Cruise ship auditions: Tips, Tricks, and Insights!

If it has ever been your dream to perform on a cruise ship, travel the world, and entertain guests then read on. Welcome back! It's been a minute. Things have been stirred up a bit thanks to COVID-19 and still haven’t quite settled down. Let me remind you through all of this, you are not alone. There are a lot of changes, challenges, adjustments, precautions, and adaptations taking place. First of all, kudos to you for your acclimation. A lot of us are dancing in our kitchens and exercising in our backyards. I know it hasn’t been easy. It takes self motivation to get out of bed and conduct your own class. It’s not easy doing grand battements in such tight quarters. I get it.

On the bright side it has made me more grateful for live accompaniment, studio square footage, and dance clothes vs pajamas. In addition, I have been extremely impressed and grateful for the way studios have utilized technology and video software to continue classes and rehearsals. Although there aren't hands on corrections occurring at least dancers can participate and receive some sort of feedback.

In the meantime, I decided to write this blog post dedicated to cruise line auditions. I have auditioned for a few cruise lines and have successfully made it to the end of the audition process multiple times. Before COVID-19 I had scheduled, traveled to, and attended many ballet company auditions. The commercial industry and cruise line audition was not as familiar to me as the multiple ballet auditions I attended. Because of this experience, I thought highlighting cruise line auditions in this post would help give insight into commercial dance auditions.

Hopefully this helps at your next cruise ship audition. Read on for tips, tricks, and insights!

1. Show up prepared.

This means coming with the items you need. Cruise lines will usually post their audition requirements on their website under “audition details”. Regardless, you should always have your headshot and resume ready. I always bring extras just in case I make an additional connection or coffee gets spilled on my original document. Be sure to proofread and adjust your resume to demonstrate your greatest accomplishments in dance.

1. Dress comfortably and appropriately

If the audition doesn’t specifically say how to dress, then choose wisely. If you're not entirely sure, bring it all. (Tap shoes, sneakers, jazz shoes, heels, and ballet shoes) It's better to be prepared than blinded by an unexpected occurrence. For your audition attire, pick something that shows your body and fits you well. You want to look professional and feel comfortable. Nothing baggy that hides your lines.

1. Clear your day and arrive early

It's always a good idea to show up early. Once you arrive, you can do what you need to do. Stretch, prepare, get in the zone. This also allows you extra time in the case of an emergency. If you forget or need to make a last minute change, extra time is a great gift. Another thing to note is auditions may take multiple hours. Don’t schedule your departure flight on the same day as the audition. Don’t rely on a specific end time. They’ll be making cuts after cuts and it may take all day.

1. Do your research

Do your research beforehand. This will clarify when to show up, whether you need to already be warm, what to bring/wear, and the specific dancers the company may be looking for. If they have height requirements, that's something to pay attention to. Maybe they’re only looking for males or maybe there is a fee you need to be prepared to pay. Find out beforehand not the moment you show up for the audition.

My last bit of advice to you is do not be discouraged if you get cut. Most companies start with a technique combination and then make cuts immediately. After that they move onto other dance styles and combinations to see the dancer's versatility. Usually the room is quite full of auditioners and the judges need to narrow down the numbers to really see what is in front of them. The good news is they are looking to hire so they want to see you as much as you want to be seen by them. The bad news is there are usually hundreds of dancers going for the same position you are and you need to find a way to stand out.

All of the cruise line auditions I attended had very similar audition processes. Some even had the same beginning technique combination. Most cruise entertainment companies want to see your capabilities & versatility. The judges are trying to identify dancers that will fit the show they are casting at that particular time. Just because you don’t get casted at that particular audition, it doesn't mean you aren’t talented. It may mean you just aren’t right for the show they are casting at that particular time.

I made it to the end of a cruise line audition, received employment information, provided my contact information, and still didn’t get the job. I waited patiently for a contract or call from the company, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Thankfully I didn’t give up, I went back a few months later and auditioned again. The second time I made it to the end of the audition again and I got an official contract offer a few months later. This is a perfect example of why you shouldn't give up. If you don’t get hired right away, give it another shot.