Here are a few techniques to use—before and during an experience of stage fright—to help minimize the symptoms and get back to dancing.

As dancers, we are experts on our bodies. We can identify the tiniest amount of tightness in a hip flexor or predict a head cold when our balance is off. But are we really in-tune with what our bodies are telling us when it comes to managing the mental challenges of performance? The growing field […]

Watching Circa Contemporary Circus is a nail-biting experience. The acrobats climb the limbs of their fellow cast members, fly through the air without wires or ropes, and create human architecture that leaves audience members’ mouths agape. The venues they perform in—from Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts to the Barbican in London—grow abuzz with anxious energy. It’s […]

I am a dancer in a successful West End show and a year ago I nearly quit. My anxiety came suddenly and without warning. We were in the middle of a stressful cast change and tensions were high as everyone wanted to prove their value to the production. I felt as though someone flipped a […]

Whenever I’m cast in a solo role, I’m consumed with thoughts of everything that could go wrong. Please help. —Isabella, Philadelphia, PA Raising the stakes with “what ifs” only heightens your anxiety. Your insecurity may stem from a lack of stage experience or low self-confidence. The first can be overcome by putting in extra rehearsal […]

The range of emotions dancers feel during performances can run the gambit from calm transcendental elation to complete dread. If you’re the shaking and sweating sort, there’s good news for you: Those performance jitters don’t have to be a bad thing. Dr. John Raglin, a professor of kinesiology at Indiana University whose work examines the […]

You’re standing backstage, and your mind won’t stop racing. What if, after weeks of rehearsal, you suddenly forget the choreography? What if that terrible critic gives you yet another embarrassing review? Did you remember to sew your pointe shoes correctly? Why won’t your partner stop cracking his darn hip joint? Why can’t you stop freaking […]

In my career, I’ve gotten to dance several of my dream roles. But sometimes I felt so nervous before a show that I just wanted the whole thing to be over and done with.Don’t let this happen to you! Here are my tips for dealing with pre-performance butterflies: 1.Embrace Your Nerves Photo by Jim Lafferty […]