<p>I have always loved musical theatre and want to go to an ellite school to study it, but I am not a dancer. I love acting just as much as I love singing and really don’t want to give one of them up. I am a large tenor and am affraid my lack of dance training and stature will keep me out of some great schools. I don’t fit into your typical male musical theatre mold, but I know I can sing and act with the best of the best. Basically I don’t know what to do and any advice would be great.</p>
<p>I am not sure what you mean by an “elite school” since there are many highly regraded very competitive, selective schools that offer excellent training. You don’t indicate where your are in school tight now (h.s. jr, sr etc) but my suggestion would be that you enroll in some dance classes and do your best to get some foundation in dance. With a 3%-9% range of acceptance rates from among a broad variety of schools, the more well rounded your training, the more competitive you will be; and in general, most highly regarded schools look for some degree of dance ability in applicants with many weighing dance equally with acting and singing. While as a guy, your lack of dance experience may not be as limiting as with a girl, you need to have dance experience to be as competitive as you can be.</p>
<p>That being said, there are some highly regarded schools where a lack of dance training will not be a significant detriment for admissions. Emerson, by reputation and experience, looks only to see if a student can move and follow directions and the dance portion of the audition is very easy and not heavily weighted. Ithaca does not have a dance portion to its audition. In contrast is a school like Syracuse that has, again by reputation and experience, a very rigorous dance portion to its audition which is weighted equally with the others and a student without solid training and experience in dance will find it difficult.</p>
<p>So, as I said, do your best to get as much dance experience as you can in the time remaining before you start applying and auditioning. In addition, research the heck out of schools to determine the priority and weight given by schools to voice, acting and dance in the audition process. Put together a smart, diverse list of schools where the skills and talents you bring to the table are in alignment for what a school is looking for. Using a narrow brush to label a school “elite” and then limiting your list only to those schools you consider to be “elite” will in all likelihood limit severely your chances of acceptances if your list is comprised solely of schools with a 3-6% acceptance rate from a national pool of 800-1000 applicants. If you haven’t done so, look at the thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/477658-preparing-apply-information-h-s-juniors-seniors.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/477658-preparing-apply-information-h-s-juniors-seniors.html</a> for lots of discussion and info from parents, students, school reps and college counselors about the school selection and audition process. Good luck!</p>
<p>OCU doesn’t have a dance audition for MT’s.</p>
<p>Here are three threads on this topic:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/924055-mt-schools-no-easy-dance-auditions.html?highlight=dance[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/924055-mt-schools-no-easy-dance-auditions.html?highlight=dance</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/843800-schools-without-dance-auditions.html?highlight=dance[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/843800-schools-without-dance-auditions.html?highlight=dance</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/943674-dance-mt-auditions.html?highlight=dance[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/943674-dance-mt-auditions.html?highlight=dance</a></p>
<p>This is a popular question - there are more threads of this type if you do a search and look for “dance” in the thread title (it helps if you add the constraint “Musical Theatre Major” using the “Advanced Search” options).</p>
<p>Also at some of the Unifieds they don’t have dance auditions either. I know Webster did not in NYC.</p>
<p>Typically the Boston Conservatory wants to attract and produce triple threats. However, they also look at diversity and if your voice and acting is where you say it is, I’m sure they would be very interested in you.</p>
<p>Also I’d look at some non-audition BA schools as backup just in case you don’t get into any of your top-choice programs, though if you’re a good enough singer and actor I’m sure you’ll have some options. There have been several threads on safety schools so far.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice. I really shouldn’t of used the term ellite schools but what i was trying to say was competitive programs. I am going to be a senior and dance classes could be possible but not likely with my schedule. I don’t want it to sound like I am completely incapable of dancing its just that it is not my strong suit and I don’t want my acceptance to be driven by my dancing. Thanks alot</p>
<p>Hello! I am currently a freshman BFA MT at Ball State University, and I am a terrible dancer. It didnt hurt me in any of my auditions, and I was still accepted to schools like Hart, BSU (obviously), Viterbo, and others.</p>
<p>That being said, coming to Ball State I didnt have any dance experience, but in the short time Ive been here I have improved in ways I didnt think possible. The whole program is very movement based and ties everything together. So if you feel like you are a weak dancer, but would love to recieve excellent and incredibly challenging training, I highly suggest BSU.</p>
<p>My son isn’t a dancer but he did take a beginner ballet course for a few months before auditions in order to prepare. He is now an MT student at Temple. He plans to work hard to improve his dancing while there.</p>
<p>See about picking up a dance class for a few months before the auditions. You don’t necessarily need to be brilliant, but have a basic grasp of steps and how to pick them up quickly is helpful.</p>
<p>nd - It is fine that you can sing and act with the best - you are also, in the real world, going to need to move with them as well - or wait until you are close to forty before auditioning. So, what to do? As others have said - get into some dance classes right now. It is OK to have evaluated yourself fairly and determined you are not a good mover. It is not OK to be satisfied with that analysis - you need to work at what needs work - in your case, movement. Do not be too worried - most schools are happy with a someone who is very good in two areas and at least shows some potential in the third!</p>
<p>I would check in with different dance schools in your area or even a community college. Just taking a ballet or jazz class at a local studio may not best suit your needs. It may be to basic to be of assistance in an actual MT type of class. Talk to the studio owners to see if they have any teen classes for beginners and what will be covered in that class. Another suggestion is perhaps a ballroom class. As a male you are going to be doing partnering and that would be a good way to learn to move with a partner. They are always wanting men at ballroom classes.</p>
<p>Ballroom is great - but you won’t see it at auditions. Ballet and jazz, first.</p>