Flowers for Dance Recital

• Written by Holly Hughes on April 01, 2022

There is no better way to show your appreciation for an exceptional performance – be it a play, dance recital, or concert – than a bouquet of fresh flowers. In the world of theater and ballet, giving flowers as tokens of appreciation and adoration is a tradition dating back hundreds of years and is still an important custom today.

So, if you want to show the dancer in your life how proud you are of them beyond a standing ovation, here’s our guide to the world of flower giving for every kind of performance, including the top three flowers to give after a dance recital (and the etiquette around how to give them!)

Carnations

Carnations have often been traditional flowers for dance recitals and, indeed, all kinds of performances, due to their hardiness, affordability, and bright, symbolic colors. These blooms can be used for any kind of performer and are perfect flowers for theater performances as well as dance recitals. 

Like all flowers, it is vital that you choose your color of carnation wisely. 

For dance recital flower bouquets that symbolize pride and admiration, choose carnations that are red, light red, and pink. A mixed arrangement unifying these different colors is a good, all-encompassing bouquet that signifies gratitude for a performance as well as an element of flashy showmanship - something every performer loves!   

Roses

There is no flower so intrinsic to the tradition of giving flowers after dance recitals as the rose. Roses are the ideal flower for actors, ballerinas, concert performers, and every kind of theatrical experience you can think of. 

If you are looking for gift ideas for someone’s first dance recital, a single rose - or a bouquet for the enthusiastic! - is a beautiful option. 

One thing to note about giving these flowers to performers after a dance is to ensure you choose the color wisely. Here’s a quick guide to the best rose colors to use in an arrangement for a dancer.

For a close friend or family member, pink varieties are a great option - particularly for dancers. Their delicate color symbolizes the gracefulness of the dancer, while darker hues express admiration, affection and gratitude. Yellow roses - once a symbol of jealousy - now carry jubilant connotations of friendship and joy and so are perfect gifts for a friend’s dance recital.

Should you be feeling particularly flashy, tracking down the rare lavender or lilac varieties is worth it. These colors signify feelings of enchantment - what better way to express the magic of a riveting and evocative dance recital?

Similar to carnations, it is also a good option to mix the colors of your roses in a bouquet. Combining red and yellow creates sentiments of gaiety and vibrancy. So, if you have witnessed a lively and dynamic performance, reflect and compliment this with a similarly expressive and bright red and yellow rose bouquet. 

Roses Delivery by FromYouFlowers

Roses Delivery by 1800Flowers.com

Lilies

Alongside roses and carnations, lilies are also a famous flower given after dance recitals. The elegance and purity of the lily makes it particularly popular as a gift for ballerinas, echoing their own grace and beauty. 

It is generally accepted that the Stargazer lily is particularly suited as a gift for dance recitals as it represents ambition and encouragement. This makes it the ideal flower to present a dancer with after their first dance recital., 

Due to the Stargazer’s potent fragrance, another classic lily variety to give to dancers is the Asiatic lily. In their luscious orange, yellow, and red shades, Asiatic lilies epitomize energy, passion, and creativity – something every dancer wishes to embody in a performance. 

Lilies Delivery by FromYouFlowers

Lilies Delivery by 1800Flowers.com

Dance recital etiquette for giving flowers

However, when gifting flowers to a performer, you need to be aware of the strict etiquette around the process. 

Recital flower bouquets can be political amongst the performers and so it is important to ensure you know the rules of flower giving before you find the perfect flowers for a concert performer.

Firstly, no performer can receive flowers on stage if the principal stars haven’t received any. It is generally accepted that bouquets can only be given on stage on opening or closing nights or other special occasions. 

Sadly, flower etiquette doesn’t permit men to receive flowers unless they are playing a female role. Instead, you can show your appreciation for a male performer by treating him to a bottle of wine or champagne. Usually, female dancers will pluck a flower from their bouquet to gift to their male partner to show their gratitude and appreciation.

It’s also important to bear in mind flower allergies and, where possible, avoid potentially allergenic blooms. This is far different from past traditions, when flowers were often given to be used as a perfume by poor - and often sweaty - dancers!

Throwing roses on stage

Anyone who has seen an old movie has probably witnessed the enthusiastic tradition of showering performers with flowers after the production. This dramatic gesture of audience appreciation is more of a rarity these days and is not permitted in every theater. However, if it is and you would like to express your admiration in this way, the general rule is to stick to tossing a single flower – most typically a red rose (with thorns removed!) – at a performer’s feet.

There are so many floral gift ideas for dance recitals and performances that truly, the sky’s the limit when it comes to expressing gratitude, thanks, and admiration for a performer. Once you follow the basic etiquette for flower giving and are aware of the meaning of different colored flowers, you can be as creative, ostentatious or thoughtful as you like in your floral gifts.

Or, leave it to the experts and have a sumptuous bouquet worthy of any primadonna delivered to their home or dressing room by using one of these speedy, affordable, and creative flower delivery services:

• 1800Flowers
• FromYouFlowers
• SendFlowers

And, let’s not forget, for the artist who prefers succulents over Stargazers, there is always the extensive range of plants and succulents at Plants.com to express your pride and admiration. Browse their collection here.