Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Janet Seeley Performing Arts Scholarship in Performance or Choreography is awarded to students who demonstrate past experience in, and understanding of dance, broadly defined. We welcome applicants who have experience in any dance genre, including but not limited to African Diasporic dance forms, ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, or social dance forms. The HWS Dance and Movement Studies department faculty will review each candidate, and scholarships will be awarded based on their recommendations.

• Early Decision I/Early Action candidates must submit arts scholarship application with portfolio items by November 15.
• Early Decision 2/Regular Decision candidates must submit their arts scholarship application with portfolio items by January 15.

The arts scholarship application is available only to students who have submitted their admissions application to Hobart and William Smith.

CRITERIA

We are looking for curious, passionate, and intelligent movers who bring a love of dance to the Dance and Movement Studies program. We welcome your unique contributions and applaud your interest in being part of a rich and diverse community of movers.

IN-PERSON Auditions

There are many opportunities in the fall semester to audition for the Arts Scholarship: we are hosting a Dance Visit Day on November 14th, with a choice of classes on Friday, November 14th: Intermediate Modern Dance Performance Techniques 9:40-11:10 a.m. or Introduction to Jamaican Dance 9:40-11:10 a.m.  In-person auditions consist of participation in one of the movement classes above, showing a solo, and speaking with department faculty. Please register in advance by contacting department chair Kelly Johnson (kjohnson@hws.edu) or Arts Scholars Dance liaison Cynthia Williams (williams@hws.edu).

If the November 14th date is not convenient, we encourage you to make arrangements in advance to participate in one of our regularly scheduled dance technique courses, and to observe any of our other courses: Dances of the African Diaspora II, Dance Composition, 20th Century Dance History, or Arts and Education. With advance notice, we can accommodate in-person auditions in any of our technique courses.

In-person auditions require an application and essay submission, participation in a class, and the showing of a solo.

Solo: please prepare a short (2-3 minute) solo to perform during your audition after the technique class. Solos can be of any dance style or genre that showcases your movement strengths and passion of dance. Music for the solo (if applicable) can be played from your phone or computer. If applying for the Arts Scholarship in Choreography, the solo must be self-choreographed. You will be asked to describe your choreographic process and interests in the interview following the showing of your solo.

Please contact Cynthia Williams (williams@hws.edu) to arrange your in-person audition.

materials for In-Person Auditions:

1-2 minute Video introduction: please tell us your name, where you are from, and what sparks your interest about continuing your dance education at HWS. In-person applicants will be asked to describe their academic interests, potential majors/minors, and questions about their solo during the interview process.

Essay: Please submit a 500-600 word essay that describes how dance has influenced you as a person, artist, and student. Please additionally address how you envision dance informing your life in college, and the potential connections across your other academic interests in a liberal arts environment.

Resume and Letter of Recommendation are optional for this application. You are welcome to submit a resume of your activities including dance training and any relevant performance, competition, and/or choreographic experience, and/or a letter of recommendation from a dance teacher, director, or choreographer who could comment on your experience and potential as a student at HWS.

VIDEO AUDITIONS IN PLACE OF An HWS VISIT

Applicants for the Janet Seeley Arts Scholarship in Dance are highly encouraged to visit and audition in person—it is difficult to get the full essence of you on video, and you won’t be able to experience the vibrancy and dynamism of Dance and Movement Studies from afar—but, we understand that sometimes it’s just not possible to visit in person. Your materials for a Video Audition should include:

materials for Video Auditions:

1-2 minute Video introduction: please tell us your name, where you are from, and what sparks your interest about continuing your dance education at HWS. Describe your academic interests and/or potential majors/minors, and why you are interested in pursuing them. Indicate if you are applying for the Performance or Choreography scholarship; if you would like to be considered for the Scholarship in Choreography, your solo must be self-choreographed. Please indicate anything about your creative process you would like us to know.

Solo (2-3 minutes) Please submit a recent solo of your dancing in whatever style or genre you choose. Please do not submit previous performance footage or dances where you are not the only dancer. This does not need to be a professionally recorded video from a spacious dance studio, but should feature you clearly. We recognize that you may have experience and skill in multiple dance forms—in your video, showcase your movement strengths and your passion for dance.

Essay: Please submit a 500-600 word essay that describes how dance has influenced you as a person, artist, and student. Please additionally address how you envision dance informing your life in college, and the potential connections across your other academic interests in a liberal arts environment.

Resume and Letter of Recommendation are optional for this application. You are welcome to submit a resume of your activities including dance training and any relevant performance, competition, and/or choreographic experience, and/or a letter of recommendation from a dance teacher, director, or choreographer who could comment on your experience and potential as a student at HWS.

PLEASE NOTE FOR BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIDEO AUDITION APPLICATIONS: Your application for the Janet Seeley Scholarship will not be reviewed until all the materials are submitted. The deadlines for submission are the same as for ED, ED2, and Regular Decision. Applicants with questions are encouraged to contact Professor Cynthia Williams (williams@hws.edu). Click the “apply here” link to be directed to your arts scholarship application.