Auditions & Admissions

The in-person audition for the MFA and MA programs has passed. If you still wish to be considered for Fall 2026 admittance, please contact Daniel Smith (Daniel.Smith@fsu.edu), the Graduate Program Director.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, the School of Dance will offer an in-person audition for our MFA and MA Studio and Related Studies (MA/SRS) programs in our Montgomery Hall location on the campus of Florida State University. To initiate this process, please begin by completing the School of Dance Graduate Audition Application below. Please note that the application requires a resume with links to video of the applicant performing a two-minute solo and two work samples highlighting the applicant’s dance research interest. The solo is intended to showcase the applicant’s unique skill and artistry as a performer and choreographer, and it can be in whichever style the applicant chooses. Dancers auditioning for the MFA and MA/SRS are expected to choreograph their own original two-minute solos, and they will be required to perform these solos onsite during the in-person audition (see sample audition schedule below).  

Two work samples should highlight the applicant’s research interests in choreography, performance, dance on film, teaching, or other. Applicants should provide a maximum of three videos in total (i.e., 1 solo + 2 work samples). Applicants are encouraged to include a brief statement at the beginning of each video in which they discuss the content of the video, specifically addressing the genre/style and their relevant training and experience. Applicants are also required to upload a resume within the audition application specifically highlighting dance training and creative experience. The videos requested above should be uploaded to forums such as Youtube or Vimeo, and links to these videos must be provided in the applicant’s resume. Please be sure the video links provided in your resume open properly prior to submission. 

Please be advised that the School of Dance Graduate Audition Application is separate from the university application. Admission to the university is authorized by the FSU Office of Admissions, and all prospective MFA and MA/SRS applicants must submit the FSU graduate application in addition to the School of Dance Graduate Audition Application by January 8, 2026. The university’s graduate application and all relevant information can be found on the FSU Graduate School’s website (link provided below).  

• Application deadline: January 8, 2026 
• Onsite/in-person audition: January 16, 2026 

In order to be considered for admission to our program, it is imperative that both the audition application and the university graduate application (along with all required materials) are received by the deadline indicated above. Applicants will travel to Tallahassee to attend the one-day in-person audition. We will provide applicants with all relevant information prior to the audition.  

NOTE: For questions regarding the application, the admissions process, the BFA out-of-state tuition waiver for non-Florida residents, or if you are a current FSU student interested in auditioning for our program, please contact Dr. Jeff Bray.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, the School of Dance will offer three in-person auditions for our BFA program. To initiate this process, please begin by completing the FSU undergraduate application found on the FSU Office of Admissions website and select Dance as your intended major, or apply to FSU through the Common App and select dance as your intended major.

The FSU application portal will open on August 1, 2025. After submitting the FSU application, you will have access to the Admissions Portal, and you will be prompted to complete the Dance Supplemental Application. In the Dance Supplemental Application, you will select one of the three in-person auditions, and you will be asked to provide basic information about yourself, upload a resume, and upload a photo (either a headshot or full-body photo). The resume should specifically highlight dance training and experience, and it should include a statement of career goals.

Please note that in addition to the university deadlines listed above, applicants must also meet the School of Dance deadlines listed below for the audition option selected.

Additionally, admissions decision release is contingent on the availability of audition results. For example, if an applicant meets the university’s Early Action deadline of October 15, and they attend the January 14 audition, then they will not receive dance decisions on December 11, etc. Although the university will accept applications until March 1, 2026, the School of Dance will not consider any application submitted after January 8, 2026 (for the January 14 and February 11 auditions).

Applicants will be required to travel to Tallahassee to attend a full day (8am-4:30pm) of onsite audition activities in the School of Dance located in Montgomery Hall on the campus of Florida State University. The day will begin with an information session, and applicants will proceed to take classes in ballet, contemporary, and improvisation. The audition will conclude with the performance of solos.

NOTE: Observers are NOT permitted during the actual audition classes.

All applicants auditioning for our program must sign a liability waiver releasing the School of Dance and FSU from liability should the applicant be injured during the audition. If the applicant is not 18 years of age or older, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign on the applicant’s behalf.