PERFORMANCE TIP — Balance Your Holidays—Stay performance-ready AND live a little
Balance Your Holidays — Stay Performance-Ready and Live a Little
School holidays are the perfect time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with the world outside the stage lights — but that doesn’t mean letting your skills go cold. The best performers know how to stay show-fit and soak up real-life experiences that make their acting, dancing, and singing more truthful and rich.
Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your break:
Stay Performance-Ready…
Create a mini home practice routine — 10 minutes a day is enough! Rotate between vocal warm-ups, monologue work, stretch/mobility, or freestyle dance.
Take a drop-in class — Try something new like acro, hip hop, or an open mic night. It’s a great way to cross-train and meet other creatives.
Film a self-tape or mini scene — Practice audition technique or create your own skit to keep your acting muscles flexed.
Join a holiday workshop — Whether it's musical theatre, screen acting, or dance intensives, workshops can inspire you and build new skills fast.
Stay physically active — go for walks, stand-up paddleboard, swim, skate, hike, play sport — it all helps your stamina and stage fitness.
…But Don’t Forget to Just Live, Too.
Do things unrelated to performing arts. Read books. Paint. Bake. Go op shopping. Visit the beach. People-watch at a café. These everyday experiences give you depth and detail to draw from when building characters on stage.
Spend time with friends and family. That connection and laughter is fuel for the soul — and essential for staying grounded in a competitive industry.
Watch good films or theatre — be inspired by other storytellers, but don’t forget to just enjoy them without analysing every moment.
Take intentional rest. Sleep in. Lie in the sun. Be bored on purpose. It’s in these slow moments that creativity often returns.
Remember:
You are more than just your training. Living a full life — with curiosity, play, and presence — makes you a better performer. So don’t feel guilty for stepping away from the stage for a few days. The magic happens when you bring real life back into your work.
So these holidays: move your body, sharpen your skills, but also breathe, laugh, explore, and live. That’s the balance of a truly great artist.