What's the best way to overcome stage fright?

The best way to overcome stage fright is to face it head on. Facing your fears is a terrifying task, but starting small, like with a close group of friends, or even practicing talking in front of a mirror or your pets can make you a bit more comfortable talking in front of crowds.

For me personally, I preform a bit at school as a musician, and I used to get very shaky hands and that was almost the worst case scenario because I play piano. I overcame that fear bit by bit- before preformances, I'd practice and go over everything a few times to put myself more at ease knowing that I could pull it off. Backstage, I would fiddle with something to keep my hands busy. A pen, my hair, the hem of my dress. The thing that really helped me overcome stage fright was performing more though. I would preform (at school as a high school student) at about 20 venues a year, and gradually I got used to being on stage with numerous eyes following me. I still do make mistakes, and I can even make mistakes when there's only one person in the audience. However, I have become more at home on the stage and have developed a better stage presence that makes my performance more enjoyable for both myself and the audience.

Look above the auidences heads, focus on something at the very back of the room, it's worked for me since I found out about it:)

Try to remember that everyone has something they're afraid to do, and that many people do get anxiety when talking or performing in front of others. It's best to acknowledge your fears and accept them, but not let them hold you back.

For me, I cannot simply brush off and forget that there's a room full of people watching me. It's harder to cope if you're constantly avoiding eye contact with the audience. In my opinion, scanning the room, getting an idea of what kind of audience you're dealing with, and establishing eye contact actually makes things less scary.

Think positive, don't think that everything's gonna go wrong. Relax your body, have some confidence on yourself. Be prepared, exercise. If you got an audience think of them as friends, not as some people who will laugh at you. Read what you're gonna say out loud, read it to yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes, give up the thought that everything's gotta be perfect.

I think the best way is to practice. I used to have really bad stage fright and I still do to some degree but as I've grown older, I've been forced to do more public speaking and as a result, I've grown less scared.

Deep breath, shoulders back and wing it. In the final analysis the only criticism that really counts is what we think of ourselves. Just do you best.

For me, I overcame stage fright with practice. It was something I wanted to do, so the first time I was up there, I forced myself to do it. Whether it went well, or not. And over time, I got used to it. The anxiety still lingers, but I push myself forward, because I never know what opportunities it might open for me.

Practice - know the piece or lines or steps inside and out. Be confident - you know this well, and can perform beautifully. Accept and move past your mistakes - if you become nervous and miss a note, that's okay. (In all likelyhood, no one noticed.) Try to practice this acceptance of mistakes beforehand, and assure yourself that no matter how this particular performance goes, you are still the same talented person that you are off the stage.