The General Graded syllabi from Grade 1 upwards
states that candidates are expected to combine any movements
contained in this and previous syllabi into simple sequences
set by the examiner and have knowledge of the French terms
used.
From January 2006 examiners will be including previous
vocabulary in all examinations.
The following list gives the movements from previous
grades that are most likely to be included at
the various levels as well as clarifications concerning
examination procedure.
Primary
• Music section – candidates will be expected
to identify, clap and count, with or without the music,
the Waltz and Polka. (The counting replaces the asking
of time signatures)
Grade 1
• Step and dégagé on fondu (step and
point as in Primary), walks, galops forwards and sideways,
skips, spring points.
• The knowledge of the positions of the feet will
be tested during the examination and not formally at the
end of the barre.
• Polka – this consists of hop, step, coupé,
jeté (as opposed to hop, chasse, coupe, jeté).
• Music section – candidates will be expected
to identify, clap and count, with or without the music,
the Waltz, March and Polka. (The counting replaces the
asking of time signatures)
Grade 2 Barre
• Battement tendu in 4 counts
• Assemblé soutenu – if the head is
used follow the arm as one would for a simple port de
bras
Centre
• Port de Bras will be seen on both sides
• Chassé may be shown in direction, but the
dancers should stay facing the same way i.e. chassé
passé should not start en face and finish croisé,
but could start croisé and finish ouvert
• Arabesque line could be put into simple enchaînement
using walks, runs or chassé
• Simple warm up allegro.
• Primary and Grade 1 vocabulary e.g. walks, dégagés,
skips, galops, spring points, polka, pose temps levé.
• The understanding of direction will be tested
during the examination and not just with use of chassé
• Music section. As before the pianist will play
eight crotchets to establish the tempo followed by either
quavers, crotchets, minims or semibreves. The examiner
may also request that a candidate claps a note value after
the pianist has played eight crotchets to establish the
tempo. The candidates should know how many crotchet beats
there are in any of the other notes.
Grade 3 Barre
• Battement tendu – delete previous set head.
If the head is used it should follow the arm as one would
for a simple port de bras. (The boys port de bras is now
just en avant then to à la seconde and held for
the first tendu to second and derrière, then lowering
bras with the closing of the second tendu to second –
similar to the girls)
• Assemblé soutenu – if the head is
used just follow the arm as one would for a simple port
de bras
• Grand battement in 2 counts
Centre
• 1st arabesque
• Posé exercise – the examiner may
request how this is danced i.e. en diagonale, down the
room or in a circle
• Simple warm up allegro
• Use of earlier allegro vocabulary as in Grade
2
Grade 4 Barre
• Développé en croix – as Grade
3
Centre
• Dégagés with épaulement will
not be examined as before. The candidate will be expected
to show coordinated épaulement on the closing of
basic movements such as dégagé or chassé
• Attitude ordinaire
• Simple warm up allegro
• Demi-contretemps finishes in a demi plié
in 4th
• Use of earlier allegro vocabulary as in Grade
3
• As well as the girls set exercise, chassé
coupe and chassé temps levé could be seen
as vocabulary for both boys and girls using either an
arabesque leg line or a pirouette position derrière.
Port de bras would be basic, i.e. 2nd or 3rd arabesque,
attitude or bras croisé
• Balancé
Grade 5
Barre
• Battements tendus in 2 counts closing on straight
legs or demi-plié (at barre)
• Battements frappés
• Grands battements in 2 counts (at barre) Centre
• Temps lié en avant
• Simple warm up allegro
• Use of earlier allegro as in Grade 4
Grade 6
Barre
• Battements tendus and grands battements as Grade
5 (at barre)
• Battements fondu en l’air (at barre)
• Rond de jambe en l’air – singles (at
barre)
• The preparatory exercise for battement en rond
will not be examined
• Fouetté rond de jambe may be either the
Grade 6 or the Intermediate setting (teacher’s choice) Centre
• Unset adage in centre which might include a développé
to 2nd
Fouetté of Adage may be either the Grade 6 or the
Intermediate Foundation setting (teacher’s choice)
• Pirouette en dehors – candidates will be
asked to show the pirouette from 5th (as Grade 5 –
boys from 2nd as well) as well as the Grade 6 version
from 4th
• Pirouette en dedans may be either the Grade 6
or Intermediate setting with a single turn (teacher’s
choice)
• Simple warm up allegro
• Use of earlier allegro as in Grade 5
• Grand jeté en tournant
• The examination will finish with a ‘cool
down’ i.e walks, ports de bras or balances/waltz
turns
General Information
• The order of the barre work will be altered to
reflect current practice
• Assemblé soutenu – if the head is
use it should follow the arm as one would for a simple
port de bras
• Pirouettes from 4th may be taken from either a
plié or a fondu (teacher’s choice)
• All candidates will be expected to perform their
dance/variation one at a time
• In Grades 1 and 2 the terminology used will be
a set port de bras not set arm exercise as in Primary
• From Grade 1 upwards the terminology used is réverence
and not curtsey/bow as in Primary.
• Advanced 1 battement frappé the port de
bras for both boys and girls on the doubles to a dégagé
will be the same as the Grade 3 battement tendu
• Advanced 1 boys preparation for Grande pirouette
will be seen on both sides
• FDI dance practice covers all the grades up to
and including Grade 5, this includes Primary Grade
