Dance Teacher Blog: Audition Process Part 1

POINTE 5*6*7*8
Dance Teacher Blog
Audition Process Part 1
By Brandy Curry

The TV show SMASH is an excellent resource for teaching the entertainment/performing arts process.  Minus the series mature content drama it's a nice, simi-accurate glimpse of the audition and rehearsal process.  When I taught 9-12 grade performing arts students wishing to enter college programs or wishing to pursue careers right after high school I found the topic of the audition process overwhelming for them and underwhelming for me.  

There are fantastic scenes to show your students what to wear to an audition, how to behave, and how to show off your talent while remaining humble.  While the musical theater audition process is different from a company audition seeing the actors on SMASH go through nervousness is all too familiar for myself and so heart warming for my students.  They love it!

SMASH courtesy of Wikimedia Common Images

Another great, great showing of the audition and rehearsal process is the documentary about the revival of A Chorus Line, Every Little Step (2008).  Talk about "heartwarming."  This is a powerful, and stylized-beautiful glimpse of the retelling about the origin of A Chorus Line, the audition process for the revival, and a look at the process through some familiar faces from the producers, writers, original actors, and famous dancers your students have even seen on So You Think You Can Dance.

Every Little Step (2008) Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Tip: I did a great JOURNAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT with this documentary. Although these questions seem trivial-you must see the film.  The journal entries were just brilliant from my students. They really connected, and they were so moved.  Lots, and lots of tear stains on their journals-so sweet! It even inspired one of my dancers to audition for a college program. I prompted the following three questions: 1.) Who, what dancer or actor, did you connect to the most and why?  Did you connect to the choreographer, director, producer or writer? 2.) Whom were you rooting for during the audition(s) and callbacks? 3.) Did any of the dancers you were hoping to make it, actually "make it" to the final production?  Were you surprised?  How did it make you feel?

Happy teaching!

B. Curry