It’s that time again, signing up new dancers, thinking of the incredible year to come and now… what are we going to do!? What performances will the troupe do?! What themes or shows will the company dance to this year? AHHHH! Decisions, decisions!! One of the hardest tasks as a dance teacher is picking the perfect themes or shows for a new dance year. It can be rather intimidating going through the countless shows or possible themes that would best showcase the growth and talents of your dancers. However, there are actually several approaches you can take to help ease the process. Here are some ideas:
- Fun Locations and Events - How about different destinations or fun activities? You can ask yourself, is there a particular destination you always enjoyed the culture of? Hawaiian? Africa? Europe? How about a fun event? The Circus? Mardi Gras? A hootenanny? Under the Sea? You can use these locations or activities to create the foundation of what you would like to do for your performance.
- Retro - Or you could get far out with some fun 50s Doo Wop, 60s Tie Dye, 70s Disco or a 80s montages! Throwback events are fun and allow parents and grandparents to relive special times in their lives and see what their friends or family members would like under that nostalgic light.
- Theatrical themes for inspiration? - New Broadway releases or hot shows ideas hitting the stage could give you the jump on what will take the world by storm and put your dance company ahead of the performance game! Or go with the classics: musicals such as Wicked, The Little Mermaid or Once on this Island will never go out of style, will always be fun to produce and not to mention a treat for all audiences.
- Your Scenic/Prop Providers- Many scenic and prop houses cater to dance studios in particular so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to find inventory that are vibrant, abstract, whimsical that were made especially for dance. Your regular consultant is a great source for performance ideas. Being in the business for a number of years gives them that extra knowledge and allows them to help you in any way they can. Don’t be afraid to ask!!
There you have it! A few tidbits that may help narrow down the search for your next show. No need to fear drawing a huge dancing blank on your stage, it just takes stepping outside the box and letting your imagination take off. Although making the ideal show is the goal, it is important to keep in mind that dance is fun and meant to be enjoyed on every level of the process, even the technical parts. The only one that can limit you is you so let those creative juices flow.
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