Berry

Thrilled to hear everyone's news and updates! Viv do you think you will pursue the Adv 2 exam? I am aiming for the possibility of taking it this year (I don't know if I truly have capacity, but am giving it my all this year to try). On the side I am also taking ISDT National Intermediate and RAD Grade 7 exams potentially as well. Happy dancing everyone!

1 hour ago, Viv said:

So I sat my Advanced 1 exam earlier this week. It started off really well, I felt like things were coming off as well as I expected them too. While I had done certain elements better on their own in class, in the context of the whole exercise I felt like I still managed to present well where I am at this point in time. And that's really all you can hope for in the exam right?

 

Unfortunately, I landed one the first fouette sautes in allegro 4 badly somehow and injured my knee. I have had impingement and inflammation in the fatpad of that knee for about 6 weeks, but it was under control and wasn't giving me any pain until then. Suddenly I landed the jump and the knee started swelling basically immediately. I pushed through allegro 5 but didn't do my fouette turns as well as I was hoping for as the knee I was releveing on was the hurt one.

 

By the time I put my pointe shoes on, my entire left leg was basically in revolt. My knee wouldn't bend or stretch fully, and I had pain lancing up into my hip and down into my foot. I could barely get over my box on that side. I did all the exercises and think I even managed to cover how bad it was for the first four pointe exercises. But by pointe enchainment 3, which is always my worst exercise, I just had no power at all left in that leg. I couldn't use it to plie and push me onto the right leg, and I definitely couldn't make it sustain my whole weight. There is one part of the exercise where you do three sissone releves en pointe in a row, en avant, de cote and en arriere, and my left leg completely crumbled underneath me. I didn't manage a single one on the left side. For the en arriere I didn't even attempt it because I was worried I would land even more badly and injure myself more. I basically had tears in my eyes a this point and looked over at the examiner with a plea for mercy...

 

Then the variation happened, and I tried to finish strong, but I just couldn't. I lost control of my turnout, I came off my pointe shoe, and then I forgot part of the variation because I was so focused on everything else. Oh and then the heel came off my right shoe to make it even worse. I am so disappointed because I love that variation and wasn't able to showcase how hard I'd worked on it. 

 

My teacher wants me to apply for special consideration, so I am seeing my physio for a letter in support. I don't think it'll make much of a difference, the whole point of the exam is they mark what you show on the day and sometimes what you show isn't your best. But I'm hoping it at least explains to the examiner why it was such a significant drop in ability from the first half to the second half of the exam. Other than that, it's now out of my hands...

 So sorry to hear Viv! It is so rough when something an injury occurs at the worst moment. Congratulations on going for the exam and for achieving what you did! My exam had some rough disappointments as well - it was a video exam and the studio we rented did not have air conditioning and it ended up being the hottest day of the summer. My asthma flared up quite badly  and I needed to take several breaks to manage it, and my pointe shoes melted in the heat.  Don't be too hard on yourself. Allow yourself to recover from the exam and continue doing what you love!!!! You've made it this far - which is not for the faint of heart! Much love and I hope your results surprise you in a good weay!

Hi everyone, I am new here, it's nice to find a thread of adult RAD students. I went back to dancing as an adult, and I just took my Adv 1 exam via a video exam this summer. I received my results this week and I was very pleased that I passed with merit (especially considering the circumstances of the video exam), though I was just two marks below a high merit which was my goal. I hope to take the Adv 2 exam next, if my body allows it. I am also learning the Discovering Rep bluebird variation this year. Thanks for this supportive group, and I am interested to read about everyone's goals for this year.