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Why Your Mascot Performers Should be Professionally Trained

The key to great mascot performers is being able to touch the audience emotionally by bringing life to the character they play. People are crazy about meeting their favourite character. Had it not been for shaking hands with them, getting a photo clicked with the mascot or taking back memories for a lifetime, they would prefer cosily sitting in their homes and watching the same character on television.
Often people don’t give importance to skilled and professionally trained performers.Because of which the character is not able to stand out. People can relate to the character only if the performer is able to mingle with the crowd and engage them. That is the reason why every mascot performer should be professionally trained.

What Only a Trained Professional Can Perform

Communication
 This is considered to be the most challenging skill for any mascot performer. A trained professional understands that by speaking, they will ruin the illusion and compromise the integrity of the mascot character. Mascots never speak as it spoils the fantasy. Moreover, every performer has a different voice and this will puzzle the audience if the mascot starts speaking in a different voice every time. A mascot is always escorted and the escort can use a reason to explain to the audience why the mascot is not talking. One of the most common excuses is the mascot has a sore throat from screaming too loud at yesterday’s game!
Non-verbal Gestures
 Professionally trained mascot performers learn classic gestures and moves that allow the audience to associate better with the character. Such performers are trained to express things without speaking – like happiness, disappointment, surprise and joy through non-verbal gestures. For example, if a mascot wants to laugh, he would cover his mouth and shake his head up and down to show he is laughing.
Audience Connection
Connecting with audience becomes easier for professionally trained mascot performers as they know basic behaviors and acts like waving, blowing a kiss and hugging. An untrained person may not understand that a child might be intimidated getting a hug from a larger-than-life character. A trained performer, however, knows to match the child’s size and energy to first put the child at ease before attempting to hug him.
Where Can A Trained Mascot Professional Perform?
A trained professional mascot has an added advantage of being able to perform in all kinds of events. Be it a parade, sporting event, exhibition or even birthday parties, a trained professional always holds an upper hand.
Trained mascot performers are comfortable in any kind of event due to their training. It allows them to seamlessly slip into their character and interact with the audience to make a lasting impression. An untrained performer will not know the nuances of giving the character a personality, which is the key to being a successful mascot performer. Also, an untrained performer may have a lower tolerance for being in the mascot costume.
So, if you are interested in becoming a trained mascot performer, get in touch with Hogtown Mascots.