How do i calm my nerves before a big performance?

Question:i have a big part in the play Willy Wonka Jr. I am Veruca Salt. The play is coming up and I am very very very nervous! What are some ways to ease my anxiety before the play??

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i have a big part in the play Willy Wonka Jr. I am Veruca Salt. The play is coming up and I am very very very nervous! What are some ways to ease my anxiety before the play??

well i know my director always say eat a banana before going on stage.. that that helps.. i dunno i never tried that .. but i always just breath and make sure i know my stuff... when i know it.. i comfort myself by reminding myself i've thru it over and over and I KNOW IT!!.. and i just breath and breath.. until my heart stops racing.. and normally before a show or whenever i feel nervous about something.. i just tend to not think about it until the time comes.. but really everyone gets some form of stage fright.. i always get nervousa few hours before and im fine until the moment before i step onstage and i get nervous again but then i am film as soon i actuaclly get on-stage...

Get some good music and just sing your lungs out. That'll help getting the weight off your chest. Also try doing some physical activity, rope skipping, jogging, anything like that.
That's what has always helped me.

Get some Rescue Remedy from your health food shop. It is a harmless Bach flower remedy and take a few drops whenever you feel anxious. It is harmless for children and animals too, and is useful for lots of situations

Believe me, I know the feeling! lol One of the first times I ever did anything was on a sitcom way back in the 80's called "Spencer", and I was an extra in a classroom scene. The same thing happened to me when we were rehearsing. Then the extras casting director came up and said, "Alan, you look great up there, but you look really really nervous". OMFG you have no idea.... that just made me sweat like crazy and even felt like my heart was going to explode!!! But not to worry, that can be easily overcome, and I did for sure. You will become really comfortable just by doing it over and over.

And remember to just have FUN with it. Acting and singing is so so much major fun when you are confident and relaxed. And to get paid for it??? Give me a break!!

But here are a few tips.....

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Many of the top entertainers in the world say they've gotten stage fright, so don't feel as if stage fright only happens to you. Famous people who are known to have suffered from serious stage fright include Barbra Streisand, Donny Osmond, Kim Basinger, and even Sir Laurence Olivier.

Stage fright symptoms are probably caused by adrenalin (a.k.a. epinephrine), which is a hormone commonly associated with fear. When the brain perceives danger or a stressful situation arises, adrenalin starts pumping, and anxiety increases.

Symptoms of stage fright include:

* A general feeling of anxiety before, or during, the beginning of a speech or presentation.
* Cold hands, sweating hands, or shaky hands.
* Dry mouth.
* Fast pulse.
* Nausea.
* Rapid Breathing
* Shaky knees.
* Tight throat.
* Trembling lips.

Stage fright, and the symptoms that go with it, lessen as you become more accustomed to speaking in front of groups of any size, but even veteran public speakers agree it never goes away completely. So if you're going to enjoy any success making a presentation you have to learn to control stage fright to some degree.

To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever died as a result of stage fright. But you can find plenty of surveys that say most people would rather die than give a speech. If that sounds like you, follow some of the advice and strategies below.

1) Comfort yourself in the knowledge that even veteran speakers get stage fright. If it happens of Barbra Streisand and Kim Basinger, what do the rest of us have to be ashamed of?

2) Understand that a little stage fright is actually good. It gets your adrenalin going--and that will help you keep your energy level up. That's a good thing.

3) Build your confidence with rehearsals. If you practice, practice and practice some more, you'll eventually feel so comfortable with your material that you won't stress out about the possibility of embarrassing yourself.

4) Visualize success. See yourself doing well. Imagine audience members applauding and coming up to you afterward to pat you on the back and shake your hand.

5) Don't visualize failure. Avoid dwelling on any bad speaking experiences you've had in the past. And don't think about disasters suffered by people you know.

6) Remember some important basics. Be well rested and relaxed, arrive early, check out any audio visual equipment well in advance,

You can't always eliminate stage fright and nervousness all together, and as I pointed out in Tip Number 2, you probably don't want to. But you don't want it to paralyze you either.

Follow the steps above and you find that going on stage is no longer something to fear.