Recital costumes are typically chosen by the dance instructor and ordered/paid for by the parent of the dancer. The costumes will vary in style depending on which type of dance the child is taking. A jazz recital costume will be vastly different from that of a ballet recital.
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Most children taking dance classes take more than one type of lesson. For example, they may take ballet and jazz, or jazz and tap. Because they take multiple classes, they will be in multiple dance routines at a year end recital. This will also mean that they will have multiple costumes.
When a dancer (or the parent of a dancer) is preparing for the recital, organization is key. One easy way to keep everything organized is to put each costume on a separate hanger in a garment bag. Put all accessories (tights, hairpins or bows, shoes, etc.) in a separate ziploc bag for each routine.
Poke a hole in the ziploc bag and hang that off the hanger with the coordinating costume. That way, there is no last minute confusion about which costume the accessories belong to. Label EVERYTHING with the dancer's name or initials, so that no items are lost during quick changes.
Smooth, quick changes between performances are very important. One way to make the performer's change easier is to make sure that the costume is super easy to get in and out of. Depending on the style of costume, using snaps on the straps, or even velcro will make changes much easier.
If the dancer has an extreme quick change, they may want to find a spot backstage to lay out the next costume, so that they don't need to fight with hangers, bags, etc. There are typically a number of mothers who stay backstage at the ready to assist with quick changes as well. Just remind the dancer to stay calm and organized, and the change will go smoothly.
