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Grade 6 exam advice - please!


sleep123

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My DD is aiming to take her grade 6 in the autumn sitting. She came home from her class and said that her teacher had decided that they would do the Free Movement Dance as their dance choice - I gather they can choose from Classical, Free Movement or Character. My question to you all in the know is: I gather that they still are examined on free movement exercises and character excercises so if, as in all my DDs previous exams, she tends to score higher on the classical areas and has always done the classical dance where again she scores highly should I be asking for her to be allowed to do the Classical dance? 

 

Also as it is a solo dance if she thinks the others in the class are better suited to the Free Movement can some in the exam do that dance and others do the Classical Dance or do they all have to do the same? (She has a private lesson with the teacher so could be taught the Classical dance during that time without taking time away from the others in her group lesson.) Or am i worrying too much and should go with the flow....but I always thought you should play on your strenghths. Advice please!!

 

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Hi,

 

In RAD  each candidate can do a different dance. I would ask the teacher why she has choosen this one for your DD. It may be better for her this time?

If you have a private lesson it should be fine to work on a dance it in that. Also all children should learn all of the dances and then choose which one they would like to present. They shouldn't just learn one anyway.

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My DD is aiming to take her grade 6 in the autumn sitting. She came home from her class and said that her teacher had decided that they would do the Free Movement Dance as their dance choice - I gather they can choose from Classical, Free Movement or Character. My question to you all in the know is: I gather that they still are examined on free movement exercises and character excercises so if, as in all my DDs previous exams, she tends to score higher on the classical areas and has always done the classical dance where again she scores highly should I be asking for her to be allowed to do the Classical dance? 

 

Also as it is a solo dance if she thinks the others in the class are better suited to the Free Movement can some in the exam do that dance and others do the Classical Dance or do they all have to do the same? (She has a private lesson with the teacher so could be taught the Classical dance during that time without taking time away from the others in her group lesson.) Or am i worrying too much and should go with the flow....but I always thought you should play on your strenghths. Advice please!!

It is perfectly possible for different dances to be shown in the exam. For example in grade five there is a choice of classical, tarantella or free movement. (Character being compulsory in this grade.) . And I have certainly had sets of 3 students all doing a different dance!  In grade 6 the classical can be done to 6/8 or 3/4 and we've often entered sets whereby one may be doing 3/4, the other 6/8 the  other candidates free movement for example. Teachers have a form that they fill in and give to the examiner explaining who is doing which dance.  Sometimes time constraints mean there isn't time for a teacher to have taught all the dances but the schools I teach at do try and  show the students off to their best advantage.

 

My advice is to ask nicely whether your dd can learn the classical but then be guided as to which study the teacher thinks suits her best (the free movement can look super with the right student!)

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Hi,

My dd did her exam in March and like yours has always done the classical study and always passed with distinction, but this time was told she had to do free movement

we questioned it and was told they would do free movement dance as a group to do something different. She still passed with distinction if not a little higher a mark

so no harm was done and i think in the end she enjoyed the change. Good luck to your dd.

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The free movement dance in grade 6 is really lovely, if done in the right style, and is probably a nicer dance than the classical, but in my experience it is vital to teach both dances and only then decide what really suits each student.  If the free movement isn't "free" enough and there's not enough relaxed movement and flow it won't get the points, so for this reason the classical is actually easier, especially as hfbrew mentioned above you have two different tempi to choose from.  It's amazing, actually, what a difference the music makes to the dynamics of the classical dance and I always find that some dancers suit the 6/8 timing and some the 3/4 and end up with a mixture.  I would ask the teacher to teach your daughter the classical (it doesn't take long to teach)in her private lesson and let her work on dancing it to both the musical pieces. If she's not taking the exam until the Autumn, she has plenty of time to work on both the classical and the free movement and then to decide which one is best for her.  I always try and vary the study choices, otherwise it's so boring for the examiner!

Edited by Dance*is*life
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Dance*is*life summed it up - I would usually teach both classical and free movement and then see. The FM is beautiful, particularly if the dancer has a good use of suspension and relaxation (think lyrical), but if they are VERY classical and upright, as it were, then the classical might be better.

 

Be guided by your teacher - but by all means ask!

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