TO PARENTS ABOUT THE COSTUMES
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PLEASE NOTE THE FRIDAY NIGHT REHEARSAL IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL (do not wear your show costume)
Please put in a safe place so the costume isn’t worn before the shows.
Dancers will not be allowed to perform if they arrive with a dirty costume or any part of a costume missing.
Please do what you have to to keep costumes clean between each of the shows – white clothing will most
probably need to be washed between the Saturday and Sunday shows.
Please do not wash the costumes if not necessary as colours may fade or creases may occur.
If it is a costume that is safe to be ironed & needs it please do so before the show (please note that any shiny
fabric should not be ironed).
Not all dance groups are required to wear shoes. We sent out a newsletter with the shoes required for each
group but if you missed it go to the ‘news’ tab of our website or call us. It’s important your child is wearing the
same shoes as the rest of their group or they may not be able to perform.
Your child needs to come to all the show/s they are dancing in fully dressed in their first dance costume & shoes
(if applicable).
A dressing gown worn over the costume backstage is a good idea to keep dirt, food and make up off the
costume. Dressing gowns are a normal sight backstage at shows!
Please ensure your child is wearing undergarments (nude colour is best) and that they have spares packed in
their bag (along with a large drink, snacks (not messy ones!) & activities while they wait backstage). Please don’t
over pack, we end up with a large amount of lost property every year.
Once your child has performed in their last show the costume (but not the accessories or props that have been
lent) is theirs to keep.
Please do not contact us if you are unhappy with your child’s costume, we are sorry you don’t like it but please
understand many things are taken into consideration when we decide on their costume including the dance
style, the other costumes in the show, lighting, group size, availability, affordability and time. We work hard to
source a full costume for $40 to keep costs down. Many dance schools charge a hireage fee of more than that or
outsource the job to a dress maker (and the costume would fit perfectly) but the luxury would cost well in excess
of $100.
Costume sizes….. It’s not possible to take 600 children shopping to get all the sizes spot on (nor are all the sizes
always available) but we have done our best to get as close as possible. Often the sizes of students in the class
range tremendously so it is hard to get the same costume across such a range of sizes. If something is too big or
a bit tight you are welcome to make adjustments.
We have a stock of great accessories and jewellery that will be lent to the performers to accentuate their
costumes and will create an amazing overall look along with the lighting, hair & make up.
Any props or accessories lent to your child for the shows remain the property of Rhythmz Dance Co & need to be
returned after the show if they are taken home by mistake. This allows dancers to borrow them year after year
and keep costs down for parents.
HAIR AND MAKE UP:
Hair:
Please arrive with clean, brushed, product free hair, ideally washed a couple of days prior.
Please also send you child along with 2x strong black hair bands on their wrist both Saturday and Sunday so the
hairdressers can use them to put their hair up. We supply hair clips and hairspray but not hair bands.
Make up:
We have some parent helpers doing make up backstage. As they have hundreds of students to get through it would
be helpful if you can manage the basics before you drop your child to each of the shows.
Base (foundation) and mascara would be great as we don't do either of those. Also if you are able to manage a tidy
line of black eyeliner on the upper eyelid that would be great.
We will do blush, eye shadow and lipstick for each of the groups.
Jewellery:
Please make sure your child doesn’t come with any jewellery, this includes earrings & watches as they will need to
be taken off for their dances so the group look uniform. Obviously if they are removed at the shows there is a
possibility of them getting lost.
CHILDREN WITH MORE THAN ONE COSTUME CHANGE:
It’s really important that your child is familiar with the order of their dances and therefore the order of their
costume changes. If you could, write the order for them from the run sheet we have emailed to you or see our
newsletter of 2 October titled “Baycourt shows, Practice videos, Sunday practices, term 4, tickets” under the NEWS
tab on our website and discuss it with them.
Students with more than one costume change will have a separate changing area with parent helpers to assist them
as much as possible. There will be 39 students using this area so it’s essential all costumes and shoes are clearly
named and that your child keeps their belongings in an orderly manner.
Please assist them by having their costumes in different named clear bags or on coat hangers (there are lots of
hanging racks in the change room).
On the outside of the bags you could name them as such:
Name: Sally Riley
Costume: Contemp dance
Dance number: Dance #7 and again for dance #34
Contents:
Blue dress
White tights
Name: Sally Riley
Costume: Jazz dance
Dance number: Dance #1 and again for dance #29
Contents:
Pink crop top
Yellow tights
Black jazz shoes
(Examples only)
Just get a system that’s good for you and explain it to your child.
PLEASE NOTE:
Dance classes at your regular venue continue right up to and including Monday 10th November. There are NO
classes (apart from Little Luvlies) on Tue 11, Wed 12 or Thu 13 November.
On Fri 14 November EVERYONE is required for a compulsory practice at Baycourt Theatre. There are staggered
arrival times for this (see the newsletter tab on our website for the times if you haven’t already received it). Please
bring snacks, activities etc for your child at this practice. Parents are welcome to wait in the auditorium but please
keep distraction to a minimum and use the seats at the top back of the theatre.
As children finish their practice, they will be released to the front of the auditorium for collection. Any children
remaining who aren’t collected as soon as they have finished will be cared for backstage in the waiting room until
you arrive.
Remember also that there are no classes following the shows (apart from Little Luvlies who aren’t in the shows). The
time table and online enrolment for 2014 will be posted on our website in December/January – there will be some
changes and new classes. Please note that you will need to do a new enrolment at the beginning of the year.
Please keep up to date with all the important show information on our website, www.rdc.net.nz , click on ‘News’
tab at the top. 07 5788780.