Professional Qualifications

Training for Professional Certification

with the

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

The ISTD Professional examination system is very detailed and requires an in-depth study of the technique as originally designed by the late Alex Moore MBE. All Champions have been and are still trained on this technical basis.

The first approach is to establish that the candidate can: -

1.     Identify each figure and components by name.

2.     Can dance each figure first in its own right and with precedes and follows.

3.     Understands basic directions and alignments.

4.     Understands where a figure commences and finishes.

5.     Understands how many steps make up the figure.

6.     Understands the role of that figure in the construction of the dance.

Professional students who are training for certification should aim for the following priorities: -

1.     A good knowledge and understanding of the technical details.

2.     Correct and well balanced solo demonstrations. The Ladies should pay particular attention to the poise when dancing a Man.

3.     An understanding of musical requirements, i.e. Time Signatures, Tempi, Counting in beats and measures and beat values.

4.     Simple teaching methods.

5.     Good voice projection.

6.     A professional approach.

The worlds great professional and amateur champions have all been built on the technique established by our great coaches and teachers and have reached those heights by attention to detail and it is this attention to detail that is so important in the early training of a teacher or professional.

Many dancers, professional and amateur, try to camouflage bad technique with 'top show', but eventually these dancers will have to study correct technique in order to achieve status and success in the dance world.