<p>im approaching the end of my junior year and i need to decide if i want to do musical theater in college or acting or maybe even both. the reason why im not set on doing musical theater is because im not a strong dancer, and the reason why im not set on doing acting is because i dont want to completely stop singing. i was considering that i could do both...meaning audition for NYU for acting and Emerson for musical theater.....for example.</p>
<p>thoughts? comments? advice?</p>
<p>i know there are some BFA acting programs where they incorporate music like NCSA, do and of you happen to know of any more colleges like that?</p>
<p>Many schools’ Acting and MT programs are very closely linked. Examples I can think of off the top of my head right now are Webster and Otterbein, but I know the list goes on. The same voice and even dance classes are open to both Acting and MT majors. This is true in many places, so I’m sure that with a little more research you’ll be able to come up with a lot of schools whose programs are blended like that.</p>
<p>Syracuse offers both. If you’re an acting BFA, you can take dance classes and voice lessons AND get cast in the musicals. There are several levels of dance for MT BFAs – so those will less experience get placed in level 1 – those with the most, all the way up to level 4. Plus the MTs get the greatest acting training. (And MTs get cast in straight dramatic plays). So you might want to take a look at this program.</p>
<p>Take a look at University of the Arts. The BFA MT program emphasizes acting and the acting and MT students take the same core acting studio classes together for the first 3 years. Also, acting and MT students all audition for the same shows - both straight dramas and musicals. Acting students can also audition for a MT minor which includes dance and voice.</p>
<p>Many people audition for some MT programs and some Acting programs so don’t be afraid to audition for MT because you aren’t a strong dancer. First, as a Junior, you have some time to work on that. Second, it IS possible to get into MT programs even if you are weak in that area but trainable although it is definitely easier if you are male. Of the two schools you mentioned, NYU and Emerson, you might consider reversing the programs you are planning to audition for. </p>
<p>Auditioning for MT at NYU means you can also be considered for all of the Acting studios as well. This was my S’s thinking. He is not a dancer but a very strong singer/actor. And he DID end up getting into the New Studio on Broadway for MT even though he isn’t a triple threat. But he chose to audition MT because he can really sing and this gave them another part of him to consider, his strongest, and if they didn’t think he was MT material, well, he would probably have a better shot at placement in an Acting studio and there would still be plenty of opportunity for MT. </p>
<p>But Auditioning for Emerson MT, means you WON’T be considered for Acting and the dancers at the NYU audition were all talking about how hard the Emerson dance call was. Emerson has other opportunities for you to be involved in Musical Theatre outside of class so you may have a better shot getting in for Acting. What you have to weigh for Emerson is whether your chances are better presenting a solid Acting audition or presenting solid Acting/Singing components and weaker Dance. Really that is what you are weighing for all the programs you choose to apply to. </p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>One thing I will disagree with in the post above (the rest is spot on)…is that the Emerson dance audition is the easiest I have ever heard of, not the hardest! It was ridiculous according to my D when she auditioned there. She said anyone could do it, even if not trained in dance. In the years since, I have heard this from many others. It was the easiest dance audition of all the schools she danced at by far.</p>
<p>It might be a good idea also to think about what kind of work you want to do in the future as you consider your program focus. “Pure” musical theatre turns out for so many to be a young person’s line of work. Being able to move into acting roles when song and dance don’t fit your age, and stage work doesn’t support your budget can be a pragmatic concern. Most schools that offer strong acting BFA programs need to be aware that their graduates shouldn’t miss opportunities to audition for singing parts, too. MT programs that aren’t primarily educating actors may not be preparing their graduates for the widest possible range of jobs. S auditioned for a mix of MT and Acting programs in 2007 because he wanted to be sure he would be able to act when he graduated; the MT programs were known for having a strong acting focus and the Acting programs had turned out singing actors, whether they had a specific music focus in their programs or not. You can get a pretty good sense of programmatic focus by looking a curriculum, especially if actors and MT students take many of the same classes. In acting-only schools, look to see if they produce musicals and provide access to voice lessons, dance, etc. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>soozievt, I said that to my S, too, about Emerson’s reputation of having the easiest dance call. And he said that at the NYU audition the last week of Feb, the kids were saying it was the hardest, and they were dancers. IDK maybe this year it was tougher. Hopefully someone who actually did it this year will post and will be able to give better insight. I was just passing on what my S heard as the other kids talked about the different programs they had already auditioned for. He was particularly interested in hearing about Emerson because he had decided to audition for the BA instead.</p>
<p>sandkmom, yeah, would have to hear what this year’s auditionees at Emerson have to say. One of my students was admitted to Emerson for the BFA in MT and he is not a dancer. He is not planning to go there.</p>
<p>Andrews- one other suggestion is that since you are still a junior in high school, you might want to spend the time between now and college auditions strengthening your dance. That way, you have the option to audition for MT with a little more confidence. You would be surprised how much better you can become in such a short time. While you will not become a “prima ballerina” you do have time to learn terminology, and get the basics down. While most MT auditions include dance, many schools just want to see how well you pick things up and what your attitude is while dancing. No matter what happens during a dance audition, SMILE and keep going!!! (My daughter auditioned for UCLA this year. While she is a good dancer, she went up for a kick and came down smack on her rear end. She got up immediatedly, kept smiling and kept going. Later the istructor made a comment that dancers fall on stage all the time but the key is to keep going like nothing happened. She was just accepted as a transfer student to UCLA -the only transfer accepted- although she will be attending elsewhere.)
You can find great dance classes at community colleges over the summer as well as at private studios. If you decide later to only audition for acting programs, you will not have lost anything. Good luck!</p>
<p>P.S.- when m y D auditioned for Emerson in "08, she also thought it was the easiest audition she did anywhere- I remember she said something like “the dance audition was basically just to see if you could stand up without falling over”. At least one of her friends who auditioned this year and was accepted also thought it was ridiculously easy so I don’t know if maybe it depends on where you do your audition???- D was in LA. Anyway, there are definitely MT programs where the dance audition is not as demanding as other programs.</p>