Page 8 - DANCE Guide 2022

2022 SyllabuS Guide
WEBSITE:
www.adv.org.au
HISTORY
The ADV founder’s “vision” was to create a new approach to training and assessing young dancers, aimed at excellence, and introducing life skills in preparation for a professional career or other career options.
In 1989, Founding Chairman Penny Lancaster developed a new holistic curriculum for dance teachers and students. Reviewing educational standards Penny envisaged an Australian-based curriculum aligned to Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) – giving young dancers career opportunities beyond technique alone. A Registered Training Organisation (ADi*) evolved ADV’s desire to expand beyond technique.
SYLLABUS CONTENT
ADV addresses the dancer as a complete person, along with the fundamentals of classical, jazz, tap and contemporary technique. Young dancers are taught elements of body science, nutrition, personal awareness, critical thinking as well as dance history and musicality. They are also encouraged to improvise and choreograph. ADV provided syllabus for the new government training package, complementing competencies.
ASSESSMENT APPROACH
Students are assessed in a non-threatening environment. Dance teachers welcome this approach as students progress at their own rate in keeping with their physical, emotional and cognitive development. While introducing learning outcomes and assessment criteria, the dance teacher has written input and is present during the assessment. Students can choose to be assessed with a grading or with a certificate of attendance – including an attitude and ability mark through ADV’s unique scaling system.
ADV aims to encourage not just potential dancers but creative individuals, choreographers, teachers, dance administrators and articulate, intelligent dance audience members.
Rory Williamson
is a long-time ADV teacher, assessor, mentor and syllabus co-author. She is principal teacher at her own studio of 20 years on the Sunshine Coast in Qld.
Have examinations/assessments changed over the years?
One of ADV’s stand out features is its approach to assessments. While still a formal examination environment, students are assessed in a more welcoming fashion. Nametags are preferred over numbers, a wholistic approach is taken to dance education with theory including history, safe dance, music and terminology assessed alongside the practical work, and students can elect to be assessed with or without a grade. There is a place for the aspiring professional and the recreational dancer.
What is the purpose of exams/ assessments and why do you think they are beneficial?
Exams and assessments set benchmarks for achievements and standards. They give us a “measuring stick” for the dancer to assess what skills they have achieved, and where their capabilities should be at.
They are a valuable goal-setting exercise, providing short-term goals for long term dreams.
They are also excellent practice for the audition environment and the scrutiny of performance.
As a teacher I can see the benefit to the students and my teaching, and as an
assessor I focus strongly on my role as a mentor and advisor to the candidates
– how my words and comments can help them to improve and seek to be better dancers. Such responsibility rests on us and our choice of words recorded on the young dancers’ papers – it is essential that these are beneficial, healthy remarks.
What drew you to this syllabus/ organisation?
I have been involved with ADV since its inception, firstly as one of director Penny Lancaster’s students, and am fortunate to have watched the development and growth of an Australian organisation that is so focussed on the dancer as a whole.
In my 20-plus years teaching, I have had ample opportunity to sample and teach other syllabi and truly love what ADV has to offer. As a syllabus, it is growing with the industry – where we have seen a need for change, we have taken it on and updated and modified our syllabus to meet current trends and needs. Our incorporation of Safe Dance techniques keeps us on the forefront of safe dance teaching. It sets high standards for its teachers – I’m a fan of that, as it means better qualified, better trained and smarter dance educators.
58 | JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 | WWW.DANCEAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
AUSTRALIAN DANCE VISION (ADV)