At Footprints Dance Centre, right here in Woodstock, we are proud to offer our students a variety of programs to suit their needs. One of our newest programs is the Dance Exam Program. You may be wondering why your dancer may need to take a Dance Exam. Dance Exams are an excellent way for your dancer to be guided through a standard syllabus which provides them a goal to work towards and the building blocks necessary to achieve that goal. Dance exams allow your dancer to delve deeper into the world of dance and provides accountability to their training. Your dancer will also develop improved physical training, goal setting, respect and discipline as well as confidence.
Accountability:
The exam process allows your dancer to be graded by an outside examiner and compared to an international standard of dance technique. At Footprints we are proud to offer examinations in jazz and tap through the ADAPT Syllabus. The ADAPT (Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers) Syllabus offers more than 30 years experience of progressing quality dance education for all levels of dancers. Created by Brian & Faye Foley, the ADAPT Syllabus is now taught internationally. ADAPT Examinations progress students through a goal-setting syllabus of strong technical dancing alongside artistic expression. The syllabus is continually updated in order to offer the most current and up-to-date standards for jazz and tap dancing. This allows students to not just receive the best foundations for their dance technique but will also allow them to always be on trend in an every-changing dance world. By using an outside syllabus, you know that your dancer is being graded against an international standard of dance technique rather than the teacher’s personal likes/dislikes. This removes a lot of the subjectivity that can appear in other dance events such as recital or competition.
Improved Physical Training:
Dance exams allow your dancer the ability to improve their dance technique and their artistic expression. By allotting more training hours your dancer will develop the ability to implement corrections quickly, have a better understanding of their technique and increase their flexibility, core strength and power. When more attention is directed into class, the results will speak for themselves.
Dancers love working on adding more words to their terminology wall for their dance exams!
Goal Setting:
There is nothing more gratifying to see then when a student finally masters their goal. Dance Exams allow dancers to make a clearly defined goal for themselves within their training. The use of a set syllabus enables the use of all of the primary foundations of technique to guide the dancer into their goal without injury or delay. By setting clearly defined and measurable goals, your dancer will be soaring through their dance exams!
Dancers recieve certificates as well as examination reports with handwritten comments from the examiner after their dance exams.
Respect & Discipline:
It’s no secret that our dance exam students are some of our hardest working, most dedicated students in the studio. These students attend class twice a week in proper dress code and hair neatly tied back, always on time and always with a smile on their face. Our exam dancers have a deep respect for their chosen genre of study, for the teachers and for themselves. They come to class with a “Can-Do” attitude and work outside of the studio to perfect their technique and study their theory for the following lesson.
Dancers as young as 7 can participate in our dance exams. Just look at how hard they are working!
Confidence:
Children who sit dance exams gain a greater sense of confidence and determination not only in their dance training but in their personal lives as well. Dance Exams allow dancers the opportunity to learn how to speak to strangers (their outside examiner) and present themselves in a professional manner. These skills will come in handy when it is time for a job or university interview for your dancer! Dance Exams also highlight to your dancer the importance of showing up and putting the work in. It is not possible to just “wing” a dance exam. Dancers must put their time in, in order to be adequately prepared for their examination.
Dancers love being able to work together as a part of team to build one another up for their dance exams.
Is the Exam Program Right For Your Dancer?
Our Exam Program is open to any dancer over the age of 7. Dancers hoping to gain better technical skill as well as confidence through an atmosphere of growth and progression are the prime candidates for our Exam Program.
We at Footprints Dance Centre invite all of our dancers over the age of 7, to take part in our Dance Exam Program right here in Woodstock. Registering your dancer for exams with Footprints Dance Centre will be an unforgettable experience, so if you are looking for a positive outlet for your child, contact us today at 519-532-4905.
