Hi dancers! This post is made for those who have already been taking some lessons and are curious about putting those new found skills to work in an entirely new way.
If you don't know what a showcase is it's basically a recital for students. You're able to learn a few fun routines out of the normal social dancing realm and perform at a local venue (or in the case of a pandemic - virtually!).
One of the reasons students will shy away from having this awesome experience is because they don't exactly know what to expect. That's why I'm here to give you some insight.
Expect to see ladies in ball gowns and men in dapper suits.
Students usually prepare for these events months ahead of time. You'll most likely see yourself dressed in an outfit entirely different from what you wear at your lesson with hair and/or makeup that is out of the ordinary. It's an entirely different world from the normal studio feel and there will be a bunch of excitement and nerves bundled up with it. This is why having a game plan with your instructor ahead of time is important so you can feel the most prepared when you arrive.
Expect nerves with a dash of crazy thrown in.
There's a pretty big hustle and bustle that comes along with a showcase. Students will be running around checking on their hair, makeup and costumes one last time and your instructor will be busy warming up you and their other students so you can feel somewhat calm for the actual performance.
You'll most likely go through a phase of "Why am I doing this? I must be insane" and that is completely normal. However, once you step off that floor after your performance, you are going to feel like you can conquer the world. The rush of a performance is a feeling like no other.
Expect mistakes.
Ok I have to be real with you. There's no such thing as a perfect performance. It's most likely you will have forgotten a step in your routine, missed placing an arm where it should have gone, or if you're like me at one of my last competitions, completely fell on your butt. Mistakes are inevitable and we learn from them so they hopefully don't happen again. However, it's not the end of the world. It's just dancing and this is how we grow as dancers.
Expect the anticipation to last forever and the dancing itself to fly by.
Every competition I'm at I feel like I'm waiting for hours before I go on the floor when in reality it's probably about a half hour. It kills me! And then I get off the floor and wonder where the time went! It feels like a complete blur!
A great way to overcome this, is to enjoy the time you have with your fellow dancers off the floor and enjoy the time with your partner on the floor. Worry is our worst enemy and to live in the present moment will give you so much more joy.
You'll never feel fully prepared for a performance and there will always be nerves. It just shows how meaningful your dancing is to you! Every experience is different and rewarding in it's own way. If you're on the fence about doing a performance, do it. "Don't let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game."
Happy dancing my friends!
Samantha Trinidad