How to Apply to the Dance Major and Minor

Deadline to Apply

Apply by November 1st for Early Action Deadline for the Dance Program.

Applications accepted through April 15, 2024.

Acceptance to the Dance Program is contingent upon acceptance to WWU.

You will be notified of WWU Dance’s decision within three weeks of our application deadlines in November and March.

Application is by video submission

Dance minor applicants

Submit a Technique video (details below).

Dance major applicants

In addition to the Technique video, you will also submit a 1-3 minute solo performance in a dance style of your choosing.

The solo will help us to get to know you as a mover and human beyond the scope of class combinations and can be choreography by you or someone else or can be fully improvised.

  • This can be a formal stage performance or an informal outdoor setting or somewhere in between depending on what is available to you.
  • You can include music or perform in silence.
  • We are not looking for high production values/fancy editing for your video submission.
  • For alternate application options please email Susan Haines.

Level Placement for Technique Classes Video Content

  1. Tell us who you are: Your name, year at WWU (freshman, sophomore, transfer, etc), your pronouns, and please share something unique about yourself so we can get to know you.
  2. Contemporary submission (if this is a style you perform)
  3. Ballet submission (if this is a style you perform)
  4. Hip-Hop submission (if this is a style you perform)

Contemporary

1. Three to Five minutes maximum:

To assess alignment (please film from the front as well as from the side - simply rotate between sides or positions) include examples of Contemporary warm up material such as:

  • folding and lengthening of the legs (plies) including curved torso, parallel and turn out
  • foot work such as brushes, weight transfers, under and over curves, including curved torso in parallel and turn out
  • attitude leg swings in parallel and turn out, arms up to you
  • extensions - parallel and turn out, use of curved torso and arms

2. Three minutes maximum:

Combination/improvisation - material you have learned or material that you have created. This can either be choreographed or improvised. Please include the following:

  • slow balancing movement that shows a challenge in shifting weight and position
  • low space movement (floor work)
  • high space with limbs reaching through space
  • variation in quality and dynamics

3. One minute maximum:

Jumps and traveling leaps - If your living room won't accommodate this assignment, and it likely won't, then head outside and dance on a level stretch of soft ground. Sneakers encouraged.
In number 1 we are looking for placement and alignment. In numbers 2 and 3 we are of course looking at your technique, but we also want to get to know you as a mover and performer. Show us what you’ve got…all your moves and grooves. Don’t be afraid to have fun with this.

Ballet

Five minutes maximum (barre and center combined):

Barre work

  • pliés and cambrés 2nd and 5th (right side only)
  • battements tendus and battement jetés (left side only)
  • adage: fondu, developpé (right side only)
  • grands battements (left side only)

Center work

  • port de bras and small adagio: temps lie, pas de basque, developpés demonstrating croisé devant, effacé devant, and first arabesque (right side only)
  • simple pirouettes en dehors with any preparation (fourth or fifth) (only if these have already been taught) (both sides)

Five minutes maximum:

Allegro

  • one enchaînment including sautés, changement des pieds and échappés
  • one enchaînment of petit allegro (glissades, jetés, assemblé, only if these have already been taught) (one side only)
  • one enchaînment of grand allegro (performed outside, wearing footwear of your choice due to small spaces and hard floors) (one side only)

Hip Hop

Five minutes maximum:

A hip-hop warm up with isolations and footwork, and a hip-hop combination that demonstrates rhythmic acuity, full body weight shifts or traveling steps or freezes, and freestyle movements of your choosing. This can be material you learned or material that you choreographed. This can also be an improvisation. We are of course looking at your technique, but we also want to get to know you as a mover and performer. Show us what you’ve got…all your moves and grooves. Don’t be afraid to have fun with this.

Video Links

Please upload your video(s) to either YouTube or Vimeo and paste the link into the application form.

Both of these choices allow you to share a link that will only be viewable by those who have the link. The videos will not be available to the public.

Application Form

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

Tell us about yourself! What moves you? Describe your personal and career goals in the dance field.

Years of training, days per week, studio(s), instructor(s), etc.

I have auditioned in person at WWU.

If you have already auditioned at WWU, the video submission is not required.

Video Audition

Technique video submission guidelines

Please carefully read the instructions at the top of this page for the technique video requirements.

Please upload your technique video to either YouTube or Vimeo and paste the link below. See instructions above for making links unlisted or private.

Dance Major solo submission guidelines

In addition to the Technique video, please submit a 1-3 minute solo performance in a dance style of your choosing. The solo will help us to get to know you as a mover and human beyond the scope of class combinations and can be choreography by you or someone else or can be fully improvised.

This can be a formal stage performance or an informal outdoor setting or somewhere in between depending on what is available to you. You can include music or perform in silence.

We are not looking for high production values/fancy editing for your video submission.