WEBSITE
adv.org.au
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Founding chairman and Honorary Director/GM: Penelope Lancaster
HISTORY/BACKGROUND
Founded in 1989 with progressive classical ballet syllabus technique with complementary elements of history of genre studies.
STYLES/GENRES
Classical ballet, jazz dance, tap dance, contemporary dance. Each with complementary history and foundation workbooks.
GRADING/MARKING SYSTEM
With education principles. Learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
- ADV Teachers Certificates – 3 levels
- Vocational Teachers Certificate IV encouraged.
Penny Lancaster
Founding Chairman, Director, Honorary General Manager.
Have examinations/assessments changed over the years and what is different now?
The ADV (Australian Dance Vision) assessments/examinations in all dance styles have built on and improved from the examinations I experienced when growing up, and when teaching, to become more user friendly, with better absorbing and educational content, while maintaining a drive for high technical standards.
ADV has an option system to give teachers, students and parents, a choice in the kind of syllabus assessment process they prefer:
Option 1 – Students receive a report and a graded certificate.
Option 2 – Students receive a report and a certificate of examination attendance (no grading)
This unique system allows the students to progress with friends of the same age. Teachers and parents also love the options because they can be assessed progressively on a yearly basis regardless of prior student training exposure.
Progressive, developmental assessments and learning about history and body science (modern ADV pedagogy) provides a broader and fairer foundation for student growth considering the individual student’s physical, emotional, and learning development.
Do you have a memory of doing exams/syllabus event you would like to share?
A memory of a previous scary examination when I was about 12 years old:
“I need new satin ballet shoes,” I said to my mother before one ballet exam.
“What’s wrong with your usual ballet shoes?” said Mum.
‘No, no, I have to have new pink satin ones, the teacher said!’
“Oh dear, we’ve just organised the white tunic with the pink belt specially made – do you really also need new satin ballet shoes?”
“Yes, yes, I haave haaave to have them or I will fail!’” - I wrung my hands and my mother sighed.
Mum drove me to the examination hall. I read through the mime section, ‘The Damsel from The Elizabethan Era’. After walking and gesturing in the style of the time, later you then had to explain the story. Before I entered the exam room, I said.
“I’m that scared Mum,” I said.
“No,’ she said, “you mean, “as scared as all that – you don’t say that something, it’s incorrect.’” Well at least I was taught how to speak English properly, but what about my dancing?!
“Now,” said Mr Examiner, ‘tell me the story of the Elizabethan.”
“There was, there was,” I said nervously, “a dasmel.”- the examiner hid a wry smile as I said it, - I knew it was wrong, but what should it be? The right word wouldn’t come. The dancing part of the exam was over, and this was the end. Did my panic show?
“Dasmel, dasmel,” I said to myself – “I am dismal, but what should it be?”
In spite of bad grammar and wrong words, I received an Honours result. Perhaps it was the new satin shoes? It certainly inspired me to learn and read a lot more about the story and history behind each dance piece!!