Ballet shoes on point – tick. My dance resume and photo – tick. Bottle of water – tick. Hairspray and bobby pins – tick. Eight hours of sleep – tick. Am I finally ready for my dance audition? If you are a dancer, I am sure that you are familiar with the above-mentioned . But do you know how important each of these steps is?
Proper Sleep and Nourishment
First things first, even if you have butterflies in your stomach, make sure you don’t skip breakfast. If you have auditioned before, you are already familiar with the pressure that comes with dance competitions and how exciting, yet stressful the whole experience can be. Therefore you need nutrients to fuel your body so that it’s strong and your mind focused on the real challenges (like how to nail your dance moves). A breakfast consisting of Greek yogurt, oatmeal and berries is a great option because they are all low glycemic index foods. Eggs are full of proteins and bananas are a good source of potassium and magnesium which can help you minimize muscle cramps. Have a glass of milk or orange juice but avoid caffeine and alcohol as these are two of the biggest performance busters.
Getting the right amount of sleep is also important for staying focused and feeling energized. If you are too excited to fall asleep, a few tips such as turning the light out and
Dress the Part
If you are not dressed comfortably and appropriately, how can you give your best performance? That being said, tight-fitting dance attire has been specially designed to support your body and show your physique. That’s because judges would like to see your technique and how you physically tackle your dance choreography.
If you’re auditioning for a ballet conservatory, it is important to look the part. Dress in appropriate ballet dance attire and put your hair in a bun. What this means is wearing a pair of well-fitting tights, a tasteful leotard and a pair of clean pointe shoes. Competing leotards provide the comfort you need while performing and make sure you are appropriately covered, while ballet shoes (leather, satin or canvas) assist you with your technique and alignment. When choosing the right pair, make sure they’re the perfect fit so that you don’t risk tripping.
On the other hand, if you are auditioning for a hip-hop video, you can wear your hair down and your attire can be a bit trendier, relaxed and show more of your personality.
For jazz auditions, you can wear full-length leggings, a well-fitted leotard, and a quality T-shirt to tie it all together. Secure your hair in a neat ponytail. As for the shoes, jazz shoes are quite similar to the ballet slippers only that they have a small heel on the back. They help you to move freely across the floor with just the right amount of grip to enable your confident moves. When shopping for a pair you can come up to models with full and split soles. Again it’s all about your personal preference.
Stock Your Dance Bag with Essentials
Smudged makeup or a messy bun? No problem as long as you carry a few essential items so you can do a touch up when needed. These help you be better prepared in case of small accidents.
While waiting for your turn, you might get sweaty or smudge you makeup by accident, so it’s always good to have a few makeup items in your bag. Pack a makeup remover pen that is perfect for touch-ups, matte lipstick, and a foundation so that you can lightly dab a small quantity of it on your face with a sponge. Bring hair spray and bobby pins to secure your hairstyle. To be able to check your makeup and do touch-ups, you will obviously need a mirror. A small lighted mirror that can easily fit into your makeup bag would be perfect.
Apart from looking flawless, you’ll also want to smell heavenly the whole time so pack deodorant and a small perfume in your bag too.
An important part of giving your best performance on the audition day is proper hydration so make sure you bring a bottle of water in your bag. Waiting for your turn can make you feel hungry and you’ll surely need all the energy you can get, so pack energy bars and one or two bananas.
Believe in Your Talent and Your Uniqueness
You probably have been preparing and rehearsing your choreography many times before the big day. Now that it’s finally here, it’s time to relax and focus your mind. When you walk on the stage, it’s all about confidence and believing in yourself, your technique, and your skills – after all, if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will.
