Thinking about performing at Flow State but not sure where to start? You don't need to be advanced, you don't need a big trick, and you definitely don't need to be fearless. You just need a song you love and a few moves you enjoy doing.
Flow State is our low-key student performance night. The audience is other Maya students: people who know exactly how hard that climb was, who'll cheer for a beautiful body roll as loudly as a big drop, and who are probably just as nervous about their own turn. There's no judging panel and no scores. It's a room full of your people, wanting you to have a lovely time.
This guide walks you through building a piece from scratch, whether it's your first time or your fifth. Take what helps and leave the rest.
The secret? Every performance you've ever watched and loved was built the same way: one small piece at a time.
1. START WITH A FEELING, NOT A TRICK LIST
Most of us want to start by listing every move we can do. Try starting with how you want to feel instead. Powerful? Playful? Soft and dreamy? Cheeky? Heartbroken? That one word will make every other decision easier.
Then find a song that gives you that feeling. A few tips:
Pick something you genuinely love. You'll hear it a hundred times before the night, so it needs to survive that.
Shorter is kinder. Two to three minutes is plenty for a first piece. You can always fade a song out or cut it down, and nobody in the audience will mind.
Don't get stuck hunting for the perfect track. If a song makes you want to move, that's the one. You can always swap later.
Listen to it on repeat with your eyes closed. Notice the quiet bits, the build-ups and the big moments. Those big moments are where your favourite move wants to live.
Your piece doesn't need a storyline. But a little idea underneath it helps loads: "I'm shaking off a rubbish week", "I'm the main character tonight", "this one's for my nan". Nobody else needs to know what it is. It just gives your face and your body something to do between the moves.
Prefer the idea of freestyle? That's completely welcome at Flow State too. Everything below still helps: know your song well, have a few go-to moves and a plan for how you'll start and finish, then let the rest happen.
2. BUILD THE BONES
Now map out your song. Play it through and jot down roughly what happens and when. Something like this works:
Opening (first 20 seconds or so): how you begin. Standing by the pole or hoop, sat on the floor, back to the audience. A simple, still opening pose is gorgeous and calms the nerves.
Build (the verse): flowing, comfortable moves. Walks, body waves, spins, floorwork, a simple climb or mount.
The big moment (the chorus or the drop): this is where your highlight goes. It doesn't have to be your hardest move. It just has to be the one you love most.
Breathe (a quieter bit): come back down. Floorwork or a slow sequence gives your arms a rest.
Ending (last 10 seconds): a clear final pose that you hold until the music stops.
Choose moves you already own
This is the most important tip in the whole post. Build your piece from moves you can do comfortably on a tired day, in front of people, with shaky nerves. Adrenaline and sweaty hands make everything feel harder on the night.
That move you've landed twice in class? Keep training it, and save it for the next Flow State. Your piece will look so much better full of moves you can enjoy than squeezing in one you're worried about.
Mix up your levels
Audiences love seeing you travel between the floor, standing and up in the air. Even two levels makes a piece feel much richer. If you're newer, spins, walks and floorwork can carry a whole routine beautifully.
Pace yourself
Don't stack all your tricks back to back. Mix big moves with simple ones so you (and your grip) can recover. Slow sections give you breathing space and catch-up time if you get a bit lost.
And write it all down. Phone notes, a scrap of paper, little stick figures, whatever works. Future you will thank you.
3. LINK IT TOGETHER
Here's a little secret: transitions are what turn a list of moves into a performance. They're the bits between the tricks, and they're where your personality really shows.
Make the in-betweens count. Instead of just walking to the pole or resetting your grip, try a body wave, a hair flick, a slow turn or a slide to the floor.
Ask "how do I get out of this?" For every move, think about where your body ends up and what could naturally come next.
Floorwork is your best friend. Rolls, sits, slides and shapes on the floor look lovely, rest your arms and give the audience a change of view.
On hoop, plan your mounts and dismounts. Getting in and out of the hoop smoothly is half the magic. A slow, controlled dismount looks far more elegant than a rushed one.
Try cutting the walk-in. Taking out the usual steps into a spin forces you to find new, more interesting ways in.
Play. Put your song on and freestyle for a couple of minutes without thinking. Film it. You'll often spot a lovely little moment you'd never have planned.
You can also borrow combos you've learned in class. That's exactly what they're for. Then add your own twist: change the arms, the speed, the direction or the ending.
Not sure how to link two moves? Ask your instructor. Honestly, we love being asked.
4. REHEARSE SMART
You don't need hours and hours. Little and often wins. Here's a rough plan if you've got about six weeks:
Six weeks out: pick your song and feeling, map the music and choose your moves.
Four to five weeks out: piece it together in small chunks, a verse at a time. Write it down as you go.
Three weeks out: run it start to finish, even if it's messy. Film it.
Two weeks out: polish. Watch your videos and pick two or three things to work on, not twenty.
Final week: run it through a few times, in your outfit if you can. Then rest your body before the night.
Film yourself (kindly)
Filming is the quickest way to improve. Look for the small things: pointed toes, where your eyes go, finishing each move before starting the next. But watch it the way you'd watch a friend. You're looking for what to keep as much as what to fix.
Build your stamina
A full run-through is surprisingly tiring. Practise running the whole piece, not just the hard bits, so your grip and lungs know what's coming. If you're always out of puff halfway, that's your cue to swap a big move for a floor sequence.
Stay safe
Always warm up properly first, especially wrists, shoulders and hips.
Practise anything inverted or high up with a crash mat, and with an instructor nearby for anything new.
Don't learn brand-new tricks for your piece at home. Bring them to class.
Know your grip. Use the grip aid you normally use, and wear what you'll perform in at least once to check you can still stick.
Listen to your body. If something hurts, stop, and have a chat with your instructor about a swap.
5. MAKE IT YOURS
The moves are the skeleton. You're what brings it to life.
Your walk-on is part of the piece. Walk to your starting spot like you mean it, in your character. It's also a brilliant way to hide nerves.
Use your face. Let your feeling show. Smiling, a moody stare, eyes closed, a cheeky grin: whatever fits your song. Even one moment of looking out at the audience feels lovely.
Finish every move. Hold shapes for a beat before you move on. It reads as confidence, even when you don't feel it.
Think about your outfit early. Pick something you feel great in and that has the right amount of skin for grip. Practise in it, and check nothing slips, catches or tangles in the hoop.
Wear what makes you feel like you. Heels, barefoot, sparkly, all black, a full theme. There's no dress code for confidence.
And please don't compare your piece to anyone else's. Someone else might have bigger tricks or more years on the pole. That has nothing to do with yours. The pieces people remember are the ones where you can see someone loving what they're doing.
6. NERVES, AND THE NIGHT ITSELF
Feeling nervous is completely normal. Almost everyone who performs at Flow State feels it, including people who've done it loads of times. Nerves just mean you care.
Before you go on
Warm up properly, then keep warm. Cold muscles and nerves are not a fun combo.
Breathe slowly: in for four, out for six, a few times. Longer out-breaths really do calm your body down.
Remind yourself who's watching. A room of Maya students who want nothing more than to cheer for you.
Turn "I'm nervous" into "I'm excited". Your body feels pretty much the same either way, so you get to choose the label.
What if I forget?
You might, and that's OK. Here's the thing: the audience doesn't know your choreography. If you lose your place, keep moving. Do a body wave, a walk, a spin you know, sit on the floor and do a lovely shape. Then pick your piece back up at the next part you remember. Nobody will know, and if they do, they'll only be impressed that you carried on.
It can help to have one "home" move ready, something easy you can always fall back on while your brain catches up.
At the end
Hold your final pose until the music finishes. Then take a moment. Look up, smile, take a bow or a wave if you like, and soak up the cheers. You've earned them. Walk off the way you walked on, then do your happy dance in the wings.
And once you're done, stay and cheer for everyone else. That's the best bit.
READY TO GIVE IT A GO?
You don't have to feel ready. You just have to say yes, and then build it one small piece at a time. Your instructors are here to help with ideas, transitions and safety, and the whole Maya community will be there cheering you on.
If you'd rather watch first, come along as a spectator. It's the best way to see how relaxed and supportive the night really is, and you might just leave with an idea for your own piece.
You'll find the upcoming dates and how to sign up to perform (or book a spectator ticket) on our Flow State page.
We can't wait to see what you create 🩵
Anna & the Maya Team x