The Benefits of Performance - Creating Lifetime Memories

Performances are known for creating special memories—both for the dancer and for their family and friends. It is a sentimental moment in time for many parents, watching their child perform in front of an audience! For most of our dance families at Tonawanda Dance Arts, it marks the closure of one year’s journey in dance and “sets the stage” for the next.

After our end of year performance, costumes become special mementos, programs become keepsakes, photos become scrapbook centerpieces, and videos often become your household’s most-watched entertainment! The time may have passed, but the souvenirs remain … along with the personal growth each student has achieved.

One comment we often hear from parents after the performance is how their child won’t stop talking about it! The excitement lifts them up long after the curtain has come down. We love hearing about this kind of enthusiasm, and we hope you’ll keep the dance conversation going at home. This is an excellent time to listen to what your child has to say about what they liked best or what was challenging. Being able to reflect on the experience and communicate that to others is another awesome skill to develop!

Sometimes the memories made at this special event aren’t the ones you’d expect. Maybe your dancer became distracted at one point onstage and made a silly face that made everyone laugh, or maybe they forgot a step during the dance and seemed discouraged. Live performances can be a little unpredictable like this, but with a growth mindset, you and your child can still choose to see the positive outcome. Like how that silly face was sweet and entertaining, and grandma loved it. Or that forgotten step? What a way to show perseverance!

The lifetime memories made at our performance enrich our students’ knowledge and understanding of what a performance encompasses. They create context for other opportunities, such as in theater or music, and they build the kind of confidence only experience can deliver.

Performing onstage is an incredible opportunity for dancers to share what they have been learning in class, and to showcase their progress from the beginning of the year to the end. Learning how to dance is a gradual process, and some skills take years to fully master—but however big or small the steps are, it is a major accomplishment for anyone to perform in front of hundreds of people! All the hard work is worthwhile when a dancer experiences the high fives and smiles and congratulations that the recital brings from classmates, family, and friends.

Whether it’s a young dancer performing for their first time or a teen dancer performing at the end of her senior year, these achievements are incredibly special to celebrate. Lifelong memories are made from those achievements—and for many dancers, a true passion for dance is ignited!