work the choreography until you know it without hesitating, until you know the music (and what moves go with it) at any point along the song. that way if you do ever hesitate or have a blank, you'll be able to recognise a point in the music and where in the choreo you are ;) plus if you forget the moves, if you know the music you can always improvise ^^

no seriously. work it until you know that you know it. muscle memory does the rest ;)
i find i always make mistakes during practice, always hesitate and screw up at the same bunch of steps... but once at the actual show, my brain kinda goes blank and my body does it all on it's own...

plus remember, the audience doesn't know your dance. if you screw up, keep smiling and keep going, and no one'll ever know...

so... don't worry. don't panic! relax, have fun, and keep that smile on! :)

If this is a solo - guess what? Nobody will know what you've forgotten. ;-)

Have a move that's *automatic* for you - one that you can do in your sleep - if you get stuck, then do that

If that move doesn't *fit* the music, then pose prettily until your head catches up ((well, as long as it's not a long time)) - there's nothing written that says you have to be constantly moving

I've laughed, shrugged my shoulders and started dancing again when my head caught back up. On video, it looks intentional ;-) <<<<it's the video I recently posted in my blog>>>>

Relax. Breathe. Smile.

Unfortunately its a group number so if I get lost, it's going to be noticed! *biting fingernails* I'm actually the one dancing opposite my incredibly talented teacher so I'm really nervous!

I find that I'm most comfortable with a routine when I can run through it both with the music and without the music. If I can run through it with no music, just counting, then it's ingrained in my brain. If you haven't already, try drilling it without the music playing - maybe that'll help?

In any case, the rule of thumb is, as long as you don't STOP, no one will notice....just don't freeze entirely, keep moving somehow, even just a small flutter - and keep smiling throughout - and no one will notice. :) Good luck, doll!

- Listen to the music until it seems second nature to know all parts of it.

- Run through trouble spots over and over without music, counting them out slowly and working through troublesome transitions like weight changes or turns.

- Practice more than 10 minutes a day. Seriously. And then practice in your head in the car, at work, on the bus, waiting in line, etc. Don't underestimate the power of mental practice!

- Take a deeeeeeep breath.

- Know that if you fook up, it isn't the end of the world, and surprisingly, being in a group will probably mask any errors on the part of individual dancers. I have many good F-up stories from myself and other dancers and believe me, people just don't notice as long as you keep smiling and dancing. I'm not talking about little things, either. I'm talking about nearly going over backwards during a backbend, about one dancer smiling and shimmying while the other two did a duet that was SUPPOSED to be a trio, ending up facing blatantly the wrong direction while everyone else in the group is facing the exact opposite direction... none of my friends notice these things until I point them out on video, and then the reaction is "oh, huh..."

I just started performing about 6 months ago and have done about half a dozen, so I'm hardly experienced - My teacher told all of us that the first thing the audience sees is your face - so smile- second is arms - so hold them correctly - If you mess up with your feet or hips, if the smile and arms are working for you, it won't be noticed. Video and photos bear this out. It works. Above all, worry less and have more fun! If you love to dance, that will shine right through.

Lots of good advice....

one of the most important things for a first performance - don't forget to breathe, and remember why you dance. Have FUN doing it. If you screw up, it's NOT the end of the world, there will be other dances :)

I just did my first big student show a few weeks ago. We had over 100 people in attendance, so I got nervous as hell!! Everyone has been giving great advice. I went over the choreography until it was second nature. Remembering to breathe is a great thing. My teacher kept saying "If you screw up a move, don't freeze. Just keep smiling and doing what you are doing. On the next count, join back in with everyone else." Her and everyone here are right about that. I totally botched a move during a group number and no one I talked to knew I did. Also, I found keeping your brain busy until your performance will help you not think about your nerves as much. I got ready, helped my dance sisters get ready, we warmed-up together, and joked around a lot.

Will be sending good thoughts to you and Nienna on Saturday!

Drink water but don't eat before hand, in case you get jittery you don't want a rock in your stomach. Breathe easy and if at all possible block out the performance on the stage if you haven't practiced on it. I usually eat one of those huge lifesaver mints before hand because it opens my nose and air passages and makes it easier for me to breathe and smile. Another good thing is to find someone in the audience who is looking like they are having a good time and focus on their smile/face. Try to make eye contact a few times otherwise you will look nervous.

and do let us know how it goes sweetie...

Okay ladies, my performance was FAB! Bring on the next one! Rawrrr!!! I had a blast, I didn't freeze up and I didn't trip on my skirt! WOO HOO! Thank all of you for being so helpful and supportive, I feel really lucky to know such a great group of women!! Here's pics if you're interested:

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Special thanks to Nienna for her soothing brainwaves!!