Theatre & Dance Auditions

Audition Information

Auditions for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Dance (Dance Major) will be held:
Friday, January 30, 2026
10:00 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Waters Center for the Arts at Carlisle Gym, University of New Mexico

Arrival & Check-In

Students auditioning for the Dance Major should arrive by 9:40 a.m., 20 minutes before the 10:00 a.m. start time, in order to complete a required registration form.
Audition Schedule (Morning Session)

• 10:00–10:30 — Ballet barre, center, and across the floor combinations
• 10:35–11:05 — Modern/Contemporary center and across the floor combinations
• 11:10–11:40 — Flamenco: footwork and center combinations
• 11:45–12:15 — Improvisation

Break

• 12:15–1:00 — lunch and refresh

Solo Presentation & Interview (Afternoon Session)

• 1:00–5:00 p.m. — Solo presentations and brief interviews, scheduled in approximately 10-minute intervals.

Solo presentations and interviews are conducted in alphabetical order by last name.
Each student must prepare a one-minute solo in their chosen dance form.
The solo may be original choreography, previously learned repertory, or material from a technique class.
Solos may be performed with recorded music, with an accompanist (arranged by the student), or in silence.
Students should plan to remain available until approximately 5:00 p.m., as exact times depend on the total number of auditioners.

What to Wear / What to Expect

Students should come dressed and prepared to participate in all areas of the audition: ballet, modern/contemporary, flamenco, and improvisation.
It is not expected that students will excel in every area. Faculty are interested in seeing how students:

• Engage with familiar and unfamiliar material
• Adapt across different movement practices
• Demonstrate focus, effort, and curiosity
• Function within the areas of concentration represented in the Dance Program

Advising & Program Contacts

Marisol Encinias: Head of Dance & Undergraduate Advisor, marisole@unm.edu
Dr. Ninoska Mbewe-Escobar: Graduate Advisor (MA in Theatre and Dance – History & Criticism; MFA in Dance), nescobar2@unm.edu
Camille Franklin: Dance Program Administrator, dance@unm.edu