Full disclosure, I had a blog chalk-full of audition tips and tricks typed up and ready to go. I’d written, rewritten, edited, and edited again. But it just didn’t feel right.
I had written all these motivation tips, but I didn’t feel like I had acted upon half of them. So who was I to make all these suggestions that I couldn’t even follow through myself?
Audition season can be the best, and the WORST.
The best, because you’re opening the door for new opportunities and adventure. Whether it be for a company, a school, or a summer program, there’s the shiny promise of “new”.
The worst, because of how vulnerable it makes you. You write your resumes, CVs, cover letters, take your pictures and budget your travel expenses and audition fees. You hand over your documentation, your money, and sometimes, your dignity.
It takes a lot of chutzpah* to walk into an audition. You stand in front of judges, whomever they may be, that will later tell you if you’re good enough or not. Sometimes they tell you right there in the moment if it’s the kind of audition that makes cuts.
Auditions almost always go the same way for me. I get there REALLY early because I’m paranoid about being late. I have triple checked that I have everything I need and then some (even though I’ve STILL been in situations where I’m scrambling to find stuff). I have every possible garment I may need, extra makeup to touch up, and extra hairpins and hairspray to tame my ridiculous “wispys”.
Right before I walk in and as I’m walking through the door, my body is shaking and I almost feel nauseous. I’m trying to wipe my brain of any possible insecurities (those efforts are usually futile) and I try not to look too closely at anyone in the room. I want to focus on myself and what I can do, instead of her and what she can do.
I make it through the whole audition, obviously with some hiccups, I thank the audition judges and teachers, the accompanist if they played, I turn in my audition number and I walk right out the studio doors. THEN I breath.
I can’t really remember the last time I walked out of an audition and thought “yup, totally nailed it”. Most of the time I shrug and say “it’s out of my hands”. Which is a morbidly blissful thought. Once you walk out of that audition you’re pretty much done**. They have your information, they’ve seen you dance, what more are you responsible for? Now you wait.
But if you thought auditioning was hard, jokes on you. Waiting is even WORSE!
The only advice I feel confident giving you? Once you’ve submitted your information for an audition request, try and forget about it. If you constantly let it float around in your brain you may very well drive yourself insane. Make a mental note, and file it away until you receive confirmation of your audition or you receive the “no thank you” email. Same thing goes after you’ve auditioned. Do your absolute best in the audition. In all aspects, present yourself as a professional who deserves to be hired. If you can, speak to the audition judges/teachers, even if it’s just a thank you. Then walk right out of that room, make your mental notes, and file them away. Don’t dwell. Go straight onto the next adventure, rinse and repeat.
*chutzpah = courage
**Sometimes you might be asked to speak to a director or ballet master, someone in charge so be prepared, keep calm, and just be yourself! I also am unsure if it is common practice to email a company with a “thank you” post audition, as it is common practice to do for job interviews – so I don’t have an answer on that!
