5. Professional Coaching
So you have done all of the above, and you still haven’t gotten your show to the point that it needs to be? Don’t worry, there are professionals out there who can make it their job to clean you up. You will be surprised at how much they can point out, inside of an hour, that will increase your presentation level tremendously. It’s not cheap, but how much is your show worth to you? Rehearsal time, studio rental, costume design, travel expenses, everything adds up to an investment of thousands of dollars for every show that you want to bring to light. If you can make a significant difference by spending another few hundred dollars, then I suggest you do it.
A professional coach will have experience in producing performances that audiences love. Whether you are preparing your performance for competition or exhibition, they will have the eye to get you where you want to be.
Before your first meeting with a professional coach, you should have sent them a video copy of your performance, in costume, done to the best of your ability. This will give them an idea of what you can already do, so that when you first meet they will have things in mind.
I spoke with Darlin Garcia, multiple medal winner, performer, and instructor, based in Philadelphia, PA. When asked what makes the difference between a strong performance and a mediocre one he simply stated:
Practice, practice, practice till you know it with your eyes closed, with and without a partner. Have confidence in yourself. Believing that you are on stage for a reason is everything. Many people work so hard to get to a semi pro or pro level as students. Then once they get there they think they have arrived, and dont need to put in as much work.
In summary:
- 1. A hot song
- 2. A hot costume
- 3. Video record every practice and review it extensively
- 4. Peer review and critiques
- 5. Professional coaching
And please don’t forget to practice!
If you take these things into account you are well on the way to building a quality performance!
Comments- feel free to offer your own tips, comments, or feedback. Off-topic comments will be removed. Thank you for reading!
Hello Dasha,
If your video camera does not offer .5x playback, you can import the footage to your computer and make use of tools for that. I usually record with an iPhone, and then review on the computer. I can slow clips down with Final Cut, I’m not sure if iMovie has the same options. Will check it out and get back to you.
There are some iPhone apps that will allow you to slow down recorded video (check out ubersense coaching if you are on iOS 6)
What software is convenient for slowing down the video to 75%? Thank you!