Page 11 - DANCE Guide 2022

What was the procedure to qualify to be an examiner/assessor?
After I finished dancing professionally, I was drawn to teaching. I knew I wanted to share my love of dance and pass on my knowledge so this is where this journey began. I was trained in the Cecchetti Method, so I went back to my roots. Cecchetti Ballet Australia has a rigorous system of examinations for professional teaching qualifications. When I was training there were five levels: Associate, Associate Diploma, Licentiate, Licentiate Diploma and Fellowship. It took eight years for me to acquire these qualifications. I was then invited to apply for the position of examiner. I went through an interview process and started training. The Categories of examiner are:
Level 1 able to examine at Pre-Primary to Intermediate; Level 2 able to examine Advanced 1 and Advanced 2; At Level 3 and 4, examiners examine the Teaching Qualifications mentioned above. Level 5 is the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma.
What do you enjoy about your job?
There are many facets to dance teaching.
Dianne
Pokorny
Teacher and Examiner with Cecchetti Ballet Australia
I love working with students of all ages and engaging in their development as dancers. The science behind dance teaching and pedagogy is forever changing. I enjoy discovering new information which can be shared with teachers and students.
My role as a dance teacher and examiner has a direct correlation. Firstly, the enjoyment I get out of sharing my passion of this beautiful artform with my students is immense. I don’t consider it a job. I have shared the hours of commitment, practice and resilience it takes to sit an examination, so when I arrive at a dance studio to examine, I have this inside information tucked away.
I enjoy seeing students grow into confident young adults carrying with them a multitude of life skills that classical ballet teaches them. Dance is a never-ending journey.
Have examinations/assessments changed over the years?
Yes, I believe examinations have changed over the years – either through content, examination protocol or criteria. The first time I took an examination I was 10, now students as young as five can take exams.
WEBSITE:
cecchettiballet.org
CHAIRPERSON:
Carole Hall OAM
HISTORY
Italian-born Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928) had an illustrious career as a dancer at
La Scala in Milan and the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, and an equally eminent teaching career. Among his pupils were Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky. In the early 1920s
he created his own method of teaching. His method was codified in 1922 and it is
the foundation of the method taught by Cecchetti organisations throughout the world today. The Cecchetti Society was established in Australia in 1934 with the arrival of Madame Lucie Saronova, an ex-student of Cecchetti. Now known as Cecchetti Ballet Australia,
it became a founder-member of Cecchetti International – Classical Ballet in 1997.
STYLES/GENRE
Classical Ballet.
GRADING/MARKING SYSTEM
Two streams to meet the different needs
of recreational and professional dancers: Recreational: Pre-Primary-Grade 6, Dance Spectrum 1 & 2; Professional: Intermediate, Advanced 1 and Advanced 2.
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
Associate Diploma, Licentiate, Licentiate Diploma and Fellowship.
We are in partnership with Ausdance VIC Inc. (RTO 20949) which offers the nationally recognised qualifications of CUA40320 Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management and the CUASS00071
Dance Teaching Skill Set.
COMPETITIONS/AWARDS
Triennial CICB competition held in one of the CICB countries, hosted by the USA in 2023.
Biennial $10,000 Valrene Tweedie Scholarship, awarded to assist worthy young dancers in pursuing their dreams.
Each State holds Enrico Cecchetti Medal Awards, culminating in the prestigious National Lucie Saronova Memorial Awards.
Scholarships are awarded in each state.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 | WWW.DANCEAUSTRALIA.COM.AU | 61
CECCHETTI BALLET AUSTRALIA