The wiggle and jiggle dance – Rachel and Jelly Queen

_Elsa_

Here comes the love of Rancid’s life! Good luck girls!

One of the judges asks them to introduce themselves by giving their name and where they live.

My name Rachel and I am 33 years old and I live in the Candy Kingdom. This is my dance partner Jelly Queen who is 66 years young. She also lives in the Candy Kingdom but sometimes she goes back to her old home in the Cotton Kingdom. Our guitar player is Red Rabbit and he is 29 years old. He also lives with us in the Candy Kingdom.” 

“And what are you both going to do for us today,” the judge asks. 

“We are going to do the wiggle and jiggle dance,” says Rachel. “We are also going to give the audience some dancing tips just in case they ever want to learn how to perform on stage.” 

*Figure out your intention behind the movement - Dancers talk in such length about “intention" – for good reason. Dance is an expression. So of course, you’ll need to know what’s being expressed. Are you portraying a character? Telling a story? Emoting a feeling? 

‍*There’s always more to a move than the move itself - ‍The most captivating dancers aren’t always the cleanest or even the most technically sound. They’re the ones who are raw and unapologetic with their performance. You can tighten up those fast combos and set your angles later. In order to kill it on stage, make sure you’re translating the right intent first.

‍Feel, don't fake these: The 10 Facials You Make When You Dance. ‍Once you figure out your intention, commit to it! Watch this video for tips.

*Practice like you want to perform - “Under pressure, we don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” There are so many factors that make the stage difficult for a dancer. Sticky floors, bright lights, unexpected jumps in music – not to mention the adrenaline, nervousness, and exhaustion that comes with performance day… ‍

Get help: How To Deal With Pre-Performance Jitters For Dancers. ‍

This is why it’s important to always practice the way you want to perform. ‍If you’re always marking pieces and lazy jogging into your formation, then you will NOT go full-out and magically get to your spots on stage. When you do run - throughs, perform like you want to look on stage. When you’re running to your spot, GET THERE instead of lollygagging because “it’s only preview night.” ‍Basically, if you want to kill it on stage...   Practice killing it in practice. This applies in a class setting as well. If you want to smash it in groups, then practice smashing it in groups every time you do the piece!

*Stay in performance, no matter what you’re doing - When you’re on stage, especially for a big show, someone is ALWAYS watching you. ‍“But I’m in the back left corner!” – Trust, someone can still see you! This is why it's important to perform during every single moment. ‍

From the moment your music starts to the moment it ends, you are performing - ‍Even if you’re doing a cross-over backstage – that’s a part of the production. That’s an element you cannot forget or mess up.  You’re milking for an 8-count? Make it the best milk of yo LYFE. Just holding a pose? Hold the sh*t out of it. You need to OWN YOUR PRESENCE from beginning to end, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing.

*Interact with other dancers - It’s fun to watch people having fun, isn’t it? I love feeling dancers just vibing with each other on stage. There’s a certain energy that you can feel when dancers have good chemistry with each other. There’s no reason not to apply this in a class setting, too!   Or any setting, for that matter! Make eye contact, groove out, do random silly crap with other dancers when you’re performing. You don’t want to distract them or take away from the effect of the piece. Just use your judgement to know how much energy to exchange. Sometimes, a simple side eye their way is all it takes.

*Don’t rush!!! - It’s common to get caught up in the adrenaline of the performance and end up being a hair too early for your moves. Stay listening to the music.   By the time the show comes around, the moves should be ingrained in your muscle memory. Now, just stay on the right timing and dance! The audience can definitely tell if you’re DANCING versus doing moves for the sake of doing moves. 

*Know where to look - Your focus makes a BIG difference in your performance. When you’re on a big stage in front of a big audience (especially if it’s a two + story venue), project UPward! Lift your chin and open your chest to make your movements readable. In a class setting, look past the mirror. Or make eye contact with the dancers who are watching.   Look at the other dancers in your group. Point is, don’t just stay glued onto your reflection in the mirror. You’re not serenading yourself!  ‍Get more tips on dancing outside your box.

Honestly.. Just have fun! - Everyone is naturally attracted to positive energy. You don’t want to watch someone who looks like they hate what they’re doing, right? Watching someone who’s genuinely enjoying dance is captivating. ‍If you’re feelin’ it, they’re feelin’ it. ‍And that's how you really kill it on stage. Remember these 7 tips and you'll kill it on any stage you perform on.’  (Info here) 

The judges really like their dance and the audience gives them a long round of applause. 

“Thank you,” says Rachel and the two of them walk off the stage. 

Let’s continue here - Paint a Picture – Olivia

Start at the beginning – Welcome to the Friends’ Got Talent show!

If you haven’t read the first part of this 2-part story you can read it here – Friends’ Got Talent