New class

[jimpickles]

I just thought I'd share my enthusiasm for a new class - the sort of discovery that really changes your life (well, not quite, but its really important nevertheless). Recently I moved across the city, and also one class closed, so I looked for a new one near where I live now (as well as driving back for 2 classes at the old place).

 

Though the new class is listed as beginner, the range is enormous, from a few absolute beginners at one end, to 4 or 5 who've been doing it for years, plus one ex-professional from what in my opinion is Australia's top company. We have this very charming very enthusiastic and very young teacher who somehow manages to keep us all happy - an amazing job seeing the range of abilities and experience. How she manages to do it I cant imagine, but I'm getting just the sort of tuition I want, and the best dancers are obviously happy as they've been coming for some time (and clearly, if they find it mortifying being in the same class as absolute beginners, dont mind enough to stop).

 

The ex-professional is wonderful for inspiration, but I have to keep my eyes off her in class, because she adds her own bits and timing. The other experienced ones are lovely crisp dancers and very good to watch.

 

Apparently our teaching is based on the RAD intermediate course (I'm surprised, because I thought this was rather advanced - but the teacher will oviously select where necessary). I've been trying to find what this level involves, but apart from finding listings of books costing many $$$, havent found an outline. If anyone is able to tell me where I can find an outline of what this level requires, so I know what to expect, I'd be very grateful.

 

Many thanks,

 

Jim.

[Mel Johnson]

Unfortunately, the RAD main website used to contain a .pdf file with the syllabi in it, but I guess they took it down, as it would have competed with sales of the syllabus books.

[TemptressToo]

You might want to try this website (my little secret)...

 

www.addall.com

 

It searches over 18 online book stores, new and used, and gives you the price breakdown from cheapest to most expensive. You might get lucky...I have many times (even found some out-of-print books that I was dying to own).

[intermezzo]

Here's a list of the different exercises found in my copy of the syllabus (it's fairly old, it may vary to some degree)

 

Barre:

 

1. Pliés 2. Battements tendus 3. Battements glissés 4. Battement jetés 5. Ronds de jambe à terre 6. Assemblés soutenus à terre 7. Battement fondus 8. Battement frappés 9. Battement frappé fouettés 10. Ronds de jambe en l'air 11. Petits battement sur le cou-de-pied 12. Grands battements 13. Developpés passés (for girls and another one for boys) 14. Exercise for fouetté of adage 15. Grands battements en cloche (for girls and another for boys) 16. Port de Bras (A and a B one) 17. Échappé relevés for girls/ Échappé sautés and relevés for boys 18. Relevés devant and derriere 19. Posés to 5th position for boys

 

Centre:

 

20. First port de bras (A & 21. Second port de bras 22. Temps lié 23. Battement tendus (A& 24. Battement jetés for boys 25. Chassés with rotation and fouetté à terre 26. Grands battements

 

Pirouettes:

27. Single pirouettes en dehors from 5th 28. double priouettes from 4th 29. double pirouettes en dehors from 2nd position for boys 30. pirouettes en dedans 31. Posés pirouettes en dedans for girls

 

Adage:

31. Developpés devant and derriere (A& 32. Demi-grands rond de jambe 33. Fouetté of adage (for girls and one for boys)

 

Allegro:

34. Petits changements 35. Pas de bourrée for girls (and one for boys) 36. Échappé sauté en croix 37. Jetés ordinaires 38. pas de basque glissés en avant (and en arrière... most awkward things ever.) 39. Sissones ordinares passés (girls/boys) 40. Pas de basque sautes for boys 41. Échappé sautés battus fermés 42. Entrechats quatre (girls/boys) 43. Brisés (girls/boys) 44. Grands jetés en avant for girls (also ridiculously awkward) 45. Grands jetés enchainement for boys 46. Chassé temps levé for boys 47. Posé temps levé en manege for boys 48. Tours en l'air for boys 49. Pas balancé for boys 50. Full contretemps (girls/boys) 51. Reverence for boys

 

52. Dance study for girls (why there isn't one for boys, I have no idea)

 

and then there's the pointework & reverence for the girls as well

 

My goodness, there's a lot more exercises than I expected.. no wonder I have troubles remembering all the beginnings & endings for each of them

Hope this helps form your expectations of the level, have fun!

 

*I had to add in all the accents myself, the syllabus doesn't have any of them, so sorry for all the missed ones

[jimpickles]

That's great! Thank you very much for your help.

 

Seeing the syllabus like that, it doesnt look too scary. And seeing the syllabus all together means that I can get a much better sense of the course - eg instead of the steps just being thrown at us one after another, I see why they've chosen these ones, see how they're graded in difficulty, and see the logic behind it.

 

Thank you very much indeed,

 

Jim.

[wembley]

Also, many of the exercises have a relatively simple format- it is just that there are such a lot of them!

 

Two years ago I moved from a Checchetti based studio in Melbourne to an RAD studio in Canberra. I struggled for a little while, as the standard was somewhat higher than the level that I had been doing previously. I took lots of notes after each class, writing down as much as I could remember. When I was not feeling well, I went to class to watch & busily wrote notes. After a while my teacher noticed me doing this & lent me the syllabus book so that I could learn the exercises properly.

 

This year I am doing some intermediate & some advanced foundation classes, so i ordered the advanced foundation syllabus book from the RAD Australian website. About $50, but well worth it for someone like me who likes to analyse the exercises.

[jimpickles]

Wembley - Good idea to get the syllabus book. I presume for the A$60 (as of last June) it contains a lot more than just a list of the exercises.

 

Part of my confusion I think is because I didnt realise that Elementary had been renamed Intermediate, and that Intermediate had become Advanced. As a way of making everyone feel better, that's wonderful!

 

Jim.

[wembley]

The syllabus book contains all of the exercises, both in written form with the counts for everything & in Benesh notation (which I can't read).

 

The music CDs are either the official versions, or there are other versions which have alternate music for the second side of the exercises. I like it when my teacher uses the alternate music, as it is a change, plus I think that it is good to not become too reliant on always having the same music, especially as the exams are done with a live pianist. Not that this is an issue for me, since I don't do the exams.

[Poppy]

jimpickles,

 

The RAD syllabus books do include more than just a list!! Each exercise is listed seperately and includes: The name of the exercise, time signature, counts per bar, commencing position, counts for intro as well as detailed notation of each exercise including counts, movements of feet and arms and head position. It also lists if the exercise or dancce is performed solo or in pairs in an examination as well as male/female versions. The only problem can be if you are not familiar with a term that is specific to RAD. For example, in one of the younger grades they have an exercise called skip change of step and one called pony gallops. There are no detailed definitions for those particular steps! However, as you are looking at the intemediate syllabus, these probably won't be an issue !! I only have the syllabus books to Grade 5 so don't know details of Intermediate. RAD also have the syllabus CDs available seperately.

 

Enjoy your class.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

52. Dance study for girls (why there isn't one for boys, I have no idea)

 

and then

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There is a dance study for boys as well, but it is not too difficult.