With her hair and makeup done, her costume in place, and ten minutes to curtain, dance major Cassie Lewis, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘16, is ready to perform—almost. Before going backstage, she plants a kiss on her dressing room mirror for good luck.

As a performer, superstitions and habits like Lewis’s can often be a crucial calming influence for pre-show nerves.  Lewis knows this and makes use of her habits to get her adrenaline up and her mind focused before a performance. She has many superstitions—besides kissing her dressing room mirror before each show, she also places an elephant on her makeup stand with its tail facing toward the door, a tradition she kept with her friends throughout high school.

Not all of Lewis’s backstage rituals are superstitious though: her showtime habits also include drinking a liter of Dr. Pepper throughout the performance to keep her energy up.  And it seems that caffeine is popular with other dancers as well: dance major Terrell Spence, FCLC ’15, eats candy and drinks a Red Bull before his shows. Like Lewis, Spence has certain performance traditions that he hopes bring him good fortune onstage. “I did have a lucky bracelet, but then it broke,” he said.

However, lucky socks, bracelets and quirky routines are not as common as one might think. Theater major Dylan Ungaretta said that he “tries very much to not have any superstitions.”  But actor Paul Thode, FCLC ’15, said there is one superstition common to all members of the theater world, “You’re not allowed to say ‘Macbeth.’” And a superstition that all dancers abide by religiously is that performers never say “Good luck” before going on stage—they say “Merde,” a French swear word instead.

Another key aspect of performance prep is the performer’s pre-show routine, from music, to socializing, to warming up physically.  Actors in particular often talked about music as an integral part of their routine.  Actress Maryn Shaw, FCLC ’16 listens to music before each show, but the specific song and genre of music varies depending on what show she is performing in.

Performers’ ideas on socializing were very different and reflected how important it is to tailor your pre-show routine to your particular personality. Dance major Maia Bedford, FCLC’15, feels that spending time with the rest of the dancers is an essential part of preparing to take the stage.

“It’s a balance of sitting by myself and talking to other people that I’m going to dance with. Because it’s not about me, it’s about us,” Bedford said. Actress Courtney Williams, FCLC ’16, agreed in that she seeks to do something with the rest of the cast, such as pray, that “gets us all excited and united,” but acknowledged that there is a time when she needs to get in a zone by herself.

And for most dance and theater majors alike, a physical warmup is crucial to the pre-stage routine.  Megan Stricker, FCLC ’15, said, “I always take a minute to really warm-up. And part of that is getting in the mindset too and taking a minute to breathe.”  She said that this warm-up is always specific to the show in which she is performing and that she’ll do different exercises depending on what type of dance she’s in: if the piece involves partnering, she will take some time to connect with her partner before going on stage.  Many dancers will also give themselves a condensed ballet or modern class to warm themselves up without getting too worn out by a full-length dance class.

Many actors also do a physical warm-up before shows, incorporating specific exercises, breathing, and stretches.  Shaw even does yoga to open up and calm herself before going on stage

The one thing that was common to all actors and dancers was finding a routine that worked for their particular personality and preferences. They all know what they need to do to keep calm, focus their minds and get excited for the performance ahead.  It takes a lot of focus and preparation to be ready for a show—and for some, it takes a few superstitions too.