Auditions - dancers and dancing - Column

Dance Magazine, Feb, 1998 by Richard Philp

When we say, "Our lives are on the line," we're using a metaphor taken from the the battlefield, the "line" being that central position at which a soldier faces enemy fire. A dangerous place. A position that requires bravery, determination, clear thinking, and a good healthy fear in order to survive.

The musical A Chorus Line redefined that "line" as the audition line, and the enemy was no longer outside ourselves but deep within: We could overcome uneasy fears about ourselves if we were willing to risk exposure, acceptance, and change. It was a brilliant concept, and the show--which became one of the longest-running musicals in the history of American theater--was successful in part because it portrayed vulnerable people, just like you and me, facing down adversity and succeeding against the odds. The final chorus line in the musical celebrates triumph over adversity. At the core is that unnerving event we call the audition. (Our second annual listing of spring dance auditions begins on page 140, accompanied by a very useful article on creating an effective resume or audition package that can get results, page 141.)

What makes people willing to do this? To expose their flanks and their talents--those very talents which may define their personal uniqueness--to others who will evaluate, perhaps even offer a job? I don't know, but risk-takers play an essential role in human evolution.

"The real point is, you have to audition, you have to get out there and be seen," says Georgina Parkinson, ballet mistress at American Ballet Theatre. "Competition is a fact of life in dance," says Linda Hamilton, a clinical psychologist with a practice that focuses on performers. "If the idea of auditioning for one more job or summer dance program makes you break out in a cold sweat, you should know that you are not alone."

Except, of course, you are alone, out there on the floor, being watched, whether you're auditioning with 200 others for one available company position or you audition individually, which is the current practice at ABT in the post-Baryshnikov era. "You're under pressure, no matter what," says Parkinson, "and the long and short of it is you've got to get out there and just do it." Good advice. But what about terror?

Well, many dancers do regard the audition process as a life-and-death experience, "but that isn't the case with auditions at all because so many things are being considered," Parkinson explains. "My advice is to be as cool as you can, in order to give the whole experience your best shot." It is somewhat reassuring to know that, "A dancer doesn't have to dance particularly well at an audition--just be able to show what the potential is."

Potential? Suki Schorer, a former New York City Ballet principal who teaches at the School of American Ballet, explains that, when conducting auditions for SAB's summer school, she looks for "potential within the dancer, for the possibilities of changes and development. We try to get a feeling for what a student is capable of becoming. Obviously, we're interested in how students look when they move, not just the movement."

Dance auditions that I have heard about or attended personally as an observer use the familiar full-class format in order to put those auditioning more at ease, as well as give em something of value for all their effort. Viewed this way--as an opportunity to take a full class with, perhaps, a company director or his assistant--the balance shifts from the "cold sweat" situation to something more beneficial. Auditions also give you an opportunity to see what others are doing. In some situations, directors may generously take, the time to suggest improvement in your presentation and technique.

The person conducting auditions has certain needs in mind over which the auditioning dancer has no control. Available positions within a company. Length of leg. The shape of one's head. Broadness of shoulders. Feet. Training. Style. Personality. With many of these things, you've either got what they want, or you don't. Will you fit in with that elusive aesthetic, determined by the artistic director, of a company's "personality"? There is so much more being considered at an audition than mere technique, qualities difficult to gauge from the videotapes that dancers send to company directors these days in the hopes of landing a job. The live audition is important. And after the auditions are over? Sometimes dancers are told on the spot whether or not they've made it. More often, dancers are contacted later by mail.

The process may not seem particularly fair, but keep in mind the sad, true fact that there are many more applicants than there are positions to be filled. There are no union rules governing auditions, but common sense will tell you if you feel you're being taken advantage of. It's hard not to take rejection personally, but you should guard against such feelings. Don't think of yourself as being in a competition with irreversible consequences, but focus on giving the best performance you can and forget the rest. Too much pressure can make you useless.