Brown Ballerina Ambassador Nia Manson Reflects on Overcoming Audition Anxiety

Nia Manson is a 13-year-old ballerina from Connecticut who says dance has been a major part of her life since she developed her passion for it at 2. Since then, she has also been dancing with the New England Dance and Gymnastics Center. Nia currently studies ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and open dance. She is also a Brown Ballerina Ambassador. In her interview below, Nia reflects on a time when she needed to overcome feelings of anxiety during dance auditions.

Photo: Nia Manson; shot by Patrice Manson

A Learning Experience

I remember trying out for the competition team at NEDC. I felt a lot. I was 6 years old and there were a bunch of other girls trying out as well. It took a lot of practice and dedication to not only make the team but to be where I am today. There was a limited number of people that could be accepted onto the team. The pressure was definitely on. Your turns, leaps, technique, ballet skills, and tumbling technique were critiqued.

To help me push through this day, I thought of certain people in my life that matter most to me. I thought about how they would’ve told me to keep going. I thought about why I was there that day and about how dancing made me feel. I feel so free when I dance. I am able to express myself through dance without ever saying a word.

Lessons and Reflections

Looking back, I wish I would have been more confident and stressed less about the process. When you’re confident, you project a different kind of energy. The lesson that I learned shows up in my daily life today because now I’m sure to enjoy the process, stress less and most importantly have fun.

I learned that you can’t be successful when you do something occasionally. It has to be consistent. You should also love whatever it is that you’re doing. If you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing and you’re not happy, then what is the point? I believe that everyone has something special about them. Sometimes, it may be harder for some people to find their special thing, and that is okay!

A Thought for Dancers

Be YOU. Even if there are no other dancers that look like you. Be authentically you. It’s okay to embrace your natural hair. It’s okay if you don’t get that special part. Keep pushing through. For every “no,” there will be another “yes.” Don’t ever give up. You are special!

Follow Nia’s dance journey on Instagram!

Our Brown Ballerina Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and to eventually become mentors to other Brown Ballerinas in Training. To find out more about our ambassador program and how you can support it, visit our Ambassador/Mentorship Program page.

Be sure to check out our Brown Ballerina Blog, where we feature spotlights on our Brown Ballerina Ambassadors, updates from our organization, useful tips for ballerinas, interviews with dance professionals, and more!

Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.