Dance Audition Photo Tips: How to Stand Out with Stunning Shots
High-quality audition photos are a crucial part of a dancer’s career, serving as your first impression to directors, choreographers, and casting agents. These photos not only showcase your technique but also highlight your unique artistry, giving you an edge in the competitive audition process. But creating impactful dance audition photos takes careful planning and preparation.
In this post, I’ll guide you through everything you need to know to nail your dance audition photoshoot. From finding the right photographer who understands how to highlight your skills to preparing for the shoot and making the most of your time in front of the camera, I’ve got you covered. By starting to plan well before audition season begins, you’ll save yourself stress and ensure your materials are polished and ready to go when audition season comes around. With these tips for dancers, you’ll walk into auditions confident that your photos (and you!) make the best possible impression.
Start your research early
One mistake I often see is dancers starting to put together their audition materials too close to audition deadlines. Not only does this leave dancers feeling stressed out when they should be feeling confident, but they’re likely missing important details that would help them out in the long run had they planned more time in advance and thoroughly read through what’s needed of them for these auditions.
My advice? Start as early as possible.
Have a running list of auditions you see happening that you’d like to attend the following year and make note of where to find their information on the company’s website, sign up for their email list so you don’t miss out on key information, and research more about the company, their mission, what they look for in dancers, or even go see a performance if you can.
This gives you a better idea of what’s needed as you prepare for the coming season’s auditions and provides you plenty of time to get in the studio and practice, prepare your audition photos, and have them organized and ready when audition season rolls around.
Audition photos are typically taken in the fall before winter auditions occur throughout January, February, and March. Take time in the spring and summer to gather the information of what materials you need for audition photos to submit and start looking into professional dance photographers who are capable of taking quality audition photos. Schedule your audition photoshoot for the fall and be sure to book your photographer at least 1 month before you’d like to have your session, because this time books up quickly for dance photographers.
Selecting the Right Photographer
Professional vs. Amateur
When selecting a photographer for your audition photos, it’s important to consider your goals and budget. Hiring a professional dance photographer comes with distinct advantages: they have the technical expertise, high-quality equipment, and an understanding of how to capture movement, lines, and artistry that truly showcase your talent, while also being able to speak the language of dance and proper lighting for your needs and vision.
However, if budget doesn’t allow for a professional for the upcoming season’s auditions, an amateur photographer with dance knowledge can still be a good option, especially if they understand the fundamentals of dance technique and posing. The key is finding someone who can highlight your strengths while ensuring your photos meet audition requirements, while still looking as high-quality as possible. Whether professional or amateur, clear communication and preparation will make all the difference.
Knowing What To Expect From The Photographer You Choose
This goes back to getting ahead of the game with your planning. Understand and communicate with your photographer what all you’d ideally like to cover in your photoshoot. A dance photographer will have a grasp on whether it is possible to cover everything you’d like within the time frame you’ve selected or if you would need more time to capture it all.
It’s never a bad idea to book more time than you would expect, especially for audition photos. Each shot should be finessed to look and feel your very best, with the dancer looking at the shot to make sure they are in love with it before moving on to another pose.
It’s always important to know your photographer’s turnaround time on edits to ensure that you receive your photos well before you need to use them.
Preparing for the Photoshoot
Know what you’re auditioning for:
It is crucial that dancers have a clear idea of who they are wanting to audition for prior to getting audition photos taken. It is the responsibility of the dancer to know what materials they need to have for the auditions they plan to attend prior to getting their audition photos taken.
Every company or dance program has differences with what they are looking for regarding audition photos. So it is best to have a list of all that you plan to audition for and have a clear list stating what you need before you walk into your audition photoshoot.
Don’t know where to find this information? Go to the company’s website, check any emails that have gone out about auditions, try a Google search on specific audition material requirements for a company or summer intensive, or simply reach out directly via email to the company and they can point you in the right direction. Be sure that you have checked everyone online first before you reach out directly.
Create a list of your research, whether this is a Google doc, a note on your phone, or is jotted down in a notebook, be sure to have this list ready to share with your photographer.
Common requirements for ballet auditions (depending on the school or company):
Headshot
First arabesque
Tendu á la seconde en face (typically for younger dancers auditioning for a ballet school or summer intensive)
Á la seconde en l’air with arms in second position
Fourth position en pointe with arms in fifth position
Thoroughly Warm Up Your Body
It is entirely necessary to have a thorough warmup to set yourself up for success and optimal performance for your audition photoshoot, while also preventing injury.
Unlike class, where you are practicing both sides of your technique, for photos you are most likely going to be working with whichever side showcases your technique best. So you will be hitting a shot again and again, working to build muscle memory until you and the photographer have fine tuned the pose to your liking, meaning you will be repetitively working the same muscles on one side of the body more than the other. You will want to warm up your body accordingly for this reason. Here are some tips for warming up for a dance photoshoot.
Attire
For audition photos, you will want to wear form-fitting dance wear that highlights lines and avoid distracting patterns or colors.
Finding a leotard to wear for auditions that suits your personality and showcases your lines is important.
I advise dancers to bring an array of some of their favorite leotards with them to the photoshoot, or send photos of them to me beforehand. Together, we will determine which leotard will have the most impact in highlighting you as a dancer.
Cut, color, and fabric of leotard
Cut
We will look at the cut of the leotard and ensure that it flatters your lines and isn’t showing up disproportionally on camera. I typically tend to lean away from cap sleeved leotards for audition photos specifically, as they do not always seem to photograph well. That’s not to say that it can’t be a leotard that you wear to the audition itself!
Color
The color of a leotard can portray a dancer’s personality and can highlight (or muddle) skin tones. You likely already have some favorite leotards, whether they make your eyes pop or really compliment your skin tone. Those are typically the choices you want to make for your audition photos.
Again, this is dependent on your own research for what the audition requirements are. Be sure you know if there is a requirement for photos in an all black leotard, pink tights, and satin pointe shoes.
Fabric
Shinier fabric tends to be more flattering in photos, where cotton leotards fall a bit more flat and start to show sweat stains.
Shoes
If you have them, bring multiple pairs of pointe shoes. People think that bringing their most dead pair of pointe shoes is best. Depending on who is looking at the photos may see dead pointe shoes and that a dancer is sinking into their pointe in an unsafe way and make opinions based on that impression.
It’s best to bring options and test your shoes, seeing how they make your lines look before being set on a pair.
Know whether you are auditioning for a classical company, a contemporary company, or a mixture of both and that may determine whether you wear satin pointe shoes with tights or pancaked shoes without tights, or any combination of both.
This is all to say to work with what you have! What directors are most looking at is you! 🙂
Hair and Makeup:
Hair
If you plan to change your hair within the photoshoot, it is important to have a gameplan ahead of time.
With the typical flow of audition shoots, we begin with headshots (hair up or down depending), then move on to the arabesque shot. After capturing the most important shots for auditions, we can pivot to more contemporary looks, which would be when I would recommend taking hair down if the dancer would like any photos with hair down.
Many dancers end up choosing to leave hair in a bun or French twist to have one less thing to worry about and keep hair out of the face.
Makeup
Makeup for audition shoots is pretty straightforward. I typically recommend keeping makeup natural. If you want an idea of how a company is with makeup, look at the current company members’ headshots on their website.
Tip: avoid caking on too much powder and/or blush. The camera can pick up details more clearly, so try to avoid doing makeup like you would for a stage performance. Stage lights and photography production lights are very different.
During the Shoot
Expression and Artistry:
Once a shot is built up and the muscle memory is established, then we dance! Don’t forget to infuse your love of dance into your poses. It is easy to get wrapped up in the photoshoot and feel quite serious about nailing the shot, but you can’t forget about the reason you are here: to do what you love to do!
Let your personality shine through each movement by finding a word, phrase, or story to tell through your dancing.
Don’t be in a rush:
Allow plenty of time in your schedule to prepare for the photoshoot. Be sure to allot time to warm up your body, get ready, have your bag packed with all of your outfit options, extra hair supplies, shoes, warm-up clothes, and your list of must-do shots.
Be patient with yourself during the shoot. It takes time to get used to seeing ourselves on camera and translating this 3D art form to 2D.
I highly recommend that you prioritize your dance audition photoshoot. Avoid booking a photo slot that you have to run out the door immediately after. Most dancers do not make it to class or rehearsal after a shoot. Be prepared for this and plan ahead.
Photoshoots take a lot of effort, working the same shot on several angles and really fine tuning the shape to look best for camera. You’ll also be pouring your energy and soul into your dancing for these photos. Trust me when I say that you’ll want to reserve time to rest or a schedule a calming yoga or pilates class after your session.
Post-Photoshoot Tips
Photo Selection:
Your photographer should be providing a proofing gallery for you to select which images you would like delivered.
A few tips for selecting photos for dance auditions:
Leg height is NOT everything - if the height of your leg is in turn sacrificing the length and turnout of your supporting leg or your upper body looks tense, then it is suggested to find a photo with perhaps slightly less height that showcases proper alignment, turnout, and freedom of the upper body.
For younger dancers auditioning for summer intensives, make sure you select photos where you are directly over the box of your pointe shoes and go for photos of lifted and lengthened supporting legs, not bent knees in positions where legs should be straight.
Directors want to see who YOU are! Choose photos where you can feel your energy and life coming from your expression. You want your audition photos to speak to whoever is looking at them and for them to feel your dancing. Remember this is a first impression of how you’ll be in the studio.
Save, backup, and post your photos:
It is super important for dancers to create an accessible folder on their computer or hard drive AND to back up all of their images immediately upon receiving their photos from their photographer. This way you know exactly where to find your photos whenever you need them, and they are safe and backed up in a second location if your computer ever crashes or loses files. (Believe it or not, it happens) I also suggest posting photos online to social media or website while it’s fresh in your mind!
You should be proud of your new dance photos! Now is a great time to update your website with your new photos and share to your social media.
Often people tend to wait for the “perfect” moment to share their photos to social media. Then more and more time passes and you never end of posting them. Think of it this way, nowadays lots of casting directors look at dancers’ social media accounts. It’s important to have your updated headshots, dance shots, and any fresh videos of you dancing on your social media for this reason. Don’t get held up on writing the perfect caption or waiting for the right time. Post the photos sooner than later so you have a better chance at directors seeing your updated work!
Conclusion
Your audition photos are a vital part of your dance journey, acting as a visual representation of your hard work and artistry. By approaching your photoshoot with the same dedication you bring to your dance practice, you can create images that truly reflect your talent and potential. Preparation, clear communication, and attention to detail will ensure your photos make a lasting impression. Remember, the effort you put into your audition photos now will set you up for success as you take the next steps in your dance career.