Dance Solos - NBA Dance Team Audition Solos
How audition solos work, tips from pro dancers/creators/directors in our industry, getting the perfect audition solo, and how-to create a solo that works for YOU.
Whether it is your first time or fifth time auditioning for a pro dance team, coming up with the perfect solo can tough. Solos may seem like one of the lesser things to worry about when prepping for auditions but they should be prepared weeks, if not months, in advance.
There are various components that go into a standout solo and the last thing you want to do is cram all of your audition prep, plus the solo, in last minute. A lot of thought, creativity, and practice should go into every aspect of this performance.
By the time that you walk in to your first day of auditions you should already have your solo solid in your muscle memory, ready to go.
@_kaitlynconley
“You always want to show something different that you personally offer to the judges! Research the team, know the team’s brand/style, and come up with a solo that will show something extra that you offer as a dancer and can bring to the team!! Personally as a coach, I do not have a specific check list that I look for in a dancer. The best thing you can do is come to the audition looking and dancing as the best YOU, you can be. Your solo should do JUST that!”
- Kaitlyn Conley
NBA Pheonix Suns Dancers Coach
Lets talk about how NBA dance team audition solos typically work:
First, you want to find out if the NBA dance team you are planning to audition for requires a final performance-ready solo in the first place. Some dance teams do not require a solo performance, they may instead have freestyle sections (generally a few 8-counts), but not a full minute performance.
When the professional dance team you are auditioning for does ask for a solo performance, this is your chance to show your personality and strengths to the judging panel. An audition solo consists of your own choreography, dance mix, and costume that allows you to showcase what you bring to the table as a dancer/performer.
Solos generally take place on the final day of auditions before you showcase the final routines and technique you worked on throughout the previous days of dance tryouts.
Depending on the team, you may show up in your solo outfit and have everything else you’ll need for the day in your audition day bag. Once you get into the venue, you will have time to run through your solo and practice. When solos start, each dancer will showcase their choreography piece one at a time in front of the judging panel.
You want to make sure your mix starts and finishes strong, showcasing all of your strong points as a performer, since you will only have around a minute to show off all that you want to.
@janamaejohnson
“A solo is a chance to show your skills. Especially if this is your first year and you may not be as great at picking up choreography yet, so a solo is a chance to redeem yourself! However, it is in your best interest to only showcase skills you have mastered. If you do not have a skill mastered, I would not put it in your solo.”
- Jana Johnson
Former NBA dancer, NFL Cheerleader, Choreography Business Owner
Piecing together your NBA audition solo:
Brainstorm what your strengths are as a dancer and performer
You have to start somewhere and it should be by assessing your strengths as well as what makes you feel most confident when you perform.
Dance style
Dance technique
Song genres
Costumes
This is your time to showcase what YOU like and what makes YOU feel your most confident so do not put it off until the last minute.
- Are you strongest in lyrical and technique? If so - maybe you want to show off your technique to a powerful lyrical number.
- Is hip-hop what you thrive in? Put together an awesome hip-hop piece with some oversized sweats and an athletic sports bra.
- Are you an incredible ballerina? Bring your pointe shoes and kill it at what you love doing most!
The biggest thing to remember is that no matter what you showcase in the solo - it needs to be YOU. What makes you feel confident and powerful? The solo is all about you - what allows you to best express your personality and be authentically you in front of the judging panel.
@arielpohl
“I feel most dancers think they have to prove their technique, or style, and throw in every trick under the sun. While it is amazing to showcase your talents and abilities, it is about showing your true authentic self - showing who you are as a dancer and performer. That is the premise of the solo, it is what you can bring to the table as well as your personality type.
Your solo is not there for other dancers, it is not there for the judges, but it is truly encompassing who you are as a dancer.”
- NBA Dancer, Ariel Poehl
2. Choose your dance style
Before anything else, choose your favorite dance style and use this as the foundation to build upon for the rest of the pieces.
Do not choose a style based on what you think you should do or what you think the judges will want to see. Again, choose the style you are and feel your best at.
Hip-hop
Lyrical
Jazz
Pom
and the list goes on.
Before browsing and choosing a mix or genre, you want to have an idea of the style/vibes you are going for.
“Find out how many eight counts you have to work with and make sure you are fitting in the appropriate amount of tricks. If you have an 8- eight count solo. Plan on at least 4 tricks. And please DO NOT take up 25% + of the solo with turns in second. The judges are not all dancers. The director of marketing might be bored, and it will not leave a lasting impression. Save that for across the floor in workshops.”
3. Choose your genre and song
This generally takes the most time when it comes to the solo. In my opinion - it is all about the perfect song choice because the choreography tends to flow more naturally from there.
You want to look for a song that makes you feel something. Nothing beats performing to a song that you feel through and through. There is just a whole seperate mindset and energy when you are dancing to a song or mix that you love. With that being said, make sure it is a song that you can genuinely perform your best to. Just because you love it does not always mean it will be a good song for your solo. You want something that fits your choreography, tempo, and style.
Create a solo playlist
Save songs as you hear them! Rather than having to spend days listening to songs and starting from scratch, have your solo mix in the back of your mind months before. When the times comes to start browsing through solo songs, you will at least have a foundation to start with.
Browse popular songs online
Not sure where to start? Start browsing top 100 charts online from different years. Even if you do not find a song you like on the chart, it may ring a bell for another song that is perfect for you.
Look for remixes
There is a large group of dancers with you in finals so you want to consider your song choice being used by other dancers in their solos. There is nothing worse than hearing your solo song being danced to before you even go up to perform. Try to get creative and maybe find remixes of songs you like. That way even if someone else is performing to your song choice - yours will still be unique. This is especially true with popular mainstream songs, which are most likely going to be used by at least one other dancer.
- YouTube or Spotify always have great remixes!
4. Create your mix
Whether you choose to create your own mix, use a pre-made remix, or just stick with a section of your song choice - it should abide by the time required. Always look into the solo requirements from the specific dance team you are auditioning for, but generally they are around one minute in length.
So you have your song/songs/mix - now it is time to either:
Cut your song
Find your favorite section of the song or mix you chose and cut it down to the required solo time. Make sure it fits your ideas for choreography, flow, and stays strong from start to finish.
Mix your songs
Rather than just cutting down your song, you may want to get creative by creating your own mix. This can be done on various programs but a favorite among dancers I have talked with is GarageBand when creating your own mixes. (Have another program you like to use for song editing? Let us know in the comments below!)
This is a great step to put time into because you are making the song unique and providing less of a chance to have the exact same solo song as another dancer. Just adds a bit of POP. I always enjoy adding opening and ending parts from other sections of the song/remix, adding sound effects where they may fit, or blending together various favorite sections.
Get your song professionally mixed for you
There are various DJs out there that you can purchase pre-made dance mixes from or that you can reach out to for a custom mix. Sometimes it gets tedious to create your own mixes and, honestly, the small splurge to get it professionally done is worth the investment for a stand-out solo!
Whether you are cutting your song, mixing it, or having it professionally mixed - make sure all of your transitions flow and the song is not choppy. The last thing you want is for your mix to distract from you solo!
I know it can be tough finding a DJ to customize your own dance mix in relation to dance team choreography.
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5. Choose your solo outfit
Your solo outfit is the finishing touch to your audition solo. It should match the style of the mix and the choreography.
For instance, you do not want to wear a lyrical piece for a hip-hop solo..
This is also a feature to the solo that will allow you to showcase your personality and stand out even more. Pick an outfit that will add that extra bit of confidence to your choreography execution. We all know that nothing ties together a routine like the outfit you perform in!
Make sure that your solo outfit/costume fits the mix, choreography, and style of the routine. If you are not sure, reach out to friends or veteran dancers on the team that you are auditioning for!
“Practice how you want to perform. Practice in your outfit to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions and go full out every time. Build your stamina so that you can be on auto-pilot and really shine when that adrenaline hits!”
Pro tips:
Have your solo ready ahead of time
Do not wait until the last minute to get your solo done. Your solo is extremely important if required in the final audition for an NBA dance team. Even if you are not sure if you will make it to the final showcase - still work on your solo as if you will (because you never know!)
Give yourself the month without stressing about having your solo ready last minute and solely work on perfecting it. Again, this is your opportunity to bring something different and showcase yourself as a performer to your full capability in front of the judging panel. By the time auditions come around, your solo should be in your muscle memory like it would be for a game day performance.
Come up with new choreography and ideas
Although it can be tempting and convenient to pull out an old dance routine or past solo - really brainstorm what will showcase you the best, especially for that specific dance team. This is not to say you can not use an old routine, but it is noticable if something was tailored to that specific team or year. This can be a great way to grab the judging panel’s attention and leave a lasting impression with your solo! Show that you are meant to be on that team and you have the talents to go along.
“Definitely pick music that is upbeat and energetic, mixes are always really entertaining and fun! But always come prepared with a solo that represents YOU the best, where YOU feel the most confident and the most YOU!”
@_kaitlynconley
NBA Dance Team Director
“Research the team and use music the team did not use that season! I also highly recommend giving yourself enough time to fully prepare. If the audition specifically says “solo” verses “freestyle,” the judges/coach is looking for a routine that looks prepared and is audition/game day ready. If it’s a freestyle or a couple eight counts of choreography before a combo, that is a totally different discussion. BUT a solo… not only shows your talent/ability, but it also shows a lot about your character in regards to how you approach it- which character is a HUGE factor is making a professional team!”
-Kaitlyn Conley
NBA Pheonix Suns Dancers Coach
Solo Tips from Choreography Wire
Owned by Jana Johnson
NBA solo choreographer and former 7 year professional dancer
1. A solo is a chance to show your skills. Especially if this is your first year and you may not be as great at picking up choreography yet, so a solo is a chance to redeem yourself! However, it is in your best interest to only showcase skills you have mastered. If you do not have a skill mastered I would not put it in your solo.
2. Plan your music. When you do your choreography, map the music. Find out how many eight counts you have to work with and make sure you are fitting in the appropriate amount of tricks. If you have an 8-eight count solo, plan on at least four tricks. Please DO NOT take up 25%+ of the solo with turns in second. The judges are not all dancers. The director of marketing may be bored, and it will not end up leaving a lasting impression. Save that for across the floor in workshops.
3. Practice how you want to perform. Practice in your outfit to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions and go full out every time. Build your stamina so that you can be on auto pilot and really shine when that adrenaline hits!
4. Do not waste time. Remember that your solo has to be captivating right away because it is just you holding the floor. You may love a song with a great build up but those build ups are great for transitions and formation changes, not necessarily a solo.
5. The audition process as a whole is how you make the team so know your strengths and your weaknesses. It does not all ride on a solo and it does not all ride on the interview so you do not have to be perfect! However, you want to answer the question:
‘Why should this team choose you?’… in everything you do!
Lastly, there is only one of you. Nothing is sexier than confidence. So go into your audition with style, grace, confidence and wear it proudly!
Instagram: @janamaejohnson, @choreowire