Whether it’s your first time auditioning or your tenth time, it’s a daunting task! You’ve put in a lot of hard work and now is the time to show it. Keep calm, take a few deep breaths and read through our tips on how to audition.
The Night Before
First, start by gathering the required information. For this audition, we require a completed registration form, resume, headshot and audition fee ($10). Make sure your resume highlights your strengths, most recent accomplishments and experience. You should mention where and how many years you have trained in each style, as well as performance experience. As for the headshot, try to have it be as professional as possible—a recent school photo is a good option.
Pulling this all together the night before saves you from added stress the day of—but make sure to do it early enough so that you can be well-rested. Plenty of sleep keeps you performing at your best!
The Morning Of
Wake up with enough time to eat a healthy breakfast—you want to be fueled properly for all the work you’ll do later! Double-check that you have all the materials you prepared the night before, and don’t forget a water bottle to keep you hydrated.
When you get dressed, remember the required dress code. Audition panels are looking at your skill—following directions and dress codes are part of those skills!
Make sure to arrive with plenty of time to register and warm up. Even if there is a warm-up in the audition, you want to make sure you take time to move and stretch. This will also help orient you to the space. And, don’t forget to take time to center yourself—take some deep breaths to calm any nerves you might have.
During the Audition
Your technical skill is important, but the audition isn’t just to see your dance skills. We see you as a whole person, outside of dancing, so remember to treat your fellow dancers and audition panel with the utmost respect, and be gracious from start to finish.
The best place to stand is where you can see and be seen—if you are struggling with the choreography, make sure to stand in the middle so that you can see others no matter what direction you face!
And remember: perform. Give us all your expression, enthusiasm and energy. An audition is a place to give it your all, show us everything you’ve learned and what dance means to you!
A Few Things to Remember
Just keep dancing—mistakes will happen, but make sure not to emphasize your mistakes by stopping or making a big deal about them. Recover and move on.
Relax! Remember, you have nothing to lose. The audition panel wants you to do well—they want to have the best dancers to select from and are hoping that everyone walking into that audition does their best.
Auditioning is a skill that improves over time. The more auditions you go on, the more you can improve your skills. You might learn the most from your worst audition, and sometimes even great auditions don’t get you the job. You can only be the best you, so be yourself and enjoy the process!