For the first eleven years of my career I taught professional competitors from 7 to 18 years old (first in Russia, then in China). I hold a master’s degree in sociology and a PhD in philosophy. The psychology of dancing falls within my sphere of interests. Several years ago in Russia I wrote an article about the psychological problem of intrusion into private space on the dance floor. Now, teaching amateurs and dancing with my students in competitions, I face the same problem. Some aspects of this psychological issue have a greater impact on amateur competitive dancing than on professional competition. From my point of view, the problem of emotional stress is highly underestimated, particularly in amateur pre-competition training. I would like to share some ideas about this subject.
I would like to start from the end. Imagine the long road from the first talk about pro-am competition to the “D-Day” (1) has been traversed. You and your student are both waiting for your heat. What is your goal as an instructor in relation to the possible emotional stress of your student? I would formulate it with the sentence: “Stay connected!”
You are the person who stands between your student and many surrounding potentially negative factors (it can be anything: diffidence, stage fright, spectators, loud music, a slippery floor - you name it). You represent an island of stability amid a stormy ocean. In order to achieve this, you need to create a “loop” comprised of you and your student with both verbal and nonverbal components. This “loop” may include holding hands (before dancing), visual contact and talking (your voice and words can be calming or encouraging).
In his famous system of acting, Konstantin Stanislavsky (a well-known theatrical figure) described three circles of attention. The first circle is you. The second is your stage partners. And the third is your spectators. The idea is that if you are lost, confused, or bewildered, you can exclude people in the second and third circles from your zone of attention. This allows you to refocus and come back to your senses. Then, you can consecutively reopen yourself to these circles. You may disagree with the idea that "All the world's a stage”(2), but theatrical art has much in common with dancing. Why wouldn’t we use such a fruitful idea in our sphere?
Nonetheless, there is a very important correction which should be included in the concept of “three circles of attention” in relation to ballroom dancing. In ballroom dancing, the first circle consists of two people, the second of other competitors and judges and the third is comprised of spectators. In the world of theater, the whole stage space and the people in it (two circles) are part of your team and should support you emotionally. In the circumstance of ballroom competition, your team consists of only two people and is limited to the first circle. Your safety zone is much smaller because the second circle consists of people who compete against you.
As you can see, it is extremely important to maintain a connection between partners in the first circle, because right beyond this circle there is a zone which your student is subconsciously inclined to consider as hostile.
At the very first competition for your student, establishing and maintaining this “loop” or connection is the main goal. At subsequent competitions, your goals include connecting with the third circle. Spectators (the third circle) can be divided into your supporting team and other spectators. In pro-am competition, I wouldn’t even consider attempting to make a connection with the part of audience which supports other competitors. Making this connection can be a difficult task for professionals. Your goal is to gently urge your student to go beyond limits of his or her comfort zone. To develop this connection with the third circle, you can practice with spectators in less stressful conditions. The Fred Astaire teaching system includes tools to accomplish this. I would start by engaging other students to be spectators during private lessons. My colleagues use this method. Then, performing in showcases can help develop this skill. The whole point of showcases is to connect with spectators and make them understand your appeal, which is, in my opinion, more complicated than demonstrating proper dancing technique during a competition. When your student starts to enjoy performing, you can apply this skill in front of a wider audience.
Before every competition I say to my students: “It’s a false goal – to take first place! Thinking about taking first place is the main cause of jitters and stage fright”. For each competition we find something that we need to demonstrate (it can be timing, footwork, arm styling, expressiveness). But these things that we attempt to demonstrate are not goals, they are tasks. A competition is not a test or exam, it is a joyful event. Sometimes we hear from our students “I don’t want to let you down!” This is impossible. Our students give us their trust, their passion. We work hard together and that is worth much more than thousands of medals or cups, which are just recognition marks from other people. This attitude toward competitive dancing is more fruitful than seeking awards. It reduces stress and increases the fun and excitement… Wait for II coming out soon!
1 the landing operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II
2 "All the world's a stage" is the phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare's As You Like It
