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Taking Ballet Exams as an adult


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On 10/10/2018 at 06:41, balletgremlin said:

So happy grade 7 went well for you @Viv. Grade 8 is a lovely dancey/performance based grade so even if you don't take the exam, it's lovely to learn.

 

I'm never going to get a distinction but I agree, it doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to take the exams and my teacher definitely gives me more corrections and pushes me further than if I were just taking the classes for fun. Saying that, I wouldn't like to take multiple exams in one go - I think the nerves alone would knacker me out.

As an adult I totally agree with you but nothing appears to phase the younger generation. My DD has taken 4 ballet exams since June 2017,  G6, G7, G8 and Intermediate. The last two were taken on a Thursday and Saturday in June with GCSE's on the Tuesday, Wednesday and the Friday.  Completely nailed it all,  I was in complete shock at just the thought of what she did. it makes me break out into a cold sweat, the more I think about it. 😙 

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  • 3 weeks later...
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I have just been notified that I'm having eye surgery the week after next. I thought I would be on the waiting list for at least six months. On the one hand this is great because my eyes have been a big problem for some time and it's not easy dancing with a visual impairment (it's one of my excuses for bad pirouettes, ha ha). However after the op I will not be allowed to dance for six weeks. That brings it up to Christmas, so in fact it will be more like eight weeks of no ballet, which is absolutely depressing. Getting through the summer break was bad enough. I will have to delay taking my Grade 6 exam from March until the summer as it would be a mad panic to get back into shape, finish learning the last few exercises and polish all to exam standard in just two months.

 

The available information about exercise after the operation is very vague. It's not like it's abdominal surgery - however it's important not to raise pressure inside the eye until it's healed, or to do anything that might jar it, irritate it or cause an infection. "Gentle walking" is encouraged - but does that mean a one mile amble or what I would call an easy walk which would be 8-10 miles that don't involve any actual mountain summits?  I know I shouldn't bounce about or bend over but how do they define "strenuous" as opposed to "gentle"? I think that tendus or slow rises should be no problem. Or the kind of PBT exercise where you do ports de bras while sitting on a swiss ball. "Lifting heavy weights" is not allowed though "lifting light weights" is permitted after two weeks so would arm exercises where you stand on one end of a theraband and pull on the other be ok?

 

I shall try to grab one of the physios who do the same class as me and ask for any suggestions that they have. Any suggestions from anyone who has had experience of maintaining fitness or getting back into shape after a medical procedure also very welcome.

 

With the difference in energy output I'm also going to have to watch my diet otherwise I'll have turned into a small hippo by January!

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Hello all, I recently took my first ever ballet exam and was very pleased to achieve a merit at grade 4. Having never danced as a child, I didn’t know what to expect with regards to exam marking standards so it was a pleasant surprise. 

I have now moved on to grade 5 and I absolutely love it - I find it a much nicer syllabus than 4. I’m in Intermediate as well but obviously a very long way off exam standard. 

It’s so nice to hear of so many other adults interested in the exams!

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I've recently fallen into a Grade 5 class (my son was doing it, I was sitting outside for the duration, it's a hodgepodge of an older group who won't be bothered by me, there's an adult lady in there anyway, so what the hell) and it's certainly an interesting curriculum. Don't think I'll do the exam - I'm working through the ISTD exams - though it's always possible my teacher will get that evil glint in her eye. 

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It is quite different, and I wouldn’t even try seriously until you’re a good few years in - mixing styles early is generally a bad idea. A few classes isn’t going to do any harm, just don’t take the style corrections to heart during the other board classes.

 

Im trying to separate out into three styles: ISTD (very plain (at the level I’m doing anyway), emphasis on technique), RAD (more ornamented, more emphasis on dancey) and workshop-with-professional (often very ornamented, emphasis mostly on the dance). 

 

On the  the other hand, switching styles is a skill you need anyway, so it’s all good for you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anyone have any exams coming up this term or next? I won’t have my next one for a while I don’t think but I’m very excited about the prospect. I didn’t do my best in the last one, I was too nervous. I think (hope) I’ll be calmer next time now that I know what to expect. 

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4 hours ago, DeveloppeD said:

Does anyone have any exams coming up this term or next? I won’t have my next one for a while I don’t think but I’m very excited about the prospect. I didn’t do my best in the last one, I was too nervous. I think (hope) I’ll be calmer next time now that I know what to expect. 

I have RAD Grade 6 coming up in March (if the dates are like last year it could be the very beginning of March). However this depends on my making a speedy recovery from the eye surgery I'm having this coming week.

 

I'm hoping to do better than in my last exam (RAD Inter) which I passed back in June. Partly because I trust I've improved with further work, partly because that was my first exam experience in nearly half a century, partly because I'll be taking it alone  in my home studio rather than in the Manchester RAV with a batch of unknown teenagers and most of all because of the greater emphasis on performance in the higher grades. I'm setting myself a target of at least 1 mark higher in every section.

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Wishing you lots of luck @The_Red_Shoes, fingers crossed for you!

 

3 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

I'm setting myself a target of at least 1 mark higher in every section.

 

That is such a good idea! I think I’ll copy that one. 

My aim in my first exam (grade 4) was to get 6 in every section. And while I got that or higher in 9 of the sections, I got a 5 for one of them. I was gutted as it was in my favourite part of the exam and I actually came out of it saying to my teacher how well that particular section went. I have no idea what happened. 

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DeveloppeD I think,that can often happen in any kind of exam and am not exactly sure why....the bit you think you've done well in isn't so good and other exams you get a B or something in which you barely expected to scrape through!! 

Perhaps unconsciously in some way you relax too much in areas you really like and areas have been more worried about have given more work to because of this. Not sure about this but it. Is odd isn't it.

Anyway well done for doing your Grade 4 

Ive a completely split feeling about exams especially Ballet exams which probably goes back to childhood! 

A few years back in my early 60's I did study BBO grade 6 with the view of taking the exam but chickened out when it finally came to committing!! I like the idea still of getting to the basics of exactly how to execute certain more advanced steps etc so don't mind following a syllabus ( I was all RAD growing up and the last exam passed  when I was 14 was the old Elementary RAD exam) but all those old fears about exams come to mind and I rarely have done as well as expected both by teachers and myself etc in them so end up disappointed!! 

 

So so a few years ago them made the decision not to go the exam route but to concentrate on performing ( but still going to,technique classes of course) 

However this new RAD REP course has caught my fancy and might change my mind though unfortunately the class I was going to join up in London hasnt materialised this Autumn so will see how that goes down the line.

 

Anyway well done to those who are going this route....it must be really nerve wracking going in an exam with teenagers!! 

Its a good idea of the Red Shoes to think of gaining small increments in marks .....maybe will be surprised and gain more than expected!!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Best of luck BG! I think there must be an optimum season for taking exams - maybe late spring and early autumn. Keep your warmups on as long as possible and make sure you are fully warmed up before you go in. I'm sure staying warm won't be too much of a problem once you start dancing.

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Toi toi toi, BalletGremlin!

 

A quick jog (about 3 minutes around the room) in your warm ups, and a few squats & body swings - big all-body movements to literally heat up the main core of your body and your large muscle groups always works for me in a cold studio.  Big free swinging movements - won't harm you, and will get the blood moving & your body temperature up a tiny bit - literally 'warming up.'

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Good Luck BallerGremlin!

I always get cold feet & numb ties not what you want...to keep your tootsies warm once ready & waiting, pop a big pair of socks (preferably slipper socks with non slip sole) on over your ballet shoes!

DD has exam today too so fingers crossed for all showing what they can do today! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

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Thanks everyone, it went well. I warmed up enough before hand and I think the cold & numb toes actually helped with the pointe work.

 

Free enchainment was lovely and easy: Right foot in front, arms to 2nd on intro. Sissonne over, sissonne devant, sissonne over, sissonne devant, pas de bourre under, stretch bend, with arms in 3rd on the sissonnes and the back out to second on the pas de bourre.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The results are in! Pretty happy all around, distinctions for Grade 7 and Intermediate (Grade 7 was my highest mark ever!) and a decent merit for Advanced Foundation. Considering I did three exams in two days with a broken rib and an inflamed tendon and all the other things that have gone wrong this year, I am beyond thrilled. Could I have done better in advanced foundation if I'd worked on it for longer? I genuinely don't know... That exam took just about all I had to give. But I did better than my teacher predicted for that exam and it has inspired me to keep training and working and not give up on exams completely. I might do advanced 1, one day, but I'm not in any rush anymore!

 

Which may be a good thing as my studio isn't running any advanced 1 classes next year :( I'm quite upset as I was really looking forward to doing it and I don't know what class I should be doing now...but I'm sure I'll find something. I'm not quite ready to pack it in just yet.

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2 minutes ago, Viv said:

The results are in! Pretty happy all around, distinctions for Grade 7 and Intermediate (Grade 7 was my highest mark ever!) and a decent merit for Advanced Foundation. Considering I did three exams in two days with a broken rib and an inflamed tendon and all the other things that have gone wrong this year, I am beyond thrilled. Could I have done better in advanced foundation if I'd worked on it for longer? I genuinely don't know... That exam took just about all I had to give. But I did better than my teacher predicted for that exam and it has inspired me to keep training and working and not give up on exams completely. I might do advanced 1, one day, but I'm not in any rush anymore!

 

Which may be a good thing as my studio isn't running any advanced 1 classes next year :( I'm quite upset as I was really looking forward to doing it and I don't know what class I should be doing now...but I'm sure I'll find something. I'm not quite ready to pack it in just yet.

 

 

"Pretty Happy"? Good grief. I'm officially in awe. You should be delighted, even adjusting for understatement!

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Wow Iron Lady ....I feel quite a namby pamby compared to you!! Really well done and hope you find another class to go to really soon. 

 

I was just thinking if many years from now you might be ( hoping you won't of course) having to report to a doctor your pain on a scale from one to ten if any arthritis should rear its disagreeable head you will have to lie like mad  as otherwise you'll be saying it's only 3/10 whereas many others would be saying 8/10!! 

Happened to a friend of mine recently and her hip was literally falling apart.....luckily they ignored the form she filled in as soon as they saw her!! 

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Hahaha I didn't mean to be understated, anyone who knows me in real life knows I'm usually the exact opposite of that! And I really am thrilled with Advanced Foundation and Grade 7. It's only Intermediate I was a bit disappointed with, I felt so comfortable coming out of the exam and while I got a distinction, it was only just a distinction (75) and I'd dropped several marks from Intermediate Foundation. Perhaps it's the same as @DeveloppeD, sometimes the things you're most comfortable with don't actually end up being your best section? I was happier with my lower mark in Advanced Foundation because it was above expectations, and a bit disappointed with Intermediate because I thought I could have done better. But, I've had a few days to reflect on the circumstances again and have decided to stop being silly and just appreciate what I've managed to achieve! Although the other day, after my teacher and I jumped for joy a bit, she said 'we'll need to work really hard over the next few levels if you're going to compete for solo seal' 😶😖😧 Where on earth she got that notion from I will never know!!!

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  • 5 weeks later...

My intermediate foundation results are in - I got a Merit (67).

 

So pleased with myself - exactly the same mark I got for Grade 6 last spring. I haven't had my marks breakdown yet so it'll be interesting to see where I got my marks. I felt like I performed my arse off and think pointe was probably my weakest section (though it went better in the exam than it ever had done in class).

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Thank you everyone - I was warned by my teacher they mark more harshly so wasn't expecting to do as well though I do think I danced better and with more confidence than in my grade 6. 

 

Marks wise - I got 8's for music and performance, 7s for barre, free enchainment and dance performance and 6's for everything else, even pointe! I'm especially happy with my pointe mark because I know how much effort I put in to get it. There was even talk between me and my teacher about entering for the male syllabus in future exams  due to a dreadful lesson where my feet were so painful I couldn't even releve 5th. I was determined I wasn't going to make a fool out of myself in front of the examiner so made sure I worked really hard to make my pointe acceptable. It's still my weakness but I am seeing my strength and confidence slowly improve.

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