<p>I'm a freshman music ed major and would like to audition for a MT graduate degree (yes, I understand they don't offer them at many schools). However, I don't have much dance experience. I plan on taking ballet, jazz, and tap all summer, every summer until I apply for the program, and hopefully trying for a summer intensive at least once. But during the school year, due to the hectic nature of my current degree, I think I'll only have time for one dance class per semester. Which should it be? Or should I rotate the class I take - ballet one semester, jazz the next? Or are combination classes what I should be looking for? Any advice on this would be very helpful.</p>
<p>If you can take only one type of dance, it should be ballet. Ballet teaches technique that is the basis of most of the other dance forms. Some college auditions also include ballet at the audition, though your main aim here is to train in dance if you intend to pursue MT. If you can take more than one dance form, try to take ballet and jazz. This would cover what you also need for college auditions. The jazz will also help you learn to pick up combinations which is what are taught at the dance auditions and so the more you are used to working that way, the better. Both will teach technique, but again, ballet is the basis. While it would be good to also fit in tap, I think if you are very limited, stick to ballet and jazz for now. You can learn tap in your grad program and in summers until then. Tap is not typically part of the admissions auditions. In sum, ideally learn all three but if very limited, concentrate on ballet and if time to rotate two styles, keep it to ballet and jazz for now.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! That’s helpful. I have heard that what you learn in ballet is the basis for jazz and tap.</p>