BE it for fitness or fun, everyone has their reasons for learning exotic dance. Regardless of why you have chosen to pursue this exciting vocation, there’s one aspect that’s crucial to your mastery of the craft ─ the performance.
Besides teaching pole fitness and being a performer at heart, the showgirl in me would like to share some tips to improve your performance, whether you are dancing for fun or performing on stage.
Build up your performance.
Dancing should be like watching a short flick; you start off with simpler moves and gravitate towards the end with a crescendo of more complicated moves. Incorporating dynamic accents will help you create more of an impact on your overall performance and your interpretation of the music.
Start and finish with a bang.
The beginning and end are crucial in determining the success of your performance! As you may only have a few seconds to create an impression, start off with a pose that showcases your lines and best assets, and unfold those subtle poses into something more dramatic. Likewise, always end on a high note ─ imagine your final pose as a visual snapshot of your entire performance for the audience to take home.
Maintain your poise at all times.
Always carry your weight throughout your performance. Even when you land, engage your core to appear light and agile. Whenever possible, keep the weight on the balls of your feet, essentially by having a demi-pointe in your stripper heels. This not only enhances your extensions, it makes you appear more graceful.
Know your song.
Even when you’re not practicing, listen to your performance song repeatedly so you know all the accents by heart. When you dance, it’s best to anticipate all the accents before you hit them. Before an upcoming show, I tend to replay my song continuously even when I’m driving.
Stick to the basics.
Simple moves that you can easily perform are often more alluring to the audience than big power moves, which are far more difficult to execute. Likewise, deliberate on your entry and exit for a move; ensure there are no micro-bends in your knees, flexed or sickled feet. Exaggerate your back and neck arches to the best of your abilities. Splits of any kind is always a crowd favourite as well as no hand moves, such as the layback (bat), left-leg-hang to right-leg-hang, and the maxi.
Engage your audience.
From the start of your performance, it’s important to make a connection with the audience ─ whether it’s a crowd of people or just a single person. Maintain eye contact or use your hands to accentuate your moves.
Have a ball of a time.
As the audience feels your energy, have fun when you’re performing. Keep going even if you make a mistake or skip a beat. All of this is part of showmanship, or should I say ─ show-womanship!
Expressing how you feel through dance is important but how you make the audience feel and relate to you is what determines the makings of a good performer! ─ The Vibes, 3 March, 2021
If you are new & would like to give pole dancing or other forms of exotic dance a go, check out my Instagram account: @stardust_poledancer, or email [email protected] and quote *StardustxVibes* for a trial class at a special rate!
