The primary time Jessica Tong auditioned for Hubbard Avenue’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 notice from then-artistic director Julie Nakagawa telling her to communicate. Tong finally joined Hubbard Avenue 2, moved to the primary firm, and have become rehearsal director and affiliate creative director of Hubbard Avenue 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 modern dance. Watching Hubbard Avenue onstage had helped spark her curiosity a couple of new course, and the auditions helped her notice she wanted extra coaching in numerous 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 infrequently 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 might be crushing. However these experiences may yield insights dancers may carry with them to the following audition, class, or efficiency—and use to tell and form their trajectories.
Perception By Expertise
Auditions might be revealing, mentioning gaps and areas for development. “I’ve discovered that I have to get out of my consolation zone,” says Caitlin Bond, a New York Metropolis–based mostly 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 position of Victoria within the CATS nationwide tour.
Going by 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 remembers one memorable audition by which she unintentionally kicked a desk whereas putting a last pose, caught it because it toppled, stayed composed, and obtained a callback. Her experiences have taught her that decision-makers are watching—from the second dancers stroll in—observing the vitality they create 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’re feeling within the room,” says Jess Spinner, a well being, vitamin, and way of life coach and former skilled dancer. “Should you don’t really feel protected or comfy in that surroundings, odds are, when you have been to work for them, it might be an analogous feeling.”
Reflecting on Rejection
It may be tempting for performers to go away an audition that didn’t go their means and attempt to push it out of their thoughts, Spinner says. She advises her purchasers to withstand that urge. “I encourage dancers after each single audition to put in writing down what they really feel went effectively, what they want to enhance upon or do in a different 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 pleased 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 working 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 mixtures on-line to deal with after each class till the following audition. Whereas this may increasingly not magically advance method in a single day, Spinner says, it could possibly assist construct confidence.
This kind of self-reflection isn’t simple. “You’re in a susceptible area,” 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 Expertise
Bond was shocked that, even after about 450 performances of CATS, she was nonetheless burdened at auditions. “I’ve gotten rather a lot higher with performing effectively below stress, the extra auditions I’ve gone to,” she says. “Actually, one of the simplest ways to enhance your auditioning is to do extra auditions.” From her experiences, Bond determined to take extra hip-hop and faucet courses, 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, by way of what fashion—or mixture of kinds—dancers might be anticipated to nail within the studio.
Apply might help hone expertise essential to auditioning effectively, like selecting up choreography rapidly sufficient that the main target can lengthen past the precise steps. Tong says she doesn’t essentially have a look at who will get the mix the quickest, although others may. However realizing 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 scenario, it’s pure to shrink, Tong says. It takes time to discover ways 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 apply.”