The decision of where to attend college should be influenced by what you'd like to do for a career. Do you want to be a performer in a modern dance company? On broadway? Do you want to teach? If your goal is to perform with a professional company and make a living at it, the more rigorous the technique requirements at your school, the better. If your goal is theatrical in nature, a program with a strong theatre/musical theatre program will be an asset (combined programs will require a smattering of theatre/production classes that will benefit you on this career path). If you want to be a teacher or own your own studio, look for schools that offer more than one teaching course in the curriculum, or better still, look for one with a teaching/pedagogy track, and look into ways you can perhaps incorporate business classes into your coursework. If you're unsure which school can get you where you are going, I would suggest trying to find out where alumni from the programs have ended up - get actual names if possible and see what they're doing. It is a good indicator of where the program will lead you. If you're unsure about what you really want to do, don't stress. As you pursue your college education this may change anyway. Look for a school that you feel sure will provide you with a solid education and in which you feel comfortable but challenged. Should you decide that your goals have changed and warrant leaving your school, know that transferring is an option. I myself was a transfer student, and succeeded in graduating "on time" regardless.

The audition process can tell you a lot about what a particular school is looking for in prospective students and what you can expect from the program. Most dance departments require an audition of some sort. Sometimes the audition can be sent via video/dvd, however, most programs will want to see you in person. An audition may determine your entrance into the dance program or it may be a placement audition which helps faculty decide in which technique levels you will begin your study (provided, you meet requirements for general acceptance to the university). Either way, an audition will typically consist of an interview with faculty and participation in a dance class (usually both modern dance and ballet). Some schools will ask to see a performance of choreography either of your own making or set on you by another, but this is more rare. Dance departments who require an audition into their department are usually looking for skillful dancers who will benefit from polishing and perfecting their technique for a professional career in performance or choreography (often these schools offer a B.F.A degree versus a B.A but this is not a hard and fast rule). Those that require a placement audition or no audition at all expect to have varying levels of ability and experience within their classes and provide a less-specialized education for those seeking employment in a more diverse range of dance-related careers.

Other considerations should be the school's location, facilities, and campus life, and how you feel you will fare within these. If you are a small-town kid, the transition to a large, inner-city school can be quite a culture shock, and visa versa. (This can be a positive or negative.) When visiting campuses, make sure that you are able to see the dance facilities (maybe even see some classes in progress or talk with faculty) and get a feel for the campus in general. Talk to other dance students if you can and trust your instincts. While auditioning for college programs, I experienced both ends of the spectrum. I suffered through an audition before faculty and students who received me with an aloof manner and seemed to eye me with cool distance before auditioning at a school in which I was immediately greeted by a dancer within the department and treated with warmth by faculty members. Can you guess which school I attended? Both are excellent schools but School A was not for me. Some thrive in a competitive environment, I needed to be where I felt welcome and supported in order to succeed.

If you are concerned about grades, as was the parent who contacted me, it is important to know that (assuming you've got another year or so to go) you have time to improve. Grades are usually not all a college looks at for entrance, however, poor grades often result in required remedial classes (taken over the summer) - not fun! Right now, you may think that academic work is not as important (or interesting) as the work you do in dance class. However, keep in mind that in the professional world, good dancers are intelligent people that could do anything they want but choose dance. Intelligent dancers are curious and want to learn and grow even in areas outside of dance. High school grades don't always reflect the potential that lies within many students but it won't hurt to, right now, begin to practice the kind of dedication, perseverance, and self-discipline that a major (and career) in dance will require of you, and work to bring up those grades!

This rounds out the college posts for now. I encourage questions or comments so send them my way!

On a side note, I am taking a brief hiatus from blogging while on vacation with my family in Massachusetts. More when I return...!

Teacher, Parent, audition, college, student, university (all tags)