Recital Solos- 2017

"If I call your name, please wait behind after class..."

The 9 girls sat nervously and excitedly as they waited for me to say goodbye to the other children, before joining them on the mat.

"Are we in trouble?" asked Little Miss S.

"Oh no, you're not sweetheart! I have something exciting to tell you!" I answered. I went on to tell them that they were going to have a special part in our next recital. "You will play a character with your own special costume and get to do a dance by yourself or with a few friends. How cool is that?!"

This was met with gasps, cheers, and giggles, before I was peppered with a hundred enthusiastic questions.

"What will my costume be?"

"Who will I dance with?"

"The crocodile has to chase me!"

"What will we use for pixie dust?"

It was lovely to see the girls so enthusiastic!

Having some solo parts/characters in our recitals is still something new for our girls.

As my Senior Ballerinas have gotten older, I wanted to find a new way to extend them during our recitals. Learning a dance all on their own, or as part of a smaller group, and having that time on stage when the spotlight is on them, is challenging in many ways. They have to know their dance really well, as they can't copy their friends or hide a mistake within the bigger group. They must be more aware of where they are on stage, using prompts and markings on the floor to remember where to begin and end. They use their own creativity and performance skills to bring their character to life. And of course, it takes a lot of courage to beat those nerves ( and we all get nervous!!!) to stand up in front of a crowd to perform!

The children get a huge boost of confidence in themselves and their dance skills, as well as self-esteem from overcoming those pre-show nerves (..."It was scared but I did it anyway!) They get such joy from immersing themselves into their character and often put their own spin on things, giving me lots of ideas to work with.

One of the unexpected benefits that I noticed last year was that it became a real bonding experience for the girls.

The friendships that already existed between the girls were strengthened, and also new friendships were formed. I saw a lovely moment like this yesterday with our Halswell Seniors. Two of the girls- Z and D- had never really spoken to each other before. After finding out they would be in a song together, as Captain Hook and the Tic-Toc-Croc, they instantly bonded. They immediately began brainstorming, coming up with their own ideas on how they would dance. They were both so enthusiastic and were soon giggling together and chasing each other. When their mums dragged them away, they were still glued together and I could hear them chatting all the way down the corridor as they left. What a beautiful budding friendship!

A wee note:

Please remember...this is not 'Dance Moms'!

Amelia's Ballerinas is a supportive, safe, nurturing environment for all our dancers who come along. I do not aim to strike up competition between my girls (or their parents!) and have them fighting for solos. It's not a case of 'winning' a part, and neither is it a reflection of who is the 'best' in the group.

When I think about asking one of our dancers to do a solo, I think consider many things:

* How confident is she in class? Does she cope OK with challenges in class? Do we think she would cope OK by herself on stage, or would she be happier with the security of dancing in a group?

* Is she good at listening, concentrating, and following instructions? Some of our dancers are more developed at this than others, hehe! Having a solo means learning a lot in a short space in time. Would she have the concentration level to do this?

* How is she going with her level of dance skills/ability in class? Could she keep up with the demands of a trickier song, or does she need some more time mastering those jumps and positions?

* How long has she been in our Seniors class? Has she recently moved up and still needs time to settle in, is she enjoying the current level of the class, or has she been here for awhile and needs a challenge?

* What is the family situation? Is she able to stay late or come in on another day for extra practices? Or do they come in from out of town and, another trip in is a nuisance, or maybe they have a young baby/toddler and it doesn't really suit to stay longer.

But most importantly...

* Does she actually WANT to do a solo?

Some of our dancers have no interest in it whatsoever and some find the prospect utterly terrifying.

Both of these responses are totally OK!

Every child is different and at Amelia's Ballerina we celebrate those differences.

I know some parents have been disappointed when their child has told us that they just want to dance with their group, but please remember, we take it at their pace. They might not want to do a solo this time...but who knows? Next time they may be super keen!

Regardless, they will still have lots to learn with their group routines in the show and they will look amazing up on stage! (It also helps that I have some beautiful costumes for our Seniors who aren't having a solo, ...they are going to be mermaids!)