My very first Aerial Dance show performance. I was so scared and nervous to take the stage, as most of us are our first time. But for me I just had to make it worse by becoming Darth Maul. I painted my face and even wore colored contacts for the first time.
I don’t recommend doing anything for the first time on show day. Always practice everything including the routine in your makeup and outfit. Honestly, it’s one thing to be nervous to go on stage but to specifically make yourself stand out was something else because as soon as people saw my face paint I knew I was going to be the center of attention. It wasn’t until after the show that I realized I thrive on the feeling.
I think I took a bit of inspiration from Yoda’s quote “Do or do not. There is no try.” This quote is a simple lesson in commitment and the power in giving something our absolute all. Do not just try it, give it everything you’ve got and don’t give up until you’ve succeeded. I had to learn moves above my current level for this routine, but I didn’t shy away from them. I put myself to the test and worked so hard to get them because our instructor believed in us and it’s always easier to believe in yourself once someone else has believed in you first.
To calm my nerves I was making lots of jokes and taking lots of photos cuz I mean Darth Maul eating chicken wings?! Darth Maul putting on fake eyelashes?! That’s pretty funny in my eyes! Overall though, the most helpful was my fellow performers, my Aerial Dance friends. Because many of them had done this before they had so many great tips and were great at reassuring me everything was going to be epic. “The only way the audience will know or care if you mess up is if you run off the stage mid performance”.
In the end, the performance on that stage in front of a huge crowd was actually our best performance. Of all the run-throughs in dress rehearsal and the months of practice, show day was the best and I left that stage feeling like a million bucks. The adrenaline rush and the feeling of “We did it!” quickly became an addiction and I could not wait to sign up for the next show!
Performing has really become one of my favorite things about Aerial Dance even though I was so scared in the beginning I almost didn’t do it. I am so glad I did sign up because we will never know our greatest passions if we just never step out of our comfort zone and try!
Students at Aerial Dance have many opportunities to perform! Become a student today and join us on stage!
Not sure what classes to take? Try Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial!