Jingwen Zhang: From Performance Anxiety to Dynamic Balance

The performer stands under stage lights, surrounded by watching eyes that symbolize evaluation pressure and the intense feeling of being observed. Trembling lines, a rapid heartbeat, sweat drops and a spiral in the stomach show that performance anxiety is experienced not only through thoughts and emotions, but also through the body.

The yin–yang symbol behind the performer reflects the Daoist idea of dynamic balance. The sun within the darker side and the tangled mark within the lighter side suggest that anxiety and calm are not fixed or entirely separate states, but contain elements of each other and continually change. Sharp, fragmented lines gradually become flowing musical waves, representing how creative, embodied and reflective processes may help students notice, express and respond to anxiety.