Congratulations! You’ve passed your instructor practical exam. Phew! (Yesss!) What’s next? You notice a fairly large mainstream gym nearby that seems to have packed classes, and the first thought that comes to mind is… it would be so much fun to teach there!
You contact the Group Fitness Manager (GFM) of the gym and he/she graciously offers an opportunity for you to audition with them. While this is all very exciting, keep in mind that a lot of preparation is required in order to be the best you can be at an audition. Here are a few tips to rock your group fitness audition, and showcase your true inner rockstar!
The Before = Prep and Practice!
1) Audition format
Find out what is the general format for the audition. Often times the best way to get this information is to directly ask the GFM what he/she is looking for. Plus this may earn you a few brownie points for showing initiative! If you have current instructor friends at the gym, they may be able to share insight on the audition format as well.
The audition could be meeting one-on-one with the manager, and teaching one song to just the GFM. Or it could be a group audition where you’re placed in a group of 3-5 people, with each person presenting a different format (i.e. weights, yoga, barre, etc.). You may have more than one GFM present – if so, typically, one of them is watching the “instructor” audition, while the others are watching the rest of the group to see if they are able to follow that “instructor.” Make sure you conserve your energy when you are part of a group audition, yet also be an “enthusiastic student.”
2) Song selection
Ideally you should have your full 50 minute playlist ready, however for the audition, really focus on 3-5 songs. A fully ready playlist will come in handy if they have immediate needs for sub coverage or open classes!
Depending on the audition length, carefully choose the songs that best showcase your ability to deliver an effective and fun class. GFM’s will tell you in advance how many songs to teach, or the length of time you’ll be allotted. Review your playlist and select a mix of moderate to high intensity songs, a mix of genres, and a warm-up and cool down. Have extra songs ready in case they ask for an extra song. Ultimately, you want to pick songs that you are most comfortable teaching so you can confidently rock it out at your audition!
3) Additional audition logistics
While BollyX emphasizes visual pre-cueing, the gym may require the use of a mic and verbal pre-cueing for the audition. Remember verbal pre-cues can be delivered at the same time as our visual pre-cues. Keep in mind that verbal pre-cueing supplements the visual and should be delivered when needed. If you overtalk, it will cover up the music, which is one of the highlights of the program. If you’ve never used a mic before, practice with one prior to the audition and record yourself teaching a song with verbal pre-cues. Watch the video (or ask someone else to watch it to obtain feedback) to ensure you are clearly understood, the volume is set properly so you’re not too quiet or too loud compared to the music, and that you’re not monotonous or repetitive with the words you choose to use for pre-cueing.
The gym may require you to demonstrate the ability to teach facing the class at some point during your audition.Generally speaking, when teaching facing the class, you’ll teach leading with your left leg, otherwise known as your “professional right” – except for Bhangra, you’d be teaching that genre of songs leading right. Teaching facing the participants requires being thoroughly comfortable with the choreography – use this opportunity during your audition to demonstrate your ability to connect with the class. Make eye contact, smile, and show your participants some love!
4) Practice, practice, practice!
It’s natural to feel nervous – all great instructors who care about their craft get nervous! Don’t forget how awesome you are! You’re awesome because you practiced and prepared hard for this audition. Leading up to the audition, practice by doing dry runs multiple times so you can get more comfortable with the process. Teach to family and friends to get used to teaching to people (and not just your living room wall). Film yourself so you can self-assess your dance technique and pre-cueing. Watching yourself on film is extremely helpful in identifying areas of improvement. It’s hard to notice everything while you are instructing so film yourself as often as you can as a way to continue improving as an instructor. In addition to self-assessing, ask a fitness colleague, a mentor or a BollyX Regional Trainer to look at your video to get their feedback. Unless you ask for it, you won’t always receive feedback, and feedback is the best way to grow as an instructor.
On the Day of Audition
The day is finally here! Make sure you are well rested. Eat a proper meal and drink plenty of water. Bring an extra snack and water bottle with you. Treat this audition as if you were teaching your own weekly class: as the instructor, you should always arrive 5-15 minutes before your class starts. I highly suggest that you arrive early in case there is additional paperwork that needs to be filled out. Rock out your BollyX gear!
Don’t forget —
1) Smile
Show them your pearly whites and enthusiasm! You’re a born rockstar. Smiling extra wide may feel forced but does a great job hiding jitters. Try to maintain eye contact with each participant and manager throughout the audition. Avoid looking down at the floor as this is a sign of lack-of-confidence. It doesn’t matter how nervous you are inside– don’t let them see it! You got this!
2) Respect
Be respectful of other formats. Even if you’ve never done yoga before, or kickboxing, put effort into it when another instructor auditions that format. Smile and show support as they teach. You would want them to do the same for you when it’s your turn to audition.
3) Showtime!
Before starting, double-check that all of your songs have been downloaded (NO streaming) and if you’ll be using your phone, turn your phone onto airplane mode with NO reminders. The last thing you want is a text message beep or music cutting out because of download speeds during your audition. Of course this applies to your regular classes as well!
Make sure you start with your introduction as part of your audition. Show your excitement about the format!
Pre-cue, pre-cue, pre-cue!
Don’t be afraid! Exude confidence – “fake it till you make it” – a mistake is a mistake only if you show it on your face or let them know that it’s a mistake! No one is perfect! And no one in the room except you knows the choreography! Keep moving, keep smiling, don’t say “sorry,” and dance like it didn’t happen.
Unleash your inner rockstar!
Sometimes if the manager has decided they’ve seen enough, or they are short on time, they may cut you off in the middle of the song. Don’t worry if that happens! Often times the manager has made the decision by the first minute of a song (they can determine rhythm, pre-cueing abilities, energy, dance technique, fitness level and enthusiasm by seeing one verse and one chorus of a song). You only have one chance to make a good impression so coming in prepared is crucial!
The After
You did it! You got through the audition! No matter the outcome, you should be extremely proud of yourself.
You may or may not know right away if you got the job. Either way, thank the GFMs for their time and consideration. If you have their email addresses, send them each a thank-you email as well.
If you don’t get the job, it’s totally okay. Since GFMs may audition many and only hire a few, they may not always have time to get back to those they don’t hire. If they don’t get back to you within a week of the audition, initiate an email and ask for feedback on why you didn’t get the job and what you could improve on – definitely pay close attention and work towards improving those areas. Each audition makes you stronger and more prepared for the next one, so don’t ever feel an unsuccessful audition was a waste of your time. Most gyms are open to re-auditioning. When you feel you are ready again, show them what you got! The GFM will be impressed that you took their feedback to heart and came back to re-audition. It demonstrates that you are a true fitness professional, always on the journey for growth and improvement.
If you got the job offer – congrats! Now it’s time for even more work as you fine-tune the rest of your playlist and continue practicing! You’ve got a weekly class to teach now so get rocking!
Best of luck!
About the Author: Oil and gas regulatory analyst by day, dance fitness instructor by night, Shreya loves the balance BollyX gives to her life! Her current favorite song is Lungi Dance (can’t go wrong with this one). Check out her class schedule for her weekly classes in Houston, Texas.