Performances

With dance show/recital season coming up I thought it would be the perfect time to write about performances and my own personal experiences with them. I have done recitals when I was little, and I have also done dance shows at school, and have performed with my BBYO chapter for our annual Regional Convention talent show. Doing many shows I have quite a bit of experience with nerves and excitement of performing. Pretty much everyone is always nervous yet excited to perform, but sometimes the nerves can overlap the excitement The best thing to do is to not stress yourself out too much, which in some cases can be easier said than done. The worst thing to do is to over practice, of course you can go over a few moves before you go on stage but you should only do it full out once a few hours before going on stage and then take the time to relax and breathe. A few weeks before your performance you should make sure you have everything you need; shoes, costumes, any basic necessities like hair ties and bobby pins, hairspray, makeup, etc...) you want to do this ahead of time in case you still need to go out and buy something before your performance. You have more important things to worry about the day of the performance then to worry if you have enough bobby pins. The night before, you want to relax as much as possible, stretch, make sure everything is packed for the show, and my advice to you if you want to wash your hair I would do it at least 2 days before the show because freshly washed hair is harder to work with when trying to put into a tight and sleek hairstyle for your performance. Now, it is the day of the performance, grab all of your things, and get excited! For the actual performance the most important thing you need to remember is to show emotion and to show that you are having fun on stage. The audience wants to see a performance, not a mark of the dance. Make sure to change your facial expressions and really tell the story. And of course you want make sure you are sharp and elegant with your movements, if a flexed foot or a bent leg is choreographed into the dance, make it very defined, or else it will look like you forgot to point your toe and straighten your leg. Remember all of the corrections your dance instructor has given to you, and show confidence on the stage. Your performance value is just as important as technique, don't forget that.I personally have a show coming up in May, and it will be my last dance show of my high school years, and there is so much nostalgia.  Good luck to all who are performing soon, and if you already had a show I hope you did well and that you enjoyed your show!