How I deal with nerves before a performance

Its very easy to get nervous before a big show. When your nervous, bad energy pulses through your body, negative thoughts fill your head, and you like yourself out. I know that I get shaky and queasy before. Read some of my tips below for more!

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1. Rehearse 45 minutes to 1hour before

Don't constantly go over your choreography because sometimes it causes you to stress out about a specific part. That part will likely be the one that you mess up on. I also find that running your routine right before you go on stage increases your stress level and decreases your chance of success. 45 minutes to 1 hour is a good amount of time that you can still remember all of your corrections and critiques but stay calm and have time to chill.

2. Eat and drink healthy

Obviously you should eat healthy all day before to avoid queasiness, stomach/ digestive pain, and bloating. Mainly, stay away from any dairy items such as a glass of milk, cheese, etc. Also, you should absolutely never eat any heavy foods like stroganoff, pizza, seafood, etc. Whenever I am at a competition I don't eat anything 20 minutes before I perform just so that I have time to let my food start to digest. Most importantly, stay hydrated!!!!

3. Meditate right before

I use this technique all the time. You don't have to go all out, sitting Indian style on the floor. I just stand with my eyes closed, my head bowed, and my arms hugged around myself. Then I focus on steady breathing, envision my performance, and become at peace with the result and the world. Try to block out all sounds and focus on your breathing. This definitely contributes to MY success and calmness and I highly suggest it.

4. Get ready with friends

Rather than standing alone with only your thoughts to keep you company, I always like to prepare backstage with a group of people who make me feel safe and happy. They really help me to forget about my worries. We all like to do this thing to shake out the nerves.

-8 shakes above your head with the RIGHT HAND

-8 shakes above your head with the LEFT HAND

-8 shakes of your RIGHT FOOT

-8 shakes of you LEFT FOOT

Then you repeat with 4 shakes, then 2, and then 1.