The excitement of a new school year has come and gone; with the holiday season soon upon us, school tests and projects underway, and competition preparation in full swing, it’s totally understandable to be feeling more stressed than usual. When we become stressed out, it may be more difficult to be fully present in the studio. Dancers may feel anxious, have trouble remembering choreography, or have trouble getting along with their peers. But it doesn’t have to be like this! We’ve assembled some tips for dancers to combat stress, both in and out of the studio.
Identify stressors and put a name to feelings
Especially with younger dancers, it can be hard to explain exactly how they feel. Parents can help little ones talk out what is making them feel scared, sad, or angry to begin unraveling their dancers’ stress. Dancers of any age, however, can benefit from taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture of their lives. Try to pick out particular events or issues that are upsetting – a big math test coming up, a trick they haven’t quite mastered yet, or a conflict with a friend – and identify how it’s making your dancer feel. Acknowledging and making space for big feelings is the first step to resolving them.
Recognize some stress is okay
Feeling like you’re in your comfort zone is great – but dancers can only grow as artists, students, and people when they venture beyond what they already know. If your dancer is feeling worried about stepping out of their comfort zone to tackle a new dance style or skill, provide support for their feelings, but remind them that this is a fantastic opportunity to grow.
Come up with a plan
If your dancer is stressed about performing solo for the first time, talk through potential scenarios with them. Preparing ahead of time for what to do if they forget choreography on stage, or walking through what they can expect at their next performance, helps the process feel more familiar, allowing dancers to shift their focus back to the most important part: dancing! And always remember, of course, that the process of learning a dance and preparing for performance is a much more rewarding journey to focus on than simply placing at a competition.
Use stress management techniques
Everyone is impacted by stress at some point during their lives. Fortunately, this means we have many resources available to cope. In the immediate moment of a stressful event, like a college audition, dancers can utilize the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. This popular mindfulness exercise is used in DBT-based therapy techniques to ground a person experiencing anxiety or stress. It’s also important to find ways to alleviate stress long term. Getting outside, taking time away from social media, and journaling can all help dancers lower stress levels, as can talking to an instructor about how they’re feeling.
All dancers will experience stressful situations in (and out of) the studio, but dancing and stress don’t need to go hand in hand. The next time your dancer is feeling stressed, add some of these tips to your feel-better toolkit.
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