Performing can be very scary. Sometimes you are thrown in front of an audience WAY before you are even ready. There are some hints that can help you:

• You MUST perform....even if you don't know what you are doing!
• Prepare BEFORE the performance. You know what you need to work on, so do it.
• Prepare mentally before you go on.
• Be kind to yourself when you come off.

If you are performing in a gym, the crowd can be literally within touching distance. That can be very scary. Check out the page that discusses performance anxiety. You can always just look over everyone's head and pretend that no one is there.

There usually are judges. If it is a winterguard contest or a WGI contest, there are usually 5 judges in the stands and one on the side of the floor for timing and penalties. Your job is to do your show. Don't worry about them. No matter what score they give you, are you going to let 6 people's opinions effect your self esteem? Think about it.

Just walking into the gym to perform can be very scary, but the main thing is to remember that you are there to do a job. Forget about everyone else, be with your family (your performing buddies) and perform your heart out.