parking at the Collins Center
As you turn into the Andover High school entrance, the Collins Center is to the right of the school. You’ll see balloons at the entrance. There are many lots in and around the Collins Center. We recommend dropping off handicapped and elderly family members at the entrance to the Collins Center (handicap entrance is located to the right of the main entrance of the Collins Center).
DNE is not responsible for any illegal parking tickets. There have been tickets issued in the past, so please be aware. DNE is not responsible should the Collins Center schedule other events during our dress rehearsals or performances.
51 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford, MA 01863
www.dancenewengland.com *** 978.251.1700