Staying Ahead of the Game - Audition Headshots

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Above: Hannah Oliver | Allen American Ice Angel

For the past six years I've been a veteran judge for the Allen American Ice Angels, a professional sports team dance group. The Ice Angels are a group of dancers that perform during the Allen American hockey games at the Allen Event Center in Allen, TX. Director, Stephanie Dibiase-Wheat, is a good friend of mine and she is also the choreographer of these talented dancers. As a judge, the very first thing that I see in an audition is their application which would include a headshot photograph. Trust me, I've seen it all from a selfie paper print to your low quality photo printed at your local drug store. What these ladies don't realize is that their photo, whether its a headshot or a quarter length image, is their facial brand. And in the dance industry, people know you by face and the way you move in the dance studio on social media or on the football field during a halftime show. The dance community is amazingly small and that social media advertises these dancers way before they are in front of judges in the audition. 

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Above: Brittany Myricks | Allen American Ice Angel

Having the right headshot is one of the very first steps in your journey to making it in training camp and ultimately a spot on the dance team. You know that everyone is jousting position to get their spot while the veterans are literally fighting to keep their spot on the team year after year after year. A headshot is an investment where you can also use it in other areas of your life such as your social media profile to your LinkedIn account. Having your name matching with your facial brand and the right expression is also key.

For example, a dance candidate submitted a headshot photo where she had no smile and a cold look in her eyes. It was more of an editorial look that is used in mainstream modeling. I call it the RBF also known as the "Resting Bitch Face". The feeling that I got from this candidate was that she wasn't a nice person, cold, and somewhat 'stand-off-ish'. But when she walked in front of the judges nothing matched up. In person, she had an amazing smile and infectious personality that made you feel like you wanted to get to know her more. Luckily her energy in person overshadowed her first impression headshot and I gave her the benefit of the doubt to move onto the next round. Ask yourself, how do I want to represent myself in just one image? How can I create the right expression that captures the fun-loving, approachable ME? 

That's where we come in. At AfallaStudios we coach you on how to maximize your facial expression by exploring every reaction that we throw at you. The process is simple and when you have a photographer that makes you feel good about yourself and boost your confidence, it shows in your digital images. My experience with these three ladies were absolutely fun. By the time they finished their photo shoot with me, they each felt the confidence they need to get through their up coming auditions with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and other sports teams in the area. 

If you want to be ahead of the competition, start NOW! Don't wait till the week of auditions. Contact us to take advantage of our special promotion just for those who are audition for any of the local professional sport dance teams (i.e. Allen American Ice Angels, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Dallas Mavericks Dancers, Dallas Stars Ice Girls, etc.).

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Above: Randi Sundquist | Allen American Ice Angel (Team Captain)