One of the defining features of performing is the judgement you will face regularly. Performers need to come to terms with that perception, and at times the reality, that they are always being watched and judged, whether that is in auditions, rehearsals or live performances. This completely ties back to the idea of perfectionism within the industry and mental health of the performers: depending on how the performer can take feedback, it can have detrimental effects on their well-being because whilst one person may use the feedback as motivation to improve, the other may take the criticism negatively and hold onto this for years throughout their career which can lead to negative mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
Performers also evaluate their own performance. They need to be able to notice and understand when and why something didn’t go as planned and be able to have the mental capacity to correct the issue in future without letting it hang over them and control their mindset. This can be during rehearsals, auditions or performances but it is important that the performer does not let it show that they have made a mistake and that they are able to leave it initially and then go back to focus on it when they have a spare time. Performers are also likely to critique themselves receive criticism shortly after a performance. At a physiological level at this time, the performer is flooded with emotion, whether positive or negative as they have put so much time and hard work into a show and it can be very difficult to just get it all go and so it as these points where they are most vulnerable so if at all possible it is better to leave the self-evaluation until the next day or at least a few hours to let the emotions settle first.
To be a performer you must have many mental skills and be able to handle situations that could have an effect on mental health, including memorization (particularly muscle memory), controlling stress, and competition, the role of emotion in performance, high standards, tension and anxiety. The demand for memorization means is difficult as it means the performer must know their requirements inside and out and yet still be able to deviate due to any circumstances that may affect it and also not look over rehearsed especially as an actor as the lines have to look free flowing as if it were natural. The process of memorizing is both a task and a skill; it requires learning within context as well as over learning.
As one of the central aspects of human behavior, emotion plays a vital role in all areas of performance. How emotion is addressed, however, varies among different domains of performance. It is important to differentiate between the experience of emotion and the use of emotion in performance. A performer must be able to disconnect from an emotion and simply use the feeling as their stimulus. If they didn’t this could lead to having emotional damage from reliving a memory that belongs deep within a performer's memory. To excel as a performer, you need to be emotionally prepared for each role.
Diana in Next To Normal is not only a huge singing role but also the harrowing emotional journey she has to take every night makes it definitely one of the most demanding female roles for acting. She needs to be able to disconnect from her role and, although using emotion memory to portray her mental break must not let the part affect her which is very difficult. To create a clear open sound with your singing, you need retracted false vocal folds which would be hugely important for a part like this, however negative emotions such as fear, or depression can actually constrict vocal folds which leads to a strained sound which isn’t appealing for the audience but can also damage the performer’s voice. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance that a performer can portray emotion without feeling it themselves.
Performers are expected to work under immense pressure and must learn to not let it affect them. The constant competition and judging for most professions is unhealthy but in performing arts it is expected and you want to be the best you can be so have to learn to deal with it. Dancers get relief from the anxiety just by moving, and to a rhythm, which restores regular breathing and releases endorphins. Actors usually have some narrative matter that they must communicate to the audience and this task will help get their minds off their jitters. Furthermore, dancers and actors are usually onstage with others, who cue them for their lines and their steps, and just keep them company helping to feel less isolated on and off stage as they normally develop bonds and friendships with their fellow performers. Solo singers are up there alone making them usually the most anxious type of performer. Alcohol and other substances are the most common self-medications that performing artists use to deal with performance anxiety. It is something a performer has to be very careful about as alcohol is one of the man things a singing should avoid as it dries out the vocal folds.
Because of the constant judgement and desire for work, a common issue faced within the industry but particularly dancers is becoming anorexic due to the constant feeling of needing to look perfect. Sadly, a lot of casting in the industry, especially within chorus dancers, is down to how you look and to make sure you are all uniform and so you typically have to fit the mold of being extremely skinny and have a ‘desirable body type’. This kind of disease is less common amongst dancers and actors as there are many parts for people that do have unusual features however a lot of people do still face anxiety because of the way they look in the industry.
The length of a performer’s career, even under the best of circumstances, varies between the performing arts. As noted previously, dancers, like athletes, typically start training at a young age and complete their dance careers by their 40s at the latest but more commonly in their 30s or at any point their start to show signs of ununiformed looks as at this point they no longer fit into the desired category. Actors however may not begin their career until their late teens or later. This means that they would have the mental ability to continue acting later into their life. Furthermore, they are likely to start getting casted for older parts within shows and so their career continues.
A performer particularly actors in this instance must develop a range of physical skills and techniques such as spatial awareness, interaction with other performers, and body language to create a believable character. Body language and use of physicality is almost if not more important than how you say your dialogue as it is in the way that you stand, interact with others and move etc. that creates a believable character and as an audience wants to watch people who are interesting and 3 dimensional instead of a bland performer with no physicality, the people who can use these physical skills are more likely to get hired and be successful in their careers.
There are many skills you need to be a musical theater performer as I have already spoken about. Perhaps one of the most important qualities you need is a large amount of confidence and self-esteem as you need to be able give the impression that you are best suited for whatever you are auditioning for and you already know it. You may also need the confidence to get yourself out there and not be afraid to audition and speak to as many people as possible to help break into the industry. You may also have to put yourself into situations you may not be 100% comfortable with, for example: you may have to wear very little like Elle Woods has to wear in Legally Blonde at the party; if the actress wasn't comfortable with herself and confident in body, she would feel self-conscious and it would automatically affect her acting in the scene and come across to the audience.
Stamina and endurance is highly important to be successful: a performer can often find themselves working extremely long hours with very little time for breaks and rests. In many shows the lead performer, normally a triple threat, could find themselves on stage for an overwhelming majority of the show for example in Our House, the actor playing Joe Casey has no rest except for the interval and all costume changes are either done in the wings or even on stage and this can be very fatiguing as he has no chance to stop and breathe. This can have knock on effects for both the body and the mind: it can lead to injuries if someone is overworked and unprepared to do so, such as pulling muscles or even the fact that fatigue can cause sloppiness and one misplaced foot for a dancer can ruin their career in breaking bones; the effects on the mind can be a build up over long periods as if a performer doesn’t get any down time then a lot of emotion can build up which could lead to mental health issues. This type of lifestyle is not just prominent once you get into the industry but also in Performing arts colleges where they may train for 9 hour days, 6 days a week.
Interdependence is yet another important factor as you are constantly working with other people as a performer whether that is fellow performers, a casting director, a choreographer, a dance captain, a musical director, a director, agents, or backstage crew. Therefore, if you struggle to work with others and don’t appear approachable and are perceived as hard to work with then you are unlikely to be successful as many people wouldn’t want to hire someone that it would be difficult to put a show on with. A good way to come across is to be collaborative and friendly, make sure to give ideas and speak to lots of people particularly at auditions but make sure not to come across as cocky.
To be a performer you must be self-disciplined and learn to take responsibility for your own life and actions. Planning is essential to a dancer heading or achieving a professional career in performing arts as you need to be as prepared and organized as possible to give yourself the best chance at auditions. Usually you will need a monologue, a song and dance prepared for auditions going into musical theatre company's or shows especially at a professional level as you will be required to do all of these. Usually castings directors are looking for people who can do all three to a good level at least. Along with organization this requires you to be on time and having to have a good attitude in rehearsals as they can be stressful especially close to shows so to help yourself and peers it is good to plan ahead and be organized. Also, performers must stretch, warm up both body and voice, practice and eat correctly meaning their social lives will probably be tainted. They need to have enough determination to not care about this and just get on with it. This is the level of determination that is required: most performers go months or years at a time without a reliable job- It's a long wait so you must be patient and maintain that difficult lifestyle even when you aren’t being successful at that point in time which is why that positive mindset is so crucial. When interviewing Lucas McFarland (a well-known choreographer in the UK), he told a story of his friend that had spent 8 years not having a decent job; that shows the kind of resilience required in this industry as this performer would have had to maintain this extremely hard lifestyle with no steady source of income and no sign of hope for 8 years but he then managed to get a job because of the work he had continued to put in.
To have a successful career as a performer you must devoted and unshakable to criticism. You could be out of work for years just like Lucas’ friend, never knowing when your next role will be and whilst you’re auditioning numerous times for different parts you may be rejected again and again. You need to be able to cope with long periods of time without work which financially can be very difficult on performers as you can go from being economically stable to barely being able to live which can have detrimental effects of mental and physical wellbeing. You may have to wait for weeks, months or even years which can become tiresome and can make you feel desolate. You may believe how you are portraying a character is great but someone else may disagree. Furthermore, as I alluded to earlier a lot of casting crew aren’t actually looking for your raw ability especially as dancers but instead if you look the part and therefore you could work harder than anyone else and be the best qualified in the audition and still not get the part. Moreover, a performer must realise that every part is different, and you need certain things to be able to play them. However, these long periods can be an advantage as, if you find another part time job, you can continue to train and better yourself which may give you an advantage and more opportunities in the future when auditioning.
One form of self-discipline that is crucially important is learning how to take care of your voice and body as a performer. As a vocal performer there are many issues you may face such as: post viral problems, acid reflux, laryngitis, and many more. Singers can get vocal nodules very easily so must be very careful when training. Vocal Nodules are small, hard growths on the vocal folds that gained from straining of overusing your voice. Therefore, it is important that performers are aware of and practice the ways in which you can protect your voice like steaming or vocal rest as these help to hasten recovery time: it is believed that vocal rest, along with rehydration, will significantly decrease recovery time after a cold, and steaming is probably the best way to get direct hydration to your vocal folds, as when you breathe in the steam, the moisture will reach your vocal folds and help to re-hydrate, warm and soothe them, it may also help to reduce swelling and generally help to improve the condition of your voice. When singing with performing arts you must be very careful about what you do and don't consume. Dryness of the voice is unwanted as it is important to keep the vocal folds lubricated so singers usually try to avoid caffeine, red wine and air conditioning which can make their vocal folds dry. Hydration is very important as it keeps the delicate vocal folds wet. Singers often drink roughly 2 liters of room temperature water a day as well as steaming their voices regularly. Smoke in any form, should also be avoided including second-hand smoke as it irritates the vocal folds. Cancer of the vocal folds is common in people who smoke which will affect the voice greatly. It is not also recommended to eat late or eat spicy food as it produces problems with acid reflex that causes discomfort and damages vocal chords. Amanda Board, a west end performer, told us in an interview that one night she ate a spicy prawn curry before she slept and the next day when she tried to sing, she couldn’t make a sound; after a laryngoscopy it was discovered that the spiciness and late time she ate the food had led to severe acid reflux when sleeping that had destroyed her vocal folds meaning she couldn’t sing for a very long time. The most common injury whilst dancing is the lateral ankle sprain which can put a dancer out of work for months. This occurs when the lateral ligament in your ankle is stretched too much. To prevent this, performers must strengthen their hips and do ankle exercises to enhance this area.
Although performers need to be versatile and show general talent, there are a lot of parts that require specific training or technique that without you wouldn’t even get a second looking. For example, to perform in West Side Story, performers need to have certain dance training for different parts. The sharks need flamenco style training whilst the Jets need more contemporary and jazz style. Both sides need to also have an understanding of ballet for the Ballet sequences.
Nowadays, you are also expected to be a triple threat. This means you must be able to sing, dance and act. Performers are now commonly encouraged to start lessons of all three arts at a young age as this will mean you are gradually improving instead of having to have intensive lessons when you are older. This would also mean you find all the genres easier as you are so use to them and the styles. You would already be flexible with dancing, have the correct breath control for singing and know how to project your voice whilst acting. This instantly makes you more desirable in the auditions as you require less work from the production team in terms of training and therefore gives you an edge.
A musical theater performer must go through countless amounts of grueling training branching from singing, dancing to acting throughout their entire career, and as mentioned earlier this could start as early as 4 or 5. Different performers have different experiences with training: whilst some performers have a normal education up until the age of 8 with extra lessons in dance, singing and acting outside of school and then head off to a performing arts college such as ARTSED or Mountview, others may go to a performing arts school like Barbara Speake school and Italia Conti at age 11 where the kids find themselves in academic and arts lessons throughout the week. Alternatively, many universities now offer the opportunity to study performing arts at a degree level meaning you gain the training and a qualification; a drama school like Emildale or the Guildford school of acting that both offer a BA Hons musical theater degree. Performers who want training also go to universities like Sussex to study a range of different genres like the drama, theater and performing BA Hons degree.
However, some performers decided to skip this stage and go straight to employment after school, deciding it was better to learn on the job rather than taking 3 years out to learn skills. Zoe George (who has played Elphaba and Nessarose in Wicked) had no training and just went straight into employment. She said that she felt this was the best way for her to learn and that she wouldn’t have enjoyed the pressure placed on you at a drama school. Zoe George is a West End Performer with no training whose success has grown from talent and small opportunities. She has played Elphaba for three and a half years. Zoe said that “you must be able to do all three different mediums of Musical Theater. You don’t have to be the best dancer, singer or actor but you do have to be able to adequate.”
To conclude, there are many skills required to be successful within the performing arts industry and there are many routes that can get you there. As a performer you are required to: accept criticism and judgement; maintain a strong and positive mindset; be interdependent and outgoing; be dedicated and motivated to live up to the grueling requirements; maintain a healthy lifestyle and have self-discipline for that, and of course be as best a triple threat as possible. If a performer can have all of these skills and maintain them, then they are definitely on the road to becoming a successful performer in the industry.
