Exam Information
Evolve offers each pupil the opportunity to participate in annual examinations which are designed to motivate and encourage students of all ages and abilities, from beginners to those on the threshold of a career in dance. Our school run examinations through The New Zealand Association of Modern Dance, a respected and well known part of the New Zealand dance industry. Examinations encourage our pupils to develop musicality and artistry, reward their hard work and set goals to which they can aspire. Whether you want to take on a new challenge, build confidence, keep fit, move to music, measure progress, improve your technique or perform, then our examinations are for you!
Although exams are not compulsory we strongly encourage them to keep our pupils focused on moving forward and growing as dancers. Our usual classes are structured to cover all examination work during the year with the expectation that all pupils will sit the exam. If you are new to Evolve this year and are wondering if your child will be ready for exams, don’t worry! I wouldn’t be sending you this information if I didn’t think your child was capable of participating in this years exams. If I think any pupil of Evolve wouldn’t get all the all benefits of sitting exams then I would approach you personally to discuss other options for your child.
Junior examinations are run very similar to all other exams with a few exceptions. Miss Hoera will accompany our 4 and 5 year-olds into the exam and help them along. This ensures they have a familiar face in the room which will keep them relaxed and excited to show the examiner all our amazing dancing. These junior exams also allow parents to enter the exam room at the very end to watch the presentation of ribbons. This is always a special moment to remember. These young pupils will not get an exam mark however they receive an acknowledgment of participation and achievement with a ribbon and personalised report card where the examiner writes a small comment about each dancer.
In preparation for examinations our pupils are given an intensive coaching week during the school holiday period with the exception of our Pre-grade junior classes. Jazz, Ballet & Contemporary pupils have one class per day for 5 days and our Hip Hop pupils have one class per day for 3 days.
All pupils are given a mock examination prior to exam time every year. This is when we set up our studio just like it will be on exam day. One parent comes along to watch and we do all of our exam work just like we will on exam day. I also have a print out for each pupil that has a list of our work on it to assist with practice at home. Our coaching week and mock examinations are compulsory for any pupil wanting to enter examinations. They enable us to polish and fine tune their work in order for our pupils to reach their full dancing potential. You will be able to check out our coaching week timetable on the next page. Remember not all classes are required to attend coaching week so if you don’t see your class on the timetable and you don’t have a coaching week item on your invoice, you are not required for coaching week. If you are required to attend coaching week but are unavailable we can offer private lessons to catch up. You will need to book a half hour private lesson for every hour of coaching week missed at the cost of $30 per private lesson.
I would love to provide you with the mock exam timetable now however this cannot be created until I have all entries in. I can tell you that mock exams always run on a Sunday and I will be aiming to get them all in on the following dates: 29th May, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th June.
Actual exams will be held in week 10 of term two (4th – 9th of July). This timetable will be confirmed around May once the NZAMD has everything in order.
I have created and sent an exam invoice to everyone to ensure you know the exact cost of this years exams. Here is a breakdown of the fees you will see on your invoice.
- Exam Entry Fee – This fee will vary depending on what grade/level your child is sitting.
- Mock Exam Day Fee – This fee is to cover the time & preparation for our 5 weekends of mock exams.
- Exam Day Fee – This fee is to cover the examiners food while she is with us and also covers the cost of hair supplies we often use that pupils have forgotten to bring and of course the time for doing each pupils hair.
- Coaching Week Fee – This fee is of course for the holiday coaching week classes which help to fully prepare our pupils for the exam.
If you decide not to enter this invoice will be voided. Please note that if you child does not sit the exam they will still need to prepare the same way as the rest of the class and reach the same standard so they can comfortably move onto the next level or grade in their dancing journey.
Evolve is very proud that all of our pupils achieve high marks year after year. This shows how well prepared we are for each exam and with great marks for attitude all round, they must have had fun!