{"id":19302,"date":"2023-05-30T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/?p=19302"},"modified":"2023-10-18T00:09:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T00:09:32","slug":"begin-again-auditioning-with-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/30\/begin-again-auditioning-with-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"Begin Again: Auditioning With Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As I\u2019ve been rediscovering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dancemagazine.com\/?s=begin+again&amp;et_pb_searchform_submit=et_search_proccess&amp;et_pb_include_posts=yes&amp;et_pb_include_pages=yes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as I return to dance<\/a>, auditioning is an inherently vulnerable act. Even the most accomplished performers will tell you they hear \u201cno\u201d more often than they hear \u201cyes.\u201d When we get a callback or book a job, we are on top of the world. When we get cut, we are forced to pick up the pieces of one lost dream so that we can be ready to chase another tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a lot for anyone to cope with, but especially those newer to the industry. What can you expect at auditions\u2014and how can you cope with their unique pressures? I asked two experts to share their advice.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Begin Again&quot; Vlog: Episode 19\u2014Audition With Confidence\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hnckjQv04Ms?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Audition Well<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"860\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Photo-by-Jon-Taylor-courtesy-of-Lewis-860x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"Lewis, a fair-skinned woman with long golden-brown hair wearing a black turtleneck and flowing black palazzo pants, flings her left arm back, her hair and left pant leg flying out behind her\" class=\"wp-image-49325\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shannon Lewis photographed by Jon Taylor, courtesy Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p>If you want proof that Shannon Lewis knows how to audition, just look at her resum\u00e9. She performed in 10 Broadway musicals, was a Radio City Rockette, and has danced on \u201cThe Today Show\u201d and at the Tony Awards. Now, she\u2019s on the other side of the table as a choreographer, director, and educator. Through her experience in the industry, she has discovered various tools for auditioning well.<\/p>\n<p>First, recognize that the people at the front of the room want you to succeed. \u201cI want everyone to come in and blow me away,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cI am actively wanting you to be the best you can possibly be and to have the best day ever.\u201d Rather than looking at casting directors and choreographers as scary judges, see them as cheerleaders, and your energy will become more inviting and magnetic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Second, the best way to enter auditions feeling confident and prepared is by honing your skills in class, fine-tuning technique and learning to pick up choreography.&nbsp; \u201cThat\u2019s where dancers build their toolbox throughout their entire careers,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when you\u2019re in the room and the choreographer wants a triple that stops on five, you can do that, because you have been working on it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Third, build relationships through networking. \u201cSomeone will be more likely to take a chance on you if they know your work already,\u201d she says. If you\u2019re new to the professional dance world, a good place to start that process is the classroom. \u201cIf you really connect with a teacher, it\u2019s great to be in that class as much as possible, because it will give you the chance to build a relationship,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cLoyalty and consistency are really important words in our world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even if you go into auditions well-prepared, you\u2019ll still likely face a lot of rejection. But remember that every experience is setting the groundwork for future opportunities. \u201cEven if I\u2019m auditioning someone for something they are completely not right for, if they come in the room and do an incredible job, I will absolutely remember them for the next thing I\u2019m doing,\u201d Lewis says.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Cope With the Emotional Strain of Auditioning<\/h2>\n<p>Terry Hyde, a UK-based psychotherapist and the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.counsellingfordancers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Counselling for Dancers<\/a>, is also well-versed in the challenges of auditioning. Like Lewis, he started out as a performer, dancing with The Royal Ballet and London\u2019s Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), and performing in musicals in London\u2019s West End.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve worked with Hyde briefly myself as I\u2019ve grappled with the myriad emotional challenges that come with returning to dance after 10 years of illness. Here are his tips for coping with the specific stresses of auditioning.<\/p>\n<p>First, Hyde recommends taking 15 minutes to practice meditation as part of your daily routine. \u201cThis will prepare you to have a clear mindset on the day of your audition,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Next, he recommends finding a private space at the audition\u2014a dressing room or bathroom\u2014to do breathing exercises. Sit for five minutes and breathe slowly: inhale on the \u201cand,\u201d exhale on the \u201cone,\u201d inhale on the \u201cand,\u201d exhale on the \u201ctwo,\u201d until reaching the count of four; then reverse the count. \u201cIf any thoughts come into your mind as you do this, just tell them, \u2018Hang on a minute, I want a quiet moment,\u2019&nbsp;\u201d Hyde says.<\/p>\n<p>Hyde also wants you to reframe words like \u201cnerves\u201d and \u201crejection.\u201d \u201cYou have probably been told that butterflies and tension before a performance are nerves, but the physical feelings of anxiety are identical to the physical feelings of excitement,\u201d Hyde says. Rather than saying \u201cI\u2019m so nervous,\u201d before an audition, say \u201cI\u2019m so excited.\u201d \u201cOur minds are so powerful that they create the reality in which we live,\u201d Hyde says.<\/p>\n<p>If a dancer doesn\u2019t book the job they are auditioning for, Hyde wants them to know that it\u2019s not a true rejection of their talent or who they are.&nbsp;\u201cAuditions aren\u2019t rejections. They are very subjective,\u201d he says. \u201cYou might not be what they are looking for, but that doesn\u2019t mean you haven\u2019t got talent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more audition tools and advice from Lewis and Hyde, watch their full interviews in the latest \u201cBegin Again\u201d vlog over on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@DanceMagazine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Dance Magazine<\/em>\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dancemagazine.com\/begin-again-auditioning-with-confidence\/\">Begin Again: Auditioning With Confidence<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dancemagazine.com\">Dance Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >As I\u2019ve been rediscovering as I return to dance, auditioning is an inherently vulnerable act. Even the most accomplished performers will tell you they hear \u201cno\u201d more often than they hear \u201cyes.\u201d When we get a callback or book a job, we are on top [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19302"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19302"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19305,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19302\/revisions\/19305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.leigh-annemccaguecouture.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}