Burlesque 101: Stage Fright
Welcome back, class! It’s Spooky Season so today we’re talking about something seriously scary: stage fright! 😨 As new burlesque performers stage fright can feel seriously intimidating and hold you back from participating in things you want to do, but we’re hoping talking about it will help alleviate some of the stress.
Stage fright, performance anxiety, or whatever you want to call it is a state of anxiety or fear which occurs when an individual is faced with the requirement of performing in front of an audience. Anxiety can be a hell of a roadblock in a lot of life situations, but the thing about stage fright is it’s directly related to the feelings of performing. To prevent this feeling, let’s talk about stage fright, what starts it, and what can help alleviate it.
What causes stage fright?
Clearly the direct cause of stage fright is a performance, this is performance anxiety after all. And burlesque in particular is extremely vulnerable, there are not many other places where you take your clothes off in front of strangers! For some that is the thing of nightmares, and for most it is anxiety inducing.
But, anxiety and excitement are the same feeling in different fonts. I’m serious! I have a psychology degree, you can trust me on this one (or you can read about it in a Harvard study if that’s more convincing to you). What I mean by this claim is that anxiety and excitement have the same physiological effects on our bodies- increased heartbeat, sweat, cortisol influx- and so our bodies can interpret them similarly. So, Harvard and I agree that you can reframe anxiety as excitement easier than simply calming your nerves. You’re not anxious to perform, you're excited to perform! And you should be! Performing is such a rush! You love to perform! You’ve worked hard to get to the stage! You look hot af! You’re gonna’ kill it!
You’re not alone
Stage fright is normal. Even extremely famous and successful celebrities admit that they still have stage fright, that their anxiety gets the best of them before performing, or that it is the biggest obstacle in their careers. Take, for instance, Grammy winning performer Adele, who has stated that her stage fright is so bad that she gets nauseous and that her nerves don’t settle until she’s off stage. Rihanna gets so nervous she always has a drink before she performs to help with nerves. And even superstar Julia Roberts confesses that she participated in speech therapy to overcome anxiety in public speaking, and she is an extremely famous actor. I’m not trying to prove that celebrities “are just like us!”, I’m simply proving that it’s normal to have these feelings and it does not mean you will not be successful.
The first steps
If you’re new and feeling nervous THAT’S OK! Like stated above, it’s normal. But, at the risk of sounding like an inspirational poster: growth comes from stepping out of your comfort zone. Luckily, around here, we have some great resources for those just starting out. Many Boston burlesque performers got their start at Lucky 13, an on-going burlesque amateur competition. The performers at Lucky 13 are new to the scene and the competition is literally just to make it a little more fun. As someone who has participated in this show before I can say that it is the most supportive environment I’ve performed in.
Rhody Q is also collaborating with Third House Events in Ho for the Holidays, which is an amateur competition similar to Lucky 13 in Providence this December. Ho for the Holidays, as suggested by the name, is during the Holiday Season, and ends with the winner being crowned THE Ho for the Holidays. All of the performers are new to the scene as well and the competition is just a low-stakes bonus to participating in the show. If you have considered performing but are not sure, this is a great place to start. Rhody Q is providing a 4 week long mentorship leading up to the performance where you can work with us to workshop your act. We came up with this new addition to the show to support new performers because we believe in you!
Rhody Q also now has a monthly submission-based show in Providence at AS220 called Rhody Revue. What makes this different from other shows is there is no application process, just a sign up, which allows people of all levels to perform on the stage. There’s also no theme- just vibes. Whether you’re looking for a place to start, to gain experience, or just want to perform more, the Rhody Revue show is for you! If you’re reading this I want to see you perform, go sign up.
So to sum up: stage fright is NORMAL, professionals get stage fright all the time and are still successful, and the Boston and Providence burlesque scene love you so much we want to see you succeed at our shows. It doesn’t have to be so scary. You got this, Hot Stuff!
