Getting Ready to Perform in a Folk Dance Festival
Getting ready for a folk dance festival can be stressful. This is especially true if you are part of a team of first-time participants. Keeping up with your dance routine is the least of your concerns as the big day draws closer.
First, you have to look the part by running through last-minute costume tweaks and getting the make-up right. Then there’s the music, supplies and logistics. This list of concerns often grows and mounts to a lot of anxiety.
Luckily, there’s a simple guide you can follow to help you with your plans. Here are a few things that will help you, as you get ready to participate in a folk dance festival:
A Week or Days before the Festival
So, it’s wise to make your preparations at least one week in advance. Saving everything for the night before is a recipe for disaster. You might forget something essential or lack some necessary supplies.
Getting started as soon as possible will save you from last-minute disasters. Setting up a to-do list helps you keep things organised. It also helps you visualise contingency plans in the unlikely event that something doesn’t go according to plan.
Here is a brief list of things you should attend to at this stage of your preparation:
- Attend to the required paperwork
- Confirm if your troupe is registered in the correct category
- Ensure everyone in the team knows the date and time of the festival
- Finalise all transportation arrangements
- Make back-up copies of the music.
- Re-stork your supplies
- Go through make-up and costumes.
- Do a final dress rehearsal ( In full costume)
- Confirm where you’ll park at the venue
- Manage your troupe’s expectations
Confidence is essential when participating in folk dance festivals, especially if there’s a grand prize. But, you should encourage your teammates to perform passionately even if you don’t win the contest.
Please remember to pack emergency supplies like a first aid kit, sewing kit. Some extra costumes, hair spray and make-up, will also help. You can also show your teammates how to roll up their costume to avoid wrinkling.
The Day before the Festival
The final night before the performance can turn your whole team into a bundle of nerves. So, you have to find a way to relax and unwind before the big day. The final practice session should be a fun bonding experience. Such a measure, bridges trust and enhance’s the whole team’s group chemistry.
This is also the right time to check everything off the checklist. It’s also not too late to come up with contingency plans for anything that may have gone wrong in the days before. The whole team also needs to pack their gear and supplies and double-check their packing list as there’s still time to address any mishaps.
Staying away from fast foods, caffeine, heavy carbs, and sugary snacks is also advisable. Such foods make performers excitable and less likely to get to bed on time. So, opt for well-balanced meals and healthy snacks so that everyone can get to bed on time and be well-rested for the next day’s performance.
During the Festival
The previous steps will make everything run like a well-tuned dance machine during the festival. Now, it’s a matter of getting up on time, packing your supplies and getting to the venue on the scheduled time.
Some of your teammates might run a little late, so you should give everyone plenty of time to get to the venue, warm-up and get into costume. Make-up and final costume fittings can be done at least an hour before the last curtain calls. This ensures that everyone looks terrific confidently step onto the stage to perform.