Dance: In-Person and Virtual Scholarship Auditions
Dance Scholarships
You may qualify for a Saint Mary’s Performing Arts Scholarship in Dance, Music or Theatre. Each year Saint Mary’s offers up to $5,000 in tuition remission scholarships for demonstrated artistic excellence. These merit-based awards are available only to incoming first-year students, and are renewable for four years. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE SCHOLARSHIP RESULTS BY February 16, 2025. Students must apply to Saint Mary's College via the Common App before applying for the scholarships.
Applicants must first apply via Early Action by Nov. 1 and then applications for the Dance Scholarship must be submitted by December 1, 2025. You must be accepted to Saint Mary’s College prior to the audition date.
Dance Scholarship auditions will be held on January 17, 2026, on the campus of Saint Mary’s College. Virtual auditions will take place via a Zoom link for those students who cannot make it to campus.
All students will also perform and submit a self-choreographed dance solo, in any dance genre that highlights your love for dance, to be submitted by January 9, 2025. To send your solo performance for consideration, please email Prof. Rogelio Lopez. Keep in mind:
- Create a title that captures your concept.
- Choose music or a sound score that supports your work.
- We want to see your comfort with making your own choreography; the solo must be choreographed by you. Let your movement support your concept. Allow your passion for dance and your chosen style to speak for who you are as a dancer.
- It does not have to be a fancy recording. We understand that some of us are dancing in our homes. You may use your phone to capture your work in any space.·
- Choreography should be 1-2 minutes in length
- It should be any style of dance that is comfortable for the dancer
- Costumes are not necessary
Dance Scholarship Procedures for In-Person Auditions
Dance Scholarship auditions will be 100% in-person on Jan. 17, 2026, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (tentatively).
On the day of the audition, please plan to arrive in LeFevre Theatre at 9:00 am for check-in. You will not need to pay for parking. Plan to stop at the kiosk and get a pass as you drive into campus. You can get directions there and will want to park close to LeFevre Theatre. Check-in will begin at 9:00 am in LeFevre Theatre, and we'll walk you over to the initial meeting in Syufy 130 Dance Studio. Then, the audition will take place at the Campus Recreation Center, depending on COVID restrictions and the size of the group. Current students will escort you to the proper location after you check in and after the meeting.
Meeting
Our day will begin at 9:20 am in Syufy 130 Dance Studio for a meet-and-greet with the faculty and current students. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend. We will share highlights of the dance program and expectations for scholarship students. At 9:50 am, we will walk prospective students to the Rec Center and arrive at the dance studio at 10:00 am.
Dance Audition
We will start our audition with a group dance class at 10:00 am. The class will be 90 minutes, and Dance faculty will each teach a different section so that you can see what our classes are like and the various movement styles we offer. It will be a combination of modern, contemporary, ballet and jazz. We do not have a dress code. We will ask you to dance without your shoes for part of the class, but socks, or split soles are fine for the modern and contemporary sections of the class. Ballet slippers are optional for the ballet section. Parents and guardians are welcome to walk around campus or enjoy some light snacks in LeFevre Theatre lobby during the audition and interviews.
From 11:45am-2pm, we will then conduct small group interviews with the dance participants. The location is currently TBD.
While waiting for your interview, dancers are welcome at a reception (with light snack food) in LeFevre Theatre Lobby. Current students will be available to escort you to the reception. We will be available to answer any more questions you may have of our program. Plan to end your day by 2 pm.
Dance Scholarship Procedures for Virtual Auditions
Dance Scholarship auditions will be 100% virtual tentatively on January 18, 2026, 9:45-12:45 (PST) using this Zoom Link
The audition is in four parts:
- Choreography: Choreograph a solo in any dance genre that highlights your love for dance. Create a title that captures your concept. Choose music that supports your work. Although you may be used to performing the work of other choreographers, we want to see your comfort with making your own choreography; the solo must be choreographed by you. Let your movement support your concept. Allow your passion for dance and your chosen style to speak for who you are as a dancer. This solo is 1-2 minutes long. There is no costume requirement. Please send a link or the file to Prof. Rogelio Lopez by January 9, 2026. It does not have to be a fancy recording, we understand that some of us are dancing in our homes. You may use your phone to capture your work in any space.
- Virtual Dance class: The scholarship auditions will include a virtual dance class via Zoom taught by several dance faculty on January 18 from 10:00am-11:30am (date/time tentative). Please use this link (tentatively) to access the Zoom audition.
The dance class will consist of a warm-up and then movement sequences in ballet, jazz, modern and/or contemporary dance followed by a structured improvisation. We will need to see your whole body when dancing so please place your camera accordingly. You will need an open space of about 10x10 feet. We will not be jumping, but a smooth surface is important. The dance class will consist of a warm-up and then movement sequences. Please wear comfortable dance clothes. - Interview online/Meet the Company: Members of the dance faculty and Saint Mary’s College Dance Company will meet with you in a one hour Zoom session from 11:45-12:45pm on Jan. 18. We will share highlights of our dance program and expectations of scholarship students. During that time you will have the opportunity to talk to fellow dancers in our program and also those you might be dancing with in your first year. Each student will then move to a breakout room to have a personal interview with the faculty in which we will ask you some questions about your dancing and what you plan to do in college.
Visit this page to find out more about Performing Arts scholarships.