Audition Perspectives - From the Dancer
Matt Dorame, a 19-year-old dance major from Arizona, was invited to audition for Celine Dion's show "A New Day," in Las Vegas. The invitation was extended because of the impression he made at a prior dance workshop where Brian Burke, the Resident Choreographer and Artistic Coordinator for the show, had watched him work.
Although he expected the audition to be physically demanding, he worried more about the subtle mind games that can adversely affect a performance. He said, "I wasn't scared about the dancing. I was scared of the people." He looked around at the 80 other men and recognized professionals from Broadway shows. More than anything else, that unnerved him.
Matt recognized that auditions are tricky - "more mental than physical." He knew he had to set himself apart from the crowd but not trip himself up by overplaying his hand. "I try to look humble. No one wants to see someone who's arrogant."
That's true, but they do want confidence and so he wondered how far he should push it. Should he place himself smack in the middle and hold his ground or cede to those more experienced? As it turned out, Matt was tall enough that he would have been noticed regardless of his position. He opted for center back and then focused on staying calm and not over-dancing the combination. "I start trying to do things I can't do. Don't try that."
Matt said he was surprised by the style and difficulty of the first combination in the lengthy and exhausting 8-hour audition process. "I thought it would be different. I thought it would be more Vegasy." No, as he discovered, the pace in Vegas today is fast, the choreography electric and the skill level is often A+.
And so is Matt's. After 45 minutes of the first combination, he was rewarded by making it to callbacks. While he waited for the next round, he assessed and reassessed his audition and planned a strategy for holding strong in a whittled-down group. He knew every flaw would stand out and every misstep would be noticed from now on.
"I felt I looked nervous and inexperienced. I thought I looked down a lot. I tried to look older. Stand up straighter. Think older thoughts." At 6'3", he needn't have worried about standing up straighter. But think older thoughts? Hey, whatever works.
"When we went back in after the first cut, we went on with the combination, 'Drove All Night.'During that particular part of the audition I felt more tension. I had come this far and there was still so much farther to go. I also started to feel more expectations on me. People at home were expecting me to do well and my family was so excited I got the opportunity. So during this part, I started to get really nervous, feeling that I had to prove to my family and the judges that I was what they were looking for, and although I was young and may not have had as much experience as everyone else, I had still trained and worked just as hard as everyone else. Therefore, I deserved it just as much."
"I really think the hardest part was coming home and waiting. All you can do is think about how you did and if they liked you, or if they thought you were right for the show...but as time went on, I started to really feel like no matter what, I had accomplished something very big. I had traveled to my first big audition in a different state, I didn't chicken out, and I did the best I could. I met new friends and made new connections. So I guess you could say I talked myself into knowing that no matter what, I came out with something better, something stronger than I went in with, a new knowledge for the whole audition experience."
Although Matt auditioned because he wanted the experience, he didn't really think he'd be chosen. Boy, was he wrong. Matt ended up in the top three and got a phone call from Brian Burke. "I was overjoyed that Brian called me. I think more overjoyed to tell my mom; she's kinda my inspiration. It was nice to tell her that all her blood, sweat, money and tears...was all worthwhile because her son just got a call saying he was on the table for the Celine Dion show."
Due to a prior commitment, Matt was unable to accept the position...this time. But assuredly, he'll be back. In the end, from Matt's perspective, the audition was a success. It just took a large portion of amazing technique and a smattering of "older thoughts."