Here’s the deal on the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts dance audition process, as told by the head of the dance department to a friend of mine:
BRING: bring Pens for writing the essay. Please bring drink and food because people who are auditioning for multiple talents will be there all day.
Wear: Leotard, tights, ballet slippers. Boys wear close–fitting tees and dance tights or tight sweatpants — they need to see the line of your leg and body. No baggy clothes.
Important – Strategy: Go to Music/Vocals first because they take the least amount of time. Arrive a 8am sharp and get them over–with. Do Dance and/or Drama last; it’s a longer process. Art is definitely at least two hours because of the drawing–from–memory assignment. Those auditioning for more than two studios may need to come back.
Audition: Dance Students go upstairs in groups of 20’s or 25’s to fill out forms, write a short essay. Students take a mini ballet class and then a mini modern class. Once done, DO NOT LEAVE. Wait to receive a paper with instructions from the head of the dance department.
Scoring: They have specific quantifiers and standards and they are looking at body alignment, technique and performance. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIN. She said that those who become professional ballet dancers after graduation will be thin, but Broadway and modern, etc dancers do not have to be thin.
They are looking for passion for movement, flexibility and strength. She said call her if one wants more details on the quantifiers and standards.
Experience: They take children with no experience; however they could reject some children who have been studying dance since they were 3 years–old IF they have had bad training. They can teach those who know nothing but they can't un-teach and re-train those who learned all wrong. Too late. They're not impressed by experience. And forget anyone put on pointe before the age of 11.5 years old. Bones were not developed.
(Frank Sinatra HS of the Arts only takes those with at least a year of experience and knowledge of basic terminology.)
Return Visit: they don't call it “call backs” because it’s not for narrowing down prospects. At the end of the first audition, kids may get a paper from the dance head telling them to come back in a couple of weeks. The call backs are for when they could not decide. A child will be admitted even if they only do the first group audition. Don’t read any more into whether or not one is asked to return or not.
Return Audition: will have a more extensive and demanding ballet and then modern class. You will then do a 1–minute solo using whatever techniques you do best: even karate, gymnastics, ethnic, pointe, hip-hop. They are looking for musicality. BRING YOUR MUSIC CD; no dancing without music. The solo will be done in front of three or five faculty plus the other students in the group. The scorers could stop you half–way so PUT YOUR BEST MOVES IN THE FIRST 30 SECONDS!
Note to Hip–Hop dancers: are asked if they are aware they will only learn ballet and modern in the school and that there is no jazz or hip–hop. They are asked if they are okay with that.
Do not Bring: photos, resumes, recommendations. They will be tossed without looking at.
Parents: Leave the students at the theater. Parents can go up to one of the cafeterias for PTA bake sale and chatting with PTA members. Go shopping. Go to an early movie (if auditioning for more than one studio). Go out for a meal.
Results: 85 will be accepted for 60 seats; 60–66 will likely enroll. No waiting list. Out–of–towners auditioned in the summer. Tours only after acceptance.
Second Chances: One can audition again in the 9th grade, or switch from another studio for 10th grade if already in LaGuardia. She said the other schools (ie Sinatra, Talent Unlimited) can enroll kids at any time.
If NOT Accepted: 1,500 audition for dance. The department head can give out names of other schools to which to apply once decisions are made.
SCHOOL LIFE
WARNING: she stressed that no one should audition if they are not really interested in their talent, for they will get discouraged by sophomore year. It’s that intense. The goal of the school is to turn out dancers/musicians/artists ready for professional career or Juilliard. Only 1/3 go on to academic colleges to be doctors, lawyers, business, engineers; the rest move onto conservatories or arts colleges.
So if you don't really love your art, and love it every day, don't audition for LaGuardia — and Frank Sinatra HS, for that matter.
Freshman Life: Arrive at 8:10am. They take one academic class followed by four periods of talent. Lunch is next (approx 12:30pm). The rest of the day is academics. School ends at 3:50pm. Freshman year is the toughest because there are so many academic requirements. It’s in the academic classes where they get to meet other types of students (and boys, since only 20% of dancers will likely be boys, not that the other talents are any better).
Dance Freshman are split into two groups and take ballet based on experience in a placement test. That’s why newbies are admitted even though they don’t know the terminology. All teachers have/had danced professionally themselves for at least six years.
AP/Honors Classes: The dance head was annoyed that because of the City budget cuts, the talent departments were cut but the academics were saved. (I wonder if all the talent heads have this peculiar twisted thinking). So LaGuardia is still offering all the AP classes. There is also the DaVinci Honors program for excellent students.
Dancers will learn: ballet, modern, tap, choreography, pointe, nutrition, career management.
Performing Opportunities: as a Conservatory school, no dance performances until the Junior year’s choreography course showcase. Then there is the Senior Showcase in February and the Graduates concert. Otherwise, they are there to study dance, not waste time in rehearsals. “If you want to perform, go somewhere else,” she said.
Summer Assignments: every student MUST take summer courses, somewhere, either at their neighborhood dance school or in the City. The dance head can help arrange for free summer courses through Paul Taylor, NYC Dance Alliances, ABT and Ballet Hispanico based on financial aid status.
Outside Dance Classes: Freshman should NOT take outside weekday dance classes. The academics are too rigorous. They can take weekend classes during the school year, as long as grades don’t suffer.
(According to the Frank Sinatra dance head, students are encouraged to take outside classes if they want to really become professional dancers. Just two hours in-school is not enough.)
That’s it!
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