<p>Has anyone gone through the process of auditioning at PACE University? (The video audition, and then the callback in NYC) I would love some insight on what they like to see, etc.
Also, how are the scholarships for students?</p>
<p>Thank you so much!! It is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Hey girl!! 
Allow me to help you out!! I’m a current sophomore in the BFA Commercial Dance Program at Pace!! As far as the pre screening goes (the pictures and video that you send in), they want to see clean technique in the picture. Look professional and make sure everything is placed properly in your arabesque shot. As far as the solo goes, submit something in your favorite style. Everyone in the program has their own personal favorite style or something that they enjoy doing, so perform your solo in that style. Most girls submit a contemporary solo or a jazz solo, whichever you prefer. After the pre screening process is done and you get to the NYC audition, it’s pretty similar to most other college auditions. You guys will do ballet combinations, jazz combinations, and then there is a hip hop and tap portion to the audition as well. You don’t need to be proficient in all of these styles, it’s just so that our faculty can see where you are with everything as a whole dancer. My one piece of advice, for both the audition and the video submission, would be to be yourself. They don’t want to see a “cookie cutter” type of dancer. They want to see YOU as a performer! So just be yourself. Translate who you are into your dance and you’ll be just fine. </p>
<p>Scholarships. Here we go. In my experience with Pace, they’ve been wonderful with financial aid and scholarships. Since we are primarily a performing arts school at Pace NYC, we do not offer talent scholarships at this time. There are, however, many many MANY academic scholarships that Pace grants to students! Pace also gives out grants each year that students do not have to pay back - I’ve received one every year I’ve been here! Every student that I’ve met and talked to about their own financial aid has been granted some sort of scholarship or grant. All of these really bring Pace down to a reasonable price. Make sure you file your FAFSA when the time comes. That will help you out a lot!! </p>
<p>Hope all of this helped!! :)</p>
<p>Thank you so much this helped so much! I have a few more questions. Would you mind answering them?
<p>I don’t mind answering them at all!! My solo that I auditioned for schools with was a contemporary solo, but it was more of a pretty lyrical solo. I liked it because it was refreshing and something new! I’ve been dancing since I was three- tap and jazz and then I added in the other styles as I got older! I am currently paying over $20,000 a year to go to school, but not much over that. My parents and I believe that an education is something worth investing in, so we feel what we’re paying isn’t outrageous and totally worth it. The training I’m getting and experiences that I’m having in the city are something that you can’t really put a price tag on. :)</p>
<p>Okay that’s not a bad price at all! I have a pretty good GPA so I hope that I can get scholarships and aid! I’m so nervous about the callback based on my video solo! Eeeekkkkk. I’m also so nervous about the audition! Would you say that the ballet portion (or any genres) of the audition is very challenging? I’m worried about being able to keep up with the combinations.</p>
<p>Can I pipe in with a question here? The upload list says a photo of first arabesque en’laire OR a video of a solo. Do you think our best bet would be a solo vs. the photo, in order to really show what my D can do? I’m wondering why there is an option.</p>
<p>Good good! The combinations are difficult enough to show off your technique and what you can do, but they’re not asking for fourteen turns! lol! I’m sure you’ll be just fine! Stay dedicated in your classes that your taking now and keep working hard!! I’m sure I’ll see you this winter!!</p>
<p>Berricre8v If I had to pick one over the other, I would choose the solo, but is there any way you can upload both?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all of this help! It means so much to me!</p>
<p>What would you suggest as training during high school leading up to a program like Pace? ie ballet 2-3x a week since age 5, pointe 1-2x a week, jazz 1-2x a week, modern/contemporary/lyrical 1-2x a week, hip hop and tap as interested, plus intensives and workshops as available?</p>
<p>Architectkc, I would recommend taking ballet at least three times a week. Pointe work is a plus and should be worked at least once or twice a week. Jazz should be at least three times a week. I highly recommend getting into stylized jazz ie Fosse, sassy (competition), etc… And yes, modern/contemporary/lyrical at least twice a week. Hip hop and tap should be worked too. Personally, I took tap twice a week and hip hop once a week. Intensives are always good too! Each dancer will be different in their training that they have when they come in to audition for Pace, but these are my recommendations. :)</p>
<p>I’m looking to transfer to pace, into their dance program, and i also have a few questions! Whats your average schedule? Dance Classes and rehearsals all day? Or is it less intense on technique classes?</p>
<p>What would you consider the skill level of accepted dancers, who are in the program, to be? Does everyone have triple pirouettes and amazing ballet technique? Or is the program a little less selective?</p>
<p>Can you double major even with the BFA program, i’m not sure if i want to, but do you know if it’s possible?</p>
<p>HelloThere4, </p>
<p>Hey!! So glad you’re interested in coming to Pace!!
An average schedule contains ballet Monday through Thursday and jazz Tuesday through Friday. Most students have electives like tap/theatre dance/ hip hop/ contemporary/ etc… either before or after these classes. Rehearsals have a scheduled time from 5-7 Monday through Thursday if you are called. This means you may have some nights off or you may have to be there every night. It just depends on the week’s schedule! Academic classes are worked around our dance schedule which means they are mostly in the mornings before you start your dance classes. Our program is in depth with technical training because technique is one of the building blocks of dance. All of the dancers in our program are highly skilled and most have been dancing since they were little. We all come from different backgrounds. Some of us are competition and convention kids, while others trained classically and performed the Nutcracker every winter. The program is getting more and more selective. This doesn’t mean you have to be able to do a triple pirouette to get in, but it means that they need to see potential in you when you audition. With the attention that the BFA requires, there is not time to double major, but you can work with the schedule so that you can declare a minor - which is what I did this semester. My minor is in Arts and Entertainment Management through the Lubin School of Business. It works amazingly with any BFA program at Pace! I hope this helped! If you have any more questions, please let me know!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info! It sounds like its a great program</p>
<p>Not a problem!! Hope you apply!!!</p>
<p>Hi all! Very happy to see this thread regarding our BFA in Commercial Dance. To elaborate on what ohiodancer5678 mentioned about scholarships, we actually DO offer talent awards in addition to merit awards through Pace. The bulk of scholarship (merit) awards does come from your academic admission. Based on your audition, however, we also award a limited amount of talent awards, usually in the low 1000s; we also award four large scholarships at the NYCDA College Day.</p>
<p>Thanks PacePerfArts! If the four potential students that were offered scholarships at NYCDA decide to go elsewhere, does that money go back into the pool of money awarded to students that audition at Pace?</p>
<p>Can you tell me the acceptance rate? How many dancers, on average, audition and how may get accepted into the Commercial Dance program?</p>
<p>Hi Berricre8v - We also selected scholarship alternates just in case they didn’t apply by a certain date. In our first year of auditioning the BFA Commercial Dance program (2012-2013) we had about 210 applicants, 47 of which were accepted, 37 enrolled. We expect the applicant pool to be much larger this year as the program based on numbers we’re already seeing.</p>
<p>My daughter just visited Pace a few days ago and will be applying there. We’re wondering about the photos that all the schools are looking for. She had some taken with our digital camera at her dance studio by a teacher. But then another teacher from another studio told her they should be taken by a dance photographer with more experience. She said her tights were not “pink” enough, she should have worn a more traditional leotard, etc. Does that matter, they are good pictures in the proper poses? Now we’re wondering if we have to scramble at the last minute and get them redone somehow. She’s also applying to Fordham, and they have to have the pics by Nov, 1st. I hope someone can offer us some advice.</p>