This article is for those passionate about performing arts and who want to turn that passion into a profession.
You’ll either need to be a natural performer or willing to work hard to get there. You’ll need to practice, hone your skills, and learn from your mistakes, regardless of your talent.
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Even then, it takes work.
Let me entertain you by giving you a few tips on being an entertainer.
Essential requirements
If you want to be successful in your chosen field, more is needed to have a natural talent for singing, acting, or comedy.
Confidence
It can be nerve-racking to perform. It would help if you were confident and had a high level of self-esteem to get on stage before an audience.
If you need to boost your confidence, there are many things you can do. You can increase your confidence by joining an amateur drama society, dance group, or orchestra.
Creativity
Most entertainers work for themselves and must write their own scripts and choreograph their performances. You need to be able to create original shows and find creative ways to communicate with an audience.
Discipline
As a professional, you need to be able to plan and manage your time well. It’s essential to be aware of deadlines in a production setting and manage your time effectively. You may even need to juggle a second job.
Perseverance
Most people will need to work hard to get into the entertainment business. You will need to persevere if you want to succeed. It would help if you persevered, no matter how many auditions you fail. One day you will be chosen, but only if your persistence is strong.
Resilience
It is sometimes confused with persistence. Resilience is our ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. This could mean an entertainer is repeatedly rejected, their comedy routine fails, or they fluff a note in a solo. If you can put aside your emotions when you experience a setback, learn from it, and move on, you’ll become more resilient.
Qualifications & Skills
Interpersonal Skills
It is important to have good interpersonal skills. You will need to communicate well with your audience and other entertainers, potential clients, and venue managers.
If you’re in the spotlight, you will be judged on everything you do or say, not only your entertainment skills. So, no matter how bad you may have had a day, remember to take a deep breath, smile, and think before speaking.
Qualifications
There are many colleges and universities that offer performing arts courses.
RADA – Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
LAMDA is the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
LIPA – Liverpool Institute for Performing Art
Royal Academy of Music
BIMM – British and Irish Modern Music Institute.
Remember that while these colleges have a reputation for excellence, they are very competitive to get into their programs.
Alternative Routes
Many entertainers are self-taught. You can gain experience as a performer by:
Freely offer your services at a charity or elderly care center
Participate in an open mic or talent contest
Join an amateur dramatic society
Offer to assist at a drama club for children
Perform at an event, festival, or street performance in your locality
Join a network of other entertainers who aspire to be stars
Volunteer in a theme park or holiday camp.
How to market yourself
There’s a whole article dedicated to how to get more gigs. Here are some key points.
Business Cards
A business card will look more professional if you do a show and someone wants to book you. It is also less likely that it will be lost.
Once you have established yourself in your locality, it is time to market yourself and start making money. You could hire an agent to help you promote your business, but there are other, less expensive ways.
Website
This is an excellent way to save money if you can build your website. It is worth paying an expert for a website that will allow you to promote your business and also let clients make bookings.
Consider advertising your talent on a website like Party Wizz.com. This site partners with professionals to offer its clients the best entertainers, hand-picked by them and thoroughly vetted.
Social Media
By allowing you to communicate and engage with your fans, building a fanbase on social media is critical to success. To build a following on social media, you need to do more than just create a fan page or post photos.
Less Is More
Having a strong social media presence across a few platforms is better than spreading yourself too thin across many. As a rule, you should only do as many sites as you are capable of doing well. Link the sites you choose to post on for maximum exposure.
Research
You can use the most engaging social media platform by identifying your target audience. It’s important to keep track of how users respond to your posts. If they don’t, it’s not worth continuing the same strategy.
Interaction
Do not forget to reply to all comments. You’ll get more bookings and positive reviews if you engage people.
