The primary time Jessica Tong auditioned for Hubbard Road’s second firm, she made it to the top of the decision however didn’t get the job. The subsequent time she auditioned, six months later, she additionally didn’t get the job, however she did get a be aware from then-artistic director Julie Nakagawa telling her to keep up a correspondence. Tong finally joined Hubbard Road 2, moved to the primary firm, and have become rehearsal director and affiliate creative director of Hubbard Road Dance Chicago.
Though irritating, these two unsuccessful auditions performed a task in guiding Tong, then at a transitional second in her profession, from ballet to up to date dance. Watching Hubbard Road onstage had helped spark her curiosity a couple of new path, and the auditions helped her notice she wanted extra coaching in several kinds of dance. “There was a lacking hyperlink that I wanted to determine,” says Tong, now rehearsal director for A.I.M by Kyle Abraham (and sometimes on the opposite facet of the audition desk). “That was my takeaway.”
Auditions are an inescapable a part of most dancers’ paths, as are rejections. The nos could be crushing. However these experiences also can yield insights dancers may carry with them to the subsequent audition, class, or efficiency—and use to tell and form their trajectories.
Perception By way of Expertise
Auditions could be revealing, declaring gaps and areas for progress. “I’ve discovered that I must get out of my consolation zone,” says Caitlin Bond, a New York Metropolis–primarily based dancer whose clear, relatable audition recaps have gained her a following on social media. Like Tong, she started in ballet earlier than broadening her pursuits and touchdown the function of Victoria within the CATS nationwide tour.
Going via dozens of auditions in 2024 has been instructive for Bond. “The extra I do, the extra I discover little issues,” she says, including that how dancers conduct themselves issues—generally greater than method. Bond recollects one memorable audition wherein she by accident kicked a desk whereas putting a last pose, caught it because it toppled, stayed composed, and bought a callback. Her experiences have taught her that decision-makers are watching—from the second dancers stroll in—observing the power they convey and the way they work together with others.
Auditions are additionally a possibility for performers to make their very own observations. “You must discover how you are feeling within the room,” says Jess Spinner, a well being, diet, and way of life coach and former skilled dancer. “For those who don’t really feel secure or comfy in that surroundings, odds are, in the event you had been to work for them, it might be an identical feeling.”
Reflecting on Rejection
It may be tempting for performers to go away an audition that didn’t go their manner and attempt to push it out of their thoughts, Spinner says. She advises her shoppers to withstand that urge. “I encourage dancers after each single audition to write down down what they really feel went effectively, what they wish to enhance upon or do in another way, after which how they’ll take each of these ideas into their subsequent audition expertise.” Spinner recommends asking questions like: What do I really feel completely satisfied about? The place did I really feel assured? Did I get caught on something that influenced the remainder of the audition? Have been there corrections that really feel helpful? What drew the eye of the individuals operating the audition? “Writing all of this down goes that can assist you get slightly deeper into your mind to have some true, constructive takeaways,” she says.
The solutions to those questions can level to actionable steps. For instance, if a tough petit allégro mixture felt overwhelming, Spinner recommends on the lookout for difficult petit allégro combos on-line to deal with after each class till the subsequent audition. Whereas this will not magically advance method in a single day, Spinner says, it could assist construct confidence.
The sort of self-reflection isn’t straightforward. “You’re in a weak house,” Tong explains. “It’s very, very taxing.” Earlier than reflecting on the audition expertise and drawing insights, she advises, “it’s okay to take a beat.”
Honing Auditioning Abilities
Bond was stunned that, even after about 450 performances of CATS, she was nonetheless pressured at auditions. “I’ve gotten so much higher with performing effectively underneath strain, the extra auditions I’ve gone to,” she says. “Actually, the easiest way to enhance your auditioning is to do extra auditions.” From her experiences, Bond determined to take extra hip-hop and faucet lessons, discovered she must be able to improvise, and realized adaptability and flexibility are key. “You actually by no means know what you’re going to stroll into,” she says, when it comes to what type—or mixture of kinds—dancers might be anticipated to nail within the studio.
Follow may also help hone abilities vital to auditioning effectively, like choosing up choreography rapidly sufficient that the main target can prolong past the precise steps. Tong says she doesn’t essentially take a look at who will get the mixture the quickest, although others may. However understanding the steps is foundational, she says: “From there you’ll be able to actually personalize it and provides it slightly bit extra of your groove.”
When dancers are strolling into an unknown state of affairs, it’s pure to shrink, Tong says. It takes time to learn to be genuine with new individuals rapidly in an unfamiliar setting, particularly when the stakes really feel excessive. “To have the ability to let your self actually be seen is a talent,” Tong says. And that’s one thing that “actually simply takes observe.”