Concert day is such an exciting event for our dancers who get to show off their hard work and talent on stage. Every year we have a number of dancers experiencing the thrill of performing for the very first time.
With first time performers, come first-time audience members!!! There is an art to being the perfect audience and in previous years, the MSF crowd has got it down pat.
Here’s how.
Book your tickets ahead of time.
Every family is excited to support their dancer which means tickets sell fast. Don’t rely on being able to buy tickets at the door, if it’s a sell-out event, we won’t be able to squeeze you in.
Print your tickets and have them with you.
Don’t forget to bring your tickets along with you. If you forget, you will find a copy in your emails. You will not be admitted into the theatre without your ticket.
Arrive early.
It’s always a good idea to plan to be early for a show you are going to watch. This gives you time to find a park, get your tickets checked and to settle into your seats. Arriving late can be very distracting to other audience members and can also put off the performers and disrupt the flow of the show. If you are late you risk missing out on seeing your dancer on stage which is devastating for all involved. We can’t delay the start time to accommodate latecomers and we can’t adjust the order of the show if you are not there for your child on time.
Sit in your allocated seats.
The online booking system allows you to pick your seats and your chosen seat number will be printed on your ticket. Don’t try to sit in a seat that you haven’t booked as it has been paid for by someone else. It gets awkward and confusing (and can be a little embarrassing).
Be enthusiastic.
At Main St Funk we are one big family. We clap and cheer for every single dancer on stage, not just our own kids. Give the support and encouragement to other dancers, that you hope the audience will give to your child.
Be respectful.
Don’t talk during the performance. It can be very distracting for our dancers and it is not fair to the other audience members who are trying to enjoy the show.
Be respectful towards the staff at the venue and remember that you represent Main St Funk.
Keep in mind many of the MSF team volunteer their time to support your dancers on these special days, please be kind and respectful to them too.
Stay in your seats for the entire show.
We like to keep our performances short and snappy. Try to stay in your seat for the entire show. Moving around can be very distracting for our performers and can also affect the video footage if there are audience members walking in front of the camera. Our longer shows have an intermission partway through the show to give you time to go to the toilet and stretch your legs. If you’ve got little ones in the audience, try to take them to the toilet before the show starts and during intermission.
Do not take photos or videos during the performance.
This is a strict policy we have in place at Main St Funk and it is in line with Child Safe Laws and Copyright Laws. That aside, it is very distracting for our young dancers to look out to the audience and see an audience full of phones and lights. All MSF families are provided with professional footage of all performances so just sit back, be present and enjoy being in the moment. If you want to take photos to commemorate this special day, we encourage you to do so before and after the show as photos are not permitted during.
Turn off all devices.
Don’t just put them on silent, turn them off. Texting or checking social media throughout a show is considered really rude, this includes children on i-pads. The bright lights from device screens can poorly affect the professional video footage and annoy the audience members around you. We promise our dancers are super entertaining. Tickets are in high demand. Anyone who is not interested in watching the show, shouldn’t be there.
Stay right ‘til the end.
Our dancers are not dismissed until after the show is finished. At our concert in December, all students dance in the finale (final dance) together and take a bow together as a school. There is usually a thank you speech afterwards where we acknowledge the hard work of everyone involved in putting together a spectacular event. Stay in your seats until we say “That’s a wrap!”
Be patient at pick up.
We know after such a big day, parents and kids are anxious to see each other and celebrate! Please be patient. Ensuring every child is collected safely and accounted for is a process. We usually start with the youngest kids and move through the school. Please do not push or crowd us. We know every child has to get home but we also need to know that we have done our due diligence and that every single child is passed from our care to yours.
Most of all, enjoy!
At Main St Funk, every performance is a celebration of our wonderful dancers. No matter what happens on stage, we know that we are proud of their accomplishments, their enthusiasm and for being an MSF team player. We expect our audience to share these values by being positive and encouraging to all dancers. Relax, we don’t expect perfection and neither should you. As long as these kids put their best foot forward and walk off stage knowing they gave it their all, that’s all that matters.
