It’s quite intimidating to have to perform in front of a group of strangers, or even family and friends. It’s no wonder that many dancers are nervous when the time of their dance recital comes around. It may be hard to let go of nervousness, but there are some things that can help calm down frazzled nerves before the big performance.

Find ways to distract them through out the week. When they mention their nervousness about performing, say something encouraging to let them know that you have confidence in them and their abilities. Change the topic or find an activity that will help get their mind off of their uneasiness.

Have them practice a lot before the big day. The more practice your little dancer does, the more confident they will become. Don’t, however, do it so much that they are going over the dance routine over in their mind and causing them even more anxiety.

Have them say a mantra to themselves repeatedly throughout the week. Some good ideas are “I can do this” or “I am a great dancer”. Positive reinforcement can go a long way with helping calm nerves, because if repeated enough one starts to believe it.

Have them dress up in their costumes at home. Dress rehearsals are a good way for them to get a feel of how the recital will go, and get comfortable with dressing in their costume. It will help calm the jitters of the big day because they have already done it before.

Arrive to the performance early. Make plans ahead of time to give yourself plenty of time to get to the recital. Things can get very stressful when you are already running late.

Walk them up on stage. If they are nervous you can stand with them backstage. Give them an encouraging hug right before they have to go on stage to give them extra assurance.

Finally, remind them that they aren’t alone out there. They won’t be the only nervous dancer out there. Thankfully, even if they do make a mistake or two in the dance routine, the audience is unaware of the choreography and will more than likely not even notice if one is made.

Hip Hop 50′s Shop specializes in Children and Adult Poodle Skirts, crinoline slips, saddle oxford shoes and complete 50′s costumes. We are passionate about Sock Hops and the 1950′s, so our experts share tons of advice and tips on our blog. Come visit anytime.

First dance recitals are big events that deserve to be made special. These performances show off dance routines that your little one has been practicing all year and she deserves to know how proud you are of her. Here are some suggestions of how to make her little dance recital more special.

Put an ad in your local newspaper telling her how proud you are of her, or how excited you are to watch her dance. Many newspapers have ad space for birthdays, engagements, or other special events for a relatively affordable price. Wishing them luck publicly is a fun way to make it special.

Bring flowers with you to their performance. You can make it a surprise by having a sibling or family member grab them from the car after your dancer is with the rest of her classmates. Flowers are beautiful and are a very appropriate gift for a first dance performance.

Video tape her during her performance. Many of the larger dance recitals sell a DVD of the performance for parents, but video taping it yourself is more fun for family because you can really focus in on your dancer and single her out. It also allows you to post the videos online on YouTube or your blog to show your friends and family, without having to deal with copyright infringement.

Send out invitations to your family and friends to come to the performance. Invite grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles that will want to come and share in the fun of watching the first performance. You can send formal written invitations, e-invites through email, or simply give them a phone call.

If you are into scrap-booking and blogging, this is a definite note worthy event. Take plenty of pictures before and after the performance. Have your autograph the program and use it for scrap-booking purposes.

Have a party after the recital. Decorate your home with banners with your dancer’s name and decorate with a dancing theme. You can find cute dance shaped cake pans or cookie cutters online, on sites such as Country Kitchen Sweetart.

Your daughter deserves to be treated special on her big day. By putting forth a little extra effort you will be surprised at how far it will reach. Your daughter will love that you’ve made her feel like a queen for the day.

HipHop50sShop specializes in Children and Adult Poodle Skirts, crinoline slips, blouses, saddle oxford shoes and complete 50′s costumes for your dance or party. We are passionate about Sock Hops and the 1950′s, so our experts share tons of tips and advice on our blog.

Dance recitals can be a very exciting time for a young dancer, but the performance can quickly change to one of chaos and confusion. Don’t take the chance of having to miss any special moments by running home to grab last minute items for your daughter. Be prepared with the following items:

Makeup- You will want to have some makeup available to do last minute touch-ups. Bring makeup that will match the rest of the class and not bring unneeded attention to your daughter. Remember to touch-up her makeup right before she goes on stage.

Camera – Double check to make sure you have brought your camera. Dance recitals, on average, only happen once a year and you won’t want to miss out on any of your daughter’s big moments. Even for those performances where cameras are not allowed in the auditorium, you will want to have your camera handy for candid moments backstage and posed shots with her classmates after the performance.

Clear nail polish and extra tights – Runs in tights can ruin a costume ensemble. Tights with runs are easily noticed on stage and need to be replaced or fixed before they get worse. Applying clear nail polish as soon as you notice a small run will help stop it before it gets too out of hand.

Snacks – Dance recitals can drag on for a while, so be prepared with some snacks for you and your little dancer. Bring nutritious snacks that will keep her energy level up. Some good ideas for snacks are apples, small crackers or granola bars.

Bandages – It’s always a good idea to be prepared for those annoying blisters that come from dancing. Bring clear bandages that stick well and won’t fall off during the performance. Avoid using bright, colorful bandages that are distracting and can be seen through light colored tights.

Pain Reliever – Make sure to bring your own pain reliever to the performance. It’s good to be prepared for any last minute muscle aches or headaches that can happen, for you or your daughter. Her teacher will most likely not be able to hand out pain relievers to any of the students.

Hip Hop 50′s Shop specializes in Children and Adult Poodle Skirts, crinoline slips, saddle oxford shoes and complete 50′s costumes for your dance or party. We are passionate about Sock Hops and the 1950′s, so our experts share tons of advice and tips on our blog. Come visit anytime.

With a variety of dancing styles, it is not a surprise that there are a wide range of dancing shoes available now. Each specific style of dance shoe is meant to work flawlessly with the dancer. Dance shoes enable her to dance safely and efficiently through her dance routines.

A main factor with dance shoes is that they are not meant for everyday wear and tear. They are performance shoes and should be used for practice and recitals. Here are a few examples of dancing shoes that are available at this time.

Ballet Shoes- Ballet dancing shoes are made to protect the ballerina’s feet and ankles. Beginning or moderate ballet dancers will normally wear a ballet slipper. Ballet slippers hold up best if they are leather, and they normally are either full sole to mimic pointe shoes, or split soled to accentuate the arch of the dancers foot.

Pointe Shoes – Pointe shoes are what advanced ballerinas wear when dancing. The front of the shoe has a toe box, which makes the toes fit tightly together so the dancer’s body weight can be supported when she is on the tips of her toes. They have a very stiff insole that helps support the feet from underneath the arch.

Jazz shoes – Jazz shoes are similar to ballet slippers. The major difference is that they have a small heel for support. They normally are very flexible, and can be full or split soled.

Tap shoes – These shoes are what make tap dancing possible. Tap is a fun form of dance wear the dancers wear special shoes that have metal taps on the bottom of the shoes. Tap shoes use their shoes like drums to create a pattern and timely beat.

Hip Hop and Lyrical Shoes – Hip Hop is one of the few styles that allows a lot of room for the types of shoes that are worn. The most popular shoes for this style are tennis shoes or a flexible dance sneaker. Unlike modern dancing, most people choose not to do it barefoot because they are able to move more smoothly with tennis shoes.

Latin and Ballroom Shoes – These dance styles normally require women to wear pumps or sandals that have a two or three inch heel on them. The important aspect with choosing these shoes is to find lightweight and flexible shoes that have suede soles, so that they can have adequate grip and slide that is needed in their dance moves. The best Latin and ballroom shoes are leather, because they will hold up for a longer period of time.

Hip Hop 50′s Shop specializes in Children and Adult Poodle Skirts, crinoline slips, saddle oxford shoes and complete 50′s costumes for your dance or party. We are passionate about Sock Hops and the 1950′s, so our experts share tons of advice and tips on our blog. Come visit anytime.