Planning and flexibility
The Dendermonde Sports Hall serves as the home venue for this major dance event every year. It’s a fantastic location, but one that requires a complete transformation to ensure both dancers and audience members have an unforgettable weekend.
Caroline Desomer (chairperson & dance instructor): “The whole organization is quite a feat. Not only the preparatory phase of dance and technical rehearsals, but also transforming the sports hall into a performance venue is quite intense. On the one hand, you’re working with passionate amateurs who are only available after school and work hours. On the other hand, you have a venue that’s only available for a short time. So everything has to happen in just a few days. And that requires planning and flexibility.”
And in their search for a company that could bring those two keywords, audiovisual and atmospheric, to life, they ended up at D-Dream.
All the pieces fit together
Caroline Desomer (chairperson & dance instructor): “We’ve researched the market to find the best value for money. We want to put on a professional show, out of respect for our dancers and the audience.” “But everything also has to remain affordable. You need to be able to count on an external team that not only delivers solid work, but also brings a sense of calm to the inevitable chaos that comes with such a large-scale dance event. And at D-Dream, all those pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly.”
A dance show with so many participants is certainly no ordinary production. But it is a project full of rewarding challenges.
Caroline Desomer (chairperson & dance instructor): “The show consists of 36 numbers. Each choreography has its own musical and dance style, as well as a specific design for costumes and lighting that complements it. So we really have to pull out all the stops to get this on stage in such a short time.” D-dream handles all the technical support: from backdrops for the black box to lighting and sound equipment for the ultimate show experience. Beforehand, we discussed our organization’s specific expectations for each song. The technician then sets out to translate those ideas and wishes into visuals and sound. They put everything into a script and prepare it thoroughly.
A roller coaster in a bustling beehive
And as it turns out, that thorough preparation is no luxury. Because a dance show goes by fast… lightning fast.
Caroline Desomer (chairperson & dance instructor): “Discussing everything thoroughly in advance saves a lot of time later on. We have four short, intensive rehearsal days, all after school and work hours. We’re limited—by necessity—to just 30 minutes of rehearsal per dance number. And everything has to happen in that short time. During the day, the lighting and sound crew can make preparations and adjustments, but in the evening it’s a rollercoaster ride through a bustling beehive. “But with D-Dream, it works. They think creatively with us and lend a hand when the need arises. And above all, they stay calm no matter what … and that helps us stay calm too.”
During the show itself, the D-Dream team has their hands full.
After all, they bear ultimate responsibility for numerous aspects.
It was perfect!
Caroline Desomer (chairperson & dance instructor): “Light, sound, and projection all come together seamlessly. This made the ‘Magical Journey’ that we wove as a central theme through our 2019 performance truly tangible. The atmospheres came across exactly as they were meant to, and the audience seemed to forget that they were actually watching a dance performance in a former gymnasium.” The dancers, the instructors, the audience, and we as the organizing team all had the same verdict on this professional D-Dream approach: It was simply amazing! … On to the next one!
