December Newsletter
Parents: Accounts must be paid on full in order for your child to perform. Please watch for emails regarding your account.
Misunderstanding
All students will be in both Cast A & B performances except the Gumdrops. Gumdrops that are at Timpanogos School of Dance will perform in both shows on Monday. Gumdrops that are in Dance Makers Studio will perform on Saturday night. Again, all other students are in all three of our performances.
Nutcracker Tickets
Tickets will be on sale on Friday December 19th at Cory Adams Photography (while we are taking pictures) and also at the door of all three performances. Prices again are $10 for adult, $8 for children (11 and younger). Cory Adams picture schedule will be sent home with your child this week.
Just a reminder of the days we will be performing:
Saturday Dec. 20, 7:00pm
Monday Dec 22, 2:00pm & 7:00pm
Rehearsals
Please follow your new rehearsal schedule that is attached, and throw away any old one! We have had to make some changes to it! I will let you know who I will need on the days that the schedule says “to be announced.”
Parents of young children (Gumdrops, Little Chinese, Candy Canes, Mice & Snow Fairies), your children may not need to be there the whole time on the Act 1 or Act 11 dress rehearsal on December 20 at American Fork High. I have scheduled a lot of time to run some other parts that do not include your children. I have no way of knowing how long it will take us to make sure that your children are comfortable on stage, so if you have a child in one of these dances, please sit in the audience and I will excuse them once I know they are feeling comfortable. I am hoping to just run their dance once with all the lights and then I will excuse them. Please plan on being there the whole time, but I am telling you chances are that your children may get done early. There is NO way to know exactly what time they will be finished, I have no idea until we are there running everything (Your child’s teacher does not know either). If you can not sit there and wait for your young child, please have somebody there that can.
Costumes
Costumes will be distributed the week of December 15th. Parents please remember that your child needs to have the proper shoes and tights for every performance (this information is listed below). It is your responsibility to make sure that your child has clothes that cover up her costume coming & going from the theater. If you go out to eat before or after the show, please make sure that your children are kept clean. Costumes need to last for all the shows and they can not be washed. If your child needs repair on her costume during the run of the show, this is your responsibility. You may not alter her costume in any way other than small repairs. If major repair is needed let me know. Please make sure that your child’s name is in everything that she brings to the theater in a way that can not be seen on stage. She must take everything home with her each performance. Nothing is to be left at the theater. If your child is missing part of her costume including proper shoes, tights and hair piece for any performance she WILL NOT be allowed on stage to perform. Please help your children to be responsible with their things. I will keep your child’s props (wands, crowns, guns, dolls etc.) at the theater for each performance. All children should come to the theater in make-up. Girls: Rouge, eye shadow, lipstick, mascara. Boys: Rouge, lipstick. Children must arrive in costume, with the proper hair, tights and shoes for each dance.
*** I still need party boys to turn in their pants to be hemmed ASAP.
Hair Information
Party Scene Parents, Party Girls, Madamoiselles, Clara
Sides up, back in tons of small ringlets, no bangs.
Gumdrops, Chinese, Mice, Butterflies 1 (5yr olds) & Little Snow Fairy’s
Sides up, back curled
All Dancers that are not listed above.
Hair needs to be all slicked back into a bun, no hair fly-aways. Buns need to be covered with a hair net that matches your child’s hair color. Use bobby pins to secure her bun to her head. If your child does not have enough hair for a bun, you must buy her a bun to pin in. NO ponytails.
Buns need to be in the middle of the back of the head, except soldiers (needs to be low for hat)
***No dancer should have to change their hair during the performance, except one party girl & female parents with other parts.
Party boys, Fathers
Hair must be parted on the side and slicked down, neatly combed. No stick up bangs.
Tights & Shoes Information
All Combo dancers (gumdrops, chinese, snow fairies, mice, butterflies 1) need to have pink footed tights with NO holes for the performances (TIGHTS MUST COVER HER FEET).
All dancers need to have pink canvas or leather ballet slippers with elastic sewn neatly across the arch of the foot. No exceptions for satin slippers.
All dancers that are in all three performances need to have peach colored (ballet pink), footed ballet tights with the seam down the back. They are available at the Glass Slipper, on AF Main Street, Or at any dance supply store.
All Female Parents need to have black heeled shoes with a strap across the across the arch.
All Party Scene Fathers & boys need to have black church shoes & black socks.
Parent Helpers
I still need more volunteers. There is now a sign up sheet at the studio. I will have everybody’s back stage passes for them on their assigned night. If you have ideas for quiet, non messy games or things to pass time for the younger children, please feel free to bring those activities. We will have a couple of movies running so, your responsibility will be to make sure everybody stays in their rooms, and has a good experience. I will have my staff come and get them when it is time for them to dance, and bring them back when they are finished. Please do not leave the room or door that you are assigned to.
Drop-off and Pick-up
The “drop off/pick up” point for all the children performing is going to be the first set of doors on the South side of American Fork High School. People coming to the show will use the middle set of doors, but the performers will use the first set of doors (west) on the South side of the building. I will have signs out for everything. This door is where the children can be checked in (with a parent helper) and somebody will walk them back to their dressing room where they will wait for the remainder of the show. All children in that are not in the finale (gumdrops, candy canes, snow fairy’s, chinese, mice, butterflies 1) can be picked up each night between 3 & 3:15pm for Matinee performance or 8:00 - 8:15pm for evening performance if you are not attending the performance. (We STRONGLY encourage somebody to be at each performance). If you will be attending the performance, then you can pick your children up at the outside door area after the show. Please only send ONE person in the door to pick up your children. This is a small space and it can become very crowded. I have decided that your small children who are in Gumdrops, Little Chinese, Snow Fairies, Mice & Butterflies 1, do not need to be at each performance until 15 minutes prior to the show. They are not in the first act and so there is no need for them to be so early.
American Fork High school Theater Performance Policies
1. There will be absolutely no unauthorized parent, or adult allowed backstage during a dress rehearsal, or performance of the Nutcracker. Safety of your children is our number one concern. Please trust us backstage with your kids, and tell grandmothers, family members & friends to do the same.
2. No children are allowed to be in the front of the theatre in their costume. If your child has performed, and you want your child to come out and watch the remainder of the performance with you, they must have a ticket, and a change of clothes, or they will have to remain back stage. You may only pick them up at the back door.
3. There will be no video taping or flash cameras during performances at any time. As stated in the November Newsletter there will be DVD’s of the show both nights to buy.
Thank You
This is such a great experience for you children. All my great memories are from my old Nutcracker days…so fun! It is going to be a great show! I really appreciate everybody being so willing to help, and so willing to bring your daughters & sons to the studio so often! I could not do this without all of your support! Thank You All! Call me with questions anytime. 796-7049 Tami
