University of Surrey Audition

That's it! Another month of auditions is over and all my uni auditions are done, just three more vocational ones - nearly there! I had considered cancelling my Surrey one as I'd already got offers from my top 2 unis (Roehampton and Chichester) but decided not to as the audition experience would still be valuable.

I got to Surrey Uni at about 11:20 and found my way to the Student Union to register and hand in my photo. I could have gone earlier and had a tour but didn't feel the need to as I'd already done one at an open day. Once registered I found a seat to wait on until the dance students were called. This one was like DMU - there were loads of different subjects there. The students were very friendly and one of the final year dance students came over to have a chat with me and a couple of girls I was sitting by.

Dance was the last subject to be called. Lead by some students we made our way to a lecture room where we were welcomed by one of the dance lectures. She gave us a talk about the course. Surrey's USP is that they incorporate African and Asian dance into their technique classes.

After the talk, we were taken to one of the GSA (Guildford School of Acting) buildings and were given lunch. It was very nice of them to provide lunch - the lemon cake was particularly tasty! I say with some other girls who had come without parents including the girl I've mentioned before who I do A Level dance with. The president of the SU came in while we were eating and came over to talk to us - she happened to have done the Dance course herself.

Once we'd all eaten the students took us on a short facilities tour. This was really great to see as when I'd come to the open day we hadn't been shown inside GSA properly. They've got quite a few studies which is awesome! Prior to this we\d been split into two groups and so in these groups we went to get changed. Next we got taken into the studio we were to have the audition in and got to watch a piece be a student-run company. It was a really lovely piece.

My group did the interview first. Two of the students took us to another building where we were split in two again for group interviews, each group with one lecturer. It was really relaxed. Individually we were asked to introduce ourselves, talk about why we applied to Surrey, what we wanted to do post-degree and about a piece we'd seen recently. I talked about how I like to go from very classical movement to odd movement, she liked that and wrote down 'odd' in her notes on me!

The final part if the day was the audition class which was only about 45 minutes - a lot shorter than the other I'd done. The class was lead by Francis Angol who teaches the African contemporary part of the course. I loved his class! I got really into it. He's one of those teachers that during a phrase holds eye contact with one person while saying stuff like 'yes!' or 'and pointe!' One part of the class involved him just leaving a piece of music on and we had to improv. I really enjoy improv as I love just letting the music fill my body. At the end of the class, I was one of the last two to leave and Francis came over to me. He asked about what I train in as he found my way of moving really interesting especially in the improv. This was such a huge compliment that I've still got a bit if a spring in my step even though it's a few days later. I asked if he teachers elsewhere as I thoroughly enjoyed his class and he said he teaches on a Thursday evening at Central. When I'm on holiday from ballet I think I'll try his class there.

The whole day at Surrey has really changed my view of them. I've always really liked the uni as a whole as it's like a village but the course talk at their open day has put me off as I found it boring and that lecturer sounded bored too. However now I've met other lectures (who really aren't boring) and had the class I really like the course. Plus the extra classes at GSA that you can pay £50 for a semester for each sound great. I'm no longer sure what I'm going to put on my UCAS. I was thinking that I'd go for Roehampton's unconditional as it guarantees me a place if I don't get into a vocational school and it's in London so I could easily get to opportunities that would help my ballet and auditions if I do re-audition next year. Who knows anymore?!

Update: So it's a rejection from Northern Ballet School too which I'm sad about but then again as they are a diploma I would have been only able to go if I had received a DADA as otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford it. Just fingers crossed now for Ballet West, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and my LSC recall!