Wandering Rant - Stage Presence
By chance and misfortune, I found myself at a Modeling Audition last evening. I wasn't modeling, or trying to; I was only there to meet a women and pick up some music for an upcoming show - that women happened to be running the Audition. By and large, and for one reason or another, I ended up having to stay though most of the audition, and it was fascinating.
And horrifying.
And fascinating.
One of the photographers - one who would be working the show but was not working the audition, decided it was worthwhile to attempt to chat me up, so I had someone somewhat familiar with the business to ask questions of and make comments to.
The first thing I noticed - the female models seemed to hate each other. Not too suprising really, but it was really interesting to watch them "covertly" check out their competition. The second thing I noticed - they all had horrible posture. And not model-horrible-gank posture; but the slightly stooped posture of someone who's mother never yelled at them to keep their shoulders back and stand proud - the same posture so many tall ladies have, from trying to appear just a little shorter at high school dances. Then I noticed how fidigity almost all of them were - there was something about their presence that reminded me of sad puppies, waiting to be looked at and petted. No, none of them were dancing around and jumping - it was a sublte thing, and it was really annoying. Only a few of the girls had that hautey cattishness of demanding attention, while rejecting it at the same time.
It was really obvious, from the start of the audition, which of the models were completely and totally at home in their own skin and space, and which weren't - and those were the girls that all eyes fell to. And it just reaffirmed for me how very important it is to be willing to Own Your Moment, whereever you are, whatever your doing, but especially on stage. If you're going to move, move with purpose. If you're going to be still, be a statue. It's not worth the fret of whether or not anyone is looking at you, or cares to - you can't do anything about that except to take control of your space, and exist in it. With passion, with fire, with tranquility - with every cell in your body emoting that thing you're creating.
And horrifying.
And fascinating.
One of the photographers - one who would be working the show but was not working the audition, decided it was worthwhile to attempt to chat me up, so I had someone somewhat familiar with the business to ask questions of and make comments to.
The first thing I noticed - the female models seemed to hate each other. Not too suprising really, but it was really interesting to watch them "covertly" check out their competition. The second thing I noticed - they all had horrible posture. And not model-horrible-gank posture; but the slightly stooped posture of someone who's mother never yelled at them to keep their shoulders back and stand proud - the same posture so many tall ladies have, from trying to appear just a little shorter at high school dances. Then I noticed how fidigity almost all of them were - there was something about their presence that reminded me of sad puppies, waiting to be looked at and petted. No, none of them were dancing around and jumping - it was a sublte thing, and it was really annoying. Only a few of the girls had that hautey cattishness of demanding attention, while rejecting it at the same time.
It was really obvious, from the start of the audition, which of the models were completely and totally at home in their own skin and space, and which weren't - and those were the girls that all eyes fell to. And it just reaffirmed for me how very important it is to be willing to Own Your Moment, whereever you are, whatever your doing, but especially on stage. If you're going to move, move with purpose. If you're going to be still, be a statue. It's not worth the fret of whether or not anyone is looking at you, or cares to - you can't do anything about that except to take control of your space, and exist in it. With passion, with fire, with tranquility - with every cell in your body emoting that thing you're creating.