Intermediate Ballet

[Lilac]

My DD takes her Intermediate ballet exam. She is quite nervous about it with going to the RAD. She is especially worried about the Variations. Does anyone know what percentage of mask they count for? Also any general advice appreciated.

[Legseleven]

I think the variation counts for 20% of the total marks? My DD enjoyed her intermediate exam far more than her intermediate foundation exam - notwithstanding the foul allegro number 2! - and said to tell your DD to try to relax and enjoy it as an opportunity to show the examiner what she can do. The unset enchainement was difficult and with tricky timing but everyone felt the same and she 'danced' it full out as much as possible.

 

She was very impressed the the pianist watched everyone's variation and smiled and pantomimed applause, which made it feel like a real performance (albeit to an audience of 5! - examiner, pianist and 3 fellow exam candidates).

 

At least at HQ she should have the best available facilities and pianist, which can only help ;-)

 

Merde to your DD!

[charlie4dancin]

Good luck to your dd lilac I hope the exam goes smoothly and she enjoys the experience

Cx

[Circe]

My dd did her intermediate at RAD earlier in this exam session. She was a bit put off by dancing with kids from other dance schools ( two others, each different schools) as they things differently ( and not particularly well) which put her off her stride a bit. This did nt happen at inter foundation as she was with girls from her usual school. So, all good experience but my suggestion to your dd would be to ignore the other dancers!

[Dancer Sugar Plum]

Good luck to your DD Lilac. My suggestion would be to really listen to the pianist for every exercise and variations. I say this because a lot of RAD schools rely on CDs/iPods for class every week and it can get to a point where you no longer listen to the music in class. No two musicians play a piece of music the same, so it can be very different dancing to a live pianist than following a CD. You don't want assume the speed of the music and finish a few bars earlier than the pianist - I have heard of this happen to some students. But if your DD regularly gets a pianist for class(es) then she won't need this piece of advice! :-)

Edited December 15, 2013 by Dancer Sugar Plum

[2dancersmum]

Good luck to your DD Lilac.  Some very good advice given - especially about concentrating on her own dancing if she is with people from other schools.  Elder DD has always been in with 3 strangers for her vocational exams.  Music also - younger DD took her foundation exam at RAD HQ last week and found the barre was a lot faster than the CD and some of the adage, although other parts were slower and she had to hold her position longer than she was used to from the CD in order to be keeping in time with the piano.

[Circe]

My dd also found the pianist at RAD HQ faster than normal for interfoundation but wasn't an issue for the inter.  You can hear the piano from the changing room...good way possibly of getting advance notice of tempo!

[BankruptMum]

My dd did her intermediate at RAD earlier in this exam session. She was a bit put off by dancing with kids from other dance schools ( two others, each different schools) as they things differently ( and not particularly well) which put her off her stride a bit. This did nt happen at inter foundation as she was with girls from her usual school. So, all good experience but my suggestion to your dd would be to ignore the other dancers!

 

My DD took her Adv 1 in the summer and had the same experience - a group of three and the other two came from a different school.  There were a lot of slight variations in the way things had been taught and definitely a difference in ability.  My DD was asked to demonstrate the free-work as the other two were struggling!

 

She did get a very good mark though so perhaps it was in her favour!

 

Hope all went well with her exam.