By Sara Willcutt

A dance show can be a tremendous fundraiser for your team. In addition to being a very effective way to raise funds, the show exhibits the talents of the team not only to the school, but also to the entire community. Your team can produce the show alone or invite other dance groups to participate as well.

 

Last year, I assisted my Augsburg College dance team in creating a show. We considered using the theater for the performance but the space was too small. Finally, we settled on using the gym. Curtains were pulled to separate the back of the gym from the front, and that space was used as a staging area. Bleachers were pulled out to provide seating. We invited local dance studios and other dance teams.

 

The invitation of other performance groups from the community can transform the show into a talent showcase. The inclusion of other dance groups is also an excellent way for your team to obtain exposure to an audience attracted by diverse types of talent.

 

Prep Work

 

If you are going to enlist dancers or parents as volunteers, keep a list of necessary tasks and the person responsible for each job. Give assigned volunteers due dates and monitor their progress.

 

Review the event calendar. Select a day that has no major dance competition already scheduled. Before meeting with the facilities management of the school, choose several possible back up dates in case the day you selected is not available. Reserve your date well in advance and make sure to consult with the appropriate administration at the school. If you would like to have your show on a theatre stage, check especially early because most theatres book space a year or more in advance.

 

Have programs printed. They can be simple - one page, black and white or colored. You can fold them in half or make a smaller program that fits two per page.

 

Reserve school locker rooms and classrooms for use as dressing rooms for the dance groups. Make posters with the names of each group for their assigned dressing room doors.

 

 

Running the Event

 

Arrange to have tables and chairs at the entrance for selling tickets. Have parents or team alumni assist with the sales and make sure to have change available for the volunteer ticket sellers - lots of $1s and a few $5s and $10s.

 

Tickets can be sold in advance, at the door or both. Average ticket prices range from $3 to $5, but some groups charge as much as $10. The ticket price depends on your venue. If you are hosting your show at your school with free space the ticket price will be less than if you rent a stage at a theatre. Offer a discounted rate for students. You may choose to have free admission for students from your school. Another option is free admission with a suggested donation.

 

At the event, assign several volunteers to sit at the ticket table and/or dancers entrance so that they can show groups to their dressing rooms when they arrive. Delegate a volunteer to make announcements, and don’t forget to thank all sponsors frequently throughout the show.

 

If the show is lengthy, you may choose to set up a room with refreshments for coaches/instructors. For a longer show, it may also be helpful to have a volunteer check on the groups and make sure they know when it is time to move to the staging area.

 

Concessions, t-shirts and flowers can be sold at the event. Keep notes on which items sell successfully in order to help plan for the next show.

 

Keep accurate records of everything, including the money!

 

 

Forms

 

Make sure to keep track of:

 

• Registration form

• Liability waver

• Dressing room clean up agreement

• Announcement sheet (you can use the information form the registration sheet)

 

Dances

 

Another outstanding event that can be an effective fundraiser is a dance. I assisted the Augsburg team in planning a dance with the Augsburg football team. The dance was a big hit on campus and the football team was able to use this time for team bonding.

 

A dance provides an exceptional opportunity to acknowledge any sponsors, booster club or other volunteers. At our dance, we charged admission and sold calendars at the door. Coupons from local businesses were also available for the guests. Check with businesses in your area to see if they will donate supplies, provide gifts for a raffle, or offer coupons.

 

 

Publicity

 

For our dance show, we put up flyers on campus and sent e-mails to dance groups, friends and family. Make sure every dancer helps distribute flyers.

 

Post notices on your website and/or Ascending Star Dance profile. Put the show in the Ascending Star Dance event calendar, send out emails, have an article printed in the school newspaper, have a notice put on the school website.

 

Other publicity ideas include:

 

• Posting flyers at local high schools and elementary schools

• Arranging for team members to be interviewed on a local radio show or to simply announce the details about the show

• Displaying flyers at local businesses

• Asking local radio or television stations to announce the event

 

Ask businesses and individuals to sponsor your event. In return for sponsorship, you can put their logo in your program and/or on your t-shirt, announce them at the show, and hand out business flyers or coupons. Any combination of these can be successful in selling the idea of sponsorship to the business and, in turn, be effective promotional tools for their business. Remember to stress that by supporting the show, not only will the team and the art of dance benefit, but their business will receive a very valuable promotion. Emphasize the advertising value that the business will receive in return for sponsoring or supporting the event.

 

Have your team members wear their warm-ups the school day before the show to signify an event.

 

 

Fun Ideas

 

Include your favorite charity. Have flyers and donation jars easily accessible. The charity or volunteer organization with which your team is involved can also be announced during the show.

 

Try having a theme for your show. Decorations and t-shirts can follow this theme. Some creative examples are: Chicago, Hawaiian, Country Western, Greece, Under the Sea, Outer space, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall, 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s.

 

Also, you may want to put together a unique dance just for the show. Here are a few ideas:

 

• Guy/girl dance

• Alumni dance

• Dance with parents

• A dance in which the young dancers dance with high school students

• A routine with a local band, musicians, cheer team or school band

• Get several dance groups together to do a major production number

• Use props

 

If an all-out dance show seems too overwhelming, you may want to try a parent night at practice or class. Invite family and friends to attend and watch. You can also have dress rehearsal open to family and friends. Make sure you arrange to have the bleachers in the gym pulled out, or if you are in a studio make sure there will be enough seating room for the spectators. If you do not have much room, you can have parents with last names A-L on one night and M-Z on another.

 

And most importantly, have fun!