For a dancer, making your dream team can be everything you dreamed of. Whether this is a high school team, college team, or a professional team, finding your place is the dance world is all a young dancer dreams of. Toya Ambrose, the head coach of the Chicago Luvabulls, the official dance team of the Chicago Bulls, stated in an interview with Dance Spirit Magazine, “Dancers need to research the crap out of their program(s) of interest.” This can help a dancer to visualize and match the style of the team they are auditioning for. Be open to feeling uncomfortable and learning something new about your body. Whether or not you make the team you are auditioning for, you can always use an audition as a learning experience for the next time to reflect and grow. When trying out for an NBA dance team specifically, there are over 500 dancers auditioning for a spot on the team. There are endless rounds of elimination until it is lowered down to who will make the team for that season. The final cut, according to Hayoung Roh and Chelsea McCloskey who are both new members of the Knicks City Dancers, included 20 dancers that were given the opportunity to be a part of the team. In an interview with Dance Spirit, the dancers stated that “It was the biggest celebration and coolest moment of our dance careers so far.”
Ally, Sierra, and Sarahbeth, three members of the 2012 Knicks City Dancers gave Dance Spirit Magazine ten tryout tips when auditioning for an NBA dance team.
- Arrive Early.
- Wear a standout outfit.
- Come stage ready.
- Look like you’re a part of the team when you walk in.
- Eat properly and stay hydrated.
- Show off.
- Pick up choreography quickly.
- Stay up front and don’t get hidden.
- Be ready to be interviewed.
- Attend clinics beforehand.
Along with these ten tips, find what sets you apart from other dancers and highlight that throughout your audition. Along with the way you perform you should also make sure to increase workouts leading up to audition day in order to both dance your best and look your best. Overall, with hard work and perseverance, it is possible to make your dream team.