Taking Ballet Exams as an adult

[Angela Essex]

18 hours ago, Viv said:

 

None yet, though the wait is starting to drive me a bit crazy. I thought the new iPad system was meant to speed things up?

 

Normally we get results between 1-15 December (in non-covid years) so I am hoping for the earlier side of that and trying not to get a bit frantic while we're still in November...

Keeping my fingers crossed for you 🤞

[EverHopeful]

Have any of you done grades 1 and 2 as an adult? I’ve done higher ones but would like to complete the whole set one day. 

[valentine56]

21 hours ago, EverHopeful said:

Have any of you done grades 1 and 2 as an adult? I’ve done higher ones but would like to complete the whole set one day. 

I did G2, not as an adult, but in my mid-teens, which at the time felt old for the syllabus. It still requires some hard work to prepare but you probably wouldn't need that much work if you have already done your exams in other grades, and the exam is short. At least back then, though, (I suspect this hasn't changed) the exercises felt 'childish' and I felt quite silly (though maybe that's just being a teen).

[Jan McNulty]

33 minutes ago, valentine56 said:

I did G2, 

 

Hello Valentine56 and a belated welcome to the Forum!

[Angela Essex]

On 25/11/2022 at 11:30, EverHopeful said:

Have any of you done grades 1 and 2 as an adult? I’ve done higher ones but would like to complete the whole set one day. 

No, I did mention to my teacher that maybe I could start with G1 seeing as I’d not danced before but she said I’d be best off doing the intermediate foundation exam. 

[youngatheart]

On 25/11/2022 at 11:30, EverHopeful said:

Have any of you done grades 1 and 2 as an adult? I’ve done higher ones but would like to complete the whole set one day. 

RAD Grades 1 & 2 aren't really appropriate for adults - the content is really aimed at children. Adults are recommended to start with Grade 3. However other syllabi like BBO or IDTA do not have that issue.

[LinMM]

I agree Why would somebody who has more senior exams under their belt want to take a Grade 1 or 2 exam! Personally I can’t see the point of it. 
Adults who haven’t yet taken any exams but want to I would still aim for a grade 4/5 exam to start with. 
Adults are different to children and may have accrued other physical skills which can feed into being stronger in a ballet class. 
It can be similar to somebody learning a musical instrument I should imagine most adults wanting to actually take exams would start around Grade 3 level. This is because you don’t usually start learning as an adult with the view to taking exams so are often a couple of years in or so before exams would come up as a possibility to aim for so probably already around the Grade 3 level at that point and probably a bit higher for ballet. 

[EverHopeful]

22 hours ago, LinMM said:

I agree Why would somebody who has more senior exams under their belt want to take a Grade 1 or 2 exam! Personally I can’t see the point of it. 

I guess it’s just something nice to work towards, to have the complete set. There’s no particular “need” for me to do any of the graded syllabus, I just want to because I love it. 
The RAD specifications say there is no upper age limit for any exam, so they can’t frown on it too much. 

[Laura_ballet]

Never have I thought to complete the grades until reading this feed. I started taking vocational classes and did my intermediate foundation in April which went well. I have my intermediate this week and I don’t feel ready. I fell off pointe last Monday and twisted my ankle then went to buy new shoes ok weekend and none in stock 😢 so I’m going into my exam with sloppy shoes and my pointe work is shocking! I haven’t even managed to do the reverence on pointe! I haven’t secured 2 double pirouettes ever when practicing! Ahhhh stressed 😩 just going to try and enjoy it even though they are two examiners for the exam as they are standardising!! Looking forward to moving onto advanced foundation though 😊 

[LinMM]

I think completing the grades going upwards is one thing eg: got as far as grade 4 when younger so now want to complete the exams going forwards so onto grade 5 grade 6 etc etc 
It is doing them backwards which feels a bit surplus to me. 
Would somebody who already had their Advanced one for example really want to go back and do Grade  one 🤔

Maybe it depends just how far along the exam system you are. So perhaps if at Grade 4 level say then going backwards to consolidate could sort of make sense especially if trying to better ones marks for earlier exams. 
So perhaps aiming for an Honours type score could be a nice challenge to set oneself if going backwards as such. 

 

 

[The_Red_Shoes]

Well, it's exam day tomorrow, at 1215! I think I feel ok about it. Being a control freak I have everything organised: to do list (0730 up and shower, 0800 sensible breakfast, 0830 make up, 0900 dress then down to my daughter's for her to do my hair, etc....) I leave nothing to chance! I have spare shoes, spare tights, sewing kit, medications....

 

The final run through last Friday went well, possibly too well. All the dances, my teacher said I performed the best she had seen me do. Fortunately I messed up the Finale Polonaise, otherwise she would have been worried. Anyway, whatever happens in the exam I know that I have grown and improved immensely over the last year, especially in quality and performance, and that is really what counts.

 

I had rather an unsettling experience last Wednesday when immediately after class I had a sudden loss of energy, was pale and cold and felt weak and shaky. I was ok after a banana and an energy drink so I am now careful to have suitable drink and snack to hand. Fortunately in Grade 8 it's possible to nibble something between each dance.

 

So now (after sorting out several pairs of perfect tights, cleaning my shoes and steaming my skirts) I am mainly sitting quietly and knitting socks as an activity that is quiet and de-stressing but keeps the mind fully occupied.

[EverHopeful]

So exciting @The_Red_Shoes hope it all goes really well for you. Do let us know! 

[Laura_ballet]

Have a great exam @The_Red_Shoessounds like you’re well prepared. Grade 8 is beautiful to dance, enjoy! And defo keep small snacks for the breaks in between. 

[Laura_ballet]

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

I think completing the grades going upwards is one thing eg: got as far as grade 4 when younger so now want to complete the exams going forwards so onto grade 5 grade 6 etc etc 
It is doing them backwards which feels a bit surplus to me. 
Would somebody who already had their Advanced one for example really want to go back and do Grade  one 🤔

Maybe it depends just how far along the exam system you are. So perhaps if at Grade 4 level say then going backwards to consolidate could sort of make sense especially if trying to better ones marks for earlier exams. 
So perhaps aiming for an Honours type score could be a nice challenge to set oneself if going backwards as such. 

 

 

Yes I think grade 1 or 2 isn’t the best place to start graded exam as an adult. I think grade 3/4 for a complete beginner. And those returning to dance possibly grade 4/5. The character dances are quite challenging if you haven’t done any character before and dance b can be a great alternative if you like less classical dance for a challenge. For me the reason I’ve decided to do my exams again for motivation,  discipline and confidence boasting. After having three children, it’s been nice to go back to class and focus on a goal rather than just a general class. And taking exams as an adult really is a completely different experience. Most people think it’s bizarre that I would take a ballet exam for enjoyment!! 

[Angela Essex]

8 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

Well, it's exam day tomorrow, at 1215! I think I feel ok about it. Being a control freak I have everything organised: to do list (0730 up and shower, 0800 sensible breakfast, 0830 make up, 0900 dress then down to my daughter's for her to do my hair, etc....) I leave nothing to chance! I have spare shoes, spare tights, sewing kit, medications....

 

The final run through last Friday went well, possibly too well. All the dances, my teacher said I performed the best she had seen me do. Fortunately I messed up the Finale Polonaise, otherwise she would have been worried. Anyway, whatever happens in the exam I know that I have grown and improved immensely over the last year, especially in quality and performance, and that is really what counts.

 

I had rather an unsettling experience last Wednesday when immediately after class I had a sudden loss of energy, was pale and cold and felt weak and shaky. I was ok after a banana and an energy drink so I am now careful to have suitable drink and snack to hand. Fortunately in Grade 8 it's possible to nibble something between each dance.

 

So now (after sorting out several pairs of perfect tights, cleaning my shoes and steaming my skirts) I am mainly sitting quietly and knitting socks as an activity that is quiet and de-stressing but keeps the mind fully occupied.

Wishing you the best of luck for tomorrow. Enjoy ❤️🩰💪

[NeverTooOld]

18 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

Well, it's exam day tomorrow, at 1215! I think I feel ok about it. Being a control freak I have everything organised: to do list (0730 up and shower, 0800 sensible breakfast, 0830 make up, 0900 dress then down to my daughter's for her to do my hair, etc....) I leave nothing to chance! I have spare shoes, spare tights, sewing kit, medications....

 

The final run through last Friday went well, possibly too well. All the dances, my teacher said I performed the best she had seen me do. Fortunately I messed up the Finale Polonaise, otherwise she would have been worried. Anyway, whatever happens in the exam I know that I have grown and improved immensely over the last year, especially in quality and performance, and that is really what counts.

 

I had rather an unsettling experience last Wednesday when immediately after class I had a sudden loss of energy, was pale and cold and felt weak and shaky. I was ok after a banana and an energy drink so I am now careful to have suitable drink and snack to hand. Fortunately in Grade 8 it's possible to nibble something between each dance.

 

So now (after sorting out several pairs of perfect tights, cleaning my shoes and steaming my skirts) I am mainly sitting quietly and knitting socks as an activity that is quiet and de-stressing but keeps the mind fully occupied.

Best of luck for your exam. Hope all goes well and you enjoy it

[NeverTooOld]

With regards to going back to earlier exams, I think I remember hearing that RAD don't allow you to do this i.e. you can't go back to grade 2 for example if you've already done a higher grade exam. Not certain on this though so you may need to check and could be different for other exam boards.

[The_Red_Shoes]

My exam went generally ok, I think. I didn't dance as well as I have in class, but then that's exam conditions and exam nerves. Technique was a bit shaky in places but I think I performed well. I think I danced the Danse Russe well and survived the Valse Printemps still breathing and smiling. The examiners were really lovely and a responsive audience. They applauded us in the end and chatted for a while about our dance journeys and what we plan to do next. And the lead examiner said that she couldn' t do Grade 8 now and she looked to be a good decade younger than us! So hurrah for adult dancers of advanced years.

[EverHopeful]

Aww that’s lovely to hear @The_Red_Shoes I’m glad it went well. 

And now the wait for the results! 

[balletgremlin]

Congratulation @The_Red_Shoes, Valse Printemps is a killer but grade 8 is a gorgeous grade and lovely to perform. Your examiner sounds nice too.  Good luck to everyone else doing exams this exam session.

 

@NeverTooOldThat's not the case now, I don't know if it was in the past. RAD allows resits and exams don't have to be taken in any order (except the vocationals with pre-requisites).  I think ISTD have a rule that adults can't go in with children during graded exams but they can still enter as a separate set.

 

@EverHopeful The RAD graded syllabus is progressive and the younger grades have been designed for children still developing their gross and fine motor skills. If you've done higher grades, you won't gain anything technique wise out of taking lower exams. Grade 1 has an exercise to check dancers can walk in time to the music while pointing their feet. It can be useful to learn the syllabus if you're interested in childhood physical and cognitive development, seeing how steps are first introduced and how they progress through the syllabus, starting very simply in parallel with no arms while children develop the strength and co-ordination. Children also learn through play which is why the dances have stories to them - snowball fights with friends, playing hide and seek etc. Looks very cute on a seven year old. Probably not as charming on a grown up.

[LinMM]

Glad your exam seems to have gone okay …the nerves show you really care so I’m sure there will be some allowance for that. Hope it’s good news in a few weeks time!! 

[Angela Essex]

@The_Red_Shoes fantastic! Good job. Keeping my fingers crossed for your results.

[Viv]

I did about 18 months of open adult classes before transferring to an exam studio with children. Was told by my open class teacher to go for grade 6 but ended up with grade 5 because the timetable worked better. I am so glad I started with grade 5 as it's a better preparation for vocational syllabus than the higher grades I feel. I actually think starting at grade 4 might have been a better choice, looking backwards, but I still managed to complete grade 5 to a high enough standard so maybe that's just my perfectionism. @Angela Essex I really have no idea how you're starting with intermediate foundation as a complete beginner and keeping up, colour me very impressed!

 

Perhaps if I'd started straight away with exams I would have gone to grade 3 first, but I learned a lot of the equivalent content in my open adult ballet classes so I never really felt the need to go back that far. I do find that I still struggle with some advanced steps because I never learned to do the early building block step properly, and that has been an ongoing difficulty learning from teachers who mostly teach children and go "just do what feels natural". Okay, it feels natural to you because you've been doing it since you were 2 - it doesn't feel very natural to me at all! 

[Angela Essex]

5 hours ago, Viv said:

I did about 18 months of open adult classes before transferring to an exam studio with children. Was told by my open class teacher to go for grade 6 but ended up with grade 5 because the timetable worked better. I am so glad I started with grade 5 as it's a better preparation for vocational syllabus than the higher grades I feel. I actually think starting at grade 4 might have been a better choice, looking backwards, but I still managed to complete grade 5 to a high enough standard so maybe that's just my perfectionism. @Angela Essex I really have no idea how you're starting with intermediate foundation as a complete beginner and keeping up, colour me very impressed!

 

Perhaps if I'd started straight away with exams I would have gone to grade 3 first, but I learned a lot of the equivalent content in my open adult ballet classes so I never really felt the need to go back that far. I do find that I still struggle with some advanced steps because I never learned to do the early building block step properly, and that has been an ongoing difficulty learning from teachers who mostly teach children and go "just do what feels natural". Okay, it feels natural to you because you've been doing it since you were 2 - it’0 doesn't feel very natural to me at all! 

Aww thanks Viv I went to my current teacher having in Jan 2022, at that point I’d done about 8 months of in person classes and before that I’d been doing online classes in lockdown since 2020 or 2021 I forget now so I wasn’t 💯 new.

 

I told her I wanted to do the exams to give me something to work towards. I’d expected I’d be starting with grade 1 (like I did when I was studying cello at music school) but she advised me to start with IF.

 

I have struggled to learn the syllabus (still got to learn allegros 2 and 3 and finish learning Variation 1) and am aiming for exam in June 2022 by which point I’ll have had 18 months of lessons with this teacher so it’s taken me a while. My teacher has said I’m aiming for a pass (a merit would be a dream come true) but I’ll take a pass with both hands. If I’m honest I’d hoped to be aiming for a merit but I think that’s not realistic for me as an adult beginner. 
 

Yes I agree @Vivit’s so hard to learn steps when you’ve not been dancing since childhood. I think adult beginners deserve a massive pat on the back. 

[The_Red_Shoes]

At the RAD itself adult students can begin to take IF classes after, I think, two years of adult classes. Until they started offering Discovering Repertoire the vocational grades were their only adult exam classes as far as I'm aware. They don't offer even the higher grades which is a bit odd as many keen adult dancers take the higher grade pathway and don't want to do pointe work, and in fact lots of adults seem to begin with Grade 6.

[LinMM]

Yes adults in ballet are a real mixed bunch! 
Those who’ve literally only started in their 20’s 30’s 40’s etc But hey ho…on an upward trend …can only improve with their technique ( like a possible 90 degree arabesque!) 

Those who are returning so did as a child and also now in their 20’s 30’s 40’s but hey ho also on an upward trend ….can achieve great improvement with technique! ( 90 degree arabesque plus ….there’s for the taking!) 

Those who are Silver Swan beginners so starting ballet at 50 plus ….yep still on an upward trend …can only improve with their technique! ( 90 degree arabesque still a possibility …..if keep going for long enough!) 

And then theres a much smaller number of people who could either be in Silver Swans or more general classes who are going the opposite way …..yep …on a slowly declining trend 😳. who did do ballet as a child/ teenager etc etc but inspite of this because are now post 60 are realising that parts of their technique will now be lost forever!!! 
(They did have a 90 degree arabesque but no longer achievable!)  
Still loss of technique doesn’t have to stop you dancing ….means you can only aim for dancing style ….and lots of it  ….the style you always meant to add to your dance when younger but were always concentrating so much on technique ( like getting a 90 degree arabesque lol) 

 

 

[The_Red_Shoes]

Well the RAD has certainly improved as regards speeding up exam results. My teacher just phoned to say that I have passed, with a Merit. As I predicted, my performance marks were better than my technique marks and my best dance was the Danse Russe.

[LinMM]

Well done The_Red_Shoes a Merit is a good result and I’ll take performance over technique most of the time. 
I’ve just been to see two groups of young dancers from well known Ballet Schools in their winter shows and of course though all had good basic classical technique it was those dancers with that extra something that twinkle in the eye and engagement with the watching audience which caught your eye and made you watch them. 

[glowlight]

Congratulations @The_Red_Shoes

[Angela Essex]

4 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

Well the RAD has certainly improved as regards speeding up exam results. My teacher just phoned to say that I have passed, with a Merit. As I predicted, my performance marks were better than my technique marks and my best dance was the Danse Russe.

Well done. Congratulations on a fabulous result. 🙌🙌🙌

[Viv]

On 10/12/2022 at 02:32, The_Red_Shoes said:

Well the RAD has certainly improved as regards speeding up exam results. My teacher just phoned to say that I have passed, with a Merit. As I predicted, my performance marks were better than my technique marks and my best dance was the Danse Russe.

 

Results in a week and a half??? That's amazing! My teachers have only just had results uploaded on the online portal 7 weeks after the exam. Must be an Australia thing.

 

I have been told my mark in a text but it seems too good to be true, so I am waiting to see it written on the certificate before I believe it... But can definitely say I have passed, in spite of the partial knee dislocation midway through allegro 😊 

[The_Red_Shoes]

I'm so glad to hear that you have a good result, despite the injury. Huge congratulations.

[Kate_N]

Wow, Viv, congratulations!!