What is the purpose of dance exams?

Not teacher certifications; I'm all in favor of them and I KNOW what they do. But student certifications make me wonder.

My first experience was at a studio where only school figures were required with no particular technique, and no one ever failed. So I refused to take the exams. I found them pointless. (The studio management was VERY annoyed with me. LOL.)

Then, I studied for and took the ISTD student exams. Those were better, in my view, since you actually had to earn your scores. But still, I found something lacking. So now, I'm working on the student member exams -- essentially teacher exams for amateurs. Just for the heck of it.

But I suspect that at higher levels of competition, for dance pros, and even in most of the world other than the US, dance exams take on a whole different meaning.

What significance or value do they have to you?

For me they give me a yardstick on which to evaluate where I am at with my dancing. Each level within our studio adds at least 4 new steps and more advanced technique. Bronze has 4 levels, Silver 2, Gold 2 and Supreme Gold is the top level. It has nothing to do with anyone else, and I don't measure my marks against anyone else and think "Well I must be better/worse than they are". It is purely a point from which you move onto the next level, with a more specific idea of where you are versus where you are going for the next exam.

pygmalion said:

My first experience was at a studio where only school figures were required with no particular technique, and no one ever failed. So I refused to take the exams. I found them pointless

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My only experience with amateur dance exams was in a one-year International Standard syllabus class. We spent 4 months on each level, and had an exam at the end of each 4 month term. The exam consisted of dancing routines we were taught in class; the routines incorporated the syllabus steps for each particular level. The class teachers and the head of our studio's teacher training program critiqued the exam, for each dance you got marked excellent, good, fair, poor for footwork, timing, knowledge of patterns, and presentation. The teachers also gave written remarks for each dance. There was no concept of pass or fail because they didn't require anyone to achieve anything in order to move on. This wasn't any kind of certification exam, but more of a "final exam" to give students something to focus on as they learned the different levels in the syllabus.

I found preparing for these exams very helpful. This was the first group class that I ever took (I had been taking private lessons for about six months already). It was useful because it made me hook up with other amateurs to practice, it introduced me to the entire Standard syllabus, it gave me something to practice for, it gave me a chance to demonstrate in front of my classmates, and the marks and written comments were very helpful. I liked this class so much that I took it again the following year, and then I took the Silver level for a third time. This year I'm planning to take the Gold level again.

*holds hands up and speaks quitely* I've never actually heard of the exams until about now... Don't hurt me! =^__^=;;;;

Should I be asking my teacher about these sometime soon? Or should I wait for him to bring them up to me, when he feels that I should take them?

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

Sakura said:

*holds hands up and speaks quitely* I've never actually heard of the exams until about now... Don't hurt me! =^__^=;;;;

Should I be asking my teacher about these sometime soon? Or should I wait for him to bring them up to me, when he feels that I should take them?

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

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Ask, yes definitely ask. If it is something you think you may be interested in doing don't wait for them to come to you.

Sure, if you're interested ask... but, by the same token, there's also absolutely no need if you're not interested. Good dancing is good dancing... with or without examination!

SDsalsaguy said:

Sure, if you're interested ask... but, by the same token, there's also absolutely no need if you're not interested. Good dancing is good dancing... with or without examination!

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I suppose it is; but testing always gives me a good idea of where I'm at in what I'm doing... (It's what I get for being an honors student, I guess... :roll: )

From what I've seen, do you have to find a class that studies together for them, and then you take the test? (This is probably going to sound silly: the test is a physical thing, right? Not written?) How much do these classes cost? And are they like a workshop deal, and only meet a few times a year?

If one plans on competing (Divine Beings {<-- A good way not to offend anyone of different faiths! } willing that I should, someday!), do they have to pass these tests? I've seen all these things about Pro Am, etc... Do you have to pass these tests to get into these groups? =O_O=... It makes my head hurt, thinking about all of the possiblities! :shock:

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

there's also absolutely no need if you're not interested. Good dancing is good dancing... with or without examination

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That's for sure!

Exams are good for people who like to prepare for and take tests, like me

Do exams provide comments, beyond an overall score?

For many of us, competitions are a tolerable reality check - but one thing about competitions is that they evaluate you as a whole, and in comparison to others. So it's possible to go quite far with some basic errors that are outweighed - and thus concealed - by strong positives. If an exam provides an opportunity to check all the details in a formal manner, then it seems like it might be a good way to verify more than the net-effect of performance in a competition context.

Sakura, you can prepare however you wish. Theres are medals classes but these are by no means the only way to go. Price wise such classes tend to be the same as any other group classes (based on how many times they actually meet).

Medals tests are totally seperate from competing in so far as one can compete, Pro Am or otherwise, regardless of any examinations. the only point of overlap is that the different exam levels parallel many of the competitive divisions (i.e. Full Bronze).

HTH

The way our studio works is that you can do private lessons, with or without being on a programme that you can take exams. If you choose to take exams, great but if not you still get the same tuition, just not the regular evaluation and the feeling of getting better by going from level to level. We also get a fair bit of feedback from the examiner on what was working well at that level, what wasn't and what to be working towards for the next one.

All our exams are freestyle dancing, no routines. The emphasis is on good dancing to any music with any partner, not a routine.

SDsalsaguy said:

the only point of overlap is that the different exam levels parallel many of the competitive divisions (i.e. Full Bronze).

HTH

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So, if one plans to compete, it might be a good idea to take at least one of the tests, to figure out what dance level to enter in to? (I know you said you don't have to take them, but how else then do you know which level to enter?)

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

Sakura said:

SDsalsaguy said:

the only point of overlap is that the different exam levels parallel many of the competitive divisions (i.e. Full Bronze).

HTH

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So, if one plans to compete, it might be a good idea to take at least one of the tests, to figure out what dance level to enter in to? (I know you said you don't have to take them, but how else then do you know which level to enter?)

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Don't need to even then SK. If you want to take the exams, go fo it, but be it a routine or straight lead and follow it is your instructor's responability to give you appropriate competition material.

*nod nod* Gotcha! Thanks a bunch, SD! You're so great! 8) (Of course, *you* know this already, so I guess I'm just boosting the ego! :lol: )

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

Most people enter the lowest level the first time they compete. Some competitions even have special newcomer events. Sometimes the newcomer events are for people who've only taken a certain number of lessons, but other times they are simply for people who have never competed before.

There's not really a correlation between passing a medal test and being successful in a competition, which is why I suggest that your teacher/coach is the best person to help you figure out what level to enter the first time.