Auditions Feb. 3

Auditions Feb. 4

Relative Motion – the 2026 Spring Dance Concert – seeks dancers to perform original works by student choreographers. The Department of Theatre and Dance will hold auditions on Feb. 3 and 4 in the Hickey Gym. Relative Motion will be presented in mid-May and the works will be curated by Visiting Professor Doria E. Charlson. 

The auditions are open to all UC Davis students. Each day (Tues or Wed) will be the same format - please sign up for only one date.  The audition process will have two parts: 1) Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be a mandatory group warm-up session and short modern dance class. There then will be a break. Part 2) Beginning at 7 p.m., we will move into individual auditions. Students will sign up for a time slot where they will perform less than three minutes of dance in the style of their choosing (note: this does not have to be original choreography) and will be prepared with their own music, if needed. Given that students will be auditioning individually, there will be some downtime between slots. Students are encouraged to stay warm and bring homework/snacks. 

About the show: 

The 2026 Spring Dance Concert at UC Davis will be grounded in explorations of “relative motion.” In simple terms, the concept of relative motion underlies how our movement is defined in relation to points of reference and the positionality of another object. In the US today, political and socio-economic positions are becoming more fixed and less flexible. At the same time, our collective points of reference – shared values, the role of evidence, the rule of law – are being eroded and obscured. 

Relative Motion seeks to explore how we continue to move when our frame of reference has shifted. What new intersections, vectors, perceptions, and relationships might be formed when we adjust our frames? How can we explore the dissonance of moving in opposing directions? What role might dance play in revisiting relationship, proximity, and how we can move forward together?