So nervous

Aline

Aline

New member
MY very first performance is tomorrow. :confused:
What are some tips to keep the nerves down???
 
ezmasiddiqah

ezmasiddiqah

New member
breathe deeply, listen to the music, try to relax and have fun!

And congratulations on performing. That takes courage!
 
Darshiva

Darshiva

Moderator
Nerves are good. They mean you still care.

Instead of worrying about how to keep them down (or worse, how to burn them off!) how about thinking about how you're going to take all that energy and put on a fabulous show?!

I know how you're feeling - I'm performing at a friend's party in a few hours and my stomach is in knots. I've got so many things to consider - she's a friend so I want to do a fantastic performance, but I also want her to feel comfortable when she gets up to dance with me, so I have to rein it in a bit so she doesn't look bad in front of her guests. I hope she enjoys the music choice I made and the little joke I'm having with the intro. I hope I don't offend any of her guests. I hope my costume holds up. So many things to worry about and we haven't even gotten to the usual causes of my nerves which is ZOMG, PEOPLE OUT THERE! But it'll be okay. It always is. I'll have fun and the guests will have fun and even if my performance is a disaster it won't exactly be the reason people are at the party in the first place.

So what I'm saying is you'll be fine. Even if you do make a mistake or have something go wrong, it's unlikely that anyone will notice, much less care. What they will see is a baby dancer who is sharing her dancing with them. It's okay to have nerves and it's okay to make mistakes. Enjoy your debut sweetie! You've earned it. :)
 
BigJim

BigJim

Member
You said it all... It's your first performance... it will be impossible to deny the nerves... excitement... the feeling of OMG what have I got myself into.. before you go out to perform.

But know this... It was the same for all of us...

Realize you can't be perfect... You just have to dance to the best of your ability.... that will be enough...
 
Mosaic

Mosaic

Super Moderator
You'll very likely find that once the music starts playing you'll tune into that zone & the butterflies will skedaddle:D When you come off stage you'll just feel elated, relieved, excited & have the feeling of "can't wait until next time" - & yes you'll probably feel nervous all over again. Amyway just before you go on shut your eyes for a moment and do some slow inhales and exhales, concentrating on the breath going in & out, & also shake out the tension after a few breathes e.g: shake your upper body loosely and your arms and hands - it calms the nerves.Just remember you are ready - go & rock the kasbah;)
~Mosaic
 
Z

Zumarrad

Active member
In addition to the good advice shared above, I think that when you are starting especially, knowing you're as prepared as you possibly can be is good. So make sure your costume is all ready and fits well, and press anything that needs pressing, the night before. Make a checklist if you want, so you don't forget anything (safety pins! The right underpants! Earrings!) Take some time to make yourself feel and look great - bathe, moisturise, do your nails etc - and make sure that you leave plenty of time to do makeup etc. All of that will take some of the pressure off. And the ritual of getting ready can be very soothing.

Try not to wear yourself out with excessive practice on the day. It's as good as it's going to get. Your job now is to sell it, so concentrate on feeling GOOD because that will feed into your performance.

Avoid too much caffeine, sip something soothing, eat a light balanced meal before and get yourself something nice to celebrate your first performance with afterwards - some wine, some chocolate, whatever you wish!

A bit of lavender essential oil on the back of your neck can be very calming if you get very anxious.

Save chemical relaxants for LATER. (I do know of dancers who have benefited enormously from the use of Special Herbal or Prescription Aids in certain circumstances but I would not advise it in general, and certainly not first time!)
 
Zorba

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
I'll add: Eat a banana.

Remember to breath DEEP and S-L-O-W. Remember you are beautiful, and you'll have fun!

I assume this is with a troupe?
 
Aline

Aline

New member
Darshiva said:
Nerves are good. They mean you still care.

Instead of worrying about how to keep them down (or worse, how to burn them off!) how about thinking about how you're going to take all that energy and put on a fabulous show?!

I know how you're feeling - I'm performing at a friend's party in a few hours and my stomach is in knots. I've got so many things to consider - she's a friend so I want to do a fantastic performance, but I also want her to feel comfortable when she gets up to dance with me, so I have to rein it in a bit so she doesn't look bad in front of her guests. I hope she enjoys the music choice I made and the little joke I'm having with the intro. I hope I don't offend any of her guests. I hope my costume holds up. So many things to worry about and we haven't even gotten to the usual causes of my nerves which is ZOMG, PEOPLE OUT THERE! But it'll be okay. It always is. I'll have fun and the guests will have fun and even if my performance is a disaster it won't exactly be the reason people are at the party in the first place.

So what I'm saying is you'll be fine. Even if you do make a mistake or have something go wrong, it's unlikely that anyone will notice, much less care. What they will see is a baby dancer who is sharing her dancing with them. It's okay to have nerves and it's okay to make mistakes. Enjoy your debut sweetie! You've earned it. :)
Click to expand...

Wise words, thank you!
 
Aline

Aline

New member
Zumarrad said:
In addition to the good advice shared above, I think that when you are starting especially, knowing you're as prepared as you possibly can be is good. So make sure your costume is all ready and fits well, and press anything that needs pressing, the night before. Make a checklist if you want, so you don't forget anything (safety pins! The right underpants! Earrings!) Take some time to make yourself feel and look great - bathe, moisturise, do your nails etc - and make sure that you leave plenty of time to do makeup etc. All of that will take some of the pressure off. And the ritual of getting ready can be very soothing.

Try not to wear yourself out with excessive practice on the day. It's as good as it's going to get. Your job now is to sell it, so concentrate on feeling GOOD because that will feed into your performance.

Avoid too much caffeine, sip something soothing, eat a light balanced meal before and get yourself something nice to celebrate your first performance with afterwards - some wine, some chocolate, whatever you wish!

A bit of lavender essential oil on the back of your neck can be very calming if you get very anxious.

Save chemical relaxants for LATER. (I do know of dancers who have benefited enormously from the use of Special Herbal or Prescription Aids in certain circumstances but I would not advise it in general, and certainly not first time!)
Click to expand...

Good advice!! Thank you.
 
Aline

Aline

New member
UPDATE: So I just got back from performing. Surprisingly, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. There weren't many people there so that was kind of good. Plus I had the support of my teacher and sister.

The dance went well...I made sure to smile and just have fun!!! Definitely an experience I won't forget.

Thanks guys for the great tips, they really helped!
 
Zorba

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
Aline said:
UPDATE: So I just got back from performing. Surprisingly, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. There weren't many people there so that was kind of good. Plus I had the support of my teacher and sister.

The dance went well...I made sure to smile and just have fun!!! Definitely an experience I won't forget.

Thanks guys for the great tips, they really helped!
Click to expand...
The purpose of the first solo is to get you used to the idea of being on stage by yourself. That's it. If you didn't fall down you succeeded! Sounds like you did way more than just that - so its definitely a 100% success!

Congratulations!! :dance:
 
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