How to Decorate a Large Gym for a Dance Competition

No matter the location, a dance competition is a festive and exciting event for both participants and spectators. If your competition is scheduled to take place in a large gym or other commercial structure, you'll need to take special care to ensure that your decorations set the mood and ambiance for the event. A few simple decorations can make the difference between functional and fabulous.

Instructions

    • 1

      Select a theme for your dance competition. The theme will define the color choices and overall style of your decorations; it's best to opt for a more general theme. Remember that competitors are likely to dance in a variety of styles -- an impassioned Latin samba could potentially clash with a "Midnight in Paris" theme. When in doubt, simple, color-based themes such as "red and gold" are often very effective.

    • 2

      Map out the size of your gym, and make all layout decisions before purchasing or making any decorations. Some considerations might be the size of your stage, the number of chairs for audience members, and the possible presence of other auxiliary areas such as warm-up stations or refreshment tables.

    • 3

      Break up your gym's large, open spaces into smaller areas by using large decorations such as topiary plants, screens or arrangements of flowers. Using large "landmark" pieces like these will help delineate the space, making the gym feel more like a dance-hall.

    • 4

      Select decorations that complement your theme. These could include streamers, flowers, fabric panels, disco balls or other eye-catching items. Large gyms often have exposed support rafters that make ideal attachment points for hanging decorations.

    • 5

      Place smaller decorations in areas where they are likely to be noticed. The backs of chairs, corners of risers, centers of tables and other localized points of interest are ideal spots for flowers, small streamers or strings of beads. Avoid placing small decorations on large gym walls, where they will typically be dwarfed.