Thread: Bowing after your performance

A few months ago, at a seminar show, I was sitting next to the instructor (a retired dancer who no longer performs). After 3 or 4 performers in a row, he muttered to me about the fact that every dancer had failed to bow to the audience before leaving the stage. Also, when they turned to leave the stage, they dropped the stage persona and just sort of galumphed off. Throughout the rest of the show, the instructor had reason to mutter to me several more times - "That was such a great performance - until the end when she just trudged off."

Now, this wasn't a hafla or a show full of students. It was a show full of polished professional performers - in other words, dancers who should know better.

The next morning, the instructor decided to start Day 2 of his workshops by teaching everyone to bow. And he told everyone why - that based on what he saw the night before, he thought we needed this more than we needed the material we were expecting! He had a valid point, though. And don't worry, he was polite about it, in the way of an instructor correcting students who need it. Those who had danced started making excuses - didn't think of it, didn't want to chew up excess time hogging the stage, etc. The instructor responded that your exit is part of your performance, and it's the final lasting impression you leave with your audience.


So...

How many of you make a point of bowing before you leave the stage?

How many of you stay in character as you leave the stage, keeping your lifted dance posture and walking elegantly?

How many of you teach your students to finish with a bow? And how many of you correct htem if they fail to do that in a recital or hafla?

How many of you disagree with this instructor on the need to bow?

Bowing is an important part of the show b/c it tells the audience that, yes, the show is over after 5-10 minutes, depending on the performance. The bow allows the audience to mentally exhale and relax after being enraptured (don't we all hope).

That is one thing our instructor beat into our heads. She didn't mind how we chose to do it JUST as long as each and everyone one of us bowed. Than after the bow, we had to gracefully exit the stage; NO RUNNING, hurry skipping, or olympic size strides.

Always bow, also teach my students to bow! I have actually received compliments from audience members who were impressed that I bowed and "made an exit". I think it does make a difference in how your performance is percieved and is a very valuable tool for communicating with the audience!

My instructor has always told us to bow after performing- always acknowledge the audience and their time and appreciation. I do think it depends on the type of show- our troupe had a show recently and we (as a troupe) held all bowing until the end. I'm not sure if the guest performers bowed, but they were all invited back onto the stage at the conclusion of the show to hear their accolades.

Hell yes. Actually I usually drop a curtsey, since a bow is not a good look with my cleavage, and occasionally just do the stand, take applause, blow kiss, walk off kind of thing if it's a little more casual.

I have been known to teach classes in which everyone is *required* to get up there and be applauded, and do the do. Taking your applause is important for you and even more important for the audience. I've been particularly fussy about it, and especially the staying in posture till you get RIGHT off the stage area, since I got caught on video exiting beautifully and then high-tailing it just before the wings because I had a costume change coming up. Looked awful, never want to do it again, don't want students to get into that habit either.

Bowing is soooooo important - its a courtesy thing apart from anything else and part of playing the role of hostess while you dance for an audience.

However, I am quite certain that my stage exits leave much to be desired - I can't even walk in a day to day fashion without looking like a pantomime horse whose two halves are getting a divorce and walking in dance is my very weakest point *grimaces*.

I always bow before leaving the stage. I appreciate the applause (if they do) especially if I do a show and I can't gauge if the audience like what I did or not. This happened to me the last time I perform and I perform sorta once in a blue moon.It's something nice and I appreciate when dancers do that and not rushing to just get off stage. You're thanking the audience with a bow. It's just the proper thing to do.

I try to leave the stage in character.

I don't teacher but if I did I would have my students bow after each performance...It's a nice finish to a completed piece. I don't know how to describe it but if I don't see a bow after a dancer performs...it's just odd to me because there has been a dance performances I've been in or have seen where there's always a bow at the end. A former teacher I had would insist that all her students bow after performance.

I always bow and I always try to keep my stage persona until I'm offstage.

Dropping stage persona is one of my pet peeves. When I was living in Japan, I watched a dancer in a Turkish restaurant one time. She did a fairly long set with a flashy sword routine and lots of other high drama. Then at the very end she snatched up the veil that she had left on the floor, loudly said "arigato gozaimasu!" in that high screechy tone that some Japanese women affect because it's supposed to be cute, and then just kind of zipped out of the performance area in a not very graceful manner. Teeth-grindingly annoying!

I usually leave the stage still dancing and waving bye bye to my audience. If I end in a pose, I do show my gratitude to my audience by blowing kisses, or hand to my heart then extended to them..Im not a curtsy kind of girl. I may not get back up after a deep curtsy. It's a pet peeve of mine as well to see a dancer enter or exit the stage off character. It's been instilled in me that once my feet hits the stage, I stay in character until my feet hit backstage. It's part of my acting background. It is important indeed!

Nilaja

Good story, Shira! No, excellent story, Shira!

To all those pro dancers from the story who "forgot" or thought it was "hogging stage time" to take a moment to bow:

My daughter took ballet/jazz for 18 months starting at age 5. When she finished dance classes at the age of 7, it was about 2 years before she danced again on a stage.

At a belly dance competition.

Never having had a BD lesson in her life.

Somehow *remembered* to bow and exit the stage in character, with chest lifted and veil floating beautifully behind her.

Okay, so where are the excuses now???

Deborah

I think it really detracts from a performance when a dancer doesn't bother to bow and teach my students to bow, as well as enter and exit with music where possible.

I *always* take a bow, sometimes two! If the audience is really wildly applauding, a pair of bows to each side of the hall works great. If I'm feeling cheeky, sometimes I'll curtsey also/instead. I stay in character until I'm out of sight of the audience - if not a little longer. My old-skool instructor beat this stuff into us.

a bow is a 'thank you' to the audience! whether you BD, sing, or act, if the audience is there, i've always bowed........usually with a blown kiss or a wave............thanking THEM for having a ball with me......

it's SO important to acknowledge the audience that way, AND floating/gliding/flitting gracefull of stage in full persona.........keeps that elegant, magical image alive...........then collapse once in the wings LOL

Unless I'm exiting off stage, I always do a curtsy with bowed head to end my performances. I also try to show through my facial expression how delighted and appreciative I am of the applause I'm getting. I try to float gracefully off stage, but most of the time I'm so high from performing it's more of a bouncy gait.

There was one time I neglected to tell my student troupe how long to hold the ending pose, and to remind them to bow after. Sure enough, when I saw the video it was one of the first things I noticed - d'oh! I don't know how it slipped my mind. Luckily we were performing the same piece again a week later, so we were able to fix the ending for that performance.

Also, I think it is important to acknowledge the band if you are dancing to live music. I like to bow and extend my hand out to them in thanks and so they get some cheers.

I hate when a dancer performs with a great band, doesn't take a bow, and doesn't thank the band!

I invoke the 3 second rule to my students when rehearsing, and I make it a point in the performance workshops I teach. If you end in a pose, then you must hold that pose for at least 3 seconds so that your audience knows you are, in fact, finished. Then you can bow or curtsy, or in some way acknowledge the applause and exit the stage area. If you want to dance off the stage, then you must somehow show the audience that you're leaving and give them a chance to start applauding. I feel that if the audience doesn't have a chance to see your face while they are acknowledging your wonderful performance, they will feel cheated that you didn't pay attention to their accolades!

Originally Posted by phillyraqs

Also, I think it is important to acknowledge the band if you are dancing to live music. I like to bow and extend my hand out to them in thanks and so they get some cheers.

I hate when a dancer performs with a great band, doesn't take a bow, and doesn't thank the band!

ita! that's one of my mantras to students. "thank the band". its critical for obvious reasons.

re: bow
as a soloist, always. in character, always
its a sign of repect to the audience
it doesn't necessarily have to be a "bow" , depending on the character portrayed, but some type of head nod, arm gesture, something to indicate you are thanking the audience for their attendance.

some choreographies take the dancers right into the wings, but in that case, there is usually a group bow at the end of the show.

If you have cleavage and don't want to bow, consider a curtsy with your head down.

When we do a full show with costume changes, our troupe does a quick, coordinated head nod after each number, and then a big bow at the end of the show.

When performers don't bow or curtsey or nod, to me it comes of as ungracious.

Oh yes,
however one may thank the audience for staying and watching your performance,it IS important to not just "trod off"!

I´ve seen many dancers performing with a live band and forgetting to thank them before they exit too?

I think that an excellent seminar topic would be nothing but entrances and exits!

the bow comes automatic and also not turning your back to the audience.

where would we be without our audience? ,they need to be aknowledged.

Its so nice to hear that everyone posting will indeed bow after their performance. My teacher also drilled this into us, and especially emphasized it when a show was nearing. I remember once after my first solo here, I had just finished my performance and was about to exit, thankfully I glanced at her, she noticed and did a mock bow, reminding me that this was the proper way to end the performance. I truly appreciated she did that for me. It is easy to forget when you're new to performing for other people than yourself, but I agree that a seasoned dancer should know better. As far as staying in character, for me, as long as I have my costume on I'm in character. You never know whose eyes are following you around the room and personally I think it makes a better impression of the dancer (not only to the GP but also other dancers) if the dancer remains elegant.
Great topic, btw!

my teacher has beat into us (and made us practice) bowing and staying in character while walking off stage. she also gives feedback on this aspect of our performances. i think its extremely helpful to students to actually practice these things in class. its easy to forget holding your final pose, bowing, and walking (not running) off stage in character, especially when nervous and have adrenaline pumping after a performance.

I don't usually bow - and never curtesy. Bowing seems to be demeaning somehow. But I do hold a pose for completion.

And yes, staying in character until off stage is very important.

Acknowledging the audience after a performance was drilled into me from my pre-bd years in various different dance forms. Without the audience, you have no "act", and the audience reaction can spur you to make a good performance great. At the very least, even a half-hearted audience reaction is food for thought and improvement for next time. Definitely a curtsey at the end, or at the very least, a graceful bow of the head, with hand to the heart before extending it out toward those beautiful people who come to watch and support our endeavors.
I don't understand how bowing to an audience would be demeaning? That just went over my head....

Yeah, that is perplexing. All stage performers bow, we are performers too and are no different than those that sing or dance in theater.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Hell yes. Actually I usually drop a curtsey, since a bow is not a good look with my cleavage, and occasionally just do the stand, take applause, blow kiss, walk off kind of thing if it's a little more casual.

I have been known to teach classes in which everyone is *required* to get up there and be applauded, and do the do. Taking your applause is important for you and even more important for the audience. I've been particularly fussy about it, and especially the staying in posture till you get RIGHT off the stage area, since I got caught on video exiting beautifully and then high-tailing it just before the wings because I had a costume change coming up. Looked awful, never want to do it again, don't want students to get into that habit either.

Yes! If you have more than minimal boobage, please do not bend over and bow.p::. It's a masculine gesture anyway. Drop a graceful curtsey, drop your eyes to the floor, and then arise and wave if you must while exiting gracefully. I teach all my dancers (one they get to the performing place) how to do this appropriately.

I would LOVE to venture a guess who that instructor was!

Dancers dropping their stage persona was my first teacher's pet peeve, and she passed it on to me. She always taught us to 'never show your back to the audience' -- not as a hard-and-fast rule, but a guideline for making sure you're staying connected & in character (and not shoving your butt in their faces if you have to pick up your veil).

My students always rehearse holding their final pose while they count slowly to 8, bowing, gracefully retrieving any props, and exiting in character.

Interestingly, I don't consciously drop my gaze or bow my head. I just drop down and come up again, usually with one arm raised and sometimes with the other hand to my heart. I think I usually keep looking out, though I might drop my head a little, depending.

I think a bow can be cool on the right person. If I were flexible enough to do it well (and didn't have the boob issue) I would love to do the old dramatic drop from the waist theatre bow sometimes. It's so ahrtyfahrty.

I also really like exit music, which allows you to break your final pose and swan around like a diva on a daytime TV show. The Shareen el Safy DVD I have has a performance on it where she does that. THREE bows, one to each side and one central. It's awesome.