Tips to Feel and Look More Comfortable on Camera
As an arena cheerleader, one of the areas you should be well-prepared for is facing the camera. Once you make the team, you will be offered opportunities to be in commercials, films, or live events.
Back when I was a professional cheerleader, I got featured on an MTV clip as a dancer and was filmed at Sony studios to play a cheerleader in a football video game. These are just some of my experiences on camera.
How about you? How do you feel being on camera? To most women who are thinking of becoming a professional cheerleader, even the thought of being in front of the lens feels very uncomfortable. Now, you need to overcome this obstacle if you want to shine and stand out on the audition day.
Prepare your best outfit.
Your best outfit it the one that makes you look and feel your best. Wear that kind of outfit to the auditions. If you make it to the interview round, choose the same. Look for the perfect outfit months before the tryouts - not days before. Wearing something that you love is one of the basic tips to getting more comfortable.
Related: A Helpful Guide to Your Pro Cheer Audition Outfit
Do what helps you relax.
Have some rituals that help you feel more at ease. Is it reminding yourself of positive affirmations? Drinking a few sips water? Breathing deeply five times? While preparing for the auditions, do these things. You can do the same on the audition day before you enter the stage.
Practice talking to yourself.
This is a huge tip that you should do every single day. Whether you’re driving to work or exercising at home, talk to yourself out loud. At the same time, imagine that you are being watched by the judges, media, and the rest of the audition candidates. Doing this will help you become more conversational. It would be best to also practice this in front of the camera so that you can see yourself.
Use power posing.
Power posing is a technique where you stand in a posture of confidence. If you don’t feel confident on camera, using an expansive posture improves the way you feel. Amy Cuddy, an American social psychologist, explains this in her 2012 talk on TED.
Check in on your body language from time to time.
Be aware of some nervous mannerisms when you are on camera. A lot of people are confident in real life but when they know that they are being filmed, they can’t stand still - or may even do eye rubbing, nose touching, nail-biting, and hair touching. Bringing your awareness to these habits when they start to come up basically allows you to pull yourself out of them. This is simple but very useful.
Can you picture yourself dancing under the bright lights alongside gorgeous cheerleaders? Dream of cheering for the NFL or NBA?
If you dream of joining a professional dance team audition but have no idea on how to get started, my book entitled Professional Cheerleading Audition Secrets: How To Become an Arena Cheerleader for NFL®, NBA®, and Other Pro Cheer Teams will guide you every step of the way.
I decided to write this book to help you discover the best tips and advice on staying fit and beautiful, adopting the right mindset, maintaining your image, and more - based on my 20+ years of experience in the professional cheerleading industry.
Grab your own copy of my book by clicking the text or image below:
