Competitions like YAGP and ADC/IBC are exciting and inspiring, but participating in these events can also feel heavy. Underneath all of the hard work and excitement over costumes and headpieces, many dancers are carrying a quiet feeling of extreme pressure. The pressure to improve, to place, to be perfect, and to be as good as your peers. If you're feeling that right now, you are not alone. Every dancer experiences stress and anxiety from time to time.
This often unmanageable pressure comes from so many stressors: long rehearsal hours, travel, high personal expectations, comparison to other dancers, not wanting to disappoint your teachers, and the worst stressor of all, social media. It’s easy to scroll and feel like everyone else is more prepared, more flexible, stronger, and more successful. But what you’re seeing is a highlight reel—not the nerves, the endless corrections, the mistakes, the let downs, or the moments of doubt that every dancer experiences.
One of the hardest parts of competing is the subconscious messaging that everything has to be perfect. Technique, turns, extensions, feet, and of course performance. But the truth is, no dancer is ever perfect on stage. Not scholarship winners, not finalists, not professionals, not even queen Marianela Nunez! What audiences and judges connect with the most is not perfection, it's stage presence, musicality and authenticity. The dancers who stand out are often the ones who truly feel joy when they dance, and are fully in the moment. Not the ones who are stressed to the max and trying to control every detail.
Every dancer carries worries they feel they can't talk about: forgetting choreography, falling, disappointing their teacher, not placing, and so much more. These thoughts are so normal, they don't mean you're weak or not capable, they mean you take great pride in what you're doing and you care about your performance. And that is what makes great artists.
So what can be done when these waves of anxiety come crashing down?
- Focus on what you can control. I'm trying so hard to be in this mindset myself lately. (Life with a baby is not easy! Currently typing this with one hand while she sleeps on my lap) There are so many things we cannot control like judging results, but we can always control how prepared we are, how much we rest, our nutrition and our mindset.
- Limit comparison. I know this sounds extreme, but take Instagram and TikTok off of your phone for a few days and see how you feel. Focus on feeling joy for other dancers who have success. There will always be someone who turns faster or jumps higher, that won't ever take away from your own artistry or growth.
- Keep a healthy perspective. Each competition is just a moment in a very long journey. Your results do not define you as a student or an artist. Many incredible professional dancers never placed at competitions. What matters most is the growth that happens in the process, the discipline, the resilience, and the confidence built along the way.
Years from now I promise you will not remember your scores. You'll remember the excitement backstage, the friendships, overcoming challenges and the pride of your accomplishments.
This season is chapter, not the whole story.
Xo Kristin
