Disoriented Dancer On Stage...

daniellemay · 03-16-2010, 08:39 PM

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums... I'm very happy to find this network of amazing dancers!

I'm also still very new to the belly dance world in general...

This past Saturday was my first time performing on stage... And wow. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I love being on stage... I'm a singer. I've also done lots of musical theatre type stuff through highschool, but I've never been on the stage as a dancer... I have never had the opportunity to really explore dance... Until now.

Yikes.

I was very confident with the dance. In studio I could nail it, and put lots of expression in my movements... On stage... I wasn't completely over run with nerves and jitters, I was actually feeling pretty good... But on the stage, in the blackness, with the lights... I don't know what happened to me. It was as if I could not, for the life of me, convince my body to remain centered and balanced. I felt like a swaying reed in the wind. Concentrating hard on my posture, and the weight through my feet, no matter what I felt completely disoriented and off balance.

I got through the dance just fine, but I had to scale back a lot for fear of falling over... I felt so wobbly. It was a complete shock to me.

Is this because you can't see anything to spot with, or to have at least a visual representation of where you are in space?? Is this something your body just adjusts to?

Should I practice in the DARK!?!?!?

Eek.

XO,

D

Marya · 03-16-2010, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniellemay

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums... I'm very happy to find this network of amazing dancers!

I'm also still very new to the belly dance world in general...

This past Saturday was my first time performing on stage... And wow. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I love being on stage... I'm a singer. I've also done lots of musical theatre type stuff through highschool, but I've never been on the stage as a dancer... I have never had the opportunity to really explore dance... Until now.

Yikes.

I was very confident with the dance. In studio I could nail it, and put lots of expression in my movements... On stage... I wasn't completely over run with nerves and jitters, I was actually feeling pretty good... But on the stage, in the blackness, with the lights... I don't know what happened to me. It was as if I could not, for the life of me, convince my body to remain centered and balanced. I felt like a swaying reed in the wind. Concentrating hard on my posture, and the weight through my feet, no matter what I felt completely disoriented and off balance.

I got through the dance just fine, but I had to scale back a lot for fear of falling over... I felt so wobbly. It was a complete shock to me.

Is this because you can't see anything to spot with, or to have at least a visual representation of where you are in space?? Is this something your body just adjusts to?

Should I practice in the DARK!?!?!?

Eek.

XO,

D

What was your breathing like? were you hyperventilating because of nervousness? that can cause dizziness.

Salome · 03-17-2010, 12:42 AM

A lot of people go through an experience like that. From very intense to mild. And not just people new to performing but seasoned folks too. I call that experience ‘being off your feet’. Generally it has less to do with a physical point of focus and much more to do with nerves, and a whopping shot of adrenaline…

It’s easy to ‘nail it’ in your practice space where you are relaxed, warmed up, grounded, no pressure. If you are nervous before going out on stage, your muscles get tense/tight and this really messes with your balance and grounded connection. Something a dancer needs to have in spades.

Some thing’s that can help manage and get you into the right space:
A good solid 10 minute cardio focused warm up right before hand
Balance exercises after that
Facial relaxation exercises
Controlled breathing
Emotional connection/visualization exercises to help get you focused on your purpose and not anxiety.

Oona · 03-17-2010, 01:55 PM

This is awesome advice, Salome! Thanks for sharing your experience, daniellemay. I felt like this too when I performed onstage last year. I've got my second on-stage performance coming up in 4 weeks and I think I'll do all of these things Salome recommended. It can't hurt!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salome

A lot of people go through an experience like that. From very intense to mild. And not just people new to performing but seasoned folks too. I call that experience ‘being off your feet’. Generally it has less to do with a physical point of focus and much more to do with nerves, and a whopping shot of adrenaline…

It’s easy to ‘nail it’ in your practice space where you are relaxed, warmed up, grounded, no pressure. If you are nervous before going out on stage, your muscles get tense/tight and this really messes with your balance and grounded connection. Something a dancer needs to have in spades.

Some thing’s that can help manage and get you into the right space:
A good solid 10 minute cardio focused warm up right before hand
Balance exercises after that
Facial relaxation exercises
Controlled breathing
Emotional connection/visualization exercises to help get you focused on your purpose and not anxiety.

BigJim · 03-17-2010, 03:33 PM

I would like to comment on this happening. A couple of weeks ago I danced in my very first solo in a real Bellydance show. Costumes,MC, live druming ,paying audience... the whole nine yards. We were able to do a sound and lighting check earlier and when I went out for that I was blown away by the brightness of the stage lights that were along the front of the stage. I was very disorientated by this and it was quite a worry up until the show sarted. When it was my turn to dance I don't know if they forgot to turn them on or they dimmed them or it's different when the hall is darkened but the lighting wasn't an isssue... I could look out and see into the audience... do you think the disorientation during the sound check was just nerves on my part... or did they really forget to turn on the lights.... I was the first dancer after the intermission so maybe that was the case...

03-16-2010, 08:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
daniellemay Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1	Disoriented Dancer On Stage... Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums... I'm very happy to find this network of amazing dancers! I'm also still very new to the belly dance world in general... This past Saturday was my first time performing on stage... And wow. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I love being on stage... I'm a singer. I've also done lots of musical theatre type stuff through highschool, but I've never been on the stage as a dancer... I have never had the opportunity to really explore dance... Until now. Yikes. I was very confident with the dance. In studio I could nail it, and put lots of expression in my movements... On stage... I wasn't completely over run with nerves and jitters, I was actually feeling pretty good... But on the stage, in the blackness, with the lights... I don't know what happened to me. It was as if I could not, for the life of me, convince my body to remain centered and balanced. I felt like a swaying reed in the wind. Concentrating hard on my posture, and the weight through my feet, no matter what I felt completely disoriented and off balance. I got through the dance just fine, but I had to scale back a lot for fear of falling over... I felt so wobbly. It was a complete shock to me. Is this because you can't see anything to spot with, or to have at least a visual representation of where you are in space?? Is this something your body just adjusts to? Should I practice in the DARK!?!?!? Eek. XO, D

03-17-2010, 12:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
Salome Administrator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Corvallis, Oregon, USA Posts: 2,557	A lot of people go through an experience like that. From very intense to mild. And not just people new to performing but seasoned folks too. I call that experience ‘being off your feet’. Generally it has less to do with a physical point of focus and much more to do with nerves, and a whopping shot of adrenaline… It’s easy to ‘nail it’ in your practice space where you are relaxed, warmed up, grounded, no pressure. If you are nervous before going out on stage, your muscles get tense/tight and this really messes with your balance and grounded connection. Something a dancer needs to have in spades. Some thing’s that can help manage and get you into the right space: A good solid 10 minute cardio focused warm up right before hand Balance exercises after that Facial relaxation exercises Controlled breathing Emotional connection/visualization exercises to help get you focused on your purpose and not anxiety.

03-17-2010, 03:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
BigJim Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 17	I would like to comment on this happening. A couple of weeks ago I danced in my very first solo in a real Bellydance show. Costumes,MC, live druming ,paying audience... the whole nine yards. We were able to do a sound and lighting check earlier and when I went out for that I was blown away by the brightness of the stage lights that were along the front of the stage. I was very disorientated by this and it was quite a worry up until the show sarted. When it was my turn to dance I don't know if they forgot to turn them on or they dimmed them or it's different when the hall is darkened but the lighting wasn't an isssue... I could look out and see into the audience... do you think the disorientation during the sound check was just nerves on my part... or did they really forget to turn on the lights.... I was the first dancer after the intermission so maybe that was the case...