After months of hard work during dance classes, your little one is probably excited about showing off their skills at a recital. However, many kids experience stage fright, also known as performance anxiety. While stage fright is completely normal, helping your child cope with nervousness can relieve their fears and allow them to enjoy the experience. Here are a few ways you can boost their confidence. 

How to Help Your Child Deal With Performance Anxiety

1. Acknowledge Your Child's Emotions

Encouraging a child to repress or ignore their nervousness prior to a dance recital will often have the opposite of the intended effect. Instead, acknowledge your child's feelings and explain how we can all feel nervous sometimes. Accepting your emotions is the first step toward overcoming them, as it allows you to process what you're feeling and why you may be feeling it. You can also share anecdotes about famous performers and their battles with stage fright to show your child they're not alone. 

2. Practice Deep-Breathing and Meditation

Having a strategy for pre-show jitters can help soothe performance anxiety. Teach your child strategies like deep breathing, which involves pulling breaths in through the nose and exhaling them through the mouth.

Meditation is also beneficial before performances because it can help calm your child's mind. Have them sit in a quiet place in the home and focus on a happy memory. Then, they can replicate this practice backstage. 

3. Emphasize the Importance of Rehearsal

While it can't completely alleviate feelings of stage fright, repeated practice ensures your child knows a dance routine backward and forward. Encourage your child to rehearse at home in addition to practicing during their dance classes. 

You can also stage a mini-performance for the family, which will allow your child to get accustomed to performing in front of people. The better your child knows their routine, the less worried they'll feel when performing it on stage.  

The instructors at Dream Dance Co. in Shelby Township, MI, want their young students to have as much fun during a performance as they do in class. That's why they strive to boost children's self-esteem and confidence during dance classes, which can help alleviate anxieties about performing. They cover a wide range of styles and techniques, including ballet and hip-hop dance, and accommodate young dancers of every skill level. Visit the website to learn how you can enroll today, or call (586) 488-7011 for more information.