Dear Dancer,
You have been getting ready for today, and have done so much. You have planned and prepared and it’s time to give yourself this opportunity to show others, but mostly yourself the fruits of your hard work. Your brain will tell you that you have not done enough or that there is so much more that we could have done…but what you have done is enough. Try to focus on what you do have rather than what you don’t.
It will be tempting to try to think yourself into a good performance. You may try to remember the 100 things you are supposed to stay on top of for a flawless performance, but that will just make you overthink and get tense. There is a time for preparation and learning and repeating technique, and then there is a time to let go and trust. You’ve done enough. You are enough and you belong.
All the prep is done, there is no technique that you are going to be able to hold in your mind and suddenly instruct into your body. A couple key words to keep your head where you want it is okay, but let’s just trust that what you have in your body, you DO have. You are ready. You really do have everything you need for this.
There are a lot of things that you could choose to worry about today, but I want to encourage you to free yourself from that. Worry feels useful, feels like it means you care a lot, but it’s mostly focusing on what could go wrong, and you don’t need that today. It’s just as likely, in fact more likely, that things can go wonderfully well. Let the worry go. Everything is going to be okay–great even.
It’s okay if you feel a bit nervous–or a lot nervous. What you are about to do isn’t normal. It’s not going to feel like what you do in the studio or what you do everyday and the nerves just mean this is important to you. It’s special. Your body is using that nervous energy to activate and energize you. It doesn’t spell doom. It’s just meant to signal that something really cool is about to happen, so be alert and ready for anything. Take some deep breaths and let the nervous energy fuel you.
You might think you need to be perfect when you perform, but you don’t. Perfection is unrelatable and unattainable. You only need to be the best YOU that you can be. You are all the more lovable and fun to watch because you are so good at being you. Surely you will try to perform the best that you can, but release the need for perfection. A 90% is still an A performance worth being proud of. Even if you miss a step or two or blank out for a moment, you are strong and capable and will get right back on track…and you aren’t alone out there. You’ve got a teacher holding you up and a room full of people rooting for your success. Your teacher believes in you. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t be here right now. You are a team and together, you can overcome whatever comes your way.
It makes sense if you feel like you might let your teacher or yourself down, but what if you decided to ease off the big expectations for a bit so that you can actually enjoy yourself? You could decide right now that’s not possible to let yourself or anyone down. Even if everything went wrong, you could decide to scoop yourself up and be proud of your effort and that you asked more of yourself than ever before. That’s not a let down, that’s bad ass.
Remember why you dance. Remember the joy of it. Let yourself go on a rampage of gratitude and appreciation for all that has brought you here to this moment. It might sound like this:
I am so grateful that I can do this. I am so grateful that I have a body that moves so well, despite it’s imperfections. I’m so grateful to have teacher to instruct me and support me in dancing. I’m so fortunate that I can afford to be here and have this experience. I appreciate so much all the effort that goes into such an event so that I can be here to have this experience. I appreciate so much that I could travel here safely, and that all is taken care of at home so that I can do this. I’m grateful for the associations that this community brings me. How awesome is it that there are so many people that love dancing like I do that we can actually get together in a big enough group to dance together! I’m so grateful for this tool to help me improve my dancing. I appreciate that people organize this, and that judges come to help guide my progression through their marks. I’m so grateful that I am always progressing and becoming more of myself through this medium.
Have you considered lately how special you are? Just how unusual it is to do what you are doing? You have been dedicating yourself to something and now you are going to put yourself out there into the arena. Not everybody does this. Many people couldn’t hack it, but you can.
To go out and perform, to allow yourself to be judged and critiqued…you’re gutsy. You’re brave. I hope you never lose sight of just how brave your are. You might think, oh no, not me. I’m nervous and doubtful and lacking so much, but bravery requires some fear or else it’s not brave. That’s you. You are the kind of person who does challenging things and doesn’t back down. Even if it doesn’t go as well as you desire, you get up and go again. That’s who you are. You’re so deserving to be here. You can totally do this. You have all you need. Now just go and have the best time! You’ve go this!
