Charisma & Connecting with Your Audience

​Charisma on the stage is critical for success. One way to boost your appeal to the audience is to make sure you make eye contact with them. Another way is to encourage their involvement in your performance by using certain arm movements that beckon the audience in subtle or bold ways. Here are some suggested arm movements that you should use in your dance shows. Remember, do them only once each show.

• Clapping: When you clap your hands, you are asking the audience to get involved and start to clap with you. They love it! The tempo of your clapping is exactly what they will match, so be sure it is on the beat and will enhance the next movements you will do. Be aware that you need to clap strongly, and your arms should extend forward as if you were giving your own clapping to the audience. In other words, when you clap, don’t hug your forearms close to your chest. If you reach out, your body language will be happy and inviting.
• Waving the forearms: Waving tells the audience you want them to clap, zaghareet, or tip you. You may do so with your arms in one of 3 positions: a) low near one hip (e.g., to frame a hip); b) Extend your arms out to the sides a little lower than shoulder height; Or c) lift your arms up high and wave the forearms overhead. To get acquainted with how to Wave correctly, start with the low position. Hold your upper arms near your ribcage. Keep your chest lifted and open. Bend at the elbow outward on a diagonal to each side. Turn the palms of your hands upward. Now bend and straighten your forearms from the elbows, alternating one inward while the other goes outward. The hands should remain relaxed, so they softly flex inward and outward. When bending an arm inward, resist the hand crossing in front of your torso or face. Keep the waving arms framing you so you remain friendly and open. When waving at shoulder height or higher, always hold the upper arms at the same level with your chest up and your shoulders down and relaxed.
• Rolling the forearms: Another movement that is similar to Waving is a Rolling of the forearms. This is usually done at waist height or hip level. Hold your forearms parallel to each other with elbows out. Then fold them over your stomach but not touching your torso. One forearm is in front of the other, both palms facing inward toward your torso. Rotate the forearms around each other in a circular fashion, rolling one over the other. You should feel like you are scooping energy towards your torso, not pushing energy away from you. This rolling motion usually directs attention to a hip movement, something earthy, like a hip drop. You need to maintain it for at least 8 counts. It calls to the audience to get involved and to clap for you. It can also call to the drummer (if you have one there) to speed up the tempo.
• Hands: A simple way to call to the audience is using your hands. Reach your arms forward toward the audience, hands slightly below shoulder height, palms facing upward. Softly curl in all the fingers so they touch your palms. All the fingers of both hands move simultaneously (not one at a time). Then extend the fingers and repeat. It should feel like you are telling the audience “come to me” or “come here”, and they will happily share their enthusiasm.
• Saluting: Saluting is a great way to show your appreciation to a warm audience. It can be done at the end of your dance, as you take the final pose. It can also be done repeatedly while you do a hip drop, for example. Lift one arm high. The other arm is held low or hand on your hip. The upper arm will bend the forearm towards your forehead.  As your forefinger nears your forehead, allow the wrist to softly flex inward. The hand remains loose and relaxed. The fingers are long but not stiff. Then extend the forearm up and outward again to its starting position, allowing the hand to flex outward freely. Keep the motion relaxed and high. Look out into the audience. Your chest should remain lifted and open. Top it off with a beaming smile.

The more you connect with your audience, the more they will enjoy your performance and remember you as a special dancer.