It is getting towards the end of the year, time for school concerts and performances. Here are our top 5 tips for prepping your students to strut their stuff on the stage!
1. Nerves are OK!
Some students can get really nervous before a performance, especially if they haven’t had much experience before. Reassure them that feeling nervous is an important part of giving a good performance. Nerves help to give us energy which we can use to fuel the performance and take it to the next level. Without some nerves the performance might be flat, so instead of fighting the nerves, help your students to accept that they are an important and positive part of the creative process.
2. Perform a Speed Run
Remind your students that we all perform better when we feel confident. So before the show, gather your students and get them to do several ‘speed runs’ of the show. This is when they say all of the words (not the actions) of the piece as fast as they can. This is a great pre-show strategy because it warms the performers up and helps them to feel confident about remembering their lines!
3. Rehearse in the Performance Space
If you have been rehearsing in your classroom and your student’s performance is in the school hall, make sure you give them lots of opportunities to rehearse in the hall. If possible do a run of the show in the performance space in the morning or afternoon of the show. The more opportunities they have to feel familiar with the stage – the more confident they will be!
4. The ABC’s of Performance
It’s the day of the show and your students are ready, follow these 3 techniques to help them prepare for their big moment:
A – Accept: Remind them of all the work they have done in rehearsal and let them know that they can now trust that this work is inside them. In fact, they have done all the hard work and now it is finally time to show it off!
B – Breathe: Take a few moments with your class to breathe together. Gather them into a circle and take some nice big steady breaths together, in through the nose and out through the mouth. As they do this remind them to relax their body and clear their mind.
C – Centre: After they have steadied their breathing, ask them to quickly run through their performance in their minds, visualising themselves onstage. Now ask them to imagine that the show is over and the audience is clapping and cheering for them and they are feeling really proud. With this emotion still in their minds and bodies, it’s time to start the show!
5. Enjoy Yourself
It is important to remind students to enjoy the performance! Give them plenty of encouragement after the show, no matter how big or small their role was so they attach a positive experience to performing. Commend them on their bravery and confidence!
To help get your students ready for the stage, we’ve also hand-picked some excellent ARTS:LIVE resources! These courses have short lessons, that are expertly explained, easy to follow and will be sure to boost your student’s confidence.
Improvisation Starters
6 × 8 minute lessons Age 5 – 12
In its most basic form, drama is play and pretend – activities that most children are comfortable with and enjoy. These improvisation activities are a great way to motivate and focus children and will get them comfortable with speaking and acting in front of others.
School of Fish
5 × 45 minute lessons Age 5 – 12
Learn warm-up dances and group activities with 2018 Australian Dance Winning, Katrina Rank, with catchy audio and whimsical under the sea themed videos. These lessons will have your students moving, jumping and clapping through interaction and role play.