Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Pushing Past Performance Anxiety

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Pushing Past Performance Anxiety · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:07
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table in a dance competition?
0:11
SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
0:13
SPEAKER_00: This is making the impact, the dance competition podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_00: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
0:23
SPEAKER_00: Performance anxiety can come up for even the most seasonal performer.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: Each dancer finds their own way of combating this inevitable feeling.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: And if you can start early and figure out what strategies are effective for you, performance anxiety might even be able to enhance your performance.
0:36
SPEAKER_00: This week, we're talking with IBA judges and performers Jen and Melissa to hear their insights about performance anxiety and how to make it work for you.
0:47
SPEAKER_02: Hey everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Making an Impact.
0:51
SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I am here today with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
0:56
SPEAKER_02: Hi everybody! We are in the heat of competition season and we're excited to talk about performance today and how to get through that stress or anxiety once it's time for you to hit the stage.
1:06
SPEAKER_02: So today we'll be chatting with two fabulous guests and IDA judges.
1:10
SPEAKER_02: But before we jump in, I wanted to say thank you to all of our listeners and subscribers to the podcast.
1:16
SPEAKER_02: We have had such a blast creating all of this content for you, and I know our IDA judges have loved joining in on the discussion throughout the season so far.
1:23
SPEAKER_02: So thank you again for your support, and you can be sure to follow us on social media at Impact Dance Adjudicators to stay up to date with our new episode releases, our weekly judges tips, and even check out which competition events our IDA judges will be at throughout the 2020 season.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: And if you haven't had a chance yet and are still in need of any supplies or gear for the competition season, be sure to check out our seasoned sponsor, Level Up Dance Supplies.
1:46
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1:53
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1:59
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2:04
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2:15
SPEAKER_02: So if you or your dancer is in need of any supplies this season, be sure to head over to their website now at levelupdanceupplies.com and don't forget, use the code IMPAC to receive$10 off your first order.
2:26
SPEAKER_02: This is such an important topic in the world that we live in today, and I'm looking forward to hearing about what you both think.
2:32
SPEAKER_02: And I would like to just kick things off and introduce our two fabulous IDA judges who are here today with us.
2:40
SPEAKER_02: So let's get to know IDA Judge Melissa.
2:44
SPEAKER_02: Hey, tell us a little bit about you, who you are, what you're up to, where you live, and any career credits you want to share.
2:50
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
2:50
SPEAKER_01: Hi guys.
2:51
SPEAKER_01: I am Melissa.
2:53
SPEAKER_01: I'm currently based in both New York City and Toronto.
2:58
SPEAKER_01: I am studying for a doctoral degree in dance education at Columbia University.
3:03
SPEAKER_01: And I'm also on faculty at Centennial College in Toronto, where I teach commercial dance and interdisciplinary arts.
3:11
SPEAKER_01: I also work for the Royal Academy of Dance.
3:14
SPEAKER_01: I tutor the Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies program, which is a two-year diploma program for students wishing to become dance educators in ballet.
3:23
SPEAKER_01: And I've also had the opportunity to travel and uh perform and travel and dance, which is my favorite thing to do.
3:30
SPEAKER_01: I love traveling.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: So I've traveled to places like Brazil and Portugal and on the high seas as a dancer.
3:37
SPEAKER_01: And I've also taught in South Africa and China and England.
3:41
SPEAKER_01: And uh yes, I'm really excited to be here.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
3:45
SPEAKER_01: And I also agree that performance anxiety is a really important topic.
3:49
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
3:50
SPEAKER_02: Totally agree.
3:51
SPEAKER_02: And I'm so happy to have you here from Toronto.
3:54
SPEAKER_02: Yay, Melissa! All right, and our other fabulous IDA judge is Jen Garafa.
4:01
SPEAKER_02: Hello, hello, how are you?
4:03
SPEAKER_02: Hey, I'm so good.
4:04
SPEAKER_02: How are you?
4:05
SPEAKER_02: I'm good.
4:06
SPEAKER_02: Do you want to share with the podcast listeners a little bit about you, who you are, where you're from, and what you're currently up to?
4:14
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
4:15
SPEAKER_03: Hi, everybody.
4:16
SPEAKER_03: My name is Jen Garafa, and I am based down in Orlando, Florida, where we have a great time.
4:23
SPEAKER_03: I work at Disney World all the time.
4:25
SPEAKER_03: I'm there.
4:26
SPEAKER_03: If you take a trip down to Disney World, come see me.
4:29
SPEAKER_03: You can find me over at Magic Kingdom, where I do pretty much anything that goes down the street, and also at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Festival of the Lion King, which I just learned after 10 years with the company this February.
4:41
SPEAKER_03: So I have lots of anxiety about that every day.
4:44
SPEAKER_03: I honestly though.
4:46
SPEAKER_03: I went to college right here in Florida at the University of Central Florida, where I have an undergrad in psychology.
4:51
SPEAKER_03: And currently Disney is helping me get my master's degree through the Disney Aspire program, where they are sending me back to school.
4:58
SPEAKER_03: Woo! And I am in a master's program at the University of Denver for Arts and Culture, Marketing and Management, which I'm super pumped about.
5:06
SPEAKER_03: And it's been really fun to use kind of a different side of my brain that way and be performing and then come off show and do homework and then go back and do another show.
5:15
SPEAKER_03: It's been kind of crazy, but I love it.
5:17
SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I'm here and I coach at a couple different studios.
5:20
SPEAKER_03: I coach some dance teams and I teach and I travel at conventions and I judge for IDA, and it's just the best crazy mishmash of a life.
5:28
SPEAKER_03: And I'm excited to be here.
5:30
SPEAKER_02: Yes, you do everything.
5:32
SPEAKER_02: Both of you ladies, you guys, I don't know how to keep up with you both.
5:36
SPEAKER_02: Like I thought I was a busy person, but you guys sound 10 times busier than me.
5:41
SPEAKER_02: So I'm so happy that that you guys could both find some time in your busy schedules to sit down with us on this podcast episode.
5:48
SPEAKER_02: So thank you so much.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you guys, thank you.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: We so appreciate you spending your time with us tonight.
5:55
SPEAKER_00: And I think you guys are the perfect candidates to talk about this topic because you know, managing anxiety with such busy and hectic schedules and with so many, you know, things weighing on you with degrees and doctorate programs and jobs and everything, like this is gonna be such a great, a great conversation.
6:12
SPEAKER_00: I did want to mention, as usual, that our topics that we cover on the podcast this season are pulled directly from our IDA Judges blog.
6:20
SPEAKER_00: And this blog that we released back in 2018 in February is called Pushing Past Performance Anxiety.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: So if you want to read a little bit more about that after you listen to the episode just to hear from some other perspectives, check out our show notes and head over to the blog at Impact Danceadjudicators.com/slash judges blog.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so ladies, we are gonna jump right in tonight.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Let's see if we can define performance anxiety.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: I think that's an awesome place to start.
6:48
SPEAKER_03: I'll jump in first.
6:49
SPEAKER_03: I think we I often have a conversation with my own students about are we having anxiety or are we nervous?
6:55
SPEAKER_03: Because those are two very different things.
6:57
SPEAKER_03: Are you nervous?
6:58
SPEAKER_03: Can we push past this?
6:59
SPEAKER_03: Are we some butterflies?
7:01
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna be fine, versus are we having some more serious, more anxious feelings that we really need to go in and kind of reroute what we're thinking about.
7:10
SPEAKER_03: So for me personally, and I don't know about you, Melissa or Courtney, nerves are very like, I'm here and I'm excited, but I'm nervous and I'm a little twitchy, but I'm it's gonna be great and we're gonna do it and we're feeling good versus anxiety is I'm here and I'm sitting backstage and I don't think I can do this, and I feel like I'm gonna forget my whole entire dance.
7:32
SPEAKER_03: I know I'm gonna forget it.
7:33
SPEAKER_03: And you just start kind of talking yourself down this hill for me before show personally.
7:37
SPEAKER_03: I just stand there and look at my costume and be like, I am a snake today.
7:41
SPEAKER_03: I am a zebra today.
7:42
SPEAKER_03: What am I today?
7:43
SPEAKER_03: What animal am I?
7:46
SPEAKER_03: So I think there's a little difference between the level of anxiety and nerves on my end.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's that reminds me of when I was younger.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: I didn't necessarily have the sort of high-level anxiety that you're talking about, like the difference between nerves and anxiety.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: Like I had that exact same conversation with myself sometimes.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: I would look at my costume and I would say, How does this dance start?
8:07
SPEAKER_00: And it's just that one moment right before you start, you're like, why am I blanking?
8:11
SPEAKER_00: Oh my God.
8:11
SPEAKER_00: And then you're like, wait, no, I'm back.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: We're good.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: That's to me manageable.
8:16
SPEAKER_00: It's when it moves into that sort of the fear-based, the talking down to yourself kind of level where it's like, okay, we have to reevaluate how we approach this.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And I think another important thing to mention to our listeners, none of us are mental health professionals.
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Everything we say today comes from personal experience.
8:34
SPEAKER_00: If you're experiencing anxiety or feelings that are unmanageable to you, please, you know, reach out to somebody in your life that you trust and go get some help because this is coming from our personal experiences, and you can take or leave whatever you hear today.
8:46
SPEAKER_01: I agree with that as well.
8:48
SPEAKER_01: I think it's important to note that, but I also agree with what Jen said that there's the difference between general nervousness and anxiety.
8:57
SPEAKER_01: And I really define anxiety as like an imbalance between the demands on a person and the ability to meet those demands.
9:04
SPEAKER_01: So I think that when you think of anxiety that way, I think preparation is a huge part of it.
9:11
SPEAKER_01: I personally feel better on stage when I've prepared, or I feel better in anything I do when I prepare.
9:18
SPEAKER_01: So I think that is a big part of it.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: So if one feels prepared, then sometimes they can like reduce that anxiety a bit more.
9:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the preparation, one of the things we were taught in school at college was the phrase preparation is opportunity meeting good luck.
9:36
SPEAKER_00: So if if you have the preparation, you are ready for the opportunity and the good luck that just may happen, you know?
9:44
SPEAKER_00: And so I think, like you said, Melissa, to be prepared for kind of anything.
9:49
SPEAKER_00: And that goes for, you know, a technical difficulty, a costume malfunction, a moment of, oh my gosh, my partner just fell and slipped and can't come on with me.
9:59
SPEAKER_00: How do we fix this right now?
10:01
SPEAKER_00: You know, and and having those scenarios kind of worked out in your head beforehand or at the studio with your teacher, with your teammates to kind of prepare for the unexpected.
10:11
SPEAKER_01: I agree.
10:11
SPEAKER_01: And I think it's also it's not just preparing to be on stage, but I actually find it interesting that both Leslie and Jen that you both said that you talk about this with your students or you've spoken about this in college, because I find personally no one ever talked to me about performance anxiety.
10:27
SPEAKER_01: And also a lot of my students or other faculty or friends, they also say they they haven't really learned about performance anxiety themselves.
10:36
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of self-taught.
10:38
SPEAKER_01: And I think sometimes it's expected to be self-taught, which I think is actually the wrong way to approach it.
10:44
SPEAKER_01: I think that as educators, we should all be talking about it in our classes.
10:48
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm just trying to think like back, I mean, I still perform, not when back when I was just a competition kid, but even when I was a competition kid, I don't really remember, like you said, I don't think we talked about it.
11:00
SPEAKER_02: It was just like, you better go out on stage and you better nail your routine and that's it.
11:04
SPEAKER_02: And I don't care if you get nervous or anxious or, you know, I I mean, I think that's what it was.
11:10
SPEAKER_02: And of course, I think we all have our own sort of ritual and like routine before we go on stage for any type of performance.
11:18
SPEAKER_02: I know that I definitely feel like I do get anxiety if I have to do a solo performance to this day still, like as a professional dancer.
11:27
SPEAKER_02: If I'm in a group kind of setting or routine, I feel a little bit more relaxed and like hoping like it's like a teamwork effort, like we're gonna do this together and and I have my team with me.
11:38
SPEAKER_02: But like solo, oh my gosh.
11:40
SPEAKER_02: I do not know how all of these fantastic, amazing kids, these dancers at competition, do solo after solo after solo at the age of like sometimes six.
11:49
SPEAKER_02: You know, they're fearless when they're six.
11:52
SPEAKER_02: But, you know, as we get older, we definitely gain some more nervousness, some fear, some anxiety when we walk onto the stage.
12:00
SPEAKER_02: You're the only person on the stage in a solo.
12:03
SPEAKER_02: And that's definitely a scary feeling sometimes.
12:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
12:06
SPEAKER_01: I actually read a really interesting article that said something very similar to what you just said.
12:10
SPEAKER_01: And they said that performance anxiety changes throughout your career, and it changes with role changes.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: So this article actually looked at ballet dancers in a company, and they looked at all levels from the corpse to ballet to all the way through like principals and soloists.
12:25
SPEAKER_01: And they said that the principal dancers actually had more anxiety than the corpse just because of the type of roles that they were doing.
12:32
SPEAKER_01: And I also found it was interesting, they said that uh character roles were less anxious than non-character roles.
12:39
SPEAKER_01: So I was I thought it was really interesting, and I thought then, you know, if I have a student next time that really wants to do a solo and really wants to accomplish a solo, but they're more nervous, maybe give them like more of a musical theater solo so they can hide behind their character as opposed to giving them like a serious contemporary ballet.
12:57
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's so interesting.
12:58
SPEAKER_03: I love that.
13:00
SPEAKER_03: Because that's essentially if you can step away from yourself and away from your own personal, I am afraid of this because of this, and you can just become that other.
13:10
SPEAKER_03: That makes perfect sense.
13:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, how about you, Jen?
13:12
SPEAKER_01: Have you had certain character roles and have you found them to be less, you know, cause you less anxiety than other roles?
13:20
SPEAKER_03: Like your snake role, for example, when you're No, so when I waited about 10 years to learn the Festival of Lion King, that was like the dream show.
13:28
SPEAKER_03: And it's interesting because I spent two and a half weeks of our three and a half week rehearsal just being completely blocked off from connecting in any sort of way because I had waited so long and I went through every reason I shouldn't be there.
13:44
SPEAKER_03: Before coming to terms, someone finally just grabbed my shoulders and they were like, Hey, you're here and no one's gonna take this from you, and you're gonna be fine.
13:51
SPEAKER_03: And you've you have to build a bridge, you've got to get over this.
13:54
SPEAKER_03: So I know four tracks in the show.
13:56
SPEAKER_03: I know Snake, Zebra, Elephant, and Giraffe.
14:00
SPEAKER_03: And what's interesting is snake is like the easiest thing because it's such an easy character to get into, kind of slithery and slinky, and all this and that and the other.
14:09
SPEAKER_03: Elephant is so nerve-wracking for me.
14:11
SPEAKER_03: How do you be an elephant?
14:12
SPEAKER_03: I would love to know.
14:13
SPEAKER_03: Right.
14:15
SPEAKER_03: So I come in, if I come in and they say, Hey, we switched to an elephant today, I immediately go, Oh my god, what do I do?
14:21
SPEAKER_03: Where do I go?
14:22
SPEAKER_03: How do I do this?
14:22
SPEAKER_03: I don't something about an elephant.
14:24
SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
14:24
SPEAKER_03: I have to do something.
14:25
SPEAKER_03: So it's fun from like animal to animal in that specific show.
14:29
SPEAKER_03: You kind of go through a little bit of a different form of nervousness and anxiety because of your role and your character and kind of how you have to interact with people and with puppets and all kinds of craziness mishmosh that happens in there.
14:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
14:44
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure like the tracking and the blocking for that, I mean, that's always my biggest anxiety.
14:49
SPEAKER_00: Like, teach me any dance step you want, and I've got it.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: But it's a matter of where I go and who am I, like literally, who am I today if I was a swing, which I've done a couple of times.
14:57
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, you just have to, you just have preparation.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: You have to be prepared.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: And I think that that also speaks a little bit to what you just said, Jen, that like somebody finally just grabbed you and was like, you deserve to be here.
15:09
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it takes another person's perspective to be like, to trust yourself.
15:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think we all have definitely probably had an experience like that where it's like, you know, they must have made a mistake, like that imposter syndrome of why am I here?
15:23
SPEAKER_00: Like, why did I get this job?
15:25
SPEAKER_00: What, you know, certainly they couldn't have met me.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes you do need that outside source of reassurance.
15:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
15:31
SPEAKER_03: I often tell my students, especially when we're backstage and they start to just go down that rabbit hole, we talk about the narrative.
15:39
SPEAKER_03: And I'll often say, you have to change the narrative because you're it is terrible to be in a world where someone's always being mean to you.
15:46
SPEAKER_03: And if that's you being mean to you all the time, there's no comeback from that.
15:50
SPEAKER_03: So let's flip it instead of I I am afraid I'm gonna forget my dance.
15:55
SPEAKER_03: Let's say I feel like I practiced a lot and I'm gonna have a great time on stage.
16:00
SPEAKER_03: And if I forget something, I'm gonna become a great improver today.
16:03
SPEAKER_03: And that's what I'm gonna do today.
16:05
SPEAKER_03: And so we just kind of like try to flip that narrative in their head.
16:08
SPEAKER_03: And it takes work and it takes time and it takes a lot of post-it notes on your bathroom mirror, but it is possible.
16:15
SPEAKER_02: I kind of was thinking, I'm really glad, Jen, that you brought up the fact that you are essentially a swing.
16:22
SPEAKER_02: And I'm sure this isn't the first time you've done been a swing at Disney.
16:27
SPEAKER_02: And I then I wanted to talk about swings at some point in this discussion because and just to kind of give listeners and everyone an idea of what I'm referring to when I say a swing, in professional dance world, a swing is essentially sort of like an understudy, but they usually have to learn and know multiple different dance ensemble tracks in the show that they're doing.
16:52
SPEAKER_02: So, for example, like Jen said, she was a snake and an elephant.
16:56
SPEAKER_02: She has multiple different roles that she has to know, and not just the dance steps, like Leslie was mentioning, there's also blocking, there's also prop work, there's also sometimes vocal tracks that you have to learn.
17:07
SPEAKER_02: So when I think of a swing, I think of anxiety, honestly.
17:11
SPEAKER_02: Because like I've never really been a swing in a in a show.
17:15
SPEAKER_02: And I everyone's always always tells me, oh my gosh, you'd be such a good swing.
17:19
SPEAKER_02: But then there's that anxiety that immediately comes with the word swing because you have to know eight, sometimes eight different tracks, up to eight different tracks in a show.
17:30
SPEAKER_02: And that is your job.
17:31
SPEAKER_02: Like you have to study and have like a show Bible with all of the choreography in your head on paper, what number you're supposed to be on standing on the stage.
17:41
SPEAKER_02: All of that, even just talking about it right now, gives me anxiety.
17:46
SPEAKER_02: So I I'm so curious.
17:47
SPEAKER_02: Like, how do you have any advice on how how do you memorize all of that?
17:52
SPEAKER_02: Because this can very much apply to the dance competition world.
17:56
SPEAKER_02: Because when I was growing up, I did like 20 dances at competition.
18:01
SPEAKER_02: And I and the difference in the sense is that I just had to know my dance and my part in that dance.
18:07
SPEAKER_02: But being able to retain that much choreography is a huge stepping stone in transferring over to the professional world of dance.
18:16
SPEAKER_02: So, how do you separate the tracks in your head and know how you know how do you do that?
18:22
SPEAKER_02: Do you have any advice to dancers who might have to step into that position one day and how to prevent the anxiety from joining you?
18:32
SPEAKER_03: I was sitting here while you're talking and I did the math.
18:34
SPEAKER_03: So I I currently swing 29 tracks over four shows.
18:38
SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh, what?
18:40
SPEAKER_03: And we all everyone in every show does all tracks at Disney World.
18:45
SPEAKER_03: So if someone, you know, we go down trolley girl two, I'm jumping into right side two, and I just have to know it.
18:51
SPEAKER_03: And if somebody goes down mid-show, the whole show has to shift to cover the whole.
18:56
SPEAKER_03: So you will watch a show and we start with five people, and you don't know when number five left, and everyone just figured it out and we kept it into contingency.
19:05
SPEAKER_03: So with 29 tracks over four shows, first of all, you just have to know that you're going to spaz just a little.
19:12
SPEAKER_03: So if we go down, you know that somebody leaves.
19:14
SPEAKER_03: Shove with love.
19:15
SPEAKER_03: And on competition, like someone might roll their ankle on stage, you don't know.
19:19
SPEAKER_03: And and maybe you're part of a lift.
19:21
SPEAKER_03: So for me, it is about from day one, learn the choreography and then big picture blocking.
19:28
SPEAKER_03: So looking at this is a circle.
19:30
SPEAKER_03: The goal here is to get to a circle, and we're gonna figure it out somehow.
19:34
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna get to that circle, or this is a triangle.
19:37
SPEAKER_03: So if someone goes down, I just have to look and say, I know that this is a triangle.
19:41
SPEAKER_03: So I just have to figure it out from there.
19:44
SPEAKER_03: And then I would say for students, especially as you're going through competition season and people get sick, people get hurt, people get injured, start getting in that practice of you may maybe you have rehearsal at 11 o'clock on Saturday morning and someone else has rehearsal at 9 30.
20:00
SPEAKER_03: Show up, show up to 9 30 rehearsal and start kind of taking notes and watching people.
20:05
SPEAKER_03: And I always my students always laugh at me because I say, you know, so-and-so is always sick.
20:10
SPEAKER_03: Home girl, that immune system is just shot.
20:13
SPEAKER_03: Like, let's make sure we have someone for her.
20:15
SPEAKER_03: So then recently we just put in four swings on the team that I coach in one weekend because the flu hit our team.
20:23
SPEAKER_03: And that just things happened.
20:26
SPEAKER_03: Luckily, they don't all listen to me, but some of them learn to swing.
20:30
SPEAKER_03: And so we had four swings to throw in, and we were able to do a hallway rehearsal, block it out, and they knew big picture, and we threw in some details and they were able to go on stage.
20:40
SPEAKER_03: So for me to lessen that anxiety, I can tell you what big picture is at any part in a show.
20:47
SPEAKER_03: And then I just have to find where there's a hole.
20:50
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
20:50
SPEAKER_03: So girl 12 is down, she's over here somewhere.
20:53
SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
20:54
SPEAKER_03: It's supposed to be a triangle.
20:55
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna figure it out now.
20:56
SPEAKER_03: And then we just figure it out from there.
20:58
SPEAKER_03: Melissa, I'm sure you have a bunch of stories about that goodness too.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: I I agree with everything you've been saying.
21:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just a matter, seriously, it's just about it makes me think about all the times where I've had to suddenly learn stage left and I was on stage right, and you just have to like adapt.
21:13
SPEAKER_01: I think that's why dancers are so fantastic in general, is because we're so adaptable and so flexible in more ways than one, not just with our legs.
21:21
SPEAKER_01: Um not that flexible for the record.
21:24
SPEAKER_01: So I actually think we're more flexible like in other ways than with our legs.
21:31
SPEAKER_01: I think that we are so adaptable, we are able to change quickly, and I think it's just a matter of like focus.
21:37
SPEAKER_01: And I don't, it was something Jen said before about her students.
21:40
SPEAKER_01: I think that it's about like having like a positive like mantra and like believing in yourself.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Like, even if you have performance anxiety often, if you kind of just create like a positive mantra for yourself that says, like, you know, I can do this, I'm amazing, this is easy, and then go ahead and do it.
21:58
SPEAKER_01: I think that is also really.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Helpful for things where you have to change on the spot and you have to adapt really quickly.
22:05
SPEAKER_01: I think those are really that's a really fantastic way which to deal with that.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: Just being focused and being positive.
22:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the positive self-talk is really important.
22:13
SPEAKER_00: I think and it has to start from a young age.
22:15
SPEAKER_00: There has to be, you know, like Jen said, there's there's no coming back from that.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: If somebody's speaking to you negatively all day long and that person is you, you're the only person who's inside your head.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
22:27
SPEAKER_00: Like that's always your voice, even if it's masquerading as your teacher's voice in your head or your mom's voice in your head, it ultimately comes back to your voice.
22:34
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, any any way that you can kind of pull out those negatives and switch them out with positives and obviously surround yourself, you know, with positive people, positive teachers, positive influences to kind of combat that.
22:45
SPEAKER_00: Because for some people, that's not that's easier said than done.
22:48
SPEAKER_00: And especially if you have had that sort of negative Nancy in your head for so long, she's really hard to shoo away.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: You know, if she's been there for 15 years, like, you know, she's here to stay.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's gonna take a lot of work to to get her to leave.
23:01
SPEAKER_01: So that's why I think dance is so important.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: Like uh as educators, you know, if we talk about it with our students, then they'll learn that positive self-talk.
23:11
SPEAKER_01: And I think as dance educators, we're perfect role models for that.
23:15
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
23:15
SPEAKER_00: And uh, this is you just led me right into another question that I want to briefly touch on is, you know, as we all obviously grew up in a certain time and place, like Courtney said, yeah, I don't remember ever having a conversation about performance anxiety.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: It was just get on stage and do it, like nail it.
23:30
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's very much how we were all brought up, you know, in our generation, at least, you know, I don't know how old we all are, but like within 10 years of each other, there there was no sort of talk about anxiety in general, like when we were kids.
23:41
SPEAKER_00: It just wasn't a thing, but it's so prevalent now just in culture.
23:45
SPEAKER_00: And I think we as educators at this age and at this point in our lives have to reevaluate the way we were spoken to in dance class and how we want to change that narrative to our students.
23:57
SPEAKER_00: And so, in that realm, how can dance teachers help combat performance anxiety in students when you just have generalized anxiety kind of across the board in America and probably around the world?
24:08
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think I think it's hard.
24:11
SPEAKER_03: It's hard.
24:11
SPEAKER_03: And you're dealing with just a generation of different kinds of quirks anyway.
24:16
SPEAKER_03: But starting with mantras in class, I went back to teaching minis this year, and we kind of like roll our teachers around.
24:23
SPEAKER_03: And my minis, before we do something, I say, Can you do it?
24:26
SPEAKER_03: And they all say, Yes, I can.
24:27
SPEAKER_03: So just starting with that of like, can I do this?
24:30
SPEAKER_03: Yes, I can.
24:31
SPEAKER_03: Is it gonna be fun?
24:32
SPEAKER_03: Yes, it is.
24:33
SPEAKER_03: And it doesn't have to be a stigma of, am I gonna be great?
24:36
SPEAKER_03: Because at the end of the day, it's gonna be what it's gonna be, and they have to be okay with that also.
24:41
SPEAKER_03: So I think training that expectation of I'm gonna go and do it.
24:46
SPEAKER_03: And I think that has really for me paid off.
24:49
SPEAKER_03: I had a soul, I always ask my soloists also, what's your goal this weekend?
24:53
SPEAKER_03: You get you can have one goal this weekend, what is it?
24:56
SPEAKER_03: And it can be a skill, it can be a feeling.
24:58
SPEAKER_03: And one of my first time soloists said, I just want to go on stage and do the dance that I practiced and come off stage at the end.
25:05
SPEAKER_03: Like I want to go on and do it and come off.
25:07
SPEAKER_03: And like that's a realistic, wonderful goal for her because it's her first solo.
25:12
SPEAKER_03: And just having that like ease of mind, like, hey, I have this one thing I'm gonna do this time, instead of there's 27 things and I have a turn section and a this and a jump and a that.
25:22
SPEAKER_03: Right.
25:22
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna do, we're gonna do a dance and hopefully it's the right one, and then we're gonna be done, and it's great.
25:28
unknown: Yeah.
25:28
SPEAKER_03: But that's that's my main thing I try to do with them.
25:31
SPEAKER_03: And then I also encourage the kids and their parents to set a timer on the feeling.
25:35
SPEAKER_03: So if it's before going on stage or after we set a timer, you get 15 minutes and you can you can spaz all you need to.
25:44
SPEAKER_03: We can cry about it, we can talk about it, we can eat donuts about it, we can do whatever we need to do.
25:48
SPEAKER_03: But then once the timer comes off, it's like a concrete, okay, we're done now and we're gonna move forward and we're gonna go to the next thing.
25:56
SPEAKER_03: And that's something I tell people after auditions too, when you have that post-audition anxiety situation, give yourself 30 minutes to feel the feeling, and then you have to move on because you can't do anything about it.
26:07
SPEAKER_03: So we set a timer, timer goes off, we move on.
26:10
SPEAKER_03: So I think that's for me as an educator, that's what I have found works really well is starting that mantra young.
26:16
SPEAKER_03: And my teenagers hate it, but I'll tell them, can you do it?
26:24
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: I'm stealing that.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
26:26
SPEAKER_03: I stole it from a ballet teacher, actually.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
26:29
SPEAKER_00: We're very we're giving here in the dance community, please.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: Take and give.
26:33
SPEAKER_01: I think it's also important to maybe even work with the older ones on understanding the difference between nervousness and anxiety that will facilitate a performance versus debilitate a performance.
26:48
SPEAKER_01: Oftentimes there is natural body reaction, like shaking or sweating.
26:54
SPEAKER_01: And oftentimes those are the things that kind of are seen as being able to like facilitate a performance to get you pumped up.
27:01
SPEAKER_01: And then there's other things like negative self-talk, which we've all been talking about already, that's more debilitating to a performance.
27:09
SPEAKER_01: So I think that it's working with students to figure out what things are okay and what things are going to help you to perform better and what things are not okay.
27:18
SPEAKER_01: And I think that also will really help students.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: And in the moment, like at competition or before rehearsal or before an audition, I think things like a proper warm-up, like good nutrition, all those sorts of things are also really helpful to kind of get into the right place and maybe take your mind off of it.
27:37
SPEAKER_01: And I I really like Jen's idea too of setting a timer, like even before and after a performance, just so you can get in the zone, do what you need to do, and you know, prepare properly in the moment and after too.
27:50
SPEAKER_01: That's great.
27:51
SPEAKER_03: I would build on that too and say for teenagers, it's so important to start their thinking and their mentality so early.
27:58
SPEAKER_03: So even when they start with, well, she got a song that she I wanted that song, she got it this.
28:04
SPEAKER_03: When they start that comparison situation, we just really, as educators, have to take them back and say, you gotta stay in your lane, man.
28:12
SPEAKER_03: This is your lane and this is what you have, and it's awesome and it's great.
28:16
SPEAKER_03: And it is, it's also the grass is greener where you water it.
28:19
SPEAKER_03: So let's water this grass and let's take it where it's gonna go.
28:22
SPEAKER_03: Cause they automatically, when they feel uncomfortable, go to a why and it and they there needs to be someone to blame.
28:29
SPEAKER_03: And it's generally not who who is responsible, right?
28:32
SPEAKER_03: So I think finding that like when they start to compare, you know, that reminder of like comparison steals your happiness.
28:37
SPEAKER_03: It steals all of your joy from what you're doing.
28:40
SPEAKER_03: So this is what you're doing, and you worry about yourself and you stay in your lane because if they can worry about themselves and how to make it great for themselves in rehearsal and through the process of picking music and costumes and all of that, then they get backstage and they worry about themselves and they get their heads.
28:56
SPEAKER_01: That's actually a great point.
28:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
28:58
SPEAKER_01: I in sports psychology, there's actually a lot of research into performance anxiety, whereas in dance, it's very under-researched.
29:06
SPEAKER_01: But in sports psychology, they actually said that um team sports help people to feel less anxious.
29:13
SPEAKER_01: And as we all know, being competitive dancers and adjudges, I really feel that dance is a team sport in many respects.
29:20
SPEAKER_01: And I think just like Jen said, it's kind of like about building a team and not comparing to each other.
29:27
SPEAKER_01: And I think then we also will be able to decrease anxiety if we kind of feel like a team.
29:32
SPEAKER_01: Because even as a soloist, in many studios that I've worked with, we're all coming like backstage and you know, kind of trying to make that person feel more comfortable and ready to go on stage or congratulating them after.
29:43
SPEAKER_01: So I think creating that environment is also really, really helpful.
29:47
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30:35
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I love all of this.
30:38
SPEAKER_02: And I I want to go back on kind of what you were briefly touching on, Melissa, about kind of prepping before you go on to stage.
30:46
SPEAKER_02: I'm kind of curious to hear like each of our individual like pre-performance prep to see if it's, you know, a helpful tool for anybody out there.
30:56
SPEAKER_02: And I know that something that I don't like to do before I hit the stage is I don't like to overthink the routine too many times.
31:06
SPEAKER_02: So there have been many times when I'm doing a solo and I'll like maybe 30 minutes before, I'll put my headphones on, I'll go through it a few times in my head, I'll walk through it, I'll try out a few of those like hard tricks or whatever it is to make sure I can actually do it or I'm on my center.
31:22
SPEAKER_02: And then after that, I just kind of like let it go and I just like walk around.
31:26
SPEAKER_02: I don't really I don't really want to overthink it because then I'm afraid that I'm gonna get out of there and kind of black out and blank completely.
31:32
SPEAKER_02: And I felt that as well as a professional dancer, specifically when I have to do maybe like a partnering something with somebody else.
31:39
SPEAKER_02: And they're like, hey, can we practice this?
31:41
SPEAKER_02: Like like before we go on stage.
31:43
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, yeah, but like I mean, I understand a lift or something, you know, that's that's a little scary.
31:48
SPEAKER_02: Like, let's make sure we got our grip right and let's make sure we got the weight right.
31:51
SPEAKER_02: But like sometimes my partners are like, oh, can we try this out one more time?
31:54
SPEAKER_02: And it just makes me anxious because I'm like, I know what I'm doing.
31:57
SPEAKER_02: You're stressing me out.
32:00
SPEAKER_02: I don't want to, I don't want to practice anymore, you know.
32:03
SPEAKER_02: Same and exactly can be applied to auditions as well, which we've all been there, done that, and that is a stressful environment.
32:11
SPEAKER_02: So I know a lot of our younger dancers that or in listeners maybe have experience in audition at a convention or or one way or another, but it's very much like that in the real world too.
32:21
SPEAKER_02: So that being said, does anybody have any kind of pre-performance or pre-audition or pre-show things that you do that are helpful tools that you enjoy?
32:31
SPEAKER_01: I always love a thorough warm-up.
32:34
SPEAKER_01: I personally like to warm up by myself if possible, if it's not like a company warm-up.
32:40
SPEAKER_01: But even if there's a company warmup, I still like to do my own warm-up.
32:44
SPEAKER_01: And I just feel like this gets me into the zone.
32:47
SPEAKER_01: Like you, Courtney, I also love to mark through the, you know, the choreography before, but not directly before I go on stage.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: But I feel like as a competitor when I was a child or a teen, I never liked to watch the competition.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: Me neither.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: So whether it's before me or after, I was like, nope, I don't need to see them.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: I'm my own person and I'm good to go and I don't need to watch anybody else.
33:12
SPEAKER_01: As a performer professionally, I love to watch what's going on before I get on stage.
33:18
SPEAKER_01: I like to be talking to people, I like to be like in the moment, but I also really never developed like a routine, I would think, until I was a professional performer.
33:28
SPEAKER_01: And I do like have like mantras that I say to myself, like, I can do this, particularly if it's a really like difficult piece.
33:35
SPEAKER_01: And usually, I think someone said this before.
33:38
SPEAKER_01: It's usually when it's something to do with like props or costumes that cause me anxiety.
33:43
SPEAKER_01: Like I've worked with these big seven-foot doors before where you had to climb them on stage.
33:48
SPEAKER_01: And not only could that be potentially dangerous, but it's also about like musicality and hitting your cue and hitting your timing and making sure that you're wheeling this giant prop in the right direction and you're not gonna like hinder anyone else's performance.
34:02
SPEAKER_01: So things like that were things that like caused me the most anxiety, and that's when I kind of developed this like positive self-talk before I go on stage, directly before I go on stage.
34:13
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's basically what I do as a performer, and that's what I did as a child.
34:17
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for me as a performer, my situation is so different from so many people's situation because of where I'm at.
34:26
SPEAKER_03: But we really I come into work and we'll do a group warm-up.
34:30
SPEAKER_03: I find that if my warmup is it's usually led by choreographer's assistant or show maintenance choreographers.
34:37
SPEAKER_03: So if that person's style doesn't jive with me, I give myself a second warmup.
34:41
SPEAKER_03: That is, because if I'm not prepared for show number one, then shows two, three, four, and five are never good.
34:47
SPEAKER_03: It just my body takes a certain kind of preparation, especially after so many years.
34:51
SPEAKER_03: So getting that good warm-up, and then I'm usually pumping some music while I put my makeup on, just really like whatever it could be John Mayer on Sundays, just like getting that kind of groove.
35:03
SPEAKER_03: And then like today, maybe it was Lizzo.
35:06
SPEAKER_03: You know, you just never know what's gonna come.
35:07
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
35:08
SPEAKER_03: So just getting that like music pumping, getting positive attitude.
35:11
SPEAKER_03: And then if it's a new track or a new role or a newer performance, then I'll go to whoever it is, maintenance choreographer-wise, which would be like a teacher for us, and I'll go to them and say, Hey, I need to talk through this track.
35:23
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
35:24
SPEAKER_03: So I run out and I usually will just speed talk it.
35:26
SPEAKER_03: I run out and I'm behind this boy, and then I run forward, and then we're gonna go around the circle and I stop right here.
35:30
SPEAKER_03: And then I go over to my left and then to my right, and then and I'll talk the whole show and just rattle it so that I know even if at first my body is unsure, my brain knows where to go, and I'm not bumping into anyone today.
35:42
SPEAKER_03: That is always simple.
35:44
SPEAKER_03: So those kind of things.
35:45
SPEAKER_03: And then right before I go on backstage, it's usually talking to people and just not thinking about it.
35:50
SPEAKER_03: Hey, yeah, how was your day?
35:51
SPEAKER_03: How was your weekend?
35:52
SPEAKER_03: Are you having a great time?
35:53
SPEAKER_03: Awesome, me too.
35:54
SPEAKER_03: Oh, look, we're gonna go do a thing.
35:56
SPEAKER_03: Hope it's good.
35:57
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
35:58
SPEAKER_03: Don't know.
35:59
SPEAKER_03: Let's do it.
35:59
SPEAKER_03: And we kind of get out there somewhere in there.
36:02
SPEAKER_03: You'll usually find me in a nice deep second plie with my eyes closed.
36:06
SPEAKER_03: Just okay, we're gonna go do it.
36:08
SPEAKER_03: Or in a plank.
36:09
SPEAKER_03: If I feel off balance or off-center, and I can get like a nice 30-second plank in right before I go out on stage, I feel much stronger and ready to go, especially when I'm wearing a unitard.
36:19
SPEAKER_03: Just something nice about feeling strong when you're in your unitard, right?
36:23
SPEAKER_03: So we'll do that plank, cut up with people, talk about things, and then we're gone.
36:27
SPEAKER_03: And once you're gone, you just have to, you gotta let it go, in the words of in the words of the queen.
36:32
SPEAKER_03: You gotta let that go and find the people that you're there for.
36:35
SPEAKER_03: And remember that whether you're dancing at Disney World or at a dance competition or your dance recital or the county fair or in your studio for some parents and grandparents, that might be the only time they see a live dancer today, tomorrow, in the week, in the month.
36:50
SPEAKER_03: So whatever you give them is still a gift.
36:54
SPEAKER_03: And and you have to own that.
36:56
SPEAKER_03: Whatever, maybe what I'm giving you today is a whole bunch of, oh my gosh, I'm in the wrong spot, right?
37:03
SPEAKER_03: But I'm gonna have fun being in the wrong spot.
37:04
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna figure it out together.
37:06
SPEAKER_03: And that's still a gift you're giving to someone.
37:08
SPEAKER_03: So if you look at it like that, the mess-ups aren't as intimidating.
37:12
SPEAKER_03: I'm still gifting you something, whether you're Susie's grandfather who's never seen dance or a little kid at Disney World.
37:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love that.
37:20
SPEAKER_00: That's so true.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: The last show that I did before I retired, I learned it in three days because I was a replacement.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: And it was at a dinner theater, so there were a lot of older people.
37:32
SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that I always tried to remember was that just specifically in that arena, but for any arena, this may be the last time somebody sees dance, and it may be the first time somebody sees dance.
37:44
SPEAKER_00: And you just don't know.
37:45
SPEAKER_00: And that is always it was anything goes.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: And we're doing the very last time step, you know, of the finale, and all these little old people were just happy and smiling and clapping and singing along.
37:55
SPEAKER_00: And like I could barely get out the words literally every single night because it made me tear up, thinking, you know, this means something to somebody.
38:03
SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, and I didn't know at the time that it would be my last show for now.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: But I think that's such an important thing, whether you're at, like you said, at a nursing home, at your dance recital, at a competition, you're bringing, you're bringing joy to somebody.
38:15
SPEAKER_00: And that may be your mom, it may be your dance teacher, it may be somebody you've never seen before.
38:19
SPEAKER_00: But that's one of the things that always kind of helps me in the moment of anxiety is remembering that, okay, yes, this is about me, but it's also about so much more than just me.
38:30
SPEAKER_00: And that in itself can let your anxiety release because anxiety, and this isn't like a negative thing, but it's a very selfish anxiety is selfish and it just is that way by design because it's meant to make you, you know, feel awful.
38:42
SPEAKER_00: But if we can, if we can release that and have it, you know, try to give back in some of that energy and have the positive, you know, anxiety kind of anxiety isn't positive, but have the energy push forward in that kind of way instead of like collapse inward, if that makes sense.
39:00
SPEAKER_00: I think that's that's one way we can shift it a little bit.
39:03
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
39:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's too uh like focusing on your teammates and other people on stage with you is sometimes really fun too.
39:11
SPEAKER_01: So if you kind of get to that point on stage where you're overthinking and you think you might be messing up, then it's maybe good to like focus on other people who you're performing with or focus on the audience and think about that instead.
39:23
SPEAKER_01: Because, like I think Jen said, if you overthink it, then it's more likely that you're going to be more anxious and you might make a mistake at that point.
39:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I like what you said about it being selfish because there's no good way to say that anxiety is a little selfish because it is.
39:38
SPEAKER_03: When you're anxious, you're thinking, I don't think I'm gonna do good.
39:41
SPEAKER_03: I don't think this is gonna go well, I don't, I don't, I don't.
39:44
SPEAKER_03: So if we can find those moments where we're saying I, me, me, I, I, I, I, and change that narrative and say, this might not go well, but someone else is gonna feel great.
39:56
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna smile and someone else, my mom's gonna cry.
39:59
SPEAKER_03: That's always my favorite goal when I'm working with students.
40:02
SPEAKER_03: I just want you to make your mom cry today.
40:04
SPEAKER_03: And they'll they'll wiggle a little bit and then they'll go out and they'll come back.
40:07
SPEAKER_03: And when their moms all come out crying, say, I did it, I made her cry.
40:11
SPEAKER_03: And you think it less about them and they start to think about how many people invested in them.
40:16
SPEAKER_03: Did someone put rhinestones on your costume?
40:19
SPEAKER_03: Do it for them.
40:20
SPEAKER_03: Don't don't do it for you.
40:21
SPEAKER_03: Do it, make your solo about that person that spent hours making you this beautiful costume, or your mom who drove you to dance, or your grandfather who sent you some money to buy a new Leotard.
40:31
SPEAKER_03: Like, make it about something aside from yourself, and that anxiety will start to diminish.
40:36
SPEAKER_03: Totally.
40:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's a great idea.
40:38
SPEAKER_01: Like talking to your anxiety.
40:40
SPEAKER_01: So, why am I feeling anxious?
40:42
SPEAKER_01: Like, what is this what does this really mean?
40:44
SPEAKER_01: What am I really fearful about?
40:45
SPEAKER_01: Because oftentimes anxiety is about a fear.
40:48
SPEAKER_01: So if I mess up, like what will really happen?
40:50
SPEAKER_01: Does it really matter?
40:51
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it's a growing experience.
40:53
SPEAKER_01: We all have to fail sometimes.
40:55
SPEAKER_01: I think every single one of us can agree we've messed up several times on stage, right?
41:00
SPEAKER_01: So many times.
41:01
SPEAKER_01: And and like we're still here, we're still performing, we're still in the dance industry, and we we survived.
41:06
SPEAKER_01: So I think in the end, also it's about talking about the outcome.
41:09
SPEAKER_01: Like, what is our anxiety really about?
41:13
SPEAKER_01: And I like what Den was saying that if you talk to it and then you have an outcome that you're focused on something outside of yourself, then I think that is probably more positive than constantly focusing on the I.
41:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
41:24
SPEAKER_00: And I think as you know, I think Melissa, you had said this earlier, your performance anxiety changes based on the role that you have.
41:32
SPEAKER_00: I think that also goes for the age that you are.
41:35
SPEAKER_00: So, like, you know, we all start dance, and most of the time, unless it's like my mom wanted me to dance, your reason is because it makes you feel good.
41:42
SPEAKER_00: It makes you feel good.
41:43
SPEAKER_00: You know, there's that, there is that inherent selfishness, because of course there is.
41:47
SPEAKER_00: You you love to do this, it makes you feel good.
41:50
SPEAKER_00: But as you graduate into being a performer, being an artist, being a choreographer, you know, it can still be about that.
41:57
SPEAKER_00: But what happens more, I think, and what should maybe start to happen more earlier is that it becomes about giving and sharing and communicating.
42:06
SPEAKER_00: And that can't just be one-sided.
42:09
SPEAKER_00: That has to be a give and take.
42:10
SPEAKER_00: It has to be something that's outside of yourself.
42:13
SPEAKER_00: So I think if we can kind of instill that again as educators to our young students, like, of course, this makes you feel good and it's about you, but it's about so much more than that.
42:22
SPEAKER_00: And it can be and it should be.
42:24
SPEAKER_03: And I think with working with primarily female teenagers, we also have to remember that that shows on stage too, right?
42:33
SPEAKER_03: When we say I, I, I, I want to do my leap good, I want to do my turns good, I want to find center in this group dance.
42:41
SPEAKER_03: That shows with the people that you're around, regardless.
42:44
SPEAKER_03: And the energies that you bring in, right?
42:47
SPEAKER_03: If something happened backstage, somebody used your lipstick, I don't know, that energy, that negative like headbutting comes in.
42:53
SPEAKER_03: So I think it's important for young dancers, male or female, right?
42:58
SPEAKER_03: To go in and say, Okay, hey, remember that time last week when I didn't sit with you at lunch?
43:03
SPEAKER_03: I'm really sorry about that.
43:04
SPEAKER_03: Are we good?
43:05
SPEAKER_03: And just like toss those things out before they even get there.
43:09
SPEAKER_03: Cause the anxiety rears its head in life in different ways.
43:12
SPEAKER_03: It can be in being quiet, it can be in being tired, it can be feelings of anger, feelings of you know, mania and and kind of all over the place.
43:21
SPEAKER_03: So anxiety shows itself in different forms.
43:23
SPEAKER_03: So if we can have as many clean slates as possible going into a performance, then that that's not gonna contribute to well, the other day, you know, she rolled her eyes at me.
43:33
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, it just becomes a tipping point.
43:35
SPEAKER_03: So if we can forgive and get it out of there and get rid of it before you set foot backstage or in the building even and just clean slate it, I think, for especially that older like teenager group who's still trying to, you know, we're still trying to figure out what our friend groups might be and what levels we are in here and there.
43:53
SPEAKER_03: That's important.
43:54
SPEAKER_03: Go in with a clean slate, just hey, we can we can fight about it later, but like we're good, right?
43:59
SPEAKER_03: We're good.
44:00
SPEAKER_03: Okay, we're good.
44:01
SPEAKER_03: Moving forward.
44:02
SPEAKER_03: And that's gonna translate on stage too.
44:04
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
44:06
SPEAKER_02: We're having such a good discussion right now.
44:09
SPEAKER_02: I know it's so good.
44:10
SPEAKER_02: It's so good, guys.
44:11
SPEAKER_02: So good.
44:12
SPEAKER_02: Do we want to do any final thoughts?
44:13
SPEAKER_02: Does anyone have any final thoughts that you want to share?
44:16
SPEAKER_01: I think the one thing that we didn't mention, which is so important, is the use of breath, that somatic practice.
44:21
SPEAKER_01: Um I've heard before from somebody that if you imagine you're blowing bubbles, this is a really great way to focus on something other than your anxiety.
44:31
SPEAKER_01: And also it has that somatic benefit to, you know, really engage your breath.
44:36
SPEAKER_01: And I think as dancers, we sometimes forget to use our breath.
44:39
SPEAKER_01: And I think it's just so important.
44:41
SPEAKER_01: It's great.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: That's super interesting.
44:43
SPEAKER_00: And I'm so glad you said that because it like always 100% right.
44:47
SPEAKER_00: And what's hilarious to me is that, like you said, as dancers, we forget to breathe.
44:52
SPEAKER_00: We breathe from our chest, not our diaphragm.
44:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, because we're taught not to show all that work.
44:57
SPEAKER_00: So when I started singing, I didn't breathe well.
45:00
SPEAKER_00: You know, they're asking you to take these deep breaths in and everything, and number one can't do it and couldn't do it for a long time.
45:06
SPEAKER_00: Still can't.
45:06
SPEAKER_00: Um getting better now.
45:07
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
45:08
SPEAKER_00: But breathing deeply has the opposite effect that it typically does on people.
45:14
SPEAKER_00: And I've spoken to my voice teacher, my therapist, all sorts of people about this.
45:18
SPEAKER_00: When I breathe deeply and like correctly, it makes me so emotional.
45:22
SPEAKER_00: And I want to cry and I get anxious.
45:24
SPEAKER_00: And because it's it taps into that very deep part of yourself that if you're not used to it, it's very overwhelming and scary.
45:31
SPEAKER_00: And for for some people, that's really comforting, and for some people it's not.
45:36
SPEAKER_00: So be very careful with your breath.
45:38
SPEAKER_00: Like breathing is important.
45:39
SPEAKER_00: Please don't hold your breath.
45:40
SPEAKER_00: But be mindful of how your breath affects you because it can do many different things to different people and you don't even know till you try, which is which is very interesting.
45:49
SPEAKER_03: I would say my final thought blip of advice would just be to learn as soon as you can and as fast as you can how you work.
45:57
SPEAKER_03: If you're in rehearsal and you have a solo or a group and you know that the third one is your best one, take note of that so that you can go to your competition or your show and say, Okay, my third one's my best one, so I'm gonna run it twice.
46:10
SPEAKER_03: And I know that before that third one, if I hold a plank, my turns are on.
46:15
SPEAKER_03: Kind of start to find those similarities in what you do.
46:17
SPEAKER_03: Maybe it's take a couple deep breaths before you go to start.
46:20
SPEAKER_03: Maybe it's take a couple of not deep breaths before you go to start, right?
46:23
SPEAKER_03: Whatever your thing needs to be, if you need to close your eyes and do a little meditation, kind of start to learn how you work.
46:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and different people work different ways.
46:33
SPEAKER_03: So as educators, we have to start to know okay, Susie likes to talk about school before she goes on stage to get her mind off of it.
46:41
SPEAKER_03: And Sarah does not, she wants to run it in her head, she's gonna talk it to me.
46:45
SPEAKER_03: So for us to be able to help them, just to kind of keep note of this person's fine, this person needs a run, that person is gonna cry in a corner for a little while, but she's gonna be okay.
46:54
SPEAKER_03: That helps us help them more.
46:56
SPEAKER_03: So on both ends, kind of learn how you work and learn how your students work.
47:00
SPEAKER_03: Start to kind of make note about that.
47:03
SPEAKER_02: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode about performance anxiety.
47:07
SPEAKER_02: And hopefully you got some advice on how to work through it.
47:09
SPEAKER_02: If you'd like to follow our guests on social media, you can find Jen at Jen Garafa and Melissa at inspire underscore to dance.
47:18
SPEAKER_00: Do you have a question you've been dying to ask a judge?
47:20
SPEAKER_00: Now's your chance to send us your questions.
47:22
SPEAKER_00: We might answer them on the show and give you a shout-out.
47:24
SPEAKER_00: Submit your questions to us on our website at www.impactdanceedjudicators.com slash podcast via audio or text.
47:33
SPEAKER_02: Inhale, exhale.
47:35
SPEAKER_02: Sounds easy enough, right?
47:37
SPEAKER_02: But when you're gluing on your one millionth rhinestone, cranking out yet another senior trio feast, or maybe just sharing a dressing station with someone you'd much rather just marie kondo out of the competition circuit.
47:48
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes taking a moment to breathe is the last thing you're thinking about.
47:51
SPEAKER_02: That's where LaLouz comes in.
47:52
SPEAKER_02: La Luz is a meditation app designed specifically for performing artists and creatives alike to help you breathe through those moments of artistic differences.
48:02
SPEAKER_02: Download the LaLuz app today on any iOS device and receive your first week free of all access meditations.
48:09
SPEAKER_02: If you've been enjoying the episodes on Making an Impact, head over to Apple Podcasts now and leave us a review.
48:14
SPEAKER_02: We love hearing from all of you listeners, and we may even share your review live on the air.
48:20
SPEAKER_00: Coming up in the next few weeks, we've got some exciting topics, including ballet, interviews with competition owners, levels at competition, and the March edition of QA with Courtney.
48:28
SPEAKER_00: Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify, and tune in every Monday for new episodes.
48:35
SPEAKER_02: We're so happy you joined us for this week's episode of Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
48:40
SPEAKER_02: Till next time, keep dancing.