Dance Division

Dance (BA) and Dance (BFA): Dancers spend a day on the Shenandoah campus attending dance classes, meeting with faculty and auditioning.

Audition days begin at 9:00 a.m. with a faculty presentation about the Dance Division’s programs and opportunities, followed by a campus tour.
Auditioning students participate in Ballet,ContemporaryModern, and Commercial Jazz Styles class work; as well as a creative exercise with our faculty and some of our current students.
Auditioning students present their 90-second solo and finish the audition with a brief 7-10 minute interview with faculty.
Dancers and their families receive complimentary tickets to attend a dance concert that evening as part of the audition day activities.

Applicants must upload the following to their Shenandoah Application Portal when registering for an audition:

Follow guidelines on the SU audition page for uploading materials.

Artistic résumé (sample)
Current headshot (sample)
Current Dance photo – an arabesque, a jump or leap, or any other shot that represents you in movement (sample)

All auditioning dancers must prepare a 90-second solo dance:

First-Year applicants are encouraged to choreograph their own solo, in order to best showcase their creative interests. A teacher’s choreography is also an appropriate choice.
Transfer applicants must choreograph their own solo.
Solos can be created in any of the following genres: contemporary, modern, jazz, or commercial styles.
Solos should be well-rehearsed and present the applicant at their best, showcasing technical skills (ex: floor work, turns, movement connectivity, etc.), musicality, and performance expression.
No classical ballet variations. No tap.
Music for the solo should be brought on a phone, iPad or similar device that can be plugged into a sound system. If your device is not an Apple device, or have 3.5mm Auxiliary port, please bring your own adapter.
No costumes please. Solo will be performed in the same dance attire as the auditionee was wearing during classes.

Auditionees must bring a printed copy of their résumé, dance shot and headshot. These will be collected during check-in for the audition and shared with the faculty, who will review them during the audition/interview process.
Dancers should bring a bottle of water and any small NUT FREE snacks (banana, granola bar, yogurt, etc.) they prefer, as there is no lunch break scheduled during the day.