what to wear to college auditions?- Page 2

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/16/06 at 5:22pm

Don't dress up too much or you will stick out like a sore thumb and current students will point and laugh at you. Like my friends and I do

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 1/16/06 at 6:10pm

I just went to a grad school audition seminar.
One of the people said to make sure you were dressing correctly for your body type.
He said sometimes people wear outfits that don't fit properly, and it is both distracting and unattractive.

Also, he said to take out any unusual piercings if you have them, and to make sure your hair is dyed to a natural color.
These things could limit your potential to be cast in the future, so some colleges feel you're not marketable enough and discount you.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 1/17/06 at 8:35pm

I am a guy and I'm planning on just wearint khakis and a nice button down shirt, maybe with a solid blue sweater over it. How's that sound? Also, I wear glasses, but do you think I should audition with them or not? They may make me stand out, but they also might hide my face or whatever.

[pndmnd]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 9:04pm

gumbo--If you can see without your glasses (or if you have contacts) then don't wear them. They typically cause a glare and then the auditors can't see your eyes. Of course, it's better to not fall off the stage or trip into the auditors laps!

Having been through college auditions, and having been an auditor while recruiting undergrads, I would say wear something nice, but something you're still comfortable in. If you aren't going to be comfortable in a tie, don't wear it. If you aren't used to wearing heels, then wear flats. I like something dressed up a bit--a skirt, dress, or slacks for girls and nice pants and a button-down shirt or sweater for guys.

Aim more for classy as opposed to trendy. Also, do take into consideration your body type and use it to your advantage--as in, don't wear anything too skimpy, no matter what size you are! Keep in mind that when auditioning for colleges, you aren't auditioning for a role. They don't care if you are the best, they care if you have talent that they can better with the technique that they'll teach you. They also are looking for people that they would want to have around for the next four years, so they're auditioning you as a person as much as anything else.

You will have time to change if you have to dance.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:46am

Good advice and tips, pndmnd, thanks. Auditions are so sooooooooon, break a leg everyone.

[understudygirl]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 11:01pm

What do you reccomend for wearing for the dance portion auditions for colleges? I'm assuming just regular black jazz pants for the bottom. Is the safest bet to go with just a black leotard or is it better to wear something a little more colorful on top/

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 1:57am

i go with the all-black look for the dance portion because some schools ask for it, so i just let it become the norm for me.

if you ARE going to go with a more colorful leotard, i'd say keep it a solid, not TOO bright color, just to be safe.

i've also found that the adjudicators generally ask girls who wear character shoes to either change into jazz/ballet shoes or go barefoot because the heels don't work...but that's just my experience. some schools that i don't know about may specifically ASK for character shoes.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 10:32am

Cathy, I was at that audition at Marymount! Hehe I hope you make it!!!

[pndmnd]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 8:22pm

Unless the school specifically asked for all black (which most don't for musical theatre--a lot of people auditioning will never have taken dance), I wore a color leotard with black jazz pants. I usually tried to wear a color that I wore in my audition outfit--like if I had on a blue skirt or top, I'd wear a blue leotard. Really just wear something that shows your body when you move, but that you're comfortable in, too (which is why I'm more comfortable in jazz pants than tights--they just make me feel more covered!). And yeah, I recommend either jazz shoes, dance sneakers or ballet shoes over character shoes.

[Magical_Ms._Mistoffeles_72]

Posted: 2/5/06 at 12:17am

What about those of us who have never had a dance audition? Should we invest in a pair of jazz pants and a leotard? Or should we just wear fitted sweats and a t?

[Dancersmom]

Posted: 2/5/06 at 6:10pm

Magical Ms. Mistoffeles,

Yes! You should definitely invest in some real dance clothes for your college auditions. They will help you look like a serious contender and you will use them when you begin taking dance classes in college. Girls should have a leotard, a pair of jazz pants, and a pair of jazz shoes or ballet slippers at the minimum. Boys should have a fitted t-shirt, a pair of jazz pants, and a pair of jazz shoes or ballet slippers. Do not show up wearing sweats! The auditors want to be able to see the lines of your body; that's why sweats are a no-no. Not wearing proper dance attire just makes the auditors think of you as naive and unprofessional. They are aware that not everyone has taken dance; you don't need to broadcast it by wearing the wrong attire.

While we're on the subject of college auditions, you girls with long hair need to know that you should pull your hair off your face during the dance portion of your auditions. Use an elastic band or a scrunchy. If you have long pieces of hair that won't stay in the elastic, be sure to use some hairpins. Having your long hair whipping you in the face or sticking to your lipgloss looks very bad. Just like wearing non-dance attire, not pulling your hair back brands you as unprofessional. My D demonstrated the audition dances at her university a couple of weeks ago. There were a couple of girls who had their hair in their faces throughout the dance. You better believe that it was commented upon by the auditors after the students left the room!

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 1:28am

i've always learned that hair should be at least back, if not up, for the song/monologue portion as well.

i know side-swept bangs are really a thing now too, but make sure that they aren't covering half your face. last year at my NYU audition, there was a girl who chose that as her hairstyle for the day, and i just thought that it wasn't a good idea at all. the judges want to see your face/facial expressions.