Meet others who share your passion for dance and creativity. Everyone who comes here is passionate about dance and the arts. We are excited about performance, competition, and self-improvement. This online energy needs a place where everyone can interact and further enjoyment, discovery, and learning in dance.

Give and receive advice from others. Everyone’s an expert at something and we can all learn from each other. The forum is a great place for sharing tips. Start a topic about something and just wait for a response. Or if you know a particular user, you can private message them.
Talk about regional events. I’ve created a Washington and Oregon state forum to start with because I know those states have pretty active drill and dance programs. But correct me if I left you out! Comment here if you would like me to add your state so you can bring your friends on.

Talk about topics not already written about on this site. I’m sure there are a lot of questions out there and a whole lot more ideas and answers.

It’s quick and easy to join! It’s a little quiet right now because it was just launched, but just sign up and give a shout out in the introduction forum to let everyone else know you’re here. Click here to join.
]]> http://drillobsession.com/2007/07/07/4-reasons-why-you-should-join-the-forum/feed/ 276 http://drillobsession.com/2007/04/27/how-to-get-better-kicks/ http://drillobsession.com/2007/04/27/how-to-get-better-kicks/#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2007 05:53:13 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=116 A reader has requested that I create a routine for kicks similar to the one I created for the splits. So here it is . . .

As I said for the splits, it’s important that you follow the routine so that you can get the kicks that you want in the time that you want. This will take three weeks of strong commitment and dedication. Good luck!

Read the bottom (*) for information about getting high kicks.

To start off . . . See how flexible you are. If you can do the splits or are very close, that’s great! If not, that’s fine, too. Just make sure you are simultaneously developing your kicks and flexibility (see this post for lots of helpful stretches and a good, 3-week stretching routine).
Week 1: At first, practice kicking without music and without counts for twenty minutes each day, twice a day (including weekends!). It is important to do this twice a day because the skill can be easily lost. Doing it several times is a way of drilling into your mind all of the correct things that you need to be doing–this ensures that you will do it right when you are performing. The purpose of this is to see and feel what a kick is supposed to look like. If you can, tell someone to watch you, record yourself with a video camera, or do it in the mirror. Watch yourself both from the front and from the side. Here are the things that you want to accomplish at this primary step:
Good posture: keep your body stiff, shoulders rolled back and down. Arch your back. This is not an easy step, but it is a very important one.
Straight legs: legs should never be bent in a kick unless specified. Both legs should be straight when kicking. Most teams use one preparation bounce before starting their first kick. Remember to keep your legs as straight as possible during this bounce and use your feet (rather than your knees) to propel yourself.
Staying in one spot: Practice staying in one spot (unless, of course, you are supposed to move while kicking). Personally, I think this is the most difficult step. When kicking, it is so natural to stray from where you started; however, in a routine, this will mess up the formations and kick lines will become jagged or diagonal. This is one of those things that require lots of practice. Tip: stick a piece of masking tape to the floor and use it as your starting point. Be careful, however . . . if at the end, you end up at the same spot, it does not necessarily mean that you haven’t moved. This is why it’s helpful to videotape yourself or tell someone to watch you. Some people have a tendency to kick out of place and then pop back into the place where they started at the last kick.
Technique: Straight legs is part of the technique. For a front kick, kick to the middle towards your nose (rather than straight up towards your shoulder). Also, side kicks should be at a 45º angle from a front kick. The round kick (also called fan kick) is a little tricky. The kick should go in an entire circle (not just straight up and around, forming a “D” shape). Technique, like everything else, takes practice.
Adhering to team style: Several other details may be unique to your team. Some teams have their own “special” kicks and other teams may have certain ways to do certain kicks. Dance is about unison, so remember to ensure that you are practicing the technique from your team. The above details (ex: good posture) are universal and applicable to all teams.
Just a tip . . . Try to kick on the floor. Lay down on your back with good posture–your back should be arched so that the middle of your back is not touching the floor. Now practice your kick technique.
GOAL: Be able to do kicks properly. This week, do not worry so much about kicking in time or kicking up to beat with the music. Develop proper technique. While in the first week, you should be building leg strength from all the practice. Remember to work on your flexibility (for high kicks) by stretching daily.

Aaaah, one third of the way through! Now just two weeks to go. Stay motivated!

Week 2: So you’ve developed the proper technique. Now it’s time to start putting things together. You should practice 30 minutes a day at the least. Here are some 2nd-week things to work on and accomplish:
Kicking in time: now is the time to count out your kicks. Build onto the technique you’ve developed in week 1. Create a kicking routine or use the kicking sequence that is in the routine you are performing with your team. You should have technique already perfect from week 1. The goal now is to put that technique in time. It is a lot to think about, and like I said, it takes practice. Count slowly if you need to.
Sharpness: this is a secondary step of kicking in time. A high kick should be popped up and back down with sharpness. This requires leg strength, which is developed through practice.

Week 3: Now is the time to put the kicks to music. You should have technique, sharpness, and timing down. Now it is a matter of getting everything up to beat. Again, practice 30+ minutes a day is key.

Results for this vary depending on your level of motivation and the amount that you practice. The less motivated put less into their practice and get less accomplished. Become motivated and utilize all your practice time efficiently. Work hard and strive for the kicks that you want. Practice as much as possible and keep in mind the little details and technique because they make a big difference in the effect that you give the audience.

*Reminder: High kicks come from practice and developing your flexibility. Getting high kicks is great, but the technique (posture, sharpness) is much more important. It is easier to work at building higher kicks after you make them “better” by developing the technique. Once you’ve developed the technique, more stretching (to develop flexibility) and more practice (to build leg strength) will contribute to higher kicks.

Good luck and tell me about your results!

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2007/04/27/how-to-get-better-kicks/feed/ 4 http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-make-practices-run-quickly-yet-effectively/ http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-make-practices-run-quickly-yet-effectively/#comments Sat, 03 Feb 2007 03:56:01 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=112 This is a follow up to my previous post: how to increase productivity at practice.

The first step towards making practices run by quickly and effectively is to eliminate all wasted time. Try these things:
1. Start early. Get practice over with. No one wants to practice on a Saturday afternoon! People generally prefer getting practice over on a Saturday morning so that they have time to do other things. If you practice after school, get straight to practice. Allow 15 minutes for everyone to change and get ready. Once fifteen minutes is up, start warming up immediately.

2. When you start practice, start for real! Don’t say that practice is starting at 2:00 when you don’t actually do anything until 2:30. When you say that it is time to practice, start moving and get going.

3. Plan practice. Have an agenda ready. Know exactly what needs to be worked on. You know how teachers sometimes have “lazy days” where they have no plan for their students so they show a video? Don’t be one of them. Be prepared with an agenda, and once practice starts, work on that agenda immediately.

4. No down time. I emphasized this in my previous post. Team members do get close and talkative, but that can happen outside of practice. Do not tolerate chatter, and make it stop before it gets too loud.

5. When you need to talk, everyone needs to listen. So, the team just finished doing the routine and you just saw some mistakes that need to be worked on. Immediately tell everyone what you saw, and how they can improve. Make sure that everyone is listening and not talking to each other. If you allow people to get up and get water and talk to one another, they stop listening and you lose the team’s focus. Tell them about their mistakes and get straight to fixing it.

6. Make a team decision on breaks. It is your choice whether or not you will permit breaks (usually these are about 5 minutes). For some teams, it seems to restore focus and after the break, people are ready to work again. For other teams, it just puts everyone in a talkative move and takes away the focus. Experiment with this, and see how it works out. Ask the team for a vote. Remember, though, that adding in a break is basically adding in a few extra minutes into practice. Naturally, with a break, you will leave practice a few minutes later than without one.

7. Do not tolerate tardiness. If everyone knows what time practice starts, then everyone should be there at that time and ready to warm up. Of course, every once in awhile, we forget or wake up late or other circumstances come up. If a team member is constantly showing up late to practice, have a talk with her. If the behavior continues, then she is not committed enough to be a part of the team.

8. Take notes on performances. Rather than having the team perform and stopping them whenever you see a mistake, just take notes on the things you see. If a certain angle needs work, jot it down and discuss it later. It is usually a better idea to take several notes and tell everyone about their mistakes when the time permits. When members keep stopping in the middle of the routine to listen to your comments, they don’t build endurance.
9. Find a way to get to formations quickly. If you don’t have a planned way to get into formation, it can take a long time. Getting into formation usually takes a few minutes when you are unsure about what to do. If possible, place tape on the floor so you know exactly where to go and don’t have to space yourselves out manually each time. Make sure everyone knows exactly where to go when you say get into “so and so” formation. If someone is confused or doesn’t know where to go, she is wasting precious time. By getting to formations quickly, you can save plenty of time each practice.

Implement these and see how much time you can save!

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-make-practices-run-quickly-yet-effectively/feed/ 0 http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-increase-productivity-at-practice/ http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-increase-productivity-at-practice/#comments Fri, 02 Feb 2007 06:45:29 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=109 Here’s some tips about how to get the best out of practice in the least time.

Tip 1: Make sure that you’re not overpracticing. If you practice 24/7, you’ll just be tired, not motivated, and you may actually retrogress because of this. In general, practice for three days a week and two hours each session sounds about right. Don’t go crazy about practice. When I was on the drill team, one of our rivals at competition used to practice in the morning before competitions, and eight hours on Saturdays. That’s just overworking it. It’s unnecessary to do that to your team–and to yourself!

Tip 2: Don’t do any unnecessary practicing. Read about this in my article about endurance.

Tip 3: Come to practice prepared. If you are a leader and forgot to bring the music, or do not have clothing to practice in, then you have let the team down and already decreased the rate of productivity at practice. Bring everything and have it ready to go by the time practice starts. In the case that you don’t come to practice unprepared (which should rarely happen), don’t use it as an excuse to waste practice time. If you don’t have music, for instance, just count out the routine.

Tip 4: Don’t waste practice time. Start when you intend to, and not five minutes afterwards. Of course, part of having a team is bonding with one another, which results in sometimes talkative practices. Try to eliminate this by not having any “down-time”. By this, I mean keep working and don’t stop for a team talk. If team members are dancing, they are unable to talk to each other because they’re focused on dancing, so keep the focus, and don’t let it stray (and as a leader, don’t lose your focus, either!). If you are a captain or other team leader, remember that you are a model. If you initiate side conversations, then everyone else will. Be a role model, not a hypocrite. After reading this tip, you might think: “well, how will the members improve if I don’t stop them from dancing and tell them their mistakes?”. Well, here’s the answer: stop only when you absolutely have to, and don’t allow anything else to happen. Most practices work in a similar fashion–you do the routine, and when you’re done, you listen to what the coach has to say about your performance. But, usually the case is more like this: you do the routine, get a drink of water, talk to a friend . . . then go listen. Change that habit–eliminate the “down-time”. One drink of water per 1.5 hours is enough to keep you hydrated, unless some special circumstance calls for more. Practice should be like this: perform the routine, walk directly to the coach and her his/her opinion–no down-time. Of course, each team has a different practice method and might not run this way, but in general, your goal is to keep the water breaks and talking to a minimum.

Tip 5: Be happy, and in a good mood. This always makes things go faster because people are happy to get things done. Come to practice refreshed. If you had a bad day, pretend to start anew. Do not let any unimportant aspects of your personal life distract from your performance. Naturally, when everyone is happy, everyone tries harder. So keep up the good mood at practice!

This is just a start of my list. I will be updating this post later with more tips; I hope that these help your team!

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2007/02/02/how-to-increase-productivity-at-practice/feed/ 3 http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/18/problems-with-the-splits/ http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/18/problems-with-the-splits/#comments Sat, 18 Nov 2006 23:57:22 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=105 Responses to comments are posted at the end of this article.
A lot of people have told me that they have one split but not the other, or are very close to their splits but just can’t get there. Also people have told me that they stretch all the time with no improvement.

If your splits are not improving, it may be because you are stretching incorrectly. Remember that you should warm up your muscles before you stretch. You should actually be warm and sweaty before you begin stretching. This requires at least a ten minute jog, if not more. Warming up is not just walking a lap or running a few yards. When you are warm, you can feel the stretch much better.

Remember also that you should be stretching consistently (stretch both legs, for instance, not just one side of your body). Touching your toe for two seconds is not stretching either. Feel the stretch, the longer the better. A couple of minutes per stretch is excellent.

Lastly, splits require flexibility in more than one area. Stretch everywhere, and make sure you sit in your splits (or as close as you can get to your splits) for a few minutes after stretching.

If you are still having problems, feel free to leave a comment and tell me about it.

Edit 1/18/07: My posts about stretching the splits are for all kinds of splits (center, side). All other types of splits (like splits in the air) are just like normal splits, except with leg strength added.

Edit 2/25/07: Kerry–for the splits, the back leg should be perfectly straight in the end. Don’t worry if you’re not there yet, it’s just a little extra stretching. Try to gently push that back leg straight. Another way is to try to sit up straighter because it pushes your pelvis down to the ground and sometimes straightens that back leg. If your front leg is close to the ground, then stretch until the end of the week to see what happens. If you’re still a bit off the ground, then try lenghthening your stretching sessions. Getting extra warm before stretching helps. The best stretch for getting your front leg down is to just go down as far as you can and hold it for a minute or two. Then do some other stretches, and try it again. Concentrate hard, and you will find yourself getting nearer to the splits. For tryouts, all teams are different. Usually, the majority of people who try out are freshmen. It works like this because people who are interested in drill try out when they are freshman, and if they make it then they’re on the team . . . if they don’t make it then they usually don’t try out again because they don’t think that they can make it. Anyway, they will not expect you to know everything. Anything that you need to know will be taught to you, and if it is not, you can always ask for help. Most of the people who have never done it before will make the team based on the fact that they have potential. They usually don’t judge your perfection, but they judge things like your determination, willingness to improve, listening skills, work ethic, and your ability to work with others. If they see someone who has no experience, isn’t perfect, but works hard, practices a lot, and wants to get better, that person will make the team.

Edit 5/13/2007: Rebecca–in my opinion, it is never “too late” to start. Making the drill team is largely about your commitment and dedication. It’s not about whether not you can do the splits; it’s about how badly you want to get the splits down, and how badly you want to learn drill. If you truly want to make the team, then your best bet is to demonstrate your commitment by stretching now and practicing hard during the try-out/audition process. If you need help with the splits, I’d recommend that you read this article: http://drillobsession.com/?p=93. In the meantime, good luck with making the team next year!

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/18/problems-with-the-splits/feed/ 35 http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/14/thanks-responses/ http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/14/thanks-responses/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2006 02:44:47 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=104 There has been an unusual influx of traffic on this site today, but I’m glad! I want to thank everyone for their comments–these help me become a better writer and inspire me to continue blogging. To all those that my blog has helped–I congratulate you. Thanks for reading my posts!

Leana & Alexus: Thanks for your comments; I’m glad that I’ve helped!

Nicole: Thanks for the comment. First, I’d suggest that you run (or swim or do some other type of exercise) daily to lose the weight that you want to lose. Running in the mornings (right before you go to school, work, etc.) is really helpful because there aren’t any complaints–you can’t say “but . . . I have to do this and that” at such an early time. It’s also really relaxing because you get that “good work out” feeling early in the morning and you’re awake. As for the splits, I’d suggest that you read Flexibility to the Max and try the splits/stretching routine that I’ve posted there. Keep me updated on how you’re doing!

I really do appreciate all of you who read my blog! If you have any questions or things to say, comment and I will try to reply ASAP.

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2006/11/14/thanks-responses/feed/ 0 http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/09/steps-to-elevate-your-kicks/ http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/09/steps-to-elevate-your-kicks/#comments Mon, 09 Oct 2006 02:03:20 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=102 Edit 2/25/07: Kerry–I’m sure everyone is worried about it! Practice. Do it slow and to the counts, then speed it up gradually. The way to do it is start slow, and perfect it. Then speed it up a little, and perfect it. Do this until it is up to beat with the music. It will take awhile, so don’t feel inclined to rush. If you start out slow, it will eliminate the bouncing.

Original post:
So, the moment you’ve all been waiting for .

Here is my suggested 3-step routine that will help you elevate your kicks. The only thing is, like the one with the splits, you need to be doing this everyday. I think that’s the hard part. This isn’t a week-by-week thing. You need to continue stretching, practicing, and strengthening your legs everyday. If you reserve 15 minutes a day for each step, your kicks will be 10º higher in 3 weeks. I hope three weeks is short enough for you to keep up your motivation!

This might also be a good idea to do with your team, so that everyone will have high kicks in three weeks.

Steps:

1. Stretch
You must be flexbile in order to get high kicks. Some stretches and stretching routines are in my splits article.

2. Stregthen
You need leg stretch to get your kicks high.

Everyday, you should be kicking. Try kicking with heavy clothes on your legs or heavy shoes on (no high heels!). It will force you to use more energy. It’s kind of like lifting weights, except with your legs. If you have an elastic exercising strip (I forget what those are called, but it’s basically a stretchy rubbery rope that you pull with your arms to exercise), use it. Put it around one ankle, step on the ends with your other foot and bring your leg as high up as you can.
Another one: lift your leg up in kick position as high as you can without a bounce. Hold it there for fifteen seconds and try not to waver too much. Switch legs.
It might also help to lie down on the ground and have a friend stretch with you. Lie down, face up. Point both toes and keep both legs straight. Have a partner elevate one leg as far towards your nose as possible. The strengthening part comes here–you try to elevate your leg high while your partner pushes you back. Doing it to a count/beat/music will help.
Kick to a medium tempo song, 2-4 eight counts. Kick for as long as you can do the kicks perfectly. Once you start getting sloppy, stop and take a break. Your goal is to be able to kick the amount of 8-counts in the routine, perfectly. So, keep up the endurance. Everyday, do three sets of kicks, and make them all perfect. The length of the set depends on your good your endurance is. If you can only do one eight count perfect, that’s fine. Just keep doing it everyday, and you’ll see that number go up to 1.5, 2, and eventually to the number of eight counts you will need to last. Remember that the routine doesn’t end with kicks, either! So make sure that after kicking, you still have some energy left.
The best way to improve your kicks is to keep kicking. Endurance is a huge part of having good kicks. Once you’re tired, your unpointed toes and bend knees and bad posture won’t matter–you just want to get it over with. You need to have enough energy so that you can think about these things.

3. Practice, in context
Practice your kicks in the routine, because those are the ones that matter the most. Do the whole set. If you feel exhausted by the end, you’re not there yet.

Comment and tell me how your kicks are looking.

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/09/steps-to-elevate-your-kicks/feed/ 6 http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/01/trying-out/ http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/01/trying-out/#comments Sun, 01 Oct 2006 19:38:14 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=100 Every year during try-out season, people always ask me what they need to know. Of course, it differs from team to team, but generally, this is what the try-out judges are looking for.

Potential flexibility
Teams usually have to do the splits and have high kicks. They usually don’t expect that you can do the splits (or even get close) at the beginning of the year, but they do expect that you can get them by the end of the year. The key word is potential. Show them  your improvement–when you stretch and warm up, actually stretch. You will notice that you are getting flexible day after day.

Good attitude
Yes, this really matters, and it’s a pretty big decision factor, too. If you have a bad reputation, you’d better change it. No one wants someone lazy or uncoopoerative on their team, even if that person is naturally talented and sharp.

Improvement
Most people have no dance experience before joining drill. That’s fine. You need to show them by the end that you have improved and learned. If you don’t show them that you’ve gone from a non-dancer to a dancer, you haven’t made an impression.

Knowledge of Try-out Routine
Typically, there is a short routine that you must perform to try-out. You better know it! Even if nothing is perfect, but you know the entire routine, you’ve shown your dedication in memorizing the routine. That part, I think, takes a lot of work. Angles and perfect marches aren’t that big of a decision factor at this stage.

Dedication and Helpfulness
If you already know the routine and have perfected it yourself, go help someone out.  Don’t be an expert, because you’ve not reached that stage yet. On the other hand, if you don’t know the routine, practice on your own. If you’ve got that part down, then practice with someone. Make sure you try it on your own before you seek help. No one wants to help someone who doesn’t even try.

Smile
Your smile matters. Keep it beautiful and bright!

Attendance
Please don’t miss the try-out practices. If you absolutely must, don’t be scared to notify the coach. Do it right at the moment that you find out you can’t do it. Do not wait.

Other
The little things (having your hair up, no jewelery on, proper shoes, etc.) that you do wrong can add up. Don’t be late to practices. Think before you make a comment.

I hope this list helps ease your nerves a little. Remember, you can make drill if you practice. The most important part (I think) is to first practice on your own. This way, if you’re confused on some part or forgot a move, you know exactly where it is and can find someone to help you. Don’t be taught the routine then immediately go to someone for help. You are capable of memorizing the routine on your own–you just need the confidence and work ethic to do it. When you are taught a portion of the routine one day, you should be able to do it to the tempo of the music the next day. Drill requires self-motivation, practice, and dedication. Seek help for the next level–angles, sharpness, etc.

Good luck at tryouts.

]]> http://drillobsession.com/2006/10/01/trying-out/feed/ 3 http://drillobsession.com/2006/09/24/how-to-perform-at-your-best/ http://drillobsession.com/2006/09/24/how-to-perform-at-your-best/#comments Sun, 24 Sep 2006 03:28:38 +0000 Drill Obsession http://drillobsession.com/?p=99 The nerves always ruin our performances. How do we get rid of that nervous feeling before we perform? How are we going to stop thinking about forgetting the routine while we’re performing–or tripping, falling, doing the wrong move. We always worry about what can go wrong, and often, one thing does go wrong because we’re thinking about it so hard.

Tips:

Know the Routine
If you don’t know it–I won’t lie to you–you will mess up unless you’re lucky. Know it. You should have known it for months!

Breathe
Simple, but helpful. Take deep breaths. It really helps you calm down.

Have everything ready long before the performance
That means making sure everything is perfect. Your hair, uniform, makeup, tied shoelaces, intact nylons, etc. You need to triple check everything so that you won’t worry about it while you perform.

Eat
Competitions are long, and sometimes we might forget to eat. Can’t perform without energy! Eat at least 1.5 hours before the performance.

Get a good night’s sleep, but an early start
Don’t wake up at 1pm (not that competitions start that late anyways), but don’t stay up until 1am. I’d say to wake up when you normally wake up (whenever school starts, probably around 8). If you sleep in, you’ll be sluggish.

No team parties the night before
Unless you can manage to all go home and get enough sleep (not likely), you shouldn’t have a team party. It sounds motivational so that you can bond and talk about the next day, but usually it leads to late nights and everyone tired the day after. If you do have a party, I’d say that it must end before dark and no junk food.

Get hair done ASAP
Drill hair (if you use curlers) takes a long time. My team used to take from 1-3 hours per person. Of course, if you use fake hair or something else, it’s not too big of a deal. If you are using curlers, get it done before dark so that everyone can go home and sleep.

Don’t practice the day before
It’ll just stress you out. Naturally, you will probably forget some moves, then be extremely nervous the next day because of your bad practice. Of course, running through the routine once is okay. Don’t stay up until three practicing (or learning the routine).

Have confidence
No harm in being confident. Lots of people say, “well, if I think I’m going to get 10th place, then I won’t feel so bad afterwards . . . if I think I’ll get first place and I don’t get it, then I’ll feel horrible”. Bad thinking. Be confident. It shows in your face. You want to win. Go win it!

Listen
Listen to the music! Sometimes people don’t and are so focused on moves, moves, moves. When they turn their ears on again, they realize that they are way off and will be lost. Sometimes the music sounds different because of the different speakers in the performing area. Be prepared. If the music skips, you can’t do anything about it. Breathe, don’t look stupid, and smile bright and confident. One time, I watched a team that wasn’t even that great, but their music skipped. They remained still, and ended up placing. That shows your confidence.

Don’t talk about how nervous you are
If you talk about it, it will spread. Don’t make it evident that you’re nervous. Keep it to yourself. Think about other things.
If you’ve known the routine, you won’t forget it
I always go crazy when someone, right before the performance, says, “how does that part go again? I forgot!” This makes everyone nervous, as well as yourself. You won’t forget it. Stop thinking about it. You’ve never forgotten it at practice.

Don’t let the audience intimidate you
Your audience is just people. You see them everyday. What’s the big deal? You won’t mess up and to them, you’re probably just a little face off in the distance.

Perform
Just perform. Perform like you do at practice. No nerves there. You know that you look way better though, because you should be confident in yourself and, hey, you’re wearing your drill outfit! You didn’t buy it for nothing. You bought that expensive customized outfit to win. And that’s exactly what you’ll do.

And of course . . . Smile!

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