Don’t you get so mad at yourself when it gets to the big day you’ve been waiting for. You get to your performance and you choke because the nerves just take over. Let’s be real. We have all been there.
I am going to share with you some of the things that helped me throughout the years, and still to this day when I am performing a new number in a show or in an audition.
I was told when I was younger by one of my dance teachers “that nerves are a sign that you care about what you are doing.” (Shout out to Ben Veitch for that one) That really stuck with me and turned my nervous energy into something more positive. As I’ve always thought of nerves in a negative light.
My first tip is to BE PREPARED. There is nothing worse than showing up to your ballet exam stressed because you missed the last 3 classes and are unsure of some of the exercises. Make sure you use your class time wisely and ask all the questions, big or small, you need to feel confident on the day. You want to get the best night sleep and worrying if you have the right leotard and ballet shoes because you forgot to ask your teacher is not helpful.
When it comes to auditions you want to prepare yourself on the brand and look of the company you are auditioning for, the style of the show and sometimes even a certain role. You want to dress to impress and be educated on what you need to show the panel. There is nothing more off putting then walking into a room with your fellow auditionees and seeing them all dressed in a certain style of clothing and you missing the memo.
Being prepared is also another way of saying be ORGANISED. For an audition you want to make sure you have your CV, headshot/body shot and all the correct shoes they may ask you to wear at any time. This will make the process a lot less daunting. So, you can just focus on your dancing and performance.
The same goes for competitions. Double and triple check your bag to make sure you have all your costumes, shoes, makeup, accessories, you name it!
Everyone will have a different way to go about things on the day. But for me and still till this day before every show I do the same thing. I need to be warmed up from head to toe and have practiced my hardest tricks and skills before getting on stage. Doing a familiar warm up is key to getting your body prepared and feeling good to execute your dances properly.
Your body runs off of muscle memory. So, try and keep your warm up as close as possible to what you do in class. Also, for me I get most nervous about nailing my hardest tricks and flips before every performance. So to get all my jitters out and to see how my body is doing (am I on my leg ? Am I twisting out of my walkover ?) I will practice them as many times as I need before getting on stage. This settles my nerves a lot and keeps me in a positive mind set. I have performed my Can Can solo at the Moulin Rouge over 500 times. I still get just as nervous as the first time I ever performed it 5 years ago. Doing these things really help me focus. I still feel so proud of myself after I nail it.
When it comes to being side stage or just about to walk into that audition room, the best advice I can give you is to stay in your little bubble. Do not get caught up in comparing yourself to the people around you, or what people in the audience or audition panel will think. You are doing this for YOU nobody else, because you love it. I only learnt to really get into my bubble maybe at around 20 years old after being in my first professional show for 2 years. You need to be confident within yourself. That little bubble has changed the way I see myself as a dancer and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the peformance because of it. Everyone who has worked with me knows that I also do not like to be in the wing until the final moment. The longer I stand in the wing and see the audience or performance before me the more nervous and negatively in my head I get. I like to be in that wing for a short moment to gather myself and step onto that stage as confident Holly.
So many dancers out there have little superstitious things or certain warm up techniques that work for them. You just need to find what works for you and makes you feel confident on the day.
Here are some extra tips from some of our Dance Ambitions followers. Keep an eye on our Instagram stories so you can get involved in our blogs too.
@_katrinaras A moment to myself
@hollyjohnston Making sure I know exactly what I’m doing and taking lots of deep breaths to calm my nervous energy.
@lilmack98 I always shake my hands and do a few big jumps
@savannah_renee19 Music, breathing techniques (triangle & square) & telling myself I CAN DO IT
@ashleighnaismith Having my superstitious way of warming up. Before every show I have a specific warm up for what I’m going to do and then I feel ready for the show and that I’ve not only physically warmed up but it’s made me mentally ready and in the zone for what I’m going to be doing in the performance.
@hannakrsloan Stretching, yoga breaths, laughing with a friend or my mum
@livjamesbaird Listening to music and jumping up and down on the spot
But just remember if things don’t go to plan on the day and you have done everything you can to feel confident. Tomorrow is a new day and it isn’t the end of the world. It is about your love for dance and the feeling of performing.
Keep Dancing !
Love Holly xo
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