Step onto the Runway Like a Model

Series Summary

Why models? According to J.P. Prewitt, famous hand model of Bulova fame, models are genetically constructed to become something great: “They’re in peak physical condition. They can gain entry to the most secure places in the world. And most important of all, models don’t think for themselves. They do as their told.” It seems only natural for mothers to want their girls going to modeling themed birthday parties. Because of the popularity of shows like America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, and others, modeling has become a fad readily consumed by our tweenagers and teenie-boppers.

In this free modeling video, professional model and modeling coach Chita Johnson shows you how to walk the runway. Chita covers tips on walking and handling the arms for men and women. You will learn the right way to walk, current trends in turning, and how to hold your face while walking the runway. Chita shares advice on having attitude and keeping up on the latest styles of walks and turns, like the fade.

Video Transcript

"Hello, I'm Chita Johnson, and I'm going to teach you how to walk and turn on the runway. This is basic runway. I'm here at John Robert Powers in Ontario, California, and I've been teaching 3 year olds up to 50 year olds for 20 years, so if there's one thing I know, I know how to teach walking and turning on a runway. I'd like to start with stepping up on the runway. You can practice this at home or anywhere that you have a step. So I'm going to start right here at the side of the ramp and I'm just going to show you how important it is to focus into your camera, then to take your right foot and step up onto the ramp. The reason I'm using the right foot is to block the inner-part of the body, the crotch so-to-speak. It's really not professional to step up with the outside leg. So anytime you're facing an audience in any type of performance, especially modeling, you want to be poised and graceful. It's so important that you put the outside leg up in front of the audience. What I'd like to do is make sure that you've got your toes totally to the side of the ramp or the step because you also don't want to stand back to where you're lunging in. That's not graceful as well, it over-strides your step. So I'd like for you just to stand right at the edge of your step, right at the edge of the ramp. Take the right foot and bring it gracefully up to the ramp and move up. Notice that when I do that I don't bounce. There's no bounce in the step. What I want you to do is just gracefully get your toes close to the ramp and step up without a bounce, very graceful, very poised. I can do it backwards as well because that trains my body to stay poised, graceful and smooth without a bounce. Notice that all the strength is coming from my knees, the strength is not coming from my back. I'm not curling my shoulders to add to, and I'm not moving my arms with my elbows bent to give me strength to get up. This is the way a lot of people take stairs because it gives their body strength to get up. Well I'm a model and I'm already pretty strong, so to prove my strength, I'm going to maintain my posture, pull in my stomach muscles which expands my chest so that it gives me strength by leaving my hands flat to my side, fingertips lightly touching the thighs, and just gracefully put my foot up on the ramp, slowly but surely, gracefully stepping up and down so there is no bounce in my step. That's so important for your first appearance when you're approaching the ramp. That's how we approach the ramp gracefully."