As the company returns to the studio after the holidays, it's a unique time of year: audition season. From roughly January to April, companies throughout the United States (and many around the world) hold auditions to make sure they can fill their dancer contracts in the coming season. Dancers interested in auditioning for Ballet Theatre of Maryland will soon visit Annapolis for our company and summer intensive auditions on March 2nd.
For dancers looking for new opportunities, audition season can feel like a stressful game of Musical Chairs. The companies that have the most going for them--say a positive workplace culture, interesting repertory, and personal coaching--tend to be the places with the least turnover. (When you find a good thing, you're not in a hurry to let go of it!) For auditioning dancers, the timing of when companies have open contracts is just as consequential as whether their dancing is a good fit.
Every dancer at BTM has gone through this process, many starting with auditions for summer intensives while still students. Some may have looked at auditions with dread, while others anticipate them with hope and excitement. Read on to hear what Erin Jenkins, Julia Walden, and I think about this significant (and sometimes formidable) process.
Demi-soloist dancer
Audition season is an exciting but nerve-racking time of the year for most young dancers. I attended my first company audition at just 16 years old to prepare myself for when I would be auditioning more seriously. This really helped me to be more comfortable in that environment and learn what companies are looking for. I’ve found that some of the most important qualities are individuality, confidence, and artistry because they want to see who you are as a dancer and an artist.
Auditions can often be very expensive and time-consuming, which makes the process even more difficult. I remember once doing six summer intensive auditions in just one weekend. That along with filming videos and traveling can really take a toll on your body. Despite this, it made me grow so much as a dancer and helped me to get familiar with so many companies’ movement styles to learn what I really enjoy. I always say to try and do as many auditions as possible because you never want to limit your opportunities, and you may surprise yourself with the path that you end up going on. No matter the result, you will end up where you were meant to be.
Demi-soloist dancer
Audition season can be stressful for dancers, but it is also a chance to grow, travel, and discover opportunities. A few years ago, I spent my winter and spring traveling almost every weekend to audition for ballet companies in 11 different states. This was in addition to the trainee program I was finishing, which had me dancing six days a week. Although audition season was quite exhausting, expensive, and sometimes discouraging, I am so grateful for the outcome. Ideally, when auditioning, dancers should be looking for the company that is the right fit for them. I had a great feeling that the Ballet Theatre of Maryland could be that place for me when I auditioned.
There is not always a way to know what kind of dancers a company is looking for or if they even have spots to offer. With these uncertainties and a room full of talented dancers, it is normal to be nervous. I certainly felt nervous in auditions, but the pressure would often make me dance my best in audition classes. Even now, in our daily technique class at BTM, I often tell myself to pretend I am in an audition, and it makes me work even harder. All of the exhaustion and stress from audition season was worth it, because it led me to my apprenticeship with Ballet Theatre of Maryland.
Soloist dancer
I try not to talk about myself on the blog too often, but auditions are something that consumed a lot of time and energy in the first decade of my career. I discovered early on that persistence was key.
One of the first companies I ever auditioned for gave me a huge lesson in this. As I sat stretching anxiously in the lobby beforehand, it seemed like everyone around me knew each other. The way they presented themselves was sophisticated and professional, and it made me feel like an imposter in my grubby uniform leotard. I ended up performing poorly in the audition.
I had a good cry in the bathroom afterward and resolved to get over it. It was a learning experience, after all, and I had other companies on my list. But I couldn't shake the feeling I owed myself a second chance.
I went back for another open audition at the same company two weeks later. This time, I wore a leotard that made me feel less like a student. I did my hair in a flattering style that I copied from a dancer I had seen at another audition. As I sat waiting for the audition to begin, I looked around and started chatting with someone else who had shown up alone.
Disappointingly, the company emailed me an invitation to their summer intensive a week later. I thought that was the end of it, but a few weeks after that they had emailed me again--this time with the results from my second audition. It was a guaranteed place in their trainee program for the fall, with a partial merit scholarship. I was thrilled to accept it! Not much had changed from the first audition to the second, but my persistence led to the first opportunity of my career.
No matter how an individual dancer feels about auditions, they are an important means to an end: they get you in front of the right people at the right time so that you can do what you love. Next month, we would be honored to share that love for dance with you in our upcoming performances!
Join us at the Gordon Center on Sunday, February 2 for Ground and Sky, a collaboration with Full Circle Dance Company. In addition to performing our own works, the show will include a collaborative piece accompanied by live music.
On Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, we will present Momentum: A Mixed Bill at Maryland Hall for the Arts. Catch the show again on Saturday, March 29 at PGCC Center for Performing Arts.
Momentum is a wonderful opportunity to see our company in a wide range of classical and contemporary works. Keep your eyes out--I'll be sharing the full story behind each piece next month!
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