RECITAL

We are excited to announce our 2023 dates are May 18-20 at the Steamboat Springs High School with Dress Rehearsals and staging May 15-17.

EDS’s Annual Spring Recital is a rite of passage for hundreds of youngsters. This is a chance to shine in front of family and friends that is anticipated with nervous excitement. EDS’s Spring Recital offers our students a professionally directed performance that allows them to present the results of a year of hard work, dedication and progress to their families and friends.

A big part of the dance training process includes learning through performance. The experience helps build self- esteem and confidence. Onstage experience can also result in better school presentations, improved social skills and strong interview skills for future college or job opportunities. Participating in rehearsals helps children develop retention skills, teamwork and adaptability.

Due to the number of dancers we have at the studio, we schedule four-six recitals over the course of one weekend in mid-May at a professional venue. We run dress rehearsals at the venue during the week leading up to recital weekend.

All of our Spring Recitals are considered family entertainment and are approximately two and a half hours in length with one intermission. Shows will run Thursday-Saturday (exact dates and times TBA).

A NOTE ABOUT EVENING SHOWS AND YOUNGER CHILDREN

As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of consistent bedtimes, so the evening shows represent a careful balancing act for us. In the past, we have tried to move the Friday night show up earlier, but it caused too many challenges for working families’ schedules who had too little time between finishing work and getting their dancers dressed and to the recital venue on time.

We WILL, however, attempt to put the littlest ones in the first half of the show. While most dancers and families stay for the Grand Finale, which we encourage, we also respect a parent’s perspective on what’s best for their little one.

UPDATES

As the season progresses, recital dates and other information will be published in weekly studio newsletters, additional email communications as needed and we will also have an entire google website dedicated solely to the recital. Please be sure to review this important information. Producing recitals is a team effort: students, parents, teachers and the directors are key players in the show’s success.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

Special requests to adjust rehearsal and recital times are accepted until February 1st. We attempt to accommodate every school's activities while meeting the technical demands of the show. Our priority is to prepare your children for the performance experience of a lifetime!

THE BENEFITS OF RECITAL

You drop off your dancer once or twice (or more) every week. You wash the dance gear, keep track of the shoes and you smile at the other parents who are doing the same. You peek through the doorways during class, you spy your child practicing dance moves in the living room. And at the end of the year, you gather the dance gear, your family, and you head to the recital.

Getting out of the car at the recital, your dancer’s sibling cries, “Why do they even have recitals? Why do we have to go?” And here’s your answer....

A recital offers a culminating event, a chance to say, “Hey, Mom, watch this,” as your child proudly shows a new skill that has been eight or nine months in the making. The photos and videos of the event become archives of your dancer’s childhood, memories of that time she worked so hard to achieve something beautiful.

Performing in a recital builds confidence in your dancer as she showcases her hard-won skills in front of an audience, all lights shining and eyes on the stage. The applause at the end is the reward for months of effort and the dancers walk off the stage feeling satisfied about a job well done.

Dance is a team sport. Dancers in a group routine must be constantly aware of the other dancers and in tune with their movements. Working to perfect a routine takes investment from everyone in the group and by the time the recital rolls around, these dancers have learned the true meaning of teamwork.

Even the youngest dancers understand that nobody will learn a dance routine the first time—or the second, or the fifth. These dancers have built technique upon technique, skill upon skill in order to present their very best selves to the audience at their recital. They’ve had to listen, to focus, to make mistakes and to get back up again when they fall.

During those months of dance class, students learn so much more than a few cool moves. They learn to communicate, to be patient with others and themselves, to appreciate their bodies and to be accountable for their learning. A recital is much more than a few minutes on stage—it’s an opportunity to see the outcome of an entire year of hard work! That is something to celebrate. So is it worth it? You bet it is!

RECITAL OPT OUT

You have the right to opt your dancer out of performing. Please look for a form in our weekly newsletter and keep in mind the deadline to opt out is November 15th. OPT OUT FORM: https://forms.gle/gSuZVxQBbqK3dxE29