Zeitgeist Dance Theatre Trainee Auditions Due February 16
The ZDT Company Experience places dancers inside a fully immersive professional ecosystem designed to prepare them for the realities of company life. Participants follow a daily schedule anchored by morning company class, with afternoons and evenings dedicated to learning new choreographic repertory and engaging in career-building discussions about the professional dance field. Dancers receive close mentorship from artistic, educational, and residential directors, work with choreographers and teaching artists during New Century Dance Project Festival week, and perform world-premiere works on a professional stage. Along the way, they gain practical skills, audition-ready photo and video materials, and a firsthand understanding of the pace, structure, and expectations of a working company, with opportunities to be considered for future apprentice or professional positions and to receive strong recommendations beyond ZDT. Set within an immersive 24/7 living-learning environment in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the experience builds adaptability, interpersonal skills, and lasting relationships that support each dancer’s artistic and career journey.
Requirements:
Eligibility to Audition:
-Must be at least age 17 (at the time of the program’s start in July) or for college students through the final year in a BFA/BA Dance Program at the time of auditioning.
-Dancers up to age 24 who have graduated from high school who are not in college but are actively training may audition.
-Pursuing a professional dance performance career
-International dancers are strongly encouraged to audition along with dancers from the United States.
-Must be available from July 11 – August 2.
-Demonstrated maturity and respect for others to thrive in an intense environment where dancers will live and work together 24/7.
Audition Requirements:
-Video Section #1: A video introduction showing a brief close-up shot of your face, from the shoulders up. Clearly state your full name; preferred pronouns; current city; state, region, or province; country of residence; your age and level in HS or College, and your home studio/school/conservatory/college or university that provides your current primary training and education. At most 30 seconds in length.
-Video Section #2: An improv video at most 1 minute in length. It must have been filmed no earlier than September 1, 2025. The improv should clearly demonstrate the clarity of your unique artistic voice.
-Video Section #3: A classical technique video no more than 2 minutes in length, demonstrating a center tendu exercise, an adagio, and a petite allegro or small jump combination.
-All three video sections must be edited into one video and uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo so that you can share the link with your submission. NOTE: The clothing you are wearing for videos should be form-fitting enough to see your lines, clearly.
Next Steps After the Screening of Your Audition Submission:
Following the review process by our ZDT Team, those selected as the top candidates for our Trainee positions will be invited for an interview and be required to submit a recommendation form and letter from a teacher or director who knows them well.
Where:
Santa Fe, NM, USA
When:
July 11 – August 2, 2026
How to Apply:
https://zeitgeistdancetheatre.org/audition/
Deadline for applications:
February 16 2026
Learn more about the audition at:
https://zeitgeistdancetheatre.org/trainee-program/
Visit website to learn more about the company:
https://zeitgeistdancetheatre.org
Contact info:
“What makes the Zeitgeist Dance Theatre Company Experience so powerful is that it immerses young artists in the authentic rhythms of company life — collaboration, responsibility, and artistic risk — all within the creative energy of our Santa Fe summer residency. Surrounded by art, culture, and community, dancers grow not only as performers but as whole artists and human beings. It’s a transformative process that prepares them for the realities of a professional career, and our alumni’s success stories are the living proof.”
Francisco Gella, Founding Artistic Director
