albiondance

The video here shows a snippet of what happens on exam day at the Royal Academy of Dance. We send our dancers to be examined at the Academy HQ in Battersea, as we usually have less than three hours of exams in a session. If you have three hours or more, you can apply to have an exam session at your studio space. I like to take our dancers to the HQ so that they have a chance to dance in lovely big studios with perfect flooring – the floors there are sprung and covered with a specialist dance flooring, just like most professional stages. The examiner in the short film, Jackie Ferguson, has examined me three times – once as an 11 yr old and twice between the ages of 14 and 18! Dance keeps you young!

It shows how neat and tidy the dancers are expected to be in class, right from the youngest to the oldest girls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLouywuk5js&list=PLc3-WH7Q87UU2FcxBNmG9Umix178rDd9G

Dancers stand in front of the examiner in the following way:

Examiner

4 3 2 1

RAD Intermediate Foundation

These are videos available on the Internet. I have watched them all to make sure they are correct. I discovered someone has already done a video glossary, which is most useful of the steps you need for the free work. Shown in isolation, you can practice them and perhaps link some.

BARRE :

All the barre work in order – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d0-rD-p79o

CENTRE WORK

Ports de bras – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RjyZGXqTm8

NOTE –  these dancers do a slight spring to the side on the “forward, side, back” (open pas de bourrée over – Dessus) In the book, it details ONLY Pose, which means ‘step’. There is no spring, but you should make it flow.

Centre Practice and Pirouettes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWGupdmx8Y

This is a really nicely controlled example.

Pirouettes en dedans – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCTEOIY2ESs

This class show a solid example of the exercise.

Adage – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufdq0DUJkNw

Absolutely correct to the syllabus book.

Allegro 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1CeuWrbVIE

This adult dancer has lovely feet, this is what you are working towards – feet and bounce.

Allegro 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yErFrQr4VjY

Allegro 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssq-oZ1pnmU

Free work – focal steps and linking steps – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8W1IhZiIJU

Variation 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvI7nIVn9r0

From the RAD DVD.

POINTE WORK – here are some basic exercises to start practicing at home:

Rises – 3 rises, tendu to second, transfer of weight through demi plie to the other foot and close. Repeat.

Echappes releves and courus – releve 5^th, echappe releve to second changing feet 2x, releve in 5^th, stay up and hold, couru to change feet, straighten knees on 5, lower 6,7,8. Repeat starting with the other foot.

Echappes releves and classical walks – repeat the releve section above, plu 3 classical walks, starting with the back foot, close on 8. Repeat.

Exam Day – what to expect – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLouywuk5js&t=7s

Here are some videos of Grade 4 dancers, taken from the Internet, which show the exercises from Grade 4. Use them to practice with, to watch and remember. Watching the videos regularly is a valid way of revising your work and activates ‘muscle memory’ in the same way as actually dancing, so it will help enormously if you watch them each day.

Dancers line up for examination like this:

Examiner

4 3 2 1

 RAD Grade 4

Barre

WHOLE BARRE IN ORDER – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv5wv-Y3ZnU&t=21s

The dancer misses the first part of the plie exercise, so below is a video of the full exercise:

Plies – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viku8JcHFSE

Battements tendus and battements glisses

Battements fondus and ronds de jambe

Developpes –

Grands Battements

Centre work

1. Ports de bras, 2) Centre Practice, 3) Adage – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yGqvJISUXw

TRANSFER OF WEIGHT – OUR OWN

Allegro

Video is out of sequence and repeats:  1)Assembles, 2) Grande Allegro, 3) Turns, 4) Sautes, echappe sautes and changements, 5) Jetes ordinaires and pas de chat, 6) Assembles and temps leves –

The correct sequence of exercises is:

Sautes, echappe sautes and changements,

Jetes ordinaires and pas de chat,

Assembles and temps leves

Turns

Grand Allegro

RAD G4 Dance B – rain – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2NI-qS00KU

RAD G4 Dance C – stick dance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XfC5DqxOdI

RAD G4 Dance F – Tarantella – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVePTjHfJiY

Exam Day – what to expect – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLouywuk5js&list=PLc3-WH7Q87UU2FcxBNmG9Umix178rDd9G

Dancers line up in front of the examiner in the following way:

Examiner

4 3 2 1

Here is a useful set of videos of other dancers, taken from the Internet, which show the exercises from Grade 3. Use them to practice with. They usually use our choice of music. I think you will agree, these dancers are trying their best and working very hard. Enjoy practising!

GRADE 3  BARRE

Exercises taken in the correct order:

Plies

Battements tendus & Glisses

Battements fondus & developpes devant

Grands Battements devant

Grands battements to second and derriere

CENTRE

The video below contains the Ports de bras, Transfer of Weight, Adage, Turns and a version of the reverence.

Centre work taken in correct order – ignore the dance at the end!

Ports de bras

Ronds de Jambe a Terre

Transfer of weight

Adage

Sautes and changements

Glissades, sissonnes & assembles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58KMFq6Kb6I

Poses and temps leves – no video, because we make up our own exercise for this.

Turns

Grand allegro

Dance C

Dance D

Reverence – No video as we do our own version.

Exam Day – what to expect – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLouywuk5js&t=7s

This is a huge and exciting moment for all dancers. Here is a general (not necessarily complete) list of what dance teachers consider before allowing a dancer to go “en pointe”:

The student has the required core strength in the body

Demonstrates correct posture and alignment in positions and while moving

Maintains turnout while dancing

Shows awareness of proper ankle and foot alignment, avoiding sickling or rolling-in

Effectively uses plié while dancing

Stretches or points the foot while dancing

Can piqué passé with a straight leg

Can perform repeated relevé in the center without tiring & while maintaining alignment

Can balance on one foot with the body correctly positioned over the supporting leg

Coordinates movement well, particularly in regard to varying approach to relevé (from plié, from straight leg, stepping or springing into, etc.)

Attitude and work ethic play a large role in dancing at an advanced level. Students must display dedication during class and a strong commitment to the art form at all times.

For a useful video about preparing your pointe shoes, click this link:

When someone mentions ballet dancing, we immediately think of the ballerina in her white tutu, hair pulled back into a bun, standing on her toes. We tie our hair up this way for two very important reasons: a) long hair flaps into the face, even when in a pony tail and disturbs our focus; b) hair tied close to the head help us to balance, especially when standing on one leg, either to show an arabesque line or more importantly when turning in pirouettes.

Long hair is heavy and a child with long hair needs to become accustomed to both the hair style and their altered balance as they are training before considering taking a ballet exam. If a child only has their hair up for their exam, their balance can be thrown and this will have a negative impact on the mark they ultimately achieve.

Please could all dancers have their hair in a bun every lesson so that we can help them gain a good sense of balance and they can focus on their technique. It also makes them FEEL like a ballerina. The best round bun style looks a little like a cinnamon roll – flat to the head, much like having very short hair. Below are two styles I have used successfully for myself – the plaits across the head is my preferred style for Albion Dance School. In the weeks before Easter, I will be showing the children how to do their hair – if you are unsure about how to do hair, do ask and I am happy to demonstrate for you.