From what I remember from my Montclair dance audition, I saw the same thing… I just noticed these checkboxes on the dance sheets about the student’s bodies; whether or not the student was overweight, underweight, had appropriate muscle tone… that sort of thing, among others. It made me feel a little weird too. I felt self- conscious the rest of the dance call knowing that they were checking boxes about my body type.
Seriously, we need to know what was on the dance sheet! (I keep thinking of “Dance 10, Looks 3”. Lol)
And to add to my previous comment, I am now remembering that I saw other things on there too, like checkboxes about posture and body alignment
My D saw the same on their sheets.
@Aiming4Success Congratulations on your immediate acceptance to Montclair! That is rare, so I’m sure you’ve been blessed with a lot of talent and will have other options as well. I wish we could’ve seen West Side Story, but it was sold out. After you’ve seen it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to message me if you like. By the way, we heard that the girl playing Maria is a freshman.
Wow Montclair went very well at the unified Chicago my D did a walked In she said the dance call was great too’! Now Syracuse was a big disappointment they literally said nothing to her and that was a top school for her going in go figure! Wagner today was a lot of fun my D said they sang in front of each other kind of cool to hear the competition I thought!
My S did not feel the love from Montclair at his Chicago audition. He, too, saw the categories on the dance sheet. I told him he should have checked “overweight” to save them the work. He was recently rejected from Montclair and was absolutely fine with it. Congrats to the individuals who received acceptances…remember, don’t judge a program by others opinions…find the right fit for you!!
When Montclair started offering in state tuition to MTs their application rate doubled. Maybe they feel that they have the option of only selecting the exact type they want.
Also, I just want to say to all of this year’s applicants: the audition process is really fun and time spent with kids is priceless. Most people come out feeling great about everything and then they only get two offers. Wtf? It hurts because up to now most things have been positive and you start asking yourself, how could I have been so Wrong? It is just the nature of the beast. It feels unfair. Getting even ONE offer is a huge win. There will be kids with none. So hang in there and know that the right offer will come along.
I think their only fault is not being discreet. How in the world can they allow anyone to see what’s on those sheets? That being said, it is what it is. To be a Rockette you have to be at least 5’7". To be a NYC ballerina you have to have a body type as well (no boobs especially) no matter how talented you are. I mean in the performing arts that is typical. I actually worry that my D will be limited by her height. At 5’ tall I’m afraid that she will walk into an audition and not be considered at all just because of that. I wonder if height was on those sheets as well! Who knows, maybe they want a balance of types and weights and are just using the sheets to keep track of the diversity of the class.
@marg928 my D is a 6’ redhead. She will never go in for the young teen role, or ingenue. Your daughter will find her niche. One thing my daughter has learned in the 3 years she has been in school is typing. Her professors are helping her hone her comedic skills (she will find more work as the quirky side kick) or the best friend so she is concentrating on that. Your D will be turned down for roles solely on her appearance. That is very common. Makes rejections easier in a way. 
My D auditioned at Montclair on Saturday and like many here, found it pretty impersonal for the song/monologue audition. One of only two places that didn’t say anything welcoming as she came in or ask any questions at the end. They weren’t rude, but it wasn’t friendly. I was annoyed that they didn’t offer an info session or tours at the campus - especially because they have on their info page that “applicants are strongly advised to visit the department” instead of attending Unifieds. Why suggest that if they weren’t going to do anything informative at the school?
Here’s an example that my D ran into this week. She wanted to go in for the auditions for Cursed Child being held in NYC but the breakdowns stated they wanted no one (except Hagrid) over 5’7". That completely ruled her out…
I agree 100% with what @marg928 and @bisouu said Re: this biz being about “looks”. It may be hard to accept, but as an actor/singer/dancer – you will always be evaluated not just by your talent level, but by your physical appearance, height, weight, bust size, physique, hair, eye color, nose shape, complexion, and even shoe size. If you are at all sensitive about these things, then this is going to be a rough ride for you.
Regardless of how you are judged, try to remember it isn’t personal. It’s a business – even at the college level.
To quote Jimmy Kimmel from tonight’s Oscars monologue: “Hollywood doesn’t judge people based on what country they come from…,they judge them on their age and weight”!
@bisouu Nicole Kidman is a 6’ tall redhead too!
Mother of a 5’11 1/2" brunette, 184 lbs, Mezzo here! Let’s see what happens…
Hey! I am sure you have all seen it by now - and even though I have a lot of issues with La La Land…I love Pasek and Paul. “Here’s to all the kids who sing in the rain and all their parents that let them”! It made me think of everyone on this forum <3
I was thinking that probably EVERY person in that room had parents who let them “sing” - and dance, and act, and write, and film, and direct all the neighborhood kids, and make messes with sheets and sparkly things, re-wire household appliances, build models on the dining room table. Parents who encourage boys to paint their faces and girls to"alternatively" style their hair. . . Raising an Arts kid is not for the faint of heart.
And how could I forget all the costumes? Youngest S is an MT college junior and we still have a basement and closets full of scavenged costume parts, wigs, shiny vests and spandex pants, gloves, make-up, colored hair spray, swords, size 12 women’s shoes, XL tutus, military uniform parts, various helmets. . . Don’t regret a minute of the countless hours spent sewing/gluing/painting to alter thrift store finds, cardboard boxes, Christmas decorations and electrical hardware into a young boy’s (teenager’s) dream persona. Dream on.