How To Survive Your Ballet Exam

Hello everyone!! What’s up? (Please don’t say the sky 😛 ) I have been super, super busy preparing for my ballet exams next week. I’ve literally been living at the ballet studio – classes for hours almost everyday. Only a few more days ’til exam… I’m so nervous, hahaha. I know lots of you are busy preparing for your dance exams too! So here are some tips I’ve gathered through the years.

1. Always listen to your teacher. Yeah you’ve probably heard this about a gazillion times, but it is absolutely true. And it helps a ton. Pay close attention to all the corrections your teacher gives you, and if it helps, write them down. This way you won’t forget the corrections, and you’ll be more likely to work on the stuff you’re having trouble with.
2. Practice, practice, practice. And did I mention practice? This is the only way you’ll get better technically. If you’re allowed to, I’d suggest going to class early so you can practice in the studio. Practicing in the studio really helps me get a better sense of the space I’m dancing in.
3. Print out the exercises you have to do. This will help you not only organize and prioritize, but also keep track of all the exercises you’re performing for the exam. (And I know first hand that there are a lot of exercises to remember.)
4. Practice with your friends! If you love working in groups (like I do) practicing with your friends is a really fun thing to do. You’ll also learn from each other, and help to correct each other’s mistakes. If you have a partner for a particular exercise, practice with your partner! This definitely helps you work better together as a team.
5. Go through the exercises in your head. This is super important if you’re like me and tend to forget the sequence of the exercises. Before practicing, do a mental check. Think about the overall sequence, the details, the story you want to convey, dynamics and expressions – everything!

Thanks for reading! I hope these tips help you with your exam! All the best! And as always, have an amazing day!