Do Performance Jitters Really Help A Performance?
Read more articles on Life's Nuances and Let Me Share With You.January 27, 2007
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
January 27, 2007
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
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There is something I have always found rather strange-the majority of people who perform professionally or for fun often state that the nervous adrenaline before stepping onto a stage actually helps with their performance. I have not once found that to be the case, and wonder how many others would agree with me…
Now, it’s not that I speak from hundreds of experiences, but in my youth, I performed in numerous dance recitals, high school plays, community shows, dinner theaters, and summer stock and recently, have danced more. In my humble opinion, if someone really loves performing, there is no such thing as stage fright. I have always felt my absolute best on stage when I have been very calm and “in control”. With nerves, I’m not in control; they are-and all they do is cause shakiness in voice, body or both, which is not a good thing.
If you are someone who is not comfortable in front of the lights, I really can understand why you find it scary. There is that one moment of fear that hits about 10 seconds before the curtain rises-or you walk onstage-where a knot just seems to hit you in your stomach. It’s made of the fear of blanking, the fear of not looking right or being ready, or perhaps a sense that things just don’t “feel” right. If that dread never left me, I’d probably have never stepped on stage again, either! That’s what I equate to nervous jitters. But, usually, what has always happened for me is that trepidation just melts away as soon as the show goes on. On the few occasions where it has not, I don’t think my performance was as good. Nerves can be vicious, and I feel for celebrities like Barbra Streisand who face a very real stage fright when performing live.
In any event, this was my thought for today. Those of you who have performed in any way may want to revisit those moments in the spotlight and ask if you thought that pre-performance jitters helped or hurt you. If you’re like me and think that they have, it leads to a whole different avenue of thought processes…just as, what would help us do even better? Or, why must we feel completely comfortable in order to put forth our best efforts? Hmm…more ponderings that will go unanswered!
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