Introverted performers

[Aniseteph]

Thank you for posting that, it was excellent.

 

[Zumarrad]

I am a huge enormous ham but I am also fairly introverted. I do like human contact and can seem very sociable but I *must* retreat and replenish on my own.

 

[MzHartz]

But in classes, we'll be drilling a particular step or movement and I'll do it fine...until the teacher looks at me. Then I just blank. I just stop and stand there, like a deer in the headlights.

YES. THIS. Happens to me every time.

 

[Roshanna]

Here is good video on introverts, we do live in a society where extroverts are celebrated

Susan Cain: The power of introverts - YouTube

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed that

 

[khanjar]

YES. THIS. Happens to me every time.

And me.

And it was tonight drilling Arabesques I became aware my teacher was watching me and following me, although I wasn't watching, I felt her watching but daren't look because I know what happens when I physically see someone enjoying what I do, I heard her voice and I heard the praise in her voice and I was trying to hold it together and did so by not looking at her. Me to deal with mirrors and others in class, I defocus my eyes slightly to gain a myopic view, it's a habit I got into years ago, and it works for me for when I do that, I am in class with others but I am on my own.

And so I wonder, training for performance and I can't handle someone taking delight in what I do ?

But then I know this stuff is all part of that experienced by those with self confidence issues and only be working with it will one get over it at some point, preferably before one is too old to dance.

 

[MzHartz]

And me.

And it was tonight drilling Arabesques I became aware my teacher was watching me and following me, although I wasn't watching, I felt her watching but daren't look because I know what happens when I physically see someone enjoying what I do, I heard her voice and I heard the praise in her voice and I was trying to hold it together and did so by not looking at her. Me to deal with mirrors and others in class, I defocus my eyes slightly to gain a myopic view, it's a habit I got into years ago, and it works for me for when I do that, I am in class with others but I am on my own.

And so I wonder, training for performance and I can't handle someone taking delight in what I do ?

But then I know this stuff is all part of that experienced by those with self confidence issues and only be working with it will one get over it at some point, preferably before one is too old to dance.

I do that too. I try to stare blankly at a spot on the floor just under the mirrors if I find myself distracted by other people looking at me.

I haven't danced in front of a crowd before, but I have performed and spoke, and it's different and I imagine dancing would be the same. First, the people in the audience are there because they aren't doing the same thing as me, so they don't know when I fake it. Second, they're enjoying, not critiquing. Third, personally, while I look at people when I speak to an audience, I don't "see" them. Which probably means I'm not as good of a performer or speaker because I'm not making those personal connections, but it also doesn't shake my confidence, which I think is more important.

(I'm one of those not-shy introverts. I can talk to strangers [I actually attribute overcoming my shyness to an ex-boyfriend], but I am mentally exhausted afterwards.)

 

[endenisia]

I'm a shy person too, but I find when performing solo if I don't wear my glasses it helps as I can't really see much of the audience. Although I did have to wear them last time I performed a black sheep group dance as I wouldn't have been able to see the cues otherwise.

Being on a stage as opposed to dancing amongst the audience also for me adds some separation, which makes me feel more comfortable.

 

[Roshanna]

I'm a shy person too, but I find when performing solo if I don't wear my glasses it helps as I can't really see much of the audience. Although I did have to wear them last time I performed a black sheep group dance as I wouldn't have been able to see the cues otherwise.

I would not recommend doing this, I'm very short sighted and have danced without my glasses a couple of times due to forgetting my contact lenses. If you can't see, it is very easy to end up obviously squinting or cross-eyed, or doing a strange stare at someone. I also tried doing a photoshoot without my glasses once, and had to stop and put my lenses in part way through because my eyes looked so weird in the photos when I couldn't focus...