What is a Bravo Bash? Our petite Introduction to the Stage

A Whimsical Twist on the Traditional Ballet Recital

Bravo Bash is our sweet, tasteful, and truly adorable take on the traditional dance recital. Our goal is to not only create a magical first introduction to the stage but to create dance memories you and your dancer will have forever! Bravo Bash is aligned with Tutu School’s mission, emphasizing that every child should experience the magic of movement and dance. It’s a recital we can believe in: an event that is designed to be a low-stress yet high-quality performance experience for our young dancers to thrive in a comfortable environment. 

Dancers enrolled in our Tutu Toddlers, Exploring Ballet, and Primary Ballet Prep divisions are invited to join us on stage. Tutu School hosts Bravo Bash twice a year, one sparkly springtime or summer performance and one whimsical wintertime performance, giving you and your dancer two opportunities each year to join us for a magical recital.

A Brief History of Bravo Bash

Tutu School’s CEO and Founder, Genevieve Weeks, envisioned a different kind of ballet experience for young children. As a former ballerina, she dreamed up Tutu School, a boutique dance school experience where children aged 6 months to 8 years old could fully exercise their imaginations as well as their bodies and experience ballet in a new way. Much like our carefully crafted classes, she knew that there needed to be a recital opportunity to match the fun, whimsical, and developmentally-friendly approach that Tutu School offers. From there, Bravo Bash was born.

The first Bravo Bash recital was held at the Walt Disney Family Museum in 2013, featuring dancers from Tutu School San Francisco and Tutu School Larkspur, two of the very first locations. It was a petite performance indeed, with just a handful of tiny dancers performing! Now, Bravo Bash has expanded alongside our growing Tutu School community. From Atlanta, Georgia, to Vancouver, Canada, to all the way across the pond in Salisbury, England, Bravo Bash is an enchanting and crucial facet of the Tutu School experience.

Each Bravo Bash centers on a delightfully hand-selected theme, complete with matching costumes (including a tutu and non-tutu option), music, and choreography. Whether your dancer is twirling in the velvet purple of our Nutcracker-inspired Sugar Plum Soireé, galloping alongside dance friends at our Unicorn Ballet Ball, or Twirling Over the Rainbow with sparkling butterflies and bubbles in our Wicked-inspired theme, young dancers are sure to have a blast during every step of recital season.

No Prior Experience Required

The choreography taught to our young dancers is age- and developmentally-appropriate, and most importantly, no previous dance or performance experience is required! We truly believe that ballet is for everyone, and Bravo Bash is no exception. Maybe your dancer has spent the past year learning to perfect an arabesque, or maybe it’s their very first time in dance class. Either way, Bravo Bash is open to all of our dancers in Tutu Toddlers, Exploring Ballet, and Primary Ballet Prep, and is designed to be a wonderful, low-stakes opportunity for our 18-month to 8-year-old twirlers to experience being on stage.

We aim to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for little ones– and as easy as possible for their grown-ups! Rehearsals are limited to 4-5 minutes at the end of each class. During this rehearsal time, dancers will practice the choreography with their Tutu Teacher. However, if you have any concerns about your dancer learning each plié and passé perfectly, don’t fret! We, especially in our younger division, don’t want to put too much pressure on our dancers when it comes to memorizing each and every step. Instead of worrying about getting everything just right, we want dancers to be excited about the magic of twirling on stage with their dancer friends– and of course, what themed tutu they’ll get to wear!

Just as is true for all of a Tutu Toddlers class, there’s no right or wrong way for little dancers to engage with Bravo Bash rehearsal. Don’t worry if your dancer isn’t doing all the moves with me or gets distracted. Even if they’re just watching their Tutu Teacher or listening to the music, they are still absorbing the music and the movements. By the time they get to the performance, they’ll recognize the music, and they’ll surprise you with how much they’ll be able to follow along! It might just look like cute and controlled chaos along the way.
If you happen to miss any classes during rehearsal season, you’ll have the opportunity to rehearse at the end of any make-up classes you sign up for. Rehearsal videos are also available online via Tutu TV, just in case your little one is looking for more Bravo Bash fun at home.

a low-stress yet high-quality performance experience for our young dancers to thrive in a comfortable environment.

The Perfect Introduction to Performance

At Tutu School, we have thoughtfully crafted the perfect introduction to the stage so our young dancers can experience the magic of performing in a comfortable, low-stress environment.

One of the most unique features of Bravo Bash is that your child’s Tutu Teacher will be on stage demonstrating the dance routine during the recital. No matter how prepared your dancer may be, it still might feel a little overwhelming to perform for a group bigger than other parents in their Tutu School class or for family at home. This extra helping hand from a friendly face creates a safe and familiar environment for dancers on stage. This also reinforces the idea that memorization isn’t a requirement for our rehearsal; it’s all about having fun!

Once the group routine ends, each dancer is given the spotlight for a brief solo moment. Every dancer is different, and skill level is not the focus of this special moment on stage! Whether your dancer has been waiting for the perfect moment to show off their much-practiced relevé or they just want to give us an extra-sparkly twirl in their fluffy Bravo Bash tutu, we want each and every dancer to have their moment to shine! And it’s the perfect opportunity for photos– a win-win for grown-ups and dancers.

Relaxed and Family-Friendly Event

Our goal is for your time at the theatre to be short and sweet! It can be helpful to think of Bravo Bash as a handful of performances or shows that are 30-45 minutes in length. Each performance or show consists of 6-8 groups of dancers organized by class. Dancers sit with their families in the audience until it is their time to perform. This also allows them to practice their dance manners and be good audience members, while other dancers twirl on stage, which is something important we teach in class, too! At the completion of their dance and solo moment, they make their way back to their family in the audience.

Bravo Bash is a magical first introduction to the stage and helpful for childhood development, too! Dance recitals are important for little ones as they offer a platform to showcase their hard work, build confidence, and develop valuable skills like teamwork, perseverance, and stage presence, all while having fun and making memories. 

Our sweet, petite recital is no exception. While dancers should feel no pressure to perform their choreography just right, we want them to feel the accomplishment of hard work and dedication as they come to class each week to learn Bravo Bash choreography. Regardless of whether this is your little dancer’s first Bravo Bash as a Tutu Toddler or one of many as a proud Primary Ballet Prep student, that big moment on recital day is beyond special for both you and your dancer. It’s a feeling that never gets old.

Even our shyest dancers end up looking forward to Bravo Bash and shining bright on stage. Because they have the support of their Tutu Teacher and the friendly faces of classmates all around, performing becomes a much less scary experience. Ballet friends are so important to the Tutu School experience, and having classmates work together on recital material helps instill teamwork in children of all ages. Plus, due to the repetition of rehearsal in each class, which is important for developing minds, the familiarity of the music will ease little dancers’ minds and bodies, too. 

Every dancer’s big solo moment is the cherry on top of this big day. While Tutu Schoolers learn about the importance of teamwork by learning the Bravo Bash routine with classmates, they also get their very own special moment. Even if they’re a little shy to show off their moves, they get to watch other dancers perform, too, easing any stress or pressure of being in the spotlight.

However, the most important part of any Bravo Bash recital is making memories and having fun. There is nothing as special as the morning of a dance recital. When your dancer puts on their big, sparkly tutu or magnificent crown, there is a sparkle in their eyes like no other. It’s the moment they’ve been waiting for all season, the music they’ve been humming and the moves twirling through in the classroom and at home… And when they pitter-patter on stage in their little ballet shoes, it’s a magical moment you and your dancer will never forget.

Above all, Bravo Bash is intended to be a whimsical performance designed with the young dancer in mind. We can’t wait to be a part of your family’s memory-making experience, and we hope to see your dancer on stage this upcoming Bravo Bash season. We’re already excited for next season’s recital!

Tutu School class registration is always ongoing, so sign up for class today to experience the magic of Bravo Bash and keep an eye on our Instagram page for the grand reveal of next season’s theme…