Auditions

What does it take to be a part of a Lîla performance? No need to fear, we give you the low down of what to expect during the audition process. Be the first to know when we’re next auditioning by joining our mailing list.

New call out

LÎla Dance is looking for a highly skilled female identifying dancer who is also part of the LGBTQ+ community to join the company for 1 week of research and development.

Applicants need to be team players and have personable skills.  We will create a safe and welcoming space and the performers will be required to talk about and explore their sexuality for performance. We welcome applicants who have strong skills in contemporary and commercial dance styles.

Where: South East Dance The Dance Space, 2 Market Square, Circus Street, Brighton BN2 9AS

When: Audition Workshop Thursday 6th March 13.00 - 17.00

Deadline for applications: Monday 17th February  2025 at 6pm

Description

We are seeking performers for an exciting new R&D project exploring the lives and experiences of lesbian and queer-identifying women. Led by Abi Mortimer, this research phase is inspired by powerful real-life interviews conducted with members of the lesbian community.

This R&D will dive deep into the Lesbian Community aiming to bring nuanced, complex, and authentic stories to life—stories of dykes, butches, femmes, and everyone in between, all in glorious colour.

Through a dynamic blend of dance styles, we aim to explore how the work might connect with a wide audience, collaborating with a pop songwriter to transform these experiences into catchy tunes with rhythmic dancing

We’re looking for versatile performers who are passionate about storytelling, movement, and queer narratives. Applicants should have a passion for bringing these stories to the studio with energy, humour, and heart.

Job Role

  • Devise material collaboratively and individually

  • Respond to text both physically and with spoken word

  • Be a supportive team player in an LGBTQ+ cast of dancers and collaborators

  • Maintain sensitivity and confidentiality to the sharing of personal stories and narratives.

R&D Dates

  • Dates: 22nd- 26th April 2025

  • Location: The University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE

  • Applicants must be available for all of the dates.

Fee and Freelance Contract

£670  for the week (entire contract) PLUS travel. Accommodation and per diems will be provided, if required.
Please Note – Performers must be eligible to work in the UK. No travel to and from the UK will be provided.

How to apply

This is an invite audition only.

Our online application form will ask you to upload the following:

  • A cover letter outlining why you are interested in this project

  • A current CV (maximum of 2 pages of A4)

  • A recent head shot

  • A showreel or link to video footage of relevant movement material

Note: Please ensure that footage is good quality, relevant to the specific requirements of the job and is NO longer than 3 minutes in length. If sending footage of ensemble work, please highlight clearly who you are.

Please notify us of any access needs for applying or attending the audition and we will endeavour to accommodate these to the best of our ability.

What is a Lîla audition like? 

Lîla auditions are high-energy, creative experiences that reflect a day in the studio with us. We design our auditions this way so that we can see you in light of our working practices and ethos and so that auditionees get a taste of who we are and how we work.  

Feel relaxed

We know that auditions can be highly pressurised situations. It is our aim to reduce this tension and welcome each auditionee to relax into the process and put their energy in the right place, so that we can see them in their best light. 

Embody movement and emotion

Auditionees take part in a typical Lîla class and learn repertoire from company work. We are interested in how people embody our movement language and connect with the thoughts, feelings and qualities that bring the material to life. Strong technical skill is important but we are looking for dancers who are willing to be vulnerable in their performance. 

Creative collaboration

Creative tasks, partnership skills, use of text, form the second half of our auditions. Here we are looking at the auditionee as a creative contributor, a collaborator and a thinking-feeling dancer and someone open to taking creative risks.  

We respect the effort that goes into attending an audition and therefore never make any cuts until after class, giving even the most nervous dancer an opportunity to settle down and enjoy dancing with us. Even if unsuccessful, we hope that auditionees leave having had a great class! 

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Photo Credit: Dougie Evans. Dancer: Sarah Golding

“The audition was so enjoyable that it did not feel like an audition at all. Yes, I was aware I was being observed but no more so than I would be during an outdoor performance or in a working day. It didn't feel like an assessment or a test. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt relieved that I had applied for the role.”

— Claire Lambert