Preparing for Exams

Preparing for Dance Examinations

In Singapore, dance examinations are offered by many international examination bodies. For most dance students in Singapore, who are enrolled in private dance studios and schools, examinations are a major part of their learning process. While the ultimate goal of a dancer is to perform on stage, preparing for and taking examinations serve as a good benchmark for the progression of dance technique.

Examination Syllabus

Dance examinations usually comprise a structured syllabus with set exercises and short dances. There may also be sections where candidates are given freework to assess them on their ability to learn and perform a short variation quickly.

While students are not expected to remember the sequence of the entire syllabus, it is necessary that they remember all the steps of their set exercises. There is a higher chance for technically weak students to pass the examinations if they know their work well.

While having daily classes is the most ideal situation for dance training, majority of the dance students in Singapore only attend classes once or twice a week. To prepare for examinations, it is necessary to keep up with regular classes to ensure that the body is well-conditioned and able to cope with the technical demand. Some of the examination bodies give recommendations on the minimum number of classes required to prepare for the examination.

What to Wear?

Most examination bodies will have their own stipulated set of uniform. Your dance teacher will also be able to provide advice on what to wear and how your hair should be tied.

It is not necessary to purchase a brand new set of leotards, tights and shoes as long as your attire is clean and free of holes. In fact, it is not advisable to dance in brand new shoes for examinations. New leather ballet and jazz shoes are usually stiffer and will only mould to your feet comfortably after a few wears. Wearing brand new pointe shoes for examinations is definitely a no-no as even professional dancers need to break into their pointe shoes to be able to dance properly and safely.

You must be comfortable in what you wear as you will probably be nervous and would want to give full concentration to your dancing.

The Day of the Examination

Before Entering the Examination Studio

Make an effort to arrive early on the day of the examination as you will need time to put on your examination attire, groom your hair and warm up. For candidates with long hair, ensure that your hair is neatly tied up and secured with hairpins. Your hair should not cover your face when you dance. Make-up is usually not necessary.

Dress warmly and it is highly recommended that you do some basic exercises and stretching to warm up the muscles before entering the examination room. There are various ways to warm up depending on each dancer’s needs and different dance forms will also require different types of warm-up. Some dancers will do some light jogging to get their blood circulation going; point and flex their feet to warm up their ankles and metatarsal muscles; or do a series of pilates exercises or yoga. For the younger students, the teachers may also guide them through some simple warm-up and stretching.

Make sure that you have all the things you need such as pointe shoes, jazz sneakers, character shoes and skirts, and so on to change into for different sections of the examination, props such as scarves and fans, rosin for the shoes in case of slippery floors, a towel to wipe your perspiration and a small bottle of water.

In the Examination Studio

Run in quickly and put down your belongings and props in a designated corner. In most circumstances, you will be required to run to the centre of the room and greet the examiner. The examiner may ask for your name and give some brief instructions before you commence.

After that, get to your starting position quickly. The examiner will usually prompt you on the exercise he or she wants to see. Now is the time to do your best after months of hard work. Try to concentrate on your dancing and relax; after the first few exercises, you should be able to calm your nerves and be more at ease in the examination studio. There will be cases where examiners may choose to skip some of the exercises or ask to see it one more time, so do not panic and listen carefully to instructions. If you do not understand, please clarify with the examiner politely or ask him or her to repeat.

At the end of the examinations, thank the examiner, collect your belongings and leave the room quietly.

Examination Outcome

The dance examination syllabus provides a safe and structured progression for foundational training for students who take dancing as a recreational activity. But knowing syllabus work alone is insufficient if you are planning to pursue a career in dance. To progress to professional level, dancers are required to have attained an advanced level of technique and artistry which can only be achieved through rigorous, full-time vocational training.

Taking dance examinations can be a rewarding experience as it provides short-term, attainable goals for a young dancer to work towards. For every dancer, doing well in your examinations gives a great sense of achievement and will spur you on towards higher levels of achievement.

Conversely, failing a dance examination does not mean the end of your dance aspirations. Some candidates may not be examination-inclined and are unable to perform under examination conditions. Or physically, you may not conform to the assessment criteria of that particular examination body, or it could simply be just a bad day for you and you were unable to dance to your fullest ability. If you really enjoy dancing and wish to excel as a performer, do not let failure deter you from dancing. It is important to acknowledge that dance examinations are only a part of the learning journey and being able to pick yourself up from failure actually makes you stronger as a dancer and a person.

Exposing yourself to different dance techniques and dance genres, watching a lot of dance performances, working hard and having a positive learning attitude will help you become a better dancer which will help you score well in your dance examinations.

Contributed by Tan Sin Nah