Stage Skills 101 Workshop - Stand Still!

Have you ever thought about the power of JUST STANDING STILL when you talk to an audience, or share your music?? Most of us feel we have to DO something when we're on stage; that we have to dazzle everyone with our great performance ability. It's just not so. I teach my students to STOP moving around on stage unless it's called for from an emotional standpoint; they need to connect with a particular section of the audience; or, they just feel that it's time to move because the speech or lyric dictate that.

This afternoon my Stage Skills 101 workshop was really exciting. I had a diverse group of speakers and singers ranging in age from 10-60! It's always neat to have a wide age range because we can learn so much from each other. One of the things everyone needed to work on was learning not to shuffle their feet around on stage. It's a common thread among performers/speakers to be in constant motion. They don't really move, though, using their stage; instead they take a small step, drag the other foot, rock back and forth; you get the picture. What that does is steal the focus from your message, and distract the audience. Subliminally, your audience is pulled off your message by all this shuffling around. They can't concentrate on what you're saying when they're distracted by your inconsequential movement.

So be brave next time you present or sing; try standing still! It will allow your audience to completely focus on your message, not your feet. A performer who stands still and only moves when it's important shows mastery and command. Focus on your message, and have the confidence to stand still when you have something important to say!