Dance Opportunities

Exams and Medal Test

We offer two types of optional assessment opportunities through the New Zealand Association of Modern Dance (NZAMD). One is an examination and one is a medal test.

Medal Tests Are a friendly type of assessment, aimed at encouraging students to perform. Medal tests allow students to dance in front of an audience and an examiner, in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Students are required to recall a short dance between 1-2 minutes and perform this confidentially in the exam room. Family are encouraged to come along and support their dancer in the audience at the time of assessment. There are 3 levels of medals: Junior, Intermediate and Senior Level. Everyone starts at a Bronze level and if successful can complete a silver level the following year and then gold. Junior levels are non judgmental and students may perform in pairs, while Intermediate and Senior Grades are performed solo and awarded grades. Please note Int silver, gold and Senior medal tests require dancers to perform 2 dances for their assessment. If students are successful they will be awarded their medals on the same day as the performance. 

Examination: Exams require students to be able to confidently recall and demonstrate the exercises they have been learning in class. These include bare work, centre and floor exercises, and the exam dance. This is a longer assessment then the medal test and has no audience, only the examiner watching. This assessment is best suited to dedicated students who are committed to practicing at home so that they are able to confidently perform all the exercises. The dancers will then receive a grade for their performance which is judged against a national standard and will be awarded a certificate. 

Benefits of dance assessments: The benefits of this process involve striving high, setting goals, learning and implementing self discipline and gaining confidence all while having fun through the medium of dance. 

Please Remember these assessments are optional: Please note that these are optional and the decision whether to sit the exam or not will need to be made by June. Please ask if you are unsure on which type of assessment would best suit your child

Assessment dates: Our exams are usually held in August. The exam for your child will last between 30- 45 minutes for junior grades and an hour for the higher grades. Medal Tests will be about 30mins including presentation. We will have an ‘exam school intensive during the Term 2 holidays and a ‘mock exam’ (dress rehearsal) a week prior to ensure our dancers are well prepared and familiar with the examination process.

Congratulations to our Exam Scholarship Nominee’s

To receive an Exam Scholarship nomination dancers are required to achieve Distinction 95-100% in their NZAMD examination, as well as be awarded the nomination from the examiner. Nominee’s are then able to attend workshops and master classes with other Nominee’s from all over NZ. 

2025 Nominee’s

2023 + 2024 Nominee’s

Extend Performance Team

These are performance opportunities for our most dedicated and focused students who train to dance solos/duo’s/trio’s and teams in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and more. Please see further information on our competition opportunities on our Competition team page.

Annual Recital

During terms 3 and 4 we focus on putting together routines for a school wide celebration of dance. This is a wonderful time for all our dancers to get up on stage in costumes and share their joy of dance with all our friends and family. Performance is a fabulous way to foster skills in self discipline, focus, team work, grow self esteem and it also creates a wonderful sense of achievement, not only individually but for the whole team. It is a time for our whole dance community to come together and celebrate our dancers.

• WOW! WOW! and WOW! what a great performance tonight.  We were very proud parents to have our daughter involved in such a fantastic performance – thank you.  She can’t stop talking about it and was still buzzing when we got home.(Ballet Students parents)

• Wow amazing show, thank you so much for all your hard work and enthusiasm. My Mum & Dad flew from Waikato and really enjoyed the night. (Jazz students Mother)

• Thank you so much for a wonderful year! I can not believe the amount of work and preparation you dedicate towards the children, it amazing. (Jazz students mother)

• Thanks Lenna, I had a great time and really enjoyed dancing-thank you for the opportunity to dance on stage again after so many years. My children enjoyed seeing me dance and thought it was very cool that their mum was up on the stage. (Adult dance class student)