Nervousness at comps

[skipper]

Have competition soon, am suddenly extremely nervous and it is the fault of the totally fabulous latin dress I acquired....  reason being that the dress deserves someone totally fab to dance in it & I am so not at that level..I don't want to let the dress down!!!    I should've stuck with the practice wear and it would all have been just fine

Then you would not be dancing "out of the box"!!  Let this dress give you the look and confidence you have!
Enjoy!!

[QPO]

I find that I lift when I wear my danc eoutfit...I feel so special, I am sure you will feel the same....when you are out on the floor Beleive in what you have learnt and go out and see=ll it to the best of your ability. HAVE FUN

[pinkstuff]

Thank you all    It is the first time that I have worn a 'proper' dance dress & I guess dancing in practice wear is what I am used to anyway so it always just seemed like another day at the studio but with extra make-up and somewhat more tanned.  Ah well, am looking forward to it now    Thanks again!

[elisedance]

Have competition soon, am suddenly extremely nervous and it is the fault of the totally fabulous latin dress I acquired....  reason being that the dress deserves someone totally fab to dance in it & I am so not at that level..I don't want to let the dress down!!!    I should've stuck with the practice wear and it would all have been just fine

I agree with DSV. 

Its easy to feel the mismatch - but its equally easy to feel a match.  The fact is that good equipment - be it a dress, tools for carpentry or (in my case) a classic violin can by themselves only make your performance better.  Thats not to say we can't be intimidated by it - by as you say, the feeling that you are unworthy. 

A violinist I know had a chance to play on what is soon to be the most expensive violin in the world - its a del Gesu (yes, his were actually better than Strads) coming up for auction and estimated at $18,000,000.  But from all accounts she faced with the instrument in her arms she could not play it.  Clearly the violin wasn't bad and she is an excellent player - but there was something broken in the dynamic of the moment.  I suspect she was intimidated by the instrument (she played a strad immediately after).

What you have to do is 'make the dress yours' so that it does not feel alien.  I suggest you wear it round the house - even put on some makeup so that it is not incongrous and wear practice shoes.  Get used to its feel and its look - catch yourself in the mirror and note how beautiful you look in it.  Enjoy it and fantasize in it - imagine dancing with whoever is your particular idol or just with a great guy at a social and everyone looking at you and admiring you.  Try it out in the studio - better still if you can get your pro to do a dress rehersal.  What you will find is that people will comment on how beautiful it is and how lovely you look in it but NOONE will tell you that you look out of place.  And the reason for that is that, as said above: great tools can ONLY make you better.

You go play your violin - all you have to do first is make friends with it

[cornutt]

Great analogy.  Let me try another one: it's like driving a powerful race car.  First time out, you may spin out a few times.  But the car will teach you to be a better driver.  Even the spinouts will teach you something.

[elisedance]

I have to copy this here - its from a poster on a violin forum but is so simple and applies so strongly to dealing with performance anxiety (and any stress situation):

The most important thing is to focus, in any performance, the mind on what you want, never on what you don't. 

I need to write that on the back of my eyeballs ...

[QPO]

So true by the way thought I would bump it up....

[elisedance]

Pleased to report that I don't seem to get nervous anymore, least not to the point where it affects my dancing negatively.  Wow, I'm very proud to write those words!

[samina]

that's a big deal, elise..... congrats on creating that experience for yourself.

now you can focus on the dancing!

[QPO]

indeed! it is a big step as I find that a lot of people find that paralysing..

[SwingWaltz]

Is it possible to be subconsciously nervous when you don't really feel it yourself?

[QPO]

Is it possible to be subconsciously nervous when you don't really feel it yourself?

i wondered that myself. I generally don't get nervous but sometimes the first event is not my best and why that is I dont know...I think it is most probably the desire to do your very best so you don't relax

[elisedance]

Is it possible to be subconsciously nervous when you don't really feel it yourself?

thats a great question - and I think my partner may have exactly that.  He always says that he is never nervous and yet he may do the oddest thing on the first few steps... OTOH maybe its me

[QPO]

I think you need to visualise that you are not nervous and that all will go well. we can often talk ourselves into these things.

[elisedance]

I think you need to visualise that you are not nervous and that all will go well. we can often talk ourselves into these things.

er, if you could do that you wouldn't have a problem to cure