balletgremlin

If you can continue doing both, I'd recommend doing that. Intermediate and Grade 7 are very different and both lovely in their own way. As I'm sure you're aware having taken 6 and IF, the vocational grades require a strong technique and pointe work and the grades are much more dance-y and performance based - and you get to do free movement and character which I've always loved. I would also add that there is no requirement you need to tick off all your exams and rush to get grade 8 done before you go off to college. Exams will be there no matter your age. I passed grade 6 in 2004, took a break from ballet, took my Intermediate this November (along with a repertoire unit) and will be taking grade 7 in March.

My school had an entire exam session get the additional 3 marks - back in March 2020. On the Monday they were told exams would go ahead as normal, on Wednesday they were told they'd been cancelled and Thursday that they'd be filmed instead, all to take place on the Friday & Saturday.

Thank you. I've seen this clip several times and there were a few more at the RAD exhibit at the V&A. I'll report back if I find any more or get anywhere with contacting the RAD.

Does anyone have the music (or possibly video?) to any of the syllabus or know where I might be able to find it? Particularly senior grade. Thanks.

Kids classes started back 12th April. Adult classes could start from beginning of this week (17th May).

RAD's guidance - https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/coronavirus-guidance/restrictions-in-the-uk/

All done for you.

When we filmed exams in March, each exam had to be done in one recording and the children all got 3 extra special consideration marks for the circumstances - though they only found out on the Thursday their exam would be filmed on the Friday. Now it's no so rushed and last minute I don't know if that would still be the case.

I can't help with leotards but as @Tango Dancer I make made-to-measure wrap skirts for dancers of any size (largest so far is a 50" waist) and can be made in any length and in a range of colours and patterns. Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/sissonneskirts Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SissonneSkirts

Modibodi come in beige - https://www.modibodi.co.uk/collections/underpants/products/classic-bikini-light-moderate-absorbency and don't stick out my leotard (admittedly it'll depend on the cut of the leg holes). They do them in various aborbancies and they do a seam free and a thong version though I haven't tried them to recommend. Sizing is accurate - I'm usually a 10/12 in underwear and wear a 12 in Modibodi - though the elastic on the pants is tight enough I do size up to a 14 for wearing under leotards to avoid any lumpy dents.

According to the goverment website they're still shut - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/opening-certain-businesses-and-venues-in-england-from-4-july-2020

Medals and certificates won't be coming out until the RAD headquarters open up again.

Congratulations on your exam results. I didn't mean to scare anyone, I'm very happy to hear they were scored fairly.

Primary through to grade 8. Results are definitely lower - the teacher has lodged a complaint. I think their performances were affected by having the pair of us watching them instead of an examiner so it felt less like an exam to them but not enough to have impacted them that significantly. Supposedly they were marked and then had another examiner moderate the results so they should be fair. Who knows? Would it have been better to postpone? I don't know. The kids were ready and at their peak. I think dancing at home in lockdown and having to carry on with the same grade, they'd have gotten very fed up with everything. Strange times.

Sorry, I don't know who the examiner was in the end. I'm only the teaching assistant so I'm getting all this info through from the teacher. Is it a good thing or a bad thing we've still got the videos so can watch them back and see how they did? Obviously none of the dancers were perfect and mistakes and things to be improved can be pointed out but normally teachers have a rough idea of how well everyone will do.

Results have finally come through. Everyone did much worse than expected, especially performance wise. The girls are all great performers. Maybe it didn't shine through on the camera. None of them got a distinction and even the merits weren't all that high.

Yes, they did.

I used to have a pair of Katz toepads which were clear and super thick. No idea if these are the same ones - https://www.katz-dancewear.co.uk/productpage.php?product=901

We did video exams and have heard that they have been examined but will be examined again/moderated and results could take another week or so.

We're definitely not going to get our school's results next week - the RAD have just emailed saying they've received the videos and will get an examiner to look at them soon.

I have a PDF of the syllabus exercises. It's not the easiest thing to read and follow along to but if it's of any help.

Heard from an RAD teacher in the Midlands who opted for exams via video. I don't know if there have been further updates since then to delay them coming out.

Last I heard, results were coming out next week, Tuesday if I remember correctly.

The boys' grade 7 was filmed relatively recently along with the new syllabus. Same for grade 6 (which only has 2 exercises for boys - the waltz enchainment and classical dance, though both use the same music as the girls' equivalent.) I have uploaded a lot of me dancing the grade 7 syllabus to youtube but obviously isn't of the standard you'd get by watching the DVD. I filmed me doing the barre ages ago and contains a lot of mistakes and some dreadful posture and the centre work I filmed while injured just before I had to pull out of my exam. I haven't uploaded character because I was often out of camera shot (not to mention it's difficult and I didn't look all that good) and didn't do upper back because I hate that exercise and it showed.

Don't buy the boy's app for grade 7 - it only contains the exercises which are different (they have different music and choreograpy) i.e. Boy's port de bra, adage, dance & free movement.