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Stage fright–exit stage left!
When I was a young child, I absolutely loved being on the stage. I loved to dance, sing, and perform in musicals and talent shows at my elementary school. Expressing soul, confidence, and grace in front of a large audience came naturally, and I thrived in this kind of environment.
But somewhere along the way, I was taught by my peers that being nervous in front of others was the norm, and that I was meant to be afraid whenever I stepped into the public eye. I eventually lost my enjoyment of the stage—so much so that by the time I was in high school I often tried to finagle my way out of performing for an audience whenever the opportunity arose.
As a teen, I hummed constantly around the house, but avoided legitimately singing in front of others. I took violin lessons, but the thought of playing in front of a crowd produced fear and nerves. In short, I had somehow accepted for myself that the innocence of my childhood had been taken away from me, and that I had developed a serious case of stage fright.
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About the author
Hannah James is a graduate of Principia College and has been on an English and Theater abroad to study Shakespeare in England.
