• 2025 – 2026 Dance Audition Requirements

    Overview

    The emphasis of the Kinder HSPVA Dance Department program is in both ballet and modern dance. This is in keeping with the audition requirements of most professional dance companies as well as the requirements for college conservatories and university dance major programs.  Due to the vigorous physical demands of a concentration in dance, students with chronic health problems and/or injuries (bad knees, weak ankles, back problems etc.) are not encouraged to apply for the Kinder HSPVA Dance Department program.

     

    Audition Dates:  Auditions are Saturday, February 15, 2025.  You will choose an audition time during the application process.  There are two sessions – 8:30 am - 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm.  Callbacks will be on Saturday, March 1, 2025 – please hold the date. You will be notified if you have received a callback no later than February 21, 2025.

     

    Length of Audition: Three hours

     

    What to bring: Ballet shoes. (Pointe section of audition will only take place during invited Callbacks.)

     

    Audition Attire:

     

    • Girls: Leotard and convertible tights, ballet shoes with the elastic sewn on and tie strings tucked for ballet and bare feet for modern dance.  Hair should be nice, neat and away from the face and neck with no jewelry, bows or accessories other than bobby pins and/or a hair net. 

     

    • Boys: Solid T-shirt with tights or form fitting gym shorts, ballet shoes with the elastic sewn on and tie strings tucked for ballet and bare feet for modern dance.  Hair should be nice, neat and pulled away and secured from the face and neck.

     

    • If you do not have the required attire (or ballet shoes) please email Mr. Klein, Magnet Coordinator, (jklein1@houstonisd.org) at least two weeks before your audition to make arrangements to borrow what is needed.

    What to Expect:

     

    Our audition begins in ballet with an amended barre followed by exercises and combinations in center and across the floor. There will be a quick break to transition into the modern dance portion of the audition.  During this time students will remove their ballet shoes and prepare to work with bare feet.  The modern dance portion of the audition will consist of a warm-up in center, followed by exercises and combinations in center and across the floor.  Students will be required to sight read and reproduce movement in groups for the dance faculty.  Auditionees do not need to prepare a solo.

     

    The audition will be in two groups or levels. First group will be dancers who have had 3 to 4 years of recent Ballet training. This will be the more advanced audition. The second group will be an intermediate/beginner level audition. Dancers that choose to be in the second group will observe the first group and audition once the first group is complete.

    Students with pointe experience must bring pointe shoes for the pointe portion of the call-back audition. Pointe work is a prerequisite for entry into all upper-level advanced ballet classes. Previous pointe training is not required to be considered for the intermediate level class (Level 1). A Jazz Dance Combination may be given during the Call-Back Audition.

     

    Evaluation Criteria:

     

    1. Potential for a career in dance
    1. Physique and Body Alignment
    1. Coordination and Flexibility
    1. Evidence of Natural Ability and Potential
    1. Rhythmical Accuracy
    1. Healthy body weight conducive to dance as a major or career
    1. Ability to sight read and reproduce movement combinations given by dance faculty.

     

     

    Other Helpful Tips:

     

    1. In most ballet classes each barre exercise begins with the left hand on the barre so dancers are working with their right leg first.
    1. Do not talk while the instructor is teaching but do ask questions if you need additional clarification.
    1. Know how to stagger in a line up with one dancer forward and the next back when performing center combinations.
    1. Know how to line up chronologically and from left to right unless instructed otherwise.
    1. Participate fully in each combination at the barre, in center and across the floor.
    1. Hold the end of the combination until given the “Thank You” from the adjudicator.
    1. NO FOOD, GUM OR DRINK will be permitted during the audition, even if you are observing and waiting for your audition. Individual Water bottles will be placed in designated place in studio for dancers to use in short break time.
    1. NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED IN THE AUDITION STUDIOS.
    1. Body Language is important Smile and Enjoy!
    1. Thank the teacher.

  • Please review the information below.  Visit https://app.getacceptd.com/kinderhspva. beginning January 18, 2024 to sign up for an audition time on February 17, 2024.  The deadline to sign up for an audition is February 14, 2024. 

    Instructions:

    1. If you have not already created an account with Acceptd, you will need to do that first.  Acceptd is a platform used by some of the best colleges, universities, conservatories, summer programs, and competitions.  This platform is NOT connected with CHOOSEHISD.org and your username and passwords do not need to match.  We suggest that you sign up as a parent, and when adding your student, indicate that the student does NOT have an email account.  If you include your student’s email address, they will need to verify the account before you submit their application.
    2. After creating an account, you’ll need to browse programs and search for “HSPVA” or make sure you are logged in and click HERE
    3. Complete the application and submit.
    4. To schedule your audition time, please click on the Schedule tab at the top of your Acceptd page, then click on My Timeslots. You will then see the option to Select a Timeslot for the February 17, 2024 Dance Audition. For additional assistance, you can follow Acceptd's guide here.

    For technical questions, please visit Acceptd's Applicant Help Desk.