Audition & Portfolio Review

Students applying for Boston Ballet School’s Professional Division at Walnut Hill are required to audition by following the steps below. 

All dancers seeking admission to our program must first complete a Pre-Audition dance video. After submitting, select students will be notified about moving forward by participating in a Live Audition. 

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Pre-Audition Video Submission Instructions

1. Go to our SlideRoom home page and click Boston Ballet School's Professional Division at Walnut Hill Pre-Audition Submission.
2. On the following page, click APPLY NOW.
3. Afterwards, make a SlideRoom account.
4. Fill out the application form, and upload your Pre-Audition video.

Pre-Audition Video Recording Requirements

All videos should not exceed 15 minutes in length, and should not be filmed farther than 20 feet away. We will be looking for the following components in an pre-audition video:

• complete barre (one side only)
• center floor work
  • adagio on both sides
  • pirouette combination on both sides
    • pirouettes from 5th and 4th en dehors and en dedans
  • petit allegro
    • include entrechat, brisé, sissonne
  • grand allegro
    • include tour jeté (entrelacé) and grand jeté
• pointe work (based on experience/years en pointe)
  • échappé
  • relevé in arabesque
  • pirouettes en pointe
  • diagonal turning combination
  • include soutenu, chaîné, piqué turns and tombé piqué en dehors
• Men: show entrechat six and double tours on both sides

Women should wear a black leotard and tights in the color closest to their natural skin tone or in which they feel most comfortable.

In addition, women will need both soft and pointe shoes.

Men should wear black tights and a white t-shirt.

The above dress code should be modified as needed so that the student can be seen as clearly as possible. For example, girls who will be recorded in front of a dark wall should wear a lighter leotard, etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your Pre-Audition video submission will also be reviewed for potential acceptance to Boston Ballet School’s Summer Dance Program (SDP) 2025.

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Live Audition Information

After we have reviewed your Pre-Audition video, you will be notified if we would like to invite you to a Live Audition.

Location and date options for those invited to a Live Audition:

• Saturday, February 22, 2025: On campus at Walnut Hill, Natick, MA
• Saturday, March 8, 2025: London, UK (Sadler's Wells Theatre)
• Saturday, March 29, 2025: On campus at Walnut Hill, Natick, MA

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Pre-Audition Video Deadlines

Pre-Audition videos must be submitted by the following deadlines for select students to receive an invitation to a Live Audition.

Saturday, February 22, 2025 — On-Campus Auditions
Pre-Audition Video Due: Sunday, February 2, 2025

Saturday, March 8, 2025 — London Auditions
Register here by March 5, 2025

Saturday, March 29, 2025 — On-Campus Auditions
Pre-Audition Video Due: Sunday, March 9, 2025

Please direct any questions to admissions@walnuthillarts.org or Jillian Rothman.

Students applying for the music program have two options for auditioning:

Option 1: Schedule an in-person audition on our campus using the link below. Your audition should follow the listed guidelines for the music concentration to which you are applying (Jazz, Vocal, etc.).

Option 2: If you are unable to travel to campus, please submit a video audition via Slideroom at the link below. When submitting a recording please do not alter the sound of your recording or add reverb. We prefer to hear your natural sound as if you were auditioning in person.

Videos and in-person auditions are given equal consideration during the application process. We do strongly encourage in-person auditions as they include one-on-one meetings with the Director of Music and an Admission Representative. It's also a great time to see our campus. The Office of Admission can help you arrange a tour of campus during your visit.

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Composition

Two or three original compositions in neat manuscript form. At least one of these should be written by hand. In addition, we require a demonstrated level of proficiency on your major instrument.

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Instrumental (Classical)

Two or three contrasting movements or short works. The works should include selections from at least two different musical periods (ex: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, Contemporary).

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Jazz & Contemporary Musical Arts

Two contrasting pieces, with at least one of the two pieces composed by a jazz musician such as Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Herbie Hancock, etc.

Play (or sing) the written melody once at the beginning, then improvise on the form of the tune for between 1 and 3 minutes. If you play a chord instrument (like piano or guitar), demonstrate your ability to accompany someone else’s solo. The composed melody should only be played one time at the beginning. If you play bass, demonstrate a walking bass line in one piece, and a different rhythm in another piece (such as funk, bossa nova, ballad, ostinato, or Afro-Cuban, etc.). If you play drums, demonstrate a swing feel in one piece and a different rhythm in another piece.

Recording guidelines: You may submit a video of you playing or singing with a live small jazz ensemble or a “play along recording” consisting of bass, drums and chord instrument (guitar or piano). Please use the guidelines above. Please do not submit only unaccompanied recordings, as we need to evaluate the student's sense of rhythm in two contrasting pieces. One unaccompanied third piece can be submitted as an extra piece.

Please Note: If you have no previous small jazz ensemble experience, you may audition by playing two contrasting pieces in any style. At least one of the pieces should demonstrate your ability to play in a strict metric style (no rubato, no tempo shifts).

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Voice (Classical)

To schedule a live audition for the Classical Voice program on campus, please click below. If you are unable to schedule an audition in person, you may submit a video audition via Slideroom.

Please prepare two classical art songs from memory that contrast in language, tempo, character or style. One song should be in English, and the second song can be in Italian or another language such as French, German, your native language, etc. A pianist will be provided to accompany you during a live audition. For video submissions, you may perform your audition with a pianist or with a pre-recorded track.

Students submitting a video via Slideroom should include a brief personal statement video in addition to your two songs. In this video, please introduce yourself and tell us why you are interested in applying to our classical voice program at Walnut Hill. Please feel free to share anything else about your goals or aspirations you would like us to know.

ADDITIONAL AUDITION GUIDELINES FOR CLASSICAL VOICE:

• Please avoid operatic arias for this audition (Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Donizetti, Rossini, Strauss)
• Please avoid pop, rock, singer/songwriter or contemporary commercial music for this audition as our voice program does not include these genres.
• We welcome and encourage you to include classical repertoire from underrepresented composers and poets (works by women, Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latine or People of Color, or other underrepresented groups).
• If you are currently enrolled in voice lessons, your vocal instructor can help you select appropriate repertoire within the above guidelines.
• Please contact Head of Voice, Teresa Winner Blume, with any questions at tblume@walnuthillarts.org.

REPERTOIRE SELECTION TIPS:
Examples of composers of classical art songs might include:

• English: Aaron Copland, John Duke, Amy Beach, Florence Price, William Grant Still
• Italian: Tosti, Donaudy, or any song from the anthology  “24 Italian Songs and Arias”
• German: Franz Schubert, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms
• French: Gabriel Fauré, Cecile Chaminade, Pauline Viardot

SLIDEROOM VIDEO AUDITION RECORDING GUIDELINES:

• Recording with a smartphone is acceptable. Make sure we can see your facial expressions and hear your voice clearly.
• Landscape orientation is best. You should be in the center of the frame, from just above the top of your head to just below your hands when they are at rest.
• Do not make any edits or enhancements to the video or to the audio such as reverb or autotune. If there are such edits to your videos we will ask you to record again and re-submit before fully considering your audition.
• Make sure that the audio is clear without any background noise (such as a loud persistent fan).
• Please introduce yourself, the title of your piece and the composer’s name at the beginning of each video. Please label each video file with appropriate song title, or “personal introduction”
• When recording, please perform 2-3 takes at the most. Choose your most beautiful, consistent and overall expressive performance. A tiny "mistake" is not a reason to record again, if overall that performance is your best.

Requirements:

Theater applicants should memorize one 60-90 second monologue from a published play (preferred) or any published theatrical piece (book excerpt, poem, etc). Applicants should also memorize one, 1 to 2 minute excerpt of a song from a musical (preferred) or any published song. The song must be performed with musical accompaniment. 

For In-Person Auditions:

You may either bring your own recorded accompaniment to be played on a speaker that will be provided OR you may request a live accompanist be provided at no charge. If you opt to sing with our live accompanist you must bring sheet music in the correct key. You should dress casually in clothes that allow freedom of movement. Also, included as part of the audition will be a brief interview.

Schedule Your IN-PERSON Audition

For Virtual Auditions:

For applicants unable to attend an in-person audition, we do offer an alternative audition method. Please record performances of your two memorized selections in separate takes, as detailed in the live audition guidelines, and submit them through SlideRoom. Once submitted, you will be invited to a Zoom interview with our Theater Faculty, where they will have the opportunity to work with you on your selections and ask you questions. Whenever possible, we encourage you to audition and interview on our Natick campus.

During virtual auditions, students must provide their own accompaniment. If using a recorded accompaniment, please use an external speaker that is placed behind you. Before your audition over Zoom, please review the Zoom Audition Tips document.

SUBMIT Your SELECTIONS

Students applying to the visual art department are required to create a portfolio of work that will be reviewed by an arts faculty member. There are two steps for a student having their portfolio reviewed:

1. Schedule a Zoom portfolio review using the link below.
2. Submit portfolio via Slideroom at the link below. Submissions must be sent through Slideroom one (1) week in advance of your scheduled review.

Portfolio submissions should consist of the following:

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Amount of Works & Information

Portfolios should contain a minimum of four works. Please include the following information for each piece of your portfolio:

1. Title of work
2. Scale of work
3. Materials/media used
4. Description of work and inspiration behind it

Slideroom Portfolio Submission Note: There are five document slots available to you on your Slideroom account. Please don't let that limit how many works you submit. If you would like to submit more than five, add several pieces to one document and upload that.

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Drawing From Observation

Please also include an original drawing from observation. Not from a photo. Arrange clothes or shoes from your wardrobe in a clear space in front of you. Using graphite or charcoal, sketch what you see.

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Sketchbook

Sketchbooks offer important insights into the creative process of an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to bring their most recent sketchbook at the time of a portfolio review.

Students applying to the WFMA Program must follow two steps:

1. Submit your portfolio via Slideroom using the link below.
2. Schedule a portfolio review with our Writing, Film & Media Arts Department. This review will take place over Zoom and is an opportunity to speak more in depth about the work you have submitted. Submissions must be sent one (1) week prior to your scheduled review. Schedule your portfolio review using the link below.

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Option A: Writing Submission

A writing portfolio consisting of original work that best represents who you are as a writer. It should contain 2-4 pieces of writing total from one or more of the following genres: poetry, fiction (short stories or brief excerpts from novels), playwriting/screenwriting, or creative nonfiction (personal essay or reflective essay—not an academic essay). If you feel that your best work is a work-in-progress, you can submit it in draft form.

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Option B: Video Submission

A short film or video (no longer than 10 minutes in length) in any style including live action, experimental, documentary, or animation. Please accompany the submission with a statement that clearly describes your personal contribution to the film (for example you might have written the screenplay and directed the film, or perhaps instead filmed and edited a film that a friend directed).

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Option C: Storyboard Submission

A series of 10 to 15 still images arranged in an order that you feel tells a story. The images can be drawings, photographs that you took yourself, found images (from magazines, the internet, etc.). Please submit a short accompanying paragraph that illuminates or explains the story that you are trying to tell and credit any images that are not your own.

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Option D

Up to 4 pieces of work that are a mix of Options A, B and/or C.