Character Performer auditions??

OK I'm not in the college program or anything (I live about 5 mins from WDW property LOL) but... I figured this would be the most appropriate forum to ask this.

So I have an audition Thursday for 'character performer'. They have them every Thursday here at WDW, so I do realize that if I don't do good enough, I can always try again another time, very easily. *keeping that in mind, for dealing with disappointment, if it doesn't work out*

But what I am wondering is: I know that there is a choreographed routine, and then animation exercises involved. To anyone who HAS been through this audition:

~Any advice, tips, things to remember/keep in mind at all times?
~what exactly is an 'animated exercise'? Is that essentially going to be pantomiming?
~what is it LIKE???? :sweat:

good thread idea...Ihave an audition for Tokyo on the 22 and then a number of vocal auditions and a character..I"M SO EXCITED!!! and congrats on the CM position...are you already up to Transfer Guidelines...

Summer, nope- just got hired yesterday.......like, she said she could either hire me yesterday, for Sunset, or send me to the audition, and if that doesn't work out, then I'd be hired THAT day for Sunset lol. Why do you ask?

oh got it...because I thought you said you were new and it usually takes 6 months to meet Guidelines. but, i should have read deeper!! That is so awesome!!

I AM new.....lol What do you mean about taking 6 months to meet guidelines?

Transfer Guidelines say that you must be in any role for 6 months before you can transfer to a different department. Its slightly different for full-time and part-time...i think if you are full-time it's even longer than that (as in 12 Months). Furthermore, you cannot have things on you record (time, absence, etc.) or reprimands of any kind. Have you gone through Traditions yet? and Orientaion will explain alot of this, too

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HomeofLove4Him

OK I'm not in the college program or anything (I live about 5 mins from WDW property LOL) but... I figured this would be the most appropriate forum to ask this.

So I have an audition Thursday for 'character performer'. They have them every Thursday here at WDW, so I do realize that if I don't do good enough, I can always try again another time, very easily. *keeping that in mind, for dealing with disappointment, if it doesn't work out*

But what I am wondering is: I know that there is a choreographed routine, and then animation exercises involved. To anyone who HAS been through this audition:

~Any advice, tips, things to remember/keep in mind at all times?
~what exactly is an 'animated exercise'? Is that essentially going to be pantomiming?
~what is it LIKE???? :sweat:

---

The audition is in 2 parts. The animation part, and the dance part. The animation part is you "animating" something. For example, making a sandwich. They want you to act out making the sandwich- taking items out of the fridge, cutting the bread, putting it together, ect. It will be different at each audition (mine were meeting your favorite character and buying a snack). The next part is the dance part. It is in counts of 4, and it starts from easy up to harder. And that is the audition in a nutshell basically. As for things to remember, remember to smile, look like you're having fun (even if you mess up- remember, these characters for the most part don't speak- you have to bring them to life), and do your best. Good luck!

OK- so it is kinda like pantomiming,IOW? My guess on the reasoning behind that would be *because* you are doing a nonspeaking role, you need to be "animated" enough to "come to life" ....and not be "stiff" or something. Is that about right on the reasoning?

Did you find the dance part hard? My interviewer said that they would go over it repeatedly before time to audition.

Summer- ahhhhh I see. Well I'm glad I opted for the audition now then. She said to me that I could later audition (if I wanted to just take the Sunset job)but that they would want to have me finish training first (for Sunset) before going to another audition. She didn't say anything about 6 months tho... I asked if I wanted to do the audition in a few wks instead, but take Sunset now would that be ok, and she just said they'd want me to finish training. I would think she would have said 6 months (since I had asked about "a few wks")....hmmmmmm??? *shrug* don't know.

I found most of the dance part to be not that difficult. And they do go over the dance part over and over, and you can ask questions too.

I am hoping for a character position at some point. Do you have to have dance training or are the steps something that, if you can dance at all, you'd be able to pick-up? No, I will spare Disney my singing voice.

mini-V, you don't HAVE to have dance training (because, I don't!) to audition, or even to pass. Dance training, I'm guessing, might help, because you would be in the habit of doing choreographed routines, doing them in counts, etc etc. But you know, I have taken many aerobics classes and have learned similar things - doing choreographed routines, doing them in counts, etc. My interviewer said that there really is nothing you can do to prepare, because 1) you don't know what your animation exercise will be, 2) you don't know what the choreographed routine will be. KWIM? So, best you can do is work on being outgoing, smiling, friendly, animated, STRETCH, and maybe practice some dance moves.....but again, you don't know what routine they are going to be doing w/you, so....

anyone know anything about the dance auditions?? I have a very extensive ballet background and wanted to know a little more about being a dancer for disney... I plan to audition April 20 I think.. depending how therapy is going (I broke my leg in November and still in therapy but almost done ;))

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HomeofLove4Him

mini-V, you don't HAVE to have dance training (because, I don't!) to audition, or even to pass. Dance training, I'm guessing, might help, because you would be in the habit of doing choreographed routines, doing them in counts, etc etc. But you know, I have taken many aerobics classes and have learned similar things - doing choreographed routines, doing them in counts, etc. My interviewer said that there really is nothing you can do to prepare, because 1) you don't know what your animation exercise will be, 2) you don't know what the choreographed routine will be. KWIM? So, best you can do is work on being outgoing, smiling, friendly, animated, STRETCH, and maybe practice some dance moves.....but again, you don't know what routine they are going to be doing w/you, so....

---

I'm not sure if this makes me feel better or more nervous. lol Thanks for in the input. What will be...will be.

*hugs* You'll do fine I'm sure. I keep telling myself- I REALLY want a performing role... but I'll be happy with whatever role I get :)

Mini-V.....

We hung out at DTD this morning, and chatted with a few CMs. One of the CMs we were talking to about BBB (cuz we were at World of Disney, hanging out in the BBB area). I was telling her how I'm soon to be a CM, and my audition is Thurs, but if that doesn't work out, MGM, etc. I told her I'm kinda nervous about the audition, etc. She told me that she has neighbors, who are a 70 (yes, sevenTY) year old couple who are character performers. I was like "Rock on! More power to 'em!" That made me feel kinda better about the audition...so maybe that'll help you too :)