The Psychology and Ritual of Performing

What makes a compelling performance? What is the
mental state of performing? How does a performer
prepare their mind and body for the act of
performing? What is the role of vulnerability in
performance? What is the role of perfectionism in
performance? What role does performance anxiety
have in the process, and what are strategies for
mitigating the potentially negative manifestations
of that anxiety? What are strategies for
harnessing the energy from performance nerves and
using it to deliver a stronger performance? What
aspects of performing are universal across
different disciplines? Where do we find
performance in everyday life? What is performance?
How do we find joy in performance?
These are some of the questions we will discuss
during this course, taking a look at the work of
researchers and practitioners ranging from
psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to drag queen
and cultural icon RuPaul, and investigating
performance traditions and rituals across
disciplines and cultures. The course will focus
largely on the mental processes and preparations
involved in the act of performing. The material
for the course will be explored experientially
through a hybrid model of in-class exercises and
rituals combined with discussion and lecture