Dance Exams

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mum43
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Dance Exams

Post by mum43 »

Can anyone give me a guide to what grade RAD ballet and ISTD tap and modern my daughter should be in. She is 12 and has been dancing since she was 4.
Hecouldshine
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by Hecouldshine »

Hi mum43 and welcome to NAPM :D

I think it depends how many classes a week she has been doing, and whether her dance school focuses on exams in class or rehearses for shows as well. My ds turns 14 soon and is working in Intermediate now and also on grade 2 tap - but he has only had one class a week most years, since he started at 7, and that class included tap with the ballet, and they rehearsed for an annual show as well, so he is probably behind.
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riverdancefan
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by riverdancefan »

It's a bit like the string question lol
DS is 11 and in grade 5 RAD ballet soon to take exams
Grade 4 tAp, one lesson a week term times, he is just very good at tap and it's his favourite.
In his ballet class there are 13 year old girls so I guess it's the pace comfortable for the individual, I would ask for an assessment first....to give you and the teachers an idea
Formal classes and technique can vary I guess.

As a ROUGH guide, the bulk of girls in his class RAD 5 are 12-13
Tap - 13-14
"Tall and proud my mother taught me, this is how we dance" - RIVERDANCE
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Pearl
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by Pearl »

Hi my dd is 12. She is just about to take grade 5 ballet. She is also grade 5 for modern and grade 4 in tap.

I think like others have said it depends on how many classes they do a week and how quickly the teachers push them through exams. My dd has 2 ballet classes, 1 modern and 1 tap a week.
Bring it on!!!
suzysue
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by suzysue »

My dd does IDTA syllabus rather than RAD/ISTD but she's G4 ballet and theatrecraft and G3 tap at age 9. There are others in the class who are 2-3 years older, she's only just gone up to those grades.
mum43
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by mum43 »

Thank you for those replies, they are very helpful.

I have a friend whose son is at a different dance school. She is trying to make me believe that my daughter is behind with her exam work. She is 12 and is in grade 5, 6 and interfoundation ballet, having just gone on pointe. She is also waiting for an exam date to do her grade 4 tap and modern, but has also been doing the grade 5 syllabus for both. She does various other exam and non-exam classes and does 12 hours of dancing a week. I realise that you can take your RAD grades 1-5 from the age of 7, and can only take grade 6+ and interfoundation+ from 11, but I don't think it is compulsory or necessary to have passed your grade 5 before you are 11!?

I have always been really happy with her progress. My feeling is quality not quantity.

I get the feeling that my friend is trying to tell me their dance school is better than mine. Childish I know. I wondered if anyone else was being told you 'should' be at a particular level at a certain age?
funnygirl
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by funnygirl »

There is no "should" here! every dancer is different and yes, quality is better than quantity!!

It also depends on what our dd's aspirations are. Does she want to go to a dance school when she is older? Even so, it will not matter what grade she is actually in, but by the time she auditions at, say, 16, she will need to be able to demonstrate that she is dancing at Advanced 1 or 2 level.

In RAD, there is no requirement to have taken any grade by a particular age and, until you get to Intermediate you do not need to have taken any previous exams to be entered, although, of course, it would be hard to take this exam without any prior knowledge! you cannot take Avanced 1 without having passed intermediate, though.
Robin64
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by Robin64 »

In my experience I would say your DD is working at an appropriate level for her age and probably a higher level than many so I wouldn't worry. As long as she is enjoying it and you are happy with the teaching. Many schools take time out for performances and exams take a back seat and that is right. You don't want an exam factory. Look out for workshops and summer schools if your DD wants to do more or keep dancing in the holidays. My DD has been dancing since she was 3 and is 13 now. She is doing ISTD grade 6 and Inter foundation ballet, grade 5 tap and inter foundation modern plus contemporary and urban. If ballet is your DDs first choice then maybe consider trying for an associate scheme.

Don't let your friend's competitiveness get to you. Just let your DD enjoy her dancing.
mum43
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by mum43 »

Thanks so much for that. I really respect her teacher and the decisions she makes so I will go with my very positive, gut feeling! I don't know what my daughters aspirations are yet, but judging by the progress of other students she will be fine if she tries to make a career of her dancing. I will just have to keep saying 'quality not quantity' in my head if I see this friend! \:D/
funnygirl
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by funnygirl »

I think that if your dd hopes to be a professional dancer you would probably know about it by now! Most children that I know with this dream - my daughter included - have been passionate from a very early age!

Is our daughter an associate at all? I am just wondering who you are making a comparison with when you say that you have compared her progress to other students? If you think that there is just the slightest hint of her wanting to got to a dance school later on I would suggest that you perhaps talk to her teacher about whether this is realistic or not because, at her age, she would probably have to be taking a lot more classes to keep up with those already in vocational schools.
beanie-bean
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by beanie-bean »

I really wouldn't worry about what your friend has said. As everyone has said all dance schools are different, and I know that some schools (including my dd's) sometimes push students through exams just to get them in before a syllabus change! My dd is in year 8 and currently in Grade 6 modern and tap, gold jazz (all ISTD) and intermediate foundation ballet(RAD) Some of my dd's friends who attend different dance schools are in lower grades but we meet them at festivals and local productions and their dancing is of an extremely high standard and you wouldn't guess that they are in a lower grade to my dd. Their dance school just runs differently to ours. xxx
Lotty
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Re: Dance Exams

Post by Lotty »

Like funnygirl has said, there are no written rules as to what age children should be by each grade. I teach IDTA tap and in my two grade 2 classes I have 8, 9, 10, 11 year olds. My two grade 4 classes are aged 12, 13, 14. I'm sure there are many kids up and down the country are in grades higher and lower than my kids but the syllabus work is just difficult enough for them so I'm not concerned about their ages.
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