Hi all,
Term 3 ends next week on Friday 27th September and Term 4 commences on Monday 14th October.
Please read below important recital information. Recital held the final weekend of November 30th & December 1st.
Overwhelmed with info? Please click on the Cast List below in green for a quick rehearsal summary for each class. We also send out weekly reminders in smaller bites closer to the time, post reminders on social media and pop up notices on studio doors. You can also go to our website to locate past information.
Can’t work Google docs? Please see the PDF versions at the bottom of this email but quick links work best in google doc.
Your child is automatically re-enrolled for term 4. Class times and fees remain the same as this term, costume hire for the recital will be added to next term's fees (details about this also in the cast list A Night at the Movies | Cast List 2024 (V1)
IMPORTANT: If your dancer can not commit to the recital weekend and will not be taking part - we please need to know urgently as choreography and costuming is well underway. It is a big task to reset a routine if even one dancer is not able to take part. Unfortunately, we can not swap classes to different casts; we have spent weeks setting the following to suit costume changes and existing un-avoidable cast requirements. Thank you for understanding.
Note: The Wine and food festival dates do not clash this year - yay for any wine lovers out there!
We are aware of a cheerleading event and have been in contact to ensure times can work. There will be possible clashes with school camps. Please check your schedules.
Please note we book the theatre 2 years in advance and can not change weekends. We release these dates very early (FYI 2025 is booked for the same weekend). Our recital is only one weekend a year, we do hope you can prioritise this for your dancer.
MERCHANDISE + FOOTAGE OF THE SHOW ORDERS
Info coming soon!
CLASS VIEWING
We invite you to view the final 10 - 15 minutes of lessons next week. Usually students are super excited for this one - but a lot of kids have mentioned to me they would like to keep the routines a surprise for their parents. Please check in with your dancer to check their preference. Keep in mind the routines are still under construction and a bit of a hot mess at the moment! Benefits of visiting - you will be able to record the routine for holiday practice and we might have a chance to teach the parents a portion too!
We ask you to please not share any videos recorded on social media.
RECITAL
We’re so excited for our December recital, which will feature a showcase-style performance with the theme “A Night at the Movies.”
The recital will take place over 2 days, with 6 shows in total. Each class will perform in 2 shows, either as part of Cast A, Cast B, or Cast C. If your child is enrolled in multiple classes or is part of a senior group, they may be in more than one cast.
Saturday 30th November
Morning - Cast A (show 1) - 9.30am Start time (arrival time 8.30am*)
Afternoon - Cast A (show 2) - 1.30pm Start time (arrival time 12.30pm*)
Early evening - Cast B (show 1) 5.30 pm Start time (arrival time 4.30pm*)
Sunday 1st December
Morning - Cast B (show 2) 9.30am Start time (arrival time 8.30am)
Afternoon - Cast C (show 1) Start time 1.30pm (arrival time 12.30pm)
Early evening - Cast C (show 2) Start time 5.30pm (arrival time 4.30pm)
*if your dancer is in the second half of the show they may have a later arrival time, this is noted on the Cast List.
RECITAL FAQ
Which cast is my child in?
Please see the Cast list attachment A Night at the Movies | Cast List 2024 (V1)
Tip: Use Command + F (Mac) or Control + F (Windows) to search for your dancer’s name!
Can’t work google docs? - please see the PDF versions at the bottom of this email.
Why are the children split into different casts (groups)?
We split the children into casts for a few important reasons:
To accommodate the large number of students
To ensure backstage safety for everyone
To provide enough seating for the audience
To keep the recital at a manageable length for viewers
While we’d love to place all siblings, cousins, and students in multiple classes into the same recital, it’s unfortunately not always possible.
However, families who prefer not to attend two shows are welcome to watch the dress rehearsal (by arrangement), and we film all three casts for the price of one. A benefit of split casts is that siblings may have the opportunity to watch each other perform (with a ticket).
What is the running time of the show?
We are estimating the running time will be around 2 - 2.5 hrs. We will let you know a more exact time once we have finished the routines.
We set the recital times to ensure there is a small rest for all dancers in between each show, as well as not having the recital too late into the evening so as not to clash with your possible Christmas work parties and not be too late for young children.
What date are the dress rehearsals? Does my child have to attend?
Dress rehearsals are our one and only full run through of the show, in costume and compulsory for all dancers to attend.
Cast A = Tuesday 26th November (After school)
Cast B = Wednesday 27th November (After school)
Cast C = Thursday 28th November (After school)
First time on stage compulsory schedule: Theatre Timetable 2024
Compulsory Theatre practice in small groups: week of 18th - 22nd November. An essential practice for students to be introduced to the stage & walk through the dance slowly. No costumes. Closed practice - especially important practice for dancers who are nervous about the stage. Essential for all students to please attend. Alternate timetable will run for this week (link above) .
The students have been working very hard on learning their show routines. It is looking fantastic already! There are only a few weeks remaining until their first stage practice; it is especially tricky to have the routine ready if a child misses a week. It takes extra time to catch up to the dancer. We ask that all students attend as much as possible. If possible, make up the missed lesson where they can. Please contact us to see if there is a matching class your child can attend. Ideally, they need to be in their usual class as it is unfair on the dancers to have their partner away.
When and where do we purchase tickets?
Tickets will be on sale around the 1st October via Town Hall Cinemas website or in the Box Office. https://www.townhallcinemas.co.nz/live-shows - we will confirm dates and email you once the link is live.
We sold out some shows in past years and the best seats are usually snapped up quickly, so please ensure you get in before we open sales up to the public. It is ‘first in best seated’ - to avoid disappointment please mark your calendars for ticket sale reminders. An email reminder will be sent as soon as tickets are available for sale too. Keep an eye on our Facebook (Jenna McKenzie School of Dance) & Instagram (@jmsd_official) pages for your chance to be in to win the opportunity to be first to choose your seats and other prizes!
Tickets will be $25 each plus a booking fee of $2.90. Children 3 and under who do not take up a seat, no charge.
An Alphabetical Cast list will be available at the Town Hall so friends get tickets for the correct show.
Costume hire for the recital
Most of our costumes are hired through JMSD. Since many parents may not sew, we prefer to hire costumes rather than asking families to make their own. The hire fee typically ranges from $25 to $80, depending on the costume. We do not charge a bond and aim to keep it that way.
A lot of time and effort goes into preparing these costumes, so we kindly ask that you encourage your children to take good care of them.
Attached are the details regarding the costume hire fees and any base items each student will need to provide. Please note, you do not need to pay the costume hire fee yet—this will be added to next term's fee invoice. The attached document is just to give families an idea, and the final fee may vary slightly as we’re still finalising costs.
When does term 4 end?
The week following the recital, we’re excited to try something new! Last year, we ended the year with the recital and felt we missed the chance to properly say goodbye to our students. To make it more special, we’ll be holding a Junior Disco/Prize Giving and an Intermediate/Senior Semi-Formal/Prize Giving to celebrate the year and hand out certificates and gifts in a more relaxed setting. You are invited to pop along any time during the 1.5hr window (please check the cast list for your invite day) Due to limited space we will have to limit junior and intermediate prize giving to only 1 parent per dancer if required (sorry no siblings)
Here’s the schedule:
Thursday, 5th December
Junior Disco/Prize Giving Day 1 : 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Intermediate/Senior Semi-Formal/Prize Giving Day 1 : 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, 6th December
Intermediate/Junior Disco/Prize Giving Day 2: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m..
All students will be invited to one of these days, and they’re welcome to dress up, hang out, and enjoy the celebration. If they’re unable to attend on their designated day, they’re welcome to come to the alternative session. Please note that we won’t be distributing certificates or gifts at the recital to keep things running smoothly, and we won’t be offering other collection times.
To see your dancers prize giving day please see the bottom of the theatre document here:
We’re excited to see everyone and celebrate the end of a fantastic year together!
Are there any extra practices for the recital?
We try to keep these to a minimum but at times require the students to have a few extra practices to ensure they are confident on stage. We hold a compulsory stage practice to introduce the stage to each class as well as a dress rehearsal. Some classes who have a more complicated routine (eg. dancing with another class or main character) may have additional practices. There is not an extra charge for these extra practices. Rehearsal reminders will be emailed, up on our website, posted around the studio and on social media.
Do you need parent helpers?
Yes please! We will please require parent helpers for the dress rehearsals & show days. Info & how to sign up coming soon!
Raffle Donation Request
We are looking at putting together raffle baskets with funds going towards supporting scholarship students at JMSD. If you have items or vouchers you wish to donate we would be very grateful. Businesses keen to support via donation we would love to include an advert in our programme as a thank you (before Nov 1st print date limited spots). Thank you so much for your support!
Key Dates Calendar:
Term 3 Ends: Friday, 27th October
Term 4 Commences: Monday, 14th October
5 weeks of regular lessons
Theatre Practice Week: 18th - 22nd November (At theatre, no costumes)
Rest Day Monday 25th November (no classes)
Dress Rehearsals: (AT Theatre in Costume - no makeup)
26th November: Cast A
27th November: Cast B
28th November: Cast C
Rest Day Friday 29th November (no classes)
Recital Dates:
Saturday, 30th November
Sunday, 1st December
Rest Day: Monday, 2nd December (no classes)
Teacher only days Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th Dec (no classes)
Junior/Intermediate/Senior Prize Giving: (no classes)
Thursday, 5th December (Day 1)
Friday, 6th December (Day 2)
Thank you for reading this far. Please email back the words “Unicorn Dance parent” to go into the draw to win a dance discount!
PARKING REMINDER:
We have received complaints from a neighbour across the road regarding parking near his driveway. He has expressed frustration about cars being parked too close or blocking his access and has recently contacted the police.
To prevent any further confrontations and ensure everyone's safety, please remember to leave at least the legal 1-metre gap from his driveway when parking.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain good relations with our neighbours and keeping the area safe for all.
Thank you all for supporting your dancers!
Enjoy your holidays!
Jenna + JMSD Staff x
Attached/linked please find:
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