Affirmations for Dancers | Getting Ready To Perform Or Compete
Imagine this: You’ve just spent weeks working on a new piece of choreography for your upcoming performance/competition. Maybe this is your first time putting yourself in the public eye. Maybe you are hoping this upcoming performance will help you take a big step towards your goals. You are so fired up every moment leading up to your performance.
That is until you walk into the room.
Suddenly that fire turns into a tizzy. Your stomach feels in knots. You can’t seem to remember your routine at all just minutes before you are supposed to go on stage. The nervous tension now in your body makes you feel like you can’t move your best. Maybe there’s even a mess up while performing and now you believe everyone in the room thinks you suck. A moment that was supposed to be your time to shine now becomes a moment of embarrassment.
The reality is, you can’t always control your environment or situation. You can’t change that the dance floor is suddenly way slicker than you are used to, that your nervous partner is suddenly whipping you around like a mad person, or that you slipped your partner’s fingers at the highlight of your routine.
What you can control is your inner state. You can choose to believe you are a person that is skilled enough to adapt to any situation. You can choose to believe you can support your partner when they are losing it. You can choose to believe the audience is supportive instead of judging.
But this is easier said than done. You have to program your brain to believe the positive. There are many ways to do this but I have put together one option for you. A daily practice of positive affirmations. It only takes a few minutes, consistently, to change your inner state.
It is inspired by thoughts that go through my head before every performance. I have personally learned that I need help remembering to breathe and stay grounded. I remind myself that my body will know what to do when the music turns on and I trust my skills to handle any situation that comes my way. Without this inner coaching, excitement, tension, and a hefty dose of imposter syndrome jump into my head.
So try it out. You can even use this if you get nervous performing on video. I hope this helps and please know how amazing you are for choosing to put yourself out there.
Remember, there is more than just working on our dancing when it comes to reaching our dance goals.
We often have to battle our mental and emotional health along the way. Yet this incredibly powerful part of the journey is often dismissed. Fortunately, Dax and I are able to address some of these issues with students in our mentorship program. Some weeks, the dancing needs to take a backseat so we can address what’s in our hearts and minds.
If you feel like you need a place where you can not only work on your skills but also work on your emotional health, maybe we can be that support for you.
Email us at rhythmjuice.llc@gmail.com. to see if the program is right for you.
Sarah
