Thursday, April 25, 2013

TIPS FOR YOUR STUDENT’S PERFORMANCE

Sometimes nerves get the better of our students or sometimes a hiccup occurs which is beyond our or our student’s control.  Whatever the cause it’s best to try to minimise the damage so that the performance does not become a nightmare.  Here is some advice you can give your students to help them through their performance no matter what happens.

If a dancer forgets what they are doing onstage
Remind them that the audience does not know their dance so they need to keep moving and chances are the audience won’t know the difference.  Have an emergency step in mind and do that while taking a deep breath and trying to get back on track.  They will need to look around if they are dancing in a group to pick up which step the other dancers are doing. 

The music skips or stops during the performance
Keep going!  The audience are usually very impressed if a dancer or dancers are able to keep going when the music stops mid dance.  If dancing in a group your students will need to be very aware of each other in order to keep in time with each other.

A student falls of drops a prop
If the prop isn’t necessary just leave it on the stage.  But if they need to use it again in the performance they will have to find a way to pick it up and make it look planned.  If someone falls then get up as quickly as possible.  Do what you need to do to keep going. It’s good for the students to look at the stage for imperfections and slippery spots before the performance but sometimes this is just not possible.  I did once see a dancer dislocate her knee on stage (not a pretty sight).  The other members of the group kept going while, clearly, the injured dancer could not continue so she pulled herself off stage.

One member is injured just before the performance
The student’s health is more important than a performance so they need to take care of their body first.  However, this makes it difficult for the rest of the group to keep logical formations, canon etc   Formations will need to be fixed in the dressing room/warm up room and the dancers need to keep their wits about themselves.  There is no easy way of getting around this.  In the past I have practised alternate formations in class but we do not always have time to do this.

Someone forgets their costume
If a parent going home and coming back in time isn’t an option then I suggest that all members of the group change their costume around so that each person has an individual look.  The other students share their accessories so that the uncostumed dancer has some things that the rest of the group have.  The student could also ask around the dressing room – you never know what other dancers might have.  Even a class leotard/uniform might help.

It may be useful to give your students some strategies for focussing on the performance just before they go onstage.  Breathing, creative visualisation, warm up, team building exercises all help performances to go smoothly.
 
Regards,
TDT

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