Page 6 - DANCE Guide 2022

2022 SyllabuS Guide
WEBSITE:
www.adatheatre.com.au
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR:
President – Lesley Scott
Directors – Frances Fontana, Jodie Spicer, Nadia Vella-Taranto, Susie Smither
HISTORY:
The Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing (FATD) was established in 1931, making it the longest established dance organisation in the southern hemisphere. Catering for all styles of dancing, FATD grew quickly and in the early 1940s divided the ballroom and theatrical styles into separate branches.
Throughout 2012 and 2013 the theatre dance faculty separated from FATD. As of 2014, Australasian Dance Association Ltd (ADA) became our new company name. Since 2014, ADA recreated the Classical Ballet syllabus, created the syllabus for Major Assessments Program (MAP), Class Performance Awards (CPA), AcroDance Syllabus, Contemporary Syllabus and, as of 2021, a brand new Ada’s Little Gems Preschool Program.
STYLES/GENRE:
Jazz, Tap, Classical Ballet, AcroDance and Contemporary.
GRADING SYSTEM:
Ada’s Little Gems Preschool Program – children 3-5 years.
ADA Levels: Pre-Primary, Primary, Grades 1-5, Bronze Star, Silver Star, Gold Star, Bar to Gold Star, Pre-Elementary, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS :
Pre-Elementary: Qualified to teach Pre- Primary, Primary, Grade 1 and Grade 2 Elementary: Qualified to teach Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5
Intermediate: Qualified to teach Bronze Star and Silver Star
Advanced: Qualified to teach Gold Star and Bar to Gold Star
COMPETITIONS/AWARDS:
ADA Awards, held annually in Sydney, Townsville, Brisbane, Rockhampton and Thailand.
ADA Dance Championships, a four day event conducted every three years in Sydney and Thailand.
Mrs Lesley Scott
ADA President and Examiner
What do you enjoy about your job?
Being an examiner is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. The teachers and students are the ones who do all the hard work, and I am the lucky one to witness the results. It is such a pleasure to see the students, who have obviously trained tirelessly throughout the year, dance with such confidence and pride.
As an Examiner, when the student enters the room, I feel it is my duty to ensure that they feel comfortable and that they can enjoy the experience. I am there to help the student by providing positive feedback, both on my reports and by my comments throughout the exam. There are also some great benefits in being an examiner, such as travel, and seeing how our ADA syllabus is presented and performed, especially in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and New Zealand.
Another element that gives me great joy is when I am able to return to a studio where
I have been an examiner in the past and see the progress and growth of the students, as well as having the chance to see the new up-and-coming stars. I always feel a sense
of excitement as I ring the bell, awaiting the next group of dancers to appear through the door. I am sure they feel the same way when they hear the bell ring!
What drew you to this syllabus/ organisation?
I have been a professional dancer since the age of 15, and I was the managing director/ choreographer of Dance Encore Productions,
a professional dance company employing many dancers and artists, both here in Australia and overseas for many years. In 2004, I opened Dance Encore Performing Arts Studio, and sought a syllabus that offered a variety of genres with a solid technical foundation to benefit my students. After investigating different syllabi, the Australasian Dance Association stood out as the syllabus to suit my needs. The strong technical progression coupled with a focus
to encourage a delightful dance performance quality, supports and nurtures students, helping to create well trained, versatile and talented dancers.
ADA has expanded and grown during my involvement, with many different genres available, offering not only Ballet, Tap and Jazz, but also more recently adding Contemporary, AcroDance, Anatomy and a Pre-School Program, “Ada’s Little Gems”. Students can complete all their dance grades from Pre-Primary through to their final performance exam, Bar to Gold Star, which then allows them to further their qualifications if they wish to become a dance teacher.
Major teachers exams are conducted in three parts: Part 1, knowledge and execution of syllabus content; Part 2,
a practical teaching exam, and Part 3, an anatomy exam.
After undertaking all of the above myself, plus years of examiner training,
I am proud to say I am now a full-time examiner with ADA, and can honestly say it’s an extremely fulfilling profession.
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AUSTRALASIAN DANCE ASSOCIATION LTD