Dance calls

My daughter is a junior, and we are realizing that now is the time to get organized so we can handle the upcoming year. She is equal singer/actor, and while she is perfectly capable of dancing once she learns the steps, it is not her strongest aptitude. She didn’t have formal training until this year at her PA high school where modern dance is incorporated in the curriculum.

My question is regarding the dance calls. What types of dance are typically included in the audition process? Is tap a necessity to be able to showcase? I think she can handle herself fine in anything other than tap, and we’re wondering if we shouldn’t try to get her into some tap classes prior to the fall. Thanks so much for any information you can provide!

Tap is not required.

The dance calls always include across-the-floor jazz combinations. Some include basic ballet positions, and some include ballet combinations. Many programs use routines from their recent shows, or at least primary combinations from recent shows.

At a minimum, it really helps to know basic terminology, positions, and combinations for ballet and jazz.

Across the floor isn’t done by every school, at least not last year (the most recent “info” any of us have), and some schools build ballet technique into the jazz combo but don’t do anything that is separate from that for ballet. Like EmsDad says, tap has never yet been required, but advanced tappers have a chance to show their stuff in some auditions (not all). It’s great that your D has some dance training - and the more you can add now, the better, b/c being a girl who’s a strong dancer in addition to being a strong singer-actor significantly increases her chances of admission in an extremely competitive and crowded audition pool. Junior year is SKILL BUILDING MANIA, as I tell all of my students!!

My d has not mentioned ‘across the floor’ in any of her dance calls (she has done NYU, Pace and UM thus far). She mentioned UM did ballet/barre. They all did a jazz/Mt like routine that they had sufficient enough time to learn with the teacher (and/or current students), then they made them do it in small groups. My d is not a dancer (more a mover who sings and acts) and for the most part, felt she had enough time to get the routine down.

I think the jazz combos D has been doing would be considered “across the floor” combinations. Some have incorporated elements of ballet and one (Penn State) incorporated tap elements (sans a shoe change). It’s been all over the board. D is a mover, too but I am thankful she spent time learning basic positions and terminology. I agree with @CoachC - building dance skills can only help.