Getting the Bow Right

Have you ever seen performers who were amazing...then took a lousy bow at the end?

Perhaps it was an awkward bow.

Perhaps they didn't smile.

Maybe they didn't take a bow at all.

Here are a few examples of awkward bows I've seen at the professional level:

The Awkward Sideways Bow - as if the performer needs to find the nearest restroom as soon as possible.

The Stone-Faced Bow - good enough in form, but with a non-facial expression that leaves the audience uncomfortable.

The "Forget-Me-Not" - when a string quartet performs, three members bow, and the fourth is staring off into space somewhere.

The Flash - after a not-so-great performance, when the performer makes as quick a bow as possible in order to flee the stage.

People are still watching at the ends of our performances. Let's at least make it look like we had fun.

Even if we didn't at the time.

Let's work on all of our endings to things, for that matter.

How much of a disappointment is it to watch an awesome movie or show only for the ending to suck?

This creates the phenomenon of retroactively making the whole production suck. (Game of Thrones, I'm looking at you...)

Or, when someone gives us a nice gift, are we good about sending the thank you card after? Our ending to the transaction?

Think about your bows.

The part where we think people aren't watching, but they are.

Because if you can clinch the ending, people will want to come back for more.