BBO vs RAD Grade Comparisons

[richieN]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm curious.... DD is currently qualified BBO grade 4 (distinction) and working on grade 5 (not en pointe yet, as she is 11). How does that compare to RAD? Are these grades essentially similar levels, or is BBO 4 comparable to RAD 3 or 5?

 

Thanks,

[sarahw]

My dd did BBO to Inter and has now moved school and doing RAD.

 

They seem to be similar in level but different in style.

[richieN]

Thanks @sarahw

 

[ArucariaBallerina]

Sorry to invade slightly, but what about IDTA? Are they easier/ harder than RAD? Do they (like RAD) do English style or something else's? (I believe ISTD do Imperial [French style] or Cecchetti [Italian style]) 

[richieN]

Hi @ArucariaBallerina

 

I found this forum comparing RAD to ISTD. Nothing about IDTA.

https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/children-parenting-190/primary-school-age-4-11-years-60/500755-different-dancing-exam-boards-whats-difference.html

[sarahw]

Sorry I'm not competent to comment on different countries' styles of ballet.

 

What I meant was that the BBO exams have a much longer list of exercises which tend to concentrate on one technique or move whereas the RAD exercises are each much longer, incorporate multiple moves and seem more 'dancey'.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, sarahw said:

My dd did BBO to Inter and has now moved school and doing RAD.

 

They seem to be similar in level but different in style.

Would be interested to know how your dd found the transition sarahw. My dd did RAD to Grade 5 and has done BBO IF Inter and is doing Adv 1. She has been told she will need to retake her Inter and Adv 1 in RAD syllabus at her new school.

[sarahw]

I don't think it's been a major issue mnemo tbh. Just part of the adjustment to new school, new teachers etc. I'm sure your dd will be fine. I look on it as a positive having had exposure to different syllabi. RAD seems to offer competition opportunities etc that you don't get with BBO. And more international recognition also possibly? 

[sarahw]

In fact the only issue we ever had was that the JA teacher couldn't get her head round the fact that my dd genuinely didn't understand some RAD vocabulary as there are differences....

[Guest]

thank you sarahw that's very reassuring.

[dancemad]

Sorry I cannot comment on BBO as I don't teach it. As far as the Grade syllabuses for ISTD, RAD and IDTA are concerned (which I am familiar with) there are differences in when the various technical steps are introduced. Personally I would say that ISTD Imperial introduces more challenging technical steps earlier. Most of the Imperial syllabus is 'free work' in the exam so this requires more command over the technique. The level at which steps are introduced with the IDTA are comparable to the ISTD but the exam only requires one 'free' enchainment from Grade 2 onwards. The RAD syllabus steps are more or less a Grade behind ISTD (so Grade 2 in ISTD would be Grade 3 RAD) and the IDTA are far closer to the ISTD than RAD. All of that said none of it really matters because if you have a good teacher the technique will be sound whatever society you follow. In an ideal world a good teacher should be giving free classes to older students too but ofcourse timetables don't always allow for that. 

Edited April 9, 2017 by dancemad

[Colman]

Our teacher does RAD for the kids, ISTD Imperial for most of the adults, so I'm doing classes with both syllabuses as a student: what  Dancemad said sounds right, except to note that the (new) RAD syllabus is more dancey, so while the steps may be more technical in ISTD the ways in which they're put together in the RAD set exercises are more artistically complicated, if that makes sense? It feels like it'll all balance out in the end. The ISTD doesn't have the character dances that the RAD do in the ballet exams - I think they're covered in other parts of the ISTD curriculum.

[trog]

I've done RAD to grade 6 and BBO to grade 8, and I found the longer sequences in BBO far more interesting than RAD. This was in the 1990s and it may all have changed now.

 

14 hours ago, sarahw said:

In fact the only issue we ever had was that the JA teacher couldn't get her head round the fact that my dd genuinely didn't understand some RAD vocabulary as there are differences....

 

I wonder what the teacher would think of a Cecchetti student. I had lots of trouble with the different names for the arms, especially as I was doing Cecchetti and RAD at the same time.

[Legseleven]

Mnemo, as far as I understand it your DD wouldn't be required to do Intermediate in the RAD syllabus as the RAD accept a pass at Intermediate in any other recognised syllabus as the required qualification so that students can take Adv 1. I don't know whether she would need to re-take Adv 1 in the RAD syllabus to be able to take Adv 2 RAD although I suspect it may be the same attitude as with Intermediate. 

I would contact the RAD yourself if not sure. 

[sarahw]

Yes legs eleven of course - my dd hasn't had to re-take. Good point.

[Guest]

This is at the school's request, not the RAD's.

[Nicola H]

48 minutes ago, mnemo said:

This is at the school's request, not the RAD's.

 

possibly  becasue of the  percieved difficulty of 'changing codes ' and progressing  ...   like the differencesand subtleties  in meaning  between US ,Australian and British English 

[Lauryn]

Pleas help I need to know what the difference in grading is between idta and bbo as my daughter has just changed over dance company she was working at grade 3 on bbo but this new company want to put her back to grade 1 x am unsure this is the best company now x

[Picturesinthefirelight]

If she’s done Grade 3 BBO she’s going to find Grade IDTA very simple & probably boring. 

[Bluebird22]

I took on a lot of IDTA students about 7 years back and swapped them to bbo has to take them back 2 grades. I’ve only ever taught the adv2 IDTA and I would say it’s the same standard as bbo inter found. Not necessarily a bad thing as very few (if any!) manage to take the bbo adv 2. There is a massive amount of set syllabus content with bbo whereas IDTA places a greater emphasis on freework and more vocabulary in each exercise, bbo will do separate exercises for tendu, plie, glisse whereas that could be one exercise in IDTA. 

[taxi4ballet]

On 11/07/2018 at 19:31, Lauryn said:

Pleas help I need to know what the difference in grading is between idta and bbo as my daughter has just changed over dance company she was working at grade 3 on bbo but this new company want to put her back to grade 1 x am unsure this is the best company now x

How old is she, and was there a reason for the move?

[Tippytoes17]

I realise this is an old thread however thought it easier to write on the here than start a new thread! 
 

I am going back to ballet classes next week at a new school however it is BBO rather than RAD. Before stopping 4 years ago, I was preparing for my grade 7 exam. At the new school, I am to be in the inter foundation class. Having very little knowledge of the BBO syllabus and struggling to find anything online, does anyone know if this should be okay? I’m just worried that having not danced in 4 years and not having done any vocational grades previously that this might be too much. 

[Dance*is*life]

I can only tell you that in my opinion RAD Grade 7 is quite a bit more advanced in content than RAD's IF.  I use it as a stepping stone rrom IF to Intermediate.  In IF the exercises are quite short and basic, but in Grade 7 they are long and need a lot  Yes IF has echappé battu and petits battement, but Grade 7 has frappę en croix, ronds de jambe and battements fondues en l'air, plus sissone en avant.  I'm afraid I don't know BBO.

[Tippytoes17]

21 hours ago, Dance*is*life said:

I can only tell you that in my opinion RAD Grade 7 is quite a bit more advanced in content than RAD's IF.  I use it as a stepping stone rrom IF to Intermediate.  In IF the exercises are quite short and basic, but in Grade 7 they are long and need a lot  Yes IF has echappé battu and petits battement, but Grade 7 has frappę en croix, ronds de jambe and battements fondues en l'air, plus sissone en avant.  I'm afraid I don't know BBO.

Thank you for your response. I started the classes on Tuesday and found that the IF BBO content was easier than grade 7 RAD - probably more on par with grade 5/6. That said, having not danced for 4 years, it at least allows me to get back into it 🤣

[glowlight]

It is probably not surprising that IF seems easier than Grade 7.

 

Both BBO and RAD, Intermediate Foundation are accredited as a Level 2 qualification in the 'Regulated Qualifications Framework', whereas Grade 7 is Level 3.  

 

See https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/media/2019/01/11125406/RAD_RQF_Framework_information_20151019_ex.pdf and https://bbo.dance/images/syllabus/Specifications/Specs_updated_Jul_2020/bbodance_Level_2_Specification_2019-23_v1.2.pdf

 

[LinMM]

I was going to suggest the BBO IF class as being easier and maybe a good way back in after 4 years. 
I’ve not done BBO grade 7 only as far as Grade 6 with them. 
The RAD grade 7 is lovely though let’s hope BBO grade 7 is a good one too I enjoyed the grade 6 but then got fed up with doing graded classes so it’s about five years ago now since I did any. 
I was quite interested in doing the new RAD Rep courses but know I wouldn’t want to actually do the exam.  
I’ve always thought that the BBO grades were slightly more dancey than RAD ones but the newer RAD syllabus seems to be going more in that direction too.