Just another ordinary job interview...

– Thank you for your great efforts today. We have chosen to keep the following numbers...

The heart rate increases. The sweat is running on an already soaked back. I can almost hear my own heart beating. It is certainly the same feeling as the murderer of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart." It's a job interview. Another audition.

– 3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15 ...

I know I did a great job on the first dance test. We got plenty of time to go through the whole dance combination with the choreographer assistant and all the movements and steps were very clear. The room was equipped with mirrors so that we could pick up all the small details of the choreography.

– 18, 19, 25, 27, 42 ...

Wow, what a long jump between the numbers. We were certainly many participants here today. Unusually many, I think. Most people I know from earlier auditions, but there's always new talent showing up. This time I recognized last-year students from the school where I studied. Have they already started to look for a job?

"Thank you for your great efforts today. We have chosen to keep the following numbers..."

– 44, 45, 50, 57, 58 ...

The audition was well-organized and the jury was friendly. On the dance audition we had first danced in three major groups and then we were called six people at a time. Three positioned in a front row and three in a back row. The first time I was in the back and the second time I ended up in the middle front. The focus was there. I nailed the movements, as well as that feeling that the artistic team constantly talked about during the introduction of the day. I had great eye contact with the director as well as the choreographer, producer and music director, who all sat there with our CV's in hand and with a judging eye.

– 60, 63 ...

YES! I made it! It is always hard not to jump up and down of joy when you get such news, but since there are more people who get a no, we still want to show these people respect. The numbers are repeated and I can confirm that I had heard right, I feel a tremendous relief. I'm suddenly very tired and extremely hungry. After a full day of registration, bib numbers, waiting, setting the choreography, still more waiting, "showtime" and the final wait before the result, both body and mind feel quite exhausted.

So now I just head for home and eagerly await the final "did I pass the audition?" answer. Getting a notice the same day or even the same week is quite rare. It can take a week up to two months. Of course, if you get a positive result it's worth the waiting, and then I know that it will take at least another six months or a year before I hear those words again:

– Thank you for your great efforts today. We have chosen to keep the following numbers ...

Columnist: Oskar Sternulf
Homepage/Instagram: sternulf.se
Email: oskarobserverar@gmail.com