Psychological Awareness for Dancers Jacqui G. Haas, ATC

Performance anxiety-anxious feelings prior to performing where you believe you might not be able to meet the demand.

1. Cognitive- affects your brain triggers fear, worry, negative images and self-doubt.

2. Somatic- physical effects; racing pulse, rapid breathing, trembling, sweaty hands, nausea, etc.

3. State- perceived threat of a big event, performance, competition, audition.

4. Anticipatory-performance anxiety worsens right before you enter the stage.

Heightened performance anxiety- affects concentration, makes it difficult to retain information, threatens ability to remember choreography. Performance anxiety can make you feel like you do not have control of your body, causing panic. Heightened performance anxiety triggers your body’s fight or flight mechanism, your brain perceives a threat and releases hormones which cause physical changes.

1. Hormones relax the lungs to allow for more oxygen which speeds up heart rates, this can make you feel lightheaded or dizzy.

2. Hormones increase blood flow and rapid blood sugar to your muscles, which can cause tension and involuntary shaking of muscles.

3. Blood vessels expand to carry the blood sugar, other systems slow down particularly digestive system, which can cause upset feeling in the stomach and nausea.

4. When heart rates and breathing rates go up, body heats up and you begin to sweat.

The release of hormones produces normal changes that occur during anxiety. The key is to understand it, develop coping skills and use it to improve your performance. Low Levels of anxiety can be a motivator!

*Sugar and caffeine worsen symptoms- causes a spike in energy followed by a crash, which reduces ability to focus.

Coping skills: accept the nervousness, practice dance skills, practice mental coping skills, support each other, practice gratitude, positive self-talk, stop complaining, reduce tension, practice deep breathing, visualization, imagery, journaling.

· Accept the nerves, understand they exist, remind yourself most of the anxiety will fade once you begin to dance, try to change your focus for a moment.

Practice-practicing your physical dance and choreography skills reduces stress hormone (cortisol), also need to practice mental skills. Permanent movement changes can-not occur until your brain records the efficient movement pattern you want.

· Support each other- spread positive comments, positive comments can promote self-confidence and enhance motivation.

a. Decide to give a dancer a positive compliment during every practice session.

b. By investing time to support other dancers, you are developing your own leadership skills.

c. Even the smallest of compliments will have a positive effect on self-confidence.

· Practice gratitude-harnessing gratitude can rewire your brain to reduce anxiety. (stress hormones are 23% lower in grateful people) gratitude promotes optimism, selflessness, spirituality, empathy, and self- esteem. Gratitude fires new neural connections in the brain and enhances release of serotonin and dopamine. (2003 study, 16% of patients that kept a gratitude journal had less pain)

a. Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day.

b. Write down why you are grateful for each of the things you wrote down.

· Positive self-talk-mental motivation to let go of your critical self, is uplifting, increases self- esteem and confidence, produces a ‘flow’ state. Flow- feeling of joy, in tune with your body.

· Stop complaining- chronic complaining produces cortisol which rapidly causes degeneration of areas in the brain responsible for learning and memory, the more you complain the more your brain gets efficient at it, your brain will become addicted to complaining.

· Constructive Rest Position for following exercises: (supine, knees bent/together, arms crossed)

· 1. Reduce tension- contract/relax exercises. Performance anxiety can cause muscle tension, constricting joint movement and affecting balance. Practice progressive relaxation- find a comfortable place, contract various muscles for 5-10 seconds, then relax, repeat twice before moving on to next body part.

· 2. Deep breathing-reduces heart rate, improves oxygen, reduces tension- inhale 4, exhale 8 counts.

· 3. Visualization- using mental images/pictures to improve focus and reach goals; find a comfortable place; visualize the audience/judges cheering you on, success, a hard step becoming attainable, puppet strings lifting your legs higher, strong high jumps with smooth silent landing.

· 4. Imagery-a symbolic rehearsal having positive effects on anxiety, performance, and confidence, uses all five senses. Find a comfortable place, imagine your best performance, imagine your competition day, what do you hear, what do you smell, go through your choreography, as you put costume, make-up, wig, hair piece on imagine no one getting into your head unless you allow it. +

· Journaling-helps identify negative self-talk, helps to release emotions, promotes positive frame of mind. (your private journal, not a diary)

a. W-write down your goal and your thoughts about that goal.

b. R-review and really reflect on it, think about how deeply you want it.

c. I-investigate your thoughts, write down how you will reach your goal, what will it take.

d. T-set a timeframe for writing and a timeframe for yourself to reach your goal.

e. E-exit each writing segment with a firm belief in yourself.

References

Monsma, E. V., Overby, L. Y. (2004). The Relationship between imagery and competitive anxiety in ballet auditions. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science 8 (1) 11-18.

Walker, I. J., Nordin-Bates, S. M. (2010). Performance Anxiety Experiences of Professional Ballet Dancers. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science. 14(4) 133.145.

Franklin, E. (2004). Conditioning for Dance. Human Kinetics.