As the audience settles in their seats and the orchestra begins tuning its instruments, Isabella Boylston, 40, is hit with a sense of panic backstage. Even after 20 years of performing in front of audiences, the American Ballet Theatre principal dancer isn’t immune to performance anxiety. Whether you’re giving a presentation during a meeting, training for a race, or even getting ready for a date, performance anxiety is extremely common.
In fact, 63 percent of the general population reports experiencing anxiety around public speaking. Worry and doubt about the outcome are “extremely normal,” she says. But despite how commonplace anxiety is around performance, it can be hard to manage, and even harder to talk about.
Dancers are no strangers to performing under high-stress situations—and oftentimes, performing through less-than-ideal circumstances such as injury, illness, or minimal rehearsal time. That’s especially true right now, as professional ballerinas gear up for one of their busiest seasons of the year, when they perform The Nutcracker for the holidays. That’s why we turned to some of the pros for their best tips to help regain control over nerves.
Here’s what they recommend. It's in these moments that Léger suggests introducing some short affirmations, reminding yourself that you’re capable and prepared. You can also try instructional self-talk, which helps shift your attention to the present by giving yourself a small assignment to focus on like holding your shoulders back and your head high.
You can’t always predict when anxiety will creep in, but having a well-structured routine can give you a sense of security ahead of that anxiety-inducing activity, says Léger. Jasmine Perry, 31, a corps de ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet, focuses on the root of her anxiety, which is the fear that fatigue will interfere with her performance ability. Perry prioritizes getting at least seven hours of sleep, eating balanced meals, and making sure that anything she needs for performance day is ready to go the night before.
Sleep CheckInsufficient sleep can make anxiety worse. If you struggle to go to sleep the night(s) before a big talk or performance, develop a routine around sleep. That may look like “staying away from the screens in the hour leading up to sleep, not working out too close to going to sleep, ensuring that your bed is not a place that you’re reading or watching TV,” Léger says.
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