It’s normal for dancers to feel a little nervous before a dance recital. It isn’t surprising, considering they are performing in front of a group of strangers, family and friends. It is hard to not be nervous, but there are some things that can help little dancers calm down before and on the big day.
Find ways to distract them through out the week. When they mention their nervousness about performing, say something encouraging to let them know that you have confidence in them and their abilities. Change the topic or find an activity that will help get their mind off of their uneasiness.
Have them practice, practice, and practice some more. The more practice your little dancer does, the more confident they will be in the dance routine. Its proven that the more prepared someone is, the better they perform.
Have them say a mantra to themselves repeatedly throughout the week. Some good ideas are “I can do this” or “I am a great dancer”. Positive reinforcement can go a long way with helping calm nerves, because if repeated enough one starts to believe it.
Have them dress up in their costumes at home. Dress rehearsals are a good way for them to get a feel of how the recital will go, and get comfortable with dressing in their costume. It will help calm the jitters of the big day because they have already done it before.
Arrive to the performance early. Give yourself plenty of time to set up before the performance. Things can get very stressful when you run late, which won’t help with your dancer’s jitters.
Walk them onto the stage. If they are nervous stay with them back stage and help calm them down. Give them an encouraging hug before their number and extra assurances that they will do great.
If they are still nervous, remind them that if they do make any mistakes in their dance routines the audience most likely won’t be able to tell because they don’t know the choreography. As long as they continue dancing there is a good chance that no one will even realize the mistake. And remind them also that they won’t be the only nervous dancer out there, so they won’t have to go through it alone.
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