Needing dance help....

[DanceDiva]

Hello everyone

Im a confused mum hoping some of you can ease my growing panic !
My 13yr old dd is an accomplished freestyle dancer but as she would like to take dance into a career she has recently joined a ballet school.
We were unaware until very recently that her options of college places are severely restricted unless she had done some ballet.
Thankfully my dd will dance any genre - she just lives to dance !
They have assured us she has a great talent as a dancer and are therefore doing private lessons with her to get her up to Grade 4 standard as quickly as possible for which we will be forever grateful to them !!
They have also entered her for her bronze jazz exam next month which has amazed us as she has only been doing jazz / modern lessons since the start of October.

But here's where my confusion starts !
We know nothing....and I mean zilch about ballet / jazz / modern exams or syllabus.
Most of the children have been dancing since they were wee and everyone seems to know what they are doing !
How can I help my daughter prepare for her jazz exam ? What will it entail ?

The problem is my OH takes the girls to lessons and although I remind him of the questions to ask the principal Im not convinced he a) asks the right questions or b) listens to the answer !!
Can anyone quell my rising fear that my dd wont be prepared enough !

Thank you so much xx

[2dancersmum]

Without knowing which syllabus your DD is doing for ballet and jazz this is a best guess on what my DDs have done at their dance school. They do RAD ballet and IDTA modern jazz. For jazz, as far as I am aware, an exam for a medal is very short and they just do a dance (or 2 depending on level) so I would imagine your DD will be well prepared and have nothing to worry about. Our school do very few of the medals (juvenile award and gold medals) as they tend to just fit them in between grade exams when they have an able class too young to do the next grade. There are a few more age restrrictions on jazz than ballet but these are mostly for those younger than your DD.

As for your DDs exam, relax. First get her there in plenty of time. Our studio advises 30-40 mins ahead of exam. The obvious clean leotard and tights/leggings. Get your DD to check in advance what she should do with her hair - usually just as for class but sometimes the teacher will ask for something different. An exam board usually allows no jewellery. But best advice to your DD is to remember to smile. I am sure she will be well prepared by her teacher so try not to worry.

[riverdancefan]

relax....... I am sure they would not put her in for exams that she is not ready for
she sounds dedicated and determined to get there so I am sure she will do very well..
My son is an ex freestyle dancer, we did realise early on that it was not really a long-term thing for him and what he wanted to achieve in the professional world. It is unfortunately not looked upon very kindly in the dance world and many girls I know have picked up bad dancing habits along the way when dancing disco freestyle that they have had to battle to overcome...but they have and all ended up at great colleges like Bird and Urdang.
I bet she pick up a routine more quickly than anyone else in her class though, one of the benefits of freestyle for definate.
I bet she is going to go a long way !!

just my opinion and there are more knowledgeable dancing NAPM's on here, but I would be going for RAD ballet and ISTD modern, what is your daughter doing?

steer clear of IDTA ballet and freestyle, just passing on advice from very experienced dance teachers, that these are not worth the paper they are written on.....not my personal opinion, I hasten to add, but that of people in the profession.

[Welsh Mum]

I think ISTD ballet is good as well, though as with everything whatever board it all depends on the teacher. Dont worry about not doing ballet when younger - my DD came to ballet relatively late and she is now studying MT - she knew she did not want to be a ballet dancer, but she made plenty of progress for what she wanted to do. However, Darcey Bussell did not start ballet until she was 13 so who knows what your DD may do? i would not worry too much - a good teacher will tell you exactly in advance what to expect in terms of clothes etc and will only enter pupils if they are well prepared. Good luck

[FelixGirl]

Hi DanceDiva

Congratulations to your, obviously very talented, DD! Her dance teacher wouldn't have entered her for the exam if she wasn't confident that your DD was ready...it's really not in the school's interests!!

Is your DD taking ISTD Bronze Jazz? If so the exam is really straightforward. This is from the ISTD website:

Each examination is in two sections
a) Technique
Good posture and an awareness of the placement of limbs is expected. A good, natural use of the head, arms and body is encouraged to create a clear sense of line. Good spatial awareness is encouraged at all times, with a developing use of pattern and direction.
b) Presentation
The candidate is expected to be able to interpret the music with a natural sense of enjoyment and an awareness of the audience. The student will have gained the self -confidence required to perform solo, set amalgamations and a dance arranged by the teacher.
BRONZE
1. Warm Up
2. Combination Steps A and B
3. Teacher's choice of two out of the six amalgamations: A,B,C,D,E,F
4. Prepared Dance - not to exceed 1 min 15secs. No free work will be given.

As 2Dancersmum has said, her teacher should have discussed what she will wear for the exam (at DDs school, for example, they all wear the same style of leotard but in different colours, with black stirrup tights - and the girls will all have their hair done the same way so they look immaculate!!). It sounds obvious, but they should also be told how to enter the exam room, which order they will go in, how to address the examiner, how to behave while they are there, how they finish the exam (bows etc) and which order to leave the room!! Most schools will have an exam rehearsal before the students take their exam so that they all know exactly what to do and are relaxed!!

It sounds as if your DD already has the ability to pick up choreography quickly, so with the structured technique lessons that she is now taking, she will be fine!!

Best of luck for her exam, tell her to enjoy it and I'm sure she will do brilliantly!!

xx

[DanceDiva]

Oh my goodness - you have no idea how calm I instantly feel after reading those replies - thank you SO much !!

As yet I havent met my dd's jazz teachers but they have provided her with the uniform to take her exam ( as it is such short notice ) and have sent instructions ( obviously trust OH as much as I do !! ) about practice times so I can hopefully meet them and discuss any further worries I might have.........

My dd has a passion for MT but has also recently discovered the joys of contemporary dance so all options are now well and truly open.
From her being adamant that MT was her dream she is now discovering the beauty of other dance styles and experiencing them at every opportunity.
Like you riverdancefan, we are also realising that freestyle is not going to hold much weight when it comes to auditioning and Im crossing my fingers when I say we arent in it for much longer. Its a very expensive, time consuming hobby and extremely competative - to the point of obsession for some !

Im really grateful for all your replies, shes had a particularly bad week in school due to bullying but therein lies another post and more advice.
Trust me, Im not neurotic - just a mum who is new to this all singing, all dancing world of my dd !!
Thanks x

[riverdancefan]

Trust me, Im not neurotic - just a mum who is new to this all singing, all dancing world of my dd !!


welcome to the madhouse !!

it's still gonna cost ya though hahah !!

But not £800 for a new cozzie

[DanceDiva]

riverdancefan - Ive just seen your photos of your ds....oh my goodness how he has grown !

I think we are 'old friends' and you have been a constant source of wise words to me for some time now !
I think we are friends on dance.net - am I right ?
Im a welsh bird !!
( oh I do so hope I am right....... )

[riverdancefan]

yes I think we were !
you sure it's me? wise words? lol
DS was 5 when he started freestyle, he is 11 and 5'4 '' now, where does the time go ???
I do have some very good memories, and freestyle dancing kids are the most flexible in the world !
How wonderful that she wants to go on an make a career !! - I know she will be phenomenal
How amazing to have you here too, they are a great bunch here,so generous with advice and support, I chickened out of the disco boards at DDN yonks ago, always getting myself in hot water.
He hasn't freestyled for nearly 4 years now, we had a ball at Prestatyn and Bognor
Madmoo and Ferrari twins are on my FB friends x



T x

[2dancersmum]

On the subject of exam boards - RAD is probably the most recognised nationally and internationally for ballet. Often ballet courses/summer schools will state entry requirements in terms of RAD grade levels. ISTD is also very good but as another poster said teaching is only ever as good as the teacher. RAD only do ballet and not other dance styles. They are now affiliated with the IDTA, who offer many other styles. Again ISTD offer these other styles. I doubt any one exam board or syllabus is better than the other but they do differ a little in content and style.

[Kitschqueen]

Hi good luck to your daughter in her jazz exam, i'm sure she will do brilliantly.

If she is interested in contemporary dance then I have posted in the topic Dance Lessons about the national dance CATS which your daughter may be interested in auditioning for in the future.

On the subject of exam boards - I doubt any exam board or syllabus is better than the other but they do differ a little in content and style.

I totally agree with this, my daughter has studied ballet with the IDTA for many years and I have not found this has prevented her from gaining auditions and places on associate schemes and prestigious ballet summer schools. As they are affilliated to RAD their exams are recognised as equivalent.
Wishing your daughter every success in her dancing.
Rachel