Fright is fuel for dancers
By
Tanya Hoida
After a day of school, clubs and friends, the teenage
girl rushes across town for her ballet recital. When she arrives, she
realizes she has at least two hours before going on stage so she plops
down with her calculus textbook. The minutes pass quickly and losing
track of time, the dancer needs to rush to the warm-up. Time deceives
her again later and soon the instructor is calling for all dancers on
deck.
She stands up but realizes she’s not even in costume. She slips quickly into the dressing room and emerges seconds later, still pulling one sleeve over her arm. She joins her peers in front of the packed theater, takes a deep breath and waits for the music.
Jeanette Makaroff, co-director of Makaroff School of Ballet in Appleton, said teenagers deal with dance performance jitters because of their full lives.
“We don’t push because there is already so much pressure on the kids with their other activities,” said Betty Jean Crosby-Fink, owner of Crosby Dance Studio in Oshkosh. “The kids come first.”
But the anxiety surrounding the recital takes hold of most dancers. While they might have the shakes as they walk on the stage, the tension builds into excitement as the dancers put their heart into the recital, according to area dance schools.
Makaroff School of Ballet and Crosby Dance Studio don’t perform every year. Makaroff’s instructors focus more on the academics of dance while Crosby’s instructors give lessons over a longer period of time with some academic lessons. Since Makaroff dancers treat dance more as a class than a hobby, they are better prepared for the dance showcases, Makaroff said.
“The instruction enhances their work and the performance is the icing on the cake,” Makaroff said.
The Makaroff showcases don’t have stories or skit because they are an exercise for the dancers. It is part of their training. So if they’re scared and not ready to perform, they simply don’t go on stage and wait until next time.
As the dancer ages, the lessons build up their confidence for the rehearsals.
“By that age, the students are just dying to get on stage,” Makaroff said. “Sure, they might have some butterflies but the moment they are on stage, it disappears.”
Makaroff said their school doesn’t pushes young children onto the stage because it is psychologically damaging. A five-year-old child could feel pressured by the parents who spent a lot of money for the costume and tickets, Makaroff said.
“If, when the dance is all over, it wasn’t fun, they should reconsider if dancing is something they want to do,” Makaroff said. “If the child isn’t ready, they’ll let their parents know.”
Crosby-Fink said their instructors believe kids should still be kids. Their family atmosphere creates less apprehension and stage fright for dancers during performances.
“The mothers are usually more jittery than the children are,” Crosby-Fink said. “I tell the kids ‘you know what you’re doing so just go out and have a good time.’”
Marcia Fellow, owner of Marcia’s School of Dance in Appleton, said the dancers are nervous but not jittery before their annual performances.
“With myself, when that overture music begins, the excitement overcomes the nervousness and apprehension,” Fellows said. “I tell the dancers on stage to not look at the audience but to look above their heads so they don’t make that eye contact.”
Makaroff said she tries to restrict what the dancers eat before performances to limit their anxiety. Dancers cannot eat or drink at least two hours before going on stage. They should eat a light meal the night before instead of foods with sauce like spaghetti or pizza.
“The lights above the stage are hot and their nerves might want them to throw up if they are not accustomed to the pressure,” Makaroff said. “And while we want them to be well-hydrated, we don’t want them to feel the need to use the bathroom right before or during the performance.”
Makaroff said the restrictions lessen for older dancers because they know what their body can handle by then. The nervousness prior to the performance still exists but the dancer knows how to use the uneasiness as fuel.
“The jitters never go away and I would be worried if they did,” Makaroff said. “It makes the performance better because the dancers are more keen. If they do great the opening night and perform all their pirouettes perfectly, the second night might bring overconfidence and mistakes happen. So the nervousness pushes them to give it their all every night.”