Controlling Body movement on Stage
Although standing posture may be understood, the average person reverts to type when walking. The head pushes forward, the body curves, the shoulders arrive first, the hips and the legs last. This curved effect is unattractive, and when the singer walks out onto the stage any smart effect of clothing or figure is spoiled. This is particularly true when a train or a long cloak is worn, and when a regal effect is desired as in various operatic roles.
The body must be kept in the same position, whether walking or standing. This calls for concerted, controlled movement, with the thighs and hips walking ahead, if it can be described so, and the upper part of the body still in a direct line over the hips. This is done by keeping the body erect as when standing, and the legs moving forward, the hips seeming to lead the body.
It is unfortunate for any singer to be overweight, but even if he is it is not necessary for him to waddle! The waddle is the result of walking with the legs too far apart. Although many posture teachers say that the ideal walk is one that puts one foot directly in front of the other, I do not feel that most people can walk thus with ease. I suggest, therefore, that instead of attempting to walk on one straight line you walk on two lines which are very close together. This gives the same effect, eliminates all possibilities of a waddle, and yet does not call for extraordinary control or practice.
As an example of the vagaries of the audience mind I must mention a former student of mine who possessed a splendid basso voice. Whenever he appeared on the stage, his audience would snicker at his feet, which were held toes turned far out I la Charlie Chaplin of the screen. Yet this pose was so much a habit that as far as I know he is standing so yet.
A pigeon-toed stance would be as awkward, but the ideal, both walking and standing, is toes straight ahead. While standing, a little latitude is permitted and the toes may be turned out slightly, but it is wise to think "feet forward." Arms and hands can help or hinder the artist, depending entirely on whether they seem to be part of the singer or some sort of uncomfortable and bewildering appendages that fit nowhere. First of all, in every case, hands should not fiddle and fingers should not wiggle or fuss. Any movement of the body tends to distract from the singer’s performance and the facial expression that puts over the song.
It is not necessary to stand entirely immobile, but for concert work the less the hands and arms are used the better. Emphasis can be gained by clasping of the hands, but only if this is done without any symptoms of "gestures" as they were used in old-fashioned elocution poetry readings. It is wise for the singer to practice in front of a full length mirror to see just what the most becoming position for the hands and arms may be. Some prople look best with arms at sides, some with hands clasped easily before them. But again, whether the hands are to be held high or low depends upon the figure of the performer.
It is best to forget the hands as much as possible, using them only when a gesture is so imperative that it is almost unconscious.
A rhythmic clasping and unclasping of the fist, or movement of the fingers in time to the music, is entirely out of order, and such habits should be nipped in the bud by the teacher. Nodding the head to the "beat" of the music is also an annoying movement; the head and hands must be controlled at all times. The artist’s bearing must always imply confidence and poise, for a negative attitude reflects upon the singer’s talents and his ability to entertain his audience.
Facial relaxation does not mean the sullen, unpleasant expression that some people seem to acquire when they "relax" their faces.
The expression should be animate, but never a grimace. A smile at the right time will work wonders in creating a spirit of amity in an audience, but a too coy giggle or grin on the stage is absurd behavior for a serious artist.
Sorrow in a song calls for a serious expression, but not a woebegone, hang-dog look. Facial expressions should sustain the mood engendered by the voice itself, but it is very possible to overact with the face, as well as with the hands and arms, on both the operatic and concert stages.