BALLET EXAM GUIDE:

Why do Ballet Exams?

Not every child needs or wants to do ballet exams, and we do not insist upon it. Some children want to dance without the pressure of having to measure up to a bench-mark; this is perfectly valid and we support parents who desire that experience for their child.

However, the children who do work towards exams will gain a feeling of pride in their accomplishments, and will be motivated to work harder in their classes, thus getting more out of their dance experience, getting fitter, and gaining skills. Exam results give the students, teachers, and parents, a clear idea of the progress of the child, with a report written by an impartial professional. This is valuable because the examiners see students from numerous different dance schools and can judge accurately whether the children are progressing at a reasonable rate for their age and level. They can also provide tips that the teacher, who sees the child every week, may not have picked up.

Examiners are registered Living Dance International examiners, and are there with the best interests of your child at heart; they desire to encourage, while giving a clear idea of areas in which improvement will be best gained. As many professionals will attest, ballet exams in other ballet methods can be a terrifying experience where the child feels vulnerable and criticised. We strive to eliminate these frightening syndromes completely and LDI examiners are friendly, warm and understanding to the children, whilst still carrying out their professional duty. You can see the panel of Living Dance International examiners here.

It must be remembered that ballet training is a slow process. There are no rules which dictate that at a certain age a child MUST be at a certain level. Ballet is an art form which places demands not only on the body but on the mental capacity and maturity of all dancers at every level - even professionals. As teachers our role is to ensure that the children enter exams when they are ready and at their best possible chance of doing well. Pushing a child through an exam before they are ready will simply lead to bad marks and then low self-esteem.

What is a Ballet Exam like? - a guide for kids

Ballet exams are about showing all your classwork to someone who knows all about ballet: the examiner. You must show your work without your teacher being there to help you, in order to prove that you really know it. You will want to do it the best you can, because the examiner will be looking for your best work.

In ballet exams, presentation is important. Students need to be dressed immaculately in uniform with hair done correctly. More on this below.

Once you are all dressed and ready, your teacher will pin a number onto the front and back of your leotard. This is because the examiner has not met you before and will not have time to learn your name in the short time she or he will see you. The number helps the examiner to tell you apart from your classmates.

You will go into the ballet exam room in a group of 2-4 students. Usually the exam is not held in the place you do your classes. The examiner may need to see dozens of students all in the one day and cannot travel around to each studio, so students must come to where the examiner is.

When you go into the exam room, you will see the examiner sitting at a table where they will write notes on what they see during the exam. The examiner will say hello, and you must curtsey (for girls) or bow (for boys) and greet the examiner by name. Then the exam will start.

You must be on your best behaviour in an exam. No chatting, giggling or fidgeting. Imagine that you are a professional dancer onstage. No professional fiddles with their leotard or chats to their neighbour, do they?

You will do each of your class exercises when the examiner tells you to, and you need to do your very best! Sometimes you may be asked to do the exercise again so the examiner can have another look. But sometimes once is enough. Enjoy your dancing. This helps the examiner to enjoy watching you.

When the exam is over, and you leave the room, the examiner will fill in a report, telling you what you did well at, and what you need to improve upon. So you don't want to show work that is not your best, or that may be written in the report and you might not get as good a result.

If you pass the exam, you will receive a lovely certificate that you can frame or put in an album. This is an important document for you to treasure.

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HAIR FOR A BALLET EXAM:

What you need for a ballet bun:

A strong hair thick elastic, bobby pins and slightly bigger wavy hair pins (normal size not the extra long ones) a thin bun or hair net which should be either brown or blonde (not the pink old lady slumber nets!), your hair brush, hair spray or gel. (ALL of this equipment is available from a chemist).

To put hair into a bun:

There is a step-by-step guide with photos here: http://www.dancemania.biz/blog/what-hairstyles-are-there-for-dance/

OR:

1. Put the hair up in a pony tail
2. Wrap the hair around in a circle so that it creates a loose donut shape around the hair elastic.
3. Hold in place with one hand and start to pin into place with the wider wavy hair pins
4. Once it will stay in place without you needing to hold it (normally 4-6 pins) place the bun net over the bun so it looks neat (if using a hair net place over the top and twist and go over the top again)
5. Add additional wavy pins around the bun to make the bun look neat and tidy.
6. With the bobby pins, grip any loose hair i.e at the back of the head, at the sides or at the front.
7. Use lots of hairspray or gel to hold it into place.
8. Smile!

TOP TIP: Do not wash your hair on the morning of the exam, just wet the hair and towel dry then put it up in a pony tail damp. It will look much smarter and hold together better!

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TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR BALLET EXAMS:

1. Know your stuff!

In the run up to an exam, the best help you can give your child is getting them to learn the exam syllabus and help them practice. Even if it is simply talking through the exercises after school in the car. The children should know exactly what they are doing as far as possible.

2. Look the part.

Turn up to the exam in plenty of time (about 30mins prior to the exam) looking the part. If you look good you feel good. Rushing in, tired and in a mess will not help. Ballet is about discipline both in and outside of the classroom whether it is an exam day or not. Hair should be up in a smart bun (see below).

3 Eat well.

Dancers have to be strong and healthy in order to perform. What we do is physically very demanding. Make sure you eat some good food an hour and a half before the exam and drink plenty of water on the day. You don't want to feel full but you do want your body to have fuel.

4. Smile!

A ballet exam is about performing to an examiner. You don't have to be a cheshire cat all the time but enjoying your exercises and dance will help. If you have trouble thinking how to do this, think about something that really excites you. That wide eyed excitement and pleasure gives a great expression to the face.

5. Attend all your ballet classes.

For initial exams, a weekly class is generally sufficient to obtain a pass at the lower levels.  For all the higher Grades, it is recommended that candidates attend 2 classes a week at least in the term leading up to the ballet exam.  As teachers we see real progress in those children who go from attending one class a week to two and a few extra classes in the run up to an exam can really help boost confidence. If your child is serious about dance they should be attending at least 2 classes a week. Free movement is not part of the syllabus and whilst O.M.A.  teachers incorporate these elements into ballet classes at the school as part of a child's dance learning experience, it is not examined in Grade exams.

6. Don't panic if you go wrong.

We all make mistakes and it doesn't matter if something does not go to plan in the exam room. The examiners do understand that nerves often play a part in taking an exam.

REMEMBER: It doesn't matter how you do as long as you learn from it.

Even the worlds most famous dancers have failed an exam. Margot Fonteyn the Prima Ballerina of the Royal Ballet failed her grade one ballet exam and she became a world renowned ballerina. Failure is not a bad thing as long as you learn from it for the next time. If you do badly or not as well as expected ask yourself why?

What do I need to bring with me?

The correct colour leotard (pink for Primary, blue for older grades) and clean tights. Your ballet shoes - with proper elastics and with the draw strings tucked underneath so they don't show. Your ballet skirt, to match your leotard. A drink for before and afterwards, and perhaps a snack or lunch.