From an early age on I enjoyed movement very much, especially when I danced. I

could feel the air around me and I had the sensation to move through dense air,as

if it were water.

This heightened awareness made me move though space in a

different way, a conscious way. When I started to perform on stage at the age of 16 ,at the Gastaig Theatre in

Munich, Germany, people said I had a good stage presence and that I was able to

project to the audience. For a long time I did not give that fact the attention it

deserved. It was a given to me that I could project and I merely enjoyed dancing. I

do remember though that there was an energy that I could perceive,that was

literally holding and supporting me on my back and sides,when turning pirouettes

in ballet and lifting me up,when jumping. I actually called upon this energy to help

me dance.

After having worked with different renowned choreographers in the UK, mostly

founding members from the Siobhan Davis Dance company and after completing

my BA honors at the Laban Center for movement and dance in 1997 I started to

choreograph professionally myself.

I came across excellent dancers with good technique, but something

seemed to be missing. They were not expressing themselves on stage, they were

not attracting the audiences attention in order to bring the message across.They

were not authentic. These dancers lacked stage presence.

But what is stage presence and how do you get it ?

The Dictionary defines stage presence  as the ability to command the attention of a

theatre audience by the impressiveness of one’s manner or appearance. Fellow

choreographers and dancers agree that it is a gift. It is something that lightens up in

you and attracts attention.

For some stage presence is like seeing a light through to someone’s soul. For others it is a gift, a talent few people have and which can only be developed to a certain extent.

I have made it my calling to work with people on developing their stage presence / projection and authenticity through a series of of exercises incorporating body, mind and soul.

For me, pushing the ego aside in order to open the door to one’s heart, so that divine energy can flow through you and radiate as well as translating your message out to everybody else, is stage presence.

Once obtained, you will realize that there are few emotions that rival it.

*Correction for the May 10, 2012 edition of the Union: It is Andrea Sohn, music major who wrote this story, not Andrea Ruse, dance major.