IDOCs » auditioning, yes. but under which conditions?
a meditation on the topic of auditioning.
2018.12.02

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several days ago, I shared P.A.R.T.S. audition notice via my Facebook profile with a little note. the note seemed to have meant something to quite a number of people, and since it's about studying dancing, i thought i'd share it here. for what it's worth. i share the note with you in full. you can find the original post behind the following link.

 

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"ten years later, P.A.R.T.S. is now auditioning in Zagreb. back then, we could only disappoint by choosing to audition for any school other than Rotterdamse Dansacademie (Codarts). "why [not Codarts]," i was asked on several occasions, "what can they teach you there [at P.A.R.T.S.] that we [local teachers and professionals] don't already know?" strange how that question was never directed at Codarts.

the following is intended for those who are interested in auditioning for dance schools. a short meditation on the topic of auditioning. {i.e. unsolicited advice ahead, read at your own risk} 

P.A.R.T.S., like every other, is not a school without flaws. meaning, any school, any schooling will be a challenge. one way, or another. the question is: 

(1) what educational environment resonates with your sensibilities, such that three years in, you can still imagine wanting to go back the next day, and the next?***

(2) what educational environment seems transparent, and precise enough in its leadership, such that it might make it possible for you to engage in a critically-reflective study within its framework?

and lastly, perhaps most importantly: 

(3) don't go to school, unless you have a plan, unless you have a specific motivator: a goal of some kind. a focus of your own. never let go of your focus, your midline, your purpose; and if you lose it, use your search for focus and purpose as your guide. (in most cases, i'd say, if you're not sure about your purpose: find a job, go work. earn yourself a living, buy yourself time. do creative work on the side. find a creative job. find a dance job. put yourself out there. meet the people. ask questions. have your heart broken a couple of times. learn to take yourself––your emotions, your thoughts, your feelings, your sensations––seriously, first.) i.e. don't go to school if only to buy opportunities. statistically speaking, the odds are against you there. go to school to study.

***auditions are opportunities for you to get an insight into what a day at the school might be like. this is why i'd say: whenever you have the opportunity, go to the school, its building, its headquarters as soon as you can. if you can afford it, take your pre-selection at the school, not somewhere else. if you take your pre-selection at the school, you are more likely to be met by the teachers who actually teach at the school. you will see the architecture, feel the atmosphere, get the opportunity to talk to a local––a student or the cook. in other words, auditions are opportunities for you to audition the school in exactly the same way the school is auditioning you. this is important, because––best case scenario––you're looking for a two-way match. the school has to be good for you in the same way you have to be good for the school. insist on this principle!

sometimes meeting a school means finding out that your dream- school is not the actual school. if so, ask yourself: is going to this school, is making this investment worth it? and why––exactly? to answer such questions is to create an anchor for yourself, which you will need once you enter a study process.

many a dance school is a violent place. this might be something you want, this might be something you need. if so: so be it. what i'm saying is: choose well, and prepare yourself. prepare yourself for the challenge, and when you meet it: jump.

in closing, toi toi toi <3 i love you. end of list."


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