Making the Grade

Irish Dancing Grade Exams.

You may have heard about them in passing. You may be wondering what they are. You may be wondering what we here at REEL HELP are mumbling about.

Well, wonder no more. It's been difficult to find information about grade exams online until fairly recently. Two recent (as of the time of this article) feisanna (Feile Houston 2003 and Feis Louisiane & Lagniappe 2004), have had them as part of their scheduled activities. The information presented here is culled from information posted online at both feis websites, and posted here to provide another location for the online Irish Dance public to get information.

Excerpted from the Feile Houston website:

Grade Examinations were first introduced by An Coimisiún in 1943 and have since been conducted in Ireland, the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Grade Exams are designed to evaluate a dancers strengths and weaknesses, and to help the individual dancers improve. Each dancer will dance in front of the examiner for up to 40 bars (two steps right and left foot each, and the right foot only of a third step).

There are 12 grades plus a preliminary grade. Each must be passed in order before a dancer can then attempt the next grade. A certificate is awarded for each grade passed. A dancer who passes all the 12 grades receives 'Diplóma An Choimisiúin le Rincí Gaelacha' (The Diploma of the Irish Dancing Commission). Grade examinations are not like competitions in that each dancer is individually examined and receives a written assessment of their dancing.

The examinations are intended and equally suitable for both dancers who compete regularly and for the very many whom are not competition orientated.

Okay, enough propaganda. The requirements for each grade exam are as follows:

Grade Exam Required Steps
Preliminary Easy Reel or Easy Light Jig
1
  • Easy Reel
  • Light Jig
    		•
    2
  • Basic Slip-Jig
  • Single Jig
    		•
    3
  • Hard (Treble) Reel
  • Treble Jig
    		•
    4
  • Primary Slip-Jig
  • Traditional Set Dance St. Patrick's Day
    		•
    5
  • Advanced Reel
  • Basic Hornpipe
  • Figure Dance Walls of Limerick
    		•
    6
  • Advanced Slip-Jig
  • Traditional Set Dance The Blackbird
  • Figure Dance Siege of Ennis
    		•
    7
  • Advanced Treble Jig
  • Traditional Set Dance Garden of Daisies
  • Figure Dance The Four-hand Reel
    		•
    8
  • Advanced Hornpipe
  • Traditional Set Dance Job of Journeywork
  • Ceili Dance Humours of Bandon
    		•
    9
  • Two set-dances, one in 6/8 time and the other in 2/4 or 4/4 time (which are not traditional dances)
  • Ceili Dance The High Cauled Cap
    		•
    10
  • Two set-dances, one in 6/8 time and the other in 2/4 or 4/4 time (which are not traditional dances)
  • Ceili Dance The Eight hand Jig
    		•
    11
  • Reel
  • Slip-jig
  • Treble Jig
  • Traditional Set Dance The Blackbird
  • Traditional Set Dance St. Patrick's Day
  • two modern set-dances selected by the examiner from a list of five submitted by the candidate (different from those in Grade 10)
  • Ceili Dance The Eight-hand reel
  • Figure Dance Harvest-time Jig.
    		•
    12
  • Light Jig
  • Single Jig
  • Hornpipe
  • Traditional Set Dance Job of Journeywork
  • Traditional Set Dance Garden of Daisies
  • two modern set-dances selected by the candidate (different from those in Grade 10 and 11)
  • Ceili Dance The Morris Reel
  • Figure Dance The Sixteen-hand Reel
    		•

    The following rules and regulations apply to each grade exam:

    1. Only basic steps may be danced in Grades 1, 2 & 3 and in the Preliminary Grade.
    2. The number of bars of music to be danced for all reels, jigs and hornpipes is 40.
    3. Set-dances in Grades 4, 5 & 6 must be performed in the traditional style and manner.
    4. From grade 7 upward only non-traditional sets may be danced.
    5. The same set-dance must not be performed in more than one of the Grades from 7 to 12 inclusive.
    6. A dancer must take all of the grades in order, beginning with Grade 1, the Preliminary Grade being optional. However, any number of consecutive grades may be taken on the same occasion.
    7. Candidates must know (orally and practically) all céilí dances required from the book 'Ár Rinncidhe Foirne' specified for Grades 5 to 12 inclusive. (Ceili dances in italic).
    8. Dance costumes should not be worn at what is an examination and not a competition.
    9. Grade 9 may not be taken under 16 years of age; Grade 10 under 17 years or Grades 11 or 12 under 18 years.
    10. Grade Exams 11 and 12 count towards the teachers examination, TCRG.

    All this doesn't come cheap. You have to pay a certain amount of money per person per each grade taken, and unlike a feis there is no family max. The fee schedule charged by IDTANA at the 2004 Feis Louisiane & Lagniappe was as follows (in US dollars):

    Grades Cost
    Preliminary $11.00
    1 - 3 $16.50
    4-6 $22.00
    7-12 $27.50

    OK, that's how it's designed. How is it to actually be at one? Devonna, Rachel, and I all went through the grades 1 and 2 exams offered at the 2004 Feis Louisiane and Lagniappe, and passed them all. Someday (probably the next time we're at a feis that offers them), we'll write our experiences up.

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