There are all kinds of opinions about lip syncing. At Hollywood Connection, we love a great musical theater routine. And what makes a good routine great, technique being equal, is commitment to emotional life of the character. There is no rule that a dancer must lip sync a musical theater solo. However, if you decide to lip sync, here are our adjudicators best advice!
Choose an age appropriate musical theater song.
Choose an age appropriate musical theater song that the dancer can relate to. A song from Annie or Matilda is great for a junior dancer. These musicals feature kids and they can understand the story and lyrics. Stay away from mature Broadway content like “Big Spender”.
Make the choice.
If your dancer chooses t
o lipsync, make the choice to be ALL IN or ALL OUT. Meaning, the dancer must lip sync the ENTIRE song. Many times, a dancer will sing parts of a song like the chorus, or stop singing during a very technical part of the dance, for example during a turn section. From a panel perspective, when a dancer’s lip sync is inconsistent, that takes us in and out of the performance. So lip sync all of the lyrics or not at all.
Listen to the voice on the recording.
Is the singer belting or in their head voice? Does the singer have vibrato or straight tone? Is the cadence soft or brash? Do the high notes get louder and the low notes get softer?
Practice singing the song out loud with emotion.
Practice singing the song out loud with emotion. Your mouth and facial expressions will change when you sing the notes. One, you feel something when you sing and two, you must engage your muscles when you sing. Once you practice singing the song out loud, then practice lip syncing it in the mirror. Lip syncing is an art and takes practice. Pay attention to all the details of the recording and try to emulate the voice in your performance!
If you believe, we will believe it.
Remember, whether you lip sync or not, commit to the character emotionally. Tell the story through the dance, choreography and intent behind the eyes. If you believe it, we will believe it.
