<p>My DD has been auditioning for BFA programs. She has an athletic body type which is,more more the body type. of a modern dancer. Unfortunately, she has been rejected from some of the major dance colleges and I wonder if her body type has something to do with it? She is devastated.. </p>
<p>We’ve had the same experience, same factors. My DD has been dancing for 14 years – ballet, modern, jazz – so I’m guessing body type plays a role. On the up side - she is accepted into four excellent dance depts for the BA / Dance programs; three required auditions, and the fourth (which doesn’t) offered a generous dance scholarship. Don’t be discouraged. </p>
<p>@gr8fulmom I would be interested to hear which schools your daughter applied too and was accepted. My DD is a junior and we are just getting started with the process. I would love to add some schools to our list that might look at dancers other than those with a typical ballerina build.</p>
<p>I know when some from our studio were auditioning the ones with the more “ballet” type body were accepted into Oklahoma City and Point Park. The ones that were more athletic but in my mind and the opinion of many others, the more technically proficient were not accepted into either of those schools which so surprised us. The parents of these dancers told us that one of the first things they do at these auditions is weigh the dancer. They don’t want someone too small or too large. They also want the dancer to stay a few pounds within that weight. It is such a competitive industry of that I am very much aware. My DD is more of the athletic type, she had danced for 15 years prior to starting her auditions. She did not want the pressure of OKCU or PP and never chose to audition at either. She is very happy at Slippery Rock University and has excelled there. She chose their because they were more focused on ballet and modern. Those were her “weaknesses” or not her strong points. She wanted more training in those areas. She does very well at tap, jazz and musical theatre but wanted additional emphasis on modern and ballet which she has received and has been exceptionally happy there.</p>
<p>I think you are a bit out of date with the weighing at auditions. This has not been done in several years, although it was done as recently as 10 years ago at at least one ballet focused BFA program that I know of. In 2011 my daughter auditioned for several of the top ballet focused programs and no weighing was done at auditions. That’s not to say that body type isn’t considered-- just that the auditiors can see the dancers and determine whether they fall within the parameters they are looking for without putting them on a scale. </p>
<p>I have seen a variety of body types in the dancers in the programs my daughter auditioned for and attended, from short and muscular to tall and willowy, and vice versa. What the dancers do have in common is the physical facility and pretty solid technique. And dancers with all the facility and training and line are rejected from the same programs. I think the thing that resonated with me most was the comment by the representative from Juilliard, who said, “we can’t really say what we’re looking for, outside of facility and training. The faculty is looking for people who interest them, who they want to teach. They are drawn to certain dancers and not to others, and they choose the ones they are drawn to.”. I believe this is true of most BFA programs… On that day, in that room, particular dancers stood out, and others did not. They aren’t looking for reasons to reject people, so much as reasons to accept them. Fortunately for my dancer, and I am sure for yours as well, there will be days and people for whom they stand out and are selected. Other days and people, not so much. All they can do is get the best training possible, be as prepared and fit as they can be at the audition, and trust the process. There will be disappointments for most; it’s dance after all, but in the end they will end up with information about themselves and hopefully in a program that can develop their talents to the next level. </p>
<p>Recognizing that when applying to selective audition programs, the chances are you’ll receive a lot of rejections, it’s a good idea to cast a wide net and choose backups appropriately. Some apply to a few non audition programs. My dancer didn’t want that, so applied to a range of schools that interested her academically because she felt that if she couldn’t get into a selective BFA program it didn’t bode well for eventual employability as a dancer and she would take a different path at that point. It’s a very individual path, and my point is just that your kid should pick a back up plan that works for them. For some that will be non audition program, for some that will be a gap year of rigorous dance training and reauditioning, for some that will be turning to other interests and career goals and putting dance in a supporting role in their lives. </p>
<p>Good luck to all of your dancers waiting to hear.</p>
<p>OCU measured my daugthter’s ht and wt when she auditioned this year (2014). They gave her a recommended wt range. The range was fairly large and she was told to stay were she is currently. This was the only school that took these measurements of the 4 schools where she auditioned.</p>
<p>Do you happen to know what the weight range was? Just to plan for a possible future audition there …</p>
<p>It was a formula; 100lbs for 1st 5 feet, then 5lbs per inch above 5ft. It had something to do with a Rockette body type. I don’t have the letter in front of me, but there was a ± range as well.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, very helpful !</p>
<p>I would urge my daughter to flat out refuse a weigh in. Unbelievable in this day and age.</p>
<p>I think that individual movement quality is what makes dancers interesting and that cannot be learned. And it does not depend on weight or body type, or shouldn’t.</p>
<p>Here’s a great article from Slate.com about Misty Copeland of the ABT and her non-conforming body type:
<a href=“Misty Copeland: The ABT ballerina has a new Under Armour ad and is amazing.”>http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/08/05/misty_copeland_the_abt_ballerina_has_a_new_under_armour_ad_and_is_amazing.html</a></p>
<p>I have heard other Moms of Dancers who auditioned this year that both OCU and Point Park both weighed you prior to audition. It was both for those who tended to be overweight and those who might be underweight. They wanted to maintain the dancer within a range - but there was not much leeway. There are articles on PPU’s “Dean’s List” that the dean will talk to you if your weight fluctuates more than a few pounds and that they weigh you fairly often. I read the articles and am just reporting what I did read. This was a couple of years ago when my DD was still looking at colleges but I believe from a dance I know there it is still being done.</p>
<p>I auditioned for PPU off campus in NYC this past year and they didn’t weigh anyone.</p>
<p>My D auditioned in October at PPU and there was no talk of weight at all. </p>