Submission must include movement in place and through space that reveal your technical range and showcase your expressiveness and musicality.

Application Requirements

Submit a total of two (2) digital videos recorded within the last year that include the following and in the following order:  

• A two (2)-minute Modern OR Contemporary technique: Exercises do not need to be performed on both sides.
  • Modern auditions should include movement in and through space, demonstrating advanced codified Modern techniques. Applicant’s technique video should clearly identify the technique from which the majority of their training is received.
    • Including the techniques and lineages of Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Merce Cunningham, Lestor Horton, Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs or others.
  • Contemporary auditions should include movement in and through space, demonstrating advanced technique in several concert stage dance disciplines and/or styles. Submissions should strive to show numerous abilities in disparate movement practices appropriate to the concert stage.
    • Floorwork – One or more phrases showing knowledge of weight, momentum and the body’s relationship to gravity through floorwork. The exercise should reveal the dancer’s ability to:
      • support weight on different body parts
      • efficiently release weight into the floor
      • employ pathways that move the body safely into and out of the floor
      • fall and recovery
    • Spine, torso, and arm exercise – A movement sequence integrating spine, torso, and arm movements. The exercise should include:
      • Movement of the head and articulation of the torso in varied ways, including spirals, curves, arches, tilts, contractions and release
      • Movement should show shift of weight balance and off balance movement
      • Movement should also reveal coordination of head and torso using sequential use of back
    • Leg and foot exercise – An exercise that demonstrates rhythmic use of the legs and feet, as well as the student’s understanding of alignment and placement in place as well as while moving through the space. The exercise should include:
      • work in parallel and rotation
      • footwork that emphasizes speed and articulation of the feet, ankles and knees
      • legwork that shows strength and control (developpés, full-bodied tilts, promenades, etc.)
      • legwork that involves momentum and challenges the body’s ability to stabilize (leg swings, battements, etc.)
    • Jumps – A locomotor exercise featuring a series of elevated weight shifts from one foot to the other, one foot to the same foot and both feet leaving the ground and landing at the same time. The exercise should include:
      • a range of small and large jumps employed in different tempos
      • landings and take-offs that safely mobilize the weight of the body into and out of the floor via the legs and feet
      • clear alignment of the spine throughout jump sequence
      • coordinated use of the head, torso and arms is encouraged, but not necessary
    • Phrasework – A sequence that presents both locomotor and axial movements, geared to fuse the dancer’s artistry and technical prowess. The exercise should include:
      • movements featuring a variety of speeds
      • movement in all levels, ranging from floorwork to jumps
      • changes of direction and specific pathways in space
      • a range of dynamics
      • evidence of artistry through musicality and phrasing choices

• A two (2)-minute solo piece of your choice with a clear beginning and ending that showcases your range as a technician and artist. Solos should be accompanied by music that is being played in the room with the dancer and should not be overlaid. Must be performed fully in one take without edits to the recording.

NOTE: If selected as a winner with distinction, you will be required to perform your submitted solo live on stage for the performance during National YoungArts Week and, therefore, must have rights to the choreography for that piece.

Audition Apparel

Dancers should choose garments that support the judge’s ability to see how the body creates shapes and lines in space. We strongly encourage that you select fabric colors that create contrast to the background and remove excess layers of warmups, costuming, and jewelry that distract from the performed choreography. Artists may wear regalia appropriate to their cultural traditions and forms.

Recording Guidelines

• Sound: Ensure recording captures good quality sound. Music should be played in the room with the dancer and not be overlaid onto the video. 
• Image: Record your audition in a clearly defined space that is free of background distractions. The choreography should not be site-specific. 
• Framing: The camera should be set at a fixed point of view and left in one position, framing the dancer’s entire body to capture movement in place as well as movement in and through space. Unnecessary panning and moving the camera to follow the dancer is strongly discouraged. 
• Lighting: Make sure the space is well lit with neutral lighting, but not too bright. 

File Upload Guidelines

• Save and name your files individually. 
• Do not put your name or any identifying information in or on your files. 
• When uploading, be sure that the video image is upright (not sideways or upside down) and plays smoothly. 
• Do not submit pre-recorded live performances, such as recitals, concerts, or competitions as these events typically have background noise and/or distractions. 

NOTE: You are welcome to submit materials that have been part of other applications, competitions, or projects. YoungArts does not own any works submitted to its competition, however if your work has been submitted to other competitions, you are responsible for getting permission to submit to YoungArts, if necessary.