First-Year Applicants: Dance & Choreography

Please ensure that your address stays active for at least one year, as we will use it to communicate with you throughout the application process. Use the same email address for all VCU business. Check your email frequently for updates on the status of your application.

Freshman applicants must apply using the Common Application.

Applicants may only submit one application to one major. Admitted students can request additional major/minor(s) during their first semester.

Applications will only be reviewed after all components have been received, including transcripts, test scores and supplemental materials.

Include your Social Security number on your application if you wish to be considered for financial aid or the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime learning tax credit.

Please note: While VCU does not require your Social Security number for admission consideration, it is necessary for applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid and the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime Learning tax credit to provide a Social Security number to the university. To protect your privacy, your Social Security number will not be used as your VCU student identification number.

Applicants are required to complete an interview as a component of all auditions, whether in-person, virtual, or off-site. In-person interviews will take place the day of auditions, and online interviews will be scheduled for another date as part of the review process.

In-person audition

Select your audition date in the application portal.

On-campus option
On-campus auditions will consist of a warm-up, a ballet barre, modern center work and an improvisation section as part of a class, followed by a short interview.

Audition dates:

• •  Friday, November 15, 2024
• •  Friday, January 31, 2025
• •  Friday, February 21, 2025

Off-campus and festival option

• • Dancing Through College and Beyond, New York, NY (DTCB)
  October 4–6, 2024
• • High School Dance Festival, Richmond, VA
  November 1–3, 2024
• • National High School Dance Festival, Pittsburgh, PA (NHSDF)
  February 26–March 2, 2025

Virtual audition and interview

If you are auditioning virtually, please use the the application portal to submit your audition video. Below you will find the link to access the videos as well as a description to what each file is.

• •  Audition video
  • All aspects of the audition material can be danced safely in a 10 x 10 foot space. Auditionees are strongly encouraged to access a studio environment to learn material and record audition footage. We understand that this may not be an option for all. We ask that all auditionees locate themselves in an open space with as few obstacles and distractions (i.e. furniture and pets) as possible.
  • Please choose two modalities in which you wish to be evaluated for your virtual audition. Although there are four movement modalities that you can choose from, you only need to submit two movement sections to best represent you in your audition. Please only upload the sections which you feel comfortable and confident in representing you and your talents.
  • Please use this link to access the audition video and music files.
  • Auditionees will learn choose two of the brief movement experiences to represent themselves in the audition process:
    • Traditional
    • Contemporary
    • Rhythm (choose either the slow or fast version)
    • Improvisation
• •  Video file
  • The video file is meant to resemble the entire length and sequence of events for the video submission. This video is designed for you to follow along if needed.

• •  Creation of video audition
  • All material should be filmed in one continuous shot only pausing to change shoes and take a breath.
    • Traditional, Contemporary and Rhythm section (choose either the regular or up tempo versions) audition. You may follow along with the video if preferred.
    • One-minute improvisation open for interpretation prompted by the audio sound file embedded in the video. You can view movement examples provided by 2 students in the video. All material should be filmed in one continuous shot only pausing to change shoes and take a breath.
  • Please use the provided sound from the video while completing the improvisation and movement phrases.
  • Please make sure the volume is loud enough for the camera to pick up the music. The video should not exceed the sound on the video.

A virtual interview will be scheduled at a later date after your virtual audition has been submitted.

If you have any questions regarding the audition process please contact Meagan Doan, Admissions & Administrative Coordinator for the Performing Arts, at adamsml@vcu.edu.

Admissions criteria

• •  Talent and potential as an artist in the field of dance.
• •  Prior training and the ability to demonstrate knowledge of modern dance and/or classical ballet techniques.
• •  Ability to demonstrate musicality and dynamic range.
• •  A healthy, physically conditioned body that is injury-free.
• •  Openness to new ideas and the ability to engage in creative problem-solving.

Request that your high school guidance counselor sends your official transcripts to VCU. Transcripts may be submitted electronically via the Common App or Naviance, or sent in the mail. If sending a hard copy in the mail, please request that your school counselor send your transcript, including:

• •  Senior-year courses and first-term grades, if available
• •  Class rank, if available

All foreign transcripts must be official and submitted in the original language. If the original language is not English, an official translation must be submitted along with the transcript.

Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes signed across the seal by official high school, university or college registrars.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Office of Admissions
PO Box 842526
Richmond, VA 23284-2526

Currently, VCU does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. However, submission of test scores remains a requirement for all Guaranteed Admission Programs, offered through the Honors College.

Applicants whose first language is one other than English must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more information, please visit this page.

Admission to VCU remains a competitive process, and all candidates for admission will be considered on their own merits. Qualifying for application review without submitting standardized test scores does not guarantee admission to VCU.

VCU does not require applicants to submit recommendations. If you choose to submit recommendations, you will see an option to list your recommendations in the Common App.

Applicants should review VCU’s Student Financial Services’ financial aid checklist, available here.

Applicants are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing the FAFSA form allows you to be considered for federal student aid. States and colleges also use FAFSA information to award grants, scholarships and loans.