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StudentPermalink Reply by Tara V. Hoops on April 18, 2011 at 1:11pm

One of my first times performing- the first one I counted- was for a play and I was the pre and intermission show as people walked around and got drinks and strolled about this giant theater.  My biggest regret was I did not engage the audience enough.  I just hooped (and poi, and flags) in my own little world.  Rarely did I really attempt to connect with others unless they tried to engage with me.  I now believe, having performed several times, that it is the interaction that's important.  You can interact in many ways -  with your gestures, your eyes, playing with speed changes as you connect with someone's gaze, smile at them, if you are on their level and not a stage you may want to have other hoops to invite people to try it out and be sure to pick on the kids.  All those things draw the audience in and make them care about what you are doing and feel involved somehow and this energy naturally inspires your performance. 

So, I think you should do the routine and freestyle the rest but take your cues from your audience.  Enjoy your nerves, they can be exciting.  Don't forget to take deep breaths.  Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by CaseySol on April 18, 2011 at 1:16pm

Hey! Congrats on the performance gig!! That's great! My FIRST performance was actually friday...and it was completely UNEXPECTED. I was working a sold out concert for Drive-By Truckers in Wilmington and the band saw me backstage just playing around and by the time the opening band ended the manager of DBT asked if I wanted to perform during the encore! I was shocked, nervous, and really excited all at the same time. Obviously I had to wing it, I never even heard the song before. If you have a set routine, do that for sure! But winging performances with songs you already know pretty well blows people away regardless... they probably will think its all planned out even if its not! I'm sure you will kill it and melt some faces with your hoops! Goodluck girl and let us know how it goes! Just stay confident and work that crowd!!

-Casey Sol

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StudentPermalink Reply by Bethany Bubbles on April 18, 2011 at 1:37pm

Thank you ladies so much I feel SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better now LOL, great ideas!!!!  I'll be takin an ativan so I won't be so nervous interacting with people =) I just can't wait for the time to be here,so I can just DO IT and melt faces and hearts =) Thank you so much again !!

peace and love

xoxox

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Permalink Reply by Madison on April 18, 2011 at 2:04pm

I kind of did a performance on the fly at a craft fair that my teacher was selling hoops at a few weeks back and that was my first time "performing" at all. I obviously did it completely freestyle and I agree with CaseySol that they probably think it's totally all planned out even if you improv it. 

I'm doing my first real performance on stage (eeeekkkk I'm so nervous!) this Saturday and I'm pretty much planning on free-styling it again with a loose outline of certain speed changes in the music and certain tricks that work well with the timing. I think it does help to have your music picked (at least for me) to ease nerves so you know what's going to happen in the song, but again, I don't think anyone would notice if you really heard the song or not, haha. So for me, I spent a bit of time finding a song I liked that felt good with my natural rhythm and then I jammed to it for a night over and over recording it while I learned the ins and out of the song and I do feel a lot better that I really knooow the song now. I tried to choreograph some but it didn't really work - I felt like I was often fighting my flow trying to fit things in on certain counts, etc. So freestlye (with slight outline and knowing the song) for me it is!

I hope that maybe helps a little! Best of luck, definitely make sure to enjoy yourself and smile! :D

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