Performer Marketing 101 aka Shameless Self Promotion

When people first start to perform, it is easy to focus on the fun and creativity involved in burlesque performance, but after a while it becomes necessary to start thinking like a business person as well. Personally, I find the business side of burlesque just as creative and fun as the other aspects, it’s just a matter of starting to think about things a little differently.

For instance, when you’re first performing, the biggest focus is on getting your performance together and presenting it smoothly and professionally. But show producers know that performing well is not enough! Performers also need to help fill the seats, so it is equally as important to establish your audience and start building your fan base. Now, when I say “fan base” I do not mean droves of screaming teenagers like those that chased the Beatles around. I mean people who will make the effort to go to your show when they see that you are on the lineup. Your job is to connect with these people and make sure that they have info about your shows! Here are a few ways to build your audience and help promote, promote, promote!

Build your web presence.

Eventually, you will want to have a professional website. In the meantime, you should at least start building your web presence with online accounts. Sign up for Myspace, Tribe, Facebook, and others, but only sign up for as many accounts as you will check regularly, I would say at least every couple of weeks. A dead profile doesn’t really help you network.

Once you’ve pimped your profile, make sure you keep an up to date calendar of your upcoming events and reach out to contact people about them! Network, network, network!

Another great way to build your visability is with a blog. Make sure that your blog is related to your performing in some way and is interesting to a wide variety of folks. Some of my favorite performer blogs: Mynx d’Meanor, Audra Wolfmann (aka Odessa Lil), and the rest listed in the Blog Roll to the right. Don’t have much to say? Take photos at your shows, while creating costumes, out and about and keep a photo blog!

Create and distribute marketing materials.

Design and print postcards! Get glossy business cards with your photo on them! And very importantly… give them out. Give them to everyone you meet. Leave small stacks of them in coffee shops, at laundromats, in clothing stores, everywhere you go! People will pick them up, and even if they don’t, they will see them. Marketing is all about repetition, getting your name out to people again and again. They may not pay attention to you at first, but after they’ve seen your name around for a few months, they’ll start to notice… and then they’ll pick up your cards.

Even if you don’t have a website yet, buy your favorite URL and forward it to your most active online profile or your blog. Put your URL on your business cards and postcards.

Create a Mailing List

Your mailing list will be one of your most important promotional tools! This is your list of people who specifically want information about when and where you’re performing. These people already know who you are and like you. All you have to do is collect their information and stay in touch with them. Of course, there are a lot of Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts about managing your mailing list that you’ll need to keep in mind so that you don’t annoy and alienate these people who, so far, like you – No one likes a spammer! – so I will dedicate an entire upcoming post to how to create and manage your mailing list rather than skim the subject here. 

Do Outreach

For an artform that is as underground and subculturally focused as burlesque, it is important not to over look the benefits of “outreach” efforts and working to create more awareness of your art in your community. Talk to people. Tell them about burlesque. Create your own 30-second explanation of “This is Burlesque” that you can bring out at parties, in line at the coffee shop, at the post office, wherever you go. In most of the country, and even in places like San Francisco and New York, where burlesque scenes are large and thriving, more people have never heard of burlesque or have erroneous ideas of what burlesque is than have ever been to a burlesque show. And it stands to reason that the more people that know about burlesque, the more people there will be at the shows. Help build the scene AND your own fan base by creating a buzz about burlesque in your town.

In addition to talking about burlesque, get creative! Do some G-Rated Burlesque Street Performance while handing out flyers for your next show. Book yourself to perform at art shows, street fairs, craft shows, poetry slams, band shows… everywhere! Do guerilla burlesque! Show up where people least expect you… and always be armed with flyers and business cards. Promoting the scene like this will benefit YOU by getting your name (and act) out there, while benefiting THE SCENE by building more awareness of the art. Everybody wins!

We’re In This Together!

Think of every show as a collaboration. Don’t leave it to the show promoter to fill the house every time. Everyone needs to contribute! Kingfish of San Francisco’s Hubba Hubba Revue (which is the biggest monthly show in SF if not the biggest monthly burlesque show in the country/world) refers to it this way: “Who’s helping roll the boulder up the hill, and who’s just sitting on top letting others push it up?”

Don’t be intimidated. All it takes is everyone making a little effort. If everyone performing in a show brings out 2-5 paying people on top of the producer’s usual draw, every show would be a success! The performers would have a large, enthusiastic crowd to perform for and the producers would have enough people coming in the door so that they can pay the performers decently and hopefully make a little money themselves. Because keep in mind that most show producers are doing the work of putting on shows for the love of it, often losing money on shows, and the people who help make the shows successful are the ones who are asked back to perform again and again.

And believe me when I say show producers can tell which performers are bringing people in! We see (or don’t see) your promotion, and the crowd will tell us who they are there to see. So get out there and shamelessly promote! Build your name! Get out there. It’s good for you, good for the local and global scene, and good for your friendly neighborhood show producers.

Any publicity is good publicity? Good reasons not to talk trash…

Recently someone (or a few someones) apparently decided that I was too successful and started up a smear campaign in San Francisco to take me down, or cause me trouble, or annoy me like a mosquito buzzing in my ear, or something. I’m not really sure what their intentions were, except that I’m positive their intention was NOT what the end result actually HAS been: to bring me additional publicity, thereby supporting my business.

I got an email from one of the owners of Stagewerx Theater, where I produce a monthly show  in San Francisco, telling me that they had found a couple of these stickers pasted around the theater:
The folks at the venue are pissed because whoever put up the stickers put one on a big sign that cost $5000 to have made, and they can’t take it off without damaging the sign. Now the venue is looking into finding out who the vandal is and will prosecute them to the full extent of the law, which could include a prison sentence up to one year plus damages up to $10,000. Pretty serious for a petty stunt, don’t you think?

And here’s the kicker: I received a second email from someone who saw the sticker, thought it looked interesting and looked me up online to find out what the fuss was about. She loved what she saw and signed up for a Pinup Workshop and my Burlesquercise Intensive that starts in January. Which means that this “bad publicity” directly brought me at least one new student. So, dear vandal(s), thank you for your help. Feel free to put up your stickers all over town and get more and more people looking me up to see what I’m about. Just be careful where you put them so you don’t cause damage to any more property!

This reminds me of how the group on Live Journal a few people created to trash talk the Suicide Girls website actually increased sign ups for the Suicide Girls website because it got so many people who had never heard of the website to go check it out to see what all the drama was about.

These are both great examples of how even bad press can help you! We have all heard the saying “there is no such thing as bad publicity” and that it’s only bad when no one is talking about you. For the most part, I would say this is true (the exception being when you reach the level of notoriety where the paparazzi stalks you… luckily I don’t have to worry about that).

I guess the moral of the story is: If you see someone being more successful than you at what you want to do, put your energy into promoting yourself and building up your own project, rather than trying to tear down the other person. Also keep in mind that trash talking someone within your industry can fall into the categories of slander, libel and trade disparagement, which are crimes and can get you prison sentences and huge fines (and this is separate from any charges for vandalism, as in this case).

In many burlesque scenes in different cities, there seems to be what I consider an unnecessary feeling of competition. I don’t understand why so many people would rather undermine each other rather than pull together and work on building the scene together – especially in the burlesque scene, which is so underground and needs as much proactive outreach and public awareness building as possible. Wouldn’t it be better to think of your “competition” as another group helping to bring more people into the scene? Isn’t each person they meet and bring in to one of their shows or classes or what-have-you another potential audience member or student or customer for you as well? Most people who come to one burlesque show and like it will go to more burlesque shows if they can find them.

I appreciate all of the hard work that everyone else in the burlesque scene is doing to build awareness of our art, locally in San Francisco, across the country, and around the world. Promote, promote, promote! That is how our art will thrive! I look forward to the day when telling someone you are a burlesque performer will be like telling someone you are in a band. Instead of “What’s that?” or “I hear dancing on a pole is a great workout” people will say, “Really? What style do you perform?” and I will be able to reply “My acts tend to be sort of New York avant garde style with a traditional aesthetic and a clowny twist” without people looking at me and saying, “What the hell are you talking about?”

So, the next time you find yourself gritting your teeth as your “competitor” has another successful show or announces yet another class format or fun product, rather than setting yourself against them… put your energy into designing a clever flyer or sticker that showcases you and your fun project  and spend your time proactively putting them around town. Shameless self promotion is a great game that we can all get in on!

In the next few days, I will post a few easy and inexpensive ways to get in on the promotion game. This will cover the first steps discussed in my previous posting about Getting Paid to Perform.

G-Rated Burlesque: Keeping It Clean for the All Ages Crowd

I just got home from Florida last night, where I was in Orlando to teach a Burlesquercise Intensive and a Pinup Workshop. During the burlesque intensive, some of the ladies told me that they really want to get out and perform burlesque and get a burlesque scene going in their area, but because all the tourism in the area is based on Disney World attractions, there are no adult-only venues. Apparently all the 21 and up bars quickly start serving food so that they can be all-ages venues, because everyone brings their kids to Orlando.

I was incredulous. “You mean there are NO small bars or theaters that you could use for shows? Nothing???” Apparently so. Well, we can’t let Disney keep us down! So I decided to focus on this issue for this blog entry:

“G-Rated Burlesque” may seem like an oxymoron to some people, but I actually recommend that all burlesquers, in any area, create a wide variety of acts ranging from G-Rated to PG-13 and even up to Rated-R material if they feel like getting racy (or even X-rated if they live in NYC). This is an important thing to do so that you will be ready to accept bookings in a wide variety of venues and situations, including those top-dollar corporate events.

So how can you keep it fun and sexy while not offending Mickey Mouse and the Disney gang? Here are a few ideas:

Strip without getting naked. Take your time sensually removing your jacket, your gloves, a hat… Take off one dress to reveal another (full coverage) dress beneath or double up on gloves, bras, stockings, and remove one layer of each… Take off your clothes behind or inside of a large prop, without ever actually revealing your scandlous flesh… I perform a version of my X-mas Stocking act (video below) this way, without ever showing pasties! Now that’s leaving them wanting more!

These are a few ways that you can allude to striptease without actually crossing the line into adult material. For inspiration, watch old song and dance videos! They were masters of this technique. Here are a few of my favorite all-ages-appropriate stripteases:

- “Take Back Your Mink” from Guys and Dolls. Striptease with a story line. I love this act.

- Cyd Charisse in Party Girl: Note the skirt removal and how she removes the scarf over her bodice! Striptease, but still acceptable for all-ages. Also note the bumps and grinds! Burlesque “bump and grind” moves were very popular in dance movies from the 1940′s and 1950′s.

Draw on Classic Burlesque Gimmicks. One great technique is to make reference to classic burlesque through its most iconic techniques and images, while avoiding the striptease. You can perform a fan dance, a shadow dance, and tassel twirling without actually getting naked or even taking off any clothing! Wear a nude leotard embellished with rhinestones or a sexy dress for your fan dance. Do a real or suggested striptease or a naughty pantomime behind a backlit screen for a shadow dance, and no one sees any skin at all! Put tassels on the outside of your gown or on top of your leotard and you can twirl to your hearts content without actually going down to pasties.

- Here is Sally Rand performing a fan dance. She often wore nude body stockings behind her fans. Note how she pulls the fans away while behind a screen.

- Here’s another example with Cyd Charisse. I don’t actually like the look of this nude outfit with tassels, but it demonstrates how it can be done.

Use innuendos. Another great way to keep it clean is to skip striptease altogether, but lay the innuendos on thick. This was a common way to make G-Rated material fun for adults in the 1920′s through 1950′s and can add to the “classic” feel of your performance. Here’s a great example, also from Guys and Dolls:

These are all great ways to keep it sassy and risque without crossing the line into depraved displays of nudity that will shock our good American parents. So long as there is no nudity, what can they say? I mean, if Britney Spears could grind and spin on a stripper pole in front of her concert audiences that included 8 year old girls, what’s wrong with a bit of saucy glove removal?

Your Performance in Writing: Creating Your Performer Bio

Here’s another question emailed to me by one of my students:

I guess there is no standard format for these things, but what is general advice on what to include and omit – especially when you are just stating out and dont have a ton of experience or a reputation backing you up?

L.M.
San Francisco

A performer’s bio, like a resume, should be updated regularly and should grow and evolve as the performer’s career progresses. The style and voice should also change as the performer’s style evolves. Many of the same persona development techniques that I will be listing in my next post about choosing a stage name can also be applied to the nitty gritty of writing and coming up with inspiration for your bio. For this post, I will go over some of the basics you want to keep in mind when putting together your bio.

Usually in a performer’s bio you would include a short list of performance highlights, plus a few personal details about you (or rather your persona), and a little about your performance style if that’s not obvious through the style of your writing. Especially when you’re first starting out, it’s fine to make a few things up! Don’t lie about your accomplishments or performance highlights, but feel free to embellish or even make up a new life story for your performance persona. Feel free to dramatize! This is burlesque! Remember that your burlesque persona is not necessarily who you are in your everyday life! She is a fictional character and can be anyone you want her to be, along with a life history you can choose for her.

I wish I still had a copy of my first bio. It was full of all sorts of silly things like saying that I was raised by wolves and going on tour because I had murdered someone and needed a quick ride out of town. Silly, silly, silly! But until you are established and have some performance highlights or other accomplishments to talk about, it’s better to write something vibrant that gives the feel of who you are as a performer.

My bio from shortly after I started teaching:

Raised on the beaches of sunny Santa Barbara, California, Bombshell Betty was bitten by the travel bug at the tender age of 16 and promptly left home in search of lust and adventure. She found them in spades when she took to the stage 1996, touring across the US, Canada, and Europe, until finally landing in San Francisco in the winter of 2003. Always restless and looking for new experiences, Betty has been strutting her stuff across stages around town as well as working on new and unusual burlesque projects. Miss Betty started teaching the wildly popular “Burlesquercise!” dance classes in San Francisco and Oakland in March 2004. In addition to her solo performances, she frequently performs with an ever-changing ensemble of her students, “Bombshell Betty’s Burlesqueteers.” As her alter ego, Dollface the Clown, she is one half of the outrageous clown burlesque duo, “Twist My Balloons!”

You can read my current bio here.

Another thing to note is that you usually want to have two bios written up:

1. A short, teaser bio to give to the press, show promoters, etc. This should give enough information to intrigue the reader but shouldn’t be longer than 2 or 3 sentences.
2. A longer bio for your website, Myspace, etc. This can be a few paragraphs long and include a lot more detail and embellishment.

I would suggest that you keep these things in mind while doing a Google search for burlesque performers and reading other people’s bios to get a feel for how different people write their bios.

I hope this helps. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions about this!

Shaking it in a new town: If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em!

I got an email recently from one of my students who moved back to the Midwest to be close to her family:

Hello from the Middle Coast! I need your advice: the burlesque groups in town, as it turns out, are a wee bit pretentious and won’t let me in their clubs. I want to keep dancing (the ideas are piling up) but just don’t know what to do at this point. I have a very good friend who said that I can dance with his band or do guerrilla performances at his shows but how do I get started?? What to do with that fear factor?! I miss you guys!!!!!! And the giggles!! And the pasties! And all of the skin that one normally doesn’t see in most hobbies and professions!!

This is not the first time I have had students who moved away ask me how to handle getting started all over again in a less-than-welcoming environment after leaving our cozy San Francisco scene. My advice is to swallow your nervousness and just jump out there and start performing on your own. “If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em!” or something like that. Don’t let anyone else keep you from doing what you love to do. Call your friends and get yourself some gigs! Some non-burlesque-show gig ideas include: opening for bands, performing at art openings, or grab your boom box and take it to the streets for some street performance (G-rated acts only, of course). Use your imagination and don’t let a performance opportunity pass you by! Every event is better with burlesque – at least in my humble opinion.

If you are afraid of going it on your own, don’t be. I would be very surprised if you are the first person who has approached these troupes and been snubbed, so you may be surprised by the number of people who come up to you at your performances and ask you how to get started. Make friends! Start working with those ladies and you’re well on your way to creating a movement! Soon you’ll have all the giggles and pasties and skin that you can handle. You can be a mover and shaker (hehe) in your new town and start your own little scene.

For more advice on dealing with the fear factor, read my previous post on stage fright. Going it alone can be scary, and performing at events that are not specifically burlesque shows can be a totally different vibe, but like I said, I don’t think you’ll be doing it alone for long. So if you can get through the first few shows, the momentum will take you from there.

Since you will no longer be relying on the name and reputation of your troupe to get you gigs and bring people in to see your performances, it is very important that you work on building up your name as a solo act. Here are some basics you will need to think of, and I will go into more detail about developing your name and promoting yourself in future posts, so keep your eyes peeled…

Big things to do when you’re building a name for yourself:

• Get a website up! Myspace is great for meeting people and promoting yourself, but people will be much more likely to find you and you will look much more professional if you have a real website.
• Design and have business cards printed. Give your cards to everyone you meet (when appropriate, of course). If you don’t know where to go for cards, ask me and I’ll refer you to my printer.
• When performing at your friends’ events, have them list your name on the flyer and distribute these liberally. If no one else is making a flyer for an event, make your own and distribute them!
• Create a mailing list. Pass out a clip board with your sign up sheet at every event, or set it out somewhere conspicuous and make sure people know about it.
• Be friendly to everyone, even the people who snubbed you. You never know, they might loosen up once they see that you are serious and are making things happen for yourself.

If you’re still feeling nervous, put on your favorite version of “My Way”, whether it’s Frank Sinatra or Sid Vicious, get dolled up and sparklized, and then practice that new number you’ve been working on that you can’t wait to perform. All dressed up and nowhere to go? That will get you motivated to get out there and shake it for a crowd, no matter what it takes! So call your friends and make it happen!

I will leave you with the lyrics for “My Way” 

( by: P. Anka, J. Revaux, G. Thibault, C. Frankois):

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and ev’ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
“Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way”

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

[instrumental]

Yes, it was my way

 

 

Razor blades and booze fueled shows just don’t mix!

I went out to a burlesque show recently.  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve gone to a burlesque show that I wasn’t performing in, so I was having a great time dancing and running into people I hadn’t seen much of lately. Many of my students were there, too, so it was nice to see them outside of class, rehearsals, and performances.

The crowd was boisterous, and everyone was having a great time. Two of my students were performing so I was geared up to be a one-woman cheering section and get the crowd going. The first act went on, and the crowd loved it. A performer came on who I’d never seen perform before. She pulled out an exacto knife and started cutting her cat suit off. I was a little nervous, as I always am when blades come out on stage, but I didn’t think much of it. Then she used the blade to pull the second sleeve off of her shoulder, revealing blood on her ribs underneath her arm. My first thought was, “Oh how clever, she is using fake blood. How’d she get that to stay on underneath her clothes like that?” An instant later I realized that it was not fake blood. She had cut herself with the blade, badly. I think the whole crowd realized what had happened at the same time, and then the performer just walked off stage, dripping blood up the stairs and into the back room.

Everyone was freaked out, but it turns out that it was not an extreme injury. The performer was joking around with the producer later that evening, and performed again a few days later.

This brings up a big issue for me: PERFORMANCE SAFETY

Not using razor blades on stage sounds obvious, but I have seen it done before. If you want to “cut” your clothes off of you, you can make a small snip at the hem and then tear from there… you can create tear-away effects with snaps and velcro… there are all sorts of options that don’t include bringing razor blades near your skin! I do a number where I use scissors to cut the strings of my corset, but I work the strings out so that the corset is very loose and the strings are NOT next to my skin. I also then hold the strings away from my body and cut carefully.

Paying attention to fire safety is another big one that got a lot of attention a few years ago after several people died at a show with pyrotechnics. If you want to use fire, be sure to take some fire safety classes, buy safety equipment, and make sure you have someone there who knows what they’re doing ready to jump into action while you are performing. When I was on tour doing a show that involved small torches and flaming pastie twirling, we had a fire marshall come out and approve our act and our safety precautions. Do whatever you can to ensure your safety and the safety of those enjoying the show!

Something that I see a lot of that doesn’t get mentioned very often is using liquids and other potentially slippery substances as props in your acts. When you consider how hard it can be to properly clean up oils and the fact that many burlesque dancers wear very high heels and platforms, this can be a recipe for disaster! I always get nervous if I am following an act that is using food or liquid of any sort (whipped cream, chocolate sauce, pie filling, fake blood, you name it) unless I know that they are taking precautions to protect the stage and they’re not going crazy with it.

Another thing people don’t think about that can be dangerous is… glitter! If you use a lot of it, not only will it get on everyone’s costumes, into their hair and stuck in crevaces for weeks, but it can also be very slippery. Confetti and beads are just as dangerous. So if you’re putting together a number that requires you to throw something at the audience or on the stage, make sure you have permission and that the people running the show are prepared to spend the extra time required to clean it up in between acts.

For your own safety, you will also want to be careful where your clothes end up during your act. It would be easy to slip on a discarded glove or gown, which would not only be embarrassing but potentially injurious and damaging to your costume!

These are the most common dangers I see at burlesque shows, although I am sure there are many, many other dangers when using large or small props. So be careful! Ask advice! Don’t just assume something is okay, talk with the show producers.  Be careful, and have fun!

What else have you seen at shows that scared you? Have you ever seen any major injuries? I’ve seen a couple people fall off stage and hurt themselves, but this was the first time I ever saw anything that seemed life threatening! I’m still shaking.

How to look confident when you’re shaking in your boots

There are a few people who leap onto the stage, fearless and natural right from the start. However, most mere mortals suffer from some level of stage fright, whether at the beginning of their performance career or even all the way through it. I have been performing solo and group acts since 1996, and I still get butterflies in my stomache and other symptoms of stage fright when I am preparing to perform a new number that stretches my boundaries. I’ve learned to accept and even enjoy my stage fright for the ways that it can actually enhance a performance when managed properly. Here are some ways that I have learned to manage and even benefit from that could-be paralyzing fear…

• Use your posture. Even if you’re shaking in your boots on the inside, there’s no reason to let the audience see it! Stand tall. Lift your chest and suck in your belly, and be sure that your shoulders are relaxed. You will look much more confident if you pay attention to your posture.
• Smile, even if it kills you! A lot of new performers think that a serious, sultry expression comes across as sexy onstage. While it can for more experienced performers, it is much harder to project sexiness with a serious expression, and many new performers wind up accidentally looking either blank faced (the lights are on, but nobody’s home!) or terrified. It is much easier to look comfortable even if you’re scared with a smile on your face. Also, there have been studies that show that smiling can actually make you feel better – so trick yourself into feeling more comfortable by smiling. Another big reason to smile on stage is that we humans automatically smile back when someone smiles at us. How much more fun is it to perform for a smiling audience than for a wall of blank faces?
• Don’t forget to breathe! When people get scared, their breathing tends to speed up, which adds to the “fight or flight” feelings of anxiety. So take a minute to slow down your breathing. Take a few deep breaths. You may be surprised by how calming this can be. One breathing exercise that I often do before a performance is to focus on the feeling of anxiety, those naughty little butterflies fluttering in my stomache, and slowly inhale while imagining I am breathing that feeling up my body, past my heart, up the back of my head and send it shooting through the top of my head. Sounds corny, I know, but it really helps me to feel energized and excited rather than so anxious I have to pee… again.
• Get crazy, shake it up, make some noise! Another thing that I do to get my energy up and in a positive place for performing, is I dance around back stage. A few bumps, grinds and shimmies can really get the juices going mentally as well as physically. If you can, make some noise while you’re at it! When the Burlesqueteers were backstage and lined up waiting to go on stage for the Tease-o-rama opening gala, I had everyone do some sassy forward bumps and squeal, shout and laugh. The idea is similar to the noises that martial artists make while punching, breaking boards, etc. Making noise can help release energy through your body and is very powerful.
• Take it slowly. If the idea of getting up on stage all by yourself makes you feel so sick you literally start to turn green, consider starting out performing with a group. This way, you have a built in support system and you’re not going to be up on stage all by yourself. Many of my students start out performing group numbers, and before you know it they’re doing solos, in the spotlight all by themselves. Sometimes it helps to be able to get your feet wet a little bit before jumping right in.
• “Embarrassment Therapy.” Sometimes the best way to deal with stage fright is to go out of your way to make a fool of yourself. Go do karaoke. Take a public speaking class. Do street performance. Try anything that will help you get over your fear of looking foolish, because isn’t that what stage fright is mostly about?
• Just get out there and do it! Remember that everything is the scariest the first time you try it. Your fear often builds up the experience to be a much bigger than it actually is. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just get out there, do your best, don’t worry if it doesn’t go perfectly, and just get the first time over with. And then the second. And the third. Performing really does get easier and easier the more you do it, and once you’ve done it a few times and realize that you won’t actually die, and you probably won’t actually fall on your face, that is when the fun really begins. Then you’re ready to keep pushing at your boundaries a little more and a little more until after a while you are fearless and natural on stage, and no one would believe that you almost peed yourself the first time you were on stage, you were so terrified.

Articles… coming soon!

One of my main goals for this expanded blog is to provide interesting and helpful articles. These articles will fall into 3 categories:

* Breaking into the Bump and Grind
* For the DIY Diva
* The Entrepreneurial Performer

For more information, go to the Articles page. I will begin posting articles very soon, so check back often for updates, and feel free to ask me questions about any of these subjects so I can be sure to write about what you want to know!