With so many styles of dance and auditions available, it can be hard to know how to dress appropriately for each performance stage. Should you wear a leotard and tights, a sports bra and dance briefs, or a halter top and bikini bottoms? Through more than three decades of dancing and auditioning for pro sports teams, the Radio City Rockettes, boy-band concert tours, and everywhere in between, I have learned the ins and outs of the audition process for various professional dance or cheer opportunities. It took many trials and errors in the early years before I finally got the process right. Whether you’re trying out to be an NBA or NFL cheerleader or auditioning for the Rockettes or Broadway, it is important to know how to dress for each performance genre.
Professional Sports Team Cheerleader Tryouts
When trying out for any professional sports team’s cheerleader/dance squad the first rule to know is it’s all about “the look.” Generally, it goes without saying that these auditions require a more sexy style from the candidates.
So what should you wear for an NFL or NBA cheerleader tryout? Wear tan no-shine tights, like the Hooters girls in Hooters restaurants wear-These can actually be purchased right in the restaurant, or you can find them online-or wear tan no-shine dance tights. The key to the correct tights is the no-shine factor. Nothing says amateur like shiny Debbie Drill Team tights!
After the tights are locked in you want to wear either black or some solid color dance briefs or bikini bottoms…just avoid the skimp factor. Black is always slimming, but you may opt for a bold, vibrant color that compliments your choice of top. When choosing a top to wear, remember it needs to be something you can dance, turn, and leap around in without giving the judges more of a show than they were expecting! A vibrant color that flatters your skin tone, hair color, or eyes-or all of the above-will be the best ticket to a successful tryout look. A sports bra or halter style bikini top will work best for keeping “the girls” in place while still accentuating those assets. Prints are not always easy for everyone to pull off, so sticking to a nice solid color usually works best.
Remember, this is a dance/cheer tryout so your feet need the proper attire, too. Wearing nude or black jazz shoes or white or black dance sneakers is the best way to go in keeping with your overall ensemble but allowing for good dance ability.
Broadway, Theater, or Studio-Style Dance Audition
If you are auditioning for theater, the Rockettes, Broadway, or a more studio style performance opportunity, the rules of attire differ slightly from those of the pro sports team genre.
Tights are still the tan no-shine tights, but you want to go with a dance specific type of tight that is a very natural color for your own skin tone. The tan Hooters tights will not work for this type of audition. As with the sports team cheerleader tryout, nothing says amateur like shiny tights that many youth dance teams wear.
Rather than wearing a midriff-baring top and dance briefs, for a studio-style/Broadway type of audition you will want to wear a one-piece leotard. Black is still, of course, always slimming, so you can’t go wrong with the traditional ballet style leotard. However, don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd in a deep jewel-toned color. When I auditioned for the Radio City Rockettes, I wore a black leotard with a standard tank-style front, but the back had criss-crossing straps lined in beautiful yet subtle rhinestones. An important feature for the dance leotard is to have a modestly-cut leg; unlike the cheerleader tryout, the focus should be on the dancing and moving as one unit rather than the sexy appearance of the dancer.
Shoes will vary for each audition. In fact, many theater auditions required me to have jazz shoes, tap shoes, and dance sneakers; whereas, I needed jazz shoes and tap shoes only for the Rockettes, and for the NFL tryouts I wore only dance sneakers. In any audition, though, stick with black or nude colors only.
Hair and Make-Up
There is really only one discernable difference in make-up and hair styling for each performance genre. That difference is in the hair. Trying out for a pro sports team requires the hair to be down and beautifully coiffed, while Broadway or studios require a slicked back ballet bun worn at the crown of the head or just below. Essentially, make-up application retains consistency through all realms of dance. Highlight the eyes with darker browns, black eyeliner, and black but natural-looking false lashes. A nice deep shade of red lipstick in a matte finish will make your smile pop by making teeth appear brighter. Finally, don’t ever wear glitter! That will give away a newbie before they even step on the floor.
Dancers are not just performers and entertainers. Dancers are chameleons of the stage, and knowing which stage to adapt to will make all the difference in any audition you choose.