HappyGirl Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Hi - hoping for a bit of advice. Dd took her G2 RAD ballet exam today and came out really upset because things went a bit wrong in her character dance - not sure what but she said she somehow got out of time and had to wait a few beats to pick it up again. She was so upset about it and is being really hard on herself. Her teacher reassured her straight away and I've tried to tell her that it probably wasn't as bad as she thinks it was but I'm just wondering if anyone can offer any words of wisdom. Is this error likely to impact massively on her overall mark if she performed everything else well? Can I realistically tell her that it won't make too much difference to her result? Any thoughts gratefully received! Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taximom Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 The important thing here is that she carried on and that is something she should be really proud of. Well done! Heather Aka Taximom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Oh dear it's horrible for them when they think they've done something not as well as they could have The way things have been explained to me in the past is to relate to the categories on the back of past certificates where it lists things such as knowledge of syllabus, technique, musicality etc and whatever it was that went wrong might effect marks in a particular category but not much impact overall if that makes sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aballetlife Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 my teacher told us that on a course an RAD person told her it doesn't matter if you make a mistake if you perform what you're doing well! and from the sounds of it your daughter did this by carrying on, well done to her! also it's a lower grade so they don't mark very harshly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 All you can do is reassure her and help her to learn to put it down to experience (a hard thing at her age I know), but best not to dwell on it - she'll soon forget about it and then it's a matter of waiting for the results without making an issue of it and see what the examiner thought. You can tell her that dancing rarely goes perfectly even for the professionals. But to maybe answer your question of how it might affect the marks - see page 16 of the specs - the character part is marked as a section out of 10): Edited to remove link that didn't work - try searching for RAD grade specifications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks - hadn't thought about emphasising how well she'd done to carry on. That's such a positive thing to emphasise. Thanks for pointing it out. I can't open guide but will track it down and have a read. I have said that many ballerinas will have made mistakes and that it's all part of becoming a better performer. I don't want to make a big thing of it and won't bring it up again if dd has moved on after sleeping on it, but wanted to be armed with informed reassurance if needed! She so keen and so passionate about her ballet - and has worked so hard for this exam, I'd hate for this to knock her back. Thanks again! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Well done to your daughter for carrying on.Being seen to wait for the correct beat wont have done any harm as the examiner will have seen that your daughter was aware that she was temporarily slightly off kilter, much better than a candidate who ploughs on regardless of the beat! The important thing is that your daughter still performed work that could be marked, even if it wasnt quite right. Had she stopped completely and failed to complete the dance then the examiner would not have been able to award any marks for the work not shown. So your daughter should be proud of herself for making the correct adjustment and carrying on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 My DD (age 10 when she sat it) had a knee injury last year and couldn't jump during the extra exam practices. We did some practice at home but I didn't realise that in her exam (RAD Grade 3) she had to do a 'continuous version' of the grand allegro, where she was no. 3 out of 4. As she hadn't practised with her group, she missed her cue not once, but twice. The examiner was very kind apparently, and asked her if she'd practised it so she said she'd had a knee injury. She felt particularly bad for the girl who was no. 4 as she felt she'd messed it up for her. Anyway, she still got Distinction (85%), and we were assured it wouldn't affect her marks disastrously. Hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi Happygirl, Your dd sounds a bit like mine!! As she has got older she comes out of every exam, sometimes in tears, thinking only of the mistakes she has made not what she did well. She always gets a (much) better mark than she predicts. I agree with the others that the fact she recognised and adjusted is great and she carried on. Really emphasise this. All dancers will make mistakes all their career. We are concentrating on getting dd to understand this. Recently my dd made a mistake at a festival but carried on smiling and got placed for the first time in that section - I hope it's a turning point! The perfectionist personality type that gives them the drive to work hard and pay attention to detail doesn't cope well with mistakes. Good luck to your dd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 And poor you. It is very hard to be Mum.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) The link above is completely wrong - looks like where you have saved it on your own PC, JulieW! The specification can be downloaded from this page here: http://www.rad.org.uk/achieve/exams/what-we-do/rules-regulations-and-specifications You will see that the character dance counts for 20 out of the 100 marks, but timing is only one aspect of one of the sets of 10 (p16). So if she knew she was off, her musicality would be regarded as good, & if her technique was good the other set of 10 marks should not be affected. Hope this helps. Edited March 22, 2015 by youngatheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Thanks everyone! Really reassuring and helpful comments!! Dd seems a bit more philosophical about it this morning. It has been mentioned but she's talking about the bits she thinks she did well now too! Phew! I have taken your advice and emphasised how well she did to carry on and not to stop or just carry on out of time. Your dd's experience is interesting Cara in NZ - very reassuring that you dd managed to get such a high mark despite not having been able to practice the grand allegro - and well done DD got a destinction in her G1 (81) and has been so focused on getting the same if not better this time - hence the disappointment. She's definitely a perfectionist but I think that can only be a good thing in ballet - you have to want to practise and get better and better!? We shall just have to wait and see now! Thank you all so much for your thoughts! Very much appreciated by a novice ballet mum! Edited March 22, 2015 by HappyGirl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks Youngatheat - it was the end of a long day ;-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks Youngatheart - I've just read the marking system and it's reassuring to see timing is only part of the overall mark. At least it gives a chance for her to have picked up marks on other elements. And dint worry JulieW - I know exactly what it's like!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I agree with others, it really is nothing to worry about. My dd once fell down flat in an exam, sprang up and carried on with the exercise, and we think it hardly affected her mark at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 My daughter and her friend did the Grade 5 grande battement exercise in their Intermediate exam and they both still got distinctions 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 A young friend forgot the end of the Inter dance and made it up as they went along - another distinction! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 And I had a young man who claimed to the examiner he had never been taught a certain, difficult exercise! ( so not true!! ) So she set a different one. This was RAD old pre elementary and he still got Honours! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Lots of lovely reassuring stories! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Love his resourcefulnesss, hfbrew - although I imagine his teacher wasn't too thrilled to have an examiner think they has entered an exam pupil without having taught him one of the exercises! ;-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dramascientist Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 When I did the old pre- elementary I had been taught the plie exercise incorrectly. There was only one girl in front of me and I didnt dare copy her just in case she was wrong so I carried on. At the end of the exercise the examiner asked me what had happened and I just sort of shrugged, she said she would just put it down to nerves. When we turned round to do it on the other side I just copied the girls in front of me.......I still passed even though I was convinced I wouldn't. Mind you I made really sure I performed like I was on stage for the rest of the exam to try and get her to forget it had happened. In the end the examiners are just teachers too and know that things can go wrong 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) When I took my RAD elementary exam (what used to be the intermediate), in the dance, I somehow kicked off the back of my shoe with my other foot whilst performing a pas de chat or sissonne or something like that, I tried to carry on but just went totally blank. The examiner was lovely and let me start it again, she asked if I knew what the steps were so I nodded furiously. Anyway I danced it again, doing my best Darcey Bussell and when it came to the very last part (pose temps leve sequence en manege) I ended up in the wrong back corner of the room - I should've been upstage left ready to perform the pose turns but had been thrown by the different dimensions of a strange studio... anyway in the split second I realised, I ran a few steps across the back of the room doing my best 'entrance-onto-the stage ports de bras', did a chasse backwards to prepare for the pose turns and did the rest of the dance on the music as if I'd meant to add in that run across the back! I passed the exam with pass plus, which in the 'olden days' of the executant examinations was something of a miracle!!!! Edited March 22, 2015 by drdance 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Love his resourcefulnesss, hfbrew - although I imagine his teacher wasn't too thrilled to have an examiner think they has entered an exam pupil without having taught him one of the exercises! ;-) I was the teacher and I was livid! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
along for the ride mum Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) My dd once took quite a tumble during a tap exam on a slippy floor, she had a huge bruise on the side of her hip/ thigh. The examiner was lovely and told her to come and sit on her chair for a while to catch her breath. She went on to get a distinction despite the tumble Edited March 22, 2015 by along for the ride mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Wow, so many hilarious stories! Another thing I did to reassure DD before Grade 2 (her first RAD exam) was to search for RAD pass rates worldwide, and actually only 5% didn't pass. So I emphasised to DD that they do WANT you to pass. It's in no-one's interests to discourage a hardworking dancer at a young age! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Thanks so much for sharing your experiences - really reassuring and entertaining (!?) to read! I did say to dd that when she's a successful ballerina (her dream at the moment!) she can tell the story about when she went a bit wrong in her grade 2 exam - but her tale is really rather tame compared to others on here! Edited March 22, 2015 by HappyGirl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygirlsmum Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 This thread reminds me of a festival DD took a tumble during her modern but jumped right back into it not missing a beat and managed to still get a medal. We were amazed and dd was convinced that the adjudicator must have been looking elsewhere for a split second. I think these are the experiences that shape great dancers x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 When I took my Intermediate (now Advanced 1) I had been taught one of the pointe exercises incorrectly. The two other girls in with me went one way and I went the other. The examiner (the late great Phylis Bedells) asked me if that was how I had been taught it and I confirmed that it was. Oh well I won't down you for that as you stuck to your guns, she reassured me! Lovely lady! By the way I discovered last year in the newly reinstated discussion with the examiner after the exams, that I had made a mistake in the Grade 7 Ports de Bras. I had been doing it that way for years! It didn't affect the marking in the slightest, but I've changed it for this year! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Many years ago after an RAD exam session the Examiner said that she knew she wasn't supposed to ask - but couldn't resist! I hadn't really taught the Grade 4 Pas de Bourrée exercise in the way the girls had shown had I? She proceeded to demonstrate. They had gone in the opposite direction, turning it into the more advanced Pas de Bourrée couru, i.e. travelling towards the extended foot instead of bringing it in towards the other leg. I assure her I hadn't and we both had a good laugh. I doubt it affected the end mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParentTaxi Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 DD has something of a reputation for going blank on stage, for anything between a few beats and the entire solo. She is often placed when she has done so..... often more highly than when she has done the thing perfectly. In fact, I have seen so many versions of her modern solo I no longer recognise the right one and have to ask her wehen she comes off stage... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) It's really wonderful to read all your stories and experiences - and so nice to hear the happy endings despite the mishaps too! Thanks for sharing. I loved reading them all! Dd seems much more chipper about the whole thing now. Having heard her describe what happened again I do actually wonder whether it was the pianist who made a bit of a blip rather than her. I guess we'll never know and hopefully it's not going to have a significant impact on her overall mark - so, one to chalk up to experience. Edited March 23, 2015 by HappyGirl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 When I did comps as a child, I used to go over my dances before I went on. Well with one of my dances I suddenly went blank - just could not remember a section. I was quite hysterical - it just wouldn't come. So I went to my teacher and she couldn't remember what she'd choreographed there either. Instead she choreographed a new section for me which I inserted in place of the missing piece. I actually have no idea how I managed that on stage without muddling the whole dance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 Hi. Thought I'd report back. Dd's results are back and whilst good, they're not as good as she'd hoped. She got a merit (69) and was desperately hoping for a distinction. We've had lots of tears and she's really disappointed in herself - such a shame when she's essentially done really well. The situation isn't helped by the fact that her best friend got a distinction (the only one in their class). Teacher said she was a bit surprised by result - but not too sure what she meant by that. I'm sure dd will bounce back and it's an important lesson to learn etc. but I do feel for her disappointment right now and just hope it doesn't dampen her enjoyment or knock her confidence too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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