Disillusioned with Medal Tests

There's a simple reason why everyone passes: an instructor won't let their student test if he or she doesn't know the student will pass. In crooked places, this can mean skewed test results, but more often it's the result of instructors insisting their students learn the material their students will be tested on.
 
suburbaknght said:
There's a simple reason why everyone passes: an instructor won't let their student test if he or she doesn't know the student will pass. In crooked places, this can mean skewed test results, but more often it's the result of instructors insisting their students learn the material their students will be tested on.
Click to expand...
Which makes total sense. I've heard instructors saying things along those lines.
 
I'm sure you're hoping the author of that will answer... but I don't think they compare at all.

At my very first mentioning the thought of doing a medal test way back when I was told right off... "Forget it... everyone ALWAYS passes!" I was naive at the time and thought... "Naaawwww"... but still, I dropped it.

Now I know better.

Nevermind the score, we have some friends who still went ahead with a medal test and they weren't happy with the feedback either... it was ALL positive, nothing to work on.

Now "they" know better.
 
BasicsFirst said:
I'm sure you're hoping the author of that will answer...
Click to expand...
:D
At my very first mentioning the thought of doing a medal test way back when I was told right off... "Forget it... everyone ALWAYS passes!" I was naive at the time and thought... "Naaawwww"... but still, I dropped it.

Now I know better.

Nevermind the score, we have some friends who still went ahead with a medal test and they weren't happy with the feedback either... it was ALL positive, nothing to work on.

Now "they" know better.
Click to expand...
I enjoyed my one medal exam experience. Curiously, I never did receive my score or written feedback. I'll never know if I passed. But my post-exam session had the examiner heavily critiquing my posture and then teaching me five different ways to arrive at the same good posture. Pound for pound, it was perhaps some of the most amazing instruction I'll ever get in 15 minutes.
 
Medals are different than competiton. In medals they are looking for a couple that dance well together and have a basic sense of the steps in the level they are going for. Technique, frame and connection are not as important as what is expected in competition. Medals are for people who want to work toward something to evaluate their dancing but not at a competitive level. In this the medals serve a purpose if they are not used and abused.

Up here the medals are a joke. I've seen so many couples get highly commended or in the 90's yet the dance is damn near unrecognizable. No technique, off time, steps done so poorly you have to take a guess as to what they are. It's a bragging right for those who do it, since everyone I know gets into the 90's, and a great way to make your students do more lessons for the teacher. To me, and increasingly to more people I know, it is being looked upon as just another money grab. I think the people judging it may want to be encouraging but instead they are de-valuing the medal system to a point where soon it will be looked upon as worthless. I have my gold medals with highly commended but I can't say the guy I did it with and I should really have gotten that mark.
 
My daughter has the opportunity to take her exams in October (Los Angeles). She has never taken an exam, but is at gold level in her sequences (?). Would there be any benefits for her to take the exams?
 
Rugby said:
. In this the medals serve a purpose if they are not used and abused.

Up here the medals are a joke.
Click to expand...


taking "tests, " within a chain school and a recognised international Soc.( ISTD, IDTA, UKA for e.g. ) are worlds apart... if you test as a student ( or Prof. ) failures are not out of the Question, and the higher grades are "earned " .

Medal test classes were devised, to ensure the perfection of technique on an individual basis.. we used to run them in the UK 2/3 nites a week for adults ( BR and L ) .

The demand has diminished, and in many schools, non existent.
They tend now to be geared more to the 16 and under..
 
I dont go to franchisee studios but I still find even independent examiners are very reluctant to give conservative scores.

They are still upmarking everyone.

I also get mostly good feedback with very little criticism every time.

My coach do critizise me a lot afterwards though !
 
I have never done any medal tests but am working towards doing some (ISDT) - I spend most of my lessons perfecting technique, posture, foot work etc etc etc in preparation for them. The routines are not difficult and I have enjoyed spending time choreographing them (and I think I will be able to use some for competing??). For me (as I currently don't have a competition partner and that is my ultimate aim) I think working towards something is good as it ensures that I learn the technique etc which can never be a bad thing and gives me a goal & some structure to what I am doing. And I like to think that may be when I get a partner it will be of benefit. I don't know what the standard is like though, or the marking for that matter but I was under the impression that not every-one passes. I haven't really looked into the medal system here (UK) too much but I thought that if you ultimately wanted to teach etc these are stepping stones towards that?
 
pinkstuff said:
. And I like to think that may be when I get a partner it will be of benefit.

I don't know what the standard is like though, or the marking for that matter but I was under the impression that not every-one passes. I haven't really looked into the medal system here (UK) too much but I thought that if you ultimately wanted to teach etc these are stepping stones towards that?
Click to expand...

Good techn. is always a benefit, no matter your ultimate aim.

The medal tests have been re structured to encourage people to study for single dance entries in the Bronze level ( used to be all 4 dances ) and the minimum pass level is %65.. you may take the test with a teacher and or an amat. partner .( failures to reach the "standard " are rare, but can happen )

And yes, they will prepare you for teaching from a technical standpoint.. but.. there is a theoretical side that will need to be addressed.
 
Terpsichorean Clod said:
How do you know they are upmarking? :)

Good for you! :applause:

LOL
Click to expand...

Well because wel all get so much bollocking from our coaches at the end no matter that everyone is getting something like 'Wow you are a lovely dancer ! Nice extension ! Nice footwork !' on our medal assessment !

Then my coach were like 'YOU ! Why were you not keeping your posture ? And YOU ! Why were you not keeping your balance well ?'

Hearing our coach we were more deserving of something like 60% rather than 96% or whatever ridiculous mark we got !

I think 100% is for GOD, 96-98 % is for Alessia (who is kind of my Ballroom Goddess anyway !).

In the grand scale of think we are maybe 60%.

Okay if you think that we are dancing Gold level not Gold Premier Superstar God level that Alessia will be dancing in ..... let's lower the standard to at least the finalist in national champ dancing standard for 96-98%.

In that case we are more like max 70% ?
 
Terpsichorean Clod said:
How would one compare expectations at a medal test with expectations at a competition? :)
Click to expand...

I don't know, but what was said to me on the coaching "you'd be fine with this amount of stretch if you were doing the medal test but you need to double that for competing", that was a couple of years ago, when I was still doing bronze standard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top