DANCE TIP: Adrenaline effects on performance. (Im going to be oversimplifying during this... biochem people, relax.) When you are first performing... sometimes first can extend for years.... there is a massive dose of adrenaline that accompanies performance – the fight, flight or freeze response to stressors. This can have some interesting unanticipated effects. First, the adrenaline causes people to change steps too often and not complete moves. Your actual sense of time is warped ... it simply feels like time has slowed down. You feel as if any move you do has been going on forever. You are certain the audience must be bored. The other really big thing that often happens is the post-performance crash: you get done dancing, feel exhilarated, then a minute later you are certain you suck suck sucked and should quit dancing and sell your costumes immediately. The first one is easy to handle....you need to perform frequently until the adrenaline no longer has such strong effect, then maintain frequent performance if possible. As your subconscious learns that performance isnt actually a threatening situation you will react with less of a dump. You will also develop an understanding and faith in that time really did not slow down. It hasnt slowed down. They arent bored because after all they are all in the REALITY time zone where you are not. The second one.... post performance crash.... is a biochemical reaction that can end your dance career. Serious problem. When you are performing your body prepares for the fight/flight thing and dumps a bunch of chemicals into your blood, and dancing itself adds insult by using up your easily available blood sugar. You get done and your blood is sugar-free and full of half burned junk that makes you feel lousy when there is nothing to distract you (like.... say.... DANCING). So you get done dancing and feel physically awful.... and nobody does everything exactly correctly when they perform so you start chewing on that and making yourself emotionally awful... which you then associate with your entire experience of performing. And it becomes a feedback loop and you feel worse every time you perform until you finally quit. So this is what you do after performing: have a snack to improve your blood sugar and refuse to analyze your performance until the next day. Just refuse to go there. Your analysis of your performance is just as faulty right AFTER you perform as your sense of time is WHILE you perform. Write some of your issues off to biochemistry and know that the more you perform the more resistant you become to fight, flee or freeze. As usual Im gonna say your mileage may vary.... but if you are experiencing any of these things and dont listen to me please eventually send your costumes to: Saqra, PO Box 3934, Kent, WA 98089
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:52:32 +0000