Helpful
Production FAQs.

Our annual end of year production is many things to many people.

For our students, it’s an opportunity to showcase to a live audience the work they have learnt throughout the year. Students gain a great deal of confidence and satisfaction from being involved in our production.

They learn about working in a theatre, gain valuable stage experience, and most of all, they receive recognition, praise, and are congratulated for their efforts. Not only from their teachers and family, but from an applauding audience.

Dressing up in costumes, and putting on makeup is always an exciting part of the production as well! Learning to work in a group and develop a stage personality is also a very valuable lesson.

For parents, and the rest of your whānau, our production is when you all get to enjoy watching your children and their friends perform on an amazing stage.

Production is a lot of hard work, but so very rewarding! Our backstage crew are responsible for all the props, as well as ensuring each dancer makes it on stage before the lights come up. We then have many dance mums, dads, and studio friends involved in costumes, as well as our lighting crew, front-of-house helpers, and especially our wonderful teachers. Production for them, is an amazing creative experience.

For many of our students, and for all of our teachers, production is the most exciting, enjoyable and rewarding time of the year.

Our annual production is held at the end of term four, running 5-7 December 2025, at the Four Winds Theatre at Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.

There are five performances across the weekend. One on Friday (7:00pm), two on Saturday (1:00pm + 6:00pm), and two on Sunday (1:00pm + 6:00pm).

While the Four Winds Theatre will give our dancers a bigger stage to shine on, it also allows us to welcome larger audiences to celebrate alongside our dance whānau.

Because of this, all dancers will be part of the five shows across one weekend, instead of being split into Group A and B across our previous eight performances.

It’s a wonderful chance for everyone to share the full production experience together.

Absolutely! Rehearsals at the theatre will happen in the week leading up to opening night on 30 November and 1 December - lighting and props will also be finalised on these dates. Full dress rehearsals will be 3 and 4 December.

With significantly shortened rehearsals, it will be very important for dancers to attend all rehearsals.

As always, we endeavour to run to schedule, however, thank you in advance for your patience if we are running behind.

Technical rehearsals are held for students to get used to being on stage interacting with the technical aspects of production; music, props and lighting. Our backstage and tech crews will also be finalising prop transitions, lighting plots and projections. Dancers may wear regular class attire.

Dress rehearsals run the same as a normal show. Dancers are in full costume, hair and makeup. Props and full lighting are also used.

When you arrive at the theatre, dancers should have their hair and makeup done (if possible). Teachers and helpers will be available to assist with hair and makeup application. Also ensure nail polish and jewellery is removed.

Your costumes will be named and available in your assigned dressing area.

Dancers will remain in their dressing area until closer to their stage time. Teachers will bring younger classes to the hallway to wait to go backstage.

You’re welcome to leave once you’ve danced all of your routines, but we do encourage you to watch the show in its entirety with your whānau to support your fellow dancers.

Generally, you should arrive at the theatre 30 minutes before the show commences. You will, however, be advised more specifically once the programme has been finalised.

For dress rehearsals, please be at the theatre 45 minutes before you are scheduled to be on stage to allow time for hair, makeup and anything else.

You are free to leave as soon as you have danced, unless advised by your teacher.

All dancers will be fitted and issued a costume for each routine they are in. These will be named and hanging in their dressing area from dress rehearsals onwards.

Please remember when wearing your costumes, these must be covered before the show and during half time.

Costumes must remain at the theatre. They need to be hung up in the dressing areas for the next show. Do not take your costume home.

If you notice an issue with your child’s costume; rips, marks, etc. – please inform one of our amazing costume committee members as soon as possible.

These ladies will make themselves known to you, and they’re in charge of ensuring that all costumes stay up to performance standard.

Hair

Each routine will have a set hairstyle. This will be related to the dance style, routine, or character - pony tail, pig tails, bun, etc. Your teacher will let you know the hairstyle for your routine.

We’ll be sharing some tips and tricks closer to production, but you might want to make sure you’ve got hairspray ready... It’ll become your production bestie!

Makeup

Dancers will apply full stage makeup prior to performing. While the makeup may look harsh under normal light, on stage, it’s perfect!

Under strong and colourful stage lighting skin tones are washed out, so wearing stage makeup allows the audience to see the joy on everyone’s faces, which is why it’s an integral part of the performing arts.

Staple items to have are foundation, blush, and lipstick. Often the lipstick you’ll need can be purchased from Kmart, The Warehouse, or Dollar Outlet.

Teachers will also help with makeup instructions and application.

Underwear It is recommended to have dance-specific underwear to use under your costumes. These are high-cut, tan, seamless underwear. White underwear is another suitable option. No black, bright colours, patterns, etc.

Please also remember that all personal jewellery, nail polish and earrings need to be removed.

To keep the backstage area calm and focused, our teaching team will be supporting all dancers, so no parents are needed backstage.

Everyone attending our annual production must hold a valid ticket. This includes dancers who wish to watch the show when they’re not performing.

Please note that parents are not able to “pop in” to watch individual classes from the aisles.

Tickets will be available for purchase through Eventfinda in late October/early November, and we’ll share more details closer to the release date.

If your dancer will be watching part of the show, we recommend choosing seats near the end of a row to avoid disrupting other audience members. Please only move to and from your seats in between routines.

All costumes must be covered while in the theatre.

You are welcome to take videos/photos during rehearsals on 30 November and 1 December, or in the dressing rooms only. During dress rehearsals and performances, no videoing or photography is allowed inside the theatre.

We also ask that you do not share any photos of the costumes until our show has begun.

Our show is professionally filmed and those participating will receive a link to download the edited video.

There is a small production contribution levy for students dancing in the show, as a contribution towards lighting, sound, props, and other general production costs.

In addition, a production costume levy is added to your account in term four. This levy varies based on the number of routines each child is performing in and is capped at 6+ costumes.

As Production and our Medal Test weekend are extra activities, they are not included in your general term fees.

In term four, term fees cover regular classes, as per the studio timetable, for students to learn their production routine/s, as well as all rehearsals at the theatre.

All outstanding term fees must be paid prior to rehearsals unless a payment plan has been agreed upon.