Welcome to
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Dance Festival
The Festival is affiliated to
The British and International Federation of Festivals
We look forward to welcoming you, dancers, teachers and families at our festival in February 2025.
A NOTE FROM THE COMMITTEE ABOUT RTWDF 2025
Dear RTWDF Friends, Competitors and Teachers,
We are delighted to advise that our festival will take place at
The Assembly Hall Theatre in the New Year on the following dates-
Saturday 15th February - Sunday 23rd February 2025
The festival is not an All England qualifying heat this year and our adjudicator will be Jill Baldock.
Spectator Ticket Prices for 2025
PLEASE NOTE WE ARE OPERATING A CASHLESS SYSTEM ON OUR FRONT DESK WITH ONLY CARD AND CONTACTLESS PAYMENT AVAILABLE.
Doors will open at 8.30am each morning.
Dancers will be required to check in at the front of house registration desk
RTWDF 2025
-
Large props may be delivered to the stage door but only taken backstage during breaks – contact Jane on 07803001067 to arrange access.
-
Competitors and chaperones will be required to sign in/out to the back-stage area in the usual way.
-
All group competitors should arrive at the theatre ready with make-up and hair done to reduce the amount of time they need to spend in the dressing rooms.
-
Competitors and chaperones should access the backstage area not more than 30 minutes before their section.
-
Competitors for each class will be asked to take their places in designated seats in the auditorium before the start of their class. They will go up to the backstage area (prompt side) as their time to dance approaches with no more than 5 competitors at side of stage at any one time. This only applies to sections with over 10 entries.
-
After they have danced, competitors will leave the stage on the left-hand side and enter the auditorium to sit on a designated seat until such time as the adjudication when they will file onto the stage and line up in order
-
Access to the auditorium will be via the fire doors on the left and right of the stage and RTWDF volunteers will manage the process.
-
Competitors will be required to wear a wrap over their costume and to wear shoes (no bare feet allowed) when they are in the auditorium.
-
Teachers will be allowed access to the side of stage in the usual way to support their dancers/set props etc.
-
On the final weekend, schools will be allocated a dressing room for each Group Section to reduce congestion and mixing. This may mean you have to leave and clear the dressing room immediately after your group section to enable another school to move into it. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but would ask you to work with us with this so we can all enjoy a safe environment for the competitors.
-
Groups will remain in their dressing rooms until called to the stage area. If not dancing again, dancers will be asked to go into the auditorium until the end of the section. In the larger sections 2 representatives will normally go on stage for the adjudication – smaller sections at the discretion of the Committee
-
The photographer will be situated in the downstairs bar area and Clarity Media will be videoing dances, to be made available for purchase online.
-
We are unable to accept requests for competitors to dance at any other time other than their advertised slot in the programme with the exception of an administrative error or in the case of a quick change due to programming.
Back stage access
-
As in previous years we will have signing in sheets in the corridor leading to the backstage area to comply with health and safety guidelines.
-
All dancers in school years up to and including year 11 require a chaperone backstage.
-
Dancers will be listed alphabetically on the sign in sheets by their first name in their age category.
-
When you first arrive please can chaperones write their name under the child’s name so we know who is backstage.
-
Please tick in and out each time you enter and leave the backstage area.
-
There will be a separate sheet for teachers and any siblings that need to accompany a chaperone.
-
There should be no one else backstage apart from RTWDF Committee Members and volunteers on the rota.
The Assembly Hall café will be offering a tea/coffee, drinks and snack selection throughout the day. This will be a cashless payment please.
Best wishes
The RTWDF Committee