La Beauté Ballet Syllabus Information

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Through La Beauté Ballet, our passion for dance is shared with thousands of students internationally.  La Beauté Ballet provides each student with solid technical training, performance training, and the platform to create, achieve and grow as a dancer and artist.

La Beauté Ballet is an examination based syllabus, it is compulsory for all registered studios to enter La Beauté Ballet students for examinations or assessments annually.  

This ground-breaking syllabus brings a fresh approach to ballet whilst retaining all the discipline and technique of traditional ballet.

La Beauté Ballet was devised to provide classical training to those who wish to incorporate ballet in their dance repertoire wihtout having to sacrifice training in other genres.  The requirement of no more than two lessons per week enables the dance student to maintain their classical training alongside tuition in other forms of dance.  Fundamentally, La Beauté ballet enables the millenial dancer to have a strong classical foundation whilst being versatile across all dance genres.

We are committed to providing fast and personal service to all our registered teachers.

The syllabus comprises of 15 levels and a Teacher Training syllabus:

Syllabus Components:

The levels are made up of a series of exercises including barre work, port de bras, travel, turns, petit allegro, grand allegro, enchaînment and dances.  At the higher levels adage, manège and variations are incorporated. 

All work is progressive and designed to develop posture, placement, turn-out, strength, suppleness and performance style.

In the Primary grades mime amalgamations are taught and in the higher grades student choreography and variations are incorporated. 

The teacher sets the dance and must incorporate compulsory steps.

Students can enter the syllabus at any age (and ability) at a level recommended by the teacher. Please see age guidelines above. Candidates sitting Advanced Ballet Two onwards must have sat and passed the previous grade as a prerequisite (ie. Advanced Ballet One).

It is compulsory for registered teachers to enter their students for examinations.

Year Plan

Lessons in terms one and two of the school year are focused on preparing students for examinations.

Examinations are held in the second or third term of the school year (May -September) in Australia and New Zealand.

Examinations are held in June and October in Hong Kong and in May and December in Thailand.

Lesson Plan

Syllabus work in preparation for examinations is based on the following class time recommendations:

  • Pre-Primary Jazz: 30 minutes per week
  • Primary Ballet levels: 45 minutes per week
  • Junior Ballet levels: 45 minutes – 1 hour per week
  • Elementary Ballet levels: 1-2 hours per week
  • Intermediate Ballet levels: 2 hours per week
  • Advanced Ballet levels: 2+ hours per week
  • Pointe work should be a further 30 – 45 minutes per week in addition to the recommendations above.  

Age Recommendations

Please use the recommended age guidelines for class placements. These recommendations are based on students who have no previous dance experience:

  • Preschool Ballet: 4 years
  • Primary Ballet One: 5 years
  • Primary Ballet Two: 6 years
  • Junior Ballet One: 7 years
  • Junior Ballet Two: 8 years
  • Junior Ballet Three: 9 years
  • Elementary Ballet One: 10 years/ beginner teens/ beginner adults

Any student who has had dance experience should be assessed and placed in a class at the recommendation of the teacher.

Improvisation

Improvisation is incorporated in the Primary levels to encourage freedom of movement. In the examination the examiner provides the music.

Student Choreography

Student choreography is incorporated at the higher levels to develop student initiative and creativity. Students choreograph their work individually with assistance from the teacher where necessary.

Time limits are detailed in the teaching notes. The teacher provides the music for student choreography (the same music must be used by all the students in an examination group/grade – ie. no individual music as student choreography is usually seen in pairs).

Solo Seal

Solo Seal is the final examination of the syllabus in which the dancer showcases their training and choreography in a final performance examination.   

The first two performances are self-choreographed.  Candidates then have two classical variations to perform.  

Solo Seal candidates are expected to arrange their own choreography, costumes, props (if required), music (choice and edit), which is overseen by the teacher.

As this is the pinnacle performance examination which completes all syllabus training, candidates are permitted to invite an audience to view the performance pieces if they wish.  Filming by the audience is permitted if agreed by the candidate and teacher.

If the Solo Seal candidate wishes to be considered for the Izzie Toman Solo Seal Scholarship, the teacher is required to film the candidate choreography in the examination and submit the footage prior to the 1st October via the APDA website.  Results are announced by 1st February the following year.

The prerequisite for this examination is Advanced Jazz 2.

Music

Both traditional classical music and modern lyrical music has been used in the videos.  Teachers are able to set their own music with the exception of the classical variations. Recommended BPM (beats per minute) for each exercise are provided in the teaching notes.

Studios are required to have their own studio music license for classes.

Pointe

Pointe is an optional programme for studios.  All teachers teaching the pointe syllabus must have experience training and/or qualifications in teaching pointe.  This requirement may be checked at the time of exam entries.

The pointe examination is a separate assessment and students need to be entered for this separately.

It is a requirement that all pointe students have a pre-pointe assessment by a qualified physiotherapist (preferably with specialist knowledge treating dancers) to ensure the student is physically strong and able to commence pointe work.  We trust that studios follow this requirement for the safety of their students.

Improvisation is included to encourage freedom of movement in junior levels. The examiner provides the music for the Improvisation.

Students should prepare for impromptu work seeking to show musicality, use of the floor, use of levels and variety of steps.