Having Better Stage Presence
Do you ever watch someone performing whether they sing, play an instrument or dance and then wonder exactly how they managed to have you so captivated. Put in a simplified way, it is likely excellent stage presence that they have. Some people just naturally have it but these next few steps make them greater at it and help other to get it.
1. Watch Other Performers
Growing up I watched so many other performers and would just sit in awe captivated by how they walked, glided or danced across a stage and sang to an audience or danced in an audience. I still live for those types of experiences. And they are just that, experiences! This is the time to think about your favorite performers and watch carefully what they do. What moments make you pay attention the most? Is it a look in their eye or a certain way they strut around then stop without notice. These are some of the types of things that can really have an affect on someone watching. Write it all down and start to incorporate it into what you do.
2. Learn From Your Past Performances
This can be a harder thing to do, go through your old footage! It helps to see where you can improve when you can see it. It's like the first step to recovery = Admittance! See what you are doing that can be better, acknowledge it, admit it and work on it. Every time I perform I am happy about what I did great but I also look for what I may have done a little less great. No performance is ever without a bump but there is likely to be something in what you do that you can control and make better.
How and where are your hands placed during a certain part of the 1st song? Do you sing to yourself instead of to your audience? Do you show your personality or do you just rush through your entire performance? Do you let yourself relax? These are all small but important things that can make all the difference in your stage presence and overall performance.
3. Practice By Yourself
Once you have gone through the first two steps, you can then go on to the next step which is practicing by yourself. Add this to your daily routine. When you going over your performance by yourself you will be free to miss up and not feel like anyone is judging you or like you've ruined your life. And if you have ever though the latter, I'll tell you know it's not that big of a deep if you make a mess up, what matters most is how quickly and easily you recover! People mess up all the time, what separates great from ok is the ability to fix those mess up efficiently and quickly. This is where the practice comes in!
Get down whatever changes you want to make while you are practicing by yourself. Pull out the mirror and hair brush. Mess up, because it is going to happen, laugh at yourself and don't take things too serious, and try again. Repeat this until you have what you want to do so ingrained in you that you cannot mess up! Then...
4. Rehearse In Front Of A Small Group
Take what you have been doing on your own and bring it in front of other people. They can be your supportive friends and family or if it is easier, go to a small venue like a coffee house to practice in front of other people.
Use this performance to help you improve also. Ask those whose opinion you trust what if any improvements they have seen from you, play the footage back and review it yourself to see how you've done. This will help you work out any extra kinks and give you practice for your next event.
