This blog post is for all our gorgeous women dancing in our 10th Annual Show this week (and “little” Dan). The show is tomorrow and you’re probably a mixture of excited and terrified. Here are a few words to keep in mind…
This is supposed to be fun. Yes, you want to do well. But more than anything this is about sharing your journey. So wherever that is, at this moment. It isn’t about where you “want” to be but a celebration of where you are. And where you are changes every day. So however you are on show day, celebrate you. Celebrate that you had the courage to walk into Aerial Dance that first time. Celebrate that you stuck with pole after the first time you were frustrated. Celebrate that you came back to class after the second (and third….and fourth…and…) times you felt uncoordinated or like you weren’t “getting it quick enough”. You have persevered and learned a hard sport. And now you get to show everyone you invited what you can do. And you get to celebrate and cheer with the Aerial Dance Sisterhood!
If something doesn’t go as planned, smile and keep going. Things go wrong in live performance. It happens. What matters isn’t the mistake, it’s all about how quickly you recover. So smile. And NEXT! Truthfully 95% of the audience wouldn’t know if something went wrong. So as long as you don’t burst into tears and run off stage, any “mistakes” won’t’ be noticed or the audience will celebrate that you were brave enough to keep going!
Safety first. No move is worth your safety. Our bodies are different every day. On show day if you don’t feel something, don’t do it. Talk with your partners and execute what feels correct for you on the day. Have a healthy tomorrow is more important than any performance.
There is no such thing as a perfect performance. So don’t aim for that. Aim for an optimal performance where you leave the stage feeling good about yourself. All that I want from my women is that they leave the show proud of themselves.
No matter what happens on stage, your instructors and I are PROUD OF YOU! The show isn’t about your performance. The show is about who you became to perform. What courage and bravery did you find? How many extra hours of practice did you put in? The show may be the culmination, but it isn’t what matters. Everything you did to this point is what we’re proud of. The show and your performance is just another chance to celebrate.
