hi!
My name is rebecca n. i started dance about 6 months ago. i am going to be in my first competition soon and i am really nervouse. dose anyone have any advice that could help me?
thanx so much becca

Hey! I remeber how nervous I was the first time I danced at my first competitions.I wanted to run off the floor and hide in the bathroom! And I'm usually very outgoing and oustentacious! But as soon as I got out there and started dancing I totally forgot the people were there, and became myself again. After I got over that little bit of nerves I was begging to go out and dance at more competitions! Now I love competiting. So trust me it's not as bad as it seems. But there is a website called www.ballroombliss.com that has a lot of tips on how to calm competition nerves. Well, I hope some of this helps!!!! Have a great time at the competition and don't worry about being nervous. Just tell yourself that they all paid a ton of money to see you dance, and that you should give them all that you've got! lol! Well, have fun and I hope that you find www.ballroombliss.com helpful. They have a lot of good stuff on there.

I've done 5 competitions so far...so I am a beginner as well. The first time being out there is the toughest. The best advice that I can give is not to have any expectations and to just have fun. The experience of just being out there, no matter how well you do, will be the most valuable part of it. And as I illuded to, from just being out there on the floor you will learn a lot and you'll be that much better next time.

I was only dancing about two months before I was asked by my instructor to do a Pro/Am. To tell you the truth I had no idea what it was all about so I was too clueless to be nervous! I had alot of fun. Just focus on your instructor/partner and forget about everyone else. Don't worry about placing - just dance for yourself and as long as you know you did your best that's all that matters. You will find that there is always more to learn and the layers of your technique are neverending. I hope this will be the first of many wonderful experiences ballroom dancing can bring you!

Just have in the back of your mind that you are dancing to show people what you can do. Try to imagine, if you can that you are out on the floor dancing. One professional I know when he was competing used to play a video of a competition and imagine he could see himself right in among it. Remember you are not going to dance with the attitude of hey look at me, but instead look at what I can do. Bear in mind that a former World Champion said that it does't matter if you are a low grade dancer or the World Champion you will only dancr 75% of your best when the pressure is on. Donnie Burns. So if you feel a little off, expect to be just that. Just do your best. Best of luck

thank you all for your advice! i feel alittle more confident. i wll try to do my best!( and have fun!!)


thank u all again
becca

Becca,
Good luck on your first comp!!

I have been competing for about 10 years now but yet I still remember the first time. By far, the worst of it is walking to the ballroom prior to the comp.

I have to agree with others here, once you are on the floor and get past the nerves(only takes a few minutes) it really is a great experience.

And OHHHH, when you come off the floor and realize, hey you did not, and not to bad at that, the feeling is beyond words.

Come back and post and tell us all about it..

Jan