Hello FTT Family and welcome to another blog post! Audition season is beginning to take off and dancers of all ages are packing their audition bags to take on the hustle and bustle that this time brings. That’s why today we are going to be focusing on an audition preparation point that will help not only aid in the business of audition season, but also our mental health during this time as well: How to get past pre-audition nerves. Audition season can push us to our limits physically, but also mentally and emotionally as we navigate the natural pressures that come along with time of year. Everyone is hoping for a wonderful outcome and are striving to make that outcome happen. However, let’s take a moment to discuss how we can go through this process not only physically strong, but mentally at ease.
- Trust Your Abilities
Nothing makes you overthink like an audition. It’s just something about it, the moment we know that we will be judged on our abilities in order to attain something we want, we start to question how well we do what we do. Hoooowweever, does it have to be that way? Absolutely NOT! There is nothing wrong with trusting how well you do what you do. Think about it, you’ve probably been dancing since you were little and have been going hard in your training ever since. And though I haven’t seen you dance, I just know that you can go out there and own it, and deep down inside, so do you! So silence the inner critic of your mind and trust your ability. You definitely know what you’re doing.
- Keep Your Expectations Neutral
The one possibility that is unavoidable when going on auditions is that there is a chance that you will book the job and a chance that you just might not. And while that is a harsh truth, it is a truth nonetheless, which is why our next tip is to keep your expectations neutral throughout the entire process. This will allow you to keep a level head as you prepare for the audition, during the audition process and even after it’s all done and you’re waiting for the results. Even if you really want this job, nothing brings peace more than living in the present moment and taking a deep breath. We’ll expound more on this tip a little later, but for now, let’s move onto our next tip.
- Go In Focused On You
Auditions can bring out the competitive streak in us. After all, we’re all in here fighting for the same spot, right? The main goal in everyone’s mind is to prove why you deserve this job over the person dancing next to you. However, one of the best ways to shine the brightest in these situations is to go into this audition focused on you. Despite the belief of some, auditions are not about being better than everyone else, it’s about showing why you and your abilities can be an asset to the project at hand. Focusing on beating out someone else will only take your head out of the game and put your focus on the wrong subject, which can ultimately lead to you fumbling the bag. So do you, for you and only one worry about you. Everything works out better that way.
- Don’t Let It Rule Your Brain
This probably isn’t your first audition and it won’t be your last. Therefore, since you’ve been here before, try your best to mentally be in the present before, during and after, just as we mentioned in tip #2. Prepare the best way you know how, do your very best at the audition and release it all once it’s over. This alone will calm your nerves across the board and keep you in a healthy headspace, which leads us to our final tip…
- Whatever Happens Is For The Best
Harkening back to tip #1, the reality of auditions is that sometimes you make the cut and sometimes it just wasn’t meant for you. One of the best ways to keep your mind at ease is knowing that whatever the result may be, everything happens both for a reason and for the best. If you book this job, fantastic! It’s another awesome notch on your belt! And if you don’t by chance make the cut, maybe it simply wasn’t meant to be a stop you make on your journey or one that is better set for later. Either way it turns out is a blessing in some form. Making peace with that though alone will help you go into this process with the peace that is oh-so necessary. No nerves included.
Thank you all so much for hanging out with us today! We hope this post was able to help you that much more as you go about this year’s audition season. As always we wish you the best of luck in your audition adventures, a wonderful weekend and remember…
Keep dancing!
Lexi
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