Dancing With Confidence

Confidence is critical to a dancer, but it doesn't have to be real! Even if you're quaking in your dancing shoes, LOOK confident and your audience will be impressed.


Dancers often forget the audience wasn't at rehearsal. They don't know what the routine was supposed to be, so they won't spot a mistake unless you make it obvious by frowning - or stopping!


If you can maintain a look of confidence, head up, torso erect, smiling brightly no matter what craziness is happening lower down, the audience will probably never notice you goofed.


You can't avoid nerves before a show, but try not to focus on them. Learn to look confident every time you dance - even in practice - and it will become natural. It's annoying that dancers who try to look confident in class can be seen as 'show-offs' by other students. They would prefer you to make faces, give up when you make a mistake,and walk off instead of holding a final pose.


I know it's tough to withstand those jibes, but ask yourself what's more important - fitting in, or your dance career. Serious dancers will always try to perform in class exactly as they would on stage.


My dance teacher was adamant that every time we did a step in class, we must pretend that we were on stage. I found that to be excellent advice - although it has got me into trouble! When I started performing flamenco, audience members often assumed I was the troupe leader instead of my teacher. I knew that wasn't true - my teacher was a far better dancer. But the difference was, I had learned to dance confidently no matter what, whereas she was shy and danced with her eyes downcast. So when we danced together, I grabbed the audience's attention. They never noticed my feet were not as precise or my hand movements less graceful - all they could see were my smile, my posture, and my 'attack' and enthusiasm.


Of course, rehearsal is also important, so you're not constantly thinking about your next step. But that's not the biggest contributor to your 'confidence score'!