Dance Admissions

Steps to Audition

The main reason we hold auditions is to give you an experience of our program so you can see if it's right for you. We want you to have a super fun learning experience dancing with us no matter what you end up choosing to do for college!  We are looking for open-minded young dance artists who are eager to learn, hard-working, willing to take chances, and in love with dance. 

Another reason we hold auditions is to give you an experience of our program so you can see if it's right for you. We want you to have a super fun learning experience dancing with us no matter what you end up choosing to do for college. 

Important: Only students who have applied to San Diego State University will be scheduled for an entrance audition. One you have obtained a RED ID all requests for audition dates must be completed through the School of Music and Dance online audition and application portals.

Please review the "About our Program" page for our Mission and Values, check out our Dance Faculty, and have a look at the SDSU Catalog for general information about the major.  

New Students: Apply to SDSU. Application opens on October 1st. DEADLINE November 30th. Important: Only students who have applied to San Diego State University will be scheduled for an entrance audition. One you have obtained a RED ID, you can move on to Step 3! 

SDSU Students: If you are already a student at SDSU and wish to major or minor in Dance, email the Student Services Coordinator, Shirley Valencia, at [email protected] to arrange an audition. Auditions happen twice per semester.  Current SDSU students do not need to do Step 3 or 4. 

Register for the Audition via Interfolio no later than January 15th, 2024.

New Students: Attend the audition on February 3rd or 4th, 2024. 

SDSU Students: Attend the audition you arranged with Shirley Valencia.

Audition Day

What to expect

Audition day includes registration, technique class, creative process and a Q&A for you and your support people. 

Class includes a warm up, improvisation, across the floor, and a combination. 

For the creative process, choose one minute of movement from a dance you're working on, or a solo you're using for auditions. Come ready to play with, pull apart, and/or add to this movement. Our faculty choreographers will guide you through this process in smaller groups, giving you a chance to learn more about the ways we make dances in our program and allowing us to see how you work with directions, problem-solve, and work with others. 

After performing the combination in class, you will also have a chance to practice it the week after the audition and submit a video of yourself that you feel good about! This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate how well you integrate feedback and gives us a peek into your work ethic. This will also enable the faculty to see your progress over time, allowing those of you who need more practice to shine!