The_Red_Shoes Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Hi Viv, that's not the same variation as in Discovering Repertoire - not the same part of the peasant pas de deux. I didn't know how to insert a video, but it looks like it's inserted itself! it's the section beginning at about 7.02. Not 100% identical choreography, but mostly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Oh that's interesting! I must have misunderstood my teacher. As I don't have a spare £75 to drop on videos for a syllabus I'm not learning, I really appreciate these youtube videos that show the variations I might hopefully get to work towards in the next few years. Discovering Repertoire is not being examined in my part of Aus until at least July next year so no one is teaching it. Apart from half an hour once a fortnight, these videos are the closest I can get to 'discovering' anything If the examined variation ends up being anything like that video, I no longer want to attempt it en pointe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletgremlin Posted September 2, 2018 Author Share Posted September 2, 2018 Since no one on youtube seems to be uploading themselves dancing to this new syllabus, I thought I'd be the first out there with Level 3 Barre. Far from perfect but you can always watch the DVD for that. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 I have started learning the giselle variation from level 2 en pointe. It is very challenging, especially because I have never done the contracted foot, bent knee thing before and now apparently I have to waltz in that position? Ahhhhhhh! But it's so much fun. Because I have ballet exams in 2 weeks, learning it has been crammed into the last 10 minutes of a half hour private so I've only done the first half, but it's such a relief to be doing something that is helping me cement my pointe work for advanced foundation but that isn't the same 5 exercises over and over again. There's a lot of freedom to doing this variation and I am excited to continue with it next term I am not sure I will ever do the 'class work' section of the exam because it seems pretty simple and only contains steps that I'm already working on in other levels, but maybe one day I'll consider the 2 variation 'units'... I won't be able to do any exams at all next year for a number of reasons, so maybe I'll just keep this as a no stress, nice piece of work in the background of my normal classes. But dancing giselle makes me happy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Hi, just seen that the DR Classwork unit for level 2 is oe up on Youtube for anyone who is interested: Barre - Centre - 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 @Viv The dance you posted was my DD's first variation. It's the 'other' Peasant Pas, that we knew as 'the Kirov Peasant Pas'. The Repertoire one is just known as 'Peasant Pas', and our teacher talked about us learning it in adult class... but after watching a gazillion 11-year-olds dance it at competitions (as it's a good one to start with), I'm not sure I want to! We're lobbying for the Spanish Coppelia dance instead (Not that I ever want to do a ballet exam again at age 55 but she seems to think we should be working towards something!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 (edited) The glisse exercise in the level 2 barre is the same music as the Advanced Foundation grand battement exercise! That's just confusing... 😄 Slow and steady seems the name of the game with this class work. Having done the coppelia spanish variation, which is fast, energetic and involves a lot of crazy spotting, I don't really see how the class prepares you for the variation. I guess that's what the development exercises are for, but I would have thought the class would be more tailored towards the variations that I thought were the eventual end goal? Edited September 23, 2018 by Viv 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletgremlin Posted September 23, 2018 Author Share Posted September 23, 2018 I use to really enjoy the RAD tips youtube channel as their annotations on their videos were useful things to think about for exams and gave you an idea for what the examiners were looking for - such as the mood of the dance, the need for epaulement, suggested imagery etc.. However, as they've gone into the higher levels the tips have turned into "we did x, y and z wrong, do this arm/timing instead". I love watching other people dancing syllabus work that I've done and find it really interesting to see how they're taught/interpreted differently by everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 I guess since this work is so new, no-one really knows what the examiners are looking for yet? Viv I agree, the barre is very very basic (but a good solid barre for an adult beginner looking to go on to Inter Foundation afterwards) - but to me this could have formed a barre for a new "Level 1 Preparatory Vocational" exam rather than for Level 2 DR. The centre work seems to jump up to the correct Level 2 however with the pirouettes etc. And yes it is the development exercises that prepare you for the variation, not this. TBH I don't really get the point of the classwork unit at all - why not just do as you say and have barres and centres tailored to each variation? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 20 hours ago, youngatheart said: I guess since this work is so new, no-one really knows what the examiners are looking for yet? Viv I agree, the barre is very very basic (but a good solid barre for an adult beginner looking to go on to Inter Foundation afterwards) - but to me this could have formed a barre for a new "Level 1 Preparatory Vocational" exam rather than for Level 2 DR. The centre work seems to jump up to the correct Level 2 however with the pirouettes etc. And yes it is the development exercises that prepare you for the variation, not this. TBH I don't really get the point of the classwork unit at all - why not just do as you say and have barres and centres tailored to each variation? given that the qualification can be achieved over multiple sittings , there may be method in the madness... level 1 in the NQF seems to be rather under utilised outside 14 -19 and key skills ( Literacy and Numeracy ) . especially when people are paying for something themselves rather than the government and employers . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 I wouldn't say the Unit Class is Level 1. Even though it looks simple compared to, say IF, if you compare it with Grade 3, the last of the Level 1 grades, the barre is definitely harder, comparable to Grade 4 and the centre much more challenging. I rather think that they are pitching the class unit to older students who haven't been through the grades, whether adults or teens coming late on to ballet. It's a more accessible starting point than Grade 6 or IF, which is where later beginners would usually start if they do syllabus work, and has an appropriately mature feel. Adult beginner classes usually introduce material less gradually than children's classes do and this looks like the kind of thing a student might be doing after a year or two in adult beginner classes. The flexibility of the DR system means that beginners could work through the class units, but higher grade or vocational students could miss out the class units completely and just do the variations as an enrichment to their other syllabus work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 1 hour ago, The_Red_Shoes said: I wouldn't say the Unit Class is Level 1. Even though it looks simple compared to, say IF, if you compare it with Grade 3, the last of the Level 1 grades, the barre is definitely harder, comparable to Grade 4 and the centre much more challenging. I rather think that they are pitching the class unit to older students who haven't been through the grades, whether adults or teens coming late on to ballet. It's a more accessible starting point than Grade 6 or IF, which is where later beginners would usually start if they do syllabus work, and has an appropriately mature feel. Adult beginner classes usually introduce material less gradually than children's classes do and this looks like the kind of thing a student might be doing after a year or two in adult beginner classes. The flexibility of the DR system means that beginners could work through the class units, but higher grade or vocational students could miss out the class units completely and just do the variations as an enrichment to their other syllabus work. i think some of the that is probably because people have become used to the idea that IF maps to level 2 and before the NQF mapping it was only grade 6 and above and Int and above that gave UCAS (entry) points Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 (edited) If anyone is interested, RAD Australia is live streaming a public demonstration of discovering repertoire on their facebook page right now. Just finished Level 2 Unit 1 (class) and just started the development exercises for Level 2 Unit 2. I know you're probably all asleep but sometimes they keep the videos up for a couple of days if you wanted to check it out At least part of the demonstration is performed by students from Alegria which is headed by Hilary Kaplan, who also trained the inimitable Steven McRae. Edited September 29, 2018 by Viv 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 In class today I learned the entire Giselle variation (in about 10 minutes so it was a bit hectic!) and I must say it is HARD! Certainly far above grade 5/intermediate foundation in my opinion. Very fast, tricky footwork with some pretty complicated steps. Normally you don't learn saut de basque until advanced 2, but they've thrown them into this variation. I can't do pointe at the moment because of my achilles but even on flat it was challenging (in a good way) and I think it will be a good compliment to my usual classwork when we start polishing it. I haven't learned any of the development exercises for it yet so they will hopefully help me get a handle on the steps at a slightly slower pace. The more I learn of this syllabus the more grateful I am that the RAD has developed this program, it's a lot of fun but is still good training. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie_rebecca Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 On 13/10/2018 at 07:06, Viv said: In class today I learned the entire Giselle variation (in about 10 minutes so it was a bit hectic!) and I must say it is HARD! Certainly far above grade 5/intermediate foundation in my opinion. Very fast, tricky footwork with some pretty complicated steps. Normally you don't learn saut de basque until advanced 2, but they've thrown them into this variation. I can't do pointe at the moment because of my achilles but even on flat it was challenging (in a good way) and I think it will be a good compliment to my usual classwork when we start polishing it. I haven't learned any of the development exercises for it yet so they will hopefully help me get a handle on the steps at a slightly slower pace. The more I learn of this syllabus the more grateful I am that the RAD has developed this program, it's a lot of fun but is still good training. I'm doing Coppelia from level 2 + the Barre & Centre modules on a Tuesday & the level 3 Sleeping Beauty variation & associated barre & Centre on a Friday, I have to admit I'm not a fan of DR, I find the skill level required varies tremendously, obviously you have to remember that some things are optional like the beats in the adage for level 3 (honestly they're insane!) or the number of chaines, Id have to look at my teachers book again to get the list, the allegro 3 from centre for level 2 is a bit advanced too I have lots of little niggles too, like how the preparatory exercises don't always match the movements which messes with my muscle memory or how in the prep exercise you get 4 sets of 3 walks but in the variations its 4 walks so I end up trying to think if it's 3 or 4 walks to start with sets me off wrong, side note to this my brain works in a different way to the majority with the way I learn & retain info, I like consistency & repetition. Anyway I could grumble on about DR for hours but I'll save you, I'll just crack on, keep my head down & do my best, it's not like they'll change it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 4 hours ago, sophie_rebecca said: it's not like they'll change it. It's so new: maybe they will change some things as students start to come through the system and what is working/not working becomes more apparent. I know that feedback from the original trials did contain some criticism of the level of difficulty. BTW does anybody know if anyone has actually taken any DR exams yet (apart from the people in the original trial)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 2 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said: It's so new: maybe they will change some things as students start to come through the system and what is working/not working becomes more apparent. I know that feedback from the original trials did contain some criticism of the level of difficulty. BTW does anybody know if anyone has actually taken any DR exams yet (apart from the people in the original trial)? 'no plan survives contact with the enemy' ... given that the awarding bodies do seem to revise the content of other awards ( although the RAD perhaps less so ) and in other areas of training / education syllabus re-writes are a common thing DR really is feeling in the dark, as the first syllabus specifically designed for adults and without any legacy stuff ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie_rebecca Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 2 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said: It's so new: maybe they will change some things as students start to come through the system and what is working/not working becomes more apparent. I know that feedback from the original trials did contain some criticism of the level of difficulty. BTW does anybody know if anyone has actually taken any DR exams yet (apart from the people in the original trial)? You may get minor revisions here & there but given the amount of material produced (exam guides / spec, DVD's etc etc) it's unlikely to change in any significant way, I hope they'll do a supplemental to guide what is & isn't optional through all the exercises but the way it's structured which I struggle with will stay the same, that said grade 7 in the past year has worked wonders for my dancing! I got sent a promo from a production company that have been following me for the last few years & the stuff from this year compared to last was so much better! Short version I'll be glad when the exam is done & I don't have to do it again 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 I believe they already did change it following the original trial in response to feedback, so no, this is the "final finished version" and they won't be changing it again now for the foreseeable future. A shame you're not enjoying it, Sophie, as I recall you were really looking forward to learning it before? I totally get what you mean about the development exercises being different from how it is in the variation though. Another problem is that with the modular structure, what are you meant to do for barre and centre once you have passed that unit? Presumably you could easily find yourself in the position of wanting to study the Level 3 classwork unit alongside the level 2 variations.... while others in the class would still be on Level 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie_rebecca Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 12 hours ago, youngatheart said: A shame you're not enjoying it, Sophie, as I recall you were really looking forward to learning it before? Very much so, I mean the chance to learn actual variations for an exam situation is pretty perfect & I do love the variations, they're very physical but rewarding & there's something about doing proper variations to the music that makes it all so special it's just let down by the simplicity of the barre, the over complication of the centre & the inconsistency of the prep exercises I feel. From talking to friends at RAD HQ most people are taking at least 2 units at once if not all 3 (I really think all 3 is pushing it) so barre & Centre + prep & variation = about 40-45 mins (same as say IF) if you did barre & centre + variation 1 then I think if you focused on variation 2 it wouldn't take long to take that unit & move on to the next level, the only problem I'm having with doing level 2 & 3 at the same time is remembering where I am, normally the music guides me but a few times I've done the level 3 stuff to level 2 music as I've gotten muddled 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 (edited) We had a teachers' course on DR not long ago. I felt that the classes were not challenging enough for the level, the barre was particularly limited in content. That might be because I believe I read that it was originally planned for adult dancers, but I may be wrong about that. The solos on pointe would on the other hand be very challenging, so I am not sure about it. I also felt that having to show the development exercises in the exam was unneccessary. I would have preferred a more advanced class with a choice of set repertoire variations. It's useful that you can take the exam in sections, so you can fit it in wherever it works in your particular school. I had thought to use level 3 for my last years Intermediates, but decided I'd rather challenge them with Advanced Foundation. Edited October 16, 2018 by Dance*is*life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Dance*is*life said: We had a teachers' course on DR not long ago. I felt that the classes were not challenging enough for the level, the barre was particularly limited in content. That might be because I believe I read that it was originally planned for adult dancers, but I may be wrong about that. The solos on pointe would on the other hand be very challenging, so I am not sure about it. I also felt that having to show the development exercises in the exam was unneccessary. I would have preferred a more advanced class with a choice of set repertoire variations. It's useful that you can take the exam in sections, so you can fit it in wherever it works in your particular school. I had thought to use level 3 for my last years Intermediates, but decided I'd rather challenge them with Advanced Foundation. your students , while eligible to take the qualification are not it;s target market - which is 'working age adults' either new to ballet and looking for something after beginners class or those returning after a long time off Adult dancer =/= never stopped , the growth market in adult ballet is peopel who are new to ballet or who return after childhood classes ... the option to do the variations en pointe is to 'dual hat' the qualification as enrichment for VGE students Edited October 16, 2018 by Nicola H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I think the target market is squarely the second option, i.e. the adult returners. I can't imagine an adult complete beginner being able to work straight through this syllabus to Level 4 (without doing a lot of hard work outside it, anyway.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 8 hours ago, youngatheart said: I think the target market is squarely the second option, i.e. the adult returners. I can't imagine an adult complete beginner being able to work straight through this syllabus to Level 4 (without doing a lot of hard work outside it, anyway.) i think that depends on your time frame doesn't it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Nicola H said: i think that depends on your time frame doesn't it ... I can imagine colleagues who aren’t interested in doing the curriculum exams doing these after a few years of basics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 21 minutes ago, Colman said: I can imagine colleagues who aren’t interested in doing the curriculum exams doing these after a few years of basics. exactly a year of beginners , a year or two of improvers and then DR rather than various degrees of Capitalisation of the 'I' in Intermediate Adult ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 20 hours ago, youngatheart said: I think the target market is squarely the second option, i.e. the adult returners. I can't imagine an adult complete beginner being able to work straight through this syllabus to Level 4 (without doing a lot of hard work outside it, anyway.) However there is a large number of very keen, enthusiastic and hard-working adult beginners and post-beginers who do several classes a week and attend workshops etc. I think many of them could tackle Level 2 and the most keen could go right through to Level 4, over a number of years. This syllabus allows for taking it in smaller steps so could be tackled in a longer time frame, and unit work could be added into a general class rather than people necessarily taking a purely syllabus class. This is how it's being done in one school I know of. Adult students, not all of whom are returners, are taking Vocational Graded exams and I think DR Level 2 would be an easier first step than IF . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I should add that many enthusiastic beginners and post-beginners seem to be particularly keen on repertoire work as they are frequently attend rep workshops, bravely tackling some challenging variations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Not saying otherwise - just that you couldn't do it by going straight from level 2 to level 3 and level 4 in the same way as you would Grade 2 to Grade 4. Level 4 is very advanced! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, youngatheart said: Not saying otherwise - just that you couldn't do it by going straight from level 2 to level 3 and level 4 in the same way as you would Grade 2 to Grade 4. Level 4 is very advanced! Oh yes, I think DR provides enrichment at each level rather than a single basic structure for learning. I think it would be difficult to make systematic progress by doing only the DR syllabus, and a level is a much greater step than a grade (more like three years or more of work). Maybe this supports the point that the RAD often make that examination work shouldn't be the only content of a class, even a syllabus class. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I think I've commented on another thread about this as last summer did some introductory sessions on this RAD Rep class. First I agree that a complete adult beginner would not cope with even level two of the Rep......it would suit returners to ballet more who already have some basic understanding of how to put steps together. A COMPLETE new beginner to ballet would need at least one to two years of classes before attempting the level two. I also found a discrepancy between the barre level and the Rep level. Level two barre is far too easy in my view( though ironically might suit beginners!) I asked the teacher about this and ...if I haven't misunderstood this....was told you can sort of mix and match at exam level.... that is you could do the level three barre in the level two Rep exam....though Imthink they are examined separately anyway so I found it all a but unnecessarily complicated to be honest. However the pieces we looked at were really nice to do from level two and three anyway....only briefly looked at level four as this is or seemed to be more of a jump in technical ability required etc. So they don't quite naturally follow on as it were. Also another thing that occurred to me .....for example we learned the level two Rep in one evening!! Is that although of course this all needed to be perfected and improved to be ready for examination etc ...how long was the expected time of study ....I think I would be bored after one term of this!! So it didn't seem that you would need a whole year of study for example ....as possibly would with a grade exam. So perhaps a course just to dip in and out of every so often but if you are an Adult dancer and really enjoy doing Rep I would say that there are many workshops and courses you can attend which may have more to offer in a way unless you just enjoy doing exams!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie_rebecca Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, LinMM said: I asked the teacher about this and ...if I haven't misunderstood this....was told you can sort of mix and match at exam level.... Yes, each DR level is split into 3 units, Barre & Centre, Variation 1 with preparatory exercises & Variation 2 with preparatory exercises, You get a unit certificate with each & when you've completed all 3 you get a total level certificate. The way we're learning it at the moment, Barre + 1 variation each from level 2 & 3 I'd much rather focus on one barre & variation complete that then move on, as it is we'll take a lot longer & be ready for 4 exams at the same time which doesn't make huge sense to me, typically I believe the people taking DR exams so far have been taking barre + 1 variation (so 2 units) at a time, although some have been doing barre + variation 1 & 2 at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 While you can't move through it the same way you could from Grade 2 to Grade 4, that comparison sort of falls away if you look at moving through from Intermediate to Advanced 1, which is really what the target is... Obviously it gets a lot harder, going from your first 'attempt' at double pirouettes in intermediate to fouette turns in Advanced 1! Seems similar to the advancement in difficulty of the DR levels. I have no interest really in DR as my sole ballet training because the class work looks incredibly simple, but as a supplement to other classes I find it rather enjoyable. So far I have only done the development exercises as a way of learning the variation, I have to say I hadn't really considered what it would be like to have to drill these exercises over and over to exam readiness, considering it only consists of steps that you will eventually show in the variation anyway? And then actually performing them in the exam, knowing you're about to perform the exact same steps in a slightly longer sequence...I'm not sure I totally see the point, and imagine it might actually be a bit dull for the examiner? But clearly they trialled the syllabus and there was positive feedback about it so there must be interest. I'm not doing it in a standard class, just as a bit of fun in a half hour private every fortnight so I'm not really getting the proper DR experience which might also colour my responses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now