Dance
9 crucial tips to prepare you for your next dance battle
The people who go on to become champions are the ones who find ways to deal with the pressure and rise above it to perform when they need to.
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When Red Bull dancer Diablo prepares to dance, he tries not to think about style or genre. Instead, he focuses on himself.
“Be yourself, even though that can often be harder than being someone else. You're the first you on Earth, and because of that, you are your own best source of inspiration.”
Diablo competes at the Red Bull Dance Tour France 2021
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
Diablo, who won Juste Debout, is a phenom who rose to fame at nine years old. By 15, he says he no longer had any nerves. Now 30, he has not only mastered dancing but also how to prepare for competitions.
9 Preparation Tips for Dance Competitions
Whether you’re a professional dancer like Diablo, or just love to dance, here are some easy steps to take to prepare for your next competition.
01
Hydrate
Dancing is an intense cardio exercise, and you won’t be able to go all out unless you’re hydrated! Experts recommend 12 to 15 cups of water daily, in addition to other fluids like milk, tea, and juice. When it comes to coffee, limit intake to one cup a day. You should begin drinking liquids about two to three hours before performing, and if you sweat a lot, reach for a sports drink. Water gives your muscles energy, it lubricates your joints, and it detoxifies your kidneys and liver. When you are dehydrated, not only can your muscles cramp, you can lose your ability to remain focused.
02
Get Focused
Dassy at Red Bull Dance Your Style in Miami 2021
© Jesus Presinal / Red Bull Content Pool
It’s easy to forget that your brain is as important as your body when memorizing moves. In the lead-up to the contest, walk through your routine in your mind until you can see and feel yourself nailing it. Don’t let yourself get distracted by others routines and training methods, rather focus on your own. Breathwork is a great exercise to stay focused if you feel your mind wandering. Try Inhaling through your nose for a count of four, holding your breath for seven counts, and exhaling for eight counts through your mouth. Repeat this up to four times or more to center yourself.
03
Practice Choreography
Diablo during the Red Bull Dancers Tour in Tokyo, Japan in 2019
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
This is the most important aspect of preparing for any competition. If you want to perform under pressure in high-consequence situations, you need to be so comfortable in your routine that you can do it without even thinking about it.
It’s better to practice for a shorter period than to do one or two long practices weekly. Ideally, you should practice for at least an hour daily in the weeks leading up to a big competition. Focus particularly on the opening sequence and any sequences where you find you often falter or where you have the most difficult techniques.
04
Don't Overthink
B-boy Victor at the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York 2022
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
Part of focusing is clearing the thoughts from your mind and allowing your body to enter a flow state. This state of mind is where your body can thrive and execute the choreography you have practiced even though you are nervous. If you spend too much time worrying about your performance, then it will be harder to focus on the part of your brain that knows what to do rather than the part of your brain that says you might fail. A great exercise to stop overthinking is changing your inner dialogue. If a negative thought surfaces, catch it and change it into something positive.
05
Remain Calm
Irene at Red Bull Dance Your Style 2022 in Bucharest, Romania
© Mihnea Ratte / Red Bull Content Pool
Turning your focus inward will help you concentrate on what you can control, yourself, rather than what is out of your hands, your competitors' performances. A great tip is to say “calm” and then go through each letter of the word as it relates to your body. C is chest, A is arms, L is legs and feet, and M is mouth and jaw. As you repeat the word, look for tension in these areas of your body and try to release it. Do it for about 30-60 seconds. If you need more suggestions, check out these focus exercises.
06
Get Good Sleep Before
Like drinking water, sleeping is essential to any athlete. Athletes need more sleep than the average adult. The recommended amount of sleep for an athlete is 8-10 hours per night, while it’s only 7-9 for most adults. Your body needs fuel to burn when exerting as much energy as you will in a dance contest. A lack of sleep leads to trouble focusing, which will make concentrating when it matters most more difficult.
07
Get There Early
B-girl Logistx & B-girl India at Red Bull BC One World Final 2022 rehearsal
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
Showing up early is important not only for job interviews but for competitive athletes as well. Set an extra early alarm on the day of the competition to ensure you have enough time to eat, hydrate, stretch, and run through your routine both mentally and physically. Be sure to give yourself at least twice the amount of time you expect to get to the contest venue. One easy way to feel more stressed than necessary is to show up with an elevated heart rate from rushing to get there on time. Arriving early will allow plenty of time to get into the right headspace to perform.
08
Stretch / Warm Up
Jade Chynoweth
© Ryan Fleming / Red Bull Content Pool
Make sure that your body is as prepared as your mind by stretching and running through your routine beforehand. Start with a light cardio exercise like jogging or a long walk to get your blood flowing. Then try a series of dynamic stretches, like a yoga flow, that target your weak points or areas of your body that are often tight. For dancers, this is commonly the legs, hips, and back. The last thing you want is to go in with cold muscles and potentially sustain an injury during competition. But static stretching can also harm your muscles and weaken them if they are done on cold muscles, so it’s best to save any static exercises for after the contest.
09
Practice Breathing
Breathwork has been shown to reduce stress and increase focus among athletes and people in high-intensity situations. If you’ve never tried breathwork, it’s an easy way to improve your performance. Exercises like long exhale breathing, where you exhale for twice as long as you inhale, are easy to master. One of the benefits of long exhale breathing is to reduce anxiety, which is great to help calm those pre-show butterflies. Here are some more breathing exercises to try if you’re just starting.
Conclusion
Whether you’re preparing for Red Bull Dance Your Style or your high school talent show, it’s easy to feel the pressure of the big day. Being nervous is something all athletes experience and is normal, but not all athletes react the same.
The people who go on to become champions are the ones who find ways to deal with the pressure and rise above it to perform when they need to. As Nigerian dancer Blayke explains, “The main thing I'm trying to do is push myself to the point where I don't feel nervous but excited."
Good luck!
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