For dancers hoping to secure their first contract, as well as those looking to move on to a different company, the majority of auditions take place in the first couple of months of the year. The business of auditioning is a gruelling and often soul-destroying process, not to mention a costly one when travel costs are factored in.
So auditioning for nine directors simultaneously is a smart idea, and this is exactly what David Makhateli initiated when he launched his Grand Audition in Brussels last year.

 

This year the event was relocated to Sant Cugat on the outskirts of Barcelona, one of the incentives being the Teatre-Auditori Sant Cugat, an ideal venue with a good-sized stage and well equipped with modern technology. Applications, this year, far exceeded the number of dancers that could be comfortably and fairly auditioned over two days, and so applications had to be closed early.

Held at the beginning of February, the first day was reserved for classes on stage. The 160-plus auditionees were divided into groups so they could be clearly seen, and 49 dancers were shortlisted by the directors to present a solo variation, in costume or practice clothes, as they preferred, on the second day.

 

This formula is apt as it allows a director to assess hopefuls both in a class situation, in which their technique, alertness and general ability to pick up steps – or otherwise – is revealed, plus a candidate’s potential as a performer in a rehearsed variation. That everything takes place on stage is another salient plus. How often, one wonders, has a director hired a dancer on the strength of their classwork only to discover that they just fall to pieces on stage?

 

Directors this year were: Filip Barankiewicz, Czech National Ballet, Prague; Kenneth Greve, Finnish National Ballet, Helsinki; Charles Jude, Ballet de l’Opera de Bordeaux; Ingrid Lorentzen Norwegian National Ballet; Kaloyan Boyadjiev, Norwegian National Ballet II, Oslo; Mikhail Messerer, Mikhailovsky Theatre, St. Petersburg; Gennadi Nedvigin, Atlanta Ballet, USA; Aida Orillac, Ballet Nacional de Panama; and Ruta Butviliene, Lithuanian National Ballet, Vilnius. Thirty candidates were selected for interviews with one or more directors – 44 possible places in total, with some dancers attracting the interest of several directors. An additional seven dancers are to be recommended for possible places with Novosibirsk Ballet Theatre, whose director did not attend.

 

So what are the directors looking for? “Quality, personality and physique,” says Charles Jude; “age and quality” are important for Ruta Butviliene; while “stage presence and soul” are both a must for Aida Orillac. Couriosly no one mentioned wacky extensions or multiple pirouettes…
 

The event attracted dancers from around the world – Australia, Japan, South Korea and UAS as well as from Europe including a few bold souls from UK. Quite simply the stamina of the long-haul attendees has to be marvelled at. Speaking to some candidates backstage, all reckoned that Grand Audition was a brilliant idea and that the registration fee was good value when pitted against the costs of auditioning for each of the directors’ companies individually. The consensus was appreciated that everyone got to finish the class, even if not selected to present a solo the following day. Many of the dancers considered that even just attending an audition of this scale was valuable experience.

 

But perhaps the best story is that of a young Polish dancer who was listed as number 200 on the cast sheet. Why 200, I pondered, since the previous candidate was no. 164.
“It so happened,” explain Makhateli, “that this boy did not register because he was too late. We had to close the application process early due to the limited spaces. Well, he showed up in the theatre and asked if he could take part if someone did not show up. We had few last-minute cancellations and so I asked the directors if the would allow him to participate. They said yeas and so we let him. Normally we do not allow it. Number 200 was the first number which was in front of us already with safety pins on it so we gave him this number.” In the event, his risk-taking paid off – two directors showed interest in him and hopefully he’ll land a job!