The junior syllabus was devised to meet the needs of young ballet dancers by teaching the required, traditional technique of Classical ballet in carefully graded and interesting exercises.

Junior grades are:

• Beginners (an introductory exam for 5 & 6 year olds)
• Pre-Primary
• Primary
• Grades One – Five
• Petite Solo (optional)

The senior grades were devised by Robert Fisher, former Ballet Master, Dutch National Ballet.

Senior grades are:

• Grade 6 (does not include pointe exercises)
• Preparatory Elementary
• Elementary
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Solo Seal

BAL syllabus offers a sound tap technique building from the basics of shuffles and triples in junior grades, to riffs, wing, pick ups, turns, syncopation, and varied rhythm patterns in senior grades. All grades incorporate slow, medium and fast speeds, and varied styles, equipping the dancer with the background and ability to perform any style of tapping.

Stage presentation is a requirement in the exams, and all grades include a short dance of the teacher’s choreography.

Tap grades are:

• Beginners
• Pre-Primary
• Primary
• Grades One – Five
• Minor Solo (optional performance exam)
• Elementary
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Major Solo (optional performance exam)

A progressive syllabus incorporating warm-ups and/or barre exercises, stretching and limbering, arm & head combinations, pirouettes, travelling steps and kicks, turning steps, lyrical movements, as well as hip hop/funk combinations.

The junior syllabus was revised in 2004 to keep it up to date with modern trends, while still providing an examinable training in the basic movements of jazz dance. Senior grades have undergone a complete revision in 2009.
Music speeds are advised, but the choice of music used is determined by the teacher. This allows you to select music that the students can relate to and will enjoy dancing to, and gives you the opportunity to update your music whenever you wish, to keep your classes fresh and interesting.

Jazz grades are:

• Beginners
• Pre-Primary
• Primary
• Grades One – Five
• Minor Solo (optional performance exam)
• Elementary
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Major Solo (optional performance exam)

This syllabus covers traditional character dance representing a different country in each grade.

The elements of each dance are taught through barre, components and steps, which are then presented in the dance.

Character grades are:

• Pre-Primary - Welsh
• Primary - Finnish
• Grade 1 - Polish
• Grade 2 - Russian
• Grade 3 - Greek
• Grade 4 - Mexican
• Grade 5 - Hungarian
• Elementary - Ukrainian
• Intermediate - Spanish
• Advanced - Russian
• Solo - Gypsy & Oriental

A contemporary Hip Hop syllabus with warm-ups, progressions, combinations and routines in varied Hip Hop styles.

Hip Hop grades are currently:

• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4

This syllabus covers a different traditional Irish dance in each of its grades, incorporating barre and centre exercises to teach the rhythms, posture, beating and technical details of Irish dance.

Irish grades are:

• Pre-Grade… Soft Shoe Reel & Jig
• Grade 1…Full Soft Shoe Reel & Jig
• Grade 2…Hard Shoe Reel & Jig
• Grade 3…St Patricks Day
• Grade 4…Irish Hornpipe
• Grade 5…Humours of Bandon
• Elementary…Garden Of Daisies & Slip Jig
• Intermediate…The Blackbird
• Advanced…Job Of Journey

The Highland Dancing exam syllabus is set on the technique laid down by the Scottish Official Board Of Highland Dancing (SOBHD).

See the NDAA website for further details.