Performance Anxiety

Every dancer has experienced anxiety in their career at some point. Personally, I get severe performance anxiety. Some signs of performance anxiety include nausea, upset stomach, muscle tension, shakiness, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, overthinking choreography and more. Common places to experience this are performances, auditions, and competitions. There are ways to overcome this and channel the nervousness to excitement. To do this we have to rewire our brain. Instead of thinking “I am nervous” or “what if I mess up”, try thinking how excited you are. Scientifically, our body shows excitement and nervousness the same way physically. By interpreting the feeling in a different way, we can calm our mind and body. Understanding that dance is about expression and not perfection will also help us not be so hard on ourselves. It is okay to mess up and have “off days”. Another major tip is to visualize yourself succeeding in the choreography. Close your eyes, go over the dance, and see yourself nailing every step. Having a pre-show ritual that includes warming up, repeating affirmations, and even meditating are all good ways to mentally prepare for the performance. My favorite breathing technique is 4-7-8 breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale for 8 seconds. Try to do this at least 3 times. Implementing these routines can really help performance anxiety. Remember, it's not an overnight change, we have to keep on practicing this and eventually we will see results. You got this!