If you have ever left an audition wondering, "where did I go wrong?" you may have been a victim of "type-casting." In my experience in the professional dance world, all too often dancers are cast for roles based on their appearance over their talent. We see it everywhere we look, from the music videos, to reality television, to Broadway. It can be a frustrating situation for any dancer who possesses the talent necessary for the job!
This can also be something that may impact a dancers confidence in future auditions but I am here to tell you that most likely if you are a trained dancer and didn't have an off day, you probably didn't have the right look! As I had said in my bio, you may not have the look for one role but be perfect for another. My advice to dancers attending auditions would be to research the job you are auditioning for as much as possible to be prepared for the potential outcome. If you are auditioning for the Rockettes and are 5'5 and under, unfortunately you won't even be considered. Even if you are an AMAZING tapper! On the other hand, most professional sports dance teams tend to cast petite short women for their teams. So it's important to prepare yourself.
I have always said; look at audition as just another day to dance with the potential bonus of possibly landing a job. It has taken a long time to really be ok with this reality. It can also create anger and animosity in the field when attending auditions. It can happen when you see that dancer totally mess up and yet make it further than you!! It isn't you or your talent so much as it's your height, build, hair color, etc. I have never fully understood this myself seeing as we train our whole lives to achieve these goals all the while not thinking that our look will matter more.
The harsh reality I have come to discover is that a dance role is 30% talent and 70% the right look. Have any of you had an experience like this you would like to share?
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