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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Ballet exams: can someone help explain? I don't get it.

24 replies

MurielPuce · 19/01/2015 15:30

Hi there, hope you can help... I grew up in America, and did ballet from age 4 all the way through University, without any intent to pursue a professional career. I just loved dancing! It's great exercise! I loved the shows & dancing on my tiptoes!!! Now I live in London, and my DD (age 6), who has also been a ballerina since age 3, has been invited to do her first (RAD primary) exam. The exam date is on a Tuesday, so will require her to miss a day of school, cost £70 in extra lessons and £??? in special uniform...

What?!?!? Exam??

Could someone help me understand the exam system? Is it compulsory? Will she have to quit ballet if she doesn't do the exam? Will she be stuck in primary forever? I honestly don't see her as a professional, but she is quite good and loves dancing and I would be sad to see her give it up at this age, but whoa, that's a BIG commitment (the missed school day particularly rankles). I just assumed the exam would be part of her regular class, but no, there is a lot of extra work and coaching. Is it worth it?

Any information about the ballet exam system would be most helpful, as I am utterly clueless. The deadline for her to apply is this coming Saturday, so I have to make a go/no-go decision this week.

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, I couldn't find the information I really wanted to know...

OP posts:

stealthsquiggle · 19/01/2015 15:39

As far as I can gather, whether exams are "required" is very much up to the ballet school/ teacher.

My DD does ballet through school - I.e. a teacher from a dance school comes in and does it as an after school activity, which means it is a lot more informal than some (no standards on hair, etc imposed for lessons as the DC get changed by themselves). They did a "class award" exam, which cost, IIRC, about £50 for the exam and a practice session, and missing bits of kit could be hired from the ballet school. Most of the class went for it, but some DC (and some parents) were not into it and just didn't do the exam. They have all progressed through to Grade 1 regardless, although there has been no mention of the next exam yet.

I don't, I am afraid, know how common this attitude is.

stealthsquiggle · 19/01/2015 15:41

Oh and their exam was on a Saturday, with a practice session one evening after school so that they were familiar with the surroundings of the venue. It was a bit of a PITA compared with the zero parental input required for their weekly classes, but not too bad.

Seeline · 19/01/2015 15:43

A lot will depend on the school where your daughter takes her lessons.
At my DDs school, exams are not compulsory, but students not taking the exam will still do all the exam preparation. they can move onto the next class if they have not taken the exam, but are of the correct standard.
My DD takes the ISTD exams. I don't know if it's normal, of if it's because it is a reasonably large school, but the teacher always books an examiner to come to the school, usually on a Sunday, to test the students. She usually ahs several classes taking exams on the same day. They do ballet, modern and tap. Exam uniform is what they wear for the classes taken for each grade. The uniform changes every couple of grades - usually covering a period of 3-4 years. Children will often have grown by this time anyway so need to have it replaced.

LIZS · 19/01/2015 15:47

With dd's dance school, you can opt out of exams and just follow the group upwards through the levels , but if you do go ahead there are extra classes and cost to enter and get accompaniment. There are alternative syllabi , main ones being RAD and Imperial, class exams which are taken as a group or individual grades.

Original poster

MurielPuce · 19/01/2015 15:50

Yeah, it sounds like they have booked the examiner to come to their school for the day (there are about a million primary ballet classes), so I assume it's all going to happen where we take our regular classes. I don't yet know what the story is about the uniform (think it might just be socks/satin slippers)....

I'm still confused about moving forward whether she takes the exam or not? I don't want her to have to quit because she didn't take the exam.... can't get anyone at the studio to answer the phone....

OP posts:

SirChenjin · 19/01/2015 15:52

It's one of the reasons that I was very glad when DD decided ballet (and gymnastics) weren't for her. I got the impression that the exams were part of the whole shebang (and probably good for the teacher's reputation) as opposed to just allowing the kids to enjoy dancing. Really wish it wasn't the case - it becomes so serious (and expensive) and takes the joy out of it for so many who really just want to dance as opposed to be assessed.

stealthsquiggle · 19/01/2015 16:13

Does she already wear "uniform" for classes, OP? If so, it's probably just a slightly more strict version of the same thing. For DD it was just about making sure skirts were the right size and socks the right colour.

taxi4ballet · 19/01/2015 16:16

The system in the UK is different from the USA in that the vast majority of dance schools here do tend to follow an examination syllabus, not only in ballet but other dance styles such as tap and modern dance as well.

Most children at these schools do take the exams, and generally the teacher will let the ones that don't take the exam move up anyway, as long as they have reached the standard needed.

The exams are regulated by formal bodies such as the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) who will send one of their examiners to the school on exam day, which may be any day of the week as they would never be able to hold all the exams at weekends!

For older students, the higher grade exams are part of the formal national qualification framework and earn UCAS points towards entry to higher education & university.

Original poster

MurielPuce · 19/01/2015 17:04

OP here. This makes me kind of sad.... I understand that exams are desirable to ensure consistency of dance tuition, but it makes me sad that the kids who just want to dance might give up on it because of the exam process (for example, potentially my dd). For example, I didn't realize how much I could love/was talented at music until I was 18, and could really play for myself, long after I would have dropped my hated childhood piano lessons if I'd had to prepare for an exam. Seems like there could be a better system...

Also, yes, I think she's currently wearing the proper uniform because that's all they sell at her studio.

OP posts:

SirChenjin · 19/01/2015 17:28

I quite agree OP. There is so much concern over the fact that women don't take part in sport to nearly the same extent as men - and imo one of the main reasons for that is because it becomes competitive whenever you reach a certain level, as opposed to it simply being an enjoyable pastime.

Mistigri · 19/01/2015 18:37

I can understand your viewpoint MurielPuce - the obsessive pursuit of exam passes for leisure activities does seem to be a peculiarly British thing. It was only when I moved abroad that I realised how odd it is!

taxi4ballet · 19/01/2015 19:33

When dance is one of the few physical activities that girls DO participate in (and continue well into their teens), it's a shame that the Government is thinking of removing it from the National Curriculum.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 19/01/2015 21:00

my daughter's exams have been on school days. both times so far they have been back in school by the end of morning playtime but obviously it depends what time exam they are given. Normally in our case it is they have to be there 40 mins before the start of the exam, the exam is 30 mins ish (I think RAD is actually only about 20 at that grade but I could be wrong) and then they are free to go straight after.

uniform is just what they wear in class, leotard, skirt, ballet socks and ballet shoes (they like them to have satin ones but there should be no obligation to get them if their other ones are in good condition) or for modern and tap then it is the equivalent leotard/leggings etc.

She should be able, in most schools, to move up without doing the exam if that is what you prefer for her, some teachers are quite pushy about the exams and how it is good for their confidence, they can see their own progress, their sense of achievement etc but I can't imagine there are many who would actually prevent a child who doesn't want to do them from moving up anyway if they were ready.

So no it shouldn't mean she has to give up if you don't want her to take the exam.

price wise - ISTD pre-primary ballet class award including pianist cost us £20something, can't quite remember what.

oh and extra lessons - our school tends to do a few extra lessons for the children for the first ballet exam only, not for other styles, just so they get used to working in their little exam group, presenting etc and the formalities of the exam.

lecherslady · 19/01/2015 23:17

If your dance school does not all her to move up without taking the exam, then move dance schools - there will be others that will! They are not compulsory.

My DD has done the exams and I think she has got a lot out of them.

The exam uniform is a one off cost, once you have bought them, you can use it for future exams. I only buy new ballet shoes each time (about £10)

The lessons tend to be smaller classes to help them perfect their technique. Not quite sure why schools insist on them, but almost all schools do.

You will be entitled to time off school for the exam, as it will be counted as educated off site - as dance is on the curriculum. My DDs have two days off school every year (for each discipline they do) and it's never counted as an absence for her.

As someone else said, if they go through the exam system, they can use the points to help them get into university. The same for music exams. It counts from grade 6, and If they get to grade 8, it can be the equivalent to an AS level in terms of UCAS points (my 11 year old DD is about to go into grade 5).

The exam is expensive, partly because you have to pay for a pianist, but my daughters have certainly got a lot out of doing the exams. Exams certainly are the norm for dancing in the UK.

bigbluestars · 20/01/2015 07:01

I understand what you are saying but there are advantages to dance exams too. It gives recognition for hard work, teaches discipline,gives some structure- the teaching more rigorous than it otherwise would be as the syllabus is comprehensive.
Preparing and sitting exams can be nerve wracking, but is good practice for academic exams.
My DDs dance exams are always on a schol day, but these are recognised as imprtant qualifications by the school- now that she is sitting her first professional ballet exams these will count towards University entrance.

taxi4ballet · 20/01/2015 09:26

When my dd was small and taking her first exams I always explained it by saying that a nice lady was going to come and watch one day, because she loved watching children dance so much, and that she would give them all a special certificate afterwards.

Original poster

MurielPuce · 21/01/2015 11:12

That's funny, taxi4ballet!

After a lot of thought & discussion & talking to the teacher, we've decided to go for the exam, and see how she gets on. It might be good to have some positive reinforcement at this stage... and maybe a certificate from Darcey Bussell will do it.

OP posts:

stealthsquiggle · 21/01/2015 11:59

If it's the same as the one my DD did, they not only get a certificate from Darcy Bussell, but a very posh badge/medal too .

TBH as long as no one is taking it too seriously I don't see the harm in the early exams. The challenge is that the DC (and/or the parents) get sucked in to taking the whole thing way too seriously and it stops being fun. Since my DD has already said that if she had to choose between ballet and swimming she would choose swimming, I don't think we will get to that point.

I hope your DD has fun, OP.

taxi4ballet · 21/01/2015 15:52

Glad you've been able to decide, and hope it goes well. One advantage of ballet exams over music ones, is that you don't have to do a solo, you are in a group and do it all together. Solos don't come until much later on, for teenagers in the top grades.

take3 · 04/02/2015 21:01

My daughter just did Grade 1 RAD and she had to do 2 solos!

nonicknameseemsavailable · 04/02/2015 21:32

ISTD preprimary miming bit involved them doing them on their own if they had picked different things to mime.

AmeliaPeabody · 04/02/2015 23:40

My daughter just did Grade 1 RAD and she had to do 2 solos!

Is that the solo awards or similar? I don't think there are any solos in grade 1 RAD, unless you're talking about the dances at the end of the syllabus?

JulieMichelleRobinson · 05/02/2015 08:53

It must be the dances. Though sometimes exercises are done one at a time. But music exams are just you and the examiner, much scarier!

taxi4ballet · 05/02/2015 09:00

Yes, they now offer solo performance awards in addition to the graded exams which are done in a small group. If you go onto the RAD website and look under the 'achieve' tab, all the details of the various exams are detailed on there.

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