RAD Vocational exam hair ribbon

[Anna C]

Morning all, apologies for the daft question. Dd has her RAD Inter exam this week and I'm having a complete brain fail. Teacher likes them to wear the optional hair ribbon in a little bow (attached to a hair pin) but for the life of me I can't remember whether this goes below the bun or above it!

 

Anyone know? From a photo of dd on the day of her IF exam it looks as if the bow was at the bottom of the bun but I just wanted to double check......

 

Thanks :-)

[LinMM]

The sort of thing that would drive me nuts!! Sorry I really wish I could help but very good luck to your DD with her exam!

[Fiz]

Sorry, I can't help. Our dance schools always put the ribbons on pins to go on the leotard!

[swanprincess]

My ribbon was pinned on my leotard too, but personally I've never seen a ribbon above the bun, they're usually below. Couldn't you email dd's teacher, or maybe text the mum of someone else in the exam, to check? good luck to her for the exam! x

[Anna C]

Thanks Swanprincess!

 

Yes, for graded exams they have a coloured ribbon on the leotard to denote who's who.

 

I think the optional hair ribbon goes below the bun. She's taking the exam at HQ with two much older girls and I don't know their Mums but I'll put it below the bun and check with teacher when we get there. :-)

 

It was just annoying me that I couldn't remember!

[Moomin]

For istd exam it went above the bun, I suppose it can be seen more easily?

[Anna C]

Well I guess it depends how high the bun is? I think the top of her bun is level with the crown of her head so I'm not sure you'd see the ribbon?

 

All this confusion over a bow! :-D

[LinMM]

Quite!!!

[Fiz]

Good luck to your dd, Spanner!

[Anna C]

Thank you Fiz :-)

[JulieW]

It doesn't need to be "seen" as such - it's not like the ones in the non-vocational graded exams which identify you. For those who don't know, each of the vocational grades have a different colour (different colour for each of the levels that is) optional bow for their hair.

 

Unless you're having a very low bun, go for putting the ribbon under the bun :-)

 

Good luck x

 

(edited to change my phone's impressive predictive text which put "pdd" instead of "of"!)

[Dance*is*life]

We only have the numbers on front and back for vocationals and no ribbon on the hair at all.  I honestly don't think it's important if it's only an option.  Anyway, if you're worried - ask the teacher - don't be embarrassed

[Anna C]

Thanks Julie! Yep, high bun so I'll go for ribbon below. :-)

[LinMM]

On YouTube which are admittedly only practise runs for exams most seem to wear ribbons on front of leotards ....though these seem to be younger ones.....where it does show some older girls(higher grades) in movement they either haven't got a ribbon or must be underneath the buns or one would see the ribbons more clearly!!

In one clip admittedly younger pupils seem to have ribbons everywhere all around their buns.

I know you can ask the teacher but presumably you are thinking she expects you to know already!! So just a tad embarrassing!

 

Ballet hair is just about my least favourite thing so my poor daughter if I had one would probably not get a bow as one more thing to fall off come undone etc!!!

Perhaps dd could find out surrepticiously?

[spooky]

Isn't it funny how teachers vary. I remember putting a bow in dd's hair for her first vocational exam (can't remember if it was above/below bun though) and her teacher asking her to take it out saying RAD prefered them without and were very fussy about getting the exact shade of colour right so best not risk it.

[Anna C]

We're meeting teacher at HQ anyway; I'll attach the bow to a hairpin and let her fix it in! :-)

[SBallerina]

I've always had the bow under the bun in the RAD exams

[Dance*is*life]

Grades Primary to Grade 7 (and I presume Grade 8 though we don't enter for that) use colours for identification. Pink, blue, white and yellow are used. We have flowers for the front of the leotard and ribbons tied round the bun in the same colour so that they can also be identified from the back. As I said for Vocationals they have numbers front and back and we have never used ribbons. As someone noted above they are fussy about the colours in vocationals and I think they prefer without. Anyway, it's up to your teacher and honestly we don't expect parents to know and remember everything, especially as rules change from time to time. I would far rather that a parent double-checked with me than made a mistake.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Dance*is*life

[Ja Sm]

Good luck to your daughter spanner.

[Anna C]

Thank you folks :-)

[Tulip]

Good luck from me too, my daughter wore her ribbon under her bun.

[Anna C]

That's great, thanks Tulip :-)

[Jazzpaws]

DD has a small bow under bun - navy for Intermediate, burgundy for Advanced Foundation - best ask teacher x

[Loulabelle]

None of the vocational girls at Tring today that were taking Int RAD whilst we were there, had ribbons in their hair. I was told no hair adornment when dd too hers but 2 of the girls she went in with (from a different school) had ribbons tied around their buns with the bow on the top. I thought the 'look' a little young as dd wore a bow when she was a JA. I think different teachers have their own preferences. Good luck to you dd Spanner.

[Anna C]

Thanks Jazzpaws. It's leotard colour ribbon for RAD now so Royal Blue for dd.

 

Thanks Loulabelle. :-)

[Loulabelle]

Just noticed my terrible spelling!!! Due to typing on my phone????

[rowan]

Good luck to your DD, too, Spanner!

 

Not to divert from the topic, but... I've got no idea why exam boards, associates or whatever actually want ribbons in hair. I really think they look silly. Boys don't put ribbons in their hair and I don't see why the girls should either. They have no purpose, are purely decorative and just add grist to the mill for people who have the general impression that ballet is either something for tiny tots who like dressing up or something out of a previous century... which it is, of course! Is it just tradition that demands ribbons? Does anyone know?

[w445403]

I often get asked to help out with hair on exam days and the ribbon has always gone underneath.

 

Good luck

[Anna C]

Thanks everyone. :-)

 

I don't know the reasoning for it, but it's in the RAD specification: Velvet hair ribbon in the same colour as the leotard.

[hfbrew]

I've always understood the hair ribbon is optional for vocational but if worn has to meet the specifications- I certainly remember my burgundy one from years ago that simply went round the bun.

 

But your teacher can decide where the bow goes- I prefer under but it actually doesn't matter... My vocational students never wear them (and their marks are pretty good!)

 

More importantly, good luck to your dd (and you patiently waiting mum!)

[pas de chat]

I love little ribbons in the hair attached to a hair pin.  Our school always wear them on the top of the bun and I make DD wear the same for MTB in black to match her belt.   I'm sure on the day the teacher will move it if necessary.  Good luck to your DD on her exam!

[Belleballerina]

Always always on top we have been told for vocational exams and although colour is specified our teacher always asks the girls to have a different colour from the leotards and as a contrast to the hair but always on top of the bun in velvet. I don't suppose it actually makes a blind bit of difference to the marks - just makes the girls feel prettier!

[Anna C]

Well believe it or not she didn't wear one in the end as having double-checked the new exam specifications for RAD Graded it says the ribbon must be velvet in the same colour as the leotard - and my ribbon is satin!

 

Anyway, she looked lovely so hey ho. Thank you everyone. :-)