As recital season approaches, many parents find themselves wondering, “What can I do to help my child feel confident and prepared?” You want to support them, but without a dance background yourself, it’s not always clear how to help from home. The good news is—you absolutely can!

At our studio, we’ve seen firsthand how small efforts at home can make a big difference in your child’s performance. Here are a few simple but effective ways to support your dancer as they get ready for their big moment on stage.

1. Help Your Dancer with Rhythm & Counting

Your child may love to practice their routine with the music playing—but do they know how to count it? Many young dancers rely on lyrics to guide them, but in a performance setting, understanding the 8-count structure is just as important as knowing the steps.

💡 Tip: Encourage your dancer to practice their routine once with music, then once without, using only their counts. This helps them understand where their movements land within the rhythm, ensuring they stay in sync no matter what happens on stage.

2. Create a Space for “Full Out” Dancing

One of the most common mistakes dancers make when practicing at home is “marking” their movement—going through the motions at half-energy or skipping key elements because they don’t have enough space. While this might seem harmless, repeated “marking” can create bad habits that carry over into the performance.

🎭 Encourage your child to practice FULL OUT! Find a space where they can execute all their movements properly, including jumps, turns, and arm extensions. Practicing with full energy helps build muscle memory and ensures they’re truly ready to perform with confidence.

3. Faces, Faces, Faces!

With so much focus on technique and choreography, facial expressions are often the last thing dancers think about—but they can and should be practiced at home!

✨ Mirror work is a great tool! Encourage your dancer to run their routine while watching their reflection, deciding:

✅ Are they smiling or using expressions that match the mood of the dance?

✅ Should they be mouthing or singing the lyrics while dancing?

✅ Are there specific moments where a dramatic expression will add to the performance?

The face is what connects performers to the audience, and strong expressions make all the difference between a technically solid performance and a truly captivating one.

4. Break It Down

It may be tempting to view practice as running the dance from start to finish a few times to ensure that it isn’t forgotten. That’s a great baseline, but to truly grow their skills, encourage your child to focus on the “sticky spots”—those sections of the routine where they feel less confident.

💪 Tips for Smart Practice:

• If they struggle with a certain turn or jump, have them repeat it separately before putting it back into the full routine.

• If one side feels weaker or less flexible, encourage them to work on that side specifically instead of relying on their stronger side.

• Rather than only practicing what feels good, remind them that building up their weaker areas will lead to balanced execution and overall confidence on stage!

5. Find Inspiration Through Dance Videos

Sometimes, dancers just need a little extra motivation! If your child is feeling frustrated with a particular skill or needs inspiration in their genre of dance, watching professionals perform can be helpful and inspiring.

🎥 How to Use Dance Videos to Support Learning:

✅ Look for age-appropriate dance performances or tutorials that reinforce what they’re working on.

✅ If they’re struggling with a turn sequence or trick, see if you can find breakdowns or slow-motion demonstrations to help them understand the mechanics.

✅ Let them watch inspiring performances in their style of dance to see how professionals express themselves on stage.

Of course, social media should be used with discretion, but with the right guidance, watching skilled dancers can boost confidence, refine technique, and spark creativity in young performers.

Your child’s dance recital is an exciting moment—a chance for them to shine and showcase their hard work! With just a little guidance and encouragement from home, you can help them feel confident, prepared, and ready to enjoy their time on stage.

We can’t wait to see your dancer perform! ✨

5 Simple Ways to Help Your Dancer Shine on Recital Day!