LOS ANGELES DANCE AUDITIONS – OPEN CALL MASTER CLASSES
THE SCHOOL AT JACOB’S PILLOW, RENOWNED DANCE TRAINING CENTER
AUDITIONS HELD MARCH 20-21
What: The School at Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most prestigious dance training centers in the United States, will hold auditions in Los Angeles, CA for three 2016 Professional Advancement Programs: Contemporary, Improv Traditions & Innovations: From Ring Shout to Blues to Jazz, and Musical Theatre Dance. Led by internationally-acclaimed dance artists in a master class format, no cuts are made during the auditions, providing an excellent opportunity for dancers to take a full professional class, gain audition experience, and learn more about The School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Dancers will audition for the opportunity to work closely with renowned artists such as Contemporary Program guest choreographers Ballet BC Resident Choreographer Cayetano Soto, Colombo-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Belgian designer and choreographer Stijn Celis. The Improv Traditions & Innovations guest artists will include Harvard University PhD candidate Lizzy Cooper Davis and two-time Fullbright Fellow Award recipient Nia Love, among others. Milton Myers, faculty member of The Ailey School and Juilliard will lead the Contemporary Program in his 30th year; Improv Traditions & Innovations: From Ring Shout to Blues to Jazz will be led by Urban Bush Women founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
The School at Jacob’s Pillow offers an incomparable experience in its immersive Festival environment. Program participants train six days a week with world renowned artists, attend Festival performances and master classes, study in the internationally regarded Archives, and live on the historically significant grounds of Jacob’s Pillow. Alumni of The School appear in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” on Broadway, and in major companies worldwide. Last year, 29 alumni of The School returned as Festival artistic directors, choreographers, and performers.
Contemporary Program auditions are open to advanced dancers, ages 15 and up. Improv Traditions & Innovations Program auditions are open to curious choreographic-minded dance artists, ages 18 and up. No pre-registration is required. Dancers below the age of 18 will require a waiver to be signed by a guardian. A $15 cash fee is required for all audition participants.
In addition to program auditions, The School at Jacob’s Pillow will host a Musical Theatre Dance master class in Los Angeles on March 21. Led by Peggy Hickey, award-winning film, television, and Broadway choreographer, the master class features musical theatre dance choreography and performance skills, followed by vocal coaching. Hickey’s Broadway credits include the Tony Award-winning A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, My Fair Lady (starring Kelli O’Hara, Kelsey Grammar, and Brian Dennehey), and The Most Happy Fella (starring Paul Sorvino), among others.
Master classes are open to advanced dancers, ages 15 and up. No pre-registration is required. Participants should bring four copies of their headshot/résumé, all dance shoes (including tap), Sheet Music for two songs from published musical theatre works, and be prepared to sing at least 16 bars from memory (accompanist provided). A $15 cash fee is required for all workshop participants. Dancers below the age of 18 will require a waiver to be signed by a guardian.
If applicants are unable to attend in person auditions, video auditions are highly encouraged as they are given the same consideration as in person auditions. Video audition details can be found by visiting
http://www.jacobspillow.org/education/school/audition-apply/audition-apply.php#Vid.
For specific audition guidelines, a full audition schedule, 2016 Program details, and complete application guidelines, visit
www.jacobspillow.org/education/school.
When: Contemporary
Sunday, March 20
Registration: 10-10:45am
Audition Class: 11am-1pm
Loyola Marymount University
Improv Traditions & Innovations: From Ring Shout to Blues to Jazz
Sunday, March 20
Registration: 4-4:45pm
Audition Class: 5-7pm
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
Musical Theatre Dance
Monday, March 21
Registration: 6-6:45pm
Master Class: 7-10pm
Screenland Studios
Where: Loyola Marymount University
1 Loyola Marymount University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
3773 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Screenland Studios
0501 Burbank Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 91601
Scholarship
Opportunities: Applicants auditioning by video for the Ballet, Improv Traditions & Innovations: From Ring Shout to Blues to Jazz, Contemporary, or Musical Theatre Dance Programs are eligible for consideration of the Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence, which provides a full scholarship and $2,500 cash award. Jacob’s Pillow Scholarships are also available for any dancer needing financial assistance with the program fee.
For more information about scholarships, visit
www.jacobspillow.org/education/school/scholarships.
About: The School at Jacob’s Pillow is one of America’s most prestigious training centers for dance, encompassing four professional advancement programs in Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Dance. An integral part of Jacob’s Pillow, The School draws program participants and acclaimed artist faculty from all corners of the globe and is one of only five organizations in the United States selected for the Talented Students in the Arts Initiative award, a collaboration between the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Surdna Foundation, Inc. Through this initiative, the Pillow has been able to establish The Fund for Jacob’s Pillow School Endowment to ensure the availability of scholarships, world-class faculty, and free access to all Festival performances and events for all faculty and students. Alumni of The School include dance luminaries such as Nikolaj Hübbe, Meredith Monk, Mia Michaels, Robert Swinston, and So You Think You Can Dance winner Joshua Allen. Others appear in Dance Magazine's 25 To Watch, on Broadway, and in major companies worldwide. For more information, visit
www.jacobspillow.org/education/school.
Jacob’s Pillow, celebrating its 84th Festival in 2016, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest-running international dance festival. Each Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. The School at Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than a century of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and an extensive schedule of free public events. Through Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, a nationally-recognized program, Artist Educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award all support visionary dance artists and choreographers. The Pillow’s digital initiatives are aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to experience dance and Jacob's Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and social media. An important part of the Pillow’s digital presence, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive is a curated online video collection of dance highlights from 1933 to today. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob’s Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, making the Pillow the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award. For more information, visit
www.jacobspillow.org.
Videos
