DREAMS COME TRUE: RECITAL 2026
Friday, June 19 - Saint John's High School
Recital Day is one of the most exciting moments of the entire season! Dancers will perform the full show from start to finish on the big stage in their costumes, in front of a real audience, so they can feel proud, confident, and ready to shine.
We run Recital exactly like Stage Rehearsal, so the order of dances and flow will feel familiar for dancers and families. The big difference is costumes, the audience, and all the excitement of the real performance day.
Where: Saint John's High School - 378 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
When: Friday, June 19
Recital Schedule:
4:15-4:30 Dancer Check In
4:30 House Opens - The audience may begin taking their seats
5:00 Showtime!
The full show is approximately 45 minutes long. Dancers will be dismissed after the Finale.
What to Bring:
Dancers should arrive at the theater at 4:15 in full hair, make up, and costume
Please bring with your dancer:
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Recital T-shirt (for the Finale)
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Dance shoes
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Water bottle
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Extra supplies you may need to touch up at the theater: lipstick, hairspray, bobby pins, safety pins
Please label everything your dancer brings with them with their name. It is best to leave all toys and stuffies at home.
Arrival & Parking
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Please park in the back of the theater (behind the building)
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Your dancer (and one parent) will enter through the back door, additionally guests must enter through the Main Doors
Check in Process
1) Upon arrival, all dancers will first check-in (by signing them in) at the Check In Table.
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At check-in, each dancer receives a name lanyard with their name and their parent's contact information in case we need to reach you during the show, as well as, a name tag for the dancer's parent to wear. Only the parent wearing the name tag will be allowed to enter the dressing room, bring that child to the restroom, or sign out their dancer.
2) All dancers are asked to use the restroom before heading backstage (even if they just went at home!)
3) Parents will then bring their dancer to their dressing rooms to check in with their Class Volunteer
4 ) Once dancers are settled, parents may head into the theater.
For the dancers’ focus and safety, parents will be in the dressing rooms only during check-in and check-out. There is no parent access backstage during the rehearsal.
Recital Tickets:
All recital tickets must be purchased online. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 16 at 10:00. Please see our Recital Ticket page for purchasing and purchasing.
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All guests are required to purchase a ticket
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Children under age 2 may sit on a lap and do not need a ticket
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Dancers do not need a ticket to attend or perform
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No tickets will be sold at the door
During the Show:
Dancers will stay backstage for the entire length of the show.
We have a team of class volunteers who will be with them the whole time to help, support, and keep things running smoothly. Dancers will also have fun activities and quiet entertainment to keep them happy, engaged, and comfortable while they wait for their time on stage.
This is all part of creating a safe, organized, and exciting backstage experience so every dancer can enjoy their big moment with confidence.
Costume Changes
If your dancer has a costume change during the show, our backstage volunteers will assist them in getting changed safely and smoothly.
To help make costume changes easy and comfortable, all dancers with a costume change are required to wear a nude bodysuit underneath their costume. This ensures privacy and avoids any concerns about nudity backstage.
Please see our Costume & Music page for more details on where to purchase.
Bring Your Recital T-Shirt
Dancers should bring their recital t-shirt to wear during the finale. This is a fun, special moment where the whole studio comes together on stage to celebrate the season!
You may purchase your Recital T-Shirt on our Recital T-Shirt page on our website.
Recital Video
A professional videography team will be filming the entire recital performance. Families will have the option to purchase a digital download of the recital video through our Recital Video page on our website. Pre-orders are available until June 19.
As a gentle reminder, by participating in recital, all families agreed at enrollment to allow their dancer to appear in the recital video and any related studio marketing materials.
To help protect the safety, focus, and privacy of all our students, no personal photography or videography is allowed in the audience during the show. Ushers will be present to kindly help support and enforce this policy.
Check-Out Process
1) At the end of rehearsal, parents will head to the dressing room to pick up your dancer.
2) Sign your dancer out with the class volunteer in the dressing room.
3) Return to the check-in desk to complete check-out by signing out your dancer and returning your dancer's lanyard.
⚠️ Dancers are not considered checked out until BOTH steps are completed.
Bathroom Policy During the Show
If a dancer needs the restroom during Stage Rehearsal or Recital, we follow a simple process to keep everything safe and smooth.
At check-in, all dancers are asked to try the restroom before going to the dressing rooms, even if they’ve already gone at home. This helps avoid interruptions during the show and keeps dancers comfortable. Please note, we are not able to hold the show if a dancer is in the restroom during their performance.
During the rehearsal/show, our volunteers will escort dancers to and from the restroom as needed. Please note, volunteers cannot assist with toileting.
For any child who is not restroom independent, we will text the parent listed on the lanyard. Please come to the dressing room, right away, take your dancer to the restroom, and then return them to their dressing room and re-check them in with their class volunteer.
Pull-ups are always welcome if needed.
For the safety and privacy of all children and volunteers, our staff and volunteers are not able to assist with toileting. We appreciate your understanding as we work to keep this experience safe, respectful, and comfortable for everyone.
A Couple Important Things to Know...
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No food or drinks are allowed in the theater. Water is the only drink permitted in the dressing rooms.
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No filming or photography of any kind is allowed in the theater during Stage Rehearsal or Recital. This is very important to protect our young performers and to keep the theater a calm, distraction-free environment for all dancers.
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Please silence all phones and remain quiet in the theater during both Stage Rehearsal and Recital. Phone use will only be permitted briefly for parents who need to be contacted. Bright screens in the theater are very distracting from the stage and can impact your dancer’s performance, so we kindly ask that all devices stay dark and put away while in the auditorium.
We can’t wait to see your dancers take the stage and celebrate everything they’ve accomplished this season!
A Note About Stage Expectations...
What parents of little dancers may see on the big day
We know that for preschool dancers, the stage is a big, exciting place! For some children it feels fun and thrilling, and for others it can feel a little overwhelming — both are completely normal at this age.At this stage of development, dancers may not always have the words to explain how they feel. Instead, we might see things like tears, hesitation, freezing, or not wanting to go on stage. This is all part of learning and growing.
If Your Dancer Feels Nervous
We will never force a child to go on stage.
If a dancer does not want to perform, we will calmly thank them for letting us know and their class volunteer will sit with them safely at the side of the stage to watch. Our goal is always to protect their confidence and make sure they continue to love dance and feel safe at the studio.
If you do not see your child on stage, please know they are safe, supported, and cared for. If anything ever goes beyond typical stage nerves, we will contact you right away.
What You May Also See (and It’s All Okay!)
Preschool dancers often surprise us in the most wonderful ways on stage.
You may see:
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Forgetting parts of the dance
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Standing and watching the audience
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Doing their own creative version of the routine
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Getting very excited and continuing to dance after the music ends
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Needing a moment before they’re ready to go on
All of these are normal, age-appropriate, and part of learning to perform!
What We Celebrate
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At this age, recital is not about perfect dancing — it’s about:
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Trying something new
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Being brave on a big stage
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Learning confidence step by step
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Celebrating a whole year of growth and joy
If your dancer shows up, participates in their own way, or even just takes a small brave step toward the stage… they are absolutely succeeding!