Putting Auditions Into Perspective

For our last post in our Audition 101 series, we’re focusing on perspective.

Too often, dancers are so focused on getting accepted into a particular place that their worth becomes tied to their success. With this mindset, each audition experience can easily become full of pressure and anxiety.

Most likely, you’re still dancing because you love it. Don’t let fear and anxiety take away from the fun! Think of an audition as a masterclass where you get to learn from a respected teacher and meet other dancers. Or, think of auditions as an experiment where you collect data on what works best for you and what you like. From the artistic director to the ballet master to the atmosphere the auditioners create, you’re collecting data to see if you like them.

It can be helpful to remember that each Director has their own subjective take on what they're looking for in dancers at an audition, and this can often go way beyond good technique. For example, directors may be looking for a particular type of dancer to complete their team: this could be taller or shorter, clean technique or expressive artistry, style, chemistry, or any number of other things. The dancers who don't fit what a particular director is looking for may actually be fabulous dancers. It simply isn't the right fit. You can gain confidence by thinking of an audition as a two-way process and not just one way, evaluating from your perspective whether a particular company might be a place where you can grow and thrive.

Most importantly, remember that your worth as a person or as dancer is NOT tied to a particular audition result. At the School of Ballet 5:8, we believe that each one of us is uniquely created in God's image, and that we are each loved by God so much that He chose to die for us to cleanse us from our sin and restore our relationship with Him (Romans 5:8). At the end of the day, THAT is where our worth comes from - and no audition result or any other kind of earthly circumstances can take that away from us!

So, go to your next audition, ready to learn, have fun, make new connections, and look for a place where you can thrive. We wish you the best!