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Olga Leibrandt
My name is Olga Leibrandt and I'm a ballet teacher in Frankfurt, Germany specializing in the classical Russian Vaganova method. I've been teaching ballet for 15 years, starting with Children's Ballet Frankfurt in 2009, I opened 2019 the Ballet Studio Ost located directly at Osthafenplatz in Frankfurt am Main, where I employ two other ballet teachers.

10 ways to combat stage fright during ballet

10 ways to combat stage fright during ballet

By Olga Leibrandt · Last updated: January 27, 2024 · Ballet guide · ⏱ 4 min. reading time

Image from Ballettstudio Ost under CC BY 4.0 - Details

Dear ballet students,

Many have already experienced this. The big performance is approaching. You're suffering from stage fright. You feel dizzy or nauseous, you have a dry mouth, sweaty palms, a racing heart, no appetite or you constantly have to go to the toilet. Stage fright before ballet performances is a completely normal and natural reaction. It affects many who are supposed to perform on the big stage in front of an audience. The famous prima ballerina Anna Pavlova is said to have once said:

"Stage fright is like a dog. If you are afraid of him, he will chase you. But if you confront him, he will run away."

Stage fright can lead to negative effects on performance. For this reason, it is important that you learn to manage your stage fright. There are various ways to combat stage fright. We would like to discuss the most important techniques here.

Before the performance

1.Visualize your appearance:

Imagine the ballet performance, how you move and dance on stage. Visualize every scene and every move you will make. This technique can help you feel more confident as you mentally prepare for the upcoming performance.
Visualization is like a thought journey or a mental cinema that can be carried out unnoticed from the outside. This allows you to “program” yourself for a winning situation. Find out more at rhetorik-online.de .

2.Take a deep breath:

Focus on your breathing and try to breathe slowly and deeply. This can help you calm down and reduce your nervousness. A specific breathing exercise here:

  • Inhale with your mouth and exhale through your mouth with a blowing sound.
  • Close your mouth and breathe in calmly through your nose, while mentally counting to four.
  • Hold your breath and ideally count to seven.
  • Breathe out completely with your mouth open and an audible sound, counting to eight.
  • Repeat the exercise as desired (preferably 3-4 times)

You can find more breathing exercises at barmer.de

3.Move before the performance:

Stage fright is also a manifestation of our escape reflex. Movement helps you reduce this escape reflex. A short walk or climb up to the fourth floor beforehand will help reduce stress. Of course you shouldn't exhaust yourself; just move.
If you are already at the performance location, you can walk up and down backstage. This signals to your body that you are moving and that there is “no danger”. Find out more at career-competence.at .

4.Talk to others:

Talk to other dancers or your teacher about your fear. Sometimes it helps to talk about your feelings and know that you are not alone.

5.Practice more:

The more you practice, the more confident you will feel. If you find yourself feeling insecure when you dance, practice more to increase your confidence.

6.Stay positive:

Positive experiences at your last performances will help you build your self-confidence. Remember what you have already accomplished in the past. Why should the next performance be worse? Focus on the positive and think about your strengths and successes. Mistakes are also a learning opportunity. You can learn and grow from every performance.

7.Take breaks:

Try to relax before the performance and take breaks to collect your thoughts and feelings.

8.Use your rituals:

Many professional stage artists and dancers use their own ritual before each performance. The “ritual” can be of different nature and can range from stretching exercises, short meditations, brushing your teeth, reciting a poem, prayers to music. Rituals give us security and are loyal companions in stressful situations. Through the repeated processes they bring structure to the seemingly chaotic events. More at stuttgarter-nachrichten.de .

During the performance

9.Focus on the moment:

During the performance, it is important to focus on the moment and not be distracted by fears. Try to concentrate on your movements and what is happening. Focus on your strengths and your successes. Remember that you are well prepared and that you can perform at your best. If you make a mistake, don't let it discourage you. Just carry on with your performance and focus on what you still have ahead of you.

10.Keep your audience in mind.

When the time comes: Look for friendly people in the audience who you know and don't let yourself be distracted by disturbances from the audience. Stay focused on your reference viewers. It would be perfect if they sat in the middle row in the audience. Then it will be less noticeable that you are not interacting with all viewers.

The perfect performance in front of a large audience

Image from Ballettstudio Ost under CC BY 4.0 - Details

In summary, you can do the following:

(It is not necessary to consider every point. Do what is good for you and helps)

  • Visualize your appearance
  • Breathing exercises, take deep breaths
  • Exercise before the performance
  • Talk to others
  • Practice more
  • stay positive
  • Take breaks (relaxation)
  • Use rituals
  • Focus on the moment
  • Keep your audience in mind

Find the original article at Ballet Studio Ost

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