CBT’s Tips to a Great Performance!
CBT has put on full length ballets for more than 40 years and we’ve learned a thing or two about what makes the experience fun for everyone! The following tips come from our observations and from parents like you! Please take the time to read them! Hopefully they will help you stay sane!
Tips for Parents!
- Read your packet carefully and completely (with a highlighter!). Mark all dates and times that pertain to your dancer so you can easily find them. You will find the answers to 99% of your questions in the performance packet!
- If you do have questions please call! And when you do call please be sure you know your dancer’s Part, Cast and which Class they are in! This helps our staff to better answer your questions as quickly and completely as possible.
- Please keep in mind that our staff is extremely busy making everything perfect for the performance. Please be patient with us if it seems like we are taking too long get back to any messages you may have left. We will get back to you as soon as we can!
- Ticketing will be new this year, but please anticipate on it still being crazy-we all want to see our dancers! And please know that in our theater ALL seats are going to be great! Please watch for and refer to your ticket letter and packet when it comes home.
- Parking can be frustrating, so plan accordingly! Parking is available in our lot, some street parking, and we will be working with the merchants, Highland Park Elementary, and nearby churches in the area. But PLEASE show courtesy and respect and DO NOT park in areas that have asked us not too such as Frost Books. Also, if you live close and the weather is nice consider walking!
- NO parents will be allowed in the studio and Theater areas during March and April!
Not to keep you away - it is just REALLY busy and we need as few people around as possible.
- If the story of the ballet is unfamiliar, take time to read it before you come! This will help you enjoy the show more fully and help younger children to have a better understanding of what is going on!
- Enjoy the entire show. Remember that there are “No small parts, just small dancers!” We feel this experience is important to all our dancers no matter their age or the “size” of their part. While we try to make sure everyone gets the same amount of stage time, it will vary by age, ability, and the music their part calls for. Love your child’s part and then enjoy watching the rest of the show and seeing the different levels and abilities of all our dancers.
Tips to Help Our Performers
- Our teachers have been trimming, tucking and taping the ribbons inside each performer’s shoes. This is the correct way for a dancer to wear her ballet slippers so that the pointed foot will look clean and flawless, as well as help to prevent tripping on untied ribbons. Please help your dancer keep her ribbons tucked in.
- Many parents have asked how to hide the “panty line” underneath a leotard. Dancers should treat a leotard and tights much like they would a swim suit: no underwear. Panty lines are very visible under stage lights, so we recommend introducing this concept to your dancer now so it isn’t an issue on the night of the show. We expect All students/dancers to follow this proper way of wearing dance attire to help the appearance of our show.
- Practice your daughter’s performance hairstyle TODAY! Getting your child’s specified hairstyle right can be tricky so we encourage practice! Hair that is not secured tightly may lead to head pieces being loose or cause the head piece to fall off altogether during the performance, which is very distracting for the performers and possibly dangerous if someone should trip on a rogue headpiece. So please practice now and ask our staff, who have all been dancers or mothers of dancers, if you run into problems!
- Send your child with ONLY the necessities with a bag to keep them in and put your child’s name in EVERYTHING. There are a lot of dancers back stage, all with leotards, tights and ballet shoes very much like your child’s and things can get lost or confused with another child’s easily. We recommend sending your child with the following: Boys wear black biker shorts and socks to the theater - Girls wear your nude camisole leotard and tights already to the theater. One item of clothing such as a dress to wear over her leotard and tights that will slip over her head without messing up her hair, a small activity such as a card game or crayons and coloring book, and a bag to keep it all in. That’s it! It may seem like they are back stage for a long time, but they are busy getting dressed, getting their pictures taken and preparing to go on stage. Please do not send anything valuable such as iPods or gaming devices that your child would be sad to lose. And NO makeup!
- Feed your child before you bring them to the theater! Please make sure they have had a good meal before coming as FOOD AND DRINK ARE PROHIBITED in the dressing rooms. We will have to take any food away, even crackers, and this can be upsetting to your child so please be responsible and don’t send it. We have had costumes ruined due to spilled drinks and food which result in fines.
- Most importantly HAVE FUN!!