Identifying, Understanding, and Overcoming Fear
Is fear stunting your growth as a ballerina? Fears are worries or concerns birthed from our own experiences and expectations that - when we allow them to fester - can consume our thoughts and actions. These thoughts can keep us from meeting new friends, trying new things, or making changes in our lives that could lead to positive growth. As a dancer, fear can be a huge roadblock between you and your goals.
In the spirit of “spooky season,” we will explore what it takes to identify, understand, and overcome your fears.
Related: Conquering Stage Fright
Identifying Fear
First things first, what does fear look like? How does it show up in our lives? Fear often disguises itself as one of the following things:
Perfection Paralysis - the inability to begin or complete a task due to the fear of it not being a perfectly finished product
Procrastination - pushing off large, important, or intimidating tasks that would put us in a better place if we completed them
Criticizing Others - being harshly critical and judgemental of other people’s work instead of focusing on our own
Impostor Syndrome - dimming our own light and downplaying our accomplishments because we don’t feel we deserve them
All of these concepts may not feel like fear, but may be rooted in fear. When you’re able to identify fear in your life and shine a light upon it, you can then try to understand where it stems from.
Related: Brown Ballerina Ambassador Nia Manson Reflects on Overcoming Audition Anxiety
Understanding fear
The feeling of fear comes from a subconscious response to a “fight or flight” situation. Fear is actually our body’s way of keeping us safe. What’s interesting, though, is that every person’s definition of safety differs based on trauma we experienced or witnessed, or from observing how someone else responds to something. Think of children who do not worry about monsters under their beds until they watch a scary movie, or may not fear bees until they see someone get stung.
In your dance journey, some of the following things may have become root causes of your fear:
Seeing other people try something new and fail
Being injured or witnessing an injury
Your own past failures and embarrassments
Other people’s projections and opinions
Not knowing what to expect (the unknown)
Lack of preparation
When you feel fearful, check in with yourself and your environment to see what could be the cause. Make the necessary changes.
Related: 5 Tips for the Introverted Dancer
Overcoming Fear
Now that you can identify and understand where your fear comes from, you can gain control of it by responding to it in a healthy, productive manner. Here are some ways to overcome your fears:
Redefine what it means to fail. Every failure is a lesson learned and experience gained,
Allow yourself to be a beginner. You don’t have to get it right the first time.
Surround yourself with people who inspire and uplift you.
Seek wisdom by asking questions and doing more research. The more you know about something, the less fearful you will be.
Keeping a positive outlook. Recite affirmations and have faith that things will work out in your favor.
Be open to the unexpected. Sometimes, your path will not look exactly the way you thought it would, and that’s okay!
It’s important to remember that everyone has fears. Taking the time to identify and understand your fear will stop you from being crippled by it. Instead, you will be equipped to overcome your fears and make the necessary changes to nurture your growth as a dancer and in general!
In the comments below, tell us how fear has shown up in your life lately, and how you plan to overcome it.