What are Performance Awards?
Performance Awards are an additional performance opportunity we offer to students studying Grade 1 level and above in either Classical Ballet, Modern Jazz, Tap and higher grades of Lyrical and Contemporary. This is an annual event for the school where the students perform a dance in front of a BTDA examiner and a small audience made up of the families of their class group. The dance is choreographed and taught to them by their teacher in class.
Your child's teacher will choose whether they do a solo performance or a troupe award, and this decision is up to the teacher. The whole class will either solo or troupe, there will not be a mix within the class. No one has to do performance awards, if some in the class want to and some don't, that's absolutely fine, we never make anyone do them, it's just a lovely way to encourage and enhance their performance levels.
If it is a solo award for your child, you, the parent/guardian, have to provide a costume for your child (see below for more details) and presentation is part of their overall mark so choosing an appropriate costume is important, also, make-up is compulsory for all ages.
Performance Awards are not competitions, all members of the class are on a certain performance award level (for example, Bronze Medal is the first level, next year the class will all be on Silver Medal and so on, regardless of whether they obtained their Bronze, etc.) and as long as they get on the stage and perform, they will get their award.
There is a mark scheme where they will get either a Pass, Commended, Highly Commended or Honours and, if the examiner thinks the candidate exceeded what is expected of them at the level they are on, an Honours Star. These results are not given on the day, your child will know if they have passed as they will receive their award, but the mark will follow up with a comments sheet a few weeks later.
What do they need to wear for the awards?
Classical Ballet:
Girls: Classical ballet tutu*, ballet tights and ballet shoes. A tiara or flower headdress must be worn. Hair in a neat, classical bun.
Boys: Boys ballet leggings, classical shirt or leotard, belt or cummerband, ballet socks and shoes. Hair neatly groomed.
Modern Jazz and/or Tap:
There are a number of costume options available to you. It’s important that whatever you choose is dance wear; bright or sparkly is always good for modern (for example, a bright leotard with a skirt, hot pants or trousers) and, if you are doing a tap and a modern award in the same weekend, you must have a different costume for each as they are different styles.
My advice is to research costumes for the style your child is taking, and then ask your teacher if it's suitable, we're all happy to help and there is so much to choose from! You can accessorise as much as you like but please make sure the costume doesn't distract from the dancing.
Hair doesn’t have to be a bun for modern, tap, lyrical or contemporary, but must be up and off the neck, e.g. A ponytail or plaits - no hair fully down.
What is a 'Troupe' Award?
Troupe awards are where the class perform as a group to get one overall mark, but each still get their own award to take home. The decision on whether the class takes solos or troupe awards is up to the teacher.
Can they take more than one Performance Award in a weekend?
Yes! If they are Grade 1 level or above and study Ballet, Tap and Modern Jazz, for example, they can take one of each over the course of the weekend.
What if my child doesn't want to do the awards?
We understand that the thought of performing a solo in front of an audience is not for everyone! Performance Awards are not in any way compulsory, but they are a great opportunity for young children to build their confidence and get used to performing on stage.
If your child decides not to take part, they will still learn the routine in class as it usually doubles up as their exam dance too, plus it's always fun to learn the routines.
What if my child doesn't take it this year, but decides to take it the following year?
That's fine! They won't be able to go back and repeat the one they missed in previous years, as their class will be learning a dance for the level above, however, they can start the awards at any level so it's not a problem.
* Do you have any advice on selecting the correct tutu?
We have outlined some guidelines for selecting/purchasing your classical ballet tutu;
- Please purchase/hire the tutu from a dance shop or, if shopping online, from a reputable dance store, you will see that they sell them on places like eBay, Temu, etc. but they tend to be more like dressing up tutus where the skirt isn’t big enough
- Please look into ordering your tutu in plenty of time, I have known tutus to take a long time to arrive
- The choice on colour is yours, but based on my experience, here are some extra guidelines on this;
- No black or very dark colours for younger students
- No fluorescent colours, classical ballet should be subtle or bold, but not fluorescent
- Don't forget they will also need either a tiara or flower garland headdress of your choice and their hair must be in a neat, classical bun, with no fringe.
Do I have to be available all weekend?
No, but I won't be able to confirm the day/time that your child's medal will be on, except I know that all Classical Ballet awards are on the Saturday, the other awards could fall on either day at any time between 9.30am and 6pm.
The timetable comes out 2-3 weeks prior to the awards taking place, this will give you the time you need to arrive and the time they will dance. Once all the children in your child's group has danced and received their award, you are able to leave.
Can the audience come and go throughout the day?
Yes, but we ask that no audience member enters or leaves the hall when a child is performing as it can be very offputting for the student.
Is it open to the public?
No, only family members and friends of the student can watch in the audience. The venue is closed off to the public for the weekend.
What else do I need to consider?
It is an additional expense, as well as purchasing or hiring a costume, the awards range in price from £24.00 for a Bronze Medal, up to £50.00 for a Performance Cup*
* Prices as of September 2024
Do you have more questions you want to ask?
No problem! Please email missvicky@vickygrant.com with any further questions or queries.