Dance Like A Pro: How To Avoid Feeling And Looking Awkward On Stage
Dancing is always a new experience for every performer, newbie or veteran. Those who think that seasoned dancers never feel awkward before auditioning or performing in public clearly have no experience in this athletic art. Despite this fact, professionals are still able to set foot on stage and deliver an entertaining and memorable show. What’s their secret and how can you apply this in pro cheerleading auditions and live arena dances? Read on to find out!
1. Make time your ally
Take all the time you need to practice your own dance and the choreography provided by the squad you’re auditioning for. Record yourself with the camera you’re going to use for the video submission. If you’re having an in-person audition, dance in front of the mirror. Ask someone who has background knowledge in dancing to rate you. Polish all your moves. Your readiness is your #1 source of confidence.
2. Don’t strive for perfection
It’s good to set a standard for your performance by mimicking the level of skill and talent other professional dancers show. However, you mustn’t adopt an all-or-nothing mentality. Audition judges are fine if you’re able to dance well enough or accurately because they understand every auditionee has still more room for improvement. What they don’t want is to see you being pressured into perfection. And don’t pull off some moves you know you can’t execute.
3. Relax
This advice is for in-person audition rounds and actual arena performances. Setting foot on an elevated podium or arena without calming your nerves will cause a rush of thoughts that would eventually lead to you making errors. And with every error you make, the more awkward you’ll feel and everything will go downhill from there. If you feel nervous dancing in front of strangers, always take a lot of deep breaths first.
4. Shut everything out
Once you’re up there on the stage or in the arena, keep your focus within yourself and the squad. Stop caring about what the judges and fans think. Stop listening to the cheer of the crowd. Be ready to perform what you’ve learned from the choreography material given and the squad rehearsals. Most importantly, think as if you’re doing a solo or group performance with nobody watching.
5. Own your performance and style
If you think and tell yourself you look awkward when you dance then you’ll look awkward when you dance. You need to stop depreciating yourself and adopt the mindset of a seasoned and confident performer. This will help your body and mind easily get into the groove of whatever you’re dancing, freestyle or rehearsed, anytime and anywhere.
6. Commit to the performance
Give it your all and don’t hold back. Perform the dance in the intensity you’ve planned and practiced.
7. Dance with the music
Notice how I said “with” and not “to”? This is because confident performers understand that the music is what guides them and the performer adds emotion to the track for more drama. Simply speaking, think that you and the music are one and complementing each other.
8. Enjoy the moment
Lastly, have fun. Don’t take everything too seriously. Let go of the fear, doubts, and other unnecessary emotions. Smile and show the cheerfulness judges and crowd looks for in a pro cheerleader.
Remember, awkwardness starts within you. If you lack practice and don’t trust yourself, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. You must build your confidence as high as you can before you pursue a pro cheer career. And there’s no better time to do so than today.
Need more tips for dancing? Read these blog posts:
- Feeling Insecure About Your Dancing? Build Your Confidence With These 6 Reminders
- How to Stop Dreading Auditions: 8 Ways to Overcome Performance Anxiety
- How to Improve Your Core Strength for Dancing
- 7 Daily Habits That Will Boost Your Audition Prep Motivation
- Nailing Your Solo Audition Video: 8 Top Tips
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