Auditioning and Casting Dancers
Here are some questions you can ask yourself about a particular dancer:
- Did she take direction well?
- Was she able to sequence the steps together in the phrase?
- How was her overall attitude?
- How was her technique?
- Can I work with her limitations?
Personally, I find the attitude of the dancer one of the most important aspects in selection. I would rather have a technically adept but not gifted dancer with a good attitude who is willing to work hard than a technically gifted dancer with a bad attitude. I feel that you'll be running a long, uphill battle with the bad attitude dancer and I am not willing to run that race for the sake of skilled technique. Besides, if you are a good choreographer, your dancers will grow technically simply by the virtue of working with you.
In my recent Dracula audition, an auditioner with technical abilities was dancing next to another dancer with less skill. The technical dancer never stopped talking. She talked and talked, before, during, and after the audition. She even began talking to me again in the theater lobby as I was attending to other matters and was clearly not at liberty to have a conversation. I knew I could not work with such a person, despite her technical abilities. I found her behavior to be unprofessional and sadly, when you have so little time with someone, you must make these quick judgements.
I decided to cast the dancer I described as having "less skill." She took direction well, she continued dancing after making an error (a big plus for me), and overall seemed enthusiastic without being unprofessional. Her skill limitations are more than compensated for by her great attitude. I know already that I made the right decision for after only 2 rehearsals I see improvement.
I am sure some choreographers would disagree with me regarding the balance between attitude and technique. I am working at the community theater level here, though, not casting for Alvin Ailey. I still think that many of my points would be valid in the professional world for no one wants to work with a diva. I am also a firm believer in giving worthy people a chance to shine, even if they are not yet at the pinnacle of their craft. Who knows...you might discover someone wonderful.
For more audition ideas or specific improvisational activities, feel free to e-mail me. I'd love to help you get the right start
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