With the dance class schedule coming to an end soon and the end-of-year performance season approaching, here are my top 5 tips I use to make sure I am prepared.
Go over the dances and ask your choreographer for specifics on the moves to make sure you are performing the dance as close to their vision as possible.
Pack your bags a week before the performance date. I like to pack mine several days before I perform so I can slowly add things I need without the night-before panic.
Practice your hair. Most of us have at least one dress rehearsal, and I highly suggest doing your hair before rehearsal so you can make sure it is done right and won't come undone after dancing for the full rehearsal time.
Restock on spare tights, tons of bobby pins, new shoes (break them in before you dance), and anything else you may need.
Stretch and strengthen in your own time while choreographing, then focus on rehearsals, resting, and sleeping well before the performance.
My teacher told me to make sure my pointe shoes are new but comfortably broken in before a performance. Make sure you aren't dancing in dead pointe shoes!
There are so many ways to prepare for a performance. A seasoned dancer would have many more tips than I do, so please comment your favorite pre-performance preparations!