Schedule Check please

[Clementine]

My dd is 11. She started dancing at 9. She is not en pointe. Here is proposed fall schedule:

 

Monday - R.A.D Grade IV (5-6:15)

 

Tuesday - off

 

Wednesday - R.A.D. Grade V (4:45-6)

 

Thursday - modern (5-6:15)

 

Friday - R.A.D. coaching, grades III and IV (45 min each 5:30 - 7)

 

Saturday - nutcracker rehearsals starting in Sept. (and she is taking a circus aerials class - I jokingly told my dh that it was practice for a career as a pole dancer - he wasnt amused)

 

From the information I am reading on this site - this seems like it is on the low side and the classes are 75 minutes rather than the 90 minutes I see mentioned on this board. Our studio has an amazing ballet teacher but unfortunately - there is only one of her and since it is a dance program at a local arts center - that is not likely to change. Thoughts? Thanks

[Albini]

I think it sounds reasonable for a dancer whi has danced for only 2 years.

 

My son has danced for 2 years also and at 10 is entering his 3rd year come fall. He does 2 hours of ballet tech and 2 hours of ballet company a week. The girls in his class also take an hour of jazz/hip hop and modern. Sounds pretty close.

 

Oh , he is doing the grade 2 cecc syllabus having completed the grade one exam in June.

 

Hope that helped.

[Mel Johnson]

Grade IV is a good responsible level for an 11-year-old, but why is she taking a grade V class instead of a second IV, or even a "free" class at grade IV level? Coaching for a grade already passed is not really efficient, except to work for mastery. I've been arguing with my RAD colleagues for years about 75 minute classes, but I guess that it's an RAD convention, so I always lose. There is so much material to cover, even in Lower Grades, that a 90 minute class seems indicated.

[Clementine]

Because it is such a small program - there is only one class offered at each level - so the girls who take their current level plus one Friday coaching class are invited to take a second reach level (for her that is grade V). The majority of girls in her Grade IV all took the Grade III exam last year but my dd only took the Grade II (so last year she did grades 3 and 4 in the spring but the grades 2 and 3 coaching classes). Her teacher told her she now considers her part of the grade 4 group but wants her to go thru the grade 3 again and take the exam so that she gets a strong foundation. She is hoping to take both the Grades 3 and grade 4 exams this spring so that next year she is "caught up" to her group. Hope that makes sense - kind of confusing

[Mel Johnson]

It looks to me as though there are local conditions at the arts center which are creating a class schedule which could compromise the quality of the dance education presented there. My heart goes out to this teacher.

[Clementine]

I think the quality of the teaching is excellent - but there is only one of her. There are also space limitations and the ballet program has to compete for space with other types of classes which also limits the offerings. The girls stay as long as they can because they really love the teacher and the other girls in the program (it is a really safe nurturing environment and it has great performance opportunities since we do a Nutcracker and a spring ballet) but for those who want to pursue ballet more seriously - they eventually have to leave for a program that can offer more classes. My dd is not at a level where we have to worry about it but I know some who are and I know that if she continues to love ballet and to progress as she hopes to- we will eventually be faced with the same dilemna.

[cakers]

I don't know anything about the RAD syllabus, so can't speak to the levels, but at our studio, girls age 11 would be preparing to go on pointe, and so would be taking at least three 90 minute technique classes a week. The AD won't put them on point until they've been doing that for a year.

[Victoria Leigh]

Cakers, I really, really appreciate what your child's school is doing. There are unbelievably few schools these days that wait until the students are both old enough and well-prepared enough, by giving them the proper amount of classes, to go on pointe.