famcandance2 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 we have been advised not to do a ballet dance for dd's audition for vocational school as all the girls do ballet and she needs to stand out. Last year she did contemporary and was unsuccessful. This year she wants to do a jazz dance. Can anyone recommend a good song from the musicals to do a jazz dance to? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Gosh, tough call - for jazz I think I'd start with Chicago.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutoo2much Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 No ideas, but nothing raunchy. However I would be tempted to do it in whichever genre she is best at. Was it the school concerned that suggested you didn't do ballet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I would let my daughter do what ever dance she was strongest at, eg ballet, jazz, contemp. I would also make sure she chose something that she is comfortable with and would make sure that the dance and music were age appropriate. I assume that this is for the Hammond auditon. I can tell you that the dance faculty there will be looking for a student who loves dance, has good musicality and then of course potential. Good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Yes, I didn't mean raunchy when I suggested Chicago, just that the music is good for jazz! :-) I agree though that it should be in whatever genre your DD is best at, and most comfortable doing. It often helps if they dance to a piece of music they really like ad have chosen themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Read this with interest as tring auditions are this week and my dd is doing a ballet solo. Lil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Read this with interest as tring auditions are this week and my dd is doing a ballet solo. Lil Oooh me too as DD is hoping to do a ballet solo for her Hammond audition..... Thought it would be best to show her keeness for classical dance.The other would be character but costume props too integral for it to work without. Greek maybe? Food for thought thank you .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I know you didn't mean anything raunchy from Chicago Spanner - but I'd also suggest staying away from Chicago or similar unless 16+. I'm not being much help though - must have a think...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliepops Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 What about something upbeat from one of the Disney movies? A safe bet for being age appropriate and no risque lyrics. DD has used "Zero to Hero" and "A Star is Born" from Hercules for modern solos in the past, the second one has a slight "gospel" feel to it. Good Luck for the audition. J x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) Yes, our local school used "a star is born" for a modern dance, which worked really well. If you wanted something a bit more pop-ish, I was just thinking about Adele's "Rolling in the deep", or "Set Fire to the rain" which DD's Modern class are using for their Grade 5 exam...? Edited January 22, 2012 by spannerandpony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 So is the general advice not to do ballet (even if that is their passion?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amum/Cathy Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Recent musical theatre numbers done by the boys and girls at Hammond associates have been from Hairspray, Joseph, Saturday Night Fever, and Footloose, just to give you some more ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 DS auditioned for Y10 at both Hammond and Tring last year. Rachel Rist specifically said she was looking for the solo piece to show enthusiasm, passion, and personality. I personally think that its personality more than anything else that they are looking to see. Yes, all dancers need to be versatile and if your daughter(s) are comfortable doing a dance if a different genre to ballet then great, but no point doing a tap solo or street dance and looking miserable and nervous .... My son choreographed his own piece, so it wasn't technically brilliant but it did show off what he perceived to be his strong points (flexibility, acting ability) and apparently it seemed to go well. I wouldn't like to pin a style label on it. I think its personality that needs to stand out more than the dance style - certainly at Hammond every part of the day was marked, and it was the overall score that counted rather than one individual bit. Happy to answer any questions meadowblythe 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regattah Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Hi, my DD was offered places at both Tring with a contemporary/modern solo and Hammond with a ballet solo. She was offered MDS at Hammond and I did wonder whether she should have done ballet for Tring too, although I'm sure it wouldn't have made a difference. Personally I feel that the child should absolutely do ballet IF that is what they are happiest/best at! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Can/do they wear costumes and use props for there audition piece?? Thanks cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I asked the question ballet or other style - what do people reccommend for a 6th form audition solo back on the old forum in September time. Advice I was given was for DD to go with whatever she felt most comfortable with and felt showed her at her best. She went with ballet for Hammond and still has the Tring audition to go. At Hammond she said she was actually in the minority by choosing ballet as most did contemporary/dances from musicals. I agree with the advice to go with a piece of music they really like but would personally avoid Adele songs as they seem to be being chosen as part of many of the modern jazz grade exams at the moment. Recent song choices for jazz exams that worked well at DD's school were 'The Writer by Ellie Goulding', Wild Horses by Natasha Bedingfield, Black and Gold (From Fame) and Skinny Love (I don't know the artist of that one sorry). But I would still pick the dance genre that your DD feels most confiedent and happiest doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkletoes Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 having sat through many auditions good and bad it doesn't really matter what dance style they do, potential and technique can be seen regardless of what they do and if your DD is strongest at Ballet then do that, musical selection is often the hardest part, often the dancers we see who are borderline can lose a place simply from bad song choice which sadly, same is said when we ask for a vocal audition to accompany dance auditions, the number of people who sing songs that are too old for them or do not suit their voice simply because they know the song and like it. you need to remember that whatever style they choose we assume that it is their strongest dance style so go with what your DD loves and is good at not necessarily what the teach says, unless they are involved in this type of audition they are not always aware of what is looked for (not that it can always be defined ) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Very reassuring Twinkletoes thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famcandance2 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thank you all for your very good and very appreciated advice. We may have to rethink this one. When my ds auditioned for Hammond he said all the girls did ballet. He did a dance with a bit of everything in it so no specific style. He is a performer though and very passionate about his dancing so I think that probably showed. He did Hairspray, so don't want dd to do the same. Will definitely consider some of the above options though. Thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisadebs Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Perhaps the thing to do is to choose an audition solo as you would an audition leotard. Afterall it needs to show your DD off to her best advantage and she needs to feel confident and beautiful when performing in it. So it might be ballet, it might be jazz or it might be a hybrid. As for music - something that makes her want to dance. I'm sure the panel are used to spotting what they see as potential whatever the style, the important thing is for your DD to enjoy performing. Having said all that I won't tell you how long we spent agonzing over audition leotards 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I'm only asking for the sake of others as my son's now looking for a job rather than a school and he never applied to any schools where he had to prepare a dance, so I have no experience of this..... If you're applying to a school hoping to get an MDS funded place - wouldn't they want to see you do a ballet solo? I thought it was only the classical dancers who got that funding. Thoughts anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famcandance2 Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Well, as said above my son did a dance which incorporated ballet, jazz, highland and tap. He is now at vocational school with an mds and they were so keen they phoned him the day after the audition! I think everyone's thoughts are correct in that they need to do what they're comfortable with and what they're good at. Seeing as they normally do a ballet class before the dance solo, they will have a good idea of the ballet capability anyway. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I have already asked this question but I don't think anyone has replied but.... Do the children wear costumes/props for their audition dance at Hammond? Thanks;) Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Parent Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Hi c4d, they certainly didn't need to when my DD auditioned last year and none of the other children in her group did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famcandance2 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 No they don't. They just change their shoes if need be but perform in their leotard and tights they have been wearing for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkletoes Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 costumes and props can be seen as 'distractions' what we need is to see their ability, in a vocal/performing audition we are looking for quality of tone and potential in the vocal range there are certain types of voices that you know can be expanded and others which you can tell from the tone are fixed and while ok for basic chorus show work will never expand into performance quality. Mainly its confidence and potential that is looked for, props or costumes really don't add anything and a change of shoes is all thats needed (or indeed permitted often), having said that they should act out the performance not just stand and sing. don't forget that often the vocal ability is seen as a compliment to the dance so its not expected that the auditionee will be a fully trained singer but personally i would recommend if you can find a singing coach or have a singing teacher a few extra lessons will do wonders for the ds or dd confidence and thats worth every penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yes, I would agree re. the singing. We knew our DD could sing but she had some private singing lessons before her audition a couple of years ago, and was offered a completely unexpected place on the Theatre Arts course (she was auditioning for the dance course)! The teacher helped her pick an age appropriate song which showed off her range and vocal tone, and that in turn gave her confidence. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkletoes Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 the key is the song selection, it needs to be one that is not too old and fits their vocal style and range, a good teacher will be able to advise, its always dangerous when the auditionees pick something because 'they like it' sadly it is rarely suitable for them. always worth running the song choice past someone (i've vetoed quite a few child/parent choices in my time .... often JUST in time, nothing worse than a 9 year old singing 'one night only' which was last years lucky escape ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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