By Emily Duncan, Staff Writer
Black leotard, black tights and hair pulled tightly back in a messy bun, Sarah Shelton is ready to show why she deserves a spot in one of the four summer shows at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.
When the dance performance junior steps into the audition, a competitive vibe fills the air. Most of the dancers look familiar. Some are Shelton’s fellow classmates and some are dancers Shelton has worked with from previous summers.
She steps confidently and gracefully onto the dance floor where she is surrounded by a sea of brightly colored leotards and tan tights.
The black clothing Shelton has chosen to wear may help her stand out from the crowd of color, and Shelton knows she has the spirit to perform.
Shelton makes the first cut after successfully completing the 1960s “Hairspray”-themed dance combination. The second combination is difficult — the opening number from “A Chorus Line” — but she breezes through like a professional.
The last round of the audition includes the vocal portion, after which Shelton lands a full-time summer job with Lyric performing in their four summer stock shows.
“I think it will be an interesting and good experience for me,” Shelton said. “I think being line captain at OCU gave me good experience and I’m excited to get to work closely with the choreographers.”
Shelton said this is her third consecutive summer to work with Lyric, something she thinks helped her in the auditions.
“I feel like at this point they know who I am and how I work and what my strengths are,” she said. “I think this worked in my favor.”
Shelton said she prepared herself for the audition by going to dance class every day for the past year.
“I dance anywhere from four to five hours a day,” she said. “I also worked on my vocal cuts that I would audition with in my voice lessons.”
Something that sets her apart is her ability to express herself well on stage, Shelton said.
“I think I have a very natural way of expressing that I love what I do,” she said. “Bringing joy to people is what I love most about being a performer.”
Sasha Hutchings, dance performance senior, said she also had a successful audition at Lyric, landing main roles in “Oliver,” “Hairspray” and “A Chorus Line,” and an ensemble role in “Ragtime.”
Hutchings said it was a long night of auditions, but she believes her hard work and preparation are what carried her through the night.
To get into the mental mindset for auditions, Hutchings said she takes time to focus on what she is doing.
“During the audition it’s a lot of adrenaline and nerves,” she said.
One thing Hutchings said she does to stay focused is to concentrate on herself and not compare herself to others.
“I think it’s better to think about competing against yourself, not other people,” she said. “When we go to auditions, they really want to see what we as individuals bring to the table—not what others are bringing.”
Hutchings said she thinks performance is a communal experience with the audience.
“I feel like I’m telling a story,” she said. “I always think of sharing everything I have with my audience.
“It’s me giving a gift to them. Whatever I have to offer, I bring that to the stage. At the end of the day, I try to be the best I can be in the moment.”
This article originally appeared in the March 30 issue of The Campus.
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