CONCERT HANDBOOK
On this page is all the information you will need regarding hair, costumes, tickets, videos, etc., and we recommend book marking this page so that you may refer to it easily. Feel free to read it with a coffee or glass of wine in hand! This is without a doubt the climax of our year and we are excited to show you how hard our dancers have been working!
The opportunity to perform in a concert is an exciting, empowering and confidence building part of the performing arts. This is where our students learn about the theatre, rehearsals and teamwork, whilst enjoying the opportunity to showcase their skills in a professionally run production. Concerts are a wonderful way for students to share the results of the years hard work, and for family and friends to join in the pride of their achievement. We love giving all students the chance to perform for their family and friends in this supportive and fun environment and encourage even our youngest and newest performers to be involved.
In terms of attendance, it is very important that students do not miss any of their scheduled classes before concert time, so they can spend their rehearsal time together to practice their routines, feel confident and look amazing. If your child is sick or injured for class, but is well enough to come and watch, this is preferable to missing out altogether. If, for any reason your child will miss any of their regular classes in Term 4, we ask that you contact reception to let us know in advance. Please note that unfortunately any families with unpaid dance or costume fees will not be allowed to participate in our concert.
PRE-CONCERT REHEARSALS
SATURDAY REHERSALS (TERM 4)
There is a possibility that some students, for example combined classes, may be required for various Saturday rehearsals in the lead up to concert, so please ensure that you can be available for these rehearsals or inform reception ASAP if you are likely to not be here. These classes are not charged to parents as it is our choice to work on these routines. We will hand out notes regarding these rehearsals if required when Term 4 begins.
TECH REHEARSAL
TECH REHEARSAL (MORNING OF CONCERT)
Technical rehearsals are a super important part of preparing for our concert. This is where we get to see the dances we have been working on, on the stage, and bring together all the elements such as music, lighting, staging, props and atmosphere to compliment the students hard work. It gives us a chance to make any last-minute adjustments, ensure all the students are comfortable onstage, and make sure that everyone has time to get ready for their dances.
This year tech rehearsals will be taking place ON the concert days.
Please ensure you arrive on time for concert day – ‘teching’ time is very limited, and students need to be ready before their timeslot, not be arriving on the dot. We advise arriving 15-20 minutes before the timeslot – please bear this in mind for both concert days.
Please find below the 2024 timetable for the tech rehearsal times on concert day and take note of when your child’s timeslot is. The tech schedule IS NOT THE SAME for both concerts. This also confirms
Concert Day Timetable
COSTUMES
Last year we made the transition to hiring ALL concert costumes, and this will be continued into the foreseeable future. Concert invoices must be paid BEFORE the 21st of October via Direct Bank Transfer, cash, cheque, EFTPOS, or Credit Card. Once the invoice has been paid concert T-shirts will be handed out the week before Concert 1.
We have also made the decision this year to keep all costumes at the studio, and we will bring them on concert day. This means one less thing for you to worry about, and a smaller bag to pack!
One of our favourite parts of the concert is our finale in which all students come together on stage for one final dance together. For the finale we have designed and ordered a new studio t-shirt to be worn as the finale costume, as well as for our opening sequence, and this t-shirt can be worn as part of our uniform next year. The cost of these shirts is included in the concert levy.
SHOES & STOCKINGS
All students require their OWN shoes. The studio does not supply shoes for hire/single-use in concert.
Stockings are available for purchase at the studio.
Ready Set Dance/Ballet
Girls: pale pink ballet or tan jazz shoes, white frill socks
Boys: black ballet or black jazz shoes, plain black socks
Ready Set Acro
no tights or shoes
All Acro
no tights or shoes
Ballet and Lyrical
Kindy, Mini and Junior: pale pink ballet flats, skin tone tights
Pre-Teens and Teens: theatrical pink tights, pale pink ballet flats OR pointe shoes
Jazz and Pom
All: skin tone tights, tan jazz shoes
Teens: skin tone tights, black fishnets, black chorus heels
Hip Hop
All: plain black sneakers (please ensure these are dedicated dance shoes, not regular street shoes)
Tap
All: skin tone tights, tap shoes (can be hired from studio)
Musical Theatre
All: skin tone tights, tan jazz shoes
Teen Contemporary
tan convertible tights, half sole shoes
Competition Routines
same as most recent competition
UNDERWEAR
NON VISIBLE UNDERWEAR
Let’s keep the under in underwear. Underwear must be skin-coloured and must not be visible beneath costumes. No elastic lines should be seen underneath costumes.
Please note: dance costumes are designed with built-in support for girls with chests, so bras or crop tops are only recommended for those older girls who NEED them. If you need to wear dance bra/crop top/body stocking it also must not be visible under your costume, and the straps attached must be skin tone.
Clear/“invisible” straps ALWAYS show under stage lights and are therefore not invisible. If the straps that you have do not closely match your skin-tone you can dab small amounts of powder foundation onto them to help this.
MAKE UP
Boys
- foundation
- simple black eyeliner (top line only, no wing)
- soft brown eyeshadow
- a soft touch of blush
2-6 years
- foundation
- eyeshadow
- mascara
- lipstain
- or as much as they will let you put on!
7+ years
- foundation
- blush
- brown eyeshadow
- black eyeliner
- mascara
- red lipstain
Optional but recommended:
- minimal eye brow product (depends on natural brow colour)
- false eyelashes
The reason we do this as dancers is NOT to look like “little adults” or more grown-up. We do this because under bright light, faces become a pale skin-tone ‘blob’, and eyes, noses, lips etc., all blend together. Specifically colours, any blue based makeup turns black onstage, or green makes you look sickly. All performers of all genders wear makeup, even tv presenters.
We use lip stain so that the product doesn’t transfer during outfit changes or eating, and touch ups are not necessary. It also means not needing to pack lipstick with children, which often results in “let’s do our own makeup” sessions. Please do not pack a standard lipstick in your child’s bag.
Lip-stains are available from most supermarkets, some pharmacies, beauty shops, sometimes Kmart etc.
HAIR
Hair must be neatly slicked with gel and/or hairspray (no flyaways or wispies). All hair accessories are to be secured tightly with multiple bobby pins.
Ready Set Dance/Ballet/Acro
any style (please use actual hair ties to secure your child’s hair, and not the RSD accessories – we need to be able to change accessories for different dances)
Kindy, 6/u Team
Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Rep Team: two low plaits, tied off near the base of the head and the end of the plait
Ballet, Lyrical, Acro: low figure 8/infinity
Mini
Jazz, Rep Team, Musical Theatre:
two high plaits, tied off near the top of the head and the end of the plait
Hip Hop, Tap: two high plaited buns
Ballet, Lyrical, Acro: high figure 8/infinity
Junior
Hip Hop, Tap, Rep Team, Musical Theatre: two low plaits, tied off near the base of the head and the end of the plait
Jazz: two low “rollercoaster” buns (plaited buns with teased ends)
Ballet, Lyrical, Acro: low figure 8/infinity
Pre-Teen
Ballet: high ballet bun
Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary: high ponytail
Acro: low figure 8/infinity
Teen
Ballet, Pointe: low ballet bun, left side part
Contemporary, Jazz: low ponytail, left side part
Boys / Cropped Hair
any clean, slicked style
TIPS
- Use hair elastics, nets and pins that match the hair colour.
- Use hair spray before, during, and after styling, use gel when finished to secure the base of the hair.
- Hair is best styled when it is dirty; when it is clean everything falls out too easily.
- The most secure method of pinning accessories is placing two bobby pins one through the other to form a cross (X).
- Bobby pins actually need to be put in hair with the bumps facing down towards the scalp and the flat part of pin facing up.
- Use hair nets as opposed to bun nets – bun nets only fit around the hair once, where hair nets will fit 2-3 times creating a more secure style.
THIS SIDE FACING SCALP
All hair products can be bought cheaply from supermarkets, pharmacies, kmart, beauty shops, etc.
We have some tutorials on youtube linked below, and we will be holding hair and makeup workshops in the lead up to concert.
WHAT TO BRING
Use our lists below to check you have everything you need, and download our handy checklist for packing your bags the week of concert!
Pre-School Aged Checklist
School Aged Checklist
WHAT TO BRING
- All shoes labelled on the inner sole
- All stockings and socks labelled on the tag or inside seam
- A labelled bag or container with extra hair elastics, pins, hair nets, etc.
- Two labelled, guaranteed not to leak water bottles. NO SOFT DRINK, JUICE OR OTHER DRINK TYPES
- A labelled lunchbox with healthy snacks. NO POPCORN OR CHIPS
- Tiny and Mini students are encouraged to bring a clothes basket or large container with a photo of them on it and their name. Some of our backstage workers do not know all the performers names so this makes it easier for them to be able to find your child’s belongings
- If a student has medical needs, we must be advised BEFORE the concert day. If packing medications is necessary, they must be clearly labelled and given to one of our main staff members.
WHAT NOT TO BRING
- Makeup, especially if your child is under 10 years. We really don’t need any temptations their for “own makeup sessions”.
- Valuables including phones, iPods, iPads, smart watches, jewellery, precious toys, etc. Our studio and the venue will take no responsibility if an item is damaged, misplaced, lost or stolen.
Did you get the hint that everything should be labelled?
CONCERT PROCEDURES
SIGN IN / SIGN OUT
When students arrive on concert day before their rehearsal time, they must make their way to the STAGE DOOR, and must be SIGNED-IN by a parent or guardian. Once signed in, students are not permitted to leave the backstage area. Once the event has concluded, students will be dismissed by the child’s age from both stage doors and the auditorium (listed below) and must be SIGNED-OUT by a parent or guardian. Do not ask your child to meet you outside the venue or in the car park – we will not let any student leave unless signed out by a parent/guardian. If someone else is picking up or dropping off your child, we need to know before the day who will be supervising them.
STAGE DOOR ONE (right hand side of stage): Tiny, Kindy, Mini (ages 2-8 yrs)
AUDITORIUM (the actual stage): Junior, Pre-Teen and Teen (ages 8+ yrs)
BACKSTAGE
Only Complete staff and registered helpers are permitted backstage. No one else is allowed backstage. We are unable to and will not run messages or supplies to students, so please make sure they have everything they need before they come backstage for rehearsal and concert.
NO FILMING
Private videography and photography of any part of the concert is strictly prohibited. It is against the child protection act for anyone other than approved people to video. COMPLETE PACC has signed parental consent, however you do not, not even to film your own child/ren at our concert. Again, this is a mandated law by which we are required to abide by, and we have and will follow through on reporting to authorities and/or removing from the premises anyone found in breach of these laws. We will have contracted professionals attending on the day to provide these services for us, leaving you free to sit back and enjoy the show in the moment!
VENUE ETIQUETTE
Explicit language, inappropriate attire, offensive clothing or criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. Consuming alcohol or smoking/vaping of any kind are not permitted on the premises.
We also ask that all audience members, concert helpers and students abide by current government regulations with regards to Public Health Measures (e.g. COVID-19) to ensure a safe environment for all involved.
PERSONNEL LIST
If you have any further questions regarding concert, please talk to one of our staff members during studio operating hours.
Madelyn Comley (Miss Mady)
Principal, Head of Dance, Teacher
Heather Perry-Comley
Admin, Artistic & Costume Director
Amy Norup (Miss Amy)
Teacher, Accounts