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How to Ace Your Dance Audition in 5 Simple Strategies

21st Jul 2017

How to Ace Your Dance Audition in 5 Simple Strategies

To ace your dance audition, you need to rely beyond skill and experience. While these are nice to have, they don’t guarantee a smooth and successful audition, which is what you want to achieve.

Auditions, nerve-racking events that they are, can throw off even the most talented dancer. The thing is, in dance tryouts, who you are or what you’ve done in the past ceases to matter. For the judges, it’s how you perform right before their eyes that’s matter.

That’s where you need to place your focus on: on the actual day itself, on your performance before the people who’ll either make or break your dance goal.

While auditions are often viewed as terrifying events, believe it or not, they can also be fun, enjoyable ventures. The trick is to view them through calm eyes and come to them prepared.

Here are 5 easy methods to help you do just that.

1. Get breakfast.

Or lunch. Or (maybe) dinner.

No matter what time of day, help yourself to a balanced meal before heading over to your dance audition. Keep the portions to a level that leaves you feeling pleasantly stuffed than bursting at the seams. You wouldn’t want something embarrassing to happen as you bust to the moves of your dance routine, would you?

On the same note, it wouldn’t do at all to head to an audition on an empty stomach. Chances are high you’ll still end up doing something embarrassing. Don’t even think of going down that route.

The best way to counter this is to eat just right a few hours before your tryout is due. Think of filling food that’ll give you energy but not bog you down. Go for fruits and whole grains. Do away with fried and oily foods, as they could make you feel heavy and sluggish.

2. Arrive early.

According to Murphy’s law, anything that can go wrong will. To ace your dance audition, do what you can to eliminate as many obstacles as you can along the way. This includes getting to the audition late (gasp). To reduce into oblivion the chances of this happening, get to the venue early.

The point of arriving to the audition way before it actually starts is for you to have ample time to gather yourself together and perform your self-routines—anything at all that can help you keep a cool, calm mind during the audition.

Getting to the venue early provides you enough time to put on your dance piece without rushing. This is crucial, because you get to inspect slowly and thoroughly that every inch of your costume is in place. Also, since you have no need to hurry up, you can put on your dress or pantsuit or headdress with care.

Figure out how much time you need to get to the venue, then adjust accordingly. You wouldn’t want to get there too early, so you’ll have to estimate how much time you need for preparation and travel.

To appease the worrywart in you, you can hold a test-drive a few days before the audition. This will help give you a more accurate figure of your travel time.

3. Dress right.

To ace your dance audition, dress for the part you’re trying out for. It pays to be 100% sure of the role you’re eyeing so you can iron out the details of your dance costume for the tryouts.

The right dance costume can transform your performance for the better. It’ll help put you into the groove of your target role or character, increasing your chances of snagging the part.

Accuracy is key. Don’t just dwell on the cut and design. Consider the fabric, details, and color of your dance costume as well. All the elements must go together to create a cohesive whole. Check that the sections of the costume balance everything out.

In addition, inspect hems, buttons, zippers, collars, and cuffs. There must be no errant loose threads in sight. All hems must be sewn evenly, all buttons and zippers in place, and all straps and collars in working form.

Try out your dance costume a few days before your audition. Get the feel of the fit and fabric, and ensure the piece fits just right. Also, if some part feels off, have it altered as soon as possible. This is why it’s vital to secure your dance piece early on, so that you can remedy right away any ill-fitting tendencies.

4. Grab a spot in the front.

Confidence—who doesn’t love it? This trait is particularly useful to have during certain situations, and a dance audition is one of those.

Help the universe help you ace your dance audition by standing in front during the actual event. Most dancers settle for the sides and back sections, but you’re not like them. Remember, the key is to stand out in the right way. You can pull this off easily by simply securing a spot in front of the room. Your audience can easily view your dancing prowess as well as your well-fitting dance wear.

Being in front highlights visibility. Again, the objective is to be noticed. Some judges tend to go for the dancers who learn the quickest; it’s not always about who dances best. If you lurk behind the other dancers or are content to stay at the sides, you’re missing out on your chance to secure your target role.

When you’re in front, you tell your audience you’re sure enough in yourself to be in plain sight. It shows you’re a feisty, fearless dancer, and who doesn’t love that?

5. Clarify.

More often than not, asking questions is viewed negatively. Yet this shouldn’t be the case. On the contrary, asking questions show you were paying attention and, at the same time, processing what you’ve just heard. It denotes active participation and the willingness to be proven wrong should the case arise.

These same rules extend to the dance universe. To ace your dance audition, clarify, clarify, clarify. Do away with the “They’ll think I’m stupid” mind-set. It’s better to ask and get something cleared up than to not ask and botch up the steps down the line.

This is particularly important when the dance instructor presents a couple of rules or steps that seem vague to you. Always ask; be safe than sorry. Also, judges like it when a dancer raises questions. It displays willingness to learn and the drive to understand.

When you ask questions, all points are automatically converted into your favor. It’s that simple.