# Showorder, full text > Paste your recital routines and dancers and get a show order where nobody has a quick change. Print the program and backstage sheets. Free, no sign up. Every public page of https://showorder.app, as Markdown, in sitemap order. Built from the exported pages at build time. The short index is https://showorder.app/llms.txt. --- # Recital order generator with no quick changes, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > Paste your recital routines and dancers and get a show order where nobody has a quick change. Print the program and backstage sheets. Free, no sign up. ## A recital order with no quick changes Paste your routines and who dances in each. Showorder finds a running order where every dancer has at least three routines to change between numbers, keeps your opener and closer where you put them, and tells you plainly about any quick change it could not remove and why. Then it prints the program, the backstage running order and a sheet for each family. ### Dancer names never leave your browser. A recital roster is mostly children's names, so Showorder has no server to send them to. The ordering runs on this page, the show is saved in this browser only, and there is no account. Keep a copy with the backup file whenever you like. We make no other claim about the children in your show: this is a planning tool. ### How it works 1. **Paste your routines.** From a spreadsheet: one row per routine with its dancers, one row per routine and dancer pair, or a grid with dancers down the side and routines across the top. 2. **Check the names.** Dancers are matched by name across routines. Near duplicates such as "Mia Chen" and "Mia C" are offered for merging. 3. **Set the gap.** Three routines between a dancer's numbers is the default. Raise it for a dancer with a hard costume, and add an intermission. 4. **Build the order.** The solver keeps pins, spreads each dancer's numbers apart, and lists any quick change that is left with the dancer, the two routines and the reason. 5. **Adjust and print.** Drag a routine and the flags update as you move it. Print the backstage running order, the quick change report, the program and family sheets. #### An order you still control The running order is an artistic call. Lock the numbers you care about, drag the rest, and let the planner flag every change that got too tight, with the dancer named. #### Backstage sheets that match The running order, the quick change report, dressing room calls and costume lists all come from the same order, so nothing drifts when you move a routine. #### A program and a sheet per family The audience program in one or two columns, with or without dancer names, and a "your numbers" sheet for every dancer with the numbers and times to be ready. ### Guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) - [Recital running order guides](https://showorder.app/guide/) ### Free to use Every feature is free with no sign up: up to 400 routines, several shows, every printout and CSV. Try it with the sample recital in the planner, then paste your own. --- # Recital running order planner and checker, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/plan/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > Paste routines and dancers, build a recital running order with no quick changes, drag to adjust with live flags, and print the backstage sheets and program. This page is the app itself. It runs in the browser; there is no text to extract. --- # Recital running order guides and reference, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > How a recital running order planner counts quick changes, gaps, pins, breaks and shows, how it builds and explains an order, and guides for every step. ## Recital running order guides and reference A running order planner answers one question: in what order can these routines go so every dancer has time to change? This page explains how Showorder counts, what each setting does and how to read what it tells you. The guides below take one job each, with worked examples computed by the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/). ### Guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/): Seven steps from a class list to a running order where every dancer has time to change, with a worked 15 routine example. - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/): What gap to set between a dancer's routines, what it means in minutes, and when a gap cannot be met. - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/): How to split a recital into two or more shows while keeping families together, dancers in one show and lengths even. - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/): What the stage manager, the wings and the dressing rooms need on paper, and how to print it from the order. - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/): What goes in a recital program, in what order, with an example program rendered from a sample show. - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/): How teachers order a piano or music recital: levels, duets, a player with two pieces, and the gap between them. - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/): Recital show order tools side by side: what each does, how it is priced, and what it needs, with the dates prices were read. ### What counts as a quick change Two numbers by the same dancer with fewer routines between them than the gap. The planner compares each dancer's consecutive numbers only: a dancer in numbers 2, 5 and 9 is checked 2 to 5 and 5 to 9. Back to back numbers, with nothing between, are always a quick change unless the gap is 0. ### The gap, and a dancer's own gap The gap is the number of routines a dancer needs between numbers. It starts at 3, which is about ten minutes in a show of three minute routines. A dancer with a harder change can have a larger gap of their own, and a dancer who only swaps shoes a smaller one. The [gap guide](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) turns routines into minutes. ### Intermissions and act breaks A break sits between two numbers. An intermission has minutes on the clock and, unless you turn it off, counts as a full gap: a dancer can close the first half and open the second. An act break divides the show into acts for pins and for the program but adds no time beyond the changeover and resets nothing. When a show has no breaks, the planner adds one intermission in the middle on the first build; breaks you add or move are kept. ### Pins A pin is a promise about where a routine goes: the opener, the closer, a locked number, just before or just after a break, or anywhere inside one act. The solver never breaks a pin. A pin that cannot be kept (two openers, a locked number past the end of the show, a break that does not exist) is named in a warning and that routine is ordered freely. Lock a routine where it stands with the Lock button on the running order. ### Grouping preferences Two optional preferences: spread levels, so two routines of one level do not follow each other, and keep a teacher's routines apart or together. They are preferences only: the planner never keeps a quick change to satisfy one. ### More than one show With two or more shows, each routine goes to one show, except routines marked as in every show. The split keeps the shows about the same length first, then keeps families (dancers sharing a family label) in one show, then keeps each dancer in one show. Routines can be kept in a named show. The [two shows guide](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) works an example. ### How the order is built The pinned places are filled first. A first order fills the remaining places left to right, taking at each step the routine that adds the least quick change for the dancers already placed. Then a search swaps and shifts routines thousands of times, keeping any change that makes the order better and, early on, some that make it worse so it can escape a dead end, and it keeps the best order it has seen. Fewer quick changes always beat narrower ones, and any quick change outweighs every grouping preference. The search is seeded, so the same show gives the same order every time. It runs in a background worker on the page; an 80 routine recital takes a fraction of a second on a laptop. ### Why a quick change is still there Every change the planner reports carries one of these reasons, on screen and on the quick change report: - **Too many numbers** The dancer is in so many routines of that stretch of the show that no order can give every pair the gap. The reason shows the arithmetic. - **Pinned** Both routines are held in place by pins, so neither can move. - **A swap would fix it** Swapping one of the two routines with another fixes this change without a worse one. Hand made orders often have these. - **Blocked** Every swap that fixes it gives someone a closer change, and the reason names who. - **Stuck** No single swap of either routine fixes it: the dancer's other numbers or the pins are in the way. ### Pasting a roster Copy from any spreadsheet. Three shapes are read: one routine per row with its dancers after the title (a routine and dancer pair per row is the same shape), a table with a header row naming the columns, or a grid with dancers down the side and an x under each routine they are in. Dancers are matched by name, ignoring capitals and spacing; "Chen, Mia" in one cell is read as Mia Chen. Names that look like one dancer typed two ways are offered for merging, never merged on their own. ### Where the roster is kept In this browser, and nowhere else. There is no server: the ordering runs on the page and the show is saved in the browser's own storage. A backup file moves it to another computer. See the [privacy page](https://showorder.app/privacy/). Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # How to make a recital order with no quick changes, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > Build a dance recital show order where no dancer has a quick change: list routines, set the gap, pin the opener and closer, and let the planner order the rest. ## How to make a recital order with no quick changes To make a recital show order with no quick changes, give every dancer a minimum number of routines between their numbers (three is the usual start), pin only the opener, the finale and anything else that truly cannot move, then order the rest so no dancer's two numbers sit closer than that gap. Where a dancer is in too many routines to spread, accept the change and plan for it backstage. ### The seven steps 1. **List every routine and who dances in it.** One row per routine with its dancers, typed the same way every time, plus the length, the level and the costume. 2. **Decide the gap between a dancer's numbers.** Pick how many routines a dancer needs between two numbers. Three is the usual start; raise it for a hard costume. 3. **Pin only what must not move.** The opener, the finale, a guest number before intermission. Every pin takes freedom away from the rest of the order. 4. **Place the intermission.** Put it near the middle of the running time. While the intermission setting is on, an intermission of any length counts as a full gap, so turn it off if yours is too short to change in. 5. **Order the rest so no dancer is too close.** Build the order with the solver, or by hand, checking every dancer's numbers against the gap. 6. **Read the changes that are left, and why.** A dancer in too many routines cannot always be spread. Decide whether to accept the change, drop a number or add a dresser. 7. **Adjust by eye, then print.** Move numbers for artistic reasons, watch the flags as you go, and print the running order and the quick change report. Recital software in this market treats the gap as a setting the studio chooses, not a rule anyone publishes. One studio system calls it a costume gap requirement, another a costume change cushion, and both flag numbers that sit inside it; the sources below were read on the date shown. Whatever the name, the job is the same: count the routines between each dancer's appearances and keep that count at or above the gap. ### Worked example: a 15 routine recital The sample recital in the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) has 15 routines and 20 dancers, typed in class order. With a gap of 3, that typed order has **11 quick changes**. The first: Lily Novak dances in "Opening Number" and again in "Junior Jazz" with only 1 routine between. The opening number and the finale are pinned. The planner adds an intermission after number 8 and builds this order, with **no quick changes at all**: | No. | Typed order | Quick change in the typed order | Built order | Starts | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Opening Number | None | Opening Number | 18:00 | | 2 | Tiny Tap | None | Junior Ballet | 18:03 | | 3 | Junior Jazz | Lily Novak | Teen Lyrical | 18:06 | | 4 | Senior Lyrical | Ava Brooks, Mia Chen | Tiny Tap | 18:10 | | 5 | Petite Ballet | Ella Okoro, Sofia Reyes | Senior Lyrical | 18:13 | | 6 | Teen Hip Hop | None | Junior Tap | 18:17 | | 7 | Junior Ballet | None | Teen Hip Hop | 18:20 | | 8 | Senior Tap | Zoe Patel | Petite Ballet, then intermission | 18:24 | | 9 | Teen Contemporary | Lena Ruiz, Maya Singh | Junior Jazz | 18:41 | | 10 | Petite Jazz | None | Senior Tap | 18:44 | | 11 | Junior Tap | None | Teen Contemporary | 18:48 | | 12 | Teen Lyrical | Maya Singh | Adult Tap | 18:51 | | 13 | Senior Jazz | None | Petite Jazz | 18:55 | | 14 | Adult Tap | None | Senior Jazz | 18:57 | | 15 | Finale | Owen Hart, Maya Singh | Finale | 19:01 | The built show starts at 18:00 and ends at about 19:04. The order is computed by the planner itself, with the same seed every time, so rebuilding the same roster gives the same order. Try another arrangement uses a new seed when you want a different order that keeps the same rules. ### Common mistakes - **Typing a dancer two ways.** "Mia Chen" in one routine and "Mia C" in another are two people to any checker. Merge near duplicates before you build. - **Pinning too much.** Every locked number is a place nobody else can use. Pin the opener and the finale, then see whether anything else really needs it. - **Forgetting the finale and the opener are dances too.** Company dancers in both, plus three class numbers, have very little room in a short show. - **Counting minutes instead of routines, or the other way round.** A gap of three short petite numbers is less time than three long senior ones. Check the minutes on the quick change report for the tight ones. - **Fixing one change by hand and creating two.** Moving a number moves everyone in it. Watch every dancer's flags, not just the one you are fixing. ### Sources - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [ShowSort pricing](https://showsort.com/pricing), ShowSort. Per routine and per appearance prices, and what the free preview and the demo show. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **What is a quick change in a dance recital?** A dancer appearing in two routines with too little time between them to change costume, shoes and hair. Studios measure it in routines between numbers: with a gap of 3, a dancer in number 4 should not dance again before number 8. **Can every quick change always be removed?** No. A dancer in half the routines of a short show cannot have three routines between each number, and pins can force two numbers close together. The planner reports each change it could not remove with the reason, so you can decide what to do. **Should the opener and the finale be pinned?** Usually, because they are artistic choices. Pin as few routines as you can: every pin is a place the solver cannot use to spread dancers out. **Does the order have to be the one the planner builds?** No. The running order is your decision. Build a first order, then drag numbers where you want them; every quick change is flagged by name as you move them. ### More guides - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # How many routines between a dancer's numbers, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > How many routines apart a dancer's recital numbers should be: three is the usual rule of thumb, what that means in minutes, and when it cannot be met. ## How many routines between a dancer's numbers Three routines between a dancer's numbers is the usual rule of thumb for a full costume change: with three minute routines and short changeovers, that is roughly ten minutes off stage. Use two for a quick layer or shoe change, and four or more for a complete change with hair, for very young dancers, or when the dressing room is far from the wings. ### Why routines, not minutes Nobody publishes a rule for this: the gap is a studio decision, and recital software treats it as a setting. One studio system lets you set costume gap requirements, another warns when dancers are inside a costume change cushion (both read on the date shown below). Counting routines is what everyone does in practice because it is what the running order shows. It is also what the planner counts, and it then turns the count into minutes with the running clock so you can see the real time a dancer has. ### Worked example: what a gap means in minutes In the sample recital in the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/), the average routine is 2:51 long and the changeover between routines is 30 seconds. From the end of a dancer's number to the start of their next one, the time off stage is the routines between plus one changeover more than that: | Routines between | About this many minutes off stage | Enough for | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 4 | Shoes or a jacket, with a helper | | 2 | 7 | A simple costume change | | 3 | 11 | A full change for most dancers | | 4 | 14 | A full change with hair, or young dancers | After the planner builds the sample with a gap of 3, the tightest change anywhere in the show belongs to Mia Chen, with about 10 minutes between numbers. The quick change report prints this minute count next to every tight change, so a dresser can plan for the ones that matter. ### When the gap cannot be met Take a short showcase of 10 routines where one dancer, Mia, is in 5 of them. With a gap of 3, her five numbers need 4 gaps of 3 routines plus her 5 numbers: 17 places, and the show has 10. No order can do it. The planner still spreads her numbers as far as they go, leaves 3 quick changes, and says for each one: > Mia is in 5 of the 10 routines here; 3 between each would need 17. The fixes are human ones: take her out of a number, lower her gap to 2 if her costumes allow it, add an intermission (which counts as a full gap at any length while the intermission setting is on), or plan a dresser in the wings for that change. ### Common mistakes - **One gap for everyone.** The dancer with a full costume and a wig needs more than the dancer who swaps a jacket. Set their own gap instead of raising it for the whole show. - **Forgetting the walk.** A dressing room two floors from the stage eats a routine of time. Raise the gap or the changeover length when the building is against you. - **Ignoring the finale.** Company dancers often go straight from their last class number into the finale costume. Check the numbers just before the finale. - **Trusting an intermission that is too short.** Ten minutes with a queue for the one mirror is not a full gap. Turn off the intermission setting if it is not. The intermission itself is a separate decision; the free intermission length calculator listed on the Stage Stubs tools page (read on the date shown) is one way to size it. ### Sources - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [Free tools for dance recitals](https://stagestubs.com/tools), Stage Stubs. Ten free planning tools, including an intermission length calculator; no running order generator. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **How many routines apart should a dancer's numbers be?** Three routines between numbers is the most common starting point for a full costume change. Two can work for a shoe change or a jacket; four or more helps for a complete change with hair and makeup, or for the youngest dancers who need a parent or a helper. **Is an intermission a full gap?** Usually yes: fifteen minutes is longer than any costume change. If your intermission is short or the dressing rooms are far from the stage, turn that setting off and the planner counts only the routines. **Can one dancer have a bigger gap than everyone else?** Yes. Give that dancer their own gap on the Roster tab, for example 5 for a dancer with a full costume and wig change, and the planner holds their numbers further apart without changing anyone else's. **How do I know when a gap is impossible?** Multiply. A dancer in k numbers needs (k minus 1) times (gap plus 1) plus 1 places in the stretch of the show they dance in. If the show, or the half between intermissions, is shorter than that, no order can meet the gap. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > How to split one dance recital roster into two or more shows: keep families in one show, keep dancers to one show, and keep the shows about the same length. ## Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital To split one roster into two shows, put each class routine in one show so every dancer, and every family, comes to one show only, put the numbers everybody shares (the opening number, the finale) in both, and balance the running times. Then order each show on its own. Dancers who have to come to both shows are the cost of the split; list them and tell those families first. ### Why studios split A recital outgrows one show when the auditorium cannot seat every family, or the show runs past the youngest dancers' bedtime. The split is a scheduling problem in its own right, before any order is made: recital software sells it as a feature, with one studio system describing show assignments that keep families together and keep dancers out of more than one show, and another charging per extra appearance on a multi show order (both read on the date below). ### The three things a split balances 1. **Families in one show.** Two siblings in different shows means a family buying tickets twice and sitting through two evenings. This weighs most. 2. **Dancers in one show.** A dancer whose classes land in both shows has to come to both. Sometimes unavoidable, always worth knowing early. 3. **Even lengths.** Shows of very different lengths feel unfair and are harder to staff. The planner lets the lengths drift a little to keep families together, and never far. ### Worked example: the sample recital as two shows The sample recital in the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) has 15 routines and three families of siblings (Okoro, Kim, Ruiz). Mark the opening number and the finale as in every show, set two shows and a gap of 2, and build. The planner splits it like this: | Show | Routines in order | Dancing time | Quick changes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Opening Number, Senior Jazz, Tiny Tap, Adult Tap, Senior Lyrical, Petite Ballet, Petite Jazz, Senior Tap, Finale | 24:35 | 3 | | 2 | Opening Number, Teen Lyrical, Junior Jazz, Teen Contemporary, Teen Hip Hop, Junior Tap, Junior Ballet, Finale | 23:50 | 6 | No dancer has to come to both shows, apart from the company dancers who are in the opening number and the finale anyway. One family is spread over both shows (Kim). Keeping it together would unbalance the lengths or split other dancers, so the planner names it and the studio decides whether to move a class by hand. The example also shows the price of a small split. Each show now has only eight or nine numbers, and the company dancers are in the opening, the finale and two class numbers. Four numbers in eight places cannot all be two routines apart, and the report says so plainly, for example: "Ava Brooks is in 4 of the 9 routines here; 2 between each would need 10." A real recital with 60 routines split in two has room to spare; a 15 routine showcase probably should not be split at all. ### Common mistakes - **Splitting by level alone.** Babies in the matinee and seniors in the evening sounds tidy, but siblings span levels. Label families and let them pull classes together. - **Ordering before splitting.** Build the split first, then order each show; an order made for one big show says nothing about two small ones. - **Forgetting the shared numbers.** A finale in both shows means everyone in it performs twice. Mark it so, or the split puts it in one show only. - **Telling families late.** The list of dancers in both shows is the first thing to send home. ### Sources - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [ShowSort pricing](https://showsort.com/pricing), ShowSort. Per routine and per appearance prices, and what the free preview and the demo show. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **How do I split a recital into two shows?** Put each routine in one show, except numbers every dancer shares such as the finale, which go in both. Choose the split so each dancer's routines land in one show, siblings share a show, and the two shows run about the same length. Then order each show on its own. **What if a dancer's classes land in both shows?** Then that family comes to both shows. Sometimes it cannot be avoided, for example a company dancer in many classes. The planner lists every dancer in more than one show so you can tell families early. **How do I keep siblings together?** Give siblings the same family label on the Roster tab, such as their surname. The planner treats a family spread over two shows as a bigger cost than one dancer in two shows. **Can I choose which show a routine goes in?** Yes. Keep a routine in a named show, or mark it as in every show, and the planner splits everything else around it. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Backstage running order and quick change list, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > What a backstage running order for a dance recital needs: numbers, start times, calls to the wings, quick changes and dressing rooms, printed from one order. ## Backstage running order and quick change list A backstage running order lists every number in show order with its start time, length, dressing room and the moment its dancers are called to the wings, and flags every quick change with the dancer's name and the minutes they have. Give the stage manager that sheet, give the dressers the quick change list, and give each dressing room its own list of numbers and dancers, all printed from the same order. ### Who needs which sheet - **Stage manager and the booth:** the running order with start times and breaks, so the show keeps to time and sound and lights know what is next. - **Wings and backstage helpers:** the calls: which routine to bring up while which routine is on. - **Dressers:** the quick change list and the costume list, with where each dancer goes next. - **Dressing room parents:** their room's routines and dancers, in order. - **Families:** a "your numbers" sheet per dancer, with times to be ready. The layouts here are our own. No studio body publishes a standard form for these, and recital software presents the same fields its own way: a drag and drop show order with a costume change cushion warning, or a generator that flags routines that are still too close together (sources read on the date below). ### Worked example: the first numbers of the sample recital This is the top of the backstage sheet the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) prints for its built sample recital, which runs from 18:00 to about 19:04. Dancers are called 3 numbers ahead, so the first three numbers are called before the show starts. | No. | Start | Routine | Room | Call to wings | Dancers | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 18:00 | Opening Number | Room A | Before the show | 4 | | 2 | 18:03 | Junior Ballet | Room B | Before the show | 3 | | 3 | 18:06 | Teen Lyrical | Room B | Before the show | 2 | | 4 | 18:10 | Tiny Tap | Room C | During 1 | 4 | | 5 | 18:13 | Senior Lyrical | Room A | During 2 | 3 | | 6 | 18:17 | Junior Tap | Room B | During 3 | 3 | In the built order there are no quick changes, so the quick change column reads None all the way down. In the order the classes were typed in, the same sheet flags eleven, each with the dancer named and the minutes they have; the [no quick changes guide](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) shows both orders side by side. ### Calls, clocks and breaks Start times come from the running clock: each routine's length, the changeover after it (30 seconds by default, longer for a routine with props), and the breaks. An act break with no interval adds only the changeover; an intermission adds its minutes. The call for each number is the routine that is on stage when its dancers should leave the dressing room. Set how many numbers ahead on the Rules tab. ### Common mistakes - **Printing before the last move.** Every sheet is a snapshot. Print after the order is final, and print the date on it. - **One sheet for everyone.** The program has no times and no rooms; the backstage sheet has no songs. Print each audience its own sheet. - **No time for changeovers.** A show of 3 minute routines with no changeover time runs late by the interval. Set a realistic changeover and the clock stays honest. - **Leaving quick changes to memory.** The dresser at the stage door needs the list in hand, with minutes, not a reminder shouted across the wings. ### Sources - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [Free tools for dance recitals](https://stagestubs.com/tools), Stage Stubs. Ten free planning tools, including an intermission length calculator; no running order generator. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **What is a backstage running order?** The stage manager's copy of the show: every number in order with its start time, how long it runs, when its dancers are called to the wings, which dressing room they come from, and every quick change flagged. It is not the audience program. **What is a quick change list?** A list of every dancer who has little time between two numbers, with the two routines and the minutes available, so dressers and helpers are in the right place at the right moment. **How far ahead should dancers be called to the wings?** Three numbers ahead is a common starting point, which is about ten minutes in a show of three minute routines. Set it on the Rules tab; every sheet follows. **Do the sheets change when I move a routine?** Yes. Every printout is built from the running order on screen, so moving a routine updates the start times, the calls, the quick change flags and the family sheets together. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Dance recital program: what to include, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > What to put in a dance recital program: routine titles, songs, choreographers and dancers in show order, and the intermission, with an example program. ## Dance recital program: what to include A dance recital program lists every routine in show order with its number, title, song and choreographer, and usually the names of the dancers in it, with the intermission marked where it falls. Print it last, from the final running order, so the numbers in the program match the numbers backstage. ### The parts of a program 1. **Cover:** studio name, show title, date, venue and time. 2. **Welcome:** a short note, and any house rules such as no flash photography. 3. **Running order:** the part families read. Number, routine title, song, choreographer, dancers. 4. **Intermission:** marked in the running order where it falls. 5. **Thanks:** teachers, volunteers, sponsors, after the running order. Program templates for word processors and design tools are easy to find, but they are typed by hand, and every change to the order means retyping the numbers. The [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) prints the running order part of the program straight from the order, in one or two columns, with or without dancer names, and as CSV for a designer or a print shop. ### Example program from the sample recital This is the running order section of the program for the built sample recital, rendered by the planner from its own order. Every name is invented. Spring recital 1. 1. **Opening Number**Radetzky MarchChoreography: Ms RiveraAva Brooks, Mia Chen, Zoe Patel, Lily Novak 2. 2. **Junior Ballet**Swan Lake WaltzChoreography: Ms OkaforHana Kim, Chloe Adams, Nora Quinn 3. 3. **Teen Lyrical**The Blue DanubeChoreography: Ms RiveraOwen Hart, Maya Singh 4. 4. **Tiny Tap**The EntertainerChoreography: Ms OkaforElla Okoro, Jun Kim, Sofia Reyes, Noah Park 5. 5. **Senior Lyrical**Clair de LuneChoreography: Ms RiveraAva Brooks, Mia Chen, Grace Okoro 6. 6. **Junior Tap**Hungarian Dance No. 5Choreography: Ms OkaforMateo Ruiz, Nora Quinn, Lily Novak 7. 7. **Teen Hip Hop**In the Hall of the Mountain KingChoreography: Mr DiazZoe Patel, Lena Ruiz, Owen Hart, Maya Singh 8. 8. **Petite Ballet**Dance of the Sugar Plum FairyChoreography: Ms OkaforElla Okoro, Sofia Reyes, Isla Grant, Ruby ShawIntermission 9. 9. **Junior Jazz**Maple Leaf RagChoreography: Mr DiazHana Kim, Mateo Ruiz, Chloe Adams, Lily Novak 10. 10. **Senior Tap**Can-CanChoreography: Mr DiazAva Brooks, Zoe Patel, Grace Okoro 11. 11. **Teen Contemporary**Spring, from The Four SeasonsChoreography: Ms RiveraMia Chen, Lena Ruiz, Maya Singh 12. 12. **Adult Tap**The Stars and Stripes ForeverChoreography: Ms OkaforDana Wells, Priya Rao 13. 13. **Petite Jazz**Flight of the BumblebeeChoreography: Mr DiazJun Kim, Noah Park, Isla Grant 14. 14. **Senior Jazz**Ride of the ValkyriesChoreography: Mr DiazGrace Okoro, Ruby Shaw 15. 15. **Finale**Ode to JoyChoreography: Ms RiveraAva Brooks, Mia Chen, Zoe Patel, Lily Novak, Owen Hart, Maya Singh ### Common mistakes - **Numbers that do not match backstage.** If the program says number 12 and the stage manager calls number 11, parents miss their child. Print both from the same order. - **Misspelled names.** Families notice. Fix the name once on the Roster tab and every sheet follows. - **Printing too early.** The last swap happens the week of the show. Send the program to print after the dress rehearsal if you can. - **Songs without context.** A song title alone is fine; for a medley, name the pieces the way the choreographer wants them credited. ### Sources - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [Free tools for dance recitals](https://stagestubs.com/tools), Stage Stubs. Ten free planning tools, including an intermission length calculator; no running order generator. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **What goes in a dance recital program?** The show title and date, then every routine in show order with its number, title, song and choreographer, and usually the dancers' names. Mark the intermission. Thank-yous, the staff list and sponsor pages go before or after the running order, not inside it. **Should dancer names be printed in the program?** Many studios print them because families look for their child's name. Some leave them out for privacy or space. The planner prints the program with or without names; it is a layout option, not a data change. **One column or two?** One column reads best for short programs and large type. Two columns fit a longer recital on a folded sheet. Both are the same order, so pick by paper size. **What if the order changes after the program is printed?** Print the program last. Because the program is built from the running order, a late change means a reprint, not retyping. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Piano recital order: how to order performers, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > How to order a piano or music recital: youngest and newest players first, the most advanced last, duets and second pieces spaced out, with a worked example. ## Piano recital order: how to order performers Order a piano recital from the newest and youngest players to the most advanced, so beginners play early and the recital builds to its strongest pieces. Keep a student's two pieces, and a duet and its players' solos, a piece or two apart unless they are meant to be played together, and vary tempo and style so the audience hears contrast from one piece to the next. ### The usual rules - **Levels rise through the program.** Beginners first, intermediate in the middle, the most advanced player last. Nerves last longer than pieces, so the youngest are glad to be done early. - **Space a player's pieces.** A student with two pieces, or a solo and a duet, gets a rest between them. That is the same gap a dance studio uses for a costume change, measured in pieces. - **Contrast.** A slow nocturne after a slow waltz drags. Alternate tempo and style where the levels allow it. - **Timing.** Allow time for bows, bench height and page setup: the changeover between pieces. These are teaching habits, not a published rule; set them the way your studio does. There is no rulebook to cite for recital order, so the sources below are the tools studios use today, read on the date shown. ### Worked example: a 12 piece recital Seven students play 12 pieces. Ella and Jun play a solo each and a duet together; Ruby, Owen and Grace play two solos; Maya and Grace play a duet. The recital has two parts with an act break (no interval) before piece 6: levels 1 and 2 are pinned to part one, levels 4 and 5 to part two, and level 3 goes wherever it fits. The youngest player opens and the most advanced closes. With a gap of 2 pieces, the pieces in the order they were typed have 3 players too close to their next piece. The [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) builds this order with none, running about 43 minutes with 45 seconds between pieces: | No. | Piece | Player | Level | Starts | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Minuet in G | Ella | Level 1 | 18:00 | | 2 | Ode to Joy | Jun | Level 1 | 18:02 | | 3 | The Happy Farmer | Nora | Level 1 | 18:04 | | 4 | Fur Elise | Ruby | Level 3 | 18:06 | | 5 | Heart and Soul, duet | Ella and Jun | Level 2 | 18:10 | | 6 | Hungarian Dance No. 5, duet | Maya and Grace | Level 4 | 18:12 | | 7 | Gymnopedie No. 1 | Owen | Level 3 | 18:16 | | 8 | Arabesque No. 1 | Ruby | Level 4 | 18:20 | | 9 | Clair de Lune | Grace | Level 5 | 18:25 | | 10 | Solfeggietto | Owen | Level 4 | 18:30 | | 11 | Maple Leaf Rag | Maya | Level 4 | 18:34 | | 12 | Nocturne in E flat | Grace | Level 5 | 18:38 | To do this yourself, paste one row per piece with the player or players after the title, set the gap on the Rules tab, add an act break where the second part starts, and pin the opener, the closer and each level to its part. ### Common mistakes - **Entering a duet as two pieces.** It is one piece with two players. Put both names on it. - **Forgetting the accompanist.** A teacher or a parent who accompanies several students is a performer too. Add them to each piece, or give them a gap of 0 if they stay at the piano. - **Ordering by age only.** A gifted eight year old may play a level 4 piece. Pin by level, not by age, if level is what the audience hears. - **No time for the bench.** Forty five seconds between pieces adds up. Put a realistic changeover on the clock so the recital ends when you said it would. ### Sources - [Free tools for dance recitals](https://stagestubs.com/tools), Stage Stubs. Ten free planning tools, including an intermission length calculator; no running order generator. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [ShowSort pricing](https://showsort.com/pricing), ShowSort. Per routine and per appearance prices, and what the free preview and the demo show. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **What order do piano teachers use for a recital?** Most go from the newest and youngest players to the most advanced, so beginners play early, relax and listen, and the recital builds to its strongest pieces. Within that, they vary tempo and style so two slow pieces do not sit together. **Should a student's two pieces be played back to back?** Some teachers do, to save a trip to the bench. Others space them so the student can sit down, hear a piece and come back. Set the gap to 0 for back to back, or 1 or 2 to space them. **How are duets handled?** A duet is one piece with two players. Enter both names on it, and the gap applies to both players, so neither has a solo straight before or after the duet unless you allow it. **Does the same tool work for choirs, bands or a talent show?** Yes. Any show where one person appears more than once has the same problem: a singer in a solo and the ensemble, an accompanist, a talent show act with two numbers. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Recital order software compared, with prices](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Recital order software compared, with prices, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/guide/recital-order-software-compared/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > Recital show order software side by side: what each tool does, how it is priced, what it needs to run and whether it is free, with the date each price was read. ## Recital order software compared, with prices Recital order software falls into three groups: per use web tools that charge by the routine, studio suites sold by the year or the season that include show order among other recital features, and a one time desktop spreadsheet. Prices on 27 September 2026 ranged from US$39.95 once to US$529 a year. Showorder is a browser tool with no account that keeps dancer names on your device and is free. ### The tools, side by side Facts only, from each vendor's public page as read on 27 September 2026. Names are used only to describe the products. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. | Tool | What it is | Price | Account | Runs on | Free option | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ShowSort | Web show order optimiser for recitals, single and multi show | US$2.49 per routine to activate a show; US$2.49 per added routine and US$0.99 per added appearance after that | Yes | Web browser | Free preview on your own data with the optimised order hidden; a full demo on a sample recital | | RecitalReady | Studio recital suite with Smart Show Order, show assignments and a costume change cushion warning | US$529 per year | Yes | Web browser | None stated on the home page | | My Recital Planner | Recital planner with show order, pins, level gaps and a quick change report | US$75 per season | Yes | Web browser | Trial whose reports are previews | | RCM AutoSeq | Show order sequencer that runs as an Excel workbook | US$39.95 one time, upgrades included | No | Desktop Microsoft Excel on Windows or Mac; not Excel for the web or Numbers | Demo download | | Jackrabbit Dance Recital Module | Recital order generator inside a studio management system | Not listed on the article; available to current customers, sales contact for others | Yes, a studio account | Web browser | None for non customers | | Showorder | Browser running order planner with a show split, pins, printouts and a quick change report | Free | No | Any modern browser; names stay on the device | Everything | ### Worked example: a 60 routine recital Take a mid sized studio with 60 routines in one show. At the prices read on 27 September 2026: - **ShowSort:** 60 x US$2.49 = US$149.40 for one show. - **RecitalReady:** US$529 a year, whatever the size. - **My Recital Planner:** US$75 a season, whatever the size. - **RCM AutoSeq:** US$39.95 once. - **Jackrabbit Dance Recital Module:** Part of a studio management subscription. Per routine pricing is cheap for a small showcase and the most expensive option for a big recital; a second show adds a charge per new appearance. Yearly and seasonal prices do not depend on size but usually come with an account and a studio setup. The one time spreadsheet is cheapest over years, but it needs desktop Excel: its requirements page rules out Excel for the web and Numbers. ### How to choose - **Already on a studio management system?** Check whether its recital module orders shows; one major system added a generator for its customers in August 2026. - **One recital a year, many routines?** Compare per routine totals against a season price. - **Children's names and a school or studio policy?** Prefer a tool that does not upload the roster, or check where each vendor stores it. - **Want to try before paying?** Note what each free option shows: a hidden order, a sample recital or a trial with preview reports are different things. Whatever you use, the method is the same; the [no quick changes guide](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) walks through it with a worked example. ### Common mistakes - **Comparing list prices without the show size.** Work the total for your routine count and your number of shows. - **Assuming a preview is the product.** A free preview that hides the optimised order tells you the tool works, not what order it gives you. - **Forgetting where the roster goes.** A cloud account stores dancer names on someone's server. That may be fine; decide it on purpose. - **Trusting a price from last season.** Check the vendor page on the day you buy. ### Sources - [ShowSort pricing](https://showsort.com/pricing), ShowSort. Per routine and per appearance prices, and what the free preview and the demo show. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RecitalReady home page](https://www.recitalready.com/), RecitalReady. Yearly price, show assignments that keep families together, and a costume change cushion warning. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [My Recital Planner home page](https://myrecitalplanner.com/), My Recital Planner. Per season price, show order with pins and level gaps, quick change report, and a trial whose reports are previews. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RCM AutoSeq ordering information](https://rcmgr.com/ordering-information/), RCM (Recital and Competition Manager). One time price with upgrades included. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [RCM AutoSeq system requirements](https://rcmgr.com/system-studio-requirements/), RCM (Recital and Competition Manager). Needs desktop Microsoft Excel on Windows or Mac; not Excel for the web and not Numbers. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [How to Simplify Recital Planning With a Recital Order Generator](https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/how-to-simplify-recital-planning-with-a-recital-order-generator), Jackrabbit Dance blog, 24 August 2026. A recital order generator inside the Recital Module for current customers, with costume gap rules, sibling spacing and locked openers and finales. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. - [Free tools for dance recitals](https://stagestubs.com/tools), Stage Stubs. Ten free planning tools, including an intermission length calculator; no running order generator. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **Is there free recital order software?** Showorder is free with no account for shows of up to 400 routines. The paid tools listed here offer previews, demos or trials. **Which tool is cheapest for a large recital?** It depends on the pricing model. Per routine pricing grows with the show; a yearly or seasonal price does not. The table works the arithmetic for a 60 routine recital with the prices read on the date shown. **Are these prices current?** They are the prices on each vendor's public page on the date shown next to the source. Vendors change prices; check the linked page before you buy. **Is Showorder affiliated with any of these companies?** Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. ### More guides - [How to make a recital order with no quick changes](https://showorder.app/guide/no-quick-changes/) - [How many routines between a dancer's numbers](https://showorder.app/guide/how-many-routines-apart/) - [Two shows, one roster: splitting a dance recital](https://showorder.app/guide/two-shows-one-roster/) - [Backstage running order and quick change list](https://showorder.app/guide/backstage-running-order/) - [Dance recital program: what to include](https://showorder.app/guide/recital-program/) - [Piano recital order: how to order performers](https://showorder.app/guide/piano-recital-order/) Last reviewed 27 September 2026. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Recital running order questions and answers, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/faq/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > Answers about Showorder: where dancer names are kept, what a quick change is, how names are matched, show splits, and what the solver cannot do. ## Questions about Showorder Using Showorder is free, needs no account and keeps dancer names in your browser; below are answers on gaps, pins, breaks and splitting shows, the [guide](https://showorder.app/guide/) goes deeper and the [planner](https://showorder.app/plan/) is where you try them. ### Frequently asked questions **What does Showorder do?** It puts the routines of a recital in an order where no dancer has a quick change. You paste each routine and the dancers in it, set how many routines a dancer needs between numbers, pin anything that must stay put, and it builds the order. It names any quick change it could not remove and says why, then prints the program, the backstage running order, a sheet per dancer, costume and dressing room lists and a quick change report. **Who is it for?** Dance studio owners and recital coordinators first, and anyone ordering a show where the same people appear more than once: piano and music recitals, talent shows, school concerts and dance showcases. **What counts as a quick change?** Two appearances by the same dancer with fewer routines between them than the gap you set. The default gap is 3 routines, so a dancer in routine 4 is next free to appear in routine 8. Back to back numbers are flagged whenever the gap is 1 or more, unless an intermission sits between them. You can raise the gap for one dancer with a hard costume, and an intermission of any length counts as a full gap while that setting is on. **Where are the dancer names kept?** In this browser, on this device, and nowhere else. There is no server and no account: the ordering runs on the page, the show is saved in the browser's own storage, and nothing you paste is uploaded. Save a backup file to move a show to another computer. **How does it match a dancer across routines?** By name, ignoring capitals, extra spaces and punctuation, so "mia chen" and "Mia Chen" are one dancer. "Chen, Mia" is read as Mia Chen. Names that are close but not equal, such as "Mia Chen" and "Mia C", are listed for you to merge or keep apart; nothing is merged without you. **Can it always remove every quick change?** No. A dancer in 9 routines of a 20 routine show cannot have 3 routines between every number, and two pinned routines can force a short gap. When a change cannot be removed, the planner keeps it as wide as it can, flags it in red with the dancer named, and says which rule or which other dancers stopped it moving. **Is the order the same every time?** Yes. The solver is deterministic: the same routines, rules and seed always give the same order. Try another arrangement uses a new seed when you want to see a different order that keeps the same rules. **Can I change the order by hand?** Yes, and you should. Drag a routine, or select it and use the arrow keys, and every quick change is checked again as you move. Lock a routine to keep it in place on the next build, and add an intermission or an act break anywhere. **Can it split a big recital into two shows?** Yes. Tell it how many shows, and it assigns routines to shows so the fewest dancers have to come to more than one, siblings with the same family label end up in the same show, and the shows run about the same length. A finale can be marked to appear in every show. **What does it cost?** Nothing. Every feature is free with no sign up and nothing is for sale. **Does it work for piano recitals and talent shows?** Yes. A performer in two pieces, a duet partner or an accompanist is the same problem as a dancer in two routines: set the gap, paste the pieces and the performers, and build. The piano recital guide covers the usual rules, such as youngest first and the strongest player last. **Is it affiliated with any studio software or dance organisation?** Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. --- # Privacy: dancer names never leave your browser, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/privacy/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > How Showorder handles a recital roster: dancer names are ordered, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing you type is ever sent anywhere. ## Privacy: dancer names never leave your browser How Showorder handles a recital roster: dancer names are ordered, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing you type is ever sent anywhere. Last updated 28 September 2026 ### What you type about dancers A recital roster is a list of names, and most of them belong to children. Showorder needs a name only to tell one dancer from another across routines, so any label works: a first name and initial, a nickname, or a number if you prefer. It never asks for an age, a birth date, a photo, a phone number, an address or a parent's details, and it has no field where one would go. An optional family label (a surname or any word you choose) keeps siblings together when a roster is split into shows. ### What stays on your device The ordering runs in your browser, in a background worker on this page. There is no server side to this site: it is a set of static files. Nothing you paste, build, move or print is transmitted anywhere. Your work is written to your browser's own local storage, under keys beginning with `showorder.` and nowhere else. It belongs to one browser on one device: it does not follow you to another computer, it is not backed up by us, and nobody else can read it. Clearing site data for this site removes it permanently. Use the backup button on the Shows tab to keep a copy as a file; that file is saved wherever you choose and is yours to keep or delete. ### No accounts There is no sign up, no sign in, no email capture and no password. Every page, including the planner and every printout, works without identifying yourself in any way. ### What is collected No account, no advertising identifiers, and nothing you enter. Standard web server logs kept by the static host may record the request for a page, its time and a network address, in the ordinary way any web server records a request. ### Page counts This site counts page visits through Cloudflare. The count sets no cookie, cannot follow you to another site, and records that a page was opened, never what is in your show. ### Payments No paid plan is offered at present; if one is added, this page will describe it. ### Cookies Showorder sets no cookies of its own and carries no advertising or cross site tracking scripts. ### Children The site is a planning tool for studio owners, teachers and show organisers and is not directed at children. It makes no claim about the safety or supervision of the children in a show; it sets the order of the show. ### Changes If this policy changes in a way that affects what is collected, the change will appear on this page. ### Contact Questions about privacy go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Since nothing is stored on a server, most requests are answered by telling you which local storage keys to clear. --- # Terms of use for the recital order planner, Showorder URL: https://showorder.app/terms/ Last reviewed: 2026-09-27 > The terms that apply when you use Showorder: what a running order planning aid can be relied on for, names and children, your data and acceptable use. ## Terms of use The terms that apply when you use Showorder: what a running order planning aid can be relied on for, names and children, your data and acceptable use. Last updated 28 September 2026 ### What this is Showorder is a planning aid that turns the routines, performers and rules you type into a proposed running order, and prints documents from it. The order of a show is an artistic decision and stays yours. The planner does not know your venue, your costumes or your dancers, so the gap you set between a dancer's numbers is the gap it works to, and a quick change it reports as unavoidable is unavoidable only under the rules you gave it. Check the order and every printout before you publish it to staff or families. ### Names and children Type whatever label you need to tell dancers apart. Nothing you enter leaves your browser. You remain responsible for following your studio's or school's rules about children's information on the device you use. Showorder makes no claim about the safety or supervision of anyone in a show. ### Names used Software and organisations are named on the comparison page and in the guides only to describe them, with the date their public pages were read. Showorder is not affiliated with any dance studio software company, dance teachers association, music examination board or competition organiser. ### Payments No paid plan is offered at present; if one is added, this page will describe it. ### Your data Anything the site remembers is stored by your own browser on your own device. You can clear it at any time, we cannot recover it, and it does not follow you to another device. Save a backup file regularly if the show matters to you. ### Acceptable use Use the site to build running orders. Do not scrape it at a rate that degrades it for other people, and do not enter more about a performer than you need to tell them apart. ### Warranty and liability The site is provided as it is, without warranty of any kind. To the extent the law allows, Showorder is not liable for any loss arising from its use or from reliance on a running order it proposes. Check every order before you publish it to staff or families. ### Contact Questions, and reports of an order that breaks a pin it should have kept, go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. A pin broken by the solver is a defect and gets fixed.