Today was the Port Macquarie Performing Arts Mid Year Showcase, such a great day. It’s our first performance for the year thats not a competition and for many of our students and parents its the first opportunity to see how we run a show. We are lucky enough to be able to perform at our local theatre, The Glasshouse. Its spectacular, and more importantly that the scope of the building, the people inside are the best. Today we were graced with 3 fabulous souls in Ryan, Warren and Sean and we were in good hands. 

I call the show and so spend all of my time backstage on prompt side, chained to the headset, giving cues to turn on lights, music and putting students on stage. My fabulous staff do all of the running around backstage, changing hair, fitting costumes, taking photos etc. 

A steady cue of dancers come in my door and exit out the OP side, Miss Ella is on duty here (what would we do without you, Miss Ella!) and today as we sat on stage for our safety briefing, I took the students through my ‘old favourites’ when it comes to stagecraft. 

1) Don’t touch the curtains, ever!! Don’t ever touch the tabs, those black drapes hanging from the ceiling. Its incredibly important that your costume or your arms and legs don’t make contact with these, you must enter and exit the stage seamlessly. 

2) speaking of Exits and Entrances, When leaving the stage you use exit upstage of the wing and when entering the stage, you stick as close as humanly possible to the downstage wing so that the audience doesn’t see you until the last minute. 

3) Never talk backstage – this is hard as the energy backstage is filled with nerves, excitement and for some a little anxiety. Its hard not to ask, which arms is it on the turn or what wing will I enter from when back there. Its also hard keeping those tap shoes still! 

And the two I didn’t mention today but that are important

4) Take the time to see your audience and your fellow dancers. Nothing is warmer than a smile shared from a performer to an audience member or from one performer to another. I remember fondly the routine where I would get the chance to lock eyes with my peers whilst on stage, the rush of warm and fuzzys that you get when you are sharing your passion for dance with others, you can’t beat it. 

and 5) Smile!! Have a good time, 3 mins goes really fast when you are out there and these performances are what we so hard in class for, so smile and enjoy it!

I am super proud of the way everyone performed today and can’t wait to see everyone shine again next performance, which for some isn’t until our End of Year Concert which will be here before we know it!