SKILL BOOK INFORMATION

RAFA Skill Books are instrumental in each student’s learning process and are tailored to the classes in which each student is enrolled. Although an awareness of terminology does not necessarily improve physical dance skills, we feel a working vocabulary and being literate in the language is an essential tool in our student’s development.

While Overtures and EdPrepS students are not required to do home assignments, they will be tested physically as well as verbally. Apprentice Division, Graded Division students and Pre-Professional students who have not completed the Apprentice Division curriculum levels will be assigned one or more words each week. They are to write the word and definition five times. These assignments prepare them for the Comprehensive Skill Sheet Exam, which is given each spring. Overtures and EdPrepS students will not be given this exam inasmuch as they are tested throughout the year as the curriculum is introduced and/or perfected.

Tap, Jazz and Musical Theatre students will also review Skill Book curriculum and will be tested in the spring although no home assignments are given. Hip Hop students do not have a Skill Book curriculum as Hip Hop is a dance style based on free form movements and can vary greatly by instructors.

Every year the Academy holds an Awards Ceremony and honors students with a variety of awards including Perfect Attendance, Outstanding Attendance, 5, 10 and 15-year recognition pins among others. In addition, every RAFA student receives a medal honoring him or her for the specific Skill Book Levels he/she achieved during the year.

Each student progresses at his/her own pace through the Skill Book curriculum. So, although a class may be taught within certain Skill Book levels, each student within the class may accomplish and master different levels according to their individual progress. This explains why some students at the end of the year Awards Ceremony are awarded a Skill Book Award with a level different than their classmates. This also explains how students progress through the divisions of the Academy.

The amount of Skill Book curriculum levels for each division and class are as follows:

• Three levels of Overtures curriculum
• Three levels of EdPreps curriculum
• Six levels of Apprentice curriculum
• Twelve levels of Tap curriculum
• Five levels of Musical Theatre curriculum
• Seven levels of Jazz curriculum