Combatting Audition Day

6 tips for a successful next audition 🔥

1. Have that SLAY audition fit ready!

Knowing what you are going to wear to your upcoming audition AT LEAST a few days in advance will bring a lot more peace to your mind and have you feeling prepared. That way, you are not rushing around looking for things or going out shopping for a new top or tights the day before! (STRESSSS). Make sure you are finding all the garments you need with plenty of time to spare. Also ensure to have a think about the type of contract/show you are auditioning for and choose an outfit that suits the brief, as well as makes you feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE! Once the above is ticked off, have that audition fit clean, iron and readily placed out/hung up the night before audition day! That way there is no possibility of you going to sleep wondering about what you’ll be wearing and where it is, and makes things so much less stressful come the day. I know we’ve all had one of those audition mornings where by the time you leave, it looks like a bombs gone off in your closet.

2. Pre-pack the audition bag

Prepping all the essentials ahead of the day will have you feeling sooo much more ready and again just makes life a heck of a lot easier on the day! Having a nice roomy bag with pockets and compartments, as well as a written out list of what is needed to pack definitely makes my life easier! Essentials I like to have pre-packed include:

- Snacks & water bottle

- Hairbrush and hairspray

- Additional outfit

- CV and headshot

- Dance shoes

- Deodorant

- Pen & notebook

I’ll then make sure I have a list of what I need to pack before leaving, such as make-up items.

You may be coming to learn that I am the biggest sucker for a checklist LOL. But it gets it out of the brain and into a visual so that nothing gets missed!

3. Plan the audition day schedule

I firmly believe in the saying: “fail to plan, plan to fail” and so having a well-thought out plan for the audition day before it arrives is ESSENTIAL! This includes ensuring you know the address of the audition, your mode of transport (e.g. PTV or car), the route and approx. time it will take to get there, as well as the parking situation. I will ALWAYS leave some leeway time, of AT LEAST half an hour as well, to leave room for any traffic/ptv delays and to allow time for parking and mentally preparing. If you have never been to the location, aiming to get there earlier will definitely help in reducing stress!

After planning out my route and the time I need to leave home, I often work my way backwards and plan my morning routine out to the T! An example could be:

7am – wake up, meditation, shower

7:15 – put on outfit & do hair

7:45 – make-up (whilst listening to hype music ofc)

8:15 – make/grab breakfast & pack snacks

8:30 – leave house to catch train

9:30 – approx. arrival

Yours can entail as much detail as you like! But setting times like these will mean you aren’t rushing around wondering if you’re running on time, and will hopefully make the morning more efficient and easygoing.

4. Boost / Hype yourself up!

Let me tell you there is nothing better than walking into an audition feeling confident in yourself and with a positive mood and mindset. Now, there are many ways you may like to do this, but my favourite way is DEFINITELY playing some hype up, motivational, energetic tunes!! Having a go-to playlist you play, or a certain artist you know will boost that confidence and charisma is KEY. I have a “motivate me” playlist I’ve comprised on Spotify if you’re after some inspiration! (do keep in mind it ranges from musicals and Hannah Montana, to 80’s rock n roll and pop divas). Blasting this whilst getting ready as well as on route to the audition brings out the alter ego confidence and boost I need. Especially for those earlier morning auditions! Some other examples could be listening to a motivational podcast, writing and saying out loud positive affirmations (which I aim to always implement these days), developing a mantra, and visualizing success.

5. Calm the mind

I have found personally that often the biggest thing that has gotten in my way in past auditions is my own MIND.

Going in feeling jittery, nervous, and uneasy in many auditions had me come to the realisation that calming my nervous system beforehand is crucial. My go-to ways to do this include making sure I implement a short meditation the morning of the audition to give myself the space to be still and increase my breath awareness, limiting my screen time (particularly social media) so that my brain doesn’t become busy and overwhelmed by content, as well as getting outside if possible.

I will also sometimes do some deep breathing before walking into the venue if I notice I have woken up that day feeling a bit more anxious than usual – breathing deep into the belly and ensuring a longer exhale.

ALSO: If you are a coffee-drinker & lover like myself, do also take note of your sensitivity to caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the Central Nervous System, causing the body to produce and release adrenaline. I personally like to really reduce my caffeine intake the week leading up to an audition, as I have found that caffeine can really put my nerves over the edge! But it is different for everyone, so just take notice! If coffee gives you a great boost and doesn’t increase the nerves then that is FABULOUS for you and I am extremely jealoussss!!! For my friends that can relate, a great alternative is matcha as this releases a lesser amount of caffeine at a slower rate, and also contains theanine which is an amino acid that is shown to reduce anxiety! Do also remember that decaf coffee is an option and essentially tastes the same!

6. Warm up routine

Once you have arrived with plenty of time (bcoz obviously you have because you time-prepped accordingly), you can perform your ideal warm up routine! Having a clear idea of what this is and also, againnn, pre-preparing it, will ensure you are warm, less stressed and ready to go. This can look like writing out a list (soz another list hehe) of your routine (e.g. star jumps, high knees, lunges, balances, plank dips, lunge stretch etc.) and reading over it before going into the venue. Finding the ideal routine for you and your body may take some experimentation, and may change between every audition, but the idea is that you eventually can establish what works best for your body.

I find that this order often works best for me:

1. Getting the body warm and the lower muscles engaged

2. Core work

3. Deeper stretches for elasticity and to reduce injury

4. Targeting sensitive areas (e.g. my neck is often sensitive and can get quite stiff so making sure that that is loose and warm)

5. Dance-targeted engagement – single leg balances/raises, tendus, plies etc.

Now your routine can look completely different to mine and that is totally ok as long as it makes you feel your best physically beforehand!! It may also very well differ depending on the audition. I preach and practice everything I have said above and I hope that these help to give you an extra heads up for your next upcoming audition. Thx for letting me ramble on about all my lists, I promise you they will help!

Chookas!! x

Carli