Bijou Clinger of Creative Coaching is a professional actress/singer who has worked in both theater and film. She graduated with a BFA in theater arts from SUNY Purchase, one of the top theater programs in the country. More recently she has been working with young actors and singers who intend to audition for the performing arts high schools in New York City. Bijou's students have been accepted to LaGuardia in both the vocal and drama studios. Her students have also been accepted to Frank Sinatra, Professional Performing Arts School and Talented Unlimited. Bijou helps young actors pick the right material and then works with them on the pieces so that they are confident and ready for their auditions. She gives them important tips to help with nervousness and presentation. For singers, she provides warm-up exercises and pointers on singing technique. For both actors and singers, she teaches a myriad of physical exercises that simultaneously energize and relax the student. Students are provided the opportunity to do practice auditions for an audience to get them used to performing in front of strangers. Singing Methodology: Bijou teaches a healthy vocal technique that deals with a person's whole voice. She uses series of specific vocal exercises that enable students to broaden their range, increase their breath control and focus their sound. Because she is also an actress, Bijou helps students with the dramatic interpretation of their pieces, from arias to comic patter songs. As a result, her students sing with expression and specificity. To Bijou, a song is a monologue put to music and the singer must learn to act the song as well as sing it. Acting Training: Bijou has learned many different acting techniques over the years. She chooses the best aspects of each technique to allow the student to use what works specifically for her/him. Certain methods that work for one actor will not automatically work for another actor. Using improvisation, sense memory and text exploration, Bijou can open up students to their own unique ways of approaching a part. Acting is not only about pretending to be someone else - an actor has to bring his or her own sense of self to each role. In this way, actors make roles their own through one-of-a-kind interpretations. Interviews: Bijou has helped many of her students to prepare for interviews for schools such as the Beacon program. She will run mock interviews with students who request help with this part of the admissions process. The Fun Component: Bijou is also a mom who has been through the high school admissions process twice. She knows how stressful the process can be to students as well as parents. Though her lessons are geared towards getting students into performing arts high schools, they are also a whole lot of fun. Your child will learn valuable skills but he or she will also enjoy the lessons because there is no pressure. Bijou is very good at calming a child’s insecurities and fears by providing a nurturing and stress-free environment. Lessons are 60 minutes long. Bijou’s studio is located on the Upper West Side and is a block from the C and B trains. Price: $65 a lesson. A student must give at least 24 hours' notice if a lesson has to be cancelled for any reason, excluding illness.
