October has been QUITE the busy one for South Chicago Dance Theatre. We are what the kids say…booked and blessed! In all seriousness, we have been very lucky to have so many performance opportunities in the past month. Between the Chicago Live event at Navy Pier, Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival, Elevate Chicago Dance 2022, Mayfair Arts Center North Side, South Side, One Side Festival, AND our partnership with Music of the Baroque…we’ve really been all over the place. It has been more than a privilege collaborating with and meeting so many new people through these events and we feel very honored to have been a part of them. Putting on our stage makeup feels like second nature at this point.

With so many shows, I’ve started to think about the pre-show rituals that we have. It’s such a fun question that I always get asked as a dancer – “Is there anything you do before a show every time? Any superstitions?” Being a dancer since age 4, I’ve seen it all. I’ve had friends who needed their alone time – checked out in a corner with their headphones on. I’ve had friends who would talk a-mile-a-minute prior to shows to let out nervous energy. Some dancers shake out their muscles from head-to-toe or have a very specific warm-up their body needs prior to the stage. I have one friend who claimed that before every performance she had to listen to Shania Twain – that one really gets me.

As individuals, all of us on SCDT have our own thing. For me, I always have to take a couple seconds to close my eyes and take a few centering, deep breaths while I’m backstage. If I partner or come into contact with another dancer during the choreography, I like to make sure I’ve hugged them or shared weight and touch with them before approaching the stage. This way I feel connected and in-tune with them prior to doing it in front of an audience. With certain pieces, we like to practice a big lift that happens to make sure our dancers are safe. I will say, in addition to taking an hour company class together prior to each performance, our SCDT classic is breathing together. It’s finding that collective energy for us. We gather in a circle backstage, huddling up, and without talking, we synchronize our breathing. We take about four or five slow deep breaths. Speaking for everyone, it calms us down, makes us feel as one, and provides a lot of support for our fellow dancers. We never grace the stage without doing so. I guess you can call it our “lucky charm”.

Whatever it is, I think everyone has a little pre-show ritual of their own. Prior to our jobs each day, or before an event, we all have something that makes us feel calm, cool, and collected and prepares us for what’s ahead. Ours is just always before hitting the bright lights and marley floor. We live to perform, after all!