Once you have narrowed it down to one or two companies there are several things you should consider. When hiring a professional dance group for your event communicating your needs and expectations clearly is very important to ensure they understand exactly what you are looking for, so you get a show that wows your audience.
Aesthetics
These factors are more personal taste but are very important to ensure you get exactly the performance you are looking for:
Event type: What sort of event are you holding? For example, the styles and requirements might be very different for a modern corporate awards ceremony and a more traditional bar mitzvah. We want to help you celebrate your event in the best way we can so let us know overall event details, so we can seamlessly integrate into the overall theme or look of your event.
Style: What dance style do you want for your event, such as contemporary, hip-hop, or jazz? Make sure the group you hire is skilled in that specific style. You might want to consider more than one style of dance, to keep your audience's attention for even longer. At Hips Don't Lie our professional team is adept at a wide range of styles and we even offer an option to include 5 different styles in your performance.
Audience participation: Do you want purely a performance or would you like us to get your guests up and dancing too? If there are kids in the audience we can involve them and make sure they have a great time. Or if you want everyone up dancing our performers are great at encouraging audience participation. We can even do a conga line together! For this, it's important for us to know the number of guests you are expecting.
Choreography: If you want the performers to use a specific choreography, or perform using specific music you should make sure the artists are well-rehearsed and have the rights to use the music you want.
Cultural or religious requirements: If your audience members include anyone with particular religious or cultural backgrounds that need to be taken into consideration you should let us know beforehand. We can ensure our performers all wear costumes that are culturally sensitive and that they interact with your guests in the way that's most respectful for them.
Practicalities
Here are some important practical details you need to discuss when booking a performance:
Experience: Consider the level of experience of the performers. Have they performed at similar events before? How many years of expertise do they have? We ensure that all our performers have at least 5 years of professional experience before they can work with us.
Cost: Professional performers can be expensive, so make sure to have a budget in mind from the start. We will discuss the costs with you upfront, so you know exactly what you are getting for your money and we believe we offer excellent value for money based on the talent and skills of our performers.
Availability: Check that the group you're interested in hiring is available on the date of your event. Also, confirm all timings for the day of the event including how much time they will need to get ready. We are known for our punctuality and reliability but our performers do get booked up quickly so book early to ensure you get the performance of your dreams!
Logistics: Make sure your venue has the necessary space and technical capabilities, such as lighting and sound equipment, for the performance. We will discuss these requirements with you during the booking phase.