Stage Fright
I'm not going to lie. I had some major performer anxiety aka stage fright because of the Mirana show "Arabian Nights Spectacular." I remember standing back stage putting on my zils. The elastic dragged stubbornly against my sweaty fingers. When I finally got them on, I did my wiggle check (shaking your hands to make sure the zils don't slide around your fingers and potentially become projectile weapons). They felt alien and unfamiliar, never mind that I have worn zils over the past five years. Then the music ended, and the dancers were leaving the stage. Suddenly, I was no longer afraid. I was ready to dance.
Short term Solutions to keep Stage Fright in check:
1) Don't Ignore the Fear. Prepare for it.
It's the day before the performance and that anxiety takes hold. A lot of "What if...?" situations start to haunt you constantly. The temptation is to try not to think about them. Shove them in a closet in your brain. Forget about them... but they always come back. So instead, imagine the scenarios then prepare for them in case they do happen. These are usually situations where you can gain control. Mine was: "What if I'm onstage and my music didn't work? I would look like a fool if I just got off the stage. I have to do something." Realistic situations like this can happen and have happened plenty of times. Even to professionals. My solution was that I'll dance while playing my zils a cappella. So, I practiced dancing with more complex rhythms like the Baladi because I didn't want the audience to get bored from hearing the longa over and over. Having solutions in case my rational fears became a reality immediately made me feel relaxed.
On that note, it's a good idea to put together an emergency kit and always keep it in your gig bag. Be sure to use a sturdy container. You can fill it with essential items like safety pins (the belly dancer's life savers); a travel sewing kit for costume malfunctions; an extra water bottle; a touch up-makeup kit; a medical kit with ibuprofen, bandaids, and a hot pad and an emergency ice pack for muscle cramps; and whatever else you would like to have on hand that will make you feel prepared for the worst. Better to have it than be without, right? Make sure you check this kit before each performance to see if it's fully stocked and fresh.
3) Adopt a ritual.
Doing a sequence of tasks in the same order every time can be useful for some. Rituals provide structure and a feeling of security. They can be elaborate and complex or really quick and simple. Here lately I've been using the ATS® moving meditation as a ritual for performances. It helps me focus on what I want to achieve in my performance.
4) Cheer! Do a zaghareet! Scream "Wooo!" on the top of your lungs!
I confess: I do this when I'm alone in the car driving to an event. This verbalization helps release the pent up energy which relaxes the muscles and regulates breathing. I recommend doing a couple of Yips and Zagharoots while performing as well. Not only does it project joy and excitement to your audience, thus encouraging them to engage, it also helps you focus on loving the dance and forgetting all of those fears.
5) Be a team player.
Everyone else is nervous too. Instead of concentrating on your worries and essentially making them worse, help others out with their anxiety. Crack some jokes, check each other's costumes and makeup and help fix them, and etc. It's a welcome distraction, and it's nice to know that your fellow dancers are looking out for you. Then when you get on stage, you know there are people watching you who want to support you. Dance your heart out for these people.
...the music started, and I came alive. All that mattered was the dance. People clapped to the beat of my music. I made eye contact with those who beamed at me, and I smiled brightly in return, thanking them for their support. During the intermission, I received lovely compliments and praise. I remember wishing that I had more eloquent words than "Thank You!" to show my deep gratitude. If only they knew how happy I was because they accepted a piece of my happiness. This experience made me realize that stage fright is not a negative thing. It helps you prepare. It allows you to genuinely express gratitude and keeps you humble, both are important virtues for every dancer to have.
Even days before my performance, I was dealing with strong anxiety. I decided to ask Dr. Google for additional help. I came across this excellent article from Farfesha Belly Dance. I recommend reading this one. Michelle has some good tips, but what caught my attention the most was that the physical reactions to excitement and stress are the same. I vaguely remembered this from a documentary I watched a long time ago, so I did some fact checking and came across this blog piece in Psychology Today. From this knowledge, I argue that the difference between stage fright and excitement is your mentality and your outlook on the situation. You make the choice whether it's a negative or a positive experience.
With "Arabian Nights Spectacular," I was performing in front of an audience that had not experienced much Tribal belly dance but was greatly fond of Oriental belly dance. I was basically a representative of Tribal belly dance. My performance was going to shape opinions about my art form. Lastly, I was doing an ATS® Fusion Solo on a large stage. I prefer settings where I'm among my audience like festivals and farmers markets. Being on display where everyone can see me in full detail is not my ideal dance environment. On top of that, it felt really weird dancing solo to a style that's based on group improvisation. Sometimes, it's unavoidable. So yeah, I was nervous, even intimidated! I just wanted to do my best and share my joy for this art form.
In the end, that's all I could do...
Short term Solutions to keep Stage Fright in check:
There are different levels of performance anxiety. In my experience, I encounter strong stage fright when I perform in new situations. As I become familiar with these situations then I become less anxious and more excited. Once I'm familiar with the situation, I can anticipate what typically happens. By then, the excitement is simply a small current of electricity, ready to channel.
I use a variety of strategies to maintain stage fright, some are long term and some are short term. In this article, I will focus short term solutions you can use to keep stage fright from crippling you. Long term solutions will revolve around building your Performer Identity or Persona, who you are as a performer. For me, it's a mentality that suddenly takes over once I make the choice to perform: "It's Showtime!" This was how I was no longer afraid seconds before I stepped onto the stage. Short term solutions is what helps keep the anxiety in check until you decide to fulfill the role of the performer. I will discuss this more in detail in my next article "The Performer Identity."
It's the day before the performance and that anxiety takes hold. A lot of "What if...?" situations start to haunt you constantly. The temptation is to try not to think about them. Shove them in a closet in your brain. Forget about them... but they always come back. So instead, imagine the scenarios then prepare for them in case they do happen. These are usually situations where you can gain control. Mine was: "What if I'm onstage and my music didn't work? I would look like a fool if I just got off the stage. I have to do something." Realistic situations like this can happen and have happened plenty of times. Even to professionals. My solution was that I'll dance while playing my zils a cappella. So, I practiced dancing with more complex rhythms like the Baladi because I didn't want the audience to get bored from hearing the longa over and over. Having solutions in case my rational fears became a reality immediately made me feel relaxed.
On that note, it's a good idea to put together an emergency kit and always keep it in your gig bag. Be sure to use a sturdy container. You can fill it with essential items like safety pins (the belly dancer's life savers); a travel sewing kit for costume malfunctions; an extra water bottle; a touch up-makeup kit; a medical kit with ibuprofen, bandaids, and a hot pad and an emergency ice pack for muscle cramps; and whatever else you would like to have on hand that will make you feel prepared for the worst. Better to have it than be without, right? Make sure you check this kit before each performance to see if it's fully stocked and fresh.
2) Do not consume alcohol or other substances.
Throughout my entire performing life both in theater and dance, I have noticed on occasion performers drinking alcohol, usually wine, while they are backstage. They always say "Just a little bit to take the edge off." When it's my place, I will confiscate the alcohol. So far I haven't because people in my charge know better. As a guest performer, however, I usually don't say anything unless they are consuming too much. Usually someone else is already taking care of the situation anyway. I don't mean to look down on people who use alcohol to treat anxiety, but I strongly advise against doing so. This will only create a dependency on substances that are potentially harmful to your health and can be easily abused. It's also very unprofessional. Not to mention, it can create more prejudice towards belly dancers in general. We don't need to keep that going, do we? Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a tasty margarita, but I'm not going to consume a substance that will impair my performance and my interactions with potential students or employers. Every event, no matter how casual, is an audition. It's better to increase the odds in your favor, not decrease them. Here's another scenario, what if wine gets spilled on my costume or I spill it on someone else's costume? Wine stains terribly, and there's no escaping the smell of any alcohol. One last thing before I get off my soap box, if child performers can handle anxiety without alcohol then adults can, too.
3) Adopt a ritual.
Doing a sequence of tasks in the same order every time can be useful for some. Rituals provide structure and a feeling of security. They can be elaborate and complex or really quick and simple. Here lately I've been using the ATS® moving meditation as a ritual for performances. It helps me focus on what I want to achieve in my performance.
4) Cheer! Do a zaghareet! Scream "Wooo!" on the top of your lungs!
I confess: I do this when I'm alone in the car driving to an event. This verbalization helps release the pent up energy which relaxes the muscles and regulates breathing. I recommend doing a couple of Yips and Zagharoots while performing as well. Not only does it project joy and excitement to your audience, thus encouraging them to engage, it also helps you focus on loving the dance and forgetting all of those fears.
5) Be a team player.
Everyone else is nervous too. Instead of concentrating on your worries and essentially making them worse, help others out with their anxiety. Crack some jokes, check each other's costumes and makeup and help fix them, and etc. It's a welcome distraction, and it's nice to know that your fellow dancers are looking out for you. Then when you get on stage, you know there are people watching you who want to support you. Dance your heart out for these people.
...the music started, and I came alive. All that mattered was the dance. People clapped to the beat of my music. I made eye contact with those who beamed at me, and I smiled brightly in return, thanking them for their support. During the intermission, I received lovely compliments and praise. I remember wishing that I had more eloquent words than "Thank You!" to show my deep gratitude. If only they knew how happy I was because they accepted a piece of my happiness. This experience made me realize that stage fright is not a negative thing. It helps you prepare. It allows you to genuinely express gratitude and keeps you humble, both are important virtues for every dancer to have.
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