<< 1) Alma talked about that as performers, we have to perform for ourselves, not the audience, or any other reason, and we need to take ownership of our performances by not giving anything away. >>
if alma is a former olympic athlete, this idea makes more sense. sports are executions of athletic skills contested either directly or indirectly. they are not performances for an audience. an athlete who is distracted by performing for the crowd may make the worst choice for the winning of the game.
while there might be many lessons to be learned from sports and vice versa, sports and the performing arts are essentially different. the sports that are closest to the perfoming arts; figure skating, diving, synchronized swimming, are more like auditions than performances.
there is a lot to be learned from even a biathlete ( cross-country skiing and shooting ). the ability to go from pushing one's endurance to suddenly executing a delicate action is what this sport is all about. this type of athlete might have some useful ideas for handling running all over the place in one scene then singing a slow aria with pianissimo high notes in the next. this athlete would probably not be the best choice in giving advice on how to get the audience more involved.
in golf, for example, the 'showier' the shot, the higher the risk. choosing to show off is most often choosing the opposite of of what is needed to score well. boxers who are not 'brawlers' who suddenly decide to 'mix it up' with their opponent are not only risking a loss but also serious injury.
i wonder how much vocal performance alma thomas (that is her name, isn't it?) has had, if any.
mike
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