Dance for You Magazine Issue 76 (2017)

AUDITIONS
We have a website and I don’t think it is
that difficult to have the correct information
about our company. Please address your
emails properly.
One thing you wish you could tell
everyone before they come?
There is a fine line between confidence and ar-
Often dancers send video clips showing them
improvising. Most of these improvisations are
of poor quality. I would suggest dancers to
choose better material if they want to make it
through the pre-selection.
One thing you wish you could tell
everyone before they come?
Kathleen McNerney © Ingo Höhn
rogance, if you gage it well, you'll shine.
Be fearless and bold!
Stijn Celis © Gregory Batardon
Stijn Celis
Artistic Director of the Ballett des Saarländischen
Staatstheaters in Germany
Kathleen McNerney
Artistic Director of Tanz Luzerner Theater in
Switzerland
When would you say is the best
time to be contacted for an
audition?
The best time to be contacted is in November-December.
The October talks are over and
a director has a pretty good idea about how the
January talks might go. This means we know
more or less if we have contracts and how
many.
What qualities are important to
you in dancers you hire?
Something that could be better,
that disappoints you, or makes you
angry about the whole "audition"
process?
The audition process is hard for both the dancer
as well as for the company holding the audition.
Big decisions must be made within a short
amount of time and not all dancers are good at
taking the pressure of the audition process. I try
to be as human as possible to see the real person,
not just the dancer, but the process is in the
end for both sides nerve wracking and exhausting.
I don't have an answer, but am open for all
suggestions!
When would you say is the best time
to be contacted for an audition?
Besides the obvious dance talent, I look for dancers
who are intelligent, focused, have social
skills within a group, are team players and have
One thing you wish you could tell
everyone before they come?
In Germany the best to time to send in applications
is from September until end of
January.
What qualities are important to
you in dancers you hire?
a healthy sense of ambition.
What could be better about the
E-mails, CV's, photos and other
materials you receive from dancers
wishing to audition?
Before you come and spend all that money and
time, think hard and investigate well the place
you are auditioning for. Pink tights for a contemporary
company and the grunge look for a
classical company is just plain stupid, even if
you're not. Do the homework!
Personality, technical skills, creativity, good proportions
and good general education, a well
formulated intention as to why they would like
to join the company and why they dance!
The method is good. Dancers must be aware
though of what we see when we open all this
material. The first impression is very important
and everything must be easy to read and to
What could be better about the
E-mails, CV's, photos and other
materials you receive from dancers
wishing to audition?
open. Most importantly for me is the cover letter
of the mail. A certain amount of professional
correctness goes a long way.
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