

Syllabus Strategies: Focus on Grades 6, 7 and 8 (Male and Female) CPD Course
Tuesday 27 May 2025
10.30am – 5.30pm BST

Event Date:
Tuesday 27 May 2025
Event Time:
10.30am – 5.30pm BST
Location:
Available Online?
No
Who’s it for?
This course is open to all ballet teachers. It is recommended for mid-career teachers.
Fee:
Members: £112 | €132 | $143
Non-Members: £156 | €184 | $199
Contact:
A one-day practical course in which participating teachers will gain an understanding of how to teach the Grade 6, 7 and 8 syllabi, focusing on the Male and Female work. Learning activities will focus on creating appropriate development exercises to encourage an accurate interpretation of the criteria used in the mark scheme of the examination.
Aim
The aim of this one-day practical course is to boost participants’ confidence in teaching of the RAD’s Grades 6, 7 and 8 syllabi through enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the criteria used in the mark scheme of the examinations.
It will:
- Look in depth at the philosophy of Grades 6, 7 and 8,
- Offer a chance to improve understanding of specific areas within the syllabus, particularly in regards to technical, musical and performance aspects of the work, as identified by examiners during examinations,
- Reflect on the relevance and interpretation of the assessment criteria in selected exercises and dances,
- Provide a platform to discuss, explore and develop strategies to strengthen areas of the work,
- Support the creation of development exercises for students by defining the requisite skills and knowledge to do so, and
- Attendees will be better able to understand the ‘how’ of teaching the syllabus, increase knowledge of the assessment criteria and gain insight into how the candidates are generally coping in the examinations.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- demonstrate, physically and/or through explanation, an understanding of the technique/s at each level,
- discuss the relevance and interpretation of the assessment criteria in selected exercises and dances, and
- help their learners develop the necessary strength and understanding to achieve the requirements of the assessment criteria in the examination.
Venue
RAD headquarters, London SW11 3JZ
Recommended Preparation
It is recommended that participants have knowledge of the exercises and dances of the RAD Grades 6, 7 and 8 syllabi.
Tutor
Deborah Mercer ARAD BA Hons RAD RTS
Born in Hong Kong, Deborah began her dance training there before being invited to join the Hong Kong Ballet Group where she performed regularly, as both corps and soloist. She went on to train at the Académie Princess Grace followed by the Rambert School of Ballet. She gained a degree in modern languages from the University of Westminster and an MA in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and, following a period working in marketing and commerce, she re-trained as a dance teacher gaining qualifications from the RAD and ISTD.
Deborah has taught in Brighton and Hove for many years at various dance schools including Brighton College and The Brighton Academy. She was head of ballet at a private dance school, and senior ballet teacher at Brighton College before opening her own school in 2020. Over the years, she has choreographed for numerous shows and her pupils have gone onto prestigious vocational dance schools such as English National Ballet School, Elmhurst, Rambert, and Tring Park as well as gaining places as Associates at the Royal Ballet School and Central School of Ballet. In addition, her pupils have seen success in competitions with a finalist in the Genée International Ballet Competition (now The Fonteyn) and All England Dance.
In 2021 Deborah became an RAD Examiner and shortly afterwards a CPD tutor. She is passionate about passing on her knowledge to the next generation of dancers and teachers.
CPD Hours
8 hours Time-Valued CPD
Fees
Members of the Royal Academy of Dance receive discounts on all CPD activities.
How to book
For details on how your information is processed, please see the Cvent Privacy Policy and the CPD Privacy Notice. Please also read our Terms and Conditions.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact the CPD Team, cpd@rad.org.uk.
Contact
If you have any questions about this activity, please contact the CPD Team, cpd@rad.org.uk.
Book now
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