Hi There,

I am currenly writing a dissertation investigating the "Free Movement" section of the RAD Grades syllabus.
I am looking at whether it can be considered to be 'free' and how relevant it is, in a historical context, today.

I was wondering if anybody has any opinions or comments they would like to make about it?

Thanks

Hi fmg and welcome to CriticalDance. For all the non-RAD people out there, would you like to point us in the direction of the syllabus and give us any initial thoughts you have on this theme?

Hello Free Movement girl.

You are obviously doing the final semester of the RAD Degree programme.

If you look at the Grades examination criteria for both classical and free movement in detail - is there actually any difference ?.

The only difference is turnout which comes under the umbrella of secure posture.

Go through the Free Movement criteria and it all applies to Classical, of course taking out the use of scarf. Then go through the Classical and you will find other than turnout it all applies to Free Movement.

Apply this thinking to what you have already written and you may come up with some brilliant thinking to go on with.

When the new marking system came about within the RAD syllabus its intention was to allow the "not so classical looking" students a chance to improve their overall mark in their exams, by dividing the exam sections into 3 categories: Classical, Free movement and character.

While Free movement does have a classical feel about it, examiners should be looking at the candidate's ability to let the body move more freely than the controlled held placement of the body as for classical. Whether examiners are following these guidelines or not is questionable in some cases.

High instep I understand what you are saying. and maybe you took me too literally.

What I was meaning that weight placement and posture in free movement does not include turnout as it does in classical.

I havent got my teachers handbook in front of me but doesn't somewhere under the criteria for free movement mention freedom of movement. So yes there are obviously some things which are different - but dance is dance - the basics are the basics just as a cake is a cake only that a fruit cake has different ingredients to a chocolate cake or a marble cake.

Maybe I was not clear enough

Hi tip_toes.

Sorry, it wasn't my intention to appear to disagree with you. I was merely adding myown thoughts to the topic. I agree with you and understand what you were saying.

It does indicate that turnout is not so emphasised in the free movement section, yet on the teaching video, the students who are demonstrating the free movement exercises are most certainly performing all of them turned out. During a teachers course recently this discussion arose and there was clear indication that "freedom of movement" is what is being focused rather that turnout and well held posture.

This was what I was thinking of when I put forward my previous post.

Afterthought: I am glad that the students who aren't blessed with turnout have the opportunity to dance freely in this section without being marked on lack of turnout (which was where I was leading pre post) and quite often they score as high or highter than the stronger classical student for this very reason.