Hello…first time poster here. My daughter would like to go to college for either Musical theater or Dance, preferably Musical theater. However, she is an ok singer, but a very good dancer. In a nutshell, she would be classified as a Dancer that can sing (instead of a singer that can dance…still not sure which is considered better?) anyway, is it possible to audition at a college for BOTH to see which you can get accepted? do they allow that?
The short answer is that at some schools, you can apply to two separate programs (and do two auditions) and at some schools, you cannot. You would have to find out for each college. However, your daughter could have a college list consisting of about half MT schools and half Dance schools, as another way to go about it.
If you read theough various threads (which I strongly recommend!) you will find that lots if kids are looking at more than one type of program. For some (like mine) they are between mt and acting, or mt and vp, or mt and dance.
In a nutshell, “yes” it is possible. How much dance training does she have? How about acting and singing? Check each school your daughter is interested in. For many schools the Dance program and the MT program are in separate “schools” and they take separate applications, fees and auditions. For some, once you are accepted for one, you are no longer being considered for the other. That said, there are also many programs that allow you to apply to both simultaneously and some will even bend over backwards to allow you to do MT audition and Dance audition in same visit, or allow video audition for one and in-person for the other.
Also check the curriculum for each. Many Dance programs offer a “Broadway” component - including voice and acting lessons/classes for dancers - and others do not. Some MT programs train “triple threats” (sing/dance/act equally) while others focus on one or two of those aspects. At some schools students in any major can audition for all shows - whether a musical, play or dance concert - and others only allow “majors” in the specific shows. My S has extensive dance background (ballet, jazz, tap, MT) and is an MT BFA major at Wright State (acting is a strength in the MT program, but all aspects are taught and a student can seek out more of what interests him/her). At WSU Dance and Theater are in the same school and “crossover” is relatively easy. He will be able to take Dance major classes as a sophomore (and beyond) in place of MT dance classes (schedule permitting) and could conceivably be in dance concerts (although it’s unlikely because of overlapping rehearsal schedules). At UMich this would have been impossible due to scheduling conflicts (They are also a school that requires completely separate applications/auditions/fees to do both). At Indiana University, the classical dance department is in the School of Music, while contemporary/jazz dance recently moved into the Theater school, but any major can audition to be in any show, including operas. In some MT BFA programs you can be an MT major with a Dance minor (or “certificate”, which I believe is how IU does it). There is probably more flexibility in BA programs (both dance and MT), but there are a few BFA double major opportunities out there. Unfortunately, in these programs there is a lot of variability from one school to another, and in some instances things are changing rapidly from year to year. Sorry to not be more specific. Perhaps others will have better insights.
One suggestion, because it is the school I know best - OCU has great programs in both dance and MT with many working alums. They are separate auditions. And entirely different curriculums although MTs do take dance with dance majors if that is their level. MTs must take a lot of music classes which she may not like. Dance majors can take voice lessons but are not in studios with MTs. If she is a strong dancer I would suggest finding programs with leveled dance. She doesn’t want to be in a beginning ballet class if she’s had years of training.
Oops - I neglected to say dance majors can audition for all shows and are frequently cast and MTs frequently appear in the dance school’s choreo show. So although they are in different schools they work well together.
Roosevelt and Otterbein both offer Musical Theatre with Dance Concentration programs that may be a good fit. Boston Conservatory is a dance-intensive program. Western Michigan requires 22 hours of dance in their MT curriculum, but you have to get through the acting/singing portion of the audition to qualify for the dance call.
My opinion, if your daughter is an “ok” singer like you said, she may not get accepted into BFA programs that are extremely selective. my D’s friend is about the same…ok singer and great dancer. She is always put in the ensemble for shows she auditions for , as a dancer. She’s ok with that but I guess it’s all about what your D wants to end up doing. I have always felt if my D was not the strong singer that she is, I would not be encouraging her to major in MT in a BFA program. It’s just way too hard and competitive and she will be up against girls that can belt it out. If your D does decide on MT, I would immediately put her in voice lessons.
I do happen to know someone who is a dancer above everything, and she attended Michigan. However, I echo what theaterwork said and would like to add to audition for a mix of programs. My perception of what I wanted in a school shifted a little throughout the audition process, so it could be really beneficial to audition for both MT and Dance programs in case your daughter changes what she wants throughout the process.
Roosevelt/CCPA has two MT tracks, one is Voice Emphasis and the other is Dance Emphasis, with the latter being newer. The facilities for the dance program are new and amazing and Jane Lanier, who heads the department, is a terrific teacher and dancer who really loves working with her students. Kids have gone from the program right into national tours and onto Broadway.
The requirements for students are as follows:
Students interested in the Dance Emphasis track should already have a strong dance background and be at an intermediate to advanced level of Ballet and Jazz technique. Applicants to this program should be individuals interested in furthering their Dance training while acquiring training in Acting and Vocal Performance.
Thanks for all the great responses so far! I want to answer a few of your questions because I am so appreciative of any advice you all have and will give as I begin this process! @mom4bwayboy, my daughter has been dancing since she was 2 and has been singing and acting since she was 6. @theaterwork , my daughter is in voice lessons already. She has been cast as leads in musicals in her school and has performed professionally in NYC and regional theater. But I am pretty critical and a realist and dance is definitely her strength…lol. She wants MT as her major, I am the one stressing that since she is a very strong dancer that she should audition for dance as a safety net. I want her to have options on where to go. I have been reading these boards all year and can see how competitive the audition process is so I am trying to be a realist about the whole thing , whether it sounds harsh or not…if this is the life she wants, I support her, but will be brutally honest with her. I don’t sugarcoat things much, but I am 100% behind her! I love the idea of MT with a dance emphasis major that @Mezzo’sMama and @EmsDad suggested. anyone have any info on Pace or Manhattan Marymount for dance vs. MT audition process and if you can audition for both?
Sorry @DVCmember I didn’t mean to imply your d wasn’t talented enough to get in a program. If she’s already worked professionally then it shouldn’t be a problem for sure. it sounded like from your original post that she wasn’t a strong singer so that’s why I thought she wasn’t already in voice.
Oh no, @theaterwork, please don’t apologize …if it came across that I took it that way, I didn’t. I just realize that no matter how talented any kid is…there is a LOT of talented kids out there. and like I said, I don’t sugarcoat things for my daughter and I truly believe she is a much better dancer then singer, and am concerned with her auditioning for MT with kids that strength is their singing. A lot of the audition stories about MT seemed to imply that it was singing at the audition, not dancing too…or if it was dancing, it wasn’t particularly intense. Like I said, Im just getting started in this process, so will be asking a lot of questions from all of you and look forward to all of your advice!
@DVCmember , we are in same boat, just turned around. My D is strong singer that can dance ! LOL. My D always feels inferior in the dance stuff. She attends an arts h school & gets dance several times a wk but hasn’t been dancing very long, only a few yrs of tap in middle school and some summer stuff where she was in shows that she danced in. She is taking dance this summer, some classes to play catch up. She really has to work at picking up the combos… I think your D should do what others suggest and audition for both types of programs and then see what offers she ends up getting. I am with you,no sugarcoating! I know some auditions stress the singing and that is the first thing they do , but then some stress dance also…so much variance…so crazy!! I have been told Point Park is heavy on dance and we know someone going there in the fall. My D’s dance teacher also went there but i think she just was a dance major alone. Also I have heard Univ of the Arts is dance heavy but not sure if that is true.
@DVCmember My D is definitely stronger dancer also. I am also a realist as you are and know she does not compare vocally to others who would be auditioning.She is a legit soprano not belter,working on it though. So Top tier programs probably would not work for my D ,I am interested in your post to hear which programs she would have a better shot at.Thanks for asking this.
Find dance performance programs that include acting and voice as part of their curriculum. This is an interesting article:
http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/5/18/the-10-best-dance-colleges-in-the-country
Any suggestions for schools if she doesnt want to have dance as her main component but not the strongest singer out there? She is dead set on a MT program… Less competitive schools?
CCPA Roosevelt has a dance-focused MT track that is, I believe, a bit easier to get into than the voice track. (It’s relatively new, so I think the pool was smaller at least for the first couple of years and maybe still is). It’s not cheap, though.
Dance Magazine puts out a yearly college edition that lists all the dance programs, their emphases, types of dance taught, etc. This would give a good idea of how much is available in “broadway” styles of dance at a particular school. If “tap” is listed, there’s a fair chance that they have a decent MT emphasis.
@Joyfulmama is the reason you think your daughter isn’t as good a singer that she is a legit soprano? Just asking because in my experience at least you can certainly be successful auditioning for MT schools as a legit soprano. After all, if you are going to learn vocal technique in college, belting can be part of it, if desired.