How to get a distinction in your RAD exam
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the most popular institutions for ballet in the world with nearly a quarter of a million candidates taking their exams every year. Achieving a distinction (at least 75 marks out of 100) is a testament to a dancer's dedication, hard work, and mastery of their chosen grade and so it is understandably difficult to attain.
The general advice given to dancers looking to achieve a high mark in their ballet exams usually involves working hard, attending as many classes as possible, asking your teacher for feedback and stretching in your spare time. These are all good tips for improving your overall performance, they won’t necessarily get you a distinction in your exam. So let’s jump straight into what will...
Know Your Exercises
This one goes without saying, or so you might think. If I had a penny for every student that thought they knew their work, but when tested appeared to not even know their tendus from their fondus; well I would be writing this on a very shiny yacht instead in a rainy London cafe.
By "knowing your work” I mean you should know your exercises so well you could almost give a Ted talk on them. You should know every inclination of the head, every musical accent, every count, every entrance and exit. “But what if my teacher fails to teach the precise counts, or if I miss the class on epaulement? How am I suppose to know and remember every detail?” Well, your best option would be to download the RAD app that shows video demonstrations of every exercise performed at a distinction level. Unfortunately, it will set you back between £12-£20 depending on your grade. A free option is to have a look at my own demonstrations on YouTube here.
Visualisation.
Understand the RAD grading system
Understanding the RAD marking scheme is one of the best ways to increase your chances of getting a distinction in your exam. The entire RAD assessment criteria is available online for anyone to see and will help you understand exactly what your examiner is looking for and in which areas you can agin the most points. Despite being a no-brainer, I'm continuously surprised by how few dancers read up on the marking scheme for their grade. You can find the link here and then scroll to Content and mark schemes.
Once you’ve found your grade, pay attention first to how points are awarded in groups. There are different sections throughout the class called Techniques that are all worth 10 points (barre, centre, allegro, dances). You may be surprised to see how valuable the 2 Dances are (your solos). Both worth 20 points each, meaning one solo is equivalent to the entire barre and centre work!
So how do you get full marks for each "Technique"? Let's look at the 3 areas in which you will be awarded points up to Grade 7:
Technique: 60%
Musicality: 20%
Performance: 20%
Each category (apart from your Dances) will be awarded marks out of 10 depending on your technical ability, then you will receive up to 10 points each respectively for your musicality and performance overall. Your dances are then marked 50% on technique and 50% on musicality and artistry. Of course working on your technique is important, but do not forget that 40% of the points up for grabs for your whole exam are from performance and musicality.
Source: media.royalacademyofdance.org
Show the examiner what they want to see
We’ve established what the marking criteria is, but it’s crucial that you understand exactly how to implement this in your performance.
Technique: This is probably the area your teacher will focus on most, and understandably so, as this is also the most difficult area to achieve well.
Your technique will be graded on: posture and placement, coordination, control, line spacial awareness and dynamic values ("The ability to perform the range of movement dynamics appropriate to each step").
The key to great technique is first understanding what it is that you're aiming to achieve and then repeating the movement or position numerous times until it starts to feel more natural. Practising your technique should be done methodically, looking to improve on the previous attempt and never rushed. I would recommend either filming yourself and watching it back or using a full length mirror.
Artistry: We hear this word a lot in dance, but what does it actually mean? According to the RAD, your artistry will be marked on the following qualities: expression; projection, interpretation and communication. In real terms, this means using both your face and body to show a variety expression corresponding with the style of the choreography and music, projecting these expressions to an audience (imagine you are on stage at the Royal Opera House with a full auditorium), adding your own interpretation of dynamics and showing an understanding of what the motivation is for the movement, and finally engaging with your audience (eg. smiling and making eye contact with your examiner).
The stronger your technique is, the better equipped you will feel to express your artistic abilities. However, it’s important to remember that perfect technique is something even the most talented and experienced dancers pursue their whole careers.
Musicality: this one goes hand in hand with artistry and they should compliment each other beautifully. Your examiner will be looking out for your timing and either dynamics or your responsiveness to music, depending on your grade. It’s a hard one to teach if it is not felt naturally, but a good place to start is by learning the counts and making sure your movements correlate with those counts. Next, you can try to compare the tones of each piece. Is one a soft waltz? Is another a staccato march? Are there any crescendos? Ask yourself how your movements could coordinate with the tonality and you’ll find you boost your points for artistry too.
Source: media.royalacademyofdance.org
Time management (don’t leave it up to the teacher)
Most RAD ballet teachers teach large classes and will see each group once (or if they’re lucky, twice) a week. It is extremely difficult to give everyone individual corrections every lesson and get the most out of each dancer in just over a school year without the dancer doing extra work by themselves. If you want to achieve the highest grade you are capable of, you will need to take matters into your own hands. Push back the dining room table and set aside your own time to practise in front of a mirror or a camera. Self-correction is a major part of a dancer’s training and will mean you can get the most out of your lessons with a teacher.
Between your own practise and feedback from your teacher, try to work out which areas in your performance are not reaching their full potential and where you could maximise on points. The last couple of months running up to your exam should be used to focus on your performance as a whole. At this point, you should know your exercises and dances by heart. There is only so much difference you can make to flexibility and technique at this stage, but a lot can be gained from boosting your artistry, musicality and overall performance.
Mocks
Most dance schools will give you at least one mock exam. Depending on how you take your exam, this might be your usual studio or and RAD-approved studio nearby. If you find yourself in an unfamiliar studio it is crucial that you use your time wisely to get used to the space. You might have to adapt certain exercises depending on the shape of the room and keep in mind that visual reference points will be different. You may also have a different pianist that could lead to some of the music sounding slightly different and the floor and be slightly more slippery/sticky than usual. To avoid surprises on the day and to keep nerves to a minimum practise as much as you can in the new studio whilst the space is available.
If you are lucky enough to take your exam in your usual space, your mock exam is still an opportunity to run through everything just as your might do on the big day. Perform every exercise to your best ability to test your stamina and I would even recommend practising waiting at the side silently while your classmates have their turn, as this can be more tiring than you might think.
Take care of your body
No one wants an injury just before their assessment and if you are working harder than usual in the run up to your exam then you will want to take good care of your body. Stretching after every class (without forcing your stretches) is recommended and making use of foam rollers, massage guns and massage balls can help relieve muscle tension. If you wear pointe shoes then make sure your shoes have been fitted by a professional and don't be tempted to hang onto them when they get too soft.
My own physiotherapist (who I adore- hello Anna!) always recommends taking one day off a week with no exercise to let the body recover from training. This still means you can practise in other ways like using visualisation, for example, which is where you imagine yourself successfully performing specific things you are working on, multiple times. Not only does this help you memorise the steps, but can help you to feel more confident about your work. You may even want to take it one step further and visualise yourself receiving a distinction!
On the day
Everyone reacts differently in stressful situations, but if you have a tendency to suffer from nerves, I would recommend finding something that will help you to stay focussed and calm. That might mean taking some headphones with you so that you can listen to music, practising meditation or simply just finding a quiet corner for your warm-up and stretches.
Remind yourself how many times you have performed your exercises well and how all the hard work you have put in to your grade work will stand you in good stead. Keep in mind that the examiner is routing for you and no adjudicator wants you to fail. They will most likely have been in your shoes as some point in their training and they know how difficult and nerve-racking exams are.
It is far too late in the game to be worrying about technique or flexibility so enjoy it and you may find your own enjoyment translates into artistry, which in turn might boost your grade.
Finally, stay hydrated, but don't forget to go to the bathroom before the exam starts and warm-up up properly to avoid injury.
It will all be over so much faster than you think. For the lower grades, I have seen students finish within 20 minutes!
Achieving a distinction in an RAD ballet exam requires commitment, discipline, and a deep passion for the art of ballet. By understanding the RAD mark scheme for your grade, knowing your syllabus by heart, practising in your own time and taking care of your body, you can increase your chances of achieving a distinction. Remember that as much as RAD examiners are trained to awards marks according to the mark scheme, dance is subjective and the exact number of points you are awarded may differ slightly from one adjudicator to the next.
Try to enjoy the process and with the right preparation and mindset, you will dramatically increase your chances of achieving your ideal mark.