Basic preliminary training
Basic preliminary training in youth is often indispensable, because the skills acquired there are decisive for acceptance into basic training for stage dance. In this context, there are several offers that are suitable to prepare Swiss dance talents for the actual professional training in a qualified manner, also in view of the great international competition.
- Private ballet schools ( → Professional Register)
- Support classes
- Art and Sport schools
- TAZ Dance Academy Zurich, (basic preliminary training) with boarding school
- Music and Dance Programme for Promoting Gifted and Talented Students, Weinfelden Secondary School
Please refer to the following document (in German) for information on what the basic preliminary training entails.
Optimal promotion of gifted students through sport + art classes (SA)
For those entering the SA school, the decision to pursue a dance career has already been made. The SA already offers high-quality dance lessons at the vocational level. A stricter selection of jurors than in the remedial classes is therefore essential in the audition process ( similarly) to music education.
The different educational models are offered at different school levels. For SA classes at the lower secondary level, it seems sensible to spread them broadly throughout Switzerland. This would mean that an educational model is offered in every larger city.
To ensure that high-quality support can be provided in the extracurricular area and that there is enough time for the aspiring dancer to recover, the following guiding principles developed by the SA schools are particularly important for dance. Here is a compilation from the school documents of the different SA education models:
- Flexible timetables tailored to the dance-specific lesson plan.
- Time off for extracurricular occasions such as attending intensive courses, participating in competitions, etc.
- Individualised teaching methods
- Individual school support after absences
- Individual solutions in mainstream schools regarding lesson relief and exemptions
- Coordination of school learning objectives with extracurricular activities
- Cooperation with extracurricular partners
These different SA models, which are looking for innovative concepts and are ready for individual solutions, show that we are not talking about absurd demands on our part. The flexible timetables and the individualised forms of learning and learning opportunities reduce the double burden. Thus, the aspiring dancer has the opportunity, according to the guiding principle of the KuSS ZO, "to develop his or her talents in harmony with the school education".
Due to the diversity of the models, it is very difficult to classify them. This is due to the federalist education system in Switzerland.
The aim of the professional association Danse Suisse is not an oversupply of SA classes in dance, but the quality of the overall concept.
Documents:
- SA Regulations available in German, French and Italian. Visit the respective language pages.
- Addresses SA schools German-speaking Switzerland
- Addresses SA schools french-speaking Switzerland Switzerland
- SA Ticino
- Presentation on SA by Gabriela Schärer-Jenk (in German)
The period between the ages of 11 and 16 is crucial for basic pre-training, especially in classical academic dance (classical ballet). A slow adaptation to the performance to be learned must be ensured with a training plan so that entry into basic training is possible.
Stage dance training in this field distinguishes the following three levels:
- Preparatory classes (for children from 6 to 12 years).
- Basic preliminary training (11/12 - 16 years)
- Basic education (from 16)
The aim of teaching at the preparatory class level is to develop a conscious sense of body and space in the children and to encourage them in their sensations of rhythm, movement and dynamics. They should be able to realise their childlike creativity in dance and are introduced - according to their age - to classical ballet.