The Dark Swan audition stage
Open Casting Call

We are looking
for Raven.

A young Black dancer from Chicago who refuses to shrink.

The Dark Swan · A short film by Stephen Hatch

Read the call
The role

The Dark Swan follows Raven Jackson — a seventeen-year-old Black dancer from Chicago's South Side navigating the world of elite classical training. On the day of her Juilliard audition, an ancestral encounter with forgotten 1920s pioneer Evelyn Preer demands she stop shrinking to fit a stage her ancestors already paid for.

We are not looking for perfect technique. We are looking for a young woman who carries stillness like a storm — someone who can hold the weight of a room without saying a word, and then break open the moment her body starts to move.

Age range 15 to 25 · playing 17
Ethnicity Black / African American
Union status Open to all · SAG-AFTRA and Non-Union welcome
Compensation Paid role · Rate to be discussed based on final agreement and union status
Location National submissions welcome · Finalists must be available for Chicago callback, virtual or in-person as scheduled
Dance training Strong ballet foundation required · Pointe experience required · Contemporary and expressive movement a plus
Submission deadline August 7, 2026
Contact casting@darkswanfilm.com
Minors Performers under 18 must have parent or guardian permission to submit and participate in callbacks
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Self-tape instructions

Please submit a self-tape following these three parts in sequence. The entire tape should run 5 to 7 minutes total.

1
Slate · 20 seconds
Your name, age, location, dance background, and current ballet and pointe experience.
2
Acting side · 1.5 to 2 minutes
Perform the attached Raven audition monologue. Keep it intimate and grounded. We are looking for restraint, emotional specificity, and inner life — not theatricality.
Director's note: Do not cry unless it happens naturally. Do not "perform trauma." Let us see someone trying to stay composed while speaking her buried truth.
3
Dance sample · 2.5 to 4 minutes total
Three parts, performed in sequence:
I · Classical pointe foundation · 60 to 90 seconds
A short pointe phrase showing control, line, balance, musicality, and safe classical technique. Include clear transitions on and off pointe, balances, and controlled movement that demonstrates readiness for pointe work on camera.
II · Transformation phrase · 60 to 90 seconds
Begin in classical, then allow another rhythm or movement language to interrupt the form. The phrase should move from obedience toward inheritance — grounded, expressive, personal, and alive. Pointe may be used if safe, but this section may also be performed off pointe if that allows fuller emotional movement.
III · Stillness · 20 to 30 seconds
After the movement ends, remain in frame and hold stillness. No pose, no smile, no finish. Just breathe and let us see Raven after the dance.
Director's note: Please film full body in a clean, safe space with appropriate flooring. Do not attempt advanced turns, jumps, or unsupported movement beyond your current training level. We are looking for control, authenticity, and storytelling — not tricks.
Script sides
Raven Audition Monologue — The Dark Swan
Read before filming. Perform as written. Familiarity is enough — do not memorize.
Download PDF
Full instructions
Self-Recording Request — Complete Guidelines
Full self-tape directions from the director.
Download PDF

Submit your tape as an unlisted YouTube or Vimeo link, or as a Google Drive link with sharing enabled. Do not send large video files via email.

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About the project

The Dark Swan is a 14-minute dramatic short film produced by an Emmy Award-winning team in Chicago. It is a proof of concept for Keepers — a feature anthology about Black legacy, memory, and the objects that carry them forward. The film will target the international short film festival circuit including Sundance, BlackStar, and ABFF.


Director Stephen Hatch is a Columbia College Chicago-trained filmmaker and Kartemquin Diverse Voices alumnus with credits including HBO/Cinemax and PBS. Director of Photography Jason Boulware is an Emmy Award-winning DP from the MFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

If you carry what Raven carries —
we want to hear from you.

Download the sides. Prepare your tape.
Submit using the form below.

Submit Your Tape

Deadline · August 7, 2026 · casting@darkswanfilm.com