TBT: Performance and Perfectionism

A wise art witch reflects on how perfectionism and the desire to be seen impacts her current practice.

I was always a dreamy child. I think I learned to hide my rich imagination after one too many people looked at me with bewilderment and incomprehension. Artistic expression was always an area of interest and, for a child in the rural town I grew up in, dance was one option for young performers to engage in the arts.

My first experience on stage was in my earliest dance recitals. At ages 6 and 7 I took ballet and some tap classes and performed at the Orange County Fair and the Redlands Bowl. I remember looking out at the lights and audience and trying to remember the choreography.

childhood dance recitals

Being in front of an audience never really made me that nervous. I enjoyed being the center of attention, though even as a child I wanted to be the best at whatever I did and be better than everyone else, gaining the…