Teaching stage presence for performers has long stumped professionals throughout the arts. Some teachers bemoan that it just isn’t something you can learn, you either have it or you don’t. Some students choose dance styles where they don’t have to smile as if that will solve their stage presence problem.

Research conducted with audiences demonstrate that 80% of the time they would rather see a dancer with good stage presence than one with excellent technique who looks uncomfortable on the stage. Even knowing this, as teachers we spend 95% of our time on technique. Our work on stage presence sometimes just consists of saying “ok, this time when we run through it make sure to smile.”

In Part One of this two part class, we will draw from sports psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy to explore the ways you can teach students to improve their stage presence through techniques that focus on the Mind, Body, and achieving a state of Flow.

Your Instructor

Course Curriculum

What is Watering Down your WOW?
Defining Stage Presence

What does Stage Presence Mean to You?

What Does Stage Presence Mean to Other People?

What is Watering Down Your Wow? Quiz

Some Assumptions about Theory

Areas You Can Intervene to Improve Your Stage Presence

Techniques: Mind

Theory: Challenging Negative Thoughts

Action: Challenging Negative Thoughts

Theory: Mind Visualization and Mental Rehearsal

Action: Mind Visualization and Mental Rehearsal

Theory: Setting Goals to Succeed

Action: Setting Goals to Succeed

Techniques: Body

Theory: Reframing Stress Response

Action: Reframing Stress Response

Theory: Breath Work

Action: Breath Work

Theory: Power Posing

Action: Power Posing

Theory: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Action: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Techniques: Flow

What is Flow?

Theory: Identifying Your Passion

Action: Identifying Your Passion

Theory: Experiencing Gratitude

Action: Experiencing Gratitude

Theory: Grounding

Action: Grounding

Theory: Setting Goals

Action: Setting Goals

Theory: Practice Achieving Flow

Action: Practice Achieving Flow

Pre-performance Ritual

Pre-performance Ritual: Mind

Pre-performance Ritual: Body

Pre-performance Ritual: Flow

Personal Pre-performance Ritual

Wrap-Up

Resources

Feedback

Continuing Your Journey