Your FDI & CDE Experiences
From Associate to CDE - my APL Experience

The ISTD is always pleased to hear all the positive feedback we get about the new teaching qualifications. This letter that was sent in seems particularly poignant as this summer marks the first anniversary of the London bombings. Rebecca Carter recounts her experience of embarking on the FDI and CDE, and also her account of traveling to London to sit her exams on July 7th.

I have to admit, when I first read the news that the ISTD were amending their teaching qualifications, my heart sank. I had not long gained my Associate in Imperial Classical Ballet and had been so proud of my achievement that the thought of fitting in the time to study for and take more exams filled me with dread.

I had not taken the usual 'route' to Associate status, having always been fairly academic and torn between studies and dance, and not exactly possessing the ideal figure for a career in dance, I opted instead to go to university, leaving with a BSc in Computer Science and I am now working full time as a computer programmer, having moved down to Sussex from Leicester.

However, my love of ballet and eagerness to teach drew me back into the dancing world and I studied for my Associate qualification outside of work hours, which was no mean feat. I had just started teaching part-time, for a few hours a week in West Sussex when the dreaded letters 'APL' were mentioned at the termly staff meeting.

Fearing the worst, I filled in my form as best I could and sent it off, and sure enough, a load of 'R's were returned saying that I had to complete the Health & Safety, Lifespan Development and Background to a Chosen Dance Genre at both FDI and CDE level and also take the CDE teaching practice units 1, 2 and 3. Oh my goodness! How on earth was I going to find the time to fit all this in, along with my full time job and my existing teaching commitments and running a house and a husband?!

Once I'd recovered from the initial shock, I ordered the FDI course books, and, knowing that I thrived on a challenge, booked myself in for both the exams on the 7th and 8th July 2005 (yes you read the dates right). As I live in West Sussex, there were no ADCs near enough for me to register with so I registered with ISTD HQ.*

And so, just like being at school again, I would come home from work and start revising, I even made a revision plan! It came as quite a shock to my system having to find the motivation to revise again, and what with university and all, I have sat more exams that most, so I have great sympathy with those having to sit exams having not done so for many years. After some decent revising and the inevitable last minute cramming I decreed that I was as ready as I was ever going to be, and headed off up to London on July 7th. Little did I know the horrors that would happen that day and it will certainly be two days that neither I, nor my husband, will ever forget.

Fortunately, all of the candidates taking exams that day were unharmed, and although I ended up walking from Victoria railway station to ISTD HQ and back again, I took my exams and passed. The events in London that day certainly put everything into perspective and made me forget about my nerves and focus on the task in hand, so they may have helped me with hindsight.

For the Lifespan exam the next day I had luckily pre-booked a B&B, which I have to admit, was not the Ritz but was heartily appreciated. I caught the bus to the exam (my calf muscles weren't up to that walk again!) which was nerve-wracking but I did it, and I was proud.

Two exams down, five to go! I put off doing my FDI Background to a chosen dance genre for ages trying to think up a topic, but once I had, I ended up doing the whole unit in an evening. It was actually quite fun once I'd decided on my subject and all thanks must go to my husband for coming up with the topic in the first place.

So that was my FDI complete. I'm now embarking on my CDE and have just taken my Health & Safety exam and have completed my essay and have had great support from my fellow teachers for my teaching practice module, for which I thank them greatly. I just wanted to encourage all teachers out there to carry on and not to get disheartened. We all teach because we love dance and want to pass our passion onto our students and that hasn't changed. I know that going through this process has made me a much better teacher. I am much more aware of my teaching methods and have learnt so much I can already see the benefits.

I am proud to teach for the ISTD and I just wanted to emphasise the light at the end of the tunnel. We will finally get the formal government recognition that we all deserve and that is so long overdue and I'm sure that many more teaching opportunities will be open to me once my CDE is complete. So, don't be discouraged, you're not the only one going through this. Focus on the long-term benefits to yourself and your students and maybe I'll see you at the next exam!

Rebecca Carter

* There are now almost 150 Approved Dance Centres throughout the UK and Europe. Click here for a full listing >>

Your FDI & CDE Experiences – continued
Dancing past Deadlines!

After just two years of training, Kym Walton has become the first person to complete both the FDI and CDE in such a short amount of time. She completed FDI and CDE Ballet and Tap in March 2006 and is due to complete Modern in the next few weeks. She also took Advanced 1 ballet during this time. Kym tells us how she has be able to achieve this impressive feat whilst also juggling other family and work commitments. Well done Kym!

I trained originally at the Arts Educational School in London in the late 1970’s. I didn’t take any teaching exams at the time. I went on todance professionally for about 15 years working for several well known choreographers. This included spending five years in Sun City, South Africa, where I danced in the ‘Extravaganza’ shows, ending up as one of the principal dancers.

After stopping dancing professionally I became a fitness instructor teaching aerobics, body conditioning and ‘step’ aerobics whilst working in an office. We relocated from Surrey to Lancaster with my husbands’ job in 1997, after the birth of my second daughter. In 2004 I decided that I didn’t want to work in an office environment any more and decided to come back to dance, which was my passion. I started at Preston College in late April 2004, and took FDI Tap units 4 and 5 exams seven weeks later!

The last two years have been very hard work. I have attended college three days a week, whilst still getting home in time to collect my children from school. I also teach several Pilates classes a week, having qualified to teach this in early 2004.

I would like to thank Heather Burns and all the teachers at Preston College for the encouragement and help over the last two years. Also to all the other students who have become my friends and not made me feel embarrassed at being in a ballet class in ballet tights and a leotard after 25 years!

Kym Walton