How can I move and not look tacky?

Another great question from a performer, that I bet a lot of performers (except dancers for whom the answer is obvious) share:

The hardest thing personally is mastering "presentation" how to move "naturally" without it appearing planned or tacky all the while being entertaining... how much is too much or not enough?

This is such a fantastic topic.  If there was a Frequently Asked Questions area in this blog, I bet this would be in it.  [mental note, maybe we should create a FAQ??]

Let's start with the obvious answer.  If you don't want your movement on stage to look planned, don't plan the moves.  The need to plan movement on stage arises from the belief that what happens naturally isn't good enough, but I don't subscribe to that belief at all.  As a performer, your job is to communicate the scene and the objective, that is the truth behind the situation, honestly and with passion.  So let's take another similar situation.  You're having coffee with a friend, and telling your friend about something that you care about.  Do you find that it works well to plan your arm movements and facial expressions ahead of time, or do you do just fine winging it?

Side note: if you do plan your movements and facial expression ahead of time in every day life situations, seek professional help.

If you plan your movements, they will *inevitably* look planned, and unless you are a genius or you have some very specialized skills and no shortage of time to create the plan, it will also look tacky.  "Tacky" here is a synonym for *inauthentic* and hence *not believable.*  The very act of focusing on the moves is creating the problem in the first place.  Just stop!

So let's ask a different question that will get you on the right track.  How can I make sure that my movement on stage is natural and appropriate?  [Hint: the answer will not involve planning.]

Step 1: Make sure you understand what you're trying to accomplish.  What is the scene, who are the players, where is the love, what is your attitude about it, how is it changing.  If you do ONLY THIS, and forget entirely about moves, you'll be light years ahead of your peers.

Step 2: If you want a chance to convince yourself that Step 1 has been effective, and a chance to fine-tune things a bit, videotape yourself and watch what you did, ideally for a live audience, or in the most realistic situation you can create.  You'll see what works and what doesn't work.

Step 3: Start simply noticing what works and what doesn't work, from your own videotapes and from other sources (like other great performers), and let that stuff seep into your brain, and integrate into your habits.  In fact people have also done interesting studies of human movement, and what certain gestures and postures tend to mean, at an emotional level.  (If you aware of a good reference on this topic, please comment on this post and share it!)

Step 4: Trust yourself.

Try this, and when you do, write me and tell me how it went.  tom@owningthestage.com