Tests keep everyone on their toes

Pre-school dance, Level 1 pupils Harriet Monteith (left), Maiah Walker, Anouska Pinfold, Leighton Francis, Alice Baxter, Samantha Tait and Georgia Hogan after completing their exams. Photo / Christine McKay

Dance is a life experience and exams more than a mark, says Dannevirke dance teacher Melissa Martin.

Recently 70 pupils from Miss Martin's academy of dance completed their Royal Academy of Dance exams. But this time there was a twist - their dance teacher was also facing the examiner.

"As far as my pupils are concerned, the smiles on their faces show how much fun they had, even though it was exam time," Miss Martin said. "As long as they did the best on the day, then it's been a good experience for them."

Doing their best resulted in an 100 per cent pass rate for pupils at the dance school.

"To me, ballet exams are a competition with oneself, it is an opportunity for pupils to be assessed on one performance on one day.

"As long as they do the the best they are capable of on the day and enjoy the experience, showing their passion for dance that's all that matters," Miss Martin said.

"I was very pleased with the results and my pupils should be happy and proud of their results which is a reflection of their year's work.

"Mikhail Baryshnikov, a famous dancer/choreographer, summed it up beautifully 'I try not to dance better than anyone else, I only try to dance better than myself'."

Miss Martin and her younger sister, Alexandra, completed their grade eight exams together.

"Alexandra has completed her Royal Academy of Dance grades syllabus in 10 years, but it's taken me a bit longer because when I was a kid they didn't have grades six, seven and eight, so I'm back as an adult to finish," Miss Martin said.

"For me, it's a personal achievement. I haven't had to do grade eight, but it's nice to say I've done them all."

However, Miss Martin admitted teaching, running her dance school and being mum to 8-month-old daughter Imogene meant her own exam preparation wasn't quite what she wanted, unlike her pupils aged from 3 to 15.

For her sister Alexandra, the grade eight exam was the culmination of hard work and a strong desire to succeed.

"I don't think I'll choose dance as a career, but it will always be part of my life."

However the young dancer said it wasn't all tutus and fun.

"It's hard if something isn't going quite right, especially when I realised exams were only a week away," she said.

Miss Martin said her sisters, Alexandra and Morgan, had very quick minds and liked to be challenged through dance.

And dance is in the blood of the three sisters.

"My nana, Judy Kernaghan, had danced with Miss Irvine, in fact three generations of our family danced with her, but we like dance and have never been forced to go to ballet," she said.