Pageant talent preparation is difficult and time-consuming. Sometimes you have been preparing for years and your talent is amazing because you have been in school and performing and still using your talent and for others maybe you haven't used that talent for a couple of years. Here are some tips to get you ready for the big stage
1. Play at or below your performing capability
This particular point is one that we have pushed for several years and ties into several of the other points. Generally, for college auditions, lessons, and many applications you should choose something advanced and work towards it. However, for many reasons going at or below your talent creates opportunities to excel on the stage.
First a couple of examples.
A violin player who has been in college and is almost done with her bachelor’s degree performs a song to win the state title that every violin student learns in the Suzuki method when they are ten. The simple song had emotional value, great build, and a powerful ending and fit perfectly on the stage - some light arrangement was required to make it fit to be sure (most songs are not 90 seconds long) however the entertainment value and the track she had on with her was phenomenal. Yet she could play much more difficult pieces and did for her degree.
A concert pianist with a master’s degree in piano performance did not choose the classiest, most complicated show-off piece, she chose a piece that was light and flirty and most importantly recognizable to the audience. With some modern arrangement and bringing it down to 90 seconds, she had the audience clapping along with the beat.
The bottom line is that choosing something at or below your current level means that you can focus on more things other than just the music. There is memorization, stage presence, musicality, intonation, dynamics, expression...that list can go on.
2. Ask yourself - can I be emotionally invested in this talent to not be bored of it by the time the pageant rolls around?
I have prepared pieces that are 20 minutes long and I had a year to prepare and I don't feel like I ever got bored of the piece. But when you have a 90-second song and a year to prepare that is a different story.
You are going to burn out.
But if you have a song that you are emotionally invested in it makes the entire process easier.
The reason why this is so important? Your judges will know if you are faking it, or trying to force emotion. It needs to be natural and real as you are performing, otherwise, it will be hard for you to score high in the talent portion of the competition.
3. The way you practice is the way you perform
I am sure you have heard the phrase ‘Practice makes perfect.’ The statement has caused hours of debate even before the internet came about. Perfect practice makes perfect, or precise practice makes perfect become more accepted.
In any case, how you practice is how you perform. Practice in your heels, practice in your outfit, practice in your car, practice in the shower, practice, practice, practice. Unless you perform a lot you should also practice in performance situations, where you are also getting used to not just the moves, music, and the performance element, but practice feeling nervous.
Being nervous is incredibly natural, but usually, when you are nervous you can lock up, and others start crying. I have frozen and restarted. So in practicing the performance situation you are making sure that you know and react better in those high-stress situations. Simulating the performance in your talent costume and heels is the best to do several times before the big night.
Instead of practicing and simulating that night, perform in front of people who make you nervous. Your boyfriend, roommate, your mom, or whoever makes you nervous to perform in front of you.
Practice in several different ways, and get nervous so when you are nervous on stage you can stand out.
4. Learn the music/motions/choreography as fast as you can
This one is pretty straightforward - the better and sooner you know your music and your choreography, the more personal and emotional the talent can become to wow your audience.
You want to get to the point that it is memorized and it becomes second nature to you. So much in fact that the nerves and other things that might pop up will not derail your performance. Not only that, but as your emotion takes over, you will find you are going to get to perfect, and tweaking the smallest adjustments help you perform from deep inside of you.
5. Enjoy the performance
Let’s get something out upfront here - if you are not enjoying the performance and the moment you are performing, the judges and audience will know.
At this point, all the preparation has been done. You have spent days, weeks, and months perfecting to be in this moment. Not only that you spent years before that to even get to the point where you are now. If you have been dancing since the age of 3 or playing your instrument since middle school, you have been doing this for years.
Now is not the moment to get into your head.
Go leave it on the stage and show the audience how a queen performs.
6. Before you perform take a big breath
The nerves are here, you are about to walk on stage, the girl in front of you is performing, and it’s hard not to focus on things you need to remember. Take a deep breath in, count to three, and take a deep breath out. This helps you clear your headspace and also allows you to signal to your brain that it’s time.
I would take this suggestion one more step. If you can set it up this way with the techs if you have a background track, I would suggest having a pose or something to signal you are ready. Before you hit that pose, take a breath, then hit the pose. Don’t just walk on and begin. Tell the stage it is your turn and make sure you are filling it before you perform.