We look forward to seeing applicants to the Center for the Arts at audition day on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Below is information from the specialty center application about the audition process. If you are unsure of the audition time you signed up for, please contact the CFA office at 228-2718 or send an email to dtpippert@henrico.k12.va.us.
DANCE
Dress: Students should wear clothes they can move in: leotards, tights, leggings, or jazz pants. No T-shirts, tank tops, sweat shirts, skirts, shorts, or jewelry can be worn. Wear clothes that do not have large patterns, drawings, writings, or advertisements on them. Bring any dance shoes that you own. No stocking feet or socks. Please have hair pulled back and fixed so it does not hinder movement.
Audition: Dance applicants will be asked to participate in a series of movements from several techniques such as ballet, jazz, and modern dance for approximately 90 minutes. Students will learn a short combination of steps that they will perform with a small group as part of the audition. No prepared solo dance is needed for the audition; all dance is taught at the time of the audition. Each student will also have a brief interview. Please be on time. If you come early, please use this extra time to stretch. Dance auditions will take place in the CFA Dance Studio.
MUSICAL THEATRE
Dress: Students should wear comfortable clothing for their auditions: leotard and tights, jazz pants, or sweat pants with a close fitting T-shirt. Bring jazz shoes for the dance audition if you have them. Otherwise, wear tennis shoes. No stocking feet or socks.
Audition: Individual vocal auditions will consist of one prepared piece of music from a Broadway musical or show, popular music, school choral music, church choral music, or any other solo vocal literature. Students must perform the song with the accompaniment. Students may bring the sheet music as an accompanist will be provided, or students may bring an accompaniment tape or karaoke or instrumental CD. Tapes and CDs must be clearly marked and cued to start. Rap is not acceptable. Students will be vocalized to obtain range, aural memory, and vocal tone. Musical Theatre auditions will be held in the Henrico High School chorus room and the Henrico High School auditorium.
THEATRE
Dress: Students should wear clothes they can move in: tights, sweats, leotards, T-shirts, or tank tops. Please do not wear clothes that have large drawings, writings, or advertisements on them.
Audition: Theatre applicants should prepare a monologue. Songs and poems will not be heard for this audition. A monologue is a cutting from a play that can stand on its own and does not require dialogue between two or more people. You will find books that contain monologues in your library or in bookstores. The monologue should be a minimum of one minute and a maximum of two minutes in length and should be memorized. Students will also participate in improvisational exercises with other applicants. Candidates will have a brief interview in which they will be asked about their interests in the center and their theatrical experiences. Each candidate must stay the entire group time slot. Please avoid classical or Shakespearean monologues. Theatre auditions will take place in the CFA Black Box Theatre and the CFA Theatre classrooms
VISUAL ARTS
Audition: Visual arts applicants should bring a portfolio of their artwork. This work may have been produced in a school art program, through private lessons, or at home. The portfolio should contain eight pieces of art. Included in your portfolio, we would like to see the following pieces: two drawings (mandatory) from life (not your imagination or copies of pictures); other pieces can be from your imagination but should demonstrate your best craftsmanship; variety of work including painting, drawing, printmaking, and collage; variety of subject matter such as portraits, landscapes, still-life, design, abstract work; and three-dimensional art (not mandatory).
If you are currently enrolled in an art class at school, please bring work from your art class. If you are not, complete the life drawings at home.
The applicant will have a brief interview and drawing exercise to complete while waiting. Students should be prepared to discuss their reasons for wanting an advanced visual arts training at the center. Visual Arts auditions will be held in the CFA Visual Art Building.