It might sound dramatic, but being an artist can feel like putting your heart on a platter and waiting for someone to squash it. That’s the case for any art form, but the performing arts require extra vulnerability—it’s your physical body doing the art, after all. Add on the fact that performers tend to be perfectionists and you’ve got a recipe for serious nerves. Performance anxiety is characterized by an overwhelming nervousness surrounding performance, whether spurred by internal or external pressures, that may prevent the artist from working to the best of their ability. So what causes that nail-biting, second-guessing tendency? And how can dancers get over it to allow themselves to perform more freely? Head to the link in our bio for some pointers. 📝: gemmasiegler 📸: christinefl0res (front) with Anson Zwingelberg and Marc Crousillat in Pam Tanowitz’s “Pastoral.” Photo by photo_by_baranova, courtesy Flores. 📸: Annie Cox (front) and Tabitha Stewart in RACHEL:dancers’ “Why Do...