Concerns about Dance School..

I am not an expert but I am learning

RAD & ISTD are both boards that are 'moderated' externally so the standard of the exams are 'standard'

At the time that DD was doing IDTA it wasn't (however this may have changed since)

It is possible to get to a Performing Arts School at 16 without 12 years of ballet (DD is proof) but to get to a ballet school is much less likely.

Age 9 at DD's school would be doing Grades 2-4 (ISTD Cecchetti) plus Modern & Tap at a slightly lower grade (as far as I know)

But at 9 Junior Associates would be being attended or a CAT if someone were seriously thinking about it as a career......this is fairly rare to be honest & for F/T Ballet School at 11 Open Days would already have been attended

No comment on the teaching or anything else, but a couple of asides. If she missed the exam because she chose to attend a brownie trip, the school may have a policy that you need to pass the exam to move up. All girls have to make choices along the way. There is nothing wrong with choosing a brownie trip over a ballet exam, but it is a choice.
Secondly, it is not unusual at all for the older dancers who intend to dance professionally to take classes at an additional school. This is nothing to with the quality of the original dance school, as the OP is concerned 'we just found out'... but merely to do with getting in enough dance classes at the right level. One school will not run their Advanced foundation classes every night, for example, so very often the girls will take the same classes at an additional school as well, to get their hours up. It's very common here. The dance schools usually have an agreement such that the dancer can only only perform for the original school.

12 is about average for pointe round here. I think dd1 was 13, but I could be wrong. She's definitely not going to dance professionally, it's just for fun (ten hours a week of expensive fun. Sigh.)

I would be chatting to the dance school, if I am honest, and making sure that when the next exam dates are posted, that dd understands if she wants to do well, she needs to practice, and attend any additional prep classes, etc etc. and actually take the exam. They can't not move her up with a pass in hand - you can ask the school if there are any extra classes she can take to improve and get through the next couple of grades faster, or so that she can join the grade 1 class if she improves enough.

It's unusual that she has decided this may be a career for her at 9 if she has never taken a formal exam though - is it maybe still a little girl 'oh I want to be a ballerina' pipe dream, rather than a 'hey, I am pretty good at this, and I love it'. Usually the gals with dreams of professional dance careers are in class every night and sitting every exam that pops up, and acing them... but maybe she is doing that in tap and modern, and it is just ballet that she is struggling with? Where is she with the tap and modern classes?

If it helps at all, our current dance school didn't start exams until three years ago (now RAD) so there were a lot of girls who didn't take any exams until much later. We still have girls picked up by professional dance companies. At 9 she has plenty of time. Most kids pass the first few grades though - it's not rocket science. Dd2 passed her g2 last year and she has cerebral palsy...! Maybe the school want to wait until they ace everything?

The OP has said that the school is relying heavily on senior students to teach. Oh dear - well that explains everything really doesn't it? With the best will in the world, they are young and inexperienced in teaching and will not have much experience (if any) in preparing children for formal exams. I'm inclined to think that it isn't a question of the OPs dd not being good enough, but more likely that she hasn't yet been taught to the standard required for the exam.

Yes but I'm guessing the rest of the 9yr olds are supposedly only just ready which sounds pretty unlikely.

If she's only been studying ballet for two years has she taken pre-primary and primary exams? I ask because Grade 1 is actually the third exam after beginning and not, as the name suggests, the first grade.
How many grades has she done in her other, more established disciplines?
Some dance schools only offer grades every 2 years with a big show in the alternate year, some do both every year. Successful dancers make it through both schedules if they have the talent, drive and ambition.
This wouldn't be an issue for us as we've been though both systems with our DDs, although only two have carried on into their teens, but if it's bothering you make some enquiries at the school on how they work things. There is a huge difference between schools and may be that this one isn't best placed for your daughter, or it may be that at 9 it's a bit soon to tell.

The main point would appear to be that the school feel she's not ready for Grade 1; not that they're only getting around to it now. A 9 year old still at primary level is unusual...

I was assuming from doing grade 1 that she was round about 6-7yo, so was going to say she shouldn't be worrying about what may or may not happen at 12yo.

9yo seems very old if she is genuinely talented, unless it's a totally different board and they're following a different syllabus.

Put it this way the school mine were at are generally on the late side round here to take exams and mine went into grade 3 at 10. (RAD)

I'd also say that even at 9yo there are plenty of children that think they'd like to do a dance career, but when it comes to it very few actually will. I did chuckle at the year 6 leavers' book where a very high proportion put down footballer/dancer/actress. I think some of whom put down dancer don't even dance, for example!

To be fair though, as op has only just realised grade 1 age 9 is late, I'm guessing the rest of the class are similar age and only just doing grade 1 after years dancing. Which means it's impossible for anyone to judge whether ops child has the ability to pursue a career in dancing, because it appears the dance school aren't teaching much. And while my dd doesn't have the ability or the desire to pursue a career as an actual ballet dancer, she has at least had the same opportunity to find out as a more talented child, something ops daughter hasn't had chance to discover. Plus if ops daughter wants a dance career other than a performing ballet dancer, I don't think what at this rate will be grade 3 age 18 is going to be as helpful as having had more experience.

I hate be brutal to ask but genuinely how talented is your dd. Grade 1 at 9 is far from exceptional, although perhaps her other disciplines are higher level. Dd is 14 and working towards grade 5/6, not yet on pointe although in past years others have at 12/13. But dd dances as a leisure activity and is pretty average. If your dd isn't that technically and musically gifted, her enthusiasm alone will not be enough to pursue a career in dance let alone vocational school and beyond. Tbh I have misgivings about dd's dance school , a lot of older girls move elsewhere unless they are elite performers (and having private sessions) and the culture is to expect you to throw more money towards coaching for exams, costumes etc. However it is convenient and she has been going there for years.

Hmmm my DD is also 9 and in the lower group of her age and she is about to take her grade 2 next week. She however just does it for fun and harbours no ambition for a dancing career. Personally if my daughter was focused on a career I would be looking at another dance school - they can be so different in focus and ethos.

HOOOOOOOOOvering

www.rambert.org.uk/

I'm watching this instead of the hovering

A lot of schools are just businesses which run to keep the owners happy in their chosen field of dance. They need lots of pupils, lots of cheap teachers and lots of shows for publicity. It does not matter if individual pupils progress, because there will still be plenty to pay the bills and there will a few stars who will get through whatever the teaching, and shine and make the place look good. [cynical smiley] Some schools grind through the grade exams, some more experienced teachers enter them for grades that are age/development appropriate.

Keep your ear to the ground and look around for alternative sources of teaching and experience. There are teachers around with BAs in ballet now (the RAD teach them) and new schools are always starting up, so no need to be taught by seniors. There are also some good hip hop teachers around with a wide experience of dance.

Go and watch some things by Akram Khan, Michael Bourne, Jasmin Vardimon, (and the Royal Ballet/Birmingham Royal Ballet, of course).

Seriously if she's 9 and been dancing 6 years it's beyond me why they're only just getting round to grade 1. Even if she was the worlds most useless ever dancer you'd expect the rest of the class to be a higher grade after all those years.

My dd (11) is very much a happy hobby once a week dancer, as is the majority of her class and they're doing the grade 4 exam in the next lot. And that class ranges between more talented 9 year olds attending it with other classes and late starting/ less talented 13/14 year olds. Most are just for fun decidedly average y7's. So I really don't understand why she's not at grade 1 standard after 6 years. My dd and her regular classmates are not the next generation of the royal ballet!

As to being en pointe, its about leg/ foot/bone development and therefore while age for that can vary, and they do need a certain standard it's age rather than ballet grade that dictates it.

One of my daughters went to a modern class at a school that did lots of shows from 7. By the time she had started ballet and was taking grade 5, she had only got to grade one in modern.

My dds started ballet at almost 8 and took a grade 1 RAD presentation class after a term and a half, then started on grade 2. They were behind all the talented dancy types, but age appropriate and took grade 8 before they left for uni. Have a look round for a smaller school, where the owner has more time. Also, have a look around for contemporary dance teachers. There is no grade system and no examining board, so you need to look into the qualifications and experience of the teachers (they are usually more than happy to tell you - there are plenty around who trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and Laban who are no longer performing). Contemporary dance is good for focus, thinking about how your body works and moves and imagination and choreography. We have a regional dance agency near us that had contemporary performance groups which start at about 11.

On pointe from 12 plus is typical (depending on childs foot development) but never before grade 6. At our school girls are graded approx every 9 months. To have not completed grade 1 at 9yo when she's been dancing all her life is very odd. Have they only just started grading?

Her physique is slender btw, takes after her parents

Actually, when people in the dance world talk about the 'right physique for ballet' they aren't talking about this, there are a lot of other things which play a bigger part.

Long straight legs and a short body, a straight spine, level shoulders, a long neck, good feet which neither roll in or out, good turnout from the hips, naturally good posture, placement, balance and co-ordination, the list goes on.

If she is now 9, the perhaps you need to speak to her ballet teacher, and ask why she is not yet ready for the exam. It would be concerning if she isn't being taught by senior teachers - some schools use older students to teach the younger classes and this is far from ideal.