Dance Department Admission
An audition is required to be considered for admission to the Dance program at Cornish College of the Arts. The audition gauges your potential for success in the Dance Program. Previous dance training is required for admission.
The information on this page is also available in PDF format.
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, you are encouraged to audition in person. If you cannot, you may audition by DVD.
On-Campus auditions for Fall 2013 will take place on February 18, 2013 and March 26, 2013.
Regional Auditions will be held in the following cities:
- Riverside, CA - March 3, 2013 at Riverside CC
- San Francisco, CA - March 17, 2013 at ODC Dance Commons
In addition, faculty will be traveling and offering master classes at selected schools in the following cities:
- Interlochen
- Minneapolis
- Dallas
- Houston
- Miami
- Denver
- Los Angeles
- Riverside
- San Francisco
Early Auditions and Open House
For those students who would prefer to audition early the Dance Department hosts Early Auditions on November 15, 2012 and a Dance Department Open House on November 16, 2012.
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.
DVD Auditions/Online 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 send in a DVD audition or post your audition online no later than February 1.
Guidelines
- Your audition material should be 10–20 minutes long.
- It should demonstrate your technical level and ability in ballet and modern dance.
- If possible, you should be filmed 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 the 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 recording 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.
If you choose to audition by DVD two letters of recommendation are required, one of which must be from a current dance instructor. These letters should accompany your DVD (sealed in envelopes and signed on the outside by the person who wrote the recommendation), or your references may send the letters directly to the Office of Admission.
