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vocational exams


stardancer

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Hi all, I have just managed to rejoin and its lovely to be back!

I wanted to share my own dd's great news. She took her inter foundation exam at HQ in November, just a month before her 11th birthday and passed wth 70 % and a merit. She was so excited and I am so proud of her!

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Hi all, I have just managed to rejoin and its lovely to be back!

I wanted to share my own dd's great news. She took her inter foundation exam at HQ in November, just a month before her 11th birthday and passed wth 70 % and a merit. She was so excited and I am so proud of her!

 

Fantastic, well done to her! Forgive me if I'm wrong but don't you have to be 11 or over on the date of the exam for RAD Inter foundation?

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Hi,

More fantastic results well done to all.

 

I thought the same as you spannerandpony, i wondered if it was allowed because of the syllabus changing.

I'm sure Ja sm can shed some light.

 

Don't we as a country have some amazing dancers, lets hope we continue to hear wonderful things about them in the future.

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I thought the same as Spanner and am intrigued about this. (I think I have heard about this happening before, but I'd've thought that if that's what it says on the RAD "rules", that's what they'd stick to.) My "concern" about younger students taking IF is about starting pointe too young. IMHO I've even thought that saying 11 to take the exam is bordering on being too young as they'd have to have started pointe well before the exam to be ready. I know, I know - there's not much pointe in the exam (although isn't there more in the new syllabus?) but I've always felt a bit disappointed that the RAD are being seen to encourage children younger than 11 to be starting pointe when most research points to only starting point at 11.

 

Sorry - I've gone off subject a bit - just made me think.....

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This is from the RAD teachers exam guidelines document...

 

"3.3.14 Where applicable, candidates must have reached the stated minimum age by 31 December in the year in which they take the examination."

 

I would have agreed with you JulieW and I know that DD's teacher certainly felt that 11 was the very earliest that she would start children on pointe, and then only if they had really secure technique. But recently we have got to know one particular young lady who was more than ready (both physically and technically) to take the exam at that age!

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The rules regarding age limits for RAD exams are changing in 2013 apparently. As the previous poster said, currently the student has to be the minimum age on 31st Jan of the year they take the exam, so in theory at least a student who is 11 in December could do the IF exam in January when they had just turned 10.

From 2013 the date that determines age changes to 1st Jan so the youngest possible age to sit the exam would definitely be 11. There's lots of discussion about it in the "Focus on exams" publications that you can read on the RAd website. http://www.rad.org.uk/article_green.asp?id=413&realCat=400

I think the announcement is in the Feb 2011 edition and there's further discussion in the next 2 editions, including a very interesting viewpoint from an examiner in the latest edition.

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The rules regarding age limits for RAD exams are changing in 2013 apparently. As the previous poster said, currently the student has to be the minimum age on 31st Jan of the year they take the exam, so in theory at least a student who is 11 in December could do the IF exam in January when they had just turned 10.

From 2013 the date that determines age changes to 1st Jan so the youngest possible age to sit the exam would definitely be 11. There's lots of discussion about it in the "Focus on exams" publications that you can read on the RAd website. http://www.rad.org.uk/article_green.asp?id=413&realCat=400

I think the announcement is in the Feb 2011 edition and there's further discussion in the next 2 editions, including a very interesting viewpoint from an examiner in the latest edition.

 

As there is pointe work in the IF exam (rightly or wrongly) then it makes sense to me to ensure that the children are actually 11 when they take the exam. I see the point about there not being much pointe work (certainly in the old syllabus) but it is a nice gentle introduction to being en pointe in an exam situation, particularly if there is significantly more pointe in the Inter syllabus). Personally, I don't think a child under 10 could ever have bones which are hardened enough to support pointe work, at least without risking injury and long term ramifications. Still, that's a whole other talk show. ;-)

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DD was 8 years old when she started IF classes and about 10 and 3 months when she started pointe. I felt really uncomfortable about her starting so young but decided to trust the teacher. She took her exam at 10 and a half. I think it is fairly normal among girls who have started to train intensively but not sure if this is good practice.

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The rules regarding age limits for RAD exams are changing in 2013 apparently. As the previous poster said, currently the student has to be the minimum age on 31st Jan of the year they take the exam, so in theory at least a student who is 11 in December could do the IF exam in January when they had just turned 10.

From 2013 the date that determines age changes to 1st Jan so the youngest possible age to sit the exam would definitely be 11. There's lots of discussion about it in the "Focus on exams" publications that you can read on the RAd website. http://www.rad.org.u...413&realCat=400

I think the announcement is in the Feb 2011 edition and there's further discussion in the next 2 editions, including a very interesting viewpoint from an examiner in the latest edition.

 

Sorry, just read back what i wrote and realised I'd made a mistake! Currently a student can take a RAD exam if they reach the minimum age by 31st December of the year in which they sit the exam. But as from 2013 they can only enter if they exceed the minimum age on 1st January of the year in which they sit the exam. Sorry for any confusion caused by my typo.

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Also - from my experience at WL and Elmhurst, most children starting in year 7 (so 11 year olds) haven't taken Inter Foundation about would be around the Grade 5 RAD standard. It may be different now, as I'm thinking of children I know over the last 10ish years - but many of the girls will have done no pointe before they go to the full-time school.

Edited by JulieW
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As a teacher I am always interested to hear how others do it - after which Grade exam did your dks start on the Vocational classes? Usually I move pupils across after Grade 5, but with the new syllabii I wonder if that should change.

 

Yes, my DD started learning the syllabus aged 10, when she was studying Grade 4. She took Grade 5 last summer and the teacher wanted her to enter for the I.F. exam at the same time. Unfortunately the summer vocational session clashed with our holiday so DD had to wait until November just gone to take the exam. She started pointe a month before her 12th birthday.

 

She has had to learn the Inter Foundation syllabus purely during private lessons as the IF class clashed with her Associate classes, hence it took so long. Teacher expects the Intermediate to progress much more swiftly! :-)

 

Do your pupils take Grade 6, 7 and 8 in parallel with the vocational exams Pas de Quatre? Or do they either do Grades or Vocational?

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I am a great believer in non syllabus classes - no matter how good a syllabus it can't cover everything, and it is better preparation for auditions and courses. So Vocational students will have free work classes as well as their syllabus class. Other pupils who are not planning to take the Vocational exams also attend these free work classes. I don't teach Grades 6,7 & 8.

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At DDs school the teacher starts them in foundation mid-way through grade 4 but they must be 11 (or 11 that term). They start with 1 foundation class a week and that increases to 2 when they have passed grade 4. Not all dancers do the vocational grades. The school has grades 6,7,8 which the non-vocational dancers do and being keen most of those on the vocational grades opt to do them too. There is a half hour class at the end of the Saturday for free work aswell. The vast majority of dancers at the school do not take vocational exams (although some do the classes anyway.) Readiness for pointe is assessed individually with the youngest going on pointe just before they reach 12 but some not starting pointe until aged 14/15. As you say pas de quatre the best preparation for vocational school auditions is not necassarily exam syllabus work and the two I know that went on pointe aged 14/15 both got places at 16 for Laines and London Studio Centre (ballet course). Both completed their diplomas and went straight into work as dancers.

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This has certainly sparked a lot of discussion! My daughter turned 11 in December and RAD were therefore happy for her to do the exam as the syllabus was changing in January. I am not qualified to judge whether she should or shouldn't have started on pointe. However, what I do know is that I trust our local teacher completely. Shas been very careful with my daughter, and she in turn has had no difficulties or periods of dicomfort related to her pointe work. Was she too young? Gosh thats a difficult one and if I say yes it sounds like I have been neglectful. If I say no, then it sounds like I am ignoring many professional opinions. When all is said and done, it has worked well for her. She started IF when she was in grade 4, but her teacher normally takes them grade 5/6 onwards, when they are in years 8 and above at secondary school.

Thank you all for your messages of congratulation.

J

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