Recital 2025 Information

Recital will be held at South Orange Performing Arts Center on May 17th & 18th.

Please check your email for further and upcoming information

Dress Rehearsal FAQs

Dress Rehearsal & Photo Week!

What to expect:

- Dress rehearsal & photo week will take place at the studio from Sunday, May 4th, through Saturday, May 10th.
- Dancers should come to class at their normal time, dressed in their costumes, tights & accessories.
- Dancers will rehearse their routines in Studio 1 and take photos in Studio 2.
- Parents are NOT invited into the studio to watch rehearsals or to watch photos. Only teachers & studio staff will be permitted into the studios this week. The ONLY exceptions will be for students who are unable to attend the recital.

Be prepared:
- Dancers should arrive at the studio already dressed in their costumes & with the correct shoes. If we notice in class that your dancer(s) does not have the correct shoes, we will reach out via email.
- If your dancer has multiple classes on the same day, you can bring all costumes & change at the studio. Parents will be permitted in the studio to assist with changes.
- Dancers should arrive with their hair & makeup ready for photos! All makeup is up to the discretion of the family, but see below for suggestions:
- Younger dancers (ages 3 - 8) should have their hair neatly pulled back into a ponytail. We recommend a red or pink lipstick and blush.
- Older dancers (ages 9+) should also have their hair neatly in a ponytail and should wear lipstick, blush, shimmery eye shadow, and mascara. Any other additional makeup is welcome & up to each individual dancer & family.

Additional tips:
- Label everything! We recommend labeling all costumes, shoes, and any bags or items your dancer plans to bring to dress rehearsal (and the recital).
- Absolutely NO eating or drinking in costume, except water or very neat snacks. If anything happens to your child’s costume, we will not be able to get a replacement.
- Since we are not having a rehearsal at the venue (SOPAC), Studio 1 will be set up to be as similar to the stage as possible. The mirrors will be covered & the sides of the stage will be set up similar to the venue. This will help our dancers be as prepared as possible!
- Depending on the age & size of the class, dress rehearsal & photos may not take the entire class time. Dancers are welcome to leave early, or hang with their teacher to play games & read books for the rest of the class time.

Attached, you will find the photo order form. Please complete this form and send it back to the studio as soon as possible. All photos are taken by Miss Julia and her photography company. If you have photo-specific questions, you can reach out directly to her at juliaeckhardtphotography@gmail.com. 

We're looking forward to a great week of costumes & photos!

  • Dress Rehearsal and Photos will take place during your dancer's regular scheduled class time during the week of May 4th -May 10th

  • Parents can watch on the TVs in the lobby. For spacing purposes, we cannot fit all parents in the classroom.

  • Yes, dress rehearsal is mandatory for your dancer to have a successful recital

Costume FAQs

    • Hair: all dancers hair will be required to be pulled back into a tight slicked back low ponytail. Please use hair spray or hair wax to ensure no flyaway hairs Hair can be either curled, straight, or natural. If your dancers hair is too short to be pulled back into a ponytail, they may keep it down but out of their face.

    • Makeup: Stage makeup is strongly recommended but not required. This is because the bright stage lights may wash out your dancers features. There are plenty of online tutorials available for instructions on how to apply stage makeup!

    • We recommend:

      • A bold Red or pink Lipstick

      • Blush that complements your dancers skin

      • Neutral and shimmery Eyeshadow

      • Eyeliner (optional)

      • Mascara (recommended for older dancers)

  • Please refer to our dress code tab above

  • Yes, they should show up in their costume, hair and makeup.

  • We will have extra backstage in case of an emergency

Recital FAQs

  • Yes, this venue requires assigned seating. All ticket sales will be handled by SOPAC staff

  • Information on how to purchase the Recital Video will be released via email closer to recital time

  • Yes please support all our students by staying the entire show. All students will be brought out on stage for the finale.

  • No, for security reasons we need to account for all students backstage during the show

  • Yes, we plan for this and staff will be available to help your dancer.

  • Your child's teacher will be with your child backstage as well as other staff members and student teachers

  • Please arrive 30 minutes before the start of your child's show

  • No, absolutely no photos and videos during the performance. We will have a taping of the show available for purchase.

  • One parent will need to go to their dancer's assigned dressing room and sign out their dancer

  • Water, and a mess-free snack. We will have movies and coloring supplies, You are welcome to bring other entertainment for your dancer but please ensure everything is labeled

  • No, before the show one parent is allowed to sign a dancer in, once the show begins absolutely no parents will be allowed in dressing rooms. Once the show ends one parent may pick up their dancer and sign them our