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Taking Ballet Exams as an adult


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Thank you everyone for your comments - I need to be more patient and continue with my strengthening exercises.

 

I've been doing ballet as an adult for 2 years now (and did 14 as a child) and do classes ranging from Grade 4 to Advanced 1 - I'm so used to being able to do the simpler stuff effortlessly/being one of the better ones in class it throws me when I can't do something immediately. It's definitely doing me good to take the advanced classes with people who have more experience/technique and it's pushing me.

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2 years back as an adult isn't very long, really! And pointe work is hard. It's when you realise the daily, life-long work that goes into a professionally trained female dancer's apparently "effortless" pointing of the foot!

 

For anyone starting pointe (at whatever age), the issue is technique. Technique, technique, technique! And by that I also mean that technique is knowing how to use your strength. For me, I find it's about muscle memory - even if I'm not as strong now as, say (just for example) 6 months ago, if I've got my head around a movement, the muscle memory helps me next time. 

 

And the age/technique/strength relationship is important. I didn't go on pointe until I started the (old) Intermediate - which is Advanced Foundation now, I think? I was 14 (a late starter) and was at once very strong on pointe, compared with my sister, who was a couple of years younger and was the whole wobbly bent knees etc. In terms of age, we were both of the age when pointe work was "safe" but the difference in body type & strength showed.

 

But there's nothing like a change in one's training (eg going on pointe) to reveal the areas where one needs to work on! It's like when one's teacher cheerily says - "We'll be doing the barre in the centre today!" or sets adage as developpés en croix. ;)

 

Good luck and patience!

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On 10/2/2017 at 04:48, Cara in NZ said:

 

Just wanted to say that my DD is almost 14, working on RAD Advanced Foundation (and Gr 6) and still has trouble getting over on her box with her left foot. Her feet look ok in normal ballet shoes but en pointe the left looks much weaker. The only solution we have come up with is to actually work on the left shoe so it bends more (in fact her teacher did a bit of work on it during a private so it's not just us experimenting). I suspect everyone has one foot 'better' than the other, just as we all have preferred sides for turning etc. I have also suggested she thinks about starting things from the left first when practising/marking, so it's not always the right doing more work.

Hi, Just wondering. Has your DD tried changing her pointe shoes? And does she darn the box or use does she use suede? Simple adjustments can assist a dancer with their pointe work. 

 

Strengthening the feet with simple exercises using a wide stretch band can also help.

 

My DD is 15 Grade 7 (just passed G 6) and also RAD AdvF1. 

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4 hours ago, balletbean said:

Hi, Just wondering. Has your DD tried changing her pointe shoes? And does she darn the box or use does she use suede? Simple adjustments can assist a dancer with their pointe work. 

 

Strengthening the feet with simple exercises using a wide stretch band can also help.

 

My DD is 15 Grade 7 (just passed G 6) and also RAD AdvF1. 

 

Thanks balletbean, yes she's tried five styles of shoe (in 3 years), suede tips, and I've darned her current pair to try to help her stability/confidence. As she doesn't want a dance career, she may just focus on the grades and not continue with the vocational path next year, as she's really enjoyed Grade 6 this year. She just wants to keep up some pointework for her variation and pointe solo. She does have the bands but has lost motivation to do much at home. I know many teens are obsessive about their dance but we are just trying to make sure she enjoys her last 2-3 years of semi-serious ballet!

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Oh bless her,  out of interest do you darn the whole box area or just the perimeter. Just creating the frame can help. DD learnt that at ENBS this summer after I had painstakingly darned the whole box!! Best wishes to your DD on her Grade journey. DD loved Grade 6 I think mainly as she was the only pupil at the time so ended up having private lessons purely by default rather than on purpose. The rest of the girls weren't ready. Now RAD Grade 7, AdvF1 and ISTD Intermediate. I honestly don't know how the girls remember which grade is which. As long as I remember what time to pick her up I'm happy.....:wub:

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12 hours ago, balletbean said:

Oh bless her,  out of interest do you darn the whole box area or just the perimeter. Just creating the frame can help. DD learnt that at ENBS this summer after I had painstakingly darned the whole box!! Best wishes to your DD on her Grade journey. DD loved Grade 6 I think mainly as she was the only pupil at the time so ended up having private lessons purely by default rather than on purpose. The rest of the girls weren't ready. Now RAD Grade 7, AdvF1 and ISTD Intermediate. I honestly don't know how the girls remember which grade is which. As long as I remember what time to pick her up I'm happy.....:wub:

 

Oh goodness, I only darn the edge. It's a beast of a job and usually involves blood. I tried buying curved needles but they were too thick so it was back to thimble and normal needle plus linen thread. I snapped a needle last time too. I never hear people say this, but my DD really hasn't taken to pointework and is quite discouraged by it. She has small feet for her age (size 3 UK at almost 14), so although she's average height, en pointe she is suddenly shorter than her peers, and her feet never look elegant. I tell her this is the ONLY TIME in her life that the un-bendiness of her feet will be important B)

(And thank you for being so kind – she is in the slightly disillusioned phase of ballet where you try to work out why you do it and how much of your life you want it to occupy!)

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6 minutes ago, Fiz said:

My dd didn’t either, Cara. She had awful problems with her shoes which were never resolved despite much help from kind posters here and ultimately she discontinued pointe classes. She was devastated.

 

Thanks for posting, Fiz. I 'liked' your post as a fellow sufferer, but didn't mean I liked your DD being devastated! My DD's teacher told her she needs to start experimenting with different styles of pointe shoe as she's strong enough now to mix things up. Then she saw the look on my face – they cost £65 a pair here in NZ, and if it's a new style you can't get them online. Plus I have five pairs waiting to be worn of the two styles she SAID SHE LIKED!!!! Gaaaahhhhhh :wacko:

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Oh no! I don’t consider them cheap here either but your prices are outrageous. I suspect my dd was fitted with an existing pair which suited the school although she had previously had another pair fitted which didn’t fit - a rush job on a Saturday afternoon by a London dancewear shop that was about to close permanently. In retrospect I would have walked out or better yet, Sheila from Just Ballet would have had her shop and we’d have gone there. 😂 She always goes the extra mile for her customers and it is greatly appreciated.

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On 10/2/2017 at 11:48, Cara in NZ said:

Her feet look ok in normal ballet shoes but en pointe the left looks much weaker

 

That's interesting, I'm the opposite! I have horrible feet in flat shoes, but when I go up en pointe I normally get shocked expressions and 'you look so nice en pointe!' which I choose to take as a compliment... I've always assumed it's because I don't have the strength to make my flat feet look slightly less flat without the shoe to push against, but maybe not? It's my left that is the bad one too though :) 

As for experimenting, I know how you feel :( At £65 a pair and limited styles sold locally, experimenting to find the right shoe (or any shoe that is at all suitable) is almost as hard as mastering the darn things when you do get them!

 

Officially 1 week until my exam! Getting so nervous now.

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4 hours ago, Viv said:

 

<snip>

As for experimenting, I know how you feel :( At £65 a pair and limited styles sold locally, experimenting to find the right shoe (or any shoe that is at all suitable) is almost as hard as mastering the darn things when you do get them!

 

 

 65 gbp a pair  ouch ...   Uk people are spoiled    Ok GMs are  that kind of price   as are  custom makes from Freed or Suffolk ... 

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1 hour ago, Nicola H said:

 65 gbp a pair  ouch ...   Uk people are spoiled    Ok GMs are  that kind of price   as are  custom makes from Freed or Suffolk ... 

We use our local dance shop, as online shopping is not really recommended for Pointe Shoes, but very tempting when prices are on average £75 per pair! :angry:

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44 minutes ago, balletbean said:

We use our local dance shop, as online shopping is not really recommended for Pointe Shoes, but very tempting when prices are on average £75 per pair! :angry:

are you getting  that much in added value though ?

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2 hours ago, Nicola H said:

 65 gbp a pair  ouch ...   Uk people are spoiled    Ok GMs are  that kind of price   as are  custom makes from Freed or Suffolk ... 

 

Yup, I have been desperate enough to get my niece to bring a pair from the UK when she was visiting NZ, and ordered a pair to be sent to a UK friend, who then sent them on... and now my DD doesn't even enjoy pointework I think I will just stop buying them and see what happens.

 

7 hours ago, Viv said:

Officially 1 week until my exam! Getting so nervous now.

 

What exam are you doing, Viv? DD has Grade 6 on Oct 17, and has daily 'grade school' next week, 6-7.30pm Mon to Fri. She's really enjoyed it though and it has helped her Russian character solo hugely.

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7 hours ago, Nicola H said:

Ok GMs are  that kind of price   as are  custom makes from Freed or Suffolk ... 

 

Try GMs for £115! £65 is for regular old bloch, of which we have only half the styles available elsewhere. But I've ranted about this before... Might just have to save up all my experimenting till I can get over to the UK, then take an extra suitcase just to fill with half price pointe shoes! 

 

4 hours ago, Cara in NZ said:

What exam are you doing, Viv? DD has Grade 6 on Oct 17, and has daily 'grade school' next week, 6-7.30pm Mon to Fri. She's really enjoyed it though and it has helped her Russian character solo hugely.

 

I have Grade 6 on the 10th and IF on the 11th. I haven't enjoyed grade 6 as much as I thought I would. I think it was because my regular teacher didn't take this class, we had a new teacher who doesn't know the syllabus well, so we spent every class learning the same exercise 4 different ways because she kept changing her mind... Not sure what's happening next year with grade 7 but hopefully it'll be good :) Good luck to your DD for the 17th! 

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14 minutes ago, Viv said:

I have Grade 6 on the 10th and IF on the 11th. I haven't enjoyed grade 6 as much as I thought I would. I think it was because my regular teacher didn't take this class, we had a new teacher who doesn't know the syllabus well, so we spent every class learning the same exercise 4 different ways because she kept changing her mind... Not sure what's happening next year with grade 7 but hopefully it'll be good :) Good luck to your DD for the 17th! 

 

Good luck to you too! We never have grade exams in the same session as vocationals – I think that's a really tough gig doing them on consecutive days! DD has been learning the Adv Foundation syllabus this year but the teacher decided none of them (3 in class) were strong enough in pointework for the exam, as the variations have to be done en pointe. So she's just doing Gr 6 exam. It's really helped loosen up her upper body and be more expressive. The long chiffon skirts have been a nightmare though – were handmade with velcro fastening that snagged both the chiffon AND their tights as they take them on and off every class. I've taken all the velcro off (9 skirts) and replaced with a big popper/dome/press stud with reinforcing tape to strengthen the waistband. Took a bit of time to get the fit just right for each girl but they look lovely on. DD plans to do Gr 7 next year, and MAYBE Adv F! Let us know how your exams go :D

 

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@Cara in NZ My studio used to do vocationals in July and grades in October but this year we're mixing it up. Every exam is being held over a three day period, which means some girls are actually doing three RAD exams in one session (I know a girl doing grade 6, Intermediate and Advanced Foundation - nightmare!) Luckily our chiffon skirts have an elasticated waistband , though I've noticed mine is starting to rip... The biggest problem has been the scarves, which were only available to purchase 2 weeks ago! Most of the girls in my class have had 3 classes with an actual scarf and they're quite tricky to use. But ballet it meant to keep us on our toes ;) 

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1 hour ago, Viv said:

Thanks so much everyone :) I'll be sure to check back in next week to tell you how it all went (and to type out the free enchainment to help out people who are taking this next).

 

The free enchainment is made up by the examiner on the day but will be a combination of 1 or more of, assembles, jetes or soubresauts, I'll never forget it after I made such a hash of it ^_^

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5 hours ago, sophie_rebecca said:

 

The free enchainment is made up by the examiner on the day but will be a combination of 1 or more of, assembles, jetes or soubresauts, I'll never forget it after I made such a hash of it ^_^

 

 hence the 'free' ... part of the title of the exercise ...

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On 10/5/2017 at 14:57, Viv said:

@Cara in NZThe biggest problem has been the scarves, which were only available to purchase 2 weeks ago! Most of the girls in my class have had 3 classes with an actual scarf and they're quite tricky to use. But ballet it meant to keep us on our toes ;) 

 

Yup those scarves are... a challenge. Our girls were practising with some the teacher had, but then they got proper silk ones a couple of weeks ago and all complained that they are much lighter and it's harder to get them to go where you want. It's all a bit mad, the amount of gear they take into this exam!

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So grade 6 was this morning. It went pretty...badly haha. I got something wrong in every exercise, forgot part of the port de bras, started the petit allegro on the wrong foot, had my character shoe come off during the mazurka. But oh well, will just have lowered the examiners expectations for tomorrow! Had class for IF tonight so that work is back in my head, though my balance was completely off :( Hopefully tomorrow is a new day, and despite being exhausted and sore I'll be able to pull it off. And I'll keep all shoes on my feet this time!

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On 01/10/2017 at 08:59, balletgremlin said:

Are there any of you who started pointe as adults? Please let me know it gets easier because at the moment it's practically impossible. My teacher has given me ankle/foot strengthening exercises I've been doing religiously and my progress is still negligible.

I got my first pointe shoes when I was 50. For me the biggest jumps in progress I have made have been when I have changed to a different shoe. That is probably partly because my  feet have changed and also because I have more of a idea of what I need in a shoe.

 

Unfortunately I have strange feet and most shoes twist off at the back when I am on pointe.

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@Viv Which dance did you do for  Gr 6? DD was perfectly happy with the classical one, then 2 weeks ago her teacher decided to teach her the character dance... so now it seems she is doing that! She isn't as confident with it, but it's helped her Rusisan character solo heaps. The teacher just said DD always does the classical dance in exams and it's time for a change... She did classical in IF too – which one are you doing? Good luck and don't be put off by previous experiences!

Screen Shot 2017-10-11 at 8.45.01 AM.png

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Just finished IF exam! It went well (mostly). Not the best I've ever done but I was on my leg in adage and most of my turns came off, which is all I ever ask for haha. I did blank out the pirouette en dehor and instead of doing the grand battements on the second leg I did another set of tendus to the front and side so...oops! I still did the right number of turns and I releved on the music so I'm hoping that mistake doesn't cost me too badly :wacko:

 

Back on the first page, I remember asking if the free enchainments my teacher gave were harder than average or about what you'd get in the exam. In case there's anyone lurking on this thread who is wondering the same thing, this is the free enchainment the examiner gave us. As @sophie_rebecca said, it's set by the examiner on the day and will feature one of three focal steps (jete, assemble and sissone ferme) in a combination joined by a series of linking steps (not sure what they all are but include changement battu, glissade, releve, etc). My enchainment was this:
Music was 4/4 with a 4 count introduction.
Start croisse, left leg in front. For the introduction stand still on 1 and 2, raise your arms to 5th on 3 and then to 2nd on 4.
On counts 1, 2, 3, three sissone ferme in a row (over, under, over) with arms changing on each one (3rd, demi bras, 3rd), then stretch and bend on counts 'and 4'. On count 5, extend the back leg to second en fondue, then pas de bouree under 'and a 6' to face corner six. On count 7, changement with arms to 5th, changing your alignment to face corner five. Repeat on the other side. Then do it all again on both sides!

 

Now just the long wait for results...

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@Cara in NZ I did classical for both of mine as well. Teacher said she was glad I learned Variation 2 for this because it helped loosen me up (I tend to be quite stiff when I dance), but the style didn't suit me. I didn't learn the character dance for grade 6 (in fact, we only started learning the character exercises in July!) so can't comment on that, but since I hate character I would probably have done classical anyway haha.

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