How to Move on Stage

Moving on stage [while singing] is one of the most terrifying parts of this whole thing we love - sharing singing!

Do you feel me?!

I love to sing and I love being on stage, and yet I still get nervous about moving on stage. 😘🤷🏼‍♀️

Have you been there? 🧐

You’ve worked so hard to learn what you’re about to show the audience, and then you step onto stage and…

Freeze.

You can’t move, you’re nervous of course, but it’s worse than usual.

Your hands are sweaty, and there’s just no way out of this...

Think again, my friend.

There is a way out of this.😘

Actually, there are many ways out of this, and I’ll explain them to you.

When thinking about moving your body on stage, think about three different body parts:

• Eyes
• Hands
• Feet

👉🏼 Your eyes need to move so the audience feels you connecting with them.

Practice singing and moving your eyes between three points, 45 degrees to your left, straight ahead, and 45 degrees to your right. 👀

👉🏼 Your hands need to move so you don’t look like a mummy.

…especially if you have a nervous twitch. And if it isn’t you, it’s your best friend. Nervous twitches are super common.

If you have an impulse to use your hands as you sing, USE THEM! 🫱🏻🫲🏻

You don't have to be obnoxious, just move your hands when necessary. Resist the urge to stand with your hands down if they want to move. 

👉🏼 Your feet can move, if your interpretation is such that the character and drama warrant movement. 

If you do step around, it doesn’t have to be excessive. Just a step forward can make an impact.

These different options for movement are fabulous, but some moments are more powerful than others to make your big step downstage!

You should keep in mind the following as you think about moving your eyes, hands, and feet while performing:

• Let your text and music guide you. Key changes, instrumental breaks, subject changes, new sections, and dynamic changes are all great places to make a move.
• Like your jaw-dropping singing, your movement should be decided upon intentionally and rehearsed ahead of time.
• Also as in singing, it’s perfectly fine to try out movement and then decide to change it. That’s how you learn and grow as a singer. And if you rehearse the movement ahead of time, you can make those adjustments during your personal practice time (or rehearsal) so you don’t make a food out of yourself.

Movement is a journey, so try something out that’s small (even if it feels BIG to you) and then you can make bigger choices later on in new music.

I’ve posted a lot recently on IG about moving on stage, so be sure to follow there.

Every month in Studio Seminar, students get a chance to work with me to test out what they’re singing and any dramatic choices they’re considering. If you’d like feedback, you can join Seminar at any time.

Keep at it, and have fun!