IDTA medal tests - what are they??

[Whyjustwhy]

I'm after some information from any knowledgable dance mums.
DD started jazz classes in the Autumn, and has come home with info on the Jazz exam she's doing this summer. It's a bronze medal test.

The whole concept of medal tests is new to me, previously DD was at a different dance school and although she's grade 6 modern & ballet, she hadn't sudied Jazz before.
Dd tells me that you have to start at bronze & work your way up - is this true? Also does a medal test test your theory and technique, or is it simply do a dance and you're done?
Any information greatly appreciated!

Or dance teachers! Obviously

My understanding is that you don't study for them in the same depth and detail you would a grade.

IDTA Modern Jazz bronze is apparently based on grades 1 and 2 two contrasting dances approx 1.5 minutes each (or other variation).

No, they start at juvenile, then preliminary, then bronze, but am guessing that would be too easy for your daughter if she's grade 6 ballet

Thank you for replying, can I ask a bit more.....

So, just to confirm. The bronze medal is based on grades 1 and 2?
So there are proper grades exams in jazz?

Is there any information available on the grade exams anywhere?

Yes, it says so in the syllabus (modern jazz section).

Might be different if part of group medal tests, duos or trios. Somebody else might know.

Not sure if there's info on the grades online, not much info on the IDTA site, at least not to general public. You could buy a copy of the syllabus perhaps.
Age guide (min) for bronze medal test seems to be 10 years +

Amelia, thank you for your help (& great taste in books)
I'm still struggling to find the information, can you please post a link?

As someone else correctly pointed out, the Bronze medal test is based on the content of Grades 1 and 2 and consists of two contrasting dances, either set by the teacher, or using one of the set amalgamations from the graded syllabus. In short, medal tests are 'performance exams' rather than technical exams. The IDTA does have a full graded syllabus of Modern Jazz from Preparatory to Advanced 2, which is fulyl accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework from Grade 1. Medal tests are not accredited exams, but are often used by teachers as extra achievements. If you have any questions about the medal test system, do drop me a message and I would be happy to help.

Sorry just picked up your message thank you. I will pm you

Hi, could you please share the information on the medal exams? Why do the teaches need these extra achievements?

I did IDTA Medals many years ago in Ballroom & Latin. I started with One Dance then progressed to Bronze & Silver before giving up. They were performance exams that worked well for ballroom & Latin.

My son & daughter however do graded exams with other exam boards in ballet, tap & modern and the Grades 1-6/8 etc also include various technical exercises. These are as previous posters have said, fully accredited on the qualifications framework and are what the majority of dancers in these genres take. A medal test in these genres would perhaps be more suitable for someone who isn't able to cover the whole graded syllabus whether because of time constraints or other reasons. Occasionally they might be useful for a child who needs to work on their performance skills more.

Most dance schools tend to offer either modern or jazz, not both as there is a lot of overlap.