Dance: In-Person and Virtual Scholarship Auditions

Dance Scholarships

You may qualify for a Saint Mary’s Performing Arts Scholarship in Dance, Music or Theatre. Each year Saint Mary’s offers up to $5,000 in tuition­ remission scholarships for demonstrated artistic excellence. These merit­-based awards are available only to incoming first-year students, and are renewable for four years. This year, we also have one full-ride four-year East Bay Performing Arts scholarship for a Black student or student of African descent. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE SCHOLARSHIP RESULTS BY February 15, 2025.  Students must apply to Saint Mary's College via the Common App before applying for the scholarships.

Applications for the Dance Scholarship must be submitted by December 1, 2024 and you must also be accepted to Saint Mary’s College prior to the audition date. 

Dance Scholarship auditions will be held on January 18, 2025 on the campus of Saint Mary’s College. Virtual auditions will take place via a Zoom link for those students who cannot make it to campus.  

Dance Scholarship Procedures for In-Person Auditions 

Dance Scholarship auditions will be 100% in-person on Jan. 18, 2025, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (tentatively). 

On the day of the audition, please plan to arrive on campus between 8:15-8:45 am. You will not need to pay for parking, plan to stop at the kiosk and get a pass as you drive into campus. You can get directions there and will want to park close to LeFevre Theatre. Check-in will begin at 8:30 am in LeFevre Theatre. The audition will take place in the Syufy Dance Studio (Syufy 130) or the Campus Recreation Center depending on COVID restrictions and the size of the group. Current students will escort you to the proper location after you check in.  

Meeting

Our day will begin at 9:00 am in LeFevre Theatre for a meet-and greet with the faculty and current students. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend. We will share highlights of the dance program and expectations for scholarship students.  

Dance Audition

We will start our audition with a group dance class at 10:00 am. The class will be 90 minutes and Dance faculty will each teach a different section so that you can see what our classes are like and the various movement styles we offer. It will be a combination of modern, contemporary, ballet and jazz. We do not have a dress code. We will ask you to dance without your shoes for part of the class, but socks, or split soles are fine for the modern and contemporary sections of the class. Ballet slippers are optional for the ballet section. 

After the dance class, we will take a short break. Each student will then perform a self-choreographed solo. The solo must:

·         be 1.5-2 minutes in length

·         be set to music or a sound score that supports the dance

·         be any style of dance that is comfortable for the dancer

·         have a title

Costumes are not required and the studio is ipad-, iphone-, etc, compatible. Bring your own dongle. 

Following the solos, dancers will take a short break for a reception (with snack food) in LeFevre Theatre Lobby. Current students will be available to escort you to the reception.  

After this, we will be available to answer any more questions you may have of our program. Plan to end your day by 2 pm. 

Interviews Online: DATE TBA (January 2025)

Members of the Dance faculty and Saint Mary’s College Dance Company will meet with you in a one hour Zoom session. During that time you will have the opportunity to talk to fellow dancers in our program and also those you might be dancing with in your first year. Each student will then move to a breakout room to have a personal interview with the faculty in which we will ask you some questions about your dancing and what you plan to do in college.

Dance Scholarship Procedures for Virtual Auditions 

Dance Scholarship auditions will be 100% virtual January 19, 2025, 9:45-12:45 (PST) using this Zoom Link

The audition is in four parts: 

1. Choreography: Choreograph a solo in any dance genre that highlights your love for dance. Create a title that captures your concept. Choose music that supports your work. Although you may be performing the work of other choreographers, we want to see your comfort with making your own choreography; the solo must be choreographed by you. Let your movement support your concept. Allow your passion for dance and your chosen style to speak for who you are as a dancer. This solo is 1-2 minutes long.  There is no costume requirement. Please send a link or the file to Professor Cathy Davalos by January 15, 2025. It does not have to be a fancy recording, we understand that some of us are dancing in our homes. You may use your phone to capture your work in any space. 
2. Interview online: Members of the dance faculty and Saint Mary’s College Dance Company will meet with you in a one hour Zoom session. During that time you will have the opportunity to talk to fellow dancers in our program and also those you might be dancing with in your first year. Each student will then move to a breakout room to have a personal interview with the faculty in which we will ask you some questions about your dancing and what you plan to do in college. The interviews will be held sometime in mid- to late-January 2025.
3. Dance class: The scholarship auditions will include a virtual dance class via Zoom taught by several dance faculty on January 26 from 10:00am-11:30am (time TBD). Please use this link (tentatively) to access the Zoom audition.
   The dance class will consist of a warm-up and then movement sequences in ballet, jazz, modern and/or contemporary dance followed by a structured improvisation. We will need to see your whole body when dancing so please place your camera accordingly. You will need an open space of about 10x10 feet. We will not be jumping, but a smooth surface is important. The dance class will consist of a warm-up and then movement sequences. Please wear comfortable dance clothes.
4. Meet the Company: We will take a short break and then reconvene for one hour using the same Zoom link as above from 11:45-12:45. Students will have the opportunity to meet the faculty and current students in the Saint Mary’s College Dance Company. The session will include a short introduction of the faculty, and then we will share highlights of our dance program and expectations of scholarship students.