<p>This is probably going to be an unusual topic, but I shall make it anyway. I am currently going into my senior year of high school. I've had the theater bug since I was about 8 years old, and I decided last year that I wanted to pursue musical theater as a career. I hate to brag about myself but I'd like that I'm a very strong tenor and a good actor.</p>
<p>BUUTTTTT...the problem. I cannot dance to save my life. I'm one of the worst in my schools drama club. I'm awkward and pretty slow to pick up steps. Last year in my schools spring musical, I ended up having to perform 2 dances with one partner and no one else on stage. I was told that I did well in that, which gave me a bit more confidence, but not a whole lot.</p>
<p>So, here are my questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>I've been told that dance is generally the least important component on a college audition. Will it be possible for me to have dance be somewhat weak if my song and monologue are strong enough?</li>
<li>Will I be able to pick up dance at a beginner level in any MT program, or will they expect me to be somewhat trained?</li>
<li>To make a long story short, dance lessons are not really a possibility right now. Is there any other way I can improve on my own?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for the help with my somewhat strange conundrum :)</p>
<p>Hi TRS- Unfortunately I would not agree that dance is the least important part of the audition. However it is only one of the 3 parts, so if you do very well in the voice and acting portions, it could still get you by. That being said, auditions are becoming increasingly competitive with the popularity of Glee, The Voice, etc., etc. so the more you have to offer the better your chances. You said dance lessons are not an option right now, but you could really use some basic ballet, at least so you know the terminology and some basic moves when you audition. If cost is a factor, you might look to see if your local Comm. College offers any classes, or even your community center if you have one. As a last resort, there are some “learn to dance” type DVD’s available and some of them are not too bad. You would not get any feedback on what you need to work on with a DVD, but it would certainly be better than nothing. If you can find something with basic ballet, I would definitely start with that since it is the basis for most dance. Some modern or jazz would be helpful too. If at all possible, practice in front of a mirror, but if that is not available dance anyway. If you review the posts on this forum, you will find there are some good programs that are non-audition programs. There are also a few audition programs that don’t audition for dance, so these may be options for you also. Just be sure to review this forum thoroughly to get an idea of what you will need to prepare for. I have no doubt that you can learn to dance if you start at a beginner level in an MT program, but the more basics you can nail down now, the better. Good luck!</p>
<p>When my D and I were touring James Madison this year, we had the honor of meeting with some of the students. One of the young men in the MT program said he had virtually no dance prior to auditioning at the school. He started taking dance at the beginner level as soon as he was at JMU. </p>
<p>I wish you the best! Maybe we’ll run into you at auditions this year somewhere!</p>
<p>Dance is probably the second most important aspect of a BFA MT acceptance. It’s not impossible to be accepted if your acting and singing is significantly stronger than the audition pool. A candidate with better dance skills will have a leg up.</p>
<p>TRS - MT is a three ring circus with singing, acting all major components. This was not always the case - it is very much the case in today’s market. If you are serious about MT you need to find a way to get into some dance classes. If there are no dance classes to be had in your area then get into a yoga or martial arts class - anything to get in touch with your body so you become aware of where you are in space and which foot is actually your left. If you are a very good singer and actor most schools will let you in if you at least show a bit of potential as a mover. Now is the time to improve - you need to get to it! Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>As noted by many of the above posters, dance or at least the ability to move is generally an important aspect of the admissions process and anything that you can do to enhance your dance abilities will benefit you and make you more competitive. Your post, however, illustrates the importance of putting together a carefully thought out list of schools where what you bring to the table is ahold match for what the schools are looking for during the admissions process. The extent to which schools consider and weight dance for admissions purposes does vary. There are some schools that have very intensive dance components in the audition process and the school is looking for a " triple threat". There are other schools where the dance portion is very simplistic and dance is not weighed nearly as much as acting and voice. There are some schools where there is no dance component at all. (When my daughter was auditioning, Syracuse, Emerson, and Ithaca were examples of these different approaches in that order. This was several years ago, so I would check their websites and speak to their departments to find out if things have changed with these particular schools.) So, yes, try your best to get some dance and movement experience. But also research schools carefully to find schools to which your skills, abilities and experience are a good match for audition purposes.</p>