Our pre-show ritual
For forty years, I performed with a women’s world music group– 500 concerts across the US, Canada, Bulgaria, Greece, Morocco, and India. I was the principal dancer, but we all sang and I played percussion and the upright bass as well.
Some were enormous stages with lights and national TV cameras. Others were in a small town Unitarian church. Sometimes we sang at weddings or funerals.
But no matter the size of the venue, we took care with our pre-performance ritual.
It went something like this.
🔶 For many years we started with giving massages in pairs. Pretty sweet!
🔶 Then came the physical warm-up because singing (and speaking) is a physical activity!
🔶 After a lengthy vocal warm-up, with the piano, or a capella, we’d run through the newer or more challenging pieces.
🔶 In a circle, we’d set our intentions, both for ourselves personally and also for the audience experience. We wanted to create a transformative experience for the audience, one that would transport them to a place of imagination, cultural appreciation, and love. We hoped to play a part in changing the world for the better.
Friends used to ask me why we arrived at a venue 3 hours ahead of time. This is why! We needed this time for our pre-show ritual! Plus we’d have dinner together which was a great way to catch up with our personal lives.
AND That’s just what we did as a group.
How I personally prepare for on-stage performance
There were other practices I did personally to support myself for the best performance experience.
As we warmed up our voices in the venue, I’d open up my peripheral vision to take in the whole space. I’d look around at the seating area and envision the people who would be sitting there a few hours later. I’d envision my presence filling up the space.
In the dressing room, after changing into my garb, I’d find a quiet corner, to close my eyes and connect inside. I’d slow down my breath and relax my body fully. If I felt I needed extra focus or centering, I would do some brain gym pacing exercises. Then I’d shift my energy to the liveliness I wanted to bring to the stage.
When it comes to speaking, a lot of people think of preparation as organizing your thoughts, writing down bullet points, crafting a script, a maybe practicing what you’ll say in front of the mirror. If you’ve taken speaker training, likely you’ve also given thought to your delivery.
Why you need rehearsal and a preparation ritual before going on stage
Preparation rituals are different than rehearsal!
Rehearsal is getting your material ready. Which is important, to be sure!
Preparation rituals are about getting your body, mind, and spirit in the place you want them to be so that you create the best mental state for your experience.
Creating your pre-show ritual and routine
When you make space for the experience you want to have not only will you benefit, but your audience will too.
Now, you don’t have to do 9 things before you speak. Though you can! Depending on how important or new the experience is for you, you might choose one or another practice.
When you take the time to prepare your experience of speaking, whether it’s on camera, on stage, in the media, or meeting room, you open yourself to a more confident and powerful presence.
And if you want me to guide you through the experience of preparing your body, mind, and spirit to speak, sign up for my speaking preparation masterclass so you too can create a peak experience in the limelight.
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