220. Building Confidence That Lasts: Strategies Every Dancer Needs

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome back to Passion for Dance. I'm your host, Dr. Chelsea, and my mission is to create happier, more successful dancers through positive mental skills. Today we're diving into one of my most requested topics, building confidence. As dancers we all know that confidence can feel so fleeting.

One day you're sure of yourself feeling great, and then the next, you're spiraling with self-doubt. But what if I said it doesn't have to fluctuate that much. And it's not even something that once you find it within yourself, you always have it. That's not how it works. Confidence is something you build a little bit every day, and with each new plateau and each new skill and new level unlocked, you have to keep building it. In this episode, we're talking about what I call the confidence loop, a cycle where consistent effort leads to improvement, which leads to confidence, which then fuels more effort., And the loop is the real source of confidence.

So here's what we're [00:01:00] gonna talk about today, a little about the psychology behind why consistent effort creates that lasting confidence. The dancer's reality of why inconsistency is often the root of insecurity and fear, and most importantly, some strategies you can use right away to put this confidence loop into practice.

Dancers by the end of this episode, you'll have a clear picture for how to earn your confidence, not by waiting for it to magically appear, but by taking consistent steps to prove to yourself that you've got this.

Welcome to Passion for Dance. I'm Dr. Chelsea, a former professional dancer, turn sport psychologist, and this podcast is for everyone in the dance industry who want to learn actionable strategies and new mindsets to build happier, more successful dancers. I know what it feels like to push through the pain, take on all the criticism, and do whatever it takes to make sure the show will go on.

But I also know that we understand more about mental health [00:02:00] and resilience than ever before, and it's time to change the industry for the better. This podcast is for all of us to connect, learn, and share our passion for dance with the world.

So first, what is the confidence loop? Think of it this way. When you put in consistent effort and try things, when you take action, your skills improve, then you have more success. And when you have more success, that builds your confidence. And when you have more confidence, that makes you wanna keep working and try new harder skills. You put in consistent effort and try those skills. Your skills improve. You have more success, builds more confidence. It's not a one-time thing. It's a cycle that repeats over and over. As you continue to improve and get better as a dancer, you need more confidence at your new level of success.

A lot of dancers feel like I'll be confident once I hit my aerial, or I'll be confident once I make varsity or once I get a scholarship at convention. But you can't wait for confidence. And then once you [00:03:00] do reach that milestone. You'll still need to build confidence to get past it. You have to break into the loop in order to get it started, and the only way to break into this confidence loop is to take action.

In dance terms it looks like showing up to every class, even when you're tired, running your choreography again, even though you feel like, eh, I know this. Taking the extra five minutes to run through your corrections from yesterday before class starts. Each of these actions may feel small, but over time they feed the confidence loop.

You're essentially learning. If I put in the work, I make progress and I trust myself. Psychologists have actually studied this a lot and found that the more you successfully complete something the more you believe you can do that task again. So of course, as a dancer, every time you hit a skill, every time you perform well, you boost your confidence.

And that's great, but that's really just the beginning. The question is how do you get that [00:04:00] started? What if you aren't hitting a skill yet, or your choreography feels too hard right now, or you have a history of making mistakes under pressure? Then what? Well, you still have to break into the cycle by taking action, putting solid effort in and trying. You're putting yourself out there to go full out and try even when you can't do it yet. That consistent effort builds confidence and starts this confidence loop.

So let's ground this in research a little bit. Confidence is earned and there's three ways you can do that. The first key way to earn it is that success and mastering skills builds confidence.

This is what I was saying before, repeated practice of your technical skills increases your belief in your ability. So yes, drilling the same thing over and over again might get boring, but there is a reason and it will help your confidence. Consistent technical work directly leads to [00:05:00] confidence in your performance. So, go back to the top and do it again.

The second key is that preparation is really at the root of confidence. There was one research study that showed athletes gained confidence, not from pep talks, from coaches or their talent alone, but from physical and mental preparation from dancers. It's simply that confidence comes from doing the work.

It means you have to put time into being prepared. When you know you've done the work, you're confident when it's time to take the stage. So consider what this means for classes and showing up every day. That means always going full out, always trying a skill with full effort, even if you're worried you can't do it.

Don't be embarrassed by trying things or worried about what other people think. Confidence comes in the preparation, so you do the work in each and every class, and you'll have confidence when it counts.

The [00:06:00] third key is that the more you practice, the more you trust yourself. That's truly the root of confidence. You are gathering evidence that you can trust yourself. There's even research specifically in performing arts that found deliberate, mindful practice builds trust in yourself as a performer. That's what this confidence loop is really about. You are putting in mindful, deliberate practice every day. You're focused in class and that builds your trust in yourself, which makes you more likely to keep up that effort and to try more things, which leads to confidence and harder skills and more complicated choreography. The more you practice with that full intentional effort, the more you trust yourself.

Okay, now let's get real about life as a dancer. How often have you skipped a rehearsal thinking it's fine. I know the choreography, or it's okay. I'll learn what we clean from the video before next time. Or maybe it was for a good reason, but you missed class for a week because you were sick [00:07:00] or traveling for a college clinic and now you feel behind.

The inconsistency in practice doesn't just affect your technique, it chips away at your confidence. So even when you have a good reason for missing, you have to be aware of how it might be impacting your confidence in yourself.

And here's the truth. Confidence is not about being naturally fearless. Some people look like they're just always confident and always fearless. It's not really what it is. Confidence is about having proof. You have proof that you've put in the work and proof that you can trust yourself. So instead of thinking, I'm not a confident dancer, I'll never look like that, or even thinking, I wish I was more confident, I want you to reframe it.

Confidence is a skill you practice just like pirouettes and leaps. The more you practice it through consistent effort, the stronger it gets. You're building your confidence muscle. And I'm gonna pause here and say, if this is resonating and you want something [00:08:00] tangible to start working on your confidence, you can grab my competition confidence checklist totally free. It walks dancers through how to mentally prepare for competition. You can check that out at passion for dance podcast.com/checklist, or it's linked below in the show notes. Within that checklist, you'll see a lot of tangible ways you can practice confidence, but let's get into a few of them here.

The first way to practice your confidence and build this up. Simply daily habits show up and be intentional. Even just a few minutes of focused practice daily creates momentum. And I know most dancers are practicing way more than just a few minutes a day, but it's not about mindlessly going through the motions, and just going to class every day, but kind of checking out.

It's about intentionally focusing on your effort and showing up consistently. . You create the habit of deliberate practice to create that momentum and build your confidence.

[00:09:00] Another tangible way you can practice confidence is to track your reps. Keep a log of how many times you run through full out, or how many reps you can do during certain strength training exercises. You can even track your reps for your mental skills, like how many times you journaled this week, or how many times you went to bed within your goal window of time. Seeing your effort in writing reminds you, I've done this, I've got this. So write down the evidence of your efforts.

A third important way to practice confidence is to celebrate mastery, not perfection. You celebrate the process instead of waiting until your technique is flawless, or you feel like the routine is perfect 'cause we know that doesn't happen. You acknowledge that you've mastered a section or you've improved a small detail of your performance. We know there is no perfection in art, so don't let that be your focus.

Instead, focus on small wins and your process to give you the evidence of your growth and keep you motivated. [00:10:00] Again, it's all about consistency. So celebrate the process and the growth to keep that consistency alive.

And one other way you can build this is focusing on your mind body connection. It goes back to repetition. We know it not only trains your body, it creates that muscle memory, but it also tells your mind we've got this been here before. There's a reason we feel comfortable with muscle memory, why we train to build that mind body connection. It gives us a sense of calm on stage because there's evidence, I've been there, I've done that.

Weird things can happen and I won't get thrown off. If you haven't truly gone for it full out in practice, you don't have the evidence that it will hit on stage and it's not just going for it once. It's going for it consistently. Full effort all the time. Practice and repeat the skills and the routines over and over, and that familiarity will give you your sense of calm on stage.[00:11:00]

So when you intentionally build these strategies into your daily routines, the confidence loop starts to spin on its own. You get confidence not just by hoping for it or waiting for it, but by earning it. So here's your challenge this week, dancers. Pick one small, consistent habit that will fuel your own confidence loop.

Maybe it's writing down corrections after class and reviewing them for 10 minutes before the next one. Maybe it's journaling after rehearsal, about one thing you did well and one thing you wanna focus on next time. Or here's one journal prompt you could use to get started. Answer these two questions. What's one moment this week I felt confident and what consistent action gave me that confidence? Remember, confidence isn't magic. It's muscle memory, mindset, and momentum and confidence isn't luck either. You have to earn it through that consistent effort.

And if this resonated with you, I hope [00:12:00] you go try it and build this into your dance practice. And I also have a small favor to ask. Please share this episode with a fellow dancer who could use a confidence boost. Work on it together, and then don't forget to subscribe to the show so you don't miss the new episodes coming out every Thursday, including what's coming up soon about what high achieving dancers do differently. And I've got a whole breakdown of the college common recruitment app coming up. So wherever you're listening right now, if you haven't yet, just hit subscribe. So next week's episode is ready for you in the feed as soon as it's live, and you won't miss out.

Until next time, practice with intention. Keep showing up for yourself, and remember, you already have everything you need to build that unshakeable confidence you're looking for. And most importantly, in this whole process, keep sharing your passion for dance with the world.

Thank you for listening to Passion for Dance. You can find all episode resources at passion for dance podcast.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram for more high performance tips at Doctor [00:13:00] Chelsea dot Otti. That's P-I-E-R-O-T-T-I. This podcast is for passionate dancers and dance educators who are ready to change our industry by creating happier, more successful dancers.

I'm Dr. Chelsea and keep sharing your passion for dance with the world.