Classical Ballet

Ballet developed from a form of dance performed in royal courts in the 15th century. It has evolved over the years and now takes many forms that may differ in technique, musicality, fluidity, and line of the body.

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus is taught at Vanleena and all students are expected to take part in RAD exams in spring. The RAD syllabus begins with the Pre-Primary level and ends with the Solo Seal. All ballet classes, except Pre-Primary, require students to attend two forty-five minute to an hour classes per week. The majority of ballet classes are accompanied by a live pianist.

Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)

The RAD syllabus is an internationally recognized ballet program that allows children to progress through a carefully planned syllabus that expands their dance knowledge and ability over a period of approximately 10-15 years. The progression is separated into the graded and vocational levels. Ballet students in grades one through eight are also required to take the character component of the RAD syllabus. Students who display commitment and dedication may be invited to enter the RAD Vocational program in Grades 4-5. The vocational levels are usually taken in addition to the graded levels.  Please contact Mrs. Lacasse for more information. In the vocational levels students do not necessarily progress one level per year as is common in the graded levels, because some of the levels require 18 months to two years to complete.

The RAD was originally created in 1920 by a small group of dance professionals representing most popular forms of dance at that time. This group formed in order to regulate and standardize ballet instruction in Britain. It was given its royal charter in 1935 and became know as the Royal Academy of Dancing (now the Royal Academy of Dance). The RAD is an internationally recognized body with over 13 000 members in 83 countries

RAD exams

All students enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) program are expected to take the RAD exams. Exams for the graded levels take place in the spring while vocational students may be entered in the spring, summer, or fall.  Students learn the syllabus throughout the year and will be comfortable and confident with the material by exam time.

Students learn a set syllabus and perform it in pairs or small groups for a qualified RAD examiner. Exam length varies with grade level with the youngest dancers being examined for 30 minutes and vocational students for up to 90 minutes. Exams maybe during school hours and students might have to miss school. Students need to arrive 2 hours prior to their exam.

The dress code for the exam must be strictly adhered to. The exam leotards will be available for purchase prior to the exam through Primadonna. These leotards are the basis for the dress code for the following year. Students must also wear ankle socks or tights (depending on their grade) and pink ballet shoes. Jewelery, watches, and nail polish are not allowed.

A mock exam will be held a few weeks prior to the exam period for parent viewing and parents are welcome to take photos and videotape the display.

Results are tabulated by the RAD and results are sent to Vanleena approximately three months after the examination period. Individual photos are taken after the exam and class pictures are taken after the mock exam.

If you have more specific questions about the RAD exams please contact
Mrs. Lacasse or Mrs. Vanneck at 604-722-6531.

Pointe

Pointe readiness
At Vanleena the safety and health of our dancers is our first priority and in order to keep our dancers; feet and bodies healthy and strong, we consider a number of factors before inviting students to begin pointe work. There is no set age that students begin pointe work as it varies depending on the dancer’s previous training, physical maturity and strength, and technical expertise. When the school deems a student meets the necessary criteria to dance en pointe, the process begins gradually with students ending their class with 10-15 minutes of pointe work. The time spent en pointe is extended gradually until students are attending special pointe classes and finally taking all ballet classes en pointe. Beginning pointe work is a big step in a dancer’s life and pointe students should be committed and responsible. As well as the physical strength and maturity necessary there are several technical requirements that must be met and maintained in order to continue dancing en pointe: strong turnout maintained while dancing, a strong straight back, no sickling of the foot, and being able to hold a good point while dancing. To help meet and maintain these physical requirements core conditioning classes (link to core conditioning page) are strongly recommended for all ballet students. If you have further questions about dancing en pointe please contact Mrs. Lacasse, Miss Kerry-Lynn or Mrs. Vanneck at 604-722-6531.
 

Foot care

We are fortunate to have Podiatrist,
Dr. David Dixon come to our school periodically to give seminars to our students, particularly our new pointe students, on foot care for dancers. Dr. Dixon is a local podiatrist with a practice in North Vancouver. Dr. Dixon can be reached at 604-984-0471 to set up an appointment.