Dancer and Parent Guide to College Dance Team Recruitment
Prepare for interviews with College Coaches
You can expect that you’ll have some sort of interview with coaches that are considering adding you to their roster. Coaches may ask you about your strengths, weaknesses, goals, interests, family, etc. So make sure you’ve done some self-reflection and can speak clearly and confidently about yourself, your goals, and what you’re looking for in a college/college dance team. It can be intimidating talking to coaches when you feel like you’re under pressure to say the right things. Try to remember that it’s less about what you say and more about how you say it! Coaches want to know that you’ll be able to represent yourself, the team and the school with poise. As long as you’re being authentic and honest, you’ll do great!
Practicing your interview skills with parents or mentors and/or videoing yourself answering various questions and rewatching the videos can help make sure your confidence is coming across the way you’re intending. Even if you feel confident and prepared, when you watch the video back you might notice that you’re fidgeting or saying “um” and “like” too often! Practice until your answers flow smoothly but make sure you don’t end up sounding too rehearsed or robotic!
There are quite a few videos available on YouTube with tips and tricks to nail your interview! I found this series to be pretty helpful: