Let the Dance Call Match the Show
by Chris Peterson
Let me start here: I am not a dancer.
I have been through a few dance calls in my life, mostly trying to survive, stay near the back, and not look like my body was buffering. So I am not saying this as someone who thinks dance is easy. It is not.
But I saw a TikTok from Chloe Wendler recently about choreographers making dance calls harder than the actual show requires, and I have not stopped thinking about it. Because honestly, she’s right. (The video below has no sound but captions are working)
If you are casting a show that requires movement, test for movement. See how people pick up choreography. See how they listen to rhythm. See how they live in the style of the piece.
But if the show does not require advanced dance, why is the audition suddenly asking for it?
If your production mostly needs strong character movement, simple partnering, or stylized ensemble work, then the dance call should reflect that. It should not feel like the choreographer walked in and decided this was their moment to prove they also could have booked a national tour.
I get it. Choreographers are artists. They have a vocabulary, a vision, and a way they want bodies to move in the room. Great. But there is a difference between giving actors a real sense of the show and turning the audition into a stress test for a more aggressive version of the production.
You are not trying to find out who can survive the hardest combo. You are trying to find out who belongs in the show.
And those are not always the same thing.
Some performers are not great technical dancers, but they move honestly. They understand character. They can take direction. They can sell the world of the show without throwing a triple turn into the audition room like it owes them money.
When a dance call is harder than the actual production, you risk missing people who might be perfect for the role. You also create a room where actors feel defeated before they have even had a chance to show you what they can do.
There is no prize for making the audition unnecessarily difficult. Build the call around the show you are actually casting. Let people audition for that show, not some imaginary version with more floorwork and panic.
You will still find talent. You might just find it in a room that feels a little more human.