If you are taking dance lessons then you obviously wish to become a capable and then a good and then a better and then an excellent dancer. There are established systems in place to help you progressively improve your ability and feel confident that you can indeed dance and that you are becoming better. These systems are regulated by organisations such the Australian Dance Society and Destine Dance uses these systems to give you the confidence you need to be certain you are learning proper dance.
The Award System
There are 4 basic levels of dance that you can work toward. These are identified as awards and are named bronze, silver and gold. This system was once called the medal system and has been in place and evolving since the 1930s and designed to let you understand your progression in dance.
Awards are assessed by you dancing a known routine with your dance teacher. You will know who you are dancing with and what you need to dance. This will give you extra confidence when you are assessed. There will be no surprises for you. Examiners will also come from the Australian Dancing Society so you know that the feedback you get will be qualified and informative.
You will do your bronze, silver and gold in each of standard, Latin, street, Latin, swing and Swing. However, you may choose to focus on some types of styles we teach more than others. The award system run by the Australian Dancing Society has been designed to accommodate this so you can get both verification of your progress and full flexibility.
- Proficiency: This is a level to get you into dance and teach you the basics. You will know what it is like to dance and you can dance when you know which dance is expected. You can learn 2 dances to this level in 6 weeks.
- Bronze: This is a level that shows you can basically keep time, move and know some steps. Essentially, once you have done you bronze, you can confidently say that you can dance.
- Silver: This is a level that shows in improvement in your dance. You will know more figures and have smoother style and action. You can say you are a polished social dancer.
- Gold: There is a higher standard of technique and more figures have been danced. You are probably going beyond social dance and working on ability and a sense of achievement. It might even be a stepping stone to dance sport.
Awards are assessed by you dancing a known routine with your dance teacher. You will know who you are dancing with and what you need to dance. This will give you extra confidence when you are assessed. There will be no surprises for you. Examiners will also come from the Australian Dancing Society so you know that the feedback you get will be qualified and informative.
You will do your bronze, silver and gold in each of standard, Latin, street, Latin, swing and Swing. However, you may choose to focus on some types of styles we teach more than others. The award system run by the Australian Dancing Society has been designed to accommodate this so you can get both verification of your progress and full flexibility.
Showcases
You can also work on own routine and then have it recorded professionally. We do this on a regular basis so you can have your own dancing with the stars experience. As well as getting in professional videographers we also get in make up artists so that you can look as good as possible. Take a look at the playlist of videos below to see what you too could be making after you have learned with Destine Dance. It's like your own Dancing With The Stars experience.
Getting you there
Destine Dance will help you become the dancer you want to be. To do this, there is a system in place to motivate you, and develop your dance ability as fast as possible.
Some studios will make you do extra assessments between each Award. While this might enable you to progress in smaller steps, Destine Dance would rather find a more economical path of progression. We will accommodate your preferences when it comes to the balance of speed and difficulty so that you are getting exactly what you want.
- Comp nights: are run on a regular basis. They will let you choose one of the dances that you are working on for your next medal. With the competition coming up you will have that extra focus to reach the needed level of competence and by a set date. The nights are run in a manner that is supportive and focused on helping everyone improve: the competition is friendly in nature. They are also social in nature so you will have a chance to practice what you have learned in a social context to also develop you social dance ability.
- Awards nights: are when you get to show what you know. While there is assessment, the focus is on tracking your milestones so that you can feel certain you are a capable dancer and getting better. At the end of these nights you will receive an award as evidence of your progression. Medal nights are also social, and once again offer a chance to establish you social dancing ability.
- Progress checks: ensure that you are ready for your medal night. We would never send you off to be assessed if you were not ready. At a progress check you go through your dances as you would on a medal night, and get guidance on how to perform even better on the night.
Some studios will make you do extra assessments between each Award. While this might enable you to progress in smaller steps, Destine Dance would rather find a more economical path of progression. We will accommodate your preferences when it comes to the balance of speed and difficulty so that you are getting exactly what you want.
Ensuring proper dance ability
The award system is ideal for establishing technique and fundamentals. However, because it is based on a routine, it is wise to practice social dancing so that you can improvise. Also, another element of dance is performing or putting on a show. For this reason we run other events the provide a chance to dance socially and perform so that you can become a more well rounded dancer. You can read about these here.
Yes! I want to learn to dance.
Take a look at the dance lessons options to see how you can start your journey into the world of social dancing.