Dance Exam Tips
Dance Exams
Dance exams are not supposed to be daunting or stressful for the student. Dance exams are a wonderful way to see the progress a child has made in dancing in the year and also offer a great opportunity for the students to showcase their talent and hard work. All successful students will be awarded their exam certificate, badge and marking sheet when classes resume in September; those taking medal tests will receive a medal along with their certificate.
The Night Before The Exam:
• Get a good night sleep before the exam. It is important to be both physically and mentally fresh for your exam.
• Pack your dance bag the night before with everything you might need: dance leotard, tights, leggings, ballet skirt, shoes, hair spray/gel, hair brush, clips, pins, bobbles. Water and a banana. Ensure that your dance attire is clean and neat, with no tears or fraying. Make sure your elastics are sewn onto your ballet shoes.
• Appearance is very important in exams: ensure that you have practiced your exam hair style. Looking well will help make you feel the part. Take off all nail varnish and jewellery, including earrings.
On The Day Of The Exam
• Always allow plenty of time to get to the studio, to warm up and relax before your exam commences.
• Make sure you have a good meal about an hour before your exam. Eating too close to the exam may make you feel too full and equally being hungry will distract you from the task at hand. Hydrate yourself throughout the day.
• At class you have all been taught the importance of warming up the muscles so take time to warm up properly before entering the exam.
• Find a way to focus the mind before the entering the exam.
In The Exam
• First and foremost enjoy the experience.
• Do your best, attempt every exercise and routine to the best of your ability. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, the examiner understand that students get nervous. Yes you might make a mistake, but don’t let it affect you and continue on with the rest of the exam.
• Listen carefully to the examiner. This will ensure that you know what movements the examiner wants you to do.
• Smile! A dance exam is about performing to an examiner.
• Remember your exam etiquette: Always greet your examiner, do not talk to the others in the room, always stand up straight and don’t fidget, pay attention, dance each exercise/routine with energy and enthusiasm, listen to your music, bow and thank the examiner at the end of the exam, exit the room quietly and walk beautifully.
Best of luck to each student taking their exams this weekend. After weeks of hard work, it’s time to shine!
Dance Exam Hairtstyles
Plaited Buns:
Modern Primary 2 Grade Exam & Junior Medals
Monday 3pm, Wednesday 4pm, Friday 4pm, Blarney 4pm
She must wear her pink Leotard, plain white tights and her ballet shoes. Vests should not be worn underneath the leotard.Hair:
1) Brush the hair and gather it back. Apply some hair gel, and smooth out rough or uneven areas with the brush.
2) Using a comb to draw a straight line, split the hair all the way from the front of the head to the nape of the neck, to create equal two sides.
3) Form one bunch at a time by brushing the hair up from the jawline to the top part of the side of the head.
4) Use a hair elastic/bobble to secure each bunch.
5) Plait each bunch, and secure with another hair elastic/bobble
6) Loop the bottom of the plait around the top of the plait (like a bun)and secure with a hair elastic
7) Spray with hairspray if necessary for extra hold. Use kirbigrips to secure fringes and wispy bits of hair back from the face
8) Very short hair should be secured back using a hairband.
Wrap around plaits:
Modern Grade 1 & 2
Medal tests for Monday 4pm, 5pm, Tuesday 4pm 5pm, Wednesday 5pm 6pm, Blarney Friday 5pm, 6pm
She must wear her purple leotard, black leggings and jazz shoes. Vests should not be worn underneath the leotard.
1) Brush the hair and gather it back. Apply some hair gel, and smooth out rough or uneven areas with the brush
2) Using a comb to draw a straight line, split the hair all the way from the front of the head to the nape of the neck, to create equal two sides.
3) Form one bunch at a time by brushing the hair up from the jawline to the top part of the side of the head.
4) Use a hair elastic/bobble to secure each bunch. The tighter the bunches the better the end result will be. Plait each bunch, and secure with another hair elastic/bobble.
5) The plaits now need to be wrapped around the opposite bunch and secured with grips or hair pins, fixing in the ends! The end of the right plait should lie next to the base of the left, and vice versa, so each plait goes right across the top of the head.
6) Use a few U-shaped hairpins all around the base of each plait to secure each plait end. Slide each pin through the outer part of the plait, then turn into the centre.
7) If necessary, you can put a bun net over the top to secure bits of hair that might be sticking out, but if hair is all one length the plait itself should keep it neat.
8) Spray with hairspray if necessary for extra hold. Use kirbigrips to secure fringes and wispy bits of hair back from the face
Bun :
Modern Grade 3 & 4, Elementary
Ballet Primary 1, primary 2, Grade 1,2,3 & 4
Blarney Monday Ballet 3.15pm & Douglas Thursday Ballet 3pm : wear pink leotard, ballet tights and shoes
Blarney Ballet Monday 4pm, Douglas Tuesday 3.15pm, Ballet Thursday 3pm, 3.45pm, 4.30pm.: wear purple leotard, purple skirt, ballet tights and shoes.
Grade 4 Ballet: Black Leotard and Tights.
Modern Grade 3: purple or black leotard and leggings
Grade 4 & Elementary: Black leotard and tights
1.Brush hair back off the face and brush until smooth and free of tangles.
2.Use Hair gel.This is the best way for the hair to stay smooth to the head, and to attain a totally smooth, neat bun without any whispers of hair coming loose. Take a scoop of gel with your hands and smooth it onto the hair. Brush through well, ensuring you don’t get any blobs left.
3.Brush through and then brush the hair up into a high ponytail, securing with a hair bobble, where you want the bun to be positioned.Smooth any stray hairs back and into the ponytail.
4.Take the ponytail in your hands and twist the hair to create a rope.
5.Wrap the ponytail rope around the base of the ponytail, tucking the ends underneath. Put another hair bobble over the bun near the base to secure.
6.Use a few U-shaped hairpins all around the coil/circle to secure it to the rest of the hair. Slide each pin through the outer part of the circle, then turn into the base of the bun. Use as many hair pins as needed to secure the bun.
7.Wrap the hairnet around the bun, it will be large enough to go over the bun several times. Keep twisting and wrapping so that the hair net secures the bun tightly. Use a few more hairpins to secure the hairnet over the bun.
8. Spray with hairspray if necessary for extra hold. Use kirbigrips to secure fringes and wispy bits of hair back from the face