The Dance Exam Conundrum

Dance Exams. What two strange words to string together. Have you ever heard of such a thing? How on earth would one go about preparing for such a test? First of all, one would have to be of a mature age to be eligible for a dance exam. Wouldn’t you?

One would imagine that an exam would mean that you need to be training professionally for a number of years in order to be ready to be assessed accurately. Possibly, dance exams are only for those who are studying to be dance professionals - finishing up their College or University Degrees overseas.

Apparently not. Apparently, dance exams have been going on for decades - and children can take them! I have a memory of being in a dance exam as a child. I was so nervous. I remember the examiner being so very nice. I recall I was recovering from a terrible cough and she offered me water - which I refused. At that time, ballet exams were the only exams on offer. As I continued my studies and my training, I was exposed to the ISTD syllabi and discovered that dance exams can start from as young as 5 years old! And they can be done in Ballet, Tap Dance, Modern Dance, and Hip-Hop! I decided to delve into this world as I knew that anything that I offered to my students had to be high quality, and enjoyable.

It may be hard to imagine that a 5 year old can be ready for a dance exam. (I must say here that I truly believe that brilliance lives inside the youngest of children). At 5 years old, children can learn a dozen exercises, perfect their technique, express their individuality and even answer questions that the examiner will ask them. As a Dance Instructor, my job is to ensure that every class is meticulously planned to ensure that the tiny geniuses in my presence are able to best express their capacity to absorb the information. The beauty of my job is that they don’t realise they are learning. They are just being their natural selves - soaking up all that their environment has to offer and giving it back to me with colour. However, the allure of the dance exam process is so much more multifaceted than the sweaty fun the dancers are having.

Let’s talk about school for a moment. Our educational system has many pros and cons - and many people who will debate them. At the moment, the global system used to assess a student’s understanding of information - is a test.

Who loves tests?

Whether you love them or hate them, I am sure that we all have had the experience of the light bulb going off in your mind for the correct answer to question 7 - after you’ve left the exam room. You probably also know someone who was in your class who needed to be sedated in order to make it through exam season. They know the work. They have high marks for all of their assignments and in-class presentations, but now that it is exam day, they are a total anxious mess. Their exam marks bring down their term average every time. Maybe you ARE that person. So, why on God’s green earth would you send your child to do a dance exam?

Consider for a moment growing up with a different memory associated with exams. Imagine for a moment being 5 years old and wearing your ballet dress, ballet socks and ballet shoes. You arrive at the studio with your hair neatly done and your eyes bright. You see the familiar faces of your dance teacher and the other Aunties there to greet you with big smiles. The next thing you see is your dance friends showing up. They will be taking the dance exam with you today, and your heart warms when you see them. The door to the studio is closed so you know it’s not your turn yet. You see something covered in a pink bag on the reception desk and you suspect that that is the surprise you are going to get after your exam is over that your teacher told you about.

The studio door opens and you see some other familiar faces come out of the studio. They are sweaty and happy dance friends. They just completed their exam and they look like they could do it again! They tell you how much fun they had and how nice the examiner is. They are chattering with excitement but you have to line up now because it is your turn next. You get your number pinned on to your dance dress. The number you have been given is number 5 - your favourite number (today). Your teacher says a quick prayer over you and tells you that you are going to do great - and off you go!

In the exam, you are introduced to your examiner and you smile excitedly and curtsey holding your pretty ballet dress. You feel like a princess. You look up and take note of the fact that your dance teacher is in the room with you and you completely relax. She calls out the names of your exercises and you get ready for each with assured certainty. After all, you recognise these names from class. The exam seems to fly by and soon you are asked to do something on your own - and you ace it! The examiner asks you and your dance friends what your plans are for the rest of the day and you tell her you’re going to the beach with your family. One of your dance friends says they are going to sleep. Your other dance friend lets the examiner know that they want to do the exam again. The examiner laughs and thanks you for performing for her today. You thank her also - just as your teacher has rehearsed you to - and you run nicely out of the room to the last piece of music you will hear today.

You run out of the room and can’t believe it’s over. You hear all of the aunties asking you how it went and if you enjoyed yourself and you feel a sense of overwhelm. The exam is completed, but what about the surprise? Your dance teacher calls you to her and takes your number off of your exam dress and hands you the most beautiful cupcake! Yummy! Doing exams is sweeeet! On your way home you devour your treat and you can’t wait for your next dance exam encounter.

But that’s not even the end! The next thing you know, you are being presented with what looks like a piece of paper that says something about the exam you did some weeks prior. You’re not sure what this is but mummy and daddy sure do look happy. You are given your certificate and you notice it feels different from normal paper. Upon closer inspection you notice your name written in some fancy handwriting and there’s something shiny on it. ‘This thing is for me!’ you think to yourself. What you don’t fully know yet is that you have just been certified from an international examining body and your certification is recognised across the globe. Right now, you don’t care about that. You care about your name on this paper and the ‘high marks’ your parents keep talking about, and about the fact that you will now move into another class that has exam potential again next year!

Now, let’s come back to the present. How awesome do you think the approach to ‘testing’ and ‘exams’ could be for a person with the above described background almost each year from age 5 to 16yrs? One can easily presuppose the confidence that would be felt walking into the 11 plus exam; the sense of certainty that would prevail in CXC’s; the persistent poise throughout College and/or University life; and the tenacity exhibited with every job interview or new business venture.

Dance, in and of itself can save lives and heal hearts. The dance exam experience adds to this long term, valuable applications to life that I believe in deeply. All of the gains, all of which I have personally been privy to in my own life, certainly make the words Dance Exam string together beautifully - in and out of the dance studio!