How to Get Dance Scholarships for College
Can you turn your dance skills into scholarship money for college? Do you have to be a dance major to apply for a dance scholarship? Where do dance students in Minnesota and the midwest find most of their scholarship money?
Students at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota receive up to $6000 annually in theater and dance scholarships, available to majors and non-majors. We offer performing arts scholarships on top of substantial academic and need-based scholarships, including extremely low four-year tuition rates for qualifying Minnesota students. Gustavus dance majors study dance history, methods, and design, gaining proficiency in the art of movement through theory, observation, and rigorous practice. Students develop their professional portfolios under expert faculty mentors invested in helping each student prepare for successful entry into their chosen dance field or conservatory studies.
What’s involved in getting scholarships for dance in college? Read on for an overview of dance scholarships, including important considerations for your audition videos.
How do I get dance scholarships?
While there are some independent dance scholarships available, in most cases your largest scholarship will come from your college.
See what dance scholarships your school offers.
Most schools with performing arts programs offer some type of scholarship based on live or recorded auditions and an interview process. At Gustavus, incoming students audition for the Evelyn Anderson Theater & Dance Scholarship, which offers $500-$6000 annually, for a four-year total of up to $24,000 in scholarship funds.
Make note of audition deadlines for dance scholarships at your top schools, including priority deadlines that offer you the best chances of receiving the scholarship. Give yourself plenty of time before the priority deadline to choose and develop your audition pieces so you can present your best work.
Estimate your other college scholarship awards.
Even as an accomplished dancer, your biggest college tuition awards likely won’t be dance scholarships. Find out what scholarships you qualify for at your top colleges, including those based on financial need as well as academic or extracurricular achievements outside of dance. Most schools have financial aid calculators online that approximate your likely award amounts, so you can begin to compare tuition costs that factor in all your likely scholarships.
At Gustavus, Minnesota students with qualifying household incomes receive free tuition their first year, followed by three years of marginal tuition costs. Students inside and outside Minnesota receive substantial tuition grants reflective of financial need, and many receive merit-based scholarships for outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements in high school.
Explore additional dance scholarship opportunities.
To find additional dance scholarships, start by asking your dance instructor or dance team coach. Local dance studios, ballet companies, and performing arts foundations may offer scholarships or have lists of available scholarships. You might find additional dance scholarships in your state by narrowing an online search geographically — for instance, the Minnesota Association of Dance Teams offers scholarships to high school seniors on competitive dance teams in the state of Minnesota.
If you are involved in performing arts besides dance, open up your scholarship search to include music or theater. See our articles on music and theatre scholarships for more information.
How much dance experience do I need for a scholarship?
As with any art form, your performance portfolio is what distinguishes you in terms of program acceptance and scholarship awards, not the total years you’ve been dancing. High school students aspiring to major in dance in college typically have 3+ years of studio and performance experience, ideally in two or more dance genres. However, discovering your passion for dance later shouldn’t deter you if you’re dedicated to your craft. Work hard on your audition pieces, enlisting support and feedback from your dance instructor or coach. You won’t know if you can get that scholarship if you don’t try.
Can only dance majors get dance scholarships?
If you’re an experienced dancer majoring in another subject, you might still be eligible to receive dance scholarships. Check your school’s scholarship criteria for requirements. Gustavus students do not have to be performing arts majors or minors to audition for dance scholarships. Scholarship recipients maintain their eligibility to receive the scholarship each year through ongoing participation in the theater and dance department, with options such as taking a theater or dance class, performing in a department production, or working behind the scenes in costuming, scenery, or tech.
How do I make a successful dance audition video?
College dance scholarship applications ask you to upload short videos showcasing your dance and choreography skills. For instance, to apply for the dance scholarship at Gustavus, students record three videos: a 2-minute solo dance, a 1-minute improv dance, and a 45-second dance routine shown online.
How do you submit a successful dance audition video? Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Follow the instructions. Read the audition instructions carefully and design your dances to stay precisely within the time limits given.
- Highlight your versatility and talent. Choose or design dances that showcase your most advanced skills. If the audition calls for two or more videos, consider doing two different genres of dance, perhaps combining one classical and one modern style, such as ballet and hip-hop.
- Choose a well-lit, uncluttered location. If appropriate, ask your dance instructor or dance team leader if you can use the practice studio to record an audition video. Take a test video there to see if the studio lighting creates a clear picture or whether you need to bring in different lighting.
- Ensure good video and audio quality. You don’t necessarily need professional equipment, but consider the logistics of using your phone to record your audition. Use a tripod or other stationary surface, find an angle that captures your entire body during the whole routine, and test the quality of your audio ahead of formally recording.
- Wear clothing that’s sufficiently form fitting. Dress appropriately for your dance style while keeping in mind that clothes that are too baggy make it difficult for the viewer to see the details of your moves.
- Start planning early. Give yourself enough time to perfect your routines as well as work out all of the technical recording aspects. If possible, do some of your practicing in the space where you’ll be recording your video so it feels familiar and comfortable to perform your audition pieces there.
- Keep your editing straightforward. Show a couple seconds of stillness, perform your dance, then leave a couple seconds at the end of the routine so the ending of the video doesn’t feel abrupt. Don’t add video effects that distract from your performance.
- Upload your video correctly. The scholarship instructions will tell you where to upload your recording. Be sure to make it publicly accessible so there isn’t any trouble viewing it.
Join the Gustavus performing arts community.
For over four decades, the Gustavus theater and dance department has offered conservatory-style dance instruction inside a well-rounded liberal arts education. Gustavus dance majors receive extensive mentorship from expert faculty who help them customize their dance studies with discipline-specific electives, professional experiences, and arts-oriented business minors designed to support their transition into the field upon graduation. Dance students practice and perform in state-of-the-art facilities with numerous opportunities to participate in both faculty-directed and student-led stage productions.
Learn more about opportunities in theater and dance at Gustavus and take advantage of generous merit-based scholarships that recognize your accomplishments and future potential in dance, theater, music, academics, and more.
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