Typically when auditioning, there’s a certain dress code that’s expected of a performer. There’s not a super strict definition of what that dress code is, but I’ll try to sum it up as best I can. One person who went through this process said that it was “church attire.” Basically, something that isn’t the fanciest, but is more dressy than just jeans and a T-shirt. For example: 

Women: 

What a lot of female-presenting people wear to auditions are these jewel-toned, mid-length dresses with more modest necklines and some form of character shoe. While this formula does work and allows for an air of professionalism at an audition, it isn’t usually the best way to stand out. Maybe try finding a dress with a small pattern on it or wear combat boots instead of character shoes, something to add your own personality to an audition outfit. You can also always wear pants and a nice blouse, which will also allow for more movement during your performances. 

For dance calls, however, this dress code changes. You pretty much have to go full or close to full ballet for MT dance calls, otherwise you kind of stick out like a sore thumb. This means some form of tights, leotards, character/jazz shoes, and sometimes those dance skirts that ballet dancers wear during classes. There are some dance calls that also have a section for tappers to showcase what they can do, so if you have training in tap, make sure you bring your tap shoes. 

Men: 

For male-presenting auditioners, you have a bit more of a wide variety (lucky). You can go with dress slacks and a nice sweater, maybe a button-down shirt, whatever you feel comfortable in and still feel slightly formal. You could even wear something like wide-leg plaid pants and a white shirt if you want to use a pattern to stand out more. 

When it comes to dance calls, movability is key. Typically go for something that’ll allow for the most movement of your arms (which includes the ability to raise your arms without having to adjust yourself or the clothing) and full extension of the legs for things like spits or high kicks. If you’re comfortable with it, a tank top and sweatpants usually work really well, or if you aren’t comfortable with a tank top, a nice loose T-shirt works well too. 

Gender-neutral: 

As a gender-neutral performer, the task of finding an audition outfit that was comfortable, moveable, and still formal enough was challenging. I went through a lot of Pinterest inspiration photos and came up dry. Eventually, it took me wandering around in Anthropologie to find the right shirt and pants combination. I ended up going with a shirt with lace sleeves that had floral decals, and black dress pants. This was what comforted me the most with my gender, and still fit the audition criteria. But really, it’s all about what you want to do and how you want to appear to the audition panel, because how you present yourself to them will make a difference in their opinion of you and how you would fit into their program. If you want to wear a dress since you present more feminine, go for it! If you want to wear the sweater and pants combo and be more masculine, by all means, do so! You can also do something like a jumpsuit if you feel more comfortable in pants. It’s really up to you. 

For dance calls, it’s about the same, it’s all about what you feel most comfortable in according to your gender. I met several gender-neutral people in the audition process in dance calls who wore T-shirts and shorts, there were others who went full masculine, and some in the full ballet outfit. Pick and choose whatever suits you, in the end, that’s the most important thing that counts.

Also, for prescreens, you can be a little more lenient with this dress code. I ended up wearing jeans in my prescreens with a more dressy shirt because that provided a good color contrast. Prescreens really don't have a dress code, it's more of whatever you can move in and draws attention to your person. Play around by looking through your wardrobe and seeing which things are good and comfortable to spend long hours filming in.