Performance is so much more than the obvious element of technique with your tools — clearly you need to be able to do something that an audience is going to enjoy watching.
If you’re someone who is investigating how to create solid performances, here’s a few pointers to help you along the way.
- Say something. While it need not be the overtness of a story that your piece is saying, we’ve found more successful performances have something to express to the audience watching and that something is more than just some moves that are well strung together.
- Peaks and Valleys. In the process of saying whatever it is your saying, the act needs some highs and some lows — hills and valleys as it were. The distance between the highs and the lows is the range of the piece. The larger the range, the more interesting the piece will likely be because it will create more of a journey for the audience.
- Connect with the audience. There are certain kinds of performances where connecting with the audience is much harder than others — on a stage where you can’t see the whole crowd is one that is tougher than a more intimate setting where you can look everyone in the eyes because they are right in front of you. Even still, pushing your energy bubble out toward the audience is a sure way to bring them into the piece and if you can bring them into the performance and make them a part of it, you’ll have the opportunity harness their energy on the stage with you to expand the impact of the piece.
- Be vulnerable. While people may not be consciously aware of it, our experience often indicates that allowing yourself to be exposed and able to be seen in a way where you could potentially be hurt has more gain than downside. Certainly an audience can be unaffected by what you’re bringing to the stage. But most times, given what we do, they will respond. The more vulnerably you share yourself, the more impacted you can be by the audience. When you are more impacted, then you can reflect more energy back to them which allows them to impact you more, thereby creating an upward spiral of success that will enhance the quality of the performance overall.
- Use audience appropriate music. It seems like an obvious statement to make — clearly you don’t want to perform with music that will negatively impact the people listening to you. A good example of a bad choice of music might be using some current rap song for an octogenarian audience. A performance is more than what the audience sees which means the music they hear will play a critical part in their appreciation of and willingness to energize your act with their reception of you.
For more information about becoming a performer, listen and download our performance podcast here, watch the episodes on YouTube in HD, or contact glittergirl (glittergirl (at) templeofpoi (daught) com) to arrange for your private coaching session which can be either in person or remotely done through Skype. Open to creative, non-cash, value-for-value exchanges for those interested in coaching.
Temple of Poi Home
good points, isa. thanks. I’ve been thinking a lot about these things lately.
glad it’s useful! it’s actually a warm up for the continuation of the performance podcast i’ve been publishing. doing more recording next week.
Great post Isa.
thanks to Isa for all of your hard work, sleepless nights and days, and for pushing this poi so much. the only thing i ever knew previous to YOU was a girl who agreed to spin for me while living 4years ago in Eugene, OR – it never happened because it rained non-stop, then due to a family emergency I moved to my hometown of San Francisco. Now i’m pio-ed out (hahahaaa radio is playing “you’re Beautiful {Isa}” as i type this). Thanks for making my dream of fuego make true, and your dream of happy spinners everywhere. if i may comment as a photographer on performers and their stage routine…
Isa makes a very good point of connecting to the audience… it makes the performance more real, and makes YOU more personal, like a (awesome) friend. Plus for the camera(s), it makes for a great expression so we get a fanTasTic image of you instead of a “alright” pix. look at everyone’s posted pixs and of other performers… see the expressions? how do YOU feel upon seeing that expression? yes, now share that mood/emotion and make the audience FEEL that way too!
Another item i have talked at length with other photogs and performers is the performance itself. Imagine this if you must from my viewpoint: I have a camera with a long lens mounted on a tripod, in a mass of other cameras & tripods. I am TRYING to follow a flaming light running from left to right, to and from… the camera will most likely see ONLY the bright flames, and not focus on the person holding that flame… you want outstanding images of your performance. I/WE want to record you at your best, when we can get you in focus! Many photogs shoot with flash, which kills the settings on cameras of those who don’t use flash (like me) and affects the outcome of the pictures especially when in hi-speed motion. There are some photogs who like to catch the patterns of flames, while others like to capture the details, and still others like to snap both. what can YOU do as a performer do to help everyone get decent pictures, plus help the photographers? Know the stage where you will perform. When I go someplace to shoot, i stake out it a day beforehand OR a few hours before the event begins. If you will pause to perform a motionless piece (ooooh thank ye!!), try to do it in the center so everyone will catch your act without too much difficulty; to the sides things can interfere with your appearance: stair rails, trees/bushes, other heads in front, street lamps, etc. If your act is full of motion (running side to side), pleeeeeease have several pauses in-between so that the detail photogs (moi) can still capture you. if you lie on the floor/ground, be aware some may not be able to see you adequately (camera too low). Doing a still stance and spinning may also create a problem with light. IE: doing a chainsaw with your profile exactly to the crowd/photogs, but remember how that light will affect your profile. Can this be done with the arms slightly more to the left/right to put more flame light on the face? These are the things to think about. Ideally a performance should have a good balance of motion mixed with no motion. This way you get to amaze and wow the audience, the photogs are happy cuz they can get a few patterns and still record some detailed close(r) up shots, and YOU get to see some fantastic shots of YOU performing! it’s a win-win situation however, i do know in the heat (oops) of performing, it’s hard to remember all or any of this. Take what you can from my (hopefully constructive) comment and apply it to your performance. Remember, there’s a reason WHY some pictures are more blurry than others. a flash fired will not freeze everything. We don’t do miracles anymore than you do, though in MY humble opinion (who loved playing with fire as a kid – thank gawd i didn’t burn down any homes), what you do is AMAZING – please help me/US capture you at your best. that’s ALL i ask.
if you have any questions (hahahaa – no FlaMes pleeeze), comment and i will reply. if it’s more personal, email me directly. if it benefits everyone here no matter which side of the camera, then post here.
thanks for your passion…. thanks for wanting to perform for us, cameras or not. may your flame always burn long and bright. HUGs to everyone!!