Dealing with Stage Fright: 4 Tips to Help Your Young Dancer
Imagine this: you’ve been preparing for your very first dance show for the past several months. It’s finally your turn to go on the stage, but your hands are shaking, your forehead is sweaty, and your stomach is doing somersaults. Somehow, you manage to get on stage, but the lights are blinding and suddenly you feel all eyes on you. It seems like the nerves are going to get the best of you, and you freeze.
While not everyone has dealt with such an extreme moment of stage fright, getting nervous in front of a crowd is likely a familiar feeling to most of us. And for your young dancer, who might be performing in front of a crowd for the first time, overcoming stage fright might feel impossible. However, prioritizing wellness in your dance studio is essential for dancers to do their very best.
That’s why we’ve put together a guide so you can help your young dancers conquer stage fright and truly enjoy their performances. Here are four tips you can use to help your dancers perform at their best:
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
Emphasize that nerves are okay.
Try breathing exercises.
Encourage dancers to have fun!
Running your own dance studio has so many unique challenges, from scheduling lessons to planning choreography to managing relationships with parents and students. By incorporating these strategies into your classes from the beginning you can ensure that, by recital day, you’ll be able to relax knowing your dancers are ready to succeed. Let’s take a closer look at these tips!
1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. One of the best ways to combat stage fright is to rehearse frequently. Not only will rehearsing help dancers feel more confident in their ability to perform, but it will also strengthen their muscle memory so the choreography feels second nature.
As a dance studio owner, you already know that rehearsal is essential before a big performance, but there are some specific strategies you can use to rehearse and overcome stage fright at the same time. Here are some tips to help get the most out of rehearsal:
Consider virtual rehearsals: One of the trends on the rise for dance studios is virtual engagement. Perhaps you don’t have time to meet with students in the studio for a few rehearsals, or some of your in-person sessions have to be canceled for whatever reason. To stay on track, you can use virtual live streaming tools to interact with students virtually. This convenient and easy option can save you time while still giving each student the time they need to get the choreography right.
Practice in front of stuffed animals: If your young dancer simply needs to get used to performing in front of others, encourage them to practice in front of their furry friends at home. This is a great, low-stakes technique that will show dancers they can perform just as well, even when others are watching.
Balance rehearsal with chill time: While rehearsal is vital to a great performance, be sure not to overwork your students. Give them plenty of time to relax before the performance so that they don’t get too overwhelmed right before the lights go down.
Practice during the in-between moments: Most dance teachers focus on practicing the dance during rehearsal, but it’s often the in-between moments such as, walking around backstage, finding their spots in the dark, etc., that make students nervous. When you’re running the dance, practice those moments too. Turn the lights off and have them practice entering and exiting the stage. Making this part of your rehearsal will help the dancers feel prepared on the day of the show.
Giving your dancers plenty of time to prepare can help them go into the performance feeling confident in their skills. It’s also a great life lesson: with enough hard work, you can succeed when it’s your time to shine!
2. Emphasize that nerves are okay.
If a dancer is feeling nervous about their performance, they’re probably already beating themselves up inside. The last thing you want to do is invalidate their feelings or tell them they have nothing to worry about.
Rather than criticize dancers for their stage fright, comfort them by saying that their nerves are perfectly okay. Understanding that their emotions are natural can help boost each student’s confidence instead of making them feel more inadequate.
First, ask if students would prefer to be listened to or if they want advice. Perhaps one student simply needs to share that they are feeling nervous, while another wants actual strategies to cope with their emotions.
When you know how your student would prefer to be helped, encourage them to talk about what they’re feeling most nervous about. Do they feel unprepared? Are they nervous about being judged? Are they simply unsure? Knowing this information can help you counteract the feelings of stage fright more intentionally, whether it’s by offering more rehearsal time or a meditation session.
Once you’ve had this discussion, work to turn their fear into excitement. Sometimes dancers misinterpret their butterflies as nerves when really they are just excited to be performing. Reframing a negative feeling into a positive one can help remind dancers what they love about the art and performance, which can give them the joyous feeling they need to succeed.
3. Try breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises are a common and effective technique to deal with nerves and, with so many students to manage, you can lead this activity with everyone at the same time. According to DanceStudio-Pro’s guide to creating a positive studio culture, taking the time to do exercises that promote positive mental health can help students have the right mindset.
There are all kinds of breathing exercises out there, but here are some of our favorites:
Alternate nostril breathing: To begin, place your thumb on your right nostril and your ring finger on your left nostril. Close your left nostril with your finger and breathe in through the right nostril. Hold your breath for a few seconds, and then close your right nostril while breathing out of the left one. Then inhale through your left nostril and repeat on the opposite side.
Belly breathing: Tell your dancers to place their hands on their bellies. Then, encourage them to focus on the rise and fall of their bellies as they take deep breaths in and out. This technique helps your students become focused and centered, which can kick their nerves to the curb.
Deep breathing: Encourage your students to close their eyes. Then, instruct them to breathe in for five seconds, hold their breath, and then breathe out for seven seconds. Count the seconds out loud to guide your dancers so that they can focus on their breath. Repeat this exercise as many times as your dancers need to relax.
You can remind dancers to come back to their breath if they begin to feel overwhelmed right before the performance. This way, your dancers can learn how to ground themselves, have a positive inner dialogue, and overcome their nerves independently.
4. Encourage dancers to have fun!
There’s no better way to distract your dancers from their nerves than by focusing on the fun! After all, your dancers have been working very hard on their performances, so encouraging them to celebrate their accomplishments will reframe their nerves in a positive way. There are lots of strategies you can use to bring some more fun to the table, such as:
Provide an external motivator: Perhaps your students need something besides their performance to get them excited. For instance, maybe you can plan a fundraiser to raise money for a cause your dancers care about. There are so many great causes to support, and a student-run fundraiser might motivate your dancers to take on leadership positions and overcome their fears so that they can make a difference.
Ask your dancers what they’re most excited about: Just as you want to ask your dancers what they might feel worried about, you can also ask them what they’re excited about! Consider hanging a list of what each dancer is most excited about in your studio as a reminder of the excitement surrounding the performance.
Plan a fun activity afterward: Who doesn’t want to get ice cream after a major accomplishment? Organize a fun outing or activity when the performance ends so that your dancers have something to look forward to.
Design a memento together: Creating something to commemorate the performance might show your dancers that the performance is exciting and will be worth remembering. Designing a custom memento can signal to your dancers that they should get excited and will give them something to remember their accomplishments. If you’re unsure where to begin, this Bonfire guide on designing custom merchandise can help you get started.
Highlighting the fun surrounding the performance can help dancers relate their anxious feelings to excited ones, giving them the courage and confidence they need to perform successfully.
Stage fright is a scary reality for many of us, but with a little help, it can be overcome. By being patient with your dancers, helping them reframe their negative thoughts, and reminding them of the excitement surrounding the performance, you can help your dancers cope and conquer stage fright. Now, break a leg!
Olivia Mode-Cater is an industry leader in dance education and dance entrepreneurship, having presented on these topics on a national and international level. Olivia’s work draws on her experiences as a veteran dance educator in all teaching settings: higher education, PK-12 schools, and studios. Olivia proudly joined the DanceStudio-Pro team in 2021 as the Sr. Marketing Manager.