First time on stage?! Should my child do it?! Is it too much pressure?!

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First time on stage

So many questions, so many nerves. As Elsa says…Into the unknowwwwwnnnnnnnnnn

The first year your little one (or older one!) starts dancing, everything is new, the dancing world can be amazing, but has been known to have stigmas too.

At RSD we make the first time stage experience (and 2nd, and 5th and 10th!) like no other – creating cherished memories to last a lifetime! 

While it does seem scary, and a huge commitment, we make things as easy as possible for parents – you don’t have to sew costumes, there aren’t hours and hours of extra late night rehearsals, you don’t even need to transport the costume to the theatre! Our talented backstage team will even do the performers’ makeup & face-painting! 

Here are a few words from other parents and their recollection of their ‘first time’ and wise words of advice for other parents…

My daughter used to cry at every babyballet show she was on and I thought she was going to do the same in the Big Kid’s show, as it turns out she was fine – even without me backstage!” – Lina

It can get pretty hectic backstage so if you are worried about your dancer getting overwhelmed before they even get to the stage, you may want to volunteer to help backstage (bear in mind that only volunteers are allowed backstage and other parents have to wait outside). There will be a dress rehearsal before the show so they get the idea of what happens as well which is very helpful. Spend some time talking about it before show day – a lot of the girls get quite caught up in the idea of getting their hair & makeup done. But the main thing is not to put any undue pressure on your little one – let them have fun and let them know you are proud of them, no matter what.

I have done multiple shows backstage, as well as dancing myself when I was younger. There have been tears and panic backstage for some first timers, but the teachers at RSD are really good at encouraging and supporting those with nerves and the RSD culture is such that the other dancers tend to lend a hand supporting their classmates who get upset.” – Sarah

Our wee man had only been dancing for 5 weeks before the Big Show and he absolutely loved it! Everyone is so lovely backstage and he was so caught up with the excitement of the show, he just took it in his stride… There are lots of helpful older kids around – perhaps plan a buddy for your child to hang with backstage?” – Anj

My daughter was really shy and didn’t know many of the dancers before the show. We dropped her off with coloring stuff and some snacks and she loved getting to know everyone! We were able to collect her straight after her dance as we were worried she would get scared but she never wanted to leave! So now she stays until the end of every show and looks forward to them each year!” – Suzy

Completely understandable that the first time can be a little nerve racking for both the dancer and the parent – but the “first time” only happens once! – So take a deep breath and give it a go! You never know – you might have a true performer on your hands! 

Have a chat with the teachers at the studio. They’ve been doing shows with children for years and have a heap of experience in lots of different situations and with lots of personalities. 

At the end of the day RSD is all about creating magical & memorable experiences for our little dancers, we will do our absolute best to ensure the stage show experience is the best it can be for your little dancer!

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