Pre primary dancing exams

Hi OP
Your DD is so very young!!

Make sure she enjoys the class. So long she does you have a long (& expensive !!.)road ahead of you yet!!!

Young children l progress at different times at this age.

My DD was getting 100% in exams at this age, then had her class mates selected for shows and win competitions and she was left behind. As she got to her mid teens, she started to win again.
My DD is 18 now and about to start auditions for dance/MT programs.

it is a marathon not a sprint.
so long your DD keeps loving dance she will do just fine 😊

And don’t forget: Hard work beats Talent when talent doesn’t work hard’
Ask teacher if your DD should be doing any specific training/conditioning or practice at home.

But as dance Mom of older teenager,, your DD is so very young and has soooo many years ahead of her for dancing. I recommend to relax and enjoy it.

I'd just ask the teacher. Find out if she's ready/ nearly ready for the exam or whether there is a possibility of moving up without doing the exam (if that's something you would be okay with). I agree it could feel like a knock to be left behind. At DD's dance school I sometimes suspect who they enter for exams or not is down to class sizes and trying to keep the numbers fairly even. Some schools only want to enter children who will get a distinction which means some can be held back when maybe it would be better for them personally to get a pass or a merit and keep progressing.

what is her concentration and pick up skills like? I have had four/five year olds that can remember a three minute festival solo routine and others that stand there staring off into the distance and scratching their backside when the music comes on in class. All children are different and learn at different rates.

I do think you need to chill out a bit. My daughter is just going to be taking her primary ballet exam and her class is 6/7. There are a lot of prep and practice classes and there is a lot required of the children in my view. There is no way she could have done it at 4 or just 5.

Dd2 is 6 and is just taking primary tap. Dd1 is 8 and took grade 1 last year.
dd2 hasn’t taken primary ballet and there is no date for that yet.
Everything is held up due to Covid they are way behind in their exams

Eight isn’t late, though. It’s about the correct age to start, perhaps seven. Anything much earlier should be “music and movement” - also fine. Anything much later would be pushing it, though, for girls. Boys have more leeway. Mine hadn’t done any dance or gymnastics before starting. But it’s fine to start earlier- as long as you have no expectations that you are doing anything much more than a fun activity for small children, and it should always be seen as such. The problem the OP has is the exam system that the dance school goes by. As parents want or expect exams, schools have to deliver -hence the introduction of rosettes, and prep, and pre-primary etc to catch them younger and younger.

Are the majority of the other children taking the exam really only 4? That would be really unusual for primary grade. I didn’t think they could even be entered before age 5. School years aren’t a great indicator at the age, children born later in the school year will be closer in age and development to many in the year below

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As I said, I broadly agree with you - four is too young. My DD is a professional dancer (ballet) and had her first dance lesson at eight and a half. But there’s no harm in any child doing lessons earlier if the child wants and the parent can afford it. Most children learning dance aren’t aiming to be professionals. The U.K. dance teaching industry is an exam factory, unlike the rest of the world. But that’s the way it is

I agree that it is possible to succeed as a dancer having started later, at around age eight or even teenagers. I can think of some famous examples, though those were not the norm or they we're doing something related like gymnastics.

In reality it's very competitive, especially for girls, if the children want to be professional and many will have been dancing and competing from a very early age. One of my DC started ballet at two years, an RB associate at eight (applied age 7).

Forgot to mention (and some people will probably disagree with me) but tap dancing lessons are an utterly pointless waste of money until children are at least 6. Dance schools offer classes for kids younger than that because it generates revenue.

Absolutely, @taxi4ballet - the OP might think about why she has her DD go to dance classes. Because this is really NOT the way to approach it:

If they can't at least get her to primary modern standard by age 6 when she's been going every week since she was 2 then I'ĺl take the hint that she isn't cut out for it.

So please, @User4891 be respectful and calm in your approach to teachers & the studio. I've seen my lovely teacher driven almost to tears by demanding & disrespectful parents, who know very little/nothing about dance, but make demands of the sort you're contemplating (although thank fully my studio doesn't put children in for exams). My studio owner works really hard trying to run an inclusive welcome place and also make it all pay - she is the expert. So treat your DD's teachers with respect and trust their judgement.

Or find a different studio that meets your needs better.

I agree with a couple of others, particularly about individual progress at a young age.

99.9% of all children taking dance classes are not 'cut out for it' in one way or another. They don't have to be. Cut out for what, anyway? The whole point of recreational dance is that it is supposed to be a fun, enjoyable activity, just like most other things. And that is what you're paying for. You are not paying for on-the-job training.

There will always be a select few who appear to be the teacher's favourites, or always get picked for main parts or take their exams early. They aren't favourites - they have greater potential or inborn natural talent. That's just the way it is. It does grate with parents, because you are all paying good money for classes, and expect your child to be treated equally. Life's not like that though.

OP, as another pp mentioned, it is far more usual for dance schools to have a watching week at the end of every term, so you can see your offspring dance, and you can see what your money is paying for. The teachers should also be happy to talk about your dc and you shouldn't be getting brushed off. You are a paying customer, and if you aren't entirely happy with what you are getting, then please consider whether she (and you) would prefer a different dance school.

As I said, I broadly agree with you - four is too young. My DD is a professional dancer (ballet) and had her first dance lesson at eight and a half. But there’s no harm in any child doing lessons earlier if the child wants and the parent can afford it. Most children learning dance aren’t aiming to be professionals. The U.K. dance teaching industry is an exam factory, unlike the rest of the world. But that’s the way it is.

My dd danced to level 5 in ballet and tap never once took an exam. She did it because she loved dancing and neither of us wanted added stress of exams.

The principles are the same for all dance forms at the age of 4 ! (Are you a trained dancer?)

In my experience (15 years of teaching) they don’t usually level out until around 8,

Hear hear! And then there are further developmental points for dancers - around the age of 14 is usually the real crunch time.

If she loves dancing, then it's important to find a studio which nurtures that love, and teaches the whole child as a dancer. Exams mean very little in the long run. The professional dancers I know and in my family have maybe two RAD exams between them ...

I'm not going to allow this as eventually it will be humiliating for her and I refuse to put so much time and effort into that. If they can't at least get her to primary modern standard by age 6 when she's been going every week since she was 2 then I'ĺl take the hint that she isn't cut out for it.

This way of thinking about dance and children will get you nowhere.

What do you mean by "cut out for it"?

Are you wanting her to be one of those awful "phenom" baby dancers doing the splits at 6? Do you want her to be a professional? Do you want her to pass exams to add to her achievements at age 5?

What about:
does she enjoy her classes?
does she like dancing?
is she learning to socialise well?
does she pay attention in class?
is she learning some things about music, rhythm, how her body has wonderful capacities to do interesting things?

My studio (I still take multiple dance classes as an adult & I'm pretty knowledgeable about classical & contemporary) runs the BabyBallet programme - no exams, learning about music, and the love of dance. Thank goodness.

Are the teachers really intimidating? Send a simple email - something is up if you feel like you need to really be brave to ask a straight forward question about classes you’ve paid for. You may well find things are easily explained, but you just need to ask.

I’m a dance teacher.

It’s really not a linear process, especially at this age. Some will have better concentration, some will naturally be more musical. Some kids will suddenly grow 3 inches overnight and lose all strength and spacial awareness. There are SO many factors with the littles. Coming from 2, or coming every week can’t overcome some of this, it’s a developmental thing. In my experience (15 years of teaching) they don’t usually level out until around 8, when effort, teacher skill and attendance really make a huge difference.

They also go in their own individual little spurts - so her peers might stagnate and she might burst ahead in another few months.

I don't think you sound neurotic.

If a child was in a year R class at school and wasn't progressing alongside their peers you'd speak to the teacher about it, ask how you can support them and ask what the plan is.

I never get why because extra curricula's aren't school and are paid for you can't ask the same questions? Nor get why they refuse to answer!

My ds is a swimmer. He progressed behind all his peers because physically he just didn't have the coordination. But I knew this and could see it. He was also very anxious about going from the small pool to the big pool (he was in the shallow end that's the same depth 🤦‍♀️) and speaking to his teacher we came up with a plan.

He then went into competitive swimming and continued to be behind those in his squad and moved up behind despite actually being one of the oldest.

He's now being classified by world para swimming to hopefully compete for Britain!

So as an above poster said where they are at a young age isn't an indicator of their future in the sport - but I also wouldn't want to be paying for classes in an environment where the teacher wouldn't even liaise with me over the sport I'm paying them to teach my child in.

So ask - judge your next move on the answer - look at alternative schools if you want.

She might be, in addition to modern. OP mentioned 'three main lessons' her child does.

You need to speak to the teacher, try an email or whatever method you use and just ask.

Look at the exam specifications because I've already told you that it appears to be age 5 minimum for Modern on the ISTD website.

If you're dissatisfied with the school then that's another matter entirely. When I researched for a dance school I looked for one offering private lessons and competitions and other performance opportunities. I also looked to see how well the pupils of the school were doing (via the social media pages) in competitions (though these can be less important and performance imbalanced, imo) associate dancer places achieved (Royal Ballet etc) and vocational school success (most important, if a good ballet school). This is an indication of good technique teaching.
I also checked the number of pupils achieving, schools who only write about the same tiny number of successful dancers, and none of their average dancers, or mainly the dance school owners child, are also to be avoided I was advised - reasons of inclusivity, teaching ability etc etc

@BlueHeelers
The child isn’t learning ballet, though.

Ballet for children under the age of 8 or so is not really essential for future more serious training. There are 2 professional dancers in my family, and neither of them started serious training until they were 11. I’m half professionally trained and have seen a lot of different approaches to teaching children.

Stop worrying about exams for a 4 year old! And if you don’t like the teacher’s or the studio’s approach, find a different studio.

You are sounding a bit like a pushy stage parent, I’m afraid. The way to stop that is to engage in a respectful conversation with your daughter’s teachers. Listen to the experts. You could also learn a bit about dance yourself. Get on a specialist ballet message board or go to classes yourself, or read up about ballet - there are several excellent books about training children.