RAD Grade 7

[Dance_Scholar_London]

I just came across a ballet school in London that offers RAD Ballet Adult Grade 7 course. The receptionist was not quite sure about the level - Could somebody explain the level of grade 7 (and if there is a difference between RAD for adults and for teens).

[Mel Johnson]

There is absolutely no difference in Grade 7, whether it is being offered to teens or adults. IMHO, the Academy should start generating an adult curriculum, as they are ideally situated to write such a program, and the adult student body worldwide is growing and growing.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Could you tell me the level (elementary/intermediate/ etc) of Grade 7?

[skip]

i hope it's ok if i jump in here.

 

rad has two systems, graded exams and vocational exams. (hobby and professional track if you want to describe it roughly).

 

grade 7 is one of the graded exams. since the new marking system, they devided the graded exams (primary - grade 8) in three parts.

 

foundation: primary - grade 3 (if i'm correct)

intermediate: grade 4 - grade 5

advanced: grade 6 - grade 8

 

this is if i recall it correctly (don't have one of my report cards overhere that i can look at).

 

same with the vocational track, but that goes from intermediate to advanced if i recall it correctly. levels in vocationals are:

 

intermediate foundation

intermediate

advanced foundation

advanced 1

advanced 2

solo seal

 

hope this has helped you a bit!!

 

~SKIP~

[Mel Johnson]

Just to make a parallelism for the sake of use: I think grade 7 is roughly equivalent to vocational Intermediate, without pointe work, but WITH character dance.

 

Also, there is no "boys' work" in grade 7. All boys are steered by the Academy into vocational track after grade 5.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

I have emailed London Studio Centre and waiting for a response. The class is 1 h (only) and is considered as level 2 at this particular school (level 2 assumes at least 1 years experience) and takes place once a week. I suppose I will have to wait until I get a response from the School. I am not convinced if 1 class a week will be enough to prepare for an exam BTW, I am taking daily classes at the moment, but teachers do not follow any syllabus.

 

But many thanks the explanation about the grading systems

[Mel Johnson]

Heavens, I don't see how anybody could be prepared for an examination with just one one-hour class per week. Or even two! And especially grade 7! It must be some other system of levels from RAD.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Mel - I will keep you update as soon as the school got back to me. I also thought that one hour might be not enough but it is rather hard to find an adult RAD class, though I am living in central London

[Guest Aleksander]

Actually, the level of all grades is below the intermediate foundation. As mentioned above grade examinations is more about dancing not about technical proficiency.

Edited September 24, 2004 by Aleksander

[Mel Johnson]

I know. I've been working with or alongside the curriculum for over thirty-five years. The comparison was only made for discussion's sake. The comparison was merely rhetorical. But I differ with the Academy on the statement that the Higher Grades material is lower than Intermediate Foundation. They may have made it with that intention, but that is not the way it has worked out.

[Guest BalletBrat]

I have to agree with you there Mel, I do not think the higher grades are lower than the Intermediate Foundation , especially with the frequent use of inside and outside leg, as well as the frequent combination of two or more "steps" in one exercise at the barre, starting and finishing away from the barre, etc. My pre-intermediates found Grade 6 work very challenging.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Just received an email from the school: "The level of the class is roughly RAD Grade 7 - suggest you trial the class and discuss your requirements with the teacher who'll advise if exams are possible." I am not sure if "roughly" suggests that the syllabus is only a kind of RAD - and not the real one. Anyway, I will try out the class on Monday and report after I have done the class.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

I discovered that the Grade 7 class at the RAD Center in London is only 1 hour too. Now I am very curious about the class on Monday...

[Mel Johnson]

They may be teaching the syllabus material then, and assume that the students take other classes as non-syllabus. It would take rather a long time, though, to prepare for a grade 7 examination with only one class a week.

[skip]

major johnson, not to be rude or anything. but all of my grades, i practised with one class a week (and about a month/two months before the exam, we had extra sunday-classes). each class was 1 1/2 hour long.

 

i did my grade 7 like that within 5 months (with actually a 2 months summervacation break) and grade 8 in less than a year (also with that 2 months summervacation break).

 

but, i have to admit, our class was small and everyone was really clearly motivated to get the syllabus exercises quickly. if it's a big class, it might be more difficult and it also depends on the teacher. my grade 6 teacher taught me about 1 new exercise every class and a dance-study was always cut in lots of pieces. with grade 7, with my current teacher, we learned most of the classical work in 2 classes. free movement was and character was in one class. (most of us in that class have a good memory, i've been in classes that we needed to repeat the plies and everything else every class again, cause no one remembered). after those first few classes we were going to work on perfectioning the exercises and learning the dance studies.

 

i'm sorry if this offends anyone, i don't mean to.

 

~SKIP~