forgive the use of 'syllabus', on its own, in the title - what i mean here is the examinations in a set syllabus provided by the various dance societies, such as RAD, ISTD, Cecchetti, BBO, ADAPT, AICD, etc....i just need to make titles which are easily searchable, but are still short so they fit.<P>in another thread, mom2 asked:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I also wonder how common it is for professional schools to have their students examined? I know that some do and some don't, but don't have a sense for proportions one way or another. <P>What are the advantages/disadvantages of studying a set syllabus in addition to other daily work? <P>I should think that a mix would be good (i.e. syllabus in addition to daily technique, rep., etc) but would welcome other's thoughts and experiences.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mom2 - I don't think that the major company schools here in the United States teach a set syllabus. They may teach a "style" like Balanchine - but not a set syllabus.<P>I can tell you from my own personal experience, my first teacher taught a Russian based technique, then I had five years of Cecchetti by a fine teacher too. It was a very good grounding in the basics. <P>However, it bored me - the same exercises - the same barre - the same center - even though there was some "free dance" thrown in. Even the same music.<P>And, when I left and joined another studio I really felt lost at sea - suddenly in every class there were new combinations. Every day new combinations, never doing the same thing again. It showed me how much doing the same thing over and over again had been a detriment. Yes, you do the same steps, balances, etc. - but they need to be put into new combinations to keep the mind quick and build the memory. It took me almost three years until I felt really comfortable with having to memorize combinations in class at a moment's notice and dancing them a moment later.<P>And that's what it is like in auditioning too - and in learning choreography.<P>As a teacher I kept that in mind. Always new music, always new combinations.<P><P>------------------<BR>Approach life as a dancer approaches the barre, with grace and purpose.<BR>

mom2, as a brief answer, as with everything in life, there are pluses and minuses to both approaches (so one 'ideal' is to fit in both. in terms of time, that can represent a difficult challenge, so many schools just opt out of reference to any external system).<P>