by Gina Aliotti
How do you become a successful Figure competitor and avoid being a bad one? I get that question every day. Many articles about Figure include essential info about proper diet and training, but two very necessary elements aren't being emphasized: presentation and etiquette.
I want you to imagine a Figure competition as a business proposal or business presentation. You spend months or even years working hard and gathering information and research about your specific topic. You spend all hours of the day and night working hard to achieve perfection so you can present your work to a critical audience.
You've spent a lot of time and money learning, losing sleep, revising, analyzing, consolidating, and fine tuning your project. You've done pretty well and are proud of yourself. Your "masterpiece" is complete. All you have left to do is present your info to a panel of judges.
The day finally arrives and you're shaking in your boots. Completing your project was only half the battle. The day of the event you realize you forgot to practice the presentation and delivery of your work. You have no idea how to stand, speak, or get your point across.
All your time and effort was wasted. You completely blow your presentation. The panel of judges sends you off for major revisions. Your process begins all over again, and sadly, you feel like a failure.
Welcome to Figure competition.
Many newbie Figure competitors spend all their time on training and dieting concerns. Come show time, they look phenomenal, but quickly realize they have no idea what quarter turns are, how to stand, or how to walk. They also discover their suit is completely the wrong cut and color, and their shoes have goldfish swimming in the platforms. Yep, they're the only ones on stage standing on aquariums.
Fifteen weeks of hard work and dieting and they realize they forgot to do their homework and learn more about the presentation and etiquette side of competition. Whoops.
Let's take a closer look at what it really takes to enter and win a Figure competition.
This is where you take a step beyond just diet and training and learn proper stage etiquette and how to present yourself. It's important to make sure your initial introduction to the audience and judges makes a statement.
From the minute you step on stage to the minute you step off, you need to leave the panel of judges with the impression that you're the next top Figure superstar. You never want to convey the "just another girl" mentality. You need to make a statement, and the right presentation and stage etiquette can do it.
Use examples from your own Figure mentors who've developed an image in the industry. There's a reason why pros are pros! They've developed character and a way of setting themselves apart and standing out in the judges' eyes. It's almost as if you can feel their passion and love for the sport the minute they walk on stage.
Try to get some audience involvement, even if it's just a nice big smile to engage them. It's important to show your enthusiasm while you're on stage. How many times do you go to a show and see girls on stage who look like they're scared to death? You wonder if they even know how to smile!
Good stage etiquette and presentation adds texture and life to a well-sculpted physique. Can't do it naturally? Then this is where weeks of practice come in handy. Practice until your presentation looks comfortable, spontaneous, and natural.
Practice! For novice and nervous individuals, the more you practice and are confident in your abilities, the more at ease you'll become onstage. Play act to gain that experience!
Put on the Figure suit you intend to wear, set up a "stage like" environment (yes, it may be uncomfortable at first), then mimic how a show will be run. Go through the process as if you were on stage. You can even practice in the mirror to yourself. Once you're comfortable with this, graduate to the family pet, then close friends, relatives, loved ones, trainers, or co-workers.
If you can videotape yourself doing your quarter turns and walking on and off "stage," you can get a better idea of what you need to improve and work on and also what your strong points are so you can capitalize on them.
Learn how it feels to be in each stance. Hold it and repeat until each stance feels natural and comfortable. You never know how many girls will be in your class and how long you may be on stage!
Use your video recording to look at your posture, hand gestures, and movements. Is anything distracting, over the top, or just outright doesn't look right? If it isn't possible to tape yourself, try to enlist an experienced individual (preferably another Figure competitor) or honest friend to be your tryout audience. Listen to that person's comments and don't get defensive.
Remember, preparation and practice are everything!
1. Stand up straight. You'll look more confident!
2. Choose your suits wisely. Wear a color that complements your skin, hair, and eyes -- a color you know you look good in. It'll boost your confidence.
3. The cut of the suit matters. Depending on your physique, you can tailor a suit to fit you like a glove. There's a standard one and two-piece suit cut, but each body needs its own tweaks and adjustments.
Be sure to find a suit designer who's familiar with Figure and is experienced with the standard cuts and designs. Typically, a well-stoned suit is ideal, but remember you want the attention to be on your physique and not your $2,000 stoned-to-death suit!
4. Wear the proper Figure heels and practice in them! Typically, four to five inch heels are ideal, with little or no platform. You need to feel comfortable and confident in your heels. You don't want the audience noticing your lack of experience in stilettos.
You also want the judges to be looking at your physique and not your heels. Avoid any type of sparkle, glitter, color, or anything that may distract the audience from your physique.
5. Avoid wearing jewelry that may be too clunky or just downright trashy. A little glitz or glamour is fine (of course, it's Figure), but too much "jingle-jangle" can be disturbing and call attention to all the wrong places.
6. Skin color is a must! The color of your tan can either make or break you. Sometimes I wonder a) if people even used tanner, b) what the hell they used, c) who the hell applied the tanner, and finally d) did they forget they had a backside? The proper color and application makes all your lines pop and makes your package complete.
There are many types of tanning solutions out there such as Jan Tana, Pro Tan, and Dream Tan spray. You can either use the old school way of application where you start three to four days out and paint coat after coat, or you can simply pay to get sprayed the day before and the day of the show! This makes life easy because you don't have to worry about a thing. You let the professionals do all the work! This is definitely the way to go.
7. Don't forget to have your skin nicely exfoliated and shaved to perfection. Be sure to shave and wax a few days before the show. Avoid waxing or shaving the day before or the day of the show in case you happen to get razor burn or burned from the hot wax. Your skin needs to be even. Waxing or shaving can cause your tanner and makeup to look splotchy!
8. Competition makeup must also be perfect. Avoid bright colors and forget trying to match your eye shadow to your suit color! Find a dark foundation and or powder that'll blend nicely with the color of your tanner. It's smart to apply a small amount of tanner to your hand and match your makeup accordingly!
Remember, the lights on the stage are bright so the makeup needs to be darker than normal. We call this "stage makeup." If you're not going to have a professional artist do your makeup, it may be smart to get it done prior to the show and learn the techniques for applying stage make-up. Remember, this isn't Cirque Du Soleil! Simple yet elegant and glamorous is the key.
9. Avoid the gum! If you have a tendency to get dry mouth, use the trick of adding Vaseline onto your teeth and gums to avoid your lips from sticking together, which can affect your ability to smile.
Prepare, have confidence, and have fun with it! That's the best strategy. Remember, you spent months or even years working on your masterpiece. Don't waste all your time and hard work by not understanding all the components of competition. Understand proper Figure etiquette and presentation or go eat a burger!
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