The first time Jessica Tong heard for the second company of Hubbard Street, she came at the end of the call but did not get the position. The next time she auditioned, six months later, she did not get the post either, but she obtained a note from the artistic director of the time, Julie Nakagawa, telling her to stay in touch. Tong finally joined Hubbard Street 2, moved with main company and became rehearsal director and associate artist director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Although frustrating, these two unsuccessful auditions played a role in the guidance of Tong, then at a time of transition from his career, from the ballet to contemporary dance. Watching Hubbard Street on stage had helped to arouse his curiosity about a new direction, and the auditions helped her realize that she needed more training in different styles of dance. “There was a missing link that I had to understand,” said Tong, now a rehearsal director for Aim de Kyle Abraham (and often on the other side of the hearing table). “It was my recovery point.”
The hearings are an essential part of the paths of most dancers, as well as refusals. Ours can be crushed. But these experiences can also give information that dancers could take with them at the next hearing, class or performance – and use to inform and shape their trajectories.
Overview by experience
Hearings can be revealing, highlighting gaps and growth areas. “I learned that I have to get out of my comfort zone,” explains Caitlin Bond, a dancer based in New York whose transparent and relatable hearing summons have acquired an audience on social networks. Like Tong, she started in the ballet before expanding her interests and landing the role of Victoria in the Cats National tour.
Passing dozens of hearings in 2024 was instructive for Bond. “The more I do, the more small things I notice,” she said, adding that the way dancers are driving themselves-sometimes more than the technique. Bond recalls a memorable hearing in which she accidentally kicked a table while striking a final pose, caught her as she overturned, remained composed and received a recall. His experiences taught him that decision -makers look – when the dancers enter – observing the energy they bring and how they interact with others.
Hearings are also an opportunity for artists to make their own observations. “You should notice what you feel in the room,” explains Jess Spinner, health, nutrition and lifestyle coach and former professional dancer. “If you do not feel safe or comfortable in this environment, the chances are that if you worked for them, it would be a similar feeling.”
Reflection on rejection
It can be tempting for the artists to leave a hearing that did not take place in their meaning and try to push him out of their mind, says Spinner. She advises her customers to resist this desire. “I encourage the dancers after each hearing to write what they feel, what they would like to improve or do differently, then how they will take these two reflections in their next hearing experience.” Spinner recommends asking questions like: What do I feel happy? Where did I trust? Have I been stuck on everything that influenced the rest of the hearing? Was there any corrections that feel useful? What attracted the attention of people who direct the hearing? “Writing all of this will help you deepen your brain to have real constructive dishes,” she said.
The answers to these questions may indicate useful steps. For example, if a hard combination of Petit Allgro was overwhelming, Spinner recommends looking for delicate combinations of small online allegro to tackle after each course until the next hearing. Although this cannot advance the technique as if by magic overnight, says Spinner, it can help strengthen confidence.
This type of self-reflection is not easy. “You are in a vulnerable space,” says Tong. “It's very, very trying.” Before thinking about the hearing experience and drawing information, she advises: “It's normal to beat.”
Improvement hearing skills
Bond was surprised that even after about 450 performances of Cats, She was always stressed during the auditions. “I have improved a lot with well to perform well under pressure, the more I went to auditions,” she said. “Literally, the best way to improve your audition is to make more auditions.” According to her experiences, Bond decided to take more hip-hop and tapping lessons, learned that she had to be ready to improvise, and an adaptability and versatility are essential. “You really never know what you are going to enter,” she says, in terms of style – or mixture of styles – dancers should nail in the studio.
The practice can help refine important skills to hear well, as to pick up the choreography quickly enough for the emphasis to extend beyond the real stages. Tong says that she does not necessarily look who gets the fastest combination, although others could. But knowing the steps is fundamental, she says: “From there, you can really personalize it and give it a little more of your groove.”
When the dancers enter an unknown situation, it is natural to shrink, says Tong. It takes time to learn to be authentic with new people quickly in an unknown setting, especially when the issues feel high. “Being able to let you really see is a skill,” says Tong. And it's something that “really takes practice”.
