Friday 12 December 2014

CLARA: LIFE'S A PERFORMANCE!

Reader Clara lives to perform… we caught up with and asked how it feels to be caught in the spotlight…

Clara says:
I can't remember when I first became interested in performing; it must have been a gradual thing. However, I do remember dancing in my first dance show, aged five, as a multi-coloured caterpillar… and then telling my mum I wanted to be a dancer on the stage when I grew up. The passion must have developed from there.

I love everything about it… the dancing, singing, acting, the constant rehearsals and the buzz you get when you come offstage after a performance. It's hard work but VERY rewarding, and a lot of fun. Being able to perform is not a right; it's a privilege which needs to be worked for. Auditions can be tough, but for me, any audition, however well or badly it goes, is a worthwhile experience. The more things you try out for and the harder you train, the more likely you are to succeed.

I've been turned away from auditions for many reasons and I am learning to accept that no matter how many times I am rejected, there's no reason to give up. There are lots of times I've passed the auditions and had the time of my life creating new characters and entertaining an audience! The most recent show I was in was 'Triptych' with Youth Music Theatre UK - an amazing, intense experience. I loved every minute. I've met so many new friends through musical theatre projects like this… I can't wait to get involved in something new.

After theatre, songwriting is my passion. I've written a few original songs and last year one of my songs, 'Swallow My Pride' won first place in a regional songwriting contest. That win brought with it performance and radio opportunities. Being able to share new music with my friends and hearing their appreciation is lovely. Singing and performing is a huge part of my life - it's the thing which makes me happy and which makes me feel like I never want to stop!

To hear Clara and her brother Joseph singing one of their original songs, just click here and listen… one of those goosebumps moments. Love it!

Cathy says:
I love Clara's enthusiasm, determination and passion… and I think she has the talent to match it, too! Do YOU dream of a career on the stage? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

4 comments:

  1. This is really inspiring for me, I'd love to find out more about how Clara has succeeded in songwriting.

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  2. I'd love to perform somewhere big one day - perhaps playing in an orchestra or doing musical theatre on stage! :)

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  3. I don't know Clara well but we were both in a performance of Hamlet about 4 years ago and if my memory serves me correctly, we were the last two players in a game of Musical Chairs once. Fun stuff. I can't say my love of drama endured. I loved drama at school and at the youth theatre before they kicked me out because I got too old. I got a B in Higher Drama which isn't bad considering I didn't manage to finish the third essay. But I can't do drama as a career. I don't cope well with pressure. I auditioned for an acting course at Motherwell College and when I got the rejection letter, complete with the phone number for Jobseekers (tactful!), it destroyed my self esteem and any crazy notion I had that I could act. Nope. I haven't performed since, bar my acting exam. Haven't had the chance to either. It's good that Clara has stuck with her ambitions and doesn't let bad auditions faze her. Good luck with your career, Clara!
 Blue. :-)

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  4. We do drama at school, but I'm totes bad at it! I get really nervous performing in front of people and I tend to start giggling halfway through the performance. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually not that bad at drama and I can act well if it's just me in my bedroom. But when I''m performing in front of people I just can't get things right, I get too nervous and embarassed. It's just this thing about me. Hamdi:)xxx

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