Disappointing audition; what are the options?

[leebee]

DD has been accepted into Attractions for the Fall 2013 CP. She really wants to be a mover and dance in the parades and Holiday Shows at WDW, so she attended the character look-alike auditions at WDW on 3/14 (which also listed parade movers). After being measured and doing a simple movement exercise, they cut everyone between 5'2" and 5'8". DD (who is about 5'5.5") is devastated that she didn't have the opportunity to audition in the more complicated dance routines, and is reconsidering attending the CP; she really wants to dance for Disney! Is there any possibility of her attending another audition (after 6 months) and having a shot at being a parade/show dancer for the Christmas season, or is she pretty much out of luck for fall 2013 CP?

I know the question of training is often raised, so here it is... DD has had 12 years of solid dance training in classical and contemporary ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance (including classical ballet training from a prima ballerina of Balanchine's, who was wooed away from him by Robert Joffrey when he was establishing his company back in the '60s- GREAT teacher) and she's done summer intensives with Boston Ballet, Bossov Ballet, Rockettes, and Complexions. Between training and rehearsals, she spends about 25+ hours weekly in the dance studio, and is a soloist with the local ballet company. She has theater experience from high school ('Bambi' in "Curtains" and 'Jan' in "Bedroom Farce"... the only two plays she ever auditioned for) as well as having taken an acting course at college. She has taught tap and ballet at three local studios for several years, as well as worked as an assistant choreographer for a dance team. I think she's qualified. I just wish Disney did... or had at least looked at her dancing before cutting her from the audition.

 

[ruckelc]

A lot of the decisions that Disney makes seem to be for very superficial reasons. I've read that height is incredibly important for any character performances so I would imagine that the same goes for other performances.

I can relate to your daughter's situation very well. I really wanted Disney Photopass for my Fall Advantage CP and am more than qualified because I have worked in the photography business that my family owns for almost 7 years but I was assigned to attractions also. I would tell your daughter to go anyways because they have auditions on property and even if she does not make it, I imagine that it will be a wonderful experience.

 

[jobro912]

My son would have done anything for attractions...He got Custodial...and he is a Theatre major...But you know what? He still sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime, and a way to get his foot in the door at Disney. He is going to an audition Saturday...and is probably a good height at 5'11...but he will probably be cut as well. The height is extremely important at Character auditions, and some heights don't have a lot of characters. I guess Disney could do a better job at making this known. I've learned just about everything I know about the process from this board, and by searching Disney Character Heights. As for options...the only thing I know for sure is that they do Auditions during the program for those interested in extending as characters. Other than that, I'm not sure.

 

[leebee]

My son would have done anything for attractions...He got Custodial...and he is a Theatre major...But you know what? He still sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime, and a way to get his foot in the door at Disney. He is going to an audition Saturday...and is probably a good height at 5'11...but he will probably be cut as well. The height is extremely important at Character auditions, and some heights don't have a lot of characters. I guess Disney could do a better job at making this known. I've learned just about everything I know about the process from this board, and by searching Disney Character Heights. As for options...the only thing I know for sure is that they do Auditions during the program for those interested in extending as characters. Other than that, I'm not sure.

Good luck to your son on Saturday! DD said of the 15 guys at her audition, only one was "about" her height- and he's the only guy who was cut. They kept all the others, who she said were about 6' tall and taller. I bet your son has a great shot at making it through the audition!

DD's not really being "sour grapes" about it, although it might look that way. Yes, she's disappointed, but as she said, there's nothing she can do about her height. However, as a dancer it's more complicated; she cannot imagine being in FL for 5 months without continuing her training at some level. She's going to have to find a studio that will let her take classes on a drop-in basis (so as to not conflict with her availability for work) and she doesn't have a license/car, so it'll have to be on a bus line. We are looking into this... but it's a consideration, for sure.

 

[SBailey09]

I'm a 6' tall guy that was cut today at the character audition! Couldn't get the dance down! Haha

 

[Brit_Jude]

I don't know about the re-auditoning for the Christmas period, sorry. However, I would encourage your daughter to take the opportunity she has been offered with Disney. If she gets the Disney experience and is nice to everyone she meets, talks about her ambitions, you don't know what might come her way.

DS attended an audition this past Sunday and he made it to the end, he is not a trained dancer but a good actor, he is 6ft. There were 102 people who auditioned and they cut it down to 19, he said he was shocked as a lot of good dancers were cut. He didn't mention anything about height but I will ask him.

He said the Disney people commented they were doing the acting/mime part first as there were so many dancers at the audition, he got the impression it was to weed out anyone that was not good at the acting/improv part. Maybe they are looking for something specific with the character/actor types than princesses/dancers at the moment.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

For what it is worth, we were told it is rare for them to cast CPers in Entertainment roles other than characters. The logic was that CPers are there for such a short time it is a waste to train them and place them in a parade only to have them leave in a few months. Many of the shows cast Equity dancers so the CPers wouldn't be considered for those.

My DS is tiny - 5'7" and 110 lbs. He has extensive theatre training and a few years of dance, but he is still in high school so he has not attended an audition yet. I am interested to hear what sort of boys are getting through these auditions and who is being sent home. Obviously it will vary with the roles they need to fill, but still, the anecdotes are fascinating.

 

[Cais]

I will say that unfortunately 5'5.5" is very much in the dead zone for heights from what I understand. Not many roles in that range at all and so it's a difficult range to actually get a job in. Unfortunately it really is about the heights a lot of the time :/

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[SBailey09]

Also, the tape measurer was two inches off. I heard multiple people complain about how they were exactly two inches shorter when they measured up, including myself. Not sure the reason for this, though.

 

[leebee]

Also, the tape measurer was two inches off. I heard multiple people complain about how they were exactly two inches shorter when they measured up, including myself. Not sure the reason for this, though.

Funny you should mention the tape measurer being off. DD said they measured her at 5'4.5" but I figured she just "misheard" them. We know she is actually just a hair under 5'6", having been measured by the doctor and the Rockettes several times. Maybe Disney really is measuring on the shorter side. Did they measure you barefoot? Perhaps they knock off an inch or so because so many auditioners are wearing sneakers or something... just a guess...

SBailey, it's too bad you and DD couldn't have shared height/dance ability; you would BOTH have made it through!!

 

[SBailey09]

Funny you should mention the tape measurer being off. DD said they measured her at 5'4.5" but I figured she just "misheard" them. We know she is actually just a hair under 5'6", having been measured by the doctor and the Rockettes several times. Maybe Disney really is measuring on the shorter side. Did they measure you barefoot? Perhaps they knock off an inch or so because so many auditioners are wearing sneakers or something... just a guess...

SBailey, it's too bad you and DD couldn't have shared height/dance ability; you would BOTH have made it through!!

Yes! They had us take our shoes off. The lady that measured me actually asked me to guess and I said "I'm exactly 6', I believe!" Then she replied "6' huh? You're about 1 and 1/2 inches off." That's funny that they would do that!

And yeah I'd give up a couple inches in order for us to both make it! Haha