Hopping from city to city during audition season can be both expensive and time-consuming—not to mention disheartening if you end up being cut after barre. Since its inception in 2016, the Grand Audition has aimed to solve that conundrum for young ballet dancers looking for a job: This annual two-day event in Europe provides an […]

In your wellness workshop at The Ailey School, you suggested that a way to attend a lot of auditions after graduation (without getting depressed) was to see each one as a free class. It worked. I can’t remember how many jobs I’ve tried out for, but I managed to stay hopeful and finally landed a […]

Earlier this week, I came across a daring post by London dancer Alana Grant, sharing her story of how she’d just gotten cut at an audition not because of her talent, but because the director decided she “wouldn’t want to see her in hot pants on stage.” How appalling, I thought as I jolted to […]

I’ve already had several dance jobs and apprenticed with a company. Now I’ve set up a series of auditions but can’t shake the words of my old dance teacher. He told our entire class that, unlike him, we didn’t have what it takes to be a professional. He also laughed at us and made humiliating […]

Two hundred girls decked out in Brooklyn’s latest fashion—ripped jeans, leather chokers and camouflage crops tops—wrapped around the outside of Long Island University–Brooklyn’s auditorium while stretching and checking their reflection in their phones. I knew I was in the right place. I took a deep breath and hopped in line for the open call for […]

During her senior year of college, Erika Leeds flew to Philadelphia for an open call. She was one of more than 100 people who paid $25 to audition, with the hopes of landing a job. “Once we got there, we were told that there were currently no open spots in the company,” says Leeds. She […]

Elizabeth Earley’s path to the Great White Way was fueled by perseverance. Currently a swing and co-dance captain for Hello, Dolly!, she shared her journey with Dance Magazine. When I was a freshman at New York University’s musical theater studio, I cut class to attend a singers’ Equity Chorus Call for The Phantom of the […]

In the days and hours before an audition, your to-do list might include researching the company, conditioning your muscles, updating your resumé or taking a long walk to clear your head. But what you don’t do before pinning on your number can be just as critical to your success. 1. Don’t stray from your feel-good […]