Dress the Part

I know we’ve all heard the saying, “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.” That also applies to our profession. I’m not saying to walk into a Wicked audition with a green wig or anything, but you have to let the “judges” know that you want the job and that it’s important to you.  

Keep in mind what you are auditioning for. Look like a dancer, not like you just came from school. I heard dancer Elizabeth Parkinson say once that you have to be kind of a nerd in dance class/audition. I couldn’t agree more. I think sometimes young dancers are too afraid to care too much. Afraid of what their friends might think and how they’ll feel if they don’t get the scholarship or the part.

Auditioning is a skill. Period. It isn’t enough to be a good dancer. I see a lot of kids really excel in class, and then I can barely find them in an audition.  You don’t have an hour to get the choreographer’s attention in an audition the way you do in class. How you’re dressed here can either boost or bust your audition. You have to get seen FIRST.  The people behind the table have to notice you BEFORE you’ve even started dancing. You have to look good.

Don’t wear the same thing you might wear to class. Yes, you need to feel comfortable, but you have to stand out from the pack. This is a huge reason my sister Joey and I started our dance clothing line, Jo+Jax. We were unsatisfied with the options we were finding for auditions and took matters into our own hands. We got really crazy with color but that is probably my most favorite thing about our clothes. Don’t be afraid to be bright! I still run into a friend who swears by her hot pink unitard! She wears it to almost every audition she goes to and says she has it to thank for a lot of those jobs (It definitely doesn’t hurt that she is a beautiful dancer, of course!).

So loose the garb! All of those stares you get will be envious ones, I promise.

Happy Dancing!

PS — Please don’t wear tube socks to your audition! They make your legs look short!