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RECITALS CREATE MEMORIES

The recital is known for creating special memories—both for the dancer and for his or her family and friends.  Costumes become treasured keepsakes, photos become sentimental scrapbook centerpieces, and DVDs often become your household’s most-watched entertainment!

Performing onstage is an incredible opportunity for dancers to share what they have been learning in class, and to showcase their progress from the beginning of the year to the end.  Learning how to dance is a gradual process, and some skills take years to fully master—but however big or small the steps are, it is a major accomplishment for anyone to perform in front of hundreds of people!  All the hard work is worthwhile when a dancer experiences the high fives and smiles and congratulations that the recital brings from family and friends.

Whether it’s a young dancer overcoming stage fright or a teen dancer performing at the end of her senior year, recital achievements are incredibly special to celebrate.  Lifelong memories are made from those achievements—and for many dancers, a true passion for dance is ignited!

Check out a final recital message from Mr. Bender.

Recitals Build New Skills

Preparing for the recital is an amazing way for dancers to develop new skills!  Not only are they growing their gross motor skills by learning new steps and improving their technique, they are also building strong memorization skills.  Remembering a recital dance requires hours of repetition with the correct movements so that the dancer’s brain and body can work together to recall the steps during the performance.

Learning a recital dance also helps a dancer develop his or her musicality.  Counting music and using rhythmic patterns are a part of every style of dance, at every age!  From a syncopated hip hop routine to a classical ballet waltz, recital dances showcase a range of musical skills.

For students who are new to the recital experience, new skills also come in the form of being backstage!  Dancers learn proper backstage conduct in addition to basic stage terminology, such as “upstage,”  “downstage,” “wings,” and “curtain.”  Participation in mandatory dress rehearsals helps acquaint dancers with the procedures leading up to their performance and afterward.  It’s pretty cool to see up close how all the pieces of the recital come together!

Watch some of our students announce our 2018 Recital themes!

Recitals Provide Goals!

The recital may seem far away right now, but months of preparation are needed to make sure every dancer is as ready as he or she can be.  Just as football players practice for months before the Super Bowl, dancers practice for months before the recital!

The time required for recital preparation helps teach our students how to work towards a goal—a goal they can take much pride in.  They feel encouraged when they realize that some of the new steps they are learning this fall will become part of their class’s recital choreography!

Here at BPA, our students begin learning recital choreography in February and will continue learning and correcting those movements all the way through April.  In May we spend time “cleaning” choreography, which is a simple way to say that our teachers will be helping their students improve their steps by practicing the recital dance many times.  This is another reason why consistent attendance is critical; students must be physically present in their class in order to effectively practice and reach their recital goals!

Ms. Brittany and Ms. Erica share a very funny recital story while dancing on stage!

Recitals Promote Teamwork!

What’s an invaluable life skill that everyone needs?  Teamwork!  And dancers must do a lot of it.  By working with their classmates on a group performance for the recital, dancers learn how to work together with positive intentions to create the best possible result.

As you’ve probably seen in class, it’s never too early to begin developing teamwork skills!  At BPA, even our preschool students are learning how to follow the leader, make a circle, or change spots with a friend—all skills that they build upon and may demonstrate during the recital.

As our students mature, they also begin to see the importance of reliability on each other—that as a group, they are helping one another pave a successful path to the recital.  The process of learning a recital dance and practicing together becomes just as important as the final performance itself.

The ability to work as a team is a skill that our BPA faculty are well-versed in nurturing.  We have seen just how important—and how special—those group bonds can be among our students.  And there’s no better place to see teamwork on display than at the recital!

Check out what some of our students love about recital!

Recitals Boost Confidence!

Participating in the recital can boost a child’s confidence in so many ways!  After working hard in class for months—learning steps, memorizing choreography, practicing musicality—the act of performing onstage serves as the great culmination of all that effort.

Hearing the audience applaud (and knowing family and friends are there!) show the dancers that they are being appreciated for their demonstrating their skills and performance quality.  Ask any of the BPA faculty, and you’ll hear similar experiences: it is such a rewarding feeling to realize that your hard work has paid off, and that the audience loved your performance!

Over the years at BPA, we’re proud to say that many students have overcome their shyness, anxiety, and stage fright by participating in the recital.  The sense of accomplishment after getting out there and performing is a triumphant feeling like no other, and we’ve seen it transform lives.

Dance is the ultimate performing art, and it serves as a powerful tool for building a child’s confidence in themselves—a confidence that easily carries over into a dancer’s home life, schoolwork, and friendships.

Watch teachers, Ms. Stacey and Ms. Crystal talk about their recital friendship memories!

The Recital—A Dancer’s Chance to Perform!

Yes, it may seem early, but here at BPA we’re already talking about performance time for 2018!  Just as soccer players have tournaments, football players have games, and gymnasts have meets, dancers have performances.  More than a year’s worth of planning goes into our annual performance at BPA—better known to most people as “the recital.”

The recital is a memorable opportunity for our students to showcase their talents onstage and in costume.  From learning the first eight-count of choreography in class to the final bow onstage, the recital is definitely the highlight of a dancer’s year!

We understand that the thought of rehearsals, costumes, and being onstage in front of an audience can be intimidating at first, so the faculty and staff at BPA is here to show you what an awesome experience this journey can be!

Over the next five weeks on this blog, we’ll be talking about all the awesome benefits recital participation has to offer our dancers.  Watch this short video with Mr. and Mrs Bender talking about their favorite recital moments, and then stay tuned next week for Benefit #1 ….

All you need to know at Bender Performing Arts for October!