How I overcame my stage fright

I love dancing but I never had the courage to dance in front of others. I felt extremely shy and struggled with stage fright. Therefore, I often danced in my room by myself. Due to my fear, I often missed out on so many opportunities in school.

One day, during a dance class, I saw a bunch of ninth-graders dancing to my favourite song. I was so astonished by their dance moves. I wanted to dance just like them. So, I carefully observed their every move, their body’s graceful motions and the perfect synchronisation of their hands and legs. I really liked the choreography. I wanted to ask my teacher to demonstrate to me that dance but my fear held me back. Later on, I regretted my decision and desperately wished to overcome this fear.

The next day, I was at the dance class again, still frustrated with myself for what I had done yesterday. My mind was clouded with thoughts. Suddenly, my teacher played the same song. I looked up, and to my surprise, my teacher asked if anyone knew how to dance to this song. My heart started racing. I was conflicted whether I should raise my hand or not. My mind said ‘don’t do it’ but my heart urged me to go for it.

I was in a dilemma but then almost involuntarily, I felt my hand rising. I tried really hard to resist but eventually, I surrendered.  My teacher nodded and played the song again. I took a deep breath and started dancing in front of my teacher and classmates.

As I danced, I experienced an overwhelming sense of happiness. My fear was no longer a burden. I danced to content my heart, swinging my arms and legs freely. The entire class erupted in applause. I felt proud of myself.

From then on, my teacher started selecting me for various dance competitions. The first one that I participated in did not go very well. I worked hard but unfortunately, I was not able to get any position. I felt bad too but I didn’t let it hold me back. I started practising dance every day, learning new choreographies and exploring different dance forms. My family too motivated me throughout.

In the coming days, my dance teacher informed me about another inter-school dance competition. I was excited and overwhelmed to participate in a dance competition once more. I really wanted to win this time. So, I diligently practised my choreography and perfected my steps. I worked really hard for it. Even at night, I kept thinking of the competition.

As the big day arrived, I performed with all my might. There were tiny vestiges of the old terror but I simply laughed at Mr. Terror and continued to dance with a smile on my face. When the results were announced, our school secured the third position. I was both elated and surprised, almost unsure of how to process all of it.

Finally, I felt grateful to God that the terror that afflicted me before was no longer able to haunt me.