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| One of my favorite stage shots! |
I began my posing lessons immediately. Most people don't realize that posing is crucial, so they'll put it off until it gets closer to the show day...but I wanted to feel 100% comfortable with my routine and would rather be over-prepared (if that's even possible).
For those of you (myself included) who think bikini posing looks "easy," at first glance, I can personally attest to the fact that posing is much, MUCH harder than it looks. Sure, it sounds like a no-brainer: strut to the middle of the stage, strike a few poses, turn around and stick out your rear a little, then face the front for your last pose before exiting the stage. Super simple, right? That’s what I initially thought, but I was so completely wrong.
As a former sorority girl, I'm no stranger when it comes to walking in heels. I basically wore heels from morning to night during formal recruitment, a.k.a "rush." Now, I work in a corporate office and wear heels on a daily basis, but let’s just say my professional black pumps are a FAR cry from a bikini competitor's clear stripper shoes with the little spike heels. My first few steps in those kicks resembled a baby deer walking for the first time, but I got more comfortable with each lesson.
With posing, there are SO many things to think about. You have to keep your booty lifted—at all times—which yes, feels incredibly awkward, but you don't want to create a crease where your glutes and hamstrings meet. You don’t want to walk too fast or take large steps, but you want to add in a little bit of hip action when you walk. But not too much hips, because that can get distracting. Don't bounce, but make sure to have some kind of pep to your step. Oh, and you'll want to let your arms swing naturally—but don’t add too much swing—all while still keeping your booty up and smiling while locking eyes with judges. Easy, right? And that's just a brief summary.
The poses I thought I’d be doing? Yeah, not so much. Unbeknownst to me, posing is based on your individual physique, and all the poses I’d seen were routines performed by taller girls—not competitors who are 5 ft. tall with dominant quads and a more athletic build. Tawna and I worked on finding poses that elongated my shaped and made my muscles look long and lean. Let's just say, in 30 minutes or so, I made huge progress.
Another thing that surprised me is that you won't (or, in my opinion, you shouldn't) learn your entire routine the first time you have a posing lesson. We worked through my routine in pieces and, when I finally had it nailed down, we'd go over it countless times, along with a mock competition run-through and call-outs, which was clutch. I learned the types of things to expect on show day to avoid looking clueless. I learned to memorize the heck out of my number. (You don't want to be THAT girl who the judges have to repeat her number three times.) I learned how to subtly shift my weight from one leg to the other without attracting any major attention. I learned how to gracefully recover in the event that I might stumble a little bit. (Thankfully, that didn't happen!)
Everything I learned in posing lessons was invaluable and completely prepared me for show day. Although it wasn't my first time to be on a stage in front of audience, it was my first time as a bikini competitor, which was a whole new ball game. After I hit my routine, I felt pretty freaking awesome, which was one of the only things I really wanted to take away from my first competition experience.
Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,
Kat
