How to dress up for an audition
When dancers need a job, they audition. Don’t know what that means? No problem, I already described the rather heartless process that is the way dancers gets jobs in another post..
Although I think these tights from designertights.co.uk are really funky, they are probably not what you would wear for a ballet audition.
Anyway, when at an audition, there’s always an issue of what to wear. Every dancer in the room want the jury to notice – and like – them enough to hire them. And they fear no means to achieve it. Minimal clothing, extremely colored clothing, psychedelic patterned clothing, stage costumes, bikinis and the likes are all stuff I’ve seen on my many trips to theaters all over, looking for a job.
But does it work?
The dancers that actually gets the job in the end, what are they wearing? Are there some clothes that works better than other in an audition?
In my experience, the best you can do is really to do “dress up” as little as possible, and no, I do not mean wear as little as possible. Chose clothes you feel fine in, what you’d wear in a normal class (although, if you wear any of these outfits: re-evaluate!) A company will hire you for who you are, your personality and skills, the way you are able to present yourself through the dancing. So basically, there is no rules here, I can’t really advice anyone to do this or that – if your personality is best shown through a psychedelic multicolored tights and a leather jacket, then thats what you should wear!
Although beautiful, a stage tutu is also not something I would advise for auditions.
But keep in mind that regardless of style, fashion statements or crazy dressing habits, the jury would like to see you dance. Your body is your instrument, it needs to show. The one-piece (may it burn) is not the right outfit for any dance-audition. Actually, I don’t think a one-piece is the right outfit at all. Ever.
The style of the company you are audition for should give you some direction in what to wear – don’t bring your b-boy-gear to a ballet audition, and if your auditioning for a MTV music-video, you can probably leave your pink tights at home…
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Read my blog post on Fail-Fashion in the ballet studio for some ideas of what not to wear. Or, who knows, at least you’ll get noticed..
What do you think? What do you put on when you ‘dress to impress’? Do you have any favorite audition-wear?
