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Excessive Stage Movement

by Tom j Dolan

Excessive Stage Movement can weaken your Presentation.

Excessive Stage Movement can be Distracting and this Training video demonstrates the point. Ms. Johanna Blakley, delivers a TED Presentation on “Women & Social Media”. What caught my attention early on, was the lengthy amount of time the video spends focused on her Slides. Now usually a TED Presentation will focus on the Presenter almost exclusively. I don’t believe that was her intention and I wondered how was that result generated? Then, as I viewed and reviewed her Presentation I began to…

Watch Ms Blakley’s  Body Movement. She was constantly shifting from side-to-side. And so I suspect, it was difficult for the Cameraman to keep her bobbing head “in the video frame”. Here’s an example where Excessive Stage Movement can be a Distraction from rather than an addition to your Presentation. 

Consequently, as a result, the Editor continuously cuts away from her to her Slide Show. As you view many TED event videos with this knowledge in mind, you’ll soon realize that rarely is the focus of the video ever on the Slides. At TED the Speaker is always the focus, the Point of Interest. The Speaker is delivering a Message which is aided by both Facial Expressions and Body Language. So, if you’re familiar with my Training, you’ll know that I encourage Speakers to move about the Front of the Room or the Stage if you can.


If you’re not anchored to a Lectern by a Microphone, a Written Speech, or Document, Stage move about. Movement can add interest to your Presentation and importantly, can hold Audience attention. A lesson I learned in one of my early acting workshops in Hollywood was this: When you move, move for a Reason, have a Purpose. Don’t move because you can’t think of anything better to do with yourself… and don’t move about out of Stress or Anxiety.

Apply this information to your Stage Craft and you’ll enhance your Presentations and your Audience Success.

You may want to produce a Promo video of your Presentation. If so, decide Who is the “Star” of this video: the slides or You. You may not get a 2nd chance at another event, so make the most of this opportunity.

Note/ her movement begins at about 1:45 
This is a useful Training video to learn
productive Speaking techniques.This is
not a Negative Comment on Johanna Blakley
as she delivers valuable information to
this TED audience.

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Filed Under: Performance of Speaking Tagged With: anxiety, Coaching, Fear of Speaking, Lectern, PoS, PresentationTips, StageFright, TED, Tips

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