What are good ways to get rid of nerves?

Question

i love to act and perform in front of people and i dont usually get nervous but when i get to an audition i freeze up. help please

Answer 1

Try some warm-up exercises, vocally and physically.

There is one called the rag doll (we called it that at my school) where you jump up and down but keep your arms and legs loose, just let them flop around. Also you let noise come out of your mouth. Like a "huh" but it's going to be shaky like "huh-uh-uh" because you're jumping up and down.

Also you can stand with feet shoulder width apart and bend over at the waist. Let your shoulders and neck hang loosely. Gently nod your head "yes" and "no". Deep breath in to the abdominal cavity, blow out through the lips like a horse does. Sort of a "Pbbbttt" with the mouth. Slowly roll up one vertebrae at a time starting with the lower back. Continue to leave the shoulders and neck loose. Let your head be the last thing to come up. If you don't do it slowly enough, you will feel light headed.

Slow, deep breathing can also help your nerves. Breath in but take it into your abdominal cavity and not your chest. Keep the mouth slightly open, jaw relaxed.

I would say, from my experience, that nerves are caused by tension, and perhaps the fact that you don't want to fail at whatever you are about to do. Or you hope you are good enough. No one likes to have someone else belittle their work. Try to stay relaxed as much as possible, have fun with what you are doing, and just give it your best. All you can do is all you can do. Do it, learn from it, and then keep moving on to the next one if you don't succeed.

Break a leg!

Answer 2

I answered another question almost identical to this earlier...i cant remember exactally what i said but it was a longer version of this...

Pick a friend or someoen you know who is confident, instead of being yourself when u enter the audition, be them....so you are basically two characters. Go in as this confident friend, and then when you audition become the character, i find this makes you more confident as you dont get embarrassed or as nervous because your not you. If that makes any sence.

Hope this helps a bit...it does for me

Answer 3

practice is the best way to get ready for an audition. I have taken a class on auditioning and showing confidence is one of the major things people look for in a future client. try getting some friends together and reciting them your monolouge or song or whatever you plan to do. take deep breaths and don't fidget! Break a leg!!!

Answer 4

I so now whatcha mean. I hyperventilate! anyway, just think of it as another performance. Our shows are also auditions  so its hard for us, not only do we want to impress the audience but  the arts council and the directors of other companies looking for actors/actresses! Just breath, think about your lines or song, and have fun with it. Don't Lie, they don't like liars!!!!!

Answer 5

First of all, it's ok to get nervous and if anyone tells you they don't get nervous, they're full of more sh*t than a Christmas turkey.  

Make sure you're prepared for your audition.  If you're prepared then you can tell yourself that you have nothing to worry about and that gives you confidence.  Also, ask yourself this question:  What's the worst thing that could possibly happen if I blow this audition?  The answer is always the same:  You don't get the part (which is never the end of the world, although quite disappointing).  Nobody will ever criticize you for getting up on stage to audition.  It takes a lot of guts to be up there and anyone worth a d**n will respect you for it.

Remember that the auditors want you to succeed.  They want you to do well.  You have their moral support without even having to ask.  

If you are really, really nervous and it shows, then just bite the bullet and get it out in the open.  I've done that before and believe me, it helps a lot.  I've said, "Ok, I have to tell you that I'm pretty nervous.  I'll do my best though."  Once I said that, the nerves went away and I was able to perform without even thinking about it.  Besides, if you're like me, once you get going with a scene and you're into it then you won't have time to be nervous.  

Don't let people make you feel self conscious.  I've been to auditions where people say something like, "You're not going to wear that on stage are you?"  The only reason people do that is because they're threatened by you.  You should take that as a compliment and tell them thank you.  "Thanks for being threatened by my presence. That makes me feel much better."  

Many of the directors I have talked to have told me that a lot of times they aren't so much looking for acting talent but how you look portraying a certain character; especially if they've seen you act before.  They already know you can act.  Sometimes they just want to see how you look against another actor or if you fit a particular part.  

Just remember to be as prepared as you can be.  Show up to the audition early so you can settle in.  Go up on stage and get the feel of it.  If possible, ask the director if there is something you could do to help out.  It's not brown-nosing; it's just keeping yourself engaged and if you're around the director or whoever is holding the audition then it gives you time to get comfortable.  Be courteous to everyone and help out those who may be more nervous than you.  This is your chance to make a difference and put someone else at ease.  It also shows that you don't have an ego.  Actors, for some reason, can be awful people because of that three letter word.  You can be better than them by helping out someone new.  Break a leg!

Answer 6

Concentrate on the acting, not on the fact that you are performing in front of a director. If you put your whole mind toward the character you are playing, you won't have any room for worry.

Hope this helps! Good luck.