About the Workshop:

How to prepare for an audition well? How to present yourself at your best, and not loose yourself in the process? How can an audition also be fun and a great opportunity to meet new people? How to get selected to participate in an audition in the first place, and how to get the most out of it? Artistic director and choreographer Anouk van Dijk has run many auditions throughout her career, and in this workshop will offer many tips and tricks, as well personal insights from behind the scenes. This two-day workshop will guide you through a process of preparing, practicing audition situations and building confidence. 

Anouk truly believes in the process of auditioning, even though this is always challenging for everyone involved. She has encountered all her long-standing company members and close collaborators through this process. Anouk views auditioning as a reciprocal process, where not only the artist or company recruit new dancers, but the dancer is also pro-actively involved in engaging in this process, a process of exchange to find out whether they are the right fit for the job. 

The workshop will look into the following topics:

  • What dance jobs do you aspire for? What are your personal goals, and the steps to get there? 

  • How to choose the right artist or company you would like to work for?

  • How to apply for an audition, what makes you stand out in your motivation letter and resume? What material do you select for your show-reel?

  • What else is good to know before you apply: company culture and general working conditions, how long to be available for? Where and when to find out about this?

  • Once selected, how to prepare for the audition? What can you expect to do physically, theatrically and creatively? What is the audition panel looking for? How do you find out? 

  • Know your strengths and weaknesses: what are you good at and make you feel confident? Tackle challenges, which might be: how to pick up material fast, and when not succeeded fully, how to handle the situation? How to deal with (undefined) improvisation tasks, what to choose as solo moments? What else do you need to be prepared for, like text, singing, etc.?

  • The day of the audition: what do you do when you arrive, how to connect? What do you choose to wear, how to position yourself in the room, how to deal with long waiting times and staying warm, when and how to ask questions? 

  • Practical tips and tricks to go through the audition process with confidence.

Anouk van Dijk

Anouk van Dijk  (NL) – is a Dutch choreographer, director and the Founder of Countertechnique. She has been the Artistic Director of Australian contemporary dance company Chunky Move from 2012 – 2019. Before moving to Australia in 2012, Anouk van Dijk had an extensive career as a choreographer and dancer in Europe. Van Dijk formed her own dance company anoukvandijk dc in 1999 in Amsterdam, producing twenty full-length works that toured the globe. In 2012 Van Dijk was awarded the Golden Swan (Gouden Zwaan) – the Netherlands’ most prestigious dance accolade – in recognition of her outstanding artistic and academic contribution to dance in her home country. During her tenure as Artistic Director of Chunky Move, Anouk van Dijk has created main stage and large site-specific works, which have toured internationally extensively. Anouk works currently as a free-lance choreographer, director and educator, and is the Artistic Director of Countertechnique. In recent years she has created works for Staatsballet Berlin, the Münchner Kammerspiele, and recently a large commission for Skanes Dance Theater in coproduction with Malmö Opera.
Anouk van Dijk has developed Countertechnique throughout her career as a dancer, choreographer and educator. Over the last twenty years, the knowledge and experience she gained – in constant dialogue with her dancers – was gradually transformed into a detailed theoretical system and a teaching method, which now forms Countertechnique. Van Dijk has trained all 35 other Countertechnique teachers to date. Together with Prof. Dr. Gerald Siegmund, she described the theoretical principles and practical application of the technique in the publication Dance Techniques 2010.

When?

Saturday 12 February

10:00-11:30: Gaga of Improv based class with (tba)

12:00-16:00: Workshop (incl. 30 min break)

Sunday 13 February

10:00-11:30: Countertechnique with Anouk van Dijk

12:00-16:00: Workshop (incl. 30 min break)

Where?

HJS Studios

Price:

€120,-

Get tickets

Instagram Website

Springplank

This workshop is part of the Springplank program but open to all prof-level dancers. Participants of Springplank may join this masterclass for free. The program is open to last-year students and alumni (up to 3 years) from dance academies (HBO/MBO) in the city of Amsterdam. Want to join Springplank? Send us an email at springplank@hjs.amsterdam with your cv, diploma, and motivational letter and we’ll get in touch with you! More info: https://hjs.amsterdam/springplank/