Training and dancing

I was waiting for a long black to turn up yesterday and I over heard this young boy say to his mum, “I always dance better when my back is to the audience”. Interesting comment. I wondered why. Is it because when he can’t see the audience he is not distracted and can concentrate on his dancing? Is it that he feels shy and inhibited when he can see the audience? Does he become self conscious, to the point he over concentrates? Maybe when he can’t see the audience he can have fun and just gets on with dancing his heart out? Some possibilities and there are probably many more.

I watch a  lot of trainers training and many either don’t see the audience or get distracted by the audience. The group that don’t see the audience are the ones who really worry me. They are so wrapped up in their topic, or what their doing, or themselves they don’t see the cues that the audience is sending them. The other group worry excessively about what the audience is doing to their distraction. Someone yawns, they panic. Some one laughs and they think it was something silly they said.

Trainers do have to be acutely aware of the audience. They must be constantly scanning and reading the audience but you only have to react when there are grouped reactions. What I mean there is, if one person yawns, probably not a big issue. Ten people yawning, a problem. Time to change something, quickly.

I can’t stress enough the importance of watching and listening to your audience but don’t let them destroy your dance. If the dance is great so will be the training.