Archive for the ‘dance’ Category

Start Planning Your Nutcracker Production!

August 26th, 2019

Are you getting ready for Nutcracker season? Get a head start on your recital planning by reserving your backdrops!

Nutcracker Production - Mansion View 17 Drapes

The opening scene starts in the Stahlbaum’s home on Christmas Eve. This incredible evening can be brought to life with any of our mansion viewinterior, or Christmas home backdrops. Perfect for the Nutcracker parlor scene. Decorations and toys are abundant. The nutcracker is introduced during this festive evening. Later that evening, Clara returns to the parlor. To her surprise, the Christmas tree grows in front of her eyes amidst a battle between the mice and gingerbread soldiers. Our growing tree collection can complement the parlor scene to bring this scene to life.

Nutcracker Production - Winter Waterfall 1

The nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince. Shortly after, Clara and the prince head out to a snowy pine forest as Act I comes to an end. Our winter scenes can bring the snowy forest elements to your Nutcracker production. From our winter trees collection to our winter forest scenes to our winter twilight and winter village designs. We have a plethora of winter designs for every performance.

Nutracker Production - Candyland Backdrop

In Act II, Clara and the prince then travel to the land of sweets. Effortlessly bring the land of sweets act to life by showcasing a candy filled design behind your dancers!

Looking to reserve your backdrop now? You can take advantage of our courtesy hold service. How does it work? Receive the first right of refusal for the backdrop you’d like to rent for your performance with no commitment on your end!

Interested in featuring digital projections at your Nutcracker production? We have those too! Check out our still images and animated videos for your Nutcracker performance here.

Watch a video of the Land of Sweets act of the Nutcracker production below featuring our Candyland backdrop:

We cannot wait for Nutcracker season and to see how our backdrops and projections transform your production!

5 Exciting Dance Recital Ideas

April 25th, 2019

Dance Recital season is upon us! Choosing your dance recital theme can be fun! Inspiration can be found all around us. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite dance recital ideas below. What is the theme of your recital? Let us know in the comments below!

Dance Recital Ideas

1. Make a Splash!

Dance Recital Ideas - Dance 27 Splash

It’s time for your dancers to make a splash! This background brings more than just a pop of color. If you’re looking to transform your stage into a painted dancer’s dream, look no further! The dancers shine as the vibrant colors of the paint splatter contrast with the black background. Change the lighting to bring out different colors in this backdrop to match your dancer’s costumes. This will bring the color and the fun to your recital!

2. Dancing with the Stars

Dance Recital Ideas - Drapes Purple Stars

Dancing with the Stars is a fun recital theme. Especially when you’re dancers are the stars! Your dancers will shine in front of this Starry Drapes backdrop! Different color lighting can change the backdrop to appear in a myriad of different colors. This is perfect, so you can match the backdrop to your dancers’ costumes. The dancers stand out in front of this backdrop showing that they are the true STARS. You can see the transformation of the backdrop here.

3. Travel Around the World

Dance Recital Ideas - On Vacation

Travel around the world in one backdrop! Pack your bags, you’re headed on vacation! Or at least you can bring the vacation to your studio’s performance. A combination of iconic spots around the world with everything you need to make your vacation a success! Browse our Travel inspired scenes here.

4. Fairy Tale & Fantasy

Dance Recital Ideas - Fantasy Castle

A Fairy Tale Recital will bring your childhood fantasies to life! Who wouldn’t want to be a prince or princess in front of their own castle? Your dancers will be delighted to feel like royalty! After all, isn’t every child a prince or princess to their parents?

5. Hollywood: Lights, Camera, Dance!

Dance Recital Ideas - Paparazzi Celebrity 13

Bring Hollywood to your recital! Lights, Camera, Dance is a fun theme for your dancers. They are sure to feel like celebrities! Choose the perfect red carpet costumes to shine in front of the paparazzi!

How Does Dance Make You Feel?

November 28th, 2018

For many, dance is a passion. A source of creativity. An outlet. A hobby. A lifestyle. Our inspiration for one of our newest designs came from how dance makes us feel. Dance and the dance community can make you feel whole and complete. From ballet to tap dance to hip-hop, jazz, and beyond, all types of dance can fulfill your passion. It’s both personal and communal. Take a look at the design below and let us know what you think.

Dance 31 Flight

Can you see the inspiration behind our design? All of the tiny dancers in different styles of dance unifying together and creating one larger dancer. All of the training, practice, and recitals are all depicted in this design. All walks of life are embraced in the diversity of this design as well. The variety of colors demonstrate the vibrancy of the movement of the dancers. The rhythm of the dancers radiate throughout the backdrop. All of the aspects that make dancers whole come together in one scene. What do you see in this dance centric design?

Dance 25 Splash

Our Dance Splash collection is full of vibrant paint splatter. These dancers are full of so much passion that their movement has created splashes of paint throughout the design. The colorful hues throughout the backdrop are contrasted with the black background. This backdrop was created to capture the beauty of the dancer’s movement.

As our backdrops are hand-painted, we love featuring splashes of paint in our designs. The vibrancy of the paint splatter is evident throughout the design. The contrast of vibrant colors with the black background make for a stunning backdrop. This collection is available in an array of sizes, from 10′ wide x 10′ high to 50′ wide by 22′ high. Perfect for a fun photo op at your studio or as the centerpiece of your stage at your recital!

How Vivid Scenery Can Transport You to Another World

May 10th, 2018

It’s no secret that vivid scenery can transform your production. No matter if you’re planning an event, producing a dance recital, or curating a theatrical production, bright scenery will make your occasion POP. We’re featuring a few backdrops that are vibrant and beautiful below. They will be show stoppers wherever you place them!

Vivid Scenery - Dance 27 Splash

We have a variety of bright backdrops that can enhance your vivid scenery. Take a look into our Dance Splash series. Full of vibrant hues along the color spectrum. With the splashes of paint, you can feel the movement from these dancers. It’s Spring Dance Recital season and we cannot wait to see how our Dance Splash collection enhances your production. Make a splash wherever you go!

Vivid Scenery - Havana Streets 4

Our Havana Streets collection transports you directly into the heart of the city. Bringing the Havana Nights theme to life has never been easier. Our backdrops have been painted side by side, to effortlessly use as a panel or a room wrap. Our Havana Streets collection is as colorful and bright as you’d expect. A few of our designs even include the infamous 1950’s era cars to liven up the scene. Havana’s colorful and vibrant architecture is a product of it’s historical development. It’s the perfect spring and summer theme for your next event.

Vivid Scenery - Music Time 1

Our Music inspired series can make you feel the music in your bones. The colorful musical notes are spread throughout the design. A variety of different sizes of circles in hues of red and blue are in the background. This musical background is perfect to bring the rhythmic vibe to your next production.

Do you love using vivid scenery for your events or are you more of a pastel or natural hues lover? Let us know in the comments below! Stay tuned for next month as we’ll be featuring backdrops that have a more natural and earthy feel.

One Backdrop, Endless Possibilities

September 26th, 2017

Wait till you see what our talented client accomplished below! With over 2,500 backdrops in our inventory, your options to enhance your production are abundant. With so many sizes, themes, and designs, your bound to find a background that you love. If not, we pride ourselves on our custom work – both rental and purchases. Create any backdrop you can dream of and we’ll be more than happy to paint it.

Today we’re so excited to showcase one of our incredible clients that went above and beyond to transform their dance studio’s performance. Our client trusted in the versatility of lighting options to provide many different options for their recital with only ONE backdrop. See how it was done below!

Drapes Purple Stars

1. Choose the Perfect Backdrop For Your Event

Our backdrop consultants are eager and ready to assist you in all of your backdrop needs. From planning and strategizing event themes to checking availability of your favorite backdrops, we’re here at every step of the way. The versatility lighting provides can help you in changing the atmosphere of your production in an instant. Our Purple Drapes with Stars Backdrop was effortlessly transformed with the help of a backdrop’s best friend – a lighting designer.

Drapes Purple Stars

2. Create the Atmosphere You Want

No matter if you’re planning a dance recital, theatrical production, or stunning event – the atmosphere is of the utmost importance. When choosing a backdrop, it’s vital to analyze how the background will enhance your affair and complement the existing décor and costumes. What’s good to know is how lighting can change any backdrop you choose.

Drapes Purple Stars Backdrop

3. Enhance Your Look with Colorful LEDs or Gels

In order to create a versatile & cohesive collection, use different color gels or LED lights to achieve any look you want! Our talented client utilized a variety of gel colors to change our Purple Drapes with Stars backdrop to green, pink, blue, and yellow! It’s truly hard to believe that all of these pictures are ONE backdrop. You can achieve so many different looks with just one backdrop!

Purple Drapes Stars Backdrop

Drapes Purple Stars Backdrop

When you combine backdrops and lighting design, the possibilities are truly endless. Have any great lighting tips to add? Comment below to let us know!

The Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

December 7th, 2016

We love this time of the year! Mainly because it’s focused around GIVING. We can learn so much from our generosity & giving to those who mean the most to us. Our gift certificates make the perfect gift for your dance teacher, studio owner, event extraordinaire, colleague, or friend. It’s a great item to add as a stocking stuffer!

Stocking Stuffer - Backdrops Beautiful Gift Certificate

Looking to get a head start on your holiday shopping? It’s easy to give the gift of backdrops! They are the perfect stocking stuffers. Gift certificates can be effortlessly ordered by calling 1-858-300-2100, and they will be sent straight to your inbox. Print your electronic gift certificate, and TADA! — you’ll be done with your shopping in no time. Giving a gift certificate for a backdrop rental to that special someone will not only make their day, but their next event or recital as well!

Woodlands Backdrop Series - Stocking Stuffer

Our backdrops range in sizes, themes, and scenes. We have thousands of backdrops starting at a smaller size (10′ x 10′). These are perfect for a photo booth, picture area, house party or small event! Our backdrops range in size all the way to the largest size we have in stock (50′ W x 30′ H). These are ideal for an auditorium, large banquet hall, or a convention center. The opportunities are endless with our variety of backdrops!

Our extensive collection of backdrops are versatile and can enhance your next event, upcoming recital, or theatrical production. Feel free to browse our backdrops here. We are constantly adding new backdrops to our inventory. Our graphic designers and accomplished artists are always hard at work creating their future masterpieces. Check out our blog regularly to see updates on new hand-painted backdrops we’ve added. Click here for October’s new backdrops and here for November’s!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! We wish you all the best during this Holiday season. We hope you find the perfect stocking stuffer for that special someone and spend this time with those that you love!

Tips for Attending the UDMA Shows

September 30th, 2016

This weekend is the kickoff of the United Dance Merchants of America (UDMA) shows. These shows are ideal for dance studio owners and dance teachers to look at the latest trends, choose costumes, and plan their upcoming recitals. We’re super excited for the shows to commence in Worcester, MA. This year there will be four shows – Massachusetts, Georgia, New Jersey, and Illinois. Check out our tips for attending these fun dance shows!

udma 2016 show dates

Grab your friends & colleagues

These shows are best when you come with your fellow dance teachers and studio owners. Expect costumes galore, dance accessories a plenty, and everyone passionate about the dance industry. You’ll not only be having a lot of fun, but learning about exciting costume trends, new dance recital themes, and meeting interesting dance vendors.

Plan Ahead!

The UDMA shows are only held once a year, so there’s an emphasis on preparation. Talk with your studio owner and dance teachers about your plan for the upcoming year. A few things to consider:

  • Are you planning a Winter Recital? A Spring Recital?
  • Are you going to have a theme for your recital(s)?
  • Do you have a color scheme you’d like to keep in mind when looking for costumes?

With so many vendors and options, it’s good to come in with a clear mindset of what you’re looking for and what you need inspiration for. We definitely think it would be best to bring:

  • Stickers with your information or business cards. This is by far the easiest way to give your information to companies and to enter to win any raffles. (pssst. at our booth, we’ll be offering awesome discounts and a FREE backdrop rental – so you have to stop by!).
  • Rolling suitcase or shopping cart. This is a move used by the experienced attendee and is definitely recommended. You will pick up so much information from vendors that something that rolls should be the only option you are thinking of bringing. Your back will thank us.
  • Notepad. You’ll need somewhere to take notes – either a physical notepad if you like to write things down (like us) or use your phone. Either way, it will come in handy after the show to look back on.
  • Snacks & Water. These shows are a marathon. You will look through costumes and walk around the show floor, which can be exhausting. Bring snacks, water and cash if you want to buy a snack at the show. It’s the easiest way to keep yourself fueled for the rest of the show without having to leave.

Fantasy Castle backdrop - udma show

Stop by our Booth & Say Hi to our Team!

We are excited be offering AMAZING discounts at our booth, giving away FREE selfie sticks (who doesn’t love a selfie?), & you can enter to win a FREE backdrop rental!

Mystic Forest Wagon Backdrop - udma 2015

Enjoy the Show & Have Fun!

At the end of the day, these shows are meant to be a lot of fun. You’ll learn a lot, get to chat to other dance teachers and vendors, discuss new and upcoming trends, and create / finalize your plan for the upcoming year. We are so excited for it all to begin. Will you be there? Comment below and let us know which show you’ll be attending! We can’t wait to see you there.

Dance Splash backdrop - udma 2016

New Backdrops | September 2016

September 14th, 2016

What do you get when you have creative designers, amazing artists, and passionate clients that all collaborate together? Incredibly unique and beautiful new backdrops. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites today to show you what we’ve been up to. Check these new backdrops out below and let us know what you think!

New Backdrops - Ice Castle 5 Twilight

Our Ice Castle Twilight backdrop features a beautiful harmonious blend of pastel colors. The gorgeous pink and orange sunset sets the scene for the ice castle. The stunning stars and wispy clouds add a unique romanticism to the sky. The snow-capped mountains provides the perfect background for the majestic ice castle. What an incredible fantastical piece of art and one of our most favored new backdrops.
New Backdrops - Candyland 11

Our Candyland backdrop is the newest addition to our ever-growing Candyland and Nutcracker inventory. We have so many exciting scenes that are perfect to enhance your next Nutcracker performance. My personal favorites are the Land of Sweets backdrops. There’s something so fun and delicious about them! We’re so excited about this new addition. It features a candy-adorned castle, candy coated mountains, and fudge and lollipops galore! If this doesn’t make you have a sweet tooth, nothing will.

New Backdrops - Mansion View 17 Drapes

Our Mansion View Drapes backdrop demonstrates the warmth and feeling of home while peering out on the snow filled village outside. The beautiful winter trees are covered with snow and the lights inside the homes are vibrant. The red and gold drapes enhance the elegant look of the mansion interior. Who wouldn’t want to be inside this gorgeous home?

These new backdrops are setting the stage for the Winter season! We’re so excited to see them enhance your next event, performance, or recital! We love working closely with all of our clients and loyal customers as we know that you are the trendsetters. Always developing the most unique ideas and predicting the next best trend! Check back to see what new backdrops our designers and artists have created next month!

Spring Things! New Backdrops

May 16th, 2016

We are so excited for a few reasons. First, it’s Spring and what’s there not to love about Spring? Blooming flowers, beautiful weather, the countdown to summer. Second, our designers and artists have crafted some awesome backdrops during this lovely season. We’re ecstatic to share these with you. We know that these new backdrops will look stunning at your next event. We are looking forward to how these backdrops will enhance your production!

New Backdrop - Stage Magic 1B

You never know what’s going to come out of the magician’s hat in our brand new Stage Magic backdrop. Abracadabra! The doves, deck of cards, and whimsical smoke appears. Amidst the blue background and illuminated top hat, magic appears. The red drapes lined with gold adorn the stage and the magician’s hands guide the sorcery. Can you spot the two rabbits? After some looking, we definitely can. After all, traditional magic isn’t magic without rabbits coming out of a hat!

New Backdrop - pond 3 bridge

Our Pond 3 Bridge backdrop is the perfect Spring scene in a romantic, lush garden. The sun peaking through providing the perfect lighting within the background. This serene pond full of water lilies and surrounded by lush plants and beautiful flowers. The bridge provides the perfect access to walk over the pond into the deep edges of the garden. This new backdrop is completely romantic and utterly gorgeous.

New Backdrop - Stage Skyline3This Stage Skyline backdrop sets the Hollywood style stage with a stunning skyline. When you stand in the center of this new backdrop, the spotlight is directly on you. It’s an easy way to bring the Hollywood life to your next event. All of your attendees will get to live the red carpet life for the night. Act like a celebrity and strut your stuff in front of our vibrant backdrop.

We’re so excited about these new backdrops. We cannot wait to see how they transform your event, enhance your recital, or complete your production!

New Backdrops – March 2016

March 31st, 2016

We’re excited to showcase our new backdrops for the month of March! Our in-house designers and talented artists have been busy creating beautiful backdrops to add to our rental inventory. Check out these amazing additions below!

New Backdrops - Pop Art 1 Ducks

This Pop Art Duck backdrop is a prime example of our Custom Rental service. Catering by Design from Denver, CO wanted to a fun backdrop to enhance their duck-themed menu. We discussed their vision for the event, complete with rubber duckies and vibrant signs to replace standard menus. Our designers created this image and Catering by Design absolutely loved it. The pop art theme worked perfectly with the colorful ducks. This backdrop enhanced their event and is now in our inventory ready to be rented for your next occasion!

New Backdrops - Military Ship1

Our Military Ship backdrop demonstrates the dynamic, larger than life presence of the military in the open ocean. The deep blue sea is depicted with mountainous islands in the background and a prominent military ship in the center. The ripples of the waves from the ship are lining the vessel as it speeds ahead. Ideal for a military event, show, or production.

New Backdrops - Diamond 2 Color

Shine bright like this diamond backdrop! This hand-painted backdrop is fifty feet wide! That’s a whole lot of diamond. The perspective in which this backdrop is painted makes the diamond appear through the galaxies far, far away. The distant stars in the night are complemented by an array of rainbow colors. This vibrant, shiny backdrop is perfect for your next bling-loving client or event!

It’s almost April, so we are looking to next month to see what new backdrops our artists will be hand-painting! Stay tuned on our blog for our latest backdrop news. You’ll also get a first look into our new backdrops that have been added to our inventory. Have suggestions for backdrops you want to see as part of our inventory? Leave a comment below!