"Only" got merit in grade 1 ballet

[Busybee101]

My dd started ballet last September when she had just turned 8. She did the grade 1 exam in the summer and was very disappointed to get a merit and does not want to carry on as she says the next grade will be harder and she will get a worse result.

I think she has done very well as many other girls had done ballet for several years, including pre primary and primary.

We can only commit to one lesson a week and while I would like her to carry on I wonder how long it will take her to get to grade 2, and whether she's always going to be the oldest in her class and be overtaken by others.

I don't want to force her to carry on if she's not gong to enjoy it but I don't think that she should give up just because she didn't get a distinction!

The ballet teacher is not really very approachable but if anyone else had their Dd start ballet a later age and make a success of it, I'd be glad to her your thoughts.

I've of course told her how proud I am but she's taken it really badly. (Apparently half of the grade 1 results were merits this year and half were distinctions)

A merit is good!
Does she really think it's not worth bothering if she doesn't get a distinction? Maybe ditch the ballet in that case, because it is hard work, but worthwhile.
Does she actually enjoy it?

Ah I see she started at age 8. Yes this is late to start, so she probably will be with younger girls in her classes.

DD started at the start of yr 9 & took Grade 5 in 8 months - but as they get older they do learn/progress faster (& I have to be honest DD is different - she has a special talent)

She is likely to progress as fast as the teacher lets her - have a chat to the teacher she may be allowed to attend the next class to push her along

But speed isn't everything - next week when DD starts vocational college she will go back to Grade 1 workand learn it the way the college wants rather than the 30 odd teachers all her class mates have had

Most ballet schools will let them catch up with age peers as soon as they are able.

In our ballet school, nearly everyone gets a merit. And that is good - when my sister was younger, she always used to get a pass.

My DD started at 6, did Grade 1 at 8 and got a merit. We were pleased - she's not a natural and not hugely coordinated, but has great rhythm, so it was a decent and well deserved result.

Does your DD really want to do it? If she enjoys it, exam results shouldn't be a factor.

My dd started ballet at 8. Now age 15 working towards her intermediate exam in July.

She never got a distinction on an exam until the last one she did, grade 6.

Thanks very much for your thoughts. I don't think it is unreasonable for my DD to carry on with grade 2 based on your comments. I just have to persuade her to carry on and give it her best shot.

Depends on exam board but could be 2.years to next grade if istd. Plenty of time to catch up. But nothing wrong with a merit!

in our school they tend to do preprimary at about 7ish, primary at about 8ish and don't do grade 1 until about 9 (ISTD). I gather that generally they get distinctions in preprimary and primary and then some start to drop down at grade 1 and grade 2.

SO she shouldn't be too far out of her age group anyway.

If she feels demoralised by it and doesn't want to do it then don't make her because she will hate it even more but if she has enjoyed it other than this then I would encourage her to keep going.

You need to look (quietly) at what the others got to work out how well she is doing.

Our ballet school typically takes exams 1 yr after another local one. Our school gets almost all merits, and a few distinctions, almost never "just" a pass; other school gets about 50/50 pass/merits and rarely gets distinctions.
First exam dd1 did, the examiner was harsh. Teacher reckoned that she marked about 10 marks lower than usual. Pretty much proved the next exams her group did, they have been fairly consistant in marks since-roughly 10 marks up form the original.
Also those who practice (you can get a CD to use) at home do tend to do better.
Plus two lessons makes a huge difference in almost all children, even if you only do it for 1-2 terms before the exam, it will make a difference of a number of marks.

It's also worth talking with the teacher. It may be that she thinks your dd is distinction level in a bit, but it may be that she is a comfortable merit, and there is nothing wrong with that. Some children do get the idea that distinction is their's for the taking, which isn't the case, I suspect with one of mine she could practice non stop and still wouldn't get there. But she loves dancing and has a lovely group, so is still doing it and sees no reason to stop because she won't get distinctions.

For my dc's ballet, most children end up more or less in the right age group, except for a few who are accelerated. Even ones starting at 8 or 9yo, she'll usually start in the right age, and they do catch up pretty quickly.

Merit is a good mark, especially if she has only been dancing a year. Perhaps talk to the dance teacher and explain that she was dissappointed and they may be able to reassure your dd. at my dds dance school we rarely have any passes, all merits and distinctions, but not everyone can get a distinction. It just doesn't work like that. My dd, who is a very talented dancer, has been dancing since she was 2, and is quite advanced, at Grade 6/Inter foundation at the age of 11. However, there are many girls at our dance school a lot older than her who are happily coming once a week to grade 3/4 ballet at 13/14/15 years old.

Ballet isn't always about seeing who can get there the fastest. I would definitely try and get her to realise that she has done very well. Merit is a good, solid grade and nothing to be ashamed of.

At our ballet school the girls join others their age .Never having danced before,DD started grade 4 in september at 9 and had caught the others up by the summer.

It could partly be that she hasn't had the solid foundation that they have. By that I mean they will have done that extra couple of years of repetition of the very very basics which quite possible makes the difference of one or two marks in each category so say toe point, arm positioning, hands, turn out or whatever they call it, head positioning, posture and so on.

And it is important to remember that in the same way that not all children will get As in English or Maths but a B is a brilliant achievement for lots of children then not everyone can get distinctions in dancing.

My dd started ballet when she was 6 & got a merit in her Grade 1 exam when she was 8. The other children had been dancing since the age of 4.

However she got Distinction in her Grade 2.

She is now almost 13 & at a full time vocational dance boarding school. A girl who is joining her year this term only got her first distinction at Grade 5.

I wouldn't be disappointed.

Most people do get merits, nationally (if, for example, RAD), fewer get distinction (though the gap is a fairly narrow one) then fewer still achieve just a pass. If that makes sense?

My daughter is a talented dancer (though we all say that on here of course) and she got a merit for primary, with distinction ever since. Even Darcey Bussell got a pass in one of her ballet exams!

A few ballet dancers started later and became a success. Lots had done gymnastics first, but some had not. E.g. Misty Copeland

Actually the point about Darcy Bussell is a valid one. She never did 'the best' in her dance exams as a child, but had the hard work ethic that saw her excel as she got older.

The thing is that dance exams are testing the ability to perform a certain sequence of steps at a certain time.

Getting a distinction in an exam dies not mean anything really when it comes to a career in dance.

Darcey Bussell, I think I recalled it was a particularly bad exam result (just the bare pass), along with a telling off from her teacher, that was a pivotal moment almost, and made her determined to make changes.

"Getting a distinction in an exam dies not mean anything really when it comes to a career in dance."

I agree most definitely, picturesinthefirelight.

Wow. Thank you all for all your comments. Sorry if I don't name you all individually but it's a bit fiddly on the phone. I think the poster who said that she maybe lacked the sold foundation and repetition of basic moves expressed what I had wondered. Not sure if that will be less of an issue the more she does or whether it will get more apparent.

It does seem however that there is a wide range of ages and starting grades so I think I will try and persuade her to carry on at least for a term. We will be moving to a new day and new teacher and I will be taking her. My childminder had been doing it this year as her DD did another lesson there at the same time. Another reason why I didn't really get any feel for how she was doing.

I understand that there were 4 merits and 4 distinctions. They only seem to do exams in the summer.

But just to reiterate I am really proud of her achievement. I always thought that she should carry on as she has been enjoying it. . I just wanted to get a feel for what happens elsewhere.

Thanks for all your thoughts and views and I will definitely mention Darcy to her!

A merit after only having taken classes for one year is great. Lots of children only take one class a week, although those that take two or more classes will naturally progress more quickly.

You could explain to your dd that 'only' getting a merit will not stop her improving in the next grade as the levels are designed to introduce new steps as the children get older and develop physically too.

Perhaps see how she enjoys the classes with her new teacher - and whether you find her/him more approachable too?

It also might be worth having a closer look at the notes that the examiner made. The results sheet should be divided into different categories with specific marks given for each area. It may be that your DD has a solid all round performance for everything, or maybe she excelled in some areas, and didn't do as well in others. This would give you a clue as to whether it is inexperience which can be worked on.
At my DDs school, they tend to do exams every 18 months- 2 years, as they do a big show every other year which breaks up the monotony of exam work.

My DD2 'only' got a merit for her primary ballet exam, most of the class got distinctions and she was really upset. I had to remind myself that she was only 6 at the time and under huge pressure to dance for a rather cross looking lady(her words). Ballet is hard and very disciplined you really have to love it to want to keep it up to a higher level so if your daughter loves it then carry on but if it's an effort then maybe try something else.