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Dance CAPA Scholarship Audition Information

Important Application Deadlines

  • Nov. 1 - University of Maryland Application Due
  • Dec. 11 - Dance CAPA Scholarship Application Due
  • Dec. 18 - Dance CAPA Scholarship Auditions

Eligibility

Any incoming freshman or transfer student with a strong background in dance technique and/or choreography may be considered. In order to receive the award, you must be accepted as an undergraduate student by the University of Maryland and declare dance as your primary major.

**Please note that an audition is not required to declare dance as your major, and your participation in the audition does not guarantee admission to the University of Maryland. The UMD Admissions Office will contact students with official admission decisions by the dates indicated on the admissions website.*

Procedure:

  1. Apply to the University of Maryland by the priority admissions date November 1, 2023, declaring dance as your major or intend to declare dance as your major. 
  2. Complete the Online Application by Monday, December 11, 2023.

* Applications received after Monday, December 11, 2023 will not be accepted.

Audition Information

The auditions will be held on Monday, December 18, 2023 starting at 11 am. Applicants must attend the entire time. This is the only audition day offered and applicants must be in attendance for consideration. Except in the case of our cancellation for inclement weather, there will be no make-up day.

The audition will consist of:

A modern dance technique class, improvisation, a solo performance of a dance or excerpt from a dance in any style, not to exceed two (2) minutes in length. This may be your own choreography or a piece set on you by someone else. The judging committee will consist of members of the dance faculty. 

Criteria for selection:

  • Body alignment and kinesthetic awareness
  • Mastery of a range of fundamental movement skills
  • Ability to perform movements accurately and with confidence
  • Rhythmic and musical sensitivity
  • Projection and dynamic range
  • Capacity to incorporate corrections

Complete Application Packets Submitted online only must include:

  • One audition application form
  • One copy of your dance resume (1 page, 1 side only) 
  • One original headshot photo (5” x 7” or greater; black and white or color; does not need to be professional)
  • One copy of a 250-word (maximum) essay (typewritten on a single page) on the topic: How has dance influenced you to apply for admission to the University of Maryland? 
  • Transfer students only: an unofficial transcript from the college or university you attended. This can be emailed directly to smille13@umd.edu.

Click here for application instructions
Applications received after Monday, December 11, 2023 will not be accepted.

Guidelines for the Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship in Dance  

Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Scholars are chosen for their abilities, intelligence, talent and dedication. They are viewed as representatives of the best the school has to offer. CAPA scholarships cover full in-state tuition and mandatory fees and are awarded on a semester basis. CAPAs awarded to freshmen are renewable for up to eight semesters of full-time undergraduate study. CAPAs awarded to upperclassmen are awarded for a specific time period, based on the expectation of graduation in four years. Renewal is based upon an acceptable level of participation in both the academic and the production program as defined by the school in the following statements:

  1. Scholarship recipients must attend the University of Maryland to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree with dance as the primary major and carry at least 12 credits each semester.
  2. Scholarship recipients are expected to be involved significantly in School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies' productions each semester.
  3. Scholarship recipients must audition each semester for roles until they are cast in faculty and student choreography. Scholarship recipients not chosen to perform must seek other areas of participation that semester, such as production. The production experiences expected of scholarship recipients may not be used to fulfill the obligation to required courses.
  4. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend all meetings called by the school’s scholarship coordinator, work on the Scholarship Audition Day that takes place on or before the start of spring semester each year and assist on all projects designated by the scholarship coordinator as being important to the maintenance of the scholarship program.
  5. Scholarship recipients who wish to engage in performance experiences outside of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies must petition in writing, explaining the nature and duration of the commitment. CAPA scholars must provide a list of their current school rehearsal and performance commitments and demonstrate a lack of conflict between those commitments and the outside event.
  6. Scholarship recipients shall maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Any CAPA scholar whose average falls below this will be put on probation for the following semester. If the scholar’s cumulative GPA has not returned to at least a 3.0 by the end of that semester, the CAPA scholarship cannot be renewed. No CAPA scholar may be on probation more than once.
  7. Scholarship recipients requesting scholarship continuation for the next semester shall submit a form listing the current semester’s participation to the Scholarship Committee. There will be a meeting of the students and the Scholarship Committee to review each student’s progress before December 1 in the fall semester and May 1 in the spring. Students will be notified of the tentative renewal or final withdrawal of their scholarships by December 15 or May 15. Final renewal will be contingent upon computing the cumulative grade point average at the end of the semester under review.