JLAEI

Such a hard exam, and a huge achievement for any dancer to get to that level but especially an adult dancer. And those marks are amazing... I'd ignore the 3; I understand the mark scheme, but it's pretty mean of examiner not to give a 4, especially given your overall standard. Could you do at RAD centre somewhere? It's about the process and all that but sounds like you really deserve to pass this exam. Regardless though, huge amounts of respect.

S0313L Jason Samuels Tap Shoe Black UK A5H US 8.5 EU 38.5 RRP £119 worn for one class, asking for £80 inc postage + package.

We do several local comps a year, one of which is an AE qualifier (possibly not the highest standard one, though always pretty high standard). My dd's have qualified dances to regionals from this festival (and our regionals would be MN), but we have never done because even if they qualified for finals, it's not feasible for us in July, and we're only just okay with balancing classes, exams, academics and festivals as it is! However, I know several dancers who do compete at regionals in this area from a number of different schools, and they had sections of 60 dancers in some age groups at MN this year. And a high standard. I also have seen adjudication from one of the adjudicators first hand, who was knowledgeable in all genres (but I admit to knowing nothing about national so could be wrong about this). I remember from my own comp days when there are 3+ adjudicators, this sometimes produces more surprising results as some dancers divide opinion. Festivals always are subjective (dance just is?), but it is rare someone who wasn't even on my radar wins . I have seen dancers who regularly win highest mark of festival not place. I think festivals have to be about improvement, performance opportunities, and fun.

are the black ones available still?

Bit off topic as I know nothing re BATD. I can see why teachers follow syllabi but I do think it's important to do a fair bit of free work to encourage quick response to different styles and combinations of steps. Ballet wise a lot of schools do ISTD grades and then both ISTD and RAD majors so I think it unlikely that BATD demand students go back to grade 2, when RAD don't make students go back and repeat grades before entering majors. Think there is probably a bit of snobbery over exam boards - we used to say IDTA modern was a bit flashy and not very technical compared to ISTD, and I used to see a lot of IDTA tap done with turned out feet, but I reckon this was/is the teacher/s rather than the syllabus.

Think you also need to get a distinction at adv 2 to enter solo seal

didn't actually realise was an old bumped thread!

I agree that the mark of a really good teacher is aiming to make everyone fulfil their potential. Much harder to make a proficient dancer out of someone with little natural ability, but it can be done

Read this thread before and think I conflated two threads, one about unset work/shows and this, sorry!

I think even if parents can't see technique, they can see what looks "nice", which IS good technique with a sense of performance, and musicality. Adjudicators may pick dancers out at festivals that I wouldn't, but those dancers do usually have basically sound technique, (of course the higher the standard the more personal choice and choreo comes into it). But I guess parents do take notice, as a fair few move to better schools after festivals, and they're usually the better dancers who are taking their dance more seriously. And from what I have seen there isn't the "poaching" that there used to be years and years ago, so these are dancers and parents taking the decision, based on what they have seen. I also agree re free work, but even in exam classes, usually a fair bit of allegro will be unset? Even in much lower grades, very simple unset enchainements? And definitely in modern and tap, they used to do a fair bit of unset and also improv. And shows and comps also help dancers to pick things up quickly and to interpret a wide range of music and to perform. Although I would object if shows took months and months to rehearse and there were no normal classes in that time. 6 weeks is okay as long as technique is basically sound and warm ups etc done. I trained at an exam and festival school, and now my daughter does, and I have never done a barre exercise on one side only, and neither has she!

was it good?

Hope it goes well.

I guess it's hard for parents who don't know anything about dancing, and I have seen some children at schools who could be amazing, but just aren't getting the teaching. I guess festivals help some in this as you would see other children at a much higher standard, and with better technique and may start to wonder.

And yet I really hated proper improv. sections where adjudicator brought music. Suppose I had at least chosen the music

I once entered a lyrical, was meant to do own choreo, never got round to it, so improvised whole thing apart from beginning bit I'd set, and won! Thankfully wasnt required to dance it again

Yes I can too. other than maybe developing rhythm and timing those aspiring just to ballet would gain more from modern/contemporary than tap. But I don't think it would be detrimental either iykwim

I've seen some excellent tappers with great pointe work too.

Actually thinking about it, it takes children sometimes a lot longer to master tap technique and this could be because they are so used to stretching feet and legs in ballet class that they cant manage the looser feel. They usually get there in the end, and your ankles don't actually need to be that loose to be a proficient tapper - just relaxed

For tap you have to keep your ankles relaxed, which maybe another reason some ballet dancers cant adapt well to tap, but your ankles also need to be strong for tap. Am no expert but a lot of very good schools do both with no detrimental effects.

Fine to do tap and ballet I think, cant see any detrimental effects. Though have seen some v good ballet dancers not really adapt to tap that well, not always the case though. Tap does not look good with turned out feet, lol

Yes but certainly by E a few students choreograph at least 1 or 2 of dances, maybe with tweaks by teachers. And lots of times the winner is someone who "improvised" their solo having forgotten the original Can be a problem when adjudicator wants to see the performance again in a gala/bursary

You would hope that by 13/14 they could have a good go at choreographing their own

That dance shouldn't have been in a classical ballet section. Lyrical has a specific technique and you do see a lot of "lyricals" that really sh9uld be in modern - lots of adjudicators pick up on this. Re ages, some festivals have 15/16, and then 17+, and some also split sections over 30 on age lines. Tbh though quite often the 15/16 section is stronger than 17+, as apart from those few who go onto full time training at 18, by 17+ some of the dancers have gone off the boil a bit. maybe more focussed on academics and other things.

When I was dancing in festivals - many moons ago - I can only remember a vocational student competing in the festival held in the holidays once. She was very good but she was not head and shoulders above the best of the others and she wasn't placed in every section she entered. Now I know some festivals define "amateur" as "not earning a living from dance or in full time vocational training" If they don't then I can't see any reason why not, and especially not if you haven't actually started full time training. Quite often the children that went onto WL (and I am talking a long time ago) had not been that successful in festivals. They had the potential but not always the most developed technique and performance quality. For dc that aren't planning a classical ballet career, a lot choose to stay on at local schools until 16/18 as they would miss the performance opportunities that festivals/shows etc. offer them, and for musical theatre/cruises etc performance is equally important.

generally for dancers (not vocational level classical ballet dancers), I think gymnastics can help a lot. Flexibility but more importantly core strength. My gymnast does ballet and jazz, and it's great help for jazz, makes her strong in legs and core, but she does still do ballet with gymnasts hands and struggles with ribs - getting better though and she's only been dancing a year. Depends on type of gym also I would say, rhythmic gymnasts have a leaner and less muscly physique than acrobats or artistic gymnasts (in this country anyway). In terms of general fitness she is much fitter than her sister who just dances, though the dancer has better ballet posture and arms