How can one explain the rush of excitement and nerves you get when your about to go in front of an audience that all have their eyes on one person, that person is the dancer.
First of all things, breath, take deep breaths clear your mind; play your routine in your head. Let your body relax and allow yourself to do your job, which is performing without any fault. Performing is more then just being physically ready; you must ready your mind and spirit. Don't worry yourself, your about to experience one of the most amazing experiences of you entire lifetime.
Being physically prepared does eventually become an important factor, of course, so do what you already know as a dancer.
Stretch, warm-up, practice, stretch again and repeat.
These preparations are for just minutes before a performance, but if you have it in a matter of days, well that's another thing. Absolutely no comfort food, as in high carb (carbohydrate) junk food, as in chocolate, pastries, or candy, no caffeine either. It's great to let your body cleans and rejuvenate itself and a dancer doesn't help by adding fuel to the fire.
Three or four days before you expected performance is the best timing to cleanse and prepare your body for this adrenaline rush. Some may be thinking, why go through so much for just a few minutes on stage, here is why, Your body will need all the energy it can get. Even if you're not exactly on stage yet, your heart rate goes up because of nerves. Performing the best to ones ability is very important, especially to a passionate dancer.
It's a good habit to get into, healthy preparation. all dancers should recognize such things. Performances will be far more outstanding if the dancer's body isn't struggling in the process of the occasion. Stamina, endurance, energy, strength, flexibility, all these things are deeply involved in dance and dance performances. Yes it may be only on night, but that one night can change a dancer's life, it determines your whole dance career.
Beside the normal rehearsals, stretching, and mental preparation, your body's health is as big a factor as anything else.
The day of your performance is the most crucial, constant hydration. (Drink lots of water) Eat food that will give you a natural, healthy energy, such as eggs for breakfast, light sandwich for lunch, and a good little snack about a half hour to an hour before its show time.
All these things will extensively increase the chance of an outstanding performance. Practice with a health body, physical preparations that every dancer learns right of the bat. Making sure your body and mind are ready for the challenge is greatly important, especially for your first performance.
There's not another feeling that can relate to the one you get just second from entering the stage in front of all those people. So breath, and swallow and lick your lips because your mouth will be dryer then the Sahara desert.