Audition Required

Application and acceptance to the University of Iowa is required in order to complete the audition application for the Department of Dance. Students will need an active HawkID and login in order to complete the audition application. Please click here to apply to The University of Iowa. On your application, select Dance Interest Degree as a program of study. After admission to University of Iowa, you will be required to fill out a supplemental audition application form through your Admissions Portal on MyUI. When that is received, more information about the audition process will be emailed.

Please contact Molly Dahlberg with questions.

Audition Dates

Auditions dates for Fall 2024 admission will be posted in August 2023. There will be one audition in the fall semester and another in the spring semester. All students receive equal admission consideration regardless of audition date. 

Current UI Students Applying for Dance Minor

For current University of Iowa students enrolled in non-major technique courses (e.g. ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop) who wish to be considered for the dance minor, please contact Academic Coordinator Molly Dahlberg to indicate your interest. In your email, please share the technique courses you are enrolled in (including your instructor name or names). The undergraduate admissions committee will decide on admission (and, if applicable, technique placement level) in consultation with your current UI dance instructors.

Additional Required Materials for BFA and ICA Scholarship Applicants

These materials should be submitted as attachments on your supplemental application.

Two Letters of Recommendation: two letters of recommendation (one letter should come from either a director, choreographer, or teacher of your current dance studio/school, and one letter should come from a high school guidance counselor, teacher, or mentor.) should be uploaded to your online application. You will see an option to do this at the bottom of the application form. If your letters are confidential and cannot be uploaded, please have them sent via email to the Department of Dance.

Additional Essay (ICA Scholarship Applicants Only): Submit an essay based on the following prompt:

Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations” premiered in 1960 on the brink of the American Civil Rights Movement. In a 2017 review by Lauren Warnecke for the Los Angeles Times, she writes, ”’Revelations’ represents more than the Ailey dance company. It represents the faith, beauty, and complexity of African-American culture. It imbues pain, humanity, and joy. And, for some, it is the best possible representation of how Dance (capital ‘D’) can bring people together.” 

Reflect on the significance of dance in the world, and provide an example of when dance (or bodily movement) has made a difference. Consider how dance and the body have contributed to social, cultural, and/or political change over time: from concert dance works like “Revelations,” to political movements that leverage the power of bodies in space to provoke change, such as marches, sit-ins, and other forms of protest. 

Be sure to frame your response with a main idea, supported by specific examples. If you cite additional sources, be sure to include a reference list at the end of your essay.

Audition Information

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Halsey Hall. Dancers may warm-up after they have registered. Auditions will begin at 9:00 a.m. 

Audition Attire

• Dancewear: Choose comfortable and form fitting dancewear so we can adequately assess your technique and movement (leotard, tights, form-fitting t-shirts, etc.).
• Shoes: Ballet shoes are mandatory for ballet technique. Dancers should be barefoot for the contemporary movement practices portion of the audition.
• Hair: Have your hair securely pulled away from your face.
• Face coverings are welcome.

Please contact the Academic Coordinator Molly Dahlberg with questions.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the Department of Dance in advance at 319-335-2621.