What a dancer eats before an audition depends on many individual factors that influence baseline energy needs. Training schedules leading up to the audition matter, because auditions are rarely the only demand on a dancer’s time. Travel logistics affect access to meals and snacks. Emotional factors like nerves and anxiety also play a significant role. Every dancer’s nutritional needs are unique, and a meal or snack that works well for one dancer may not feel supportive for another.
One thing remains consistent: a fueled audition is a stronger audition. Yet many dancers face real obstacles when trying to build a supportive audition-fueling plan. Because so much of the audition process feels out of a dancer’s control, including casting decisions, program admittance, and promotions, dancers remain particularly vulnerable to disordered eating patterns. Fear of rejection can amplify these behaviors. This article breaks down common challenges dancers face during audition season and offers practical, realistic strategies to help you fuel confidently.
Fueling for Auditions: Your Ultimate Guide
Fueling for auditions is different from fueling for daily training. While training nutrition focuses on long-term consistency, auditions require short-term planning and intentional periodization. Nutrition strategies for auditions align more closely with performance fueling than with everyday class schedules.
Here are three foundational principles to guide your audition nutrition.
Prioritize carbohydrates.
More than half of your meal or snack should come from carbohydrate-rich foods. Carbohydrates are your primary energy source and help fuel power, stamina, and focus. Examples include grains like rice, pasta, and bread, as well as starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, beans, and lentils. Here’s an article that dives deeper into the role of carbohydrates for dancers.
Include protein and fat for recovery.
Auditions place high physical demands on the body, making muscle recovery especially important. Include protein sources such as chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, ground meat, or dairy. Add fats that support recovery and inflammation management, particularly monounsaturated and omega-3 fats found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.
Hydrate intentionally.
Hydration supports both physical performance and mental clarity, which is essential when learning choreography quickly. Fluids matter, but so do electrolytes. Sodium and potassium help maintain hydration status and replace losses from sweat.
Food flexibility is also key. Using The Healthy Dancer® Food Flexibility Algorithm can help guide decisions when access, travel, or nerves affect your options. Planning is especially helpful when auditions involve long commutes or unfamiliar environments.
Practice: A Dance Audition Fueling Plan
The Night Before
Balance and adequacy are the priorities the night before an audition. Aim to include all three macronutrients at dinner. Since the morning may feel rushed or stressful, this meal is your opportunity to top off energy stores.
Increase carbohydrate intake so that roughly half your plate comes from complex carbohydrates. Consuming carbohydrate rich foods the night before and in the days leading up to an audition helps ensure muscle glycogen is readily available to fuel your dancing.
Easily digestible options include:
- Rice and tofu stir fry, with peas or corn if tolerated
- Lower fiber pasta with tofu or shrimp
- A sandwich or wrap with turkey and avocado, especially after a late night of classes
Include fruits and vegetables when accessible. Fresh or frozen produce provides potassium, an electrolyte that supports hydration. Potassium-rich foods include potatoes, bananas, citrus fruits, juice, and leafy greens. A varied and adequate diet typically provides sufficient electrolytes without the need for expensive supplements.
The Morning of
Eating a balanced meal the morning of your audition can support steady energy and focus. If nerves make a full meal difficult, opt for smaller, nutrient dense alternatives.
Helpful options include:
- Trail mix with nuts, seeds, pretzels, and dried fruit
- Fruit paired with peanut butter
- Yogurt topped with granola
- A packable whole grain or fruit bar paired with a pre made shake if you are commuting
During The Audition
Despite common misconceptions, some processed foods can be very helpful during auditions. These options are often easy to digest, energizing, and portable.
Salty snacks such as pretzels or goldfish work well between combinations or during shoe changes. The sodium helps replace electrolyte losses from sweat and supports hydration.
What If I’m Too Nervous to Eat?
An inclusive approach to fueling is essential, especially during high-stress situations. For dancers who experience strong pre-audition jitters, certain foods may worsen stomach discomfort.
Highly fibrous foods, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, and sugar alcohols commonly found in sugar-free products can exacerbate digestive symptoms. Understanding your personal triggers takes time, and working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can be valuable in this process of self-discovery.
In some cases, adding a pre-made shake such as Ensure or Orgain can help bridge gaps. These options should support meals, not replace them. Focus on meals with easily digestible foods, such as:
- Toast with scrambled eggs and a fruit smoothie
- Yogurt with a generous portion of granola and a drizzle of honey, paired with fruit
Where You Learn From Matters
Auditions are emotionally charged, and the pull of dancer diet culture is strong during these periods. Identifying harmful nutrition messaging can be challenging, especially when it is presented as performance advice (it’s a topic I help dancers unravel in this article, during this intensive, and every New Year)
Be cautious of self-proclaimed nutrition experts who lack appropriate credentials or rely on anecdotal evidence over science. Advice that encourages eliminating entire food groups, demonizing sugar or processed foods, or pursuing so-called clean eating can be particularly triggering for dancers.
A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who understands the demands of dance is best equipped to help you create an audition-fueling plan that supports both your performance and your long-term well-being.
Auditions are a tense time for dancers and the temptation to subscribe to diet culture is high. Identifying those diet-y messages can be challenging. Dancers should be wary of self-proclaimed nutrition experts who lack the appropriate qualifications to understand a dancer’s unique needs. If anecdotal reports are being prioritized over science, then consider it a red flag. Such “advice” to avoid specific foods and entire food groups (like sugar or processed foods) and to choose “clean” foods can be especially triggering for dancers. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who is familiar with dancers is your best bet for helping to craft an audition eating plan that supports you.
