If you have never conducted an audition before, it's important to prepare yourself for the possible parade of dancers you will meet. Yes, the dancers will come to you ready to impress, but the way you are perceived is also of utmost importance. You must present a professional demeanor and exude confidence, even if you aren't feeling so confident. The choreographer-dancer relationship is a delicate one. The dancers will represent you on stage -- their execution of your work will show the audience who you are and what you are capable of as a choreographer. On the flip side, the dancer will count on you for guidance and direction. Your skills as a teacher and a director will have a drastic impact on the dancer's performance as well as her experience as a whole during the project.
I suggest using at least one improvisational exercise in the audition. I find that this is a great way to determine if your dancer is a thinker and a problem solver. These are important qualities to me as a choreographer. Improv also allows you to see different dancers interacting with each other, thus giving you opportunity to determine who may work well together. For the Dracula audition, I played very abstract music and guided the dancers through a four minute improv involving an awakening from a small, contained space all the way through a contact improvisation activity. Improv activities can be tailored to suit the individual project.
The next activity I suggest is a pre-choreographed movement phrase (no more than 32 counts) in the style in which the project will be choreographed. You need to see if the auditioning dancers can do what you need them to do for your project to be successful. If you have 50 dancers auditioning for 10 parts, chances are you will find dancers specific to your needs. If, on the other hand, you have 5 slots to fill and only 10 dancers auditioning, things can become more difficult. Also, besides technical ability, it is also important to feel that you can work with the dancer. By this, I refer to personality types, work ethic, and other expectations and abilities related to the rehearsal and performance period of a project. So even if you find your ten dancers who technically fit your desires, you better make sure you can work with them all. It is sometimes hard to know this for certain until the rehearsals begin, but there are some things you can see from the audition.
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