7 auditioning secrets: casting and artistic directors share their tips on making the cut.

Dance Magazine asked seven dance directors where they find their dancers and whom they hope will walk into their audition. You may be surprised by their answers.

Megan Larche, co-casting director, The Times They Are A-Changin', A Chorus Line, White Christmas, and the revival of Grease.

For Times we were looking for athletic dancers. Twyla likes lean bodies that are well-defined muscularly; you have to be in top shape. I look for people with major ballet technique and great modern technique who are earthbound, with strong acrobatic skills.

I try to find dancers everywhere. For this project, I contacted college programs, cheerleading, martial arts, and acrobatic gymnastics programs. Twyla has the highest standards in the world. She'll make people come in for three auditions and work with someone for an hour-and-a-half. She needs to explore every inch of you and know your process: How do you work? How do you adjust to her?. She works psychologically as well as artistically. She wants to get into your brain and see how you're putting things together.

--Abigail Rasminsky

Tony Stevens, musical theater director, performer, and choreographer.

Now mounting Over Here in the West End. The audition starts as soon as you walk in the door. I see everything in that room, so put yourself at your best advantage. Don't create a we/they situation. So many dancers come in like it's a battle, with an attitude of "You hate me already" or the opposite--"Please love me!" To be a beggar is not attractive, and neither is being a combatant. And girls--please wear makeup! I've told girls to glam up if they look like they're about to clean the hallways! I get to know dancers through auditions, so go to as many as you can. The other reason to go to a lot of auditions is that a show becomes what it becomes with the people who come in and audition for you. Someone may come in, and I may think, "I never thought of him for this, but look how good he looks with heal" It takes its shape in front of your very eyes!--A.R.

Judith Fugate, director, Ballet NY.

Dancers nowadays all have the technique, but that extra something is what we're looking for. It's that thing that people can't put their fingers on that makes an artist, and not everybody has it--the ability to stand still onstage and draw the public's attention.

Generally we don't have auditions. There are so many talented, unemployed dancers taking open classes at Steps on Broadway, so we go there if we're in need of another dancer. Many we hire come recommended by our current dancers. We look for mature, accomplished, professionals. I don't mind seeing a womanly body. The average age of our dancers is upper-20s, low-30s. In my opinion, this is when dancers are in their prime.--A.R.

Richard Dagenais, artistic coordinator for Cirque du Soleil's Corteo.

The first things we look for are technique and interpretation. Our dancers are often given a character to portray so we need people who will be able to adopt characters and have the ability to develop new characters based on an original concept. We look at how daring and fearless dancers are. We notice the ones who say, "I'll try anything. Give me a character, I'll try it. You want me to improvise, I won't shy away from performing." Those kinds of gutsy performers are ideal for creations because they propose ideas, they explore, they want to participate.--A.R.

Sally Rousse, co-founder, artistic associate and dancer with James Sewell Ballet.

At our auditions we throw dancers things they aren't comfortable with. Asking for improvisation shows us what their bodies naturally want to do. We look for attitude rather than aptitude--if a dancer sees something unknown and runs from it, we know they wouldn't be a good fit. I look for musical dancers who can play, syncopate, and hold their technique longer within the music.

Our New York audition is becoming ineffective because we don't attract dancers who are familiar with the company. You can't show up at our audition and not know that you have to improvise. We ruthlessly cut people who don't possess an understanding of our work. And I don't ever watch or hire from a videotape. I prefer dancers take company class so they can watch rehearsals and talk to the other dancers. We do ask the company members for input.

I bet a lot of really good dancers slip through our fingers, and I wish they would be more persistent--keep in touch, come to shows, and class. Persistence definitely pays off because a personal connection will often transcend technique.--Jennifer Thompson

Dennis Nahat, artistic/executive director of Ballet San Jose.

I give a basic audition class with no choreography. I look for clarity and honesty more than anything else--no affectations, droopy wrists, extended fingers, or showing off to get attention.

I encourage sending videos because it helps me see a dancer's taste in costuming, presentation, and technique--they can even be more advantageous than a group audition. If the dancer sparks my interest, I will invite him/her to audition in person.

My best advice to young dancers who have a particular company in mind is to be around it, smell it, taste it, feel it, and get to know the people. Some dancers who are less talented may get a job simply because they are known by the director, the teachers, and the dancers. Performers should get to know the ground that they wish to build a home on.--J.T.

Janet Eilber, artistic director of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

We turn first to our school for new compa ny members. Many of our dancers come out of our advanced student company, the Martha Graham Ensemble. We also take dancers from college programs such as Southern Methodist University and the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where our alumni are teaching.

Our audition is a three-day process. We teach a section of a ballet to see how they retain information and accept corrections. By the last day we give the finalists spacing for entrances and exits to watch how they move in a group and work with others onstage. The dancers also take home a DVD to prepare a short section of movement since watching video is how dancers in most companies learn new roles.

I look most of all for a dancer's connection with the audience, their ability to communicate. They must know how to let the audience in on their journey through their emotional and dramatic, as well as physical, expertise.--J.T.