It’s that time of year again! The most exciting season for all the students and teachers at Virginia Academy of Dance, Spring Showcase season! A lot of preparation goes into making sure that the dancers do and feel their best, that parents are in the loop with all the information, and steps and processes for the VAD Team to be ready to rumble as the curtain goes up!
Even though the Spring Showcase is held the week before Memorial Day, we begin getting ready in October of the prior year. In late September/early October we meet with our venue (the amazing, historic Beacon Theatre) and plan important details for the upcoming performance and sign our contract. Once that is finished teachers begin planning what songs the dances will be too and what costumes dancers will wear.
Here at VAD we own all the costumes, so some dances will reuse them from years prior or we will order new. It all depends on the creative ideas for dances and the studio budget to decide what costumes each dance will wear.
Once we arrive in December, amongst all the Christmas and holiday excitement, is when we order costumes and props that will be needed for the Spring Showcase. This is wear we go over dancer sizes and making sure we have enough for all our amazing performers!
We then have a little bit of a break in January, but in February teachers are in full swing choreographing dances that will be taught in March and we begin finalizing photographers and videographers.
March is when the dancers and families start to join in the process. Dancers will begin learning their pieces and being chosen for opening and finale dances. Families start learning what cast their dancer will be placed in and the upcoming rehearsal schedules.
When May finally arrives the excitement really begins! Tickets are starting to be sold, pictures will be taken and dress rehearsal will be done by the students. Business admin start putting together programs and making sure families are up to date with any information. Teachers are doing final cleaning of dances and making sure that their students feel 100% with what they have learned and are ready for show time!
As you can see a lot of work goes in to making sure that the dancers are prepared and ready for the Spring Showcase. There are many other performances throughout the year that our Elite Stars do, but the Spring Showcase is where all the dancers are able to perform and is the last hurrah of the dance year.
The theme for Spring Showcase 2023 is “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and we have a lot of exciting things planned! We hope that you all will stay tuned on information for the performance and will be able to come and support the dancers and the VAD Team!
Tickets will go on sale May 1 and can be purchased at www.vadance.org. Till next time!
~Savannah Helmer Newman
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