Any Dance mums out there?

[NewToRenting]

DD14 has been doing tap classes off and on since she was 6. After finishing primary school, we had to move dance schools as the old one could not offer a class that worked with secondary school timings. The new dance school is a one person show, and the teacher seems really talented, teaching multiple dance forms and putting on an amzing end of year show for the parents.

However, the new teacher does not seem qualified to put her students up for formal ISTD exams. For Grade 4, she conducted mock exams that she assessed herself and promoted DD to Grade 5 (where she has been for 3 years now). When asked about formal ISTD Grade 5 exams, the teacher said she would have to do an arrangement with another school, and it's not something she's planning on doing for now.

DD is an academic child, not really sporty or musical. Tap is a hobby for her that she really enjoys and does reasonably well at. She is having fun and learning new routines with this teacher. At the same time, DH is very keen for her to go to one of the top universities (because she seems bright, and her teachers say she could make the cut), and thinks this will help 'round out' her CV.

So here's my question. Given that she has been stuck in ISTD Grade 5 for 3 years, there's no progression to show on her CV. How important are formal dance qualifications/ grades? Is it worth moving DD to a more formal school? Or let her stay where she's having fun?

Unless she's planning on doing dance at uni I wouldn't worry about it. My girls have been at dance for 7 years and it's a lovely relaxed one and they have no formal dance qualifications but both help with the younger classes now and I think the fact they've kept up a hobby for so long is more important in terms of experience than dance exams. Also there are lots more benefits to dance than qualifications such as confidence, perseverance, attention to detail that they can talk about .

Dance exams aren’t even important in the dance world. Let her just enjoy it, although three years in one grade seems like a very long time and I’d be more concerned about that than the exam.

Unless her uni course is to do with performing arts, exams won't make any difference, your personal statement in the application is all about the subject you have chosen.

This.

Dancers and performers aren't even required to show what they got at dance exams. Because dance can be judged on what you see right in front of your face.

Fwiw I got the highest grades on all my tap exams - I'd never had made a performer as I was too shy. I was just very technically good at tap due to flexible ankles

Thanks everyone, good to know!

Variations - It's three years in one grade because she never got assessed, not because she did not pass.

Agree with others and if the motivation is for a well rounded CV grades are not needed. They can be useful as UCAS points for some universities but not many and unlikely the more academic ones. If she enjoys tap you may want to look at Tap attack who have an associate's programme but also run fun workshops anyone can attend.

Yes, I’d be asking to move on anyway to a new grade, if nothing else it must be very boring to be doing the same stuff every week for three years. She doesn’t need to take an exam or be assessed in order to move on.

"Top" universities don't care one iota about extra curricular stuff. Some universities will take into account points from dance or music exams but not usually the ones you sound as though your DD is thinking about.
For the CV etc, "I've done tap for 10 years and been involved in multiple shows...." will be just as good as "I've got grade X tap".

Variations - she doesn't do the same routine every year, as it's a different performance every year. This year it was 'Step in Time' from Mary Poppins.

I was under the impression that until Grade 4 the teacher can assess and promote them, but not beyond that.

Everyone - thanks so much for these really helpful inputs!