By RDT Board Member, Jaelynn Jenkins

Good manners are about more than following musty dictates from a Victorian-era matron, but rather a show of appreciation for the hard work and time that each artist has spent to create a piece for the audience’s enjoyment.

 

As a lifelong theatergoer, I’ve attended everything from Broadway musicals in the Big Apple to cello recitals for my younger cousins in their parents’ living rooms. Nearly all of those performances have similar concert etiquette expectations, despite the varying types of artistic performances, and being a part of a Repertory Dance Theater audience is no different.

The following guidelines will help you and your fellow audience members enjoy each performance that much more:

Pre-Performance Preparation!

Although it goes without saying, proper grooming is a plus. Strong scents and odors are distracting to your fellow audience members as well as the performers. Tall hats and beehive hairstyles may be acceptable for back row Bettys, but avoid increasing the size of your head if you have any other seat in the house.

Choose an outfit befitting the event. Far be it from me to dictate your personal style, but I think we can all agree that our concert attire should be something more than Saturday morning cleaning clothes or Sunday comfies. Remember, those performing for you have put many hours of training into this single performance, something like your Sunday best shows appreciation for the dancers’ efforts.

Buy your tickets ahead of time, come early, and leave your food outside of the theater. I’ll accept breath mints, but smacking gum (even if it is in time to the music) is unacceptable.

Contribute to the Ambiance

Refrain from talking during the performance, silence electronics, and hold applause until the end of each piece. A cacophony of sound from the audience can be distracting to the dancers and disrupt their concentration.

Sounds aren’t the only distractions! Flash photography and audience members who resemble a jack-in-the-box are also disruptive. If you must leave during a performance, try to wait until the break between pieces. To reenter the audience, wait quietly at the back of the theater until a break presents an opportunity to return to your seat.

Come armed…

… with knowledge about the choreographer, music, and dancers! You can find this information here on the RDT Blog, EMBARK, or on the RDT website: rdtutah.org/season and in your performance program. Putting names to faces and recognizing the stylings of a favorite choreographer add to the excitement of a live performance!

Finally, sit back and enjoy the show … and at the end? Applaud, cheer, and indulge in a good “bravo!”

 

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Jaelynn R. Jenkins is a current board member of Repertory Dance Theater’s Board of Trustees. She loves the arts and counts RDT among her favorite extra curricular activities. In her spare time, Jaelynn is an associate attorney at Fetzer Simonsen Booth Jenkins, practicing in the areas of estate planning, business law and nonprofits.