The Auditions

Hello everyone, I hope these past few months have been great and looking towards the next half of the year!

Speaking of going into the next half of the year, today we’re talking about auditions. Auditions come around throughout the whole year however for dancers, those auditions come mainly throughout the early start of the year for summer intensives and dance company fall seasons going into the following year.

This year, I decided to take a deeper stretch and go audition for companies and dance in styles I’m not too comfortable with. Following through with that today is the day we talk about auditions, the process, and the waiting game and id like to rate each step.

#1 – Finding auditions- this process can be dependent on many things. Artists these days in the entertainment industry can have agents and can sign up for certain agencies without agents. Again it all depends on the route you want to take. There’s also the route if you want to just look online yourself without having to pay a monthly fee or getting an agent. Finding auditions also has a big part in knowing people around you with the same interest- those are the ones who will help get you auditions and you can also help them. Win win situation then. This process id rate a 8/10 due to the fact that I enjoy the process of looking myself and submitting auditions when I can.

#2 – Submitting auditions/the actual audition- This part is a very emotional process because it can and will go many ways. Throughout any audition, you have to go in confident and knowing what you want. You also need and should be completely and more than prepared for what’s expected. Auditions can be nerve racking but at the same time, these auditions can be so rewarding. One thing I would tell my older self as the years go by is continue to be yourself, stick to your strengths, grow your weakness, and keep on going. With auditions there are thousands and thousands out there and there could be 1 in 500 that you feel is for you and your style, however that 1 in 500 could be your first NO. There’s many reasons the NO could be but you must always keep going and challenge yourself to step out of the comfort feeling and explore the diversity of styles. Rating the audition process a 10/10 no matter what happens. You learn from every audition.

#3 – The waiting game – Honestly the waiting is my least favorite part although I have probably the most patience for anything else. Waiting to hear back from the casting director, artistic director, teacher, agent, or whomever will be making that phone call, or sending the email, it’s all pretty dreadful I just say. The big answer we all wait for…..YES OR NO…. If your answer is Yes, phenomenal, go celebrate and enjoy everything. If the is No, that is totally okay, embrace this NO and take it as a lesson learned and run with it. Run like the wind and conquer the next audition like you received a 1,000 no’s and this next one with be the best Yes you have ever received. Hearing and receiving the one email you have waited 2 weeks to open is not the best feeling in the beginning but changing that NO into the next YES is one of the greatest feeling accomplishments ever. Just remember that whoever is in your dream role has received many NO’s as well. You got this next one! Waiting on that email or phone call seems like it took a month long.. it’s not my favorite. Rating the waiting process a 6/10.

Auditions are a whole experience from finding the audition to sometimes actually getting the audition to doing the audition and receiving that email or call. The main point is the learning from it and how you can better yourself the next time even if the news is great! As a dancer and creator, this is not much new to me but we do learn new things daily and I challenge you next time to do your audition as confident as you can be, do your best, be yourself, and don’t let yourself get too anxious in the waiting game. It’s all in the entertainment and you are unique.

I hope you all have found some definite information you can take along with you as you go about your auditions.

-Carman