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Audition Instructions

Dance Department

The information on this page is also available in PDF format.
(Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Dance Department Admission

An audition is required to be considered for admission to the Dance Department at Cornish College of the Arts. The audition gauges your potential for success in the Dance Department. Previous dance training is required for admission; provisional acceptance, however, may be given in the event that an applicant appears particularly talented and motivated but lacks sufficient training.

When and Where to Audition

We offer auditions on campus and in several locations around the country. Due to the popularity of the Dance program at Cornish and the limited number of spaces available for new students each year, students considering the program are encouraged to audition in person. For those who cannot, you can audition by videotape. You are encouraged to schedule your audition or send your videotape as early as possible and no later than March 15.

All on-campus auditions take place in the Cornish Dance studios located in Kerry Hall. On-campus auditions are typically available once a month, December through March. Off-campus auditions are held at various times during the year, typically in these locations: Interlochen (MI), Minneapolis, Las Vegas, southern California and San Francisco.

The complete on and off campus audition schedule is available from the Office of Admissions or here online.

The Audition

• You will participate in both a ballet and a modern technique class at an intermediate level.
• You will be observed and evaluated by a member of the Dance Faculty on the basis of previous technical training, alignment, core support, expressive phrasing, and individual artistic potential.
• For audition classes you should wear a form-fitting leotard and tights. For ballet classes, wear soft ballet shoes (no pointe work is required). For modern classes, be prepared to dance with bare feet.
• On-campus auditions may also include a short interview discussing your training, experience, goals, and interest in Cornish. Transfer credits can also be discussed at this time.

Videotape Auditions

The Dance Faculty strongly encourages you to make every effort to audition in person. It is to your benefit. However, if distance prevents you from auditioning in person, you may mail a videotaped audition to:

Admissions Office
Cornish College of the Arts
1000 Lenora Street
Seattle, WA 98121

Please follow the guidelines listed below:

• Submit an American VHS or DVD format videotape; European PAL format video is not acceptable. Your video should be 10-20 minutes long. It should demonstrate your technical level and ability in ballet and modern dance.
• If possible, you should be videotaped in your current dance class. The recorded image should show your entire body.
• The ballet portion should be 5-10 minutes in length. Please perform several barre exercises (plies, tendus, ronds de jambes, développés, grand battements) and center floor combinations including adagio, pirouette, petit allegro and grand allegro. If possible, the camera should be focused on the side of your body during the barre in order to record alignment.
• The modern portion should be 5-10 minutes in length. Perform typical modern warm-up exercises demonstrating use of the spine; at least some of these exercises should be performed in a standing position. The tape should also include center and across the floor combinations that demonstrate use of space.
• If you have choreographic experience, you are invited to include samples of your choreography in addition to the ballet and modern exercises.
• You will be placed in technique levels for your first semester on the basis of this audition tape.
• Two letters of recommendation are required, if you choose to audition by videotape, one of which must be from a current dance instructor. These letters should accompany your videotape (sealed in envelopes and signed on the outside by the person who wrote the recommendation), or your references may send the letter directly to Admissions Office at Cornish College of the Arts.