Preparation and Beginning of Performance 32. Stage Space Split 93. Body Position and Communication with the Audience 154. Using the Microphone 235. Gestures 416. The Look 617. The Phrase in the Gesture and the Look 718. Working with Lyrics 779. Artistry in the Voice 8710. The Costume 8911. Makeup and Hairstyle 9312. The Bow and Leaving the Stage

In this chapter we will examine the bow and the types of bows. We will clarify on how to brow and on how close to the ground. We will learn how to control the audience by bowing and about leaving the stage in a manner inoffensive to the audience.Bowing to the ground is almost universally used as a sign of subservience, of respect or humility when we feel honored, like in the case of ovations. Note how the Japanese (and the Chinese to a lesser degree) bow as a sign of respect and reverence. When we automatically bow to the waist or to the ground, we show that we are subordinates or have a lower stature. Bows are made by bending the torso. Western people will not easily bow to the ground, in particular when this is a conscious act. With widening horizons and increased communication with people, for the Near East and the Far East it becomes necessary to learn to bend our torso, in particular, when we meet elderly people who deserve respect. This simple gesture of respect will be noted by those whose culture expresses respect with a similar pose and will be a social advantage to Westerners who would like to demonstrate it. By the way, in Eastern Europe older people will still put their heels together and bow slightly as a sign of respect. Every time

I see this I cannot but think how charming it is that people can still show politeness and reverence in the contemporary world. Done consciously or unconsciously, the bow is a non-verbal gesture of respect for others (Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins, What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People).“The bow is a non-verbal gesture of respect for others.” This is a very general definition of the term bow. I would suggest a definition of my own, directed at the activities of the singer and actor and which incorporates the first definition: “The bow is part of the song and the natural closing of our performance by means of which we show our respect and gratitude to the audience.” This is our last action on the stage prior to leaving it. This is what leaves the final impression on the audience. The very final action is, actually, leaving the stage, but it is a part of the bow and the whole performance.