drdance Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Oh I'm sorry she's upset. It sounds as though there weren't many distinctions in the session though? My best advice, as I'm sure her teacher has said, is to look at the mark for each individual section and see where her lower marks were, to see what she can work on to improve and get that distinction next time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 I'm sorry to hear that Happygirl. My dd is always very upset if she doesn't get distinction in any exam and you have my sympathy. It's hard on both of you but it's not the end of the world - anything she wants to do with dance in the future is based on audition, not exams...... But that doesn't make my dd feel any better! Maybe the teacher thinks the marking is harsh? It wouldn't be professional for her to say much though..... We don't do RAD but I expect she couldn't appeal the results. ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 Thanks for replies. We haven't seen breakdown of marks yet, but that will be helpful when we do I'm sure. She got a distinction (82) last time (G1) so she says she feels like she's got worse not better I've reassured her that syllabus was much harder this time and far fewer of them got distinctions (just the one) but ultimately she's really disappointed in herself and that will take a bit of time to pick herself up from I think. It's tough. But then I guess it's a tough business. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 (edited) Did she do the new Grade 2 syllabus? It's supposed to be much harder than the old one and worldwide teachers are saying that the marking seems tougher. Anyway, this is what I tell my students - the examiner sees what you do on that particular day and at that moment in time. She doesn't know you, has no idea who you are or what you are - she simply has a job to mark what she sees, according to the criteria the Academy has given her. The examiner is also a human being - she may be having a bad day too! Also, sometimes a student gets so nervous that he/she muddles half the exercises, or he/she might have an injury or a cold. There are so many things that can go wrong in an exam under pressure, so even though you may have worked really hard and improved so much, you can still end up with a lower mark than you deserve. In the same way, someone might have a fantastic exam and pull out the very best in themselves and even end up with a higher mark than someone who is considered better than them. Everything can and does happen in an exam, or an audition or a performance. The point is that yes, it's frustrating when the mark is lower than expected, but what is important is the process of working towards the exam. The extra rehearsals and hours of extra practise and the effort that the student puts into the preparation for the exam are what count and make all the difference in the future, whatever the exam mark eventually turns out to be! Edited April 25, 2015 by Dance*is*life 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 What wise words dance is life! Thank you! Yes, dd did do the new G2 syllabus and it was a challenge for them all - but, she did work so hard, practised loads and invested so much of herself in it. I think that's why it's such a disappointment to not get the distinction she was aiming for, but you're absolutely right that the process of getting there is all important. She does get very nervous and I think this probably effects her performance. Her best friend who got the distinction is super confident (in everything, not just ballet!) and can imagine this shone through in her exam wheras I expect dd was more jittery. Learning to control or channel nerves is all part of it too though isn't it!? It's just such a shame that her achevievement is overshadowed by 'only' getting a merit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 (edited) Well I think merit is very good,these exams are really not easy and the new syllabus is challenging. Did she do the new Grade 2 syllabus? It's supposed to be much harder than the old one and worldwide teachers are saying that the marking seems tougher. Anyway, this is what I tell my students - the examiner sees what you do on that particular day and at that moment in time. She doesn't know you, has no idea who you are or what you are - she simply has a job to mark what she sees, according to the criteria the Academy has given her. The examiner is also a human being - she may be having a bad day too! Also, sometimes a student gets so nervous that he/she muddles half the exercises, or he/she might have an injury or a cold. There are so many things that can go wrong in an exam under pressure, so even though you may have worked really hard and improved so much, you can still end up with a lower mark than you deserve. In the same way, someone might have a fantastic exam and pull out the very best in themselves and even end up with a higher mark than someone who is considered better than them. Everything can and does happen in an exam, or an audition or a performance. The point is that yes, it's frustrating when the mark is lower than expected, but what is important is the process of working towards the exam. The extra rehearsals and hours of extra practise and the effort that the student puts into the preparation for the exam are what count and make all the difference in the future, whatever the exam mark eventually turns out to be! I couldnt agree more with this. Ive had plenty of students with "only" merit go to vocational school (including WL).Ive also had students get distinctions who were only ever going to be recreational dancers. Its difficult though as a student to understand and appreciate that an exam mark is not the be all and end all. Its the learning process thats important. And a student does have to appreciate that an exam is indeed a snapshot of that moment in time. An examiner friend once said to me after a competition that the most talented dancer in it didnt win but the best dancer on the day did. So congratulations to all those who have passed their exams after hours of hard work. I had 20 grade 2 candidates and so pleased with all of them for achieving merits! Edited April 25, 2015 by hfbrew 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dramascientist Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 "Only" merit? Wow what pressure these daners put themselves under! Don't forget some examiners are more strict than others too even though they are supposed to mark to the same standards it is well known that some are harsher than others! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 40% of the mark for the new grades relates to the musicality & performance aspect rather than the technique. So a "technician" with perfect technique but no semblance of a performance would not be able to get a distinction. Similarly since 60% relates to technique, a great performer with very poor technique would still pass but would be unlikely to come out with a high merit or distinction. So to get a distinction someone would really need to shine in both aspects. Sounds like your DD's friend had the edge on the performance side. But if she got the only distinction (was it for that grade or for the whole school?) it seems like the examiner was marking low across the board. This could be for a number of reasons - she could have been looking for something specific that she did not see in most of the candidates; she may have seen a lot of really outstanding candidates at other schools she had examined at recently; the teacher may not yet fully understand all that is required to prepare candidates for the new syllabus; the candidates may have been entered too soon before they had reached their "personal best" for the level; the examiner may not have put the candidates at ease sufficiently for them to overcome their nerves and really perform on the day; the pianist may have caused problems by using different tempos to how they had practised..... As others have said, the best thing is to put it behind you and move on. Once you have the full mark breakdown, you will be able to see whether it was the technique or the performance side that was marked lower, so you will know what needs to be worked on. But as you say, a merit is still "good" - it means your DD had achieved over and above the level needed to pass the grade and move on to the next one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Ok, I'm probably going to make myself unpopular by saying this. I feel that you are obsessing about this and that this may be affecting how your DD has dealt with what is actually a minor disappointment. It's natural to feel a little bit disappointed if you get a merit when you have previously been awarded a distinction but, as others have said, an exam is a snapshot of a brief period of time and now that it's over it's time to move on rather than looking backwards and wondering 'what if'. There are many disappointments in life and it seems to be a particular tendency among some high achieving girls to be overly disappointed with anything less than what they regard as perfection, which is not a healthy attitude. When your DD receives the mark scheme she will see whether there are any particular areas that she needs to work on. The best thing that we can teach our daughters (and sons) is resilience. Without it, life becomes very, very hard as small setbacks become crushing. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 With respect, I'm not obsessing about it! I just thought it would be interesting to post the outcome as so many people had responded helpfully to my initial post about dd's exam experience. I totally agree that resilience is important and that is totally the approach dh and I are taking with dd - that and praising her for her good merit mark. I'm sorry if I came across as obsessive. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I do think as parents we have an important role to play when our children have disappointments. My DD's have both asked me recently how i will feel if things don't go as they had hoped. I told them very honestly that I hope for the outcome they hope for because I love them and want them to be happy but I will never be disappointed in them if they have tried their best. Sometimes things don't go as well on the day and sometimes years of hard work don't mean that they get where they want to go (for now at least) but I remain a true believer in 'everything happens for a reason'. Learning to deal with disappointment can mean that they try harder next time which might make all the difference to how their dancing develops just in time for an important audition or competition. I'm sure most professional dancers won't remember their Grade 2 grade result. As others have said, it's just a snapshot of what one examiner thought of her dancing on one day. Audition panels will always disagree, as will examiners. Tell her you are proud of her for all her hard work and determination. That is what is most important 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 With respect, I'm not obsessing about it! I just thought it would be interesting to post the outcome as so many people had responded helpfully to my initial post about dd's exam experience. I totally agree that resilience is important and that is totally the approach dh and I are taking with dd - that and praising her for her good merit mark. I'm sorry if I came across as obsessive. I dont think you can across as obsessive and I for one am really glad you posted the end result. Your story will resonate with others and has helped highlight how hard it is for some students to handle exam results however sensible the parents are about it! I also think Aileen made very wise points though about high achieving girls in general. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 (edited) Thanks for comments and I'm pleased to hear I don't come across as obsessive to all. I'm genuinely just a caring parent who wants a happy daughter! Edited April 26, 2015 by HappyGirl 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Forum members are interested in the outcome. That's not what I was talking about. It is not helpful to focus on the mark achieved by your DD's friend and her personality either, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 But I was just reporting back honestly on the outcome. We're not focussing on the mark achieved by dd's friend - that's just part of the context for her disappointment in her mark. Dd is prone to judging herself against others so obviously her friend getting a higher mark when she's disappointed in her own mark is going to grate a bit. It's not helpful or constructive I know, but it's just the way it is and we're trying to help her and to teach her to focus on her own achevievements and not to compare herself to others. Surely it's natural for young dancers to compare themselves? And surely this is all part of developing resilience? I certainly don't mean to infuriate anyone. I'm just sharing experiences and looking for friendly advice. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 No-one is infuriated, and I agree with your approach of trying to teach your DD to focus on her own achievements and on what she can do to improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelly the Elephant Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Thank you for sharing your situation HappyGirl. Please don't stop sharing and please don't think you are infuriating! We have been in a similar situation and I totally understand your frustration as I'm sure many here do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomin Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 (edited) I think an awful lot of children have been in this position, in a way it is probably easier to cope with if it happens early on than if they sail through and then are dissapointed later. I don't think it is necessarily a negative thing that she has identified why her friend may have done better than her, you can learn an awful lot by looking at other peoples' strengths! Far better for you to discuss it on here and not with your daughter too much, keep supporting her and she will work through the disappointment and come out stronger. My daughter is the same with the judging herself against others but tbh think that is part of being human! The girls drawn to ballet are generally perfectionists and will do this more, they need to work through these feelings and a ballet class is probably quite a 'safe' and supportive environment to do it. I will admit to still having these feelings myself every now and again! Very important lesson to learn to deal with them x Edited April 26, 2015 by Moomin 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 Thank you moomin. You've hit the nail on the head! I wouldn't discuss the issues in this way with dd! We're just encouraging her and trying to help her feel proud of herself and not overly compare herself to others. This forum has always been a helpful place to share experiences in the past which is why I posted here again. Comparing to others is a natural human trait - and learning to deal with that is part of growing up. It might not be helpful, but it's life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I don't think you need to worry too much about the result when at the lower RAD grades. And in her next exam (Grade 3) she could well achieve a distinction once again. It's more important when they get to the higher vocational levels of Intermediate, Adv1 & Adv2 when a distinction is required as an entry requirement for certain competitions, ie Phyllis Bedells, Genee etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 The thing is: you don't actually know why your DD's friend got a higher mark. It may be nothing to do with confidence; she may have been better technically or made fewer errors *on the day*. Of course, you could ask to see her mark sheet to compare but I wouldn't recommend going down that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 There is no way I would ask to see dd's friend's mark sheet!! There's absolutely no reason for us to do that. As I said before, her friend getting a higher mark is just part of the context for her disappointment in her own mark - that's the only reason I bought it up. I wish I hadn't now! There's absolutely no need to analyse dd's result in relation to her friend - that wouldn't be constructive at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 HappyGirl, your dd has done well to get a high merit in her exam Just re-read the beginning of the thread, maybe wait until you get the mark sheet, and see whether her hiccup in the character dance has affected her mark in that section, and ask the teacher to go through each bit and see where your dd could make up more marks next time. My dd's marks have varied wildly over the years, one exam she had a 7 for every section and in another they ranged from 4 to 10! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Happygirl- I don't think you're obssessive. You are sharing your experience - and lots of us have been there - to work out the best way to deal with it...... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGirl Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 Thanks Sarahw. I'm definitely not obsessing! There are far more important things to worry or obsess about than a merit rather than a distinction in a G2 ballet exam! As you say - just sharing experience and getting insight from others! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pas de chat Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Looking at it with a silver lining if she is upset it is because it means a lot to her! You will see along your DD dancing journey many little ones who might pip your DD at exams next year or the year after but what matters is hard work, love of dance, dedication and heaps of grit! If it means that much to her she will leave all the other ones standing and she will sky rocket! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 As a teacher I find it really interesting to compare the marks in each section for the whole list of candidates in that grade. It's important to me because if almost everyone gets a low mark in a particular section, it may mean that I haven't spent enough time on that with them. I am a bit naughty as I have a tendency to leave the character work until last - there always seems to be so much ballet technique to concentrate on. What I usually find though is a mixture of ups and downs - two girls can get the same final mark exactly, but one might have got really high marks in the classical technique and lower in the free movement and character sections and another one vice versa! By the way, I had always thought that a significant mistake would have an adverse effect only on that one section, but our last examiner explained that it could also affect the music marks and presentation marks. So I'm afraid your daughter's little blip in the character dance could have lost her more points than we thought. But honestly in the long run, it really doesn't matter - and there's always next year! What I do find is that the girls who have worked for the exam advance far more than those who have decided not to take the exam that year. RAD exams are very tough and we probably wouldn't bother with them if they weren't. We respect them in a way. I was always prouder of my passes in the RAD Major exams, as we called Vocationals in those days, than the 90+ marks that I used to get for some other syllabus we did! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I personally wouldn't get too carried away by RAD results whether good or mediocre. I reckon it's auditions that really matter, having the ability to impress the panel or the individual. On the other hand there's nothing wrong with being pleased when you do well in them too. The results came the other day, and she was well chuffed as a 12 year old, to find she had attained a distinction with 91 points in her Intermediate. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 That mark is exceptionally high isn't it, especially for a 12 year old. Well done to your DD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Thank you angel, but like I mentioned, we would have swapped it for a place at WL for instance. There's plenty of time for things to happen of course, along with all the other DC who are on this fantastic journey. My granddaughter does seem to be on a bit of a run though, as she gained 88 points at the last festival in February, and won a scholarship for 2016, at a recent summer school at Tring. I'm sure like most parents, it's very nice to enjoy a little success from time to time, as you never really know when it might end. Edited April 27, 2015 by Vonrothbart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Yes I understand that feeling well. My younger DD did well in her Intermediate but will not be going to WL either. However WL is not the right school for all dancers and I really believe that there are other ways to achieve the same goal. Older DD is at WL and has never done an exam whilst there so no comparison. In reality there is no need for exams. The dancing will speak for itself 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Totally agree with everything you say angel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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