Individual Photos & Costume Check Make-up Day

Individual photos will be taken at the studio by David Shutts Photography February 19th-23rd. Please refer to the February Newsletter for your child’s assigned time. To the best of our ability, students have been scheduled around their approximate day and class time and siblings have been scheduled together. We also use these days to verify that all costumes look alike and to answer any questions on how costumes are to be worn. Therefore, all recital participants are required to come for a costume check even if you do not choose to have pictures taken. Costumes should be worn complete with correct tights and hairpieces. For pictures, you may wear your hair in any style you wish. Light make-up is suggested. No classes will be held these days.

Payment is due to David Shutts Photography at the time of your sitting. You may also purchase a recital ad at this time. For students whose costumes do not arrive prior to Feb. 23rd, we will hold a make-up individual photo and costume check day on Friday, April 26th.

Tech Rehearsal

We will hold tech rehearsals at Houston Christian University on April 29th & 30th. Your assigned show will determine which day you attend. Please refer to the email attachments sent with the Recital Guide to know your child’s assigned show and routine number(s).

Show		Rehearsal Day & Time
Saturday Show 1		Mon, April 29th– 4:30-5:30 pm
Saturday Show 2		Mon, April 29th– 6:00-7:30 pm
Saturday Show 3		Tues, April 30th– 4:30-5:30 pm
Saturday Show 4		Tues, April 30th– 6:00-7:30 pm
Friday Show		Tues, April 30th– 7:30-8:30 pm

For tech rehearsal, students should arrive in regular dance wear with required recital hair and make-up complete. DO NOT BRING YOUR COSTUMES TO TECH REHEARSAL. Please see the accompanying video for details on how to wear hair and apply make-up. Students should wear street shoes and bring their dance bag with all necessary dance shoes, labeled with their name on the inside of the shoes. We will not be responsible for lost items. Check-in tables will open 30 minutes prior to the start of each rehearsal and will close 5 minutes before start time to ensure that we begin on time.

Only one female adult is to accompany each dancer, preferably the same person that will assist with costume changes during recital. Upon check-in, adults will be directed to the auditorium where they will remain for the duration of the rehearsal. Students will be taken to the dressing room where MDC staff will assist them with shoe changes throughout the rehearsal.

We will rehearse the awards ceremony at the end of each tech rehearsal. If you are receiving a five or ten-year dancer award, you will need to stay after your final dance to participate in this portion of the rehearsal. All tech rehearals are closed to the public. Company members will not participate in tech rehearsals and we will skip their routines during the rehearsals. Students are to be picked up from the stage right hallway after their last dance. This applies to dancers of all ages.

Houston Christian University
7502 Fondren Road
Houston, TX 77074
Morris Cultural Arts Center

MDC has partnered with Dancing Flowers for purchasing recital bouquets for your dancer. Using the link below you can pre-order half dozen or full dozen bouqets in multiple colors. Bouquets will then be available for pick-up in the lobby of HCU prior to each show. Flowers will also be available for purchase the day of the event but only while supplies last, so pre-ordering is strongly encouraged!

https://www.thecommencementgroup.com/memorial-dc/

Rules & Guidelines

 Show Times:

Friday Show – Friday, May 31st – 6:00 pm

Saturday Show 1 – Saturday, June 1^st – 9:00 am

Saturday Show 2 – Saturday, June 1^st  –  11:30 am

Saturday Show 3 – Saturday, June 1^st – 2:30 pm

Saturday Show 4 – Saturday, June 1^st – 5:00 pm

Recital Line-ups: The recital line-ups are posted on the hall bulletin board at the studio. These will also be sent with the March Newsletter and again on April 17th. Please check the spelling of your child’s name as we will use these same line-ups to print the programs. It is your responsibility to know what number(s) your child is performing in (show #, line-up # and routine name). Be sure to know how many numbers fall in-between your child’s routines so you’ll know how much time you have to dress! You can allow approximately three minutes per routine. You must have your child in the dressing room ten numbers before they are to perform. We cannot stop the show to search for performers.

Undergarments: Girls should not wear panties under their costumes. If you wear a bra to school, you should wear one under your costumes. Make sure straps are not showing! You can find both nude bras and clear strap bras at Memorial Dancewear.

Tights: : Each routine has a specified assigned color and style of Capezio tights. Most dancers ordered tights that came home with their costume. If you did not order tights, they are available at Memorial Dancewear. Ballet classes are to wear Capezio tights in Ballet Pink and tap, jazz and hip hop classes are to wear Capezio tights in Caramel. Some tap routines may also be required to wear fishnets.

More on costumes: All hats are to have flesh colored elastic attached to fit under the chin or weather stripping around the inside edge to prevent hats from falling off while dancing. All straps, ruffles and skirts should be securely attached to the costume bodice. Tutus are to be worn around the hips, not the waist. Don’t forget your shoes!

Hair: All students should wear their hair parted down the middle and pulled into a low, centered bun. Please use a hairnet and refrain from using bun makers. Use pins and ponytail holders that match your hair color, not your costume. No extraneous barrettes or bows will be allowed. Please see the attached link in the emailed Recital Guide for a bun tutorial.

Jewelry & Nails: No jewelry is to be worn. No nail polish or fake nails allowed!

Make-up: All dancers need to wear heavy make-up so that their facial features will show up under the bright stage lights. We ask that you apply brown eye shadow, black eye liner, pink blush and red lipstick. If you think your make-up looks pretty, you probably don’t have enough on! No body or hair glitter allowed. Please see the attached link in the emailed Recital Guide for a make-up tutorial.

Backstage: No parents are allowed backstage or in the backstage hallway. Staff will bring dancers from the dressing rooms to the chairs in the hallway directly behind the stage. Once students have been taken to the chairs, dressers should proceed directly to the auditorium to find their seats. For the safety of all students, no photography is allowed in the backstage hallways by anyone other than MDC staff.

Audience Members: We want all of the focus to be on the stage. Please be quiet during the show and turn cellphones off. Dancers should wear cover-ups over their costumes if they choose to sit in the audience. Please be courteous when entering and exiting the theater and only enter or exit between routines. Please follow all HBU rules! NO FOOD, DRINKS, STROLLERS OR BALLOONS ARE ALLOWED IN THE THEATER. SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED.

MDC Company Dancers: Each Company has been assigned to perform in one or more of the shows listed above. Production and Tap Group will perform in every show.

Illness: If you or your dancer feels ill prior to the event, PLEASE STAY HOME. We will understand if you cannot attend. We want our dancers and families to celebrate safely and comfortably.

Awards: We will honor our 2024 five-year & ten-year students during the awards ceremony after their show. Students may wear their costume or a nice outfit to receive their award on stage. Parents will drop off and pick up these students from the backstage hallway chairs.

Videotaping & Photography: The recital will be videotaped by Jim Stamos Productions and a link to a digital copy of each dancer’s show is included in your recital fee. NO flash photograpy or videotaping will be allowed. Please respect these rules!

Students Age 2.5 years – Kindergarten

Arrival Time: These dancers should arrive at the venue with required hair and make-up complete. They should be dressed in their shoes and costume 10 minutes prior to their first routine. If your student performs in one of the first 7 routines, they need to be in the dressing room 30 minutes prior to the start of their designated show. We do not have enough chairs in the backstage hallway for all dancers, so please do not arrive too early! Dressers are to wait with their dancer in the dressing room until their class is called to sit in the backstage chairs. Please do not leave your child unattended in the dressing room!

Dressing: Parents of this age dancer will dress their own children in the designated dressing rooms. Only one female dresser per dancer, please! Each student will be assigned a backstage dressing room. Please do not reassign yourself to another dressing room! Dressers should sit as near as possible to the aisle in the auditorium to minimize distraction to the audience when entering and exiting. Dressers are to enter and exit through the rear auditorium doors when going to and from the dressing rooms…not the side doors! NO BOYS OR DADS ALLOWED IN THE DRESSING ROOMS…NOT EVEN LITTLE ONES! PLEASE ARRANGE FOR CHILD CARE AHEAD OF TIME. Strollers are not permitted in the dressing rooms. Boys will need to use the men’s restroom located in the lobby. They will then be brought to the stage right hallway to wait with staff in designated chairs until they are taken backstage.

Student Pick-Up: Immediately following your child’s routine, dressers will exit the rear auditorium doors and enter the stage right hallway where dancers will be waiting for pickup from the designated chairs. Please wait on the carpet at the double doors for your child’s name to be called. Every parent must pick up their own dancer. Dancer’s will not be released to a friend’s parent. Dressers will then return with their dancer to the assigned dressing room for changing into the next costume, going home or preparing to watch the remainder of the show. If your dressing room is located on stage left, you may quickly walk through the back hallway with your student to the dressing room.

Students Age 1st – 4th Grade

Arrival Time: These students need to arrive at the venue with their required hair and make-up complete. You will check them into the assigned dressing room, located on stage left, 30 minutes prior to the start time of their show.

Dressing: : Parents of students age 1st-3rd Grade will not be permitted in the dressing room. To minimize dressing room capacity, MDC Company moms have been assigned to this dressing room to assist these dancers with costume and shoe changes. Please have all belongings neatly organized and labeled with the dancer’s name to assist our volunteers in helping your child. No food will be allowed in the dressing room. You may send your dancer with a leak-proof water bottle.

Student Pick-Up: If your dancer only has routines in the first half of the show, they will be picked up from the dressing room at intermission. If your dancer has routines in the first and second half of the show, they will be picked up from the dressing room at the end of their show. These dancers will need to be checked out by a MDC Company mom. Please be patient with our volunteers and adhere to their requests.

Student Age 4th – 12th Grade

Arrival Time: These dancers should arrive at the venue with required hair and make-up complete. They should be dressed in their shoes and costume 10 routines prior to their first routine. If your student performs in one of the first 7 routines, they need to be in the dressing room 30 minutes prior to the start of their designated show.

Dressing: Students age 4th-12th Grade will be assigned a backstage dressing room. Please do not reassign yourself to another dressing room! This age student is typically responsible for their own dressing, but if they need assistance, one female dresser per dancer will be allowed in the dressing room.

Student Pick-Up: These dancers should be picked up directly from their assigned dressing room immediately following their final routine. At that time, you may leave or the dancer may change out of costume to sit in the audience and enjoy the remainder of the show. While these dancers are older, they are not to be left backstage and unattended at any time. Dancers are not to wander the audience, lobby or other parts of the HCU campus without an adult.

2024-2025 Registration

Registration for our 2024-2025 dance year will open for current MDC families on February 19th and for the public on March 1st. The schedule is posted on our website and will fill on a first come, first-serve basis. Please note that registration fees and first month’s tuition are non-refundable. To register, you will need to turn in the registration form and enrollment agreement along with a $50 registration fee and your first month’s tuition. The number of classes you take will determine your tuition amount. We will have a waitlist for most classes, so please don’t wait to register!

Summer class information is available on our website. Registration for Summer Camps & Summer Intensives begins on February 19th for current MDC families and March 1st for new MDC families.

MDC Company Auditions

The MDC Company is an elite group of dancers who love to perform and be part of a competitive team. They represent MDC at various events and competitions throughout the year. Auditions for our 2024-2025 Company Teams will be held May 18th and are open to dancers entering 2nd grade and older. More detailed information will be available in the March Newsletter.

Recital Venue: Houston Christian University [HCU (Formally Houston Baptist University)] 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX 77074. Morris Cultural Arts Center

Notes:

– We will not hold classes the week of recital (May 27th-May 31st).