Allbarone Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hello, I’d like to ask for thoughts and opinions on the gap between the RAD Vocational exams as I need to decide which to go for. I returned to ballet as an adult and have been dancing again for 3 years. I am preparing to take the RAD IF exam in March. Unfortunately I need to move for work. I’ll have moved house by next Friday. I won’t be able to continue my current classes due to distance. I have managed to find a couple of schools in my new location. School A won’t be able to put me in for the IF exam until much later in the year. School B only do Intermediate and Advanced (1&2). They do neither IF nor AF. I’m leaning towards School B who have a very good reputation. Although it would mean well over a year until I can take the Intermediate exam, I do prefer to feel that I’m progressing forward. I hesitate a little because whilst I’m confident in my ability at IF level in general, my pointe work is weaker. I am at a beginner pointe level. How big is the jump in pointe work from IF to Intermediate? Also what does the overall jump from Intermediate to Advanced feel like? Has anyone else done that and regretted not taking Adv Foundation first? If some schools choose not to do the foundation grades are they not really needed to progress with good technique? Thanks for reading ☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura_ballet Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hi @Allbarone I’m also an adult who returned to ballet after a very very long break. I would say, the jump actually isn’t that big to intermediate however I would spend more time getting ready for it. Especially the pointe. Would it be possible for you to also take the Advanced 1 class? It would be good for stamina and strength building. Plus you’ll know the syllabus well for when you move on. Also, if your main concern is the pointe work then I would consider taking a pointe class online that is very basic and keep going over the strengthening exercises, practice, practice and more practice of rises, echappes and releves. Hope this helps. Wishing you the best of luck with your adult ballet journey! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hello @Allbarone and welcome out of the lurking shadows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allbarone Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Thanks @Thelittleswans Good suggestions. I think I will look into an additional pointe class! And talk to the school about the advanced class, although I am easily confused so that could cause me to get muddled easily 😂 @Jan McNulty Hello! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura_ballet Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 It will cost you £20 roughly but you can download on the RAD app advanced 1 syllabus. Get acquainted with it. Of course it will never be as good as learning in class however it’s worth having a look before, hear the music etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeverTooOld Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I am hoping to take my IF exam soon but previously have done Intermediate classes so am familiar with the syllabus. I think the main content isn't too much of a jump so you'd be fine but as a fellow novice at pointe work, I'd say the jump in pointe is quite big. The only centre work in IF is two footed releves and echappes but in Intermediate, you need to do lots of one footed releves in the centre plus there is quite a bit more pointe work. I haven't done anything higher than intermediate but have watched bits of the syllabus online and it looks much more difficult in my opinion. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allbarone Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 33 minutes ago, NeverTooOld said: I am hoping to take my IF exam soon but previously have done Intermediate classes so am familiar with the syllabus. I think the main content isn't too much of a jump so you'd be fine but as a fellow novice at pointe work, I'd say the jump in pointe is quite big. The only centre work in IF is two footed releves and echappes but in Intermediate, you need to do lots of one footed releves in the centre plus there is quite a bit more pointe work. I haven't done anything higher than intermediate but have watched bits of the syllabus online and it looks much more difficult in my opinion. Hope that helps Really useful information thank you! That confirms my suspicions. I’ll probably be fine picking up the content but definitely have a long way to go with pointe work. This helps me focus my at home practice on building strength. Im really enjoying pointe but feel like I’m lifetime away from the strength needed for one footed relevés in the centre! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeverTooOld Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, Allbarone said: Im really enjoying pointe but feel like I’m lifetime away from the strength needed for one footed relevés in the centre! Me too - slow progress but keeping at it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 If school B doesn't do IF, then there will presumably be beginner pointe students in their Inter class. Would you be able to go for a trial lesson at each, and see how you like it? Us adults take things into account such as as journey time, ease of parking, the studio itself and whether we hit it off with the teacher and others in the class, so you might find that you prefer one over the other for reasons other than the actual class level. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Hello @Allbarone I’m an adult beginner and sat my intermediate foundation last summer. I started ballet in lockdown so I’m thinking that if you’ve danced before and since you’ve been dancing for 3 years, intermediate will not be that much harder than IF for you. As @NeverTooOld said the IF pointe was 2 exercises at the barre and one in the centre which did not involve anything on one leg so it was relatively straightforward. My teacher has said that intermediate will be quite a bit harder and take a long time (for me) on account of the amount of pointe, but I’m thinking for someone who’s returning to ballet having had prior training and since you’re comfortable with the IF work you’d be fine with the intermediate class. However, it seems a pity to have done all the work for IF and not do the exam. Could you sit the IF exam are studio A later in the year but in the meantime start taking intermediate class at studio B? Or ask if studio B could enter you for IF sometime soon, maybe after some private lessons if they don’t have an IF class? Wishing you all the best with the move and good luck with your exam preparations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 On 15/01/2024 at 10:21, Allbarone said: feel like I’m lifetime away from the strength needed for one footed relevés in the centre! Same here. The prospect of doing pointe involving anything on one foot scares me. Got a 5/10 on my IF pointe so I’ve got a loooong way to go before I can even think of doing intermediate here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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