Perfecting Your Keynote: Proven Strategies for Rehearsing Your Big Talk
Dancers do a million pliés, and so should you. Today, we’re diving into the essential techniques of physicalizing, memorizing, and visualizing your talk.
What is a Plié?
In dance, a plié is a movement where the dancer bends their knees and straightens them repeatedly, with their feet turned out and heels firmly planted on the floor. Having danced for a long time, I’ve done a million pliés. Every step we accomplish in dance starts from, moves through, and ends with a plié. It serves as our preparation, transition, and landing. But no one wants to watch endless bends and straightens. They want to see the breathtaking leaps and precise pirouettes that these pliés make possible.
Repetition is Key
Just like dancers need to perform countless pliés to make their dance seamless, you need to rehearse your talk until it becomes second nature. Your audience shouldn’t see the effort behind your talk; they should be mesmerized by its delivery. Here’s how you can achieve that:
- Memorize Your Talk
- Memorization takes time, so give yourself plenty of it to get off-book, which means knowing your talk without the script.
- Recite your talk repeatedly while doing mundane tasks like washing dishes or doing laundry. If you forget a word, start over from the beginning.
- Try doing a really fast run-through, known as an “Italian,” to solidify your memorization.
- Rehearse Your Performance
- Come to rehearsal with your script in hand. As you begin to block your talk, note down when and why you move at certain points.
- Your talk should sound conversational, not like a perfect recitation. This natural delivery comes from thorough rehearsal.
- Blocking, or the physical movement during your talk, can add emphasis, tension, and humor. Know when to move, pause, and change focus, and do this repeatedly until it becomes second nature.
- Visualize Your Talk
- Visualization is crucial. Athletes visualize their success, and so should you. Imagine the stage, where you are, and what you’re saying at each moment.
- Practice your talk seated with your eyes closed, focusing on visualizing every detail. If you forget a word, start over.
The Pliés of Public Speaking
Memorize your talk, physicalize it, and visualize it. These are the pliés you should be doing daily to ensure your talk becomes effortless and captivating.
Conclusion
I hope this helps you gain clarity on the importance of memorization, physicalization, and visualization in public speaking. Let me know your biggest takeaway in the comments. If you haven’t subscribed yet, hit the button and the notification bell to get my latest videos. I appreciate you being here and will always respond to your comments.
