Lambert Dance has had an impactful season so far, placing first in 7A for Hip-Hop just last week. As the season continues, dancers try to focus on overcoming one of the hardest struggles a dancer can face. Stage fright, or nervousness before a performance. Junior Yanxi Lin tries her best not to let stage fright affect her performance and to be more relaxed and confident.
“I definitely try not to think about what’s going on, trying to focus more on having fun because performing is always fun,” Lin emphasized.
Lin sees the dance team as a family environment, so performing with a close-knit team helps with her nerves.
“We really want to put our best foot forward at competitions and make sure our routines are presentable,” Lin said.
The team’s intense preparation pushes them to do their best at competitions, as does their teamwork and collaboration.
“Everyone on the team really is family, and we all help each other if there are any problems,” Lin explained.
Senior Paige Pestorius has been on the Lambert Dance team for four years and is one of the captains this year. Like Lin, Pestorius has dealt with stage fright for many years and focuses more on trusting the team and her own skills.
“The nerves never really go away, but you just have to trust that the practice you’ve put in will pay off on stage,” Pestorius said.
Pestorius feels that stage fright shows dancers care for their performance and are experienced enough to know what helps with stage fright.
“It’s important to not get in your head and just focus on doing your part when you are on the stage,” she explained.
With these wise words from Pestorius launching them into the new semester, Longhorns hope to see the Lambert Dance Team accomplish even greater feats this semester.
