I received an email from a dancer preparing for the upcoming April audition for NWSA. This led me to the topic of todays post. After you find out what schools you want to apply to - how do you get in??

It all starts with the applications. Obviously your applications need to be sent out fully completed, reviewed, and on time. Double and triple check to make sure that you’ve included all necessary items (additional items may be required such as letters of recommendation and/or pictures). Complete your essays and make sure that they’re checked by at least two other people who are not your peers. Although you can recycle ideas from other college entrance essays, make sure to include information specific to each institution, and make sure to send each essay to the right school!

In some instances, your application will be reviewed before you are even asked to audition. In some cases the audition is part of the application, not the second step. In either case, when you’ve scheduled an audition your work has just begun.

At this point in your training your technique will be where it is. Learning a new style right before the audition should not be your goal. However, if you know that the audition will require you to perform a technique you’ve never done before it would be in your best interest to take a few classes (or at least buy a DVD) to familiarize yourself with the movement style. You don’t need to be an expert - college is where you will learn these techniques. However, if you have a handle on the movement quality you will feel more comfortable at the audition. You don’t want to be caught trying to do something you’ve never even seen before.

There is one place in the audition where you are given an opportunity to shine. Most colleges require applicants to have a solo prepared. Before you start choreographing for yourself, outline your goals:

-What are the solo’s length requirements? ADHERE TO THEM

-What are your strengths? USE THEM

-What are your weaknesses? AVOID THEM

-Are you a good choreographer? Can you ask a teacher to put something together for you?

-What kind of dancers does the school produce? How can you show your potential to develop into this kind of dancer?

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Things To Keep In Mind on Audition Day

• Get a good nights sleep.
• Eat a good breakfast high in protein and sustainable carbs
• Bring a light snack
• Bring a bottle of water
• Bring shoes of all kinds: ballet, pointe, jazz, tap
• Bring extra leotards and tights
• Standard audition attire is all black, but adhere to the dress code they require
• Leave with plenty of time to get lost and still have time to warm up
• Even if you’re the first one there, don’t get in line first. Try to be the 10-20th person in line. It’s good to be the second or third group for floor work - more time for you to learn the combination and watch for who the panel is drawn to and assess what they’re looking for.
• Remember to be yourself. You are looking for a school that wants you and will be able to mold you.
• Don’t try to improve your technique the day of. You’ve got what you got.
• DANCE. PERFORM. SHINE. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Don’t pay the other dancers any mind. By this I don’t mean to ignore their presence and act like you’re the only one in the room. But at the same time, you need to concentrate on yourself, not on what others are doing. It’s distracting, and gives you no benefit.
• Do NOT talk in the audition. This should be a standard class rule, but make sure to stick by it. Don’t let others sucker you into making this mistake.

Judging by my training and the success I’ve had so far I did an excellent job selecting New World School of the Arts as my institution of choice.

I started looking at colleges during my junior year of high school. Thanks to my mom and to a lot of research I found two very helpful Performing Arts College guides, one published by Dance Magazine. My career goals were to perform with major companies, so I decided that if I didn’t get accepted to the top schools I’d wait a year and apply to a liberal arts program and major in something else. If I didn’t get into a great school, I certainly wouldn’t get into a great company in 4 years.

I started reading my guides, looking in dance magazines and online for more information. I wanted to be in NYC - or close to it. I also wanted to go to school where there were normal academic programs. I was looking for a dance department with a great, attentive faculty and sudents who were both strong technicians and strong performers. I wanted a B.F.A. program.

I did more research.

I spoke to choreographers and teachers at summer programs, asking them what institutions were producing the best dancers today. I made phone calls and ordered brochures. Eventually I had a list and started auditioning.

One bonus of university dance programs is that most often you have to travel to audition anyways. During my audition trips I would tour the school, watch classes, and make sure to see a show. I would ALWAYS visit when the dance department had a show on.

I ended up being accepted to every school I applied to. I didn’t apply to Julliard, assuming I’d be rejected. Today I wonder.

My decision came between NWSA and Purchase. I was torn, unable to decide for a month. I made pro/con lists, called the dance departments, spoke to the respective Deans and got in contact with students. In the end I went with my gut instinct.

My visit to New World had left me feeling I’d found the place where I belonged. This was the school for me. Purchase had a lot to pull me in its direction - it was close to NYC, close to companies and jobs I’d be pursuing. It was situated on a normal academic campus where there were students from other majors. But, it wasn’t the program for me. I chose to move 1400 miles away to a school with no housing and to live on my own in a very strange city. New World was the choice. I followed my gut even if it led me down the more difficult path.

Without the proper training, there’s no chance of getting into a company - no matter how many directors you know before you graduate from school.

No matter WHAT your dance-related goals are, it’s important to find the proper training. Dancers both in it for the career and in it for the fun end up ruining their bodies (and sometimes their spirit, or even their career potential) because of bad training.

What constitutes bad training, and how can you can look out for warning signs? It takes a knowledgeable eye to know what’s good and bad.

You might think that only those who already have experience can separate good teaching from the bad. This week I’m going to help you the novice do this for yourself. You may be a seasoned student but that doesn’t mean you know what kind of teacher will take you to the next level. You may not even know there is a next level. In this sense you are a novice just as someone who has never danced is a novice.

If you’re looking to have a new experience, improve your technique, open yourself up to new styles, embark on moving to a new city or to a new phase in your dance life this information will be useful to you. For the purpose of this series I will assume that you know what you want and are able to properly assess your own strengths and weaknesses.

You may want to learn how to tango, you may think dancing is fun and want to take a class, you may want to find a new teacher because you feel like you’re in a rut, or you may be branching out to improve your repertoire. Your goals and your reason must be clear. You do not need to spend the time and money looking for the best of the best if you simply want to improve your coordination, loose a few pounds, or tone up.

STEP ONE: WHAT DO YOU WANT (WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS)? WHAT DO YOU NEED (TO GET THERE)? Answer this for yourself and I’ll help with the rest.

Feel free to comment or contact me with personal inquires and specific questions; I’ll be sure to address your queries!

I’ve been delving into the world of dance here on the world wide web. I’ve been looking for and reading other dance blogs and seeing what kind of information is being made available and by whom. As you’ll see on the side of the page, my list of dance blogs is slowly but steadily growing.  I’ve discovered a few notable things worth checking out, but today I’m focusing on just this one:

 The legendary Joyce Theatre now has a blog!!

This is interesting not only because The Joyce is a historical modern dance venue that is now carving itself a spot on the web, but also because once a month local students at dance schools/colleges/universities are being given an opportunity to write a post. It’s a shame that only local NY students have been invited to do so, otherwise I’d jump at the chance.

This is a blog to watch. It will be interesting to see how they use it. Keep your eyes open!