As we move into Spring, it’s that time of year when Dancers are getting ready to audition for their dream teams. Tryouts can be stressful, exhilarating, even daunting to think about, but it is a necessary process for coaches to review new, incoming talent while building their roster for the new school year. From the Coach’s perspective, tryouts are always a time of excitement as we consider the possibilities of the future. However, we do understand how nerve-wracking it can be from the Dancer’s point of view.
Here are my top FIVE audition tips to help you have a less stressful, more enjoyable audition experience.
- Be yourself. Coaches want to see you being human and authentic. Let go of the idea of perfection. Focus on showcasing your strengths while continuing to train weaker skills. You do not have to dance like the person next to you. It’s your job to show the judges what you bring to the table that is unique.
- Look the part. This comes with research and preparation. Know the expected dress code for tryouts. How should your hair and make-up be? Study the social media presence of your dream team and/or ask current members what the standard norms are. (Examples, hair in a bun or hair down, full competition make up or a more natural look, all black dance clothes or team colors, etc.)
- HAVE FUN! The best dancer in the room is the one who’s having the most fun, not necessarily the one doing everything technically perfect. (By the way, there’s no such thing!) Show the judges your passion and love of dance. Make them smile, laugh or feel a connection with you.
- Present professionalism and good dance etiquette. Coaches want to see you being a good team member. They are watching you during the audition process to see who has a good attitude, who is rocking the back row spot as much as front and center, who is a good listener, who is good at following directions. Most importantly keep your emotions in check and stay calm. Mistakes happen in every audition. A really good recovery or comeback can be more impressive than watching someone who had no mistakes.
- Communicate for yourself. Whether you are trying out for a high school or collegiate dance team, Coaches want to get to know you, not your parents (at least not yet, that comes later). Use auditions as an opportunity to develop good Coach to Athlete communication. This will demonstrate a level of maturity and readiness to be able to handle the rigors and responsibilities of being on a team.
I wish you all the best of luck in pursuing your dance dreams. Remember there are a lot of talented dancers out there, but there’s only one YOU! Get out there and show them what you’ve got.
Coach Caryl
ASU Dance Team Head Coach
