Many local ballet companies are holding auditions for Nutcracker and other season performances in the last weeks of August or first weeks of September. In this post, I will give some basic advice to help you do your best in your audition. I will be discussing mostly local level ballet auditions, but the advice can easily be translated to suit other situations, like an audition for a dancer in a music video.
1. Make sure you are prepared. Know what you are auditioning for, including what the show is about, the name of the company you will be dancing with (it it's not your home company), and the dates of the performances. Most auditions require you to fill out some paperwork or audition forms before the audition. Make sure you have this form with you when you arrive at the audition.
2. Eat well and sleep well in the days leading up to the audition. Eat as you normally would, but make sure you are hitting the major food groups and getting enough protein to maintain energy. Do not go on a crash diet and try to loose weight. Do not have a sleepover with your friends the night before the audition; you will end up eating junk food and getting no sleep, which will hurt your performance. If the audition is in the afternoon or evening, consider taking a short nap and having a healthy snack before you head to the audition location.
3. Obey the dress code. If there is no official dress code listed, ladies should wear a black leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet shoes, and men should wear white shirts, black tights or pants, and black ballet shoes. If you dance en pointe, make sure you have pointe shoes prepared and broken in. Don't necessarily go out of your way to have new dancewear, but make sure your clothing and shoes are in good repair and are not stained or torn. Disobeying the dress code can make the people running the audition question your sense of responsibility and ability to cooperate.
4. Stand out in a good way. Ladies can make their looks unique with colorful hair accessories and leotards with accents like straps or lace (just make sure leotards are modest; you don't want to look too sexy for an audition). Both ladies and men should act confident, even if they are nervous or overwhelmed. Smile and maintain good posture with the collarbones lifted and neck held long. This is the posture you will need to display on stage, so it is always a good move to show the judges that you can do this with ease.
It is also a good idea to take extra time grooming. Men and ladies should make sure hair is styled neatly. Take off any bright colored nail polish (it is ok and even good to do your nails in a neutral color). Wear small stud earrings if you have pierced ears. Do not wear any other jewelry except small rings that you usually wear all the time. If you wear glasses, choose to wear contacts to the audition if you have them (if not, it's not a big deal, but it's always better if the judges can really see your face). You can wear a small amount of makeup (concealer, mascara, brow gel, etc.) if you want, but don't wear so much that you don't look like your natural self. If you have tattoos that are small but conspicuous (such as on the back of your neck), cover them with concealer. If you have large tattoos that cover big areas of your body (like a sleeve), you could wear dancewear that covers the tattoos, or you could take no action to cover them and simply indicate on your audition form that you are willing to cover any exposed tattoos with makeup or clothing when it comes time to perform.
5. Pay attention to the person teaching the audition. Do not get caught up watching the panel of judges, and do not watch other dancers too much. Make sure you get the combination. If you missed something, it's ok to ask the teacher to repeat the combination one time. If you still don't understand something, just do the best you can. An audition is not the place to learn an new skill. Asking too many questions holds everyone up and wastes time, but asking just one valid question shows that you care about doing things right.
6. Do your best. You want to do YOUR best, not someone else's. If you are not as advanced as others in the audition, you can slightly change some of the skills in the combinations to show your skills better. For example, if you are uncomfortable doing a pirouette en pointe, simply balance in passe at the point that everyone else turns while leaving the rest of the combination the same. The judges will see that you are showing your best technique without risking injury. On the other side of the coin, if you are very advanced, feel free to add elements like beats in your jumps or multiple turns in order to showcase your full ability. If a combination is done multiple times (such as a petite allegro combination going right-left-right-left), do the combination the "simple way" the first time right and left, then add more advanced elements the second time. Never change a combination to do a different skill. You may ask if you can do turns or jumps on a particular side if you feel that one is much better than the other for you.
7. Do not ask the judges how you did. After the audition ends, thank the teacher and the judging panel. Do not say anything else or ask how you did. You will probably have to wait only a few days to see the cast list.
8. When the list goes up, try to keep your emotions happy or neutral. Whether the list leaves you happy or sad, don't make a big scene with squeals of joy or tears of anger. Congratulate other dancers on their parts, or tell them they did a good job even if they weren't cast. If you weren't cast but you want to still be involved with the company (and prove your interest and loyalty, which can help your chances next time), you may ask the director to keep you informed if volunteer opportunities come up and to let you know about the next audition.
9. Attend all of your scheduled rehearsals and do your best to learn choreography. At the audition, the judges chose you to carry part of the show. Doing any less than your best is disrespectful, as it shows that the judges made a poor choice putting faith in you. It's totally ok to make small mistakes here and there, but make sure you try your best and always remain respectful.
If you were not cast (or were not cast in the role you want) and you have a good relationship with one of the audition judges and you see him or her regularly, it can be ok to casually ask what the judges were looking for in the dancers they chose for particular parts. You can say something like, "I was hoping to dance in snow scene. That's still my goal for next year's auditions. What skills do you look for when choosing dancers for that role?" Sometimes the judges will tell you exactly what you should work on (especially if they are also your teachers at your ballet school). Asking can show your motivation and commitment to improving your dancing. However, sometimes judges cannot answer your questions and will have to tell you so. If this is the case, make sure you tell them that you understand that this information cannot be shared, and thank them for their time anyway.
Do you have any pre-audition rituals? I like to go out to breakfast with my mom and paint my nails a pretty shade of light pink.
1. Make sure you are prepared. Know what you are auditioning for, including what the show is about, the name of the company you will be dancing with (it it's not your home company), and the dates of the performances. Most auditions require you to fill out some paperwork or audition forms before the audition. Make sure you have this form with you when you arrive at the audition.
2. Eat well and sleep well in the days leading up to the audition. Eat as you normally would, but make sure you are hitting the major food groups and getting enough protein to maintain energy. Do not go on a crash diet and try to loose weight. Do not have a sleepover with your friends the night before the audition; you will end up eating junk food and getting no sleep, which will hurt your performance. If the audition is in the afternoon or evening, consider taking a short nap and having a healthy snack before you head to the audition location.
3. Obey the dress code. If there is no official dress code listed, ladies should wear a black leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet shoes, and men should wear white shirts, black tights or pants, and black ballet shoes. If you dance en pointe, make sure you have pointe shoes prepared and broken in. Don't necessarily go out of your way to have new dancewear, but make sure your clothing and shoes are in good repair and are not stained or torn. Disobeying the dress code can make the people running the audition question your sense of responsibility and ability to cooperate.
4. Stand out in a good way. Ladies can make their looks unique with colorful hair accessories and leotards with accents like straps or lace (just make sure leotards are modest; you don't want to look too sexy for an audition). Both ladies and men should act confident, even if they are nervous or overwhelmed. Smile and maintain good posture with the collarbones lifted and neck held long. This is the posture you will need to display on stage, so it is always a good move to show the judges that you can do this with ease.
It is also a good idea to take extra time grooming. Men and ladies should make sure hair is styled neatly. Take off any bright colored nail polish (it is ok and even good to do your nails in a neutral color). Wear small stud earrings if you have pierced ears. Do not wear any other jewelry except small rings that you usually wear all the time. If you wear glasses, choose to wear contacts to the audition if you have them (if not, it's not a big deal, but it's always better if the judges can really see your face). You can wear a small amount of makeup (concealer, mascara, brow gel, etc.) if you want, but don't wear so much that you don't look like your natural self. If you have tattoos that are small but conspicuous (such as on the back of your neck), cover them with concealer. If you have large tattoos that cover big areas of your body (like a sleeve), you could wear dancewear that covers the tattoos, or you could take no action to cover them and simply indicate on your audition form that you are willing to cover any exposed tattoos with makeup or clothing when it comes time to perform.
5. Pay attention to the person teaching the audition. Do not get caught up watching the panel of judges, and do not watch other dancers too much. Make sure you get the combination. If you missed something, it's ok to ask the teacher to repeat the combination one time. If you still don't understand something, just do the best you can. An audition is not the place to learn an new skill. Asking too many questions holds everyone up and wastes time, but asking just one valid question shows that you care about doing things right.
6. Do your best. You want to do YOUR best, not someone else's. If you are not as advanced as others in the audition, you can slightly change some of the skills in the combinations to show your skills better. For example, if you are uncomfortable doing a pirouette en pointe, simply balance in passe at the point that everyone else turns while leaving the rest of the combination the same. The judges will see that you are showing your best technique without risking injury. On the other side of the coin, if you are very advanced, feel free to add elements like beats in your jumps or multiple turns in order to showcase your full ability. If a combination is done multiple times (such as a petite allegro combination going right-left-right-left), do the combination the "simple way" the first time right and left, then add more advanced elements the second time. Never change a combination to do a different skill. You may ask if you can do turns or jumps on a particular side if you feel that one is much better than the other for you.
7. Do not ask the judges how you did. After the audition ends, thank the teacher and the judging panel. Do not say anything else or ask how you did. You will probably have to wait only a few days to see the cast list.
8. When the list goes up, try to keep your emotions happy or neutral. Whether the list leaves you happy or sad, don't make a big scene with squeals of joy or tears of anger. Congratulate other dancers on their parts, or tell them they did a good job even if they weren't cast. If you weren't cast but you want to still be involved with the company (and prove your interest and loyalty, which can help your chances next time), you may ask the director to keep you informed if volunteer opportunities come up and to let you know about the next audition.
9. Attend all of your scheduled rehearsals and do your best to learn choreography. At the audition, the judges chose you to carry part of the show. Doing any less than your best is disrespectful, as it shows that the judges made a poor choice putting faith in you. It's totally ok to make small mistakes here and there, but make sure you try your best and always remain respectful.
If you were not cast (or were not cast in the role you want) and you have a good relationship with one of the audition judges and you see him or her regularly, it can be ok to casually ask what the judges were looking for in the dancers they chose for particular parts. You can say something like, "I was hoping to dance in snow scene. That's still my goal for next year's auditions. What skills do you look for when choosing dancers for that role?" Sometimes the judges will tell you exactly what you should work on (especially if they are also your teachers at your ballet school). Asking can show your motivation and commitment to improving your dancing. However, sometimes judges cannot answer your questions and will have to tell you so. If this is the case, make sure you tell them that you understand that this information cannot be shared, and thank them for their time anyway.
Do you have any pre-audition rituals? I like to go out to breakfast with my mom and paint my nails a pretty shade of light pink.
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