“To touch, to move, to inspire—this is the true gift of dance.” –Aubrey Lynch
Introduction
Your first performance can be scary, especially if you have loved ones coming to the theatre to watch you. Having a little bit of butterflies is not all bad though—it certainly gets your adrenaline going, which always makes for a thrill on stage. It is important to make sure, though, that your jitters don’t get out of hand. If you just take some precautions before the performance, it will help everything go smoothly and will keep your nerves down to a minimum. Here are some important things to take care of:
· Hydrate!!!
· Feed your body
· Warm up before the show, and stay warm
· Take a moment on stage before the house opens
· Find your focus
· Don’t forget to say merde to your fellow dancers
· Hydrate!!!
· Feed your body
· Warm up before the show, and stay warm
· Take a moment on stage before the house opens
· Find your focus
· Don’t forget to say merde to your fellow dancers
Power Your Body
Especially before a performance, it is important to fuel your body with healthy, substantive food that will keep you going from your warm up through the end of the performance. Start by hydrating your body several days before the show. Drink lots of water (flat, not sparkling) to help flush the toxins out of your body and to keep your muscles strong. As for your meals, make sure that your last meal before your show is light, but contains protein and some carbs. Some popular pre-performance meals in the dance world are large salads with chicken, grilled chicken with some vegetables, or fish.
In addition to your actual meal, be sure to pack snacks to have on hand during the performance. Some nuts or a banana are very good options. Don’t forget your water bottle!
In addition to your actual meal, be sure to pack snacks to have on hand during the performance. Some nuts or a banana are very good options. Don’t forget your water bottle!
The Warm-Up
The warm up is probably the single most important part of your pre-show ritual. If your body is not warm, you risk getting injured during the performance. Usually, the teacher or director leads a group warm up that ends about 45 minutes before curtain. If this doesn’t happen, you should warm up on your own. Be sure to do plié, tendu, degagé, rond de jambe, and some changements.
Once you are done warming up, you will be busy finishing your hair and make up and reviewing any choreography. Make sure you stay warm by wearing lots of layers. Wear thick socks (or multiple socks), leg warmers and sweat pants, and a sweater. Try not to sit for too long. Be sure to take all of your layers off before you go on stage though!
Once you are warm, take a moment to go on stage and walk through your piece. Do a few relevés and jumps on the stage so that you can feel the floor. If you do turns in your piece, try a pirouette or two as well. Walk through your spacing so you can get a sense of the size of the stage too. This will help you feel more familiar with the space when the performance starts.
Once you are done warming up, you will be busy finishing your hair and make up and reviewing any choreography. Make sure you stay warm by wearing lots of layers. Wear thick socks (or multiple socks), leg warmers and sweat pants, and a sweater. Try not to sit for too long. Be sure to take all of your layers off before you go on stage though!
Once you are warm, take a moment to go on stage and walk through your piece. Do a few relevés and jumps on the stage so that you can feel the floor. If you do turns in your piece, try a pirouette or two as well. Walk through your spacing so you can get a sense of the size of the stage too. This will help you feel more familiar with the space when the performance starts.
Say Merde
It is traditional to wish your dance peers luck before going on stage. However, you never want to say “good luck” or “break a leg” to a dancer. This is bad luck! Instead, you say “merde,” which means “shit” in French. To do the proper ritual, find each dancer in your group and do this one person at a time: each person crosses their arms and hooks their pinkies together. Kiss each other’s cheeks, left and right, while you say merde. That’s it! I’m not sure how this originated, but it is a very common ritual all across the dance world.