MARYKE Dance Academy students have danced their way to success through their annual exams, claiming two state titles in the process.
Academy students completed a total of 75 exams, including ballet and tap, with students receiving a 100pc pass rate and nine students received the highest possible result.
Academy student Sophie Charlton, 16, completed her Gwen Mackey Gold Cross Tap Examination.
Meanwhile, Emilee McNaughton, 15, obtained her Gold Star Tap Examination.
Both students received the South Australian State Award for their exams – the highest score in the state.
Awards are given out to one person in each state with this year being the first time the academy had won two in one session.
Sophie’s exam was performed on stage in front of an audience and is the final exam in the Commonwealth Society Of Teachers Of Dancing Syllabus.
“A lot of preparation was involved for my exam, including additional assembling and design of costumes,” Sophie said.
“It took around six months to prepare the dancing and around two months to get the costumes ready.”
All of Sophie’s sequins were hand sewn herself, but her grandmother helped assemble the costumes.
“We had to measure, collect all the material and figure everything else out,” she said.
“My Nan did the sewing because I am not very good at it.
“I do usually do a bit of sequining when it comes to our final year concert and it is usually holidays by then so I have some spare time.”
Sophie’s exam was the first time she had danced on stage solo.
“It was really scary, but it feels like I have accomplished something,” she said.
“I feel more comfortable with going on stage by myself now that I have done it.
“I enjoyed my last specialty dance as I was able to let my personality show, which I like doing.”
Sophie believes her solo performance was performed to the best of her ability.
“The different atmosphere made a difference as to whether I got my spacing movements around the stage correct,” she said.
“It is completely different being on stage compated to being in the studio.”
Sophie said dancing had become a big part of her life.
“For me, I come here and it is a great environment because all of my friends are here and it is so much fun,” she said.
“I would not say I am going to go and perform with a national tap or dance company, but I will definitely keep dancing as a hobby.
“Even when I go to university in Adelaide, I will look to keep dancing.”
Sophie has two more exams to go before she is “qualified”.
“The next exam I will complete is my teacher’s course,” she said.
“After I finish Year 12 next year, in my gap year I will complete that so I will hopefully be able to teach.
“You start with your elementary bronze exam and then progress from there.”
Meanwhile, Emilee’s exam did not include a public performance.
“I had to choreograph a few of my own dances, including my waltz and three short amalgamations,” she said.
Emilee completed theory components for her exam, in addition to choreography.
“I had to write all my dances out, including the counts, the timing and choose my own music,” she said.
“I have been dancing for a long time and have been doing a bit of improvisation, which makes coming up with dance moves a bit easier.
“It was difficult when you have moments where you can not think of what comes next, like ‘choreography-block’.”
Emilee and Sophie were invited to dance for the 75th CSTV anniversary.
Sophie could not attend, but Emilee performed one of her exam dances at the ceremony.
Emilee plans on helping the academy throughout her dancing career.
“I have already starting helping with younger dance classes,” she said.
“When I was a little bit younger I wanted to open my own tap company and that may happen one day, but we will see.”
Exams fall in the middle of the year so students spend the first six months preparing for their exam and the last six months focused on their end of year concert.
