Exams

Irish Dancers in Australia are able to sit for exams which show their progress in the sport/art of Irish Dance. These are not compulsory nor do you need them to compete. However just recently a ruling has been made that any dancer who wishes to become a teacher after 2018 will have to have passed all 12 Dancer Grade exams. You can only sit for a maximum 3 grades each exam session but in the higher grades even this would be too many. So those who might possibly want to be a teacher, start planning now.

The exams enable the dancers to experience a wide range of dances that may not encounter in just a competition career.

 Dancers Exams - Required Dances

(Céilí Dances are underlined and in italics)

Grade

Min Age

Dances

Prelim

 

 Easy Reel or Easy Light Double Jig

1

 

 Basic Reel and Light Double Jig

2

 

 Basic Slip Jig and Single Jig

3

 

 Primary Reel and Basic Heavy Jig

4

 

 Primary Slip Jig and St Patrick’s Day

5

 Advanced Reel, Basic Hornpipe and the  Walls of Limerick

6

 

 Advanced Slip Jig, The Blackbird and the Siege of Ennis

7

 

 Advanced Heavy Jig, Garden of Daisies  and the Four Hand Reel

8

 

 Advanced Hornpipe, Job of Journeywork and the Humours of Bandon

9

16yrs

 Two modern set dances, one in 6/8 time  and the other in 2/4 or 4/4 time and the High Cauled Cap

10

17yrs

 Two modern set dances, one in 6/8 time and the other in 2/4 or 4/4 time and the Eight Hand Jig

11

18yrs

 Reel, Slip Jig, Heavy Jig, King of the Fairies, plus two modern set dances selected by the examiner from a list of 5 submitted by the candidate (different from those in Grade 10) and the Eight-Hand Reeland Harvest Time Jig

12

19yrs

 Light Double Jig, Single Jig, Hornpipe, Three Sea Captains, Jockey to the Fair, plus two modern set dances selected by the examiner from a list of five submitted by the candidate (different from those in Grades 10 and 11) and the Morris Reel and the Sixteen Hand Reel

If you want to participate in exams, then your teacher will be able to make arrangements for you to attempt them. There are costs involved in taking the exams but costs are lower for the early grades.

Teachers Exams

After you are 21 you can attempt your Teachers Qualification Exam called the TCRGs. After you are qualified as a teacher you can no longer compete as a dancer.

Here is an example of some of the information a teacher needs to study for this exam.

 

Name

Time signature

Minimum bpm

Bars in Step

Bars in Set

Total Bars

Music

Traditional Set

The Blackbird

2/4

76

15

30

60

Hornpipe

YES

Planxty Davis

2/4

80

16

16

48

Hornpipe

 

The Lodge Road

2/4

76

8

20

36

Hornpipe

 

Downfall of Paris

2/4

76

8

16

32

Hornpipe

 

King of the Fairies

2/4

80

8

16

32

Hornpipe

YES

Rodney's Glory

2/4

80

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

Kilkenny Races

4/4

80

8

24

40

Hornpipe

 

The Ace & Deuce of Pipering

4/4

76

12

12

36

Hornpipe

 

Bonapart's Retreat

4/4

76

8

20

36

Hornpipe

 

Rambling Rake

4/4

76

8

16

32

Hornpipe

 

Garden of Daisies

4/4

76

8

16

32

Hornpipe

YES

Job of Journeywork

4/4

76

8

14

30

Hornpipe

YES

The Roving Pedlar

4/4

76

8

14

30

Hornpipe

 

The Piper through the Meadow Straying

4/4

76

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

The Hunt

4/4

76

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

Madame Bonaparte

4/4

80

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

The Four Masters

4/4

76

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

The Blue Eyed Rascal

4/4

76

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

Younghal Harbour

4/4

80

8

12

28

Hornpipe

 

While Blanket

4/4

76

6

12

24

Hornpipe

 

Drunken Gauger

6/8

66

15

15

45

Jig

 

Blackthorn Stick

6/8

66

15

15

45

Jig

 

Planxty Drury

6/8

69

12

16

40

Jig

 

The Three Sea Captains

6/8

66

8

20

36

Jig

YES

The Deep Green Pool

6/8

69

8

20

36

Jig

 

The Orange Rouge

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Miss Brown's Fancy

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Hurry the Jug

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Humours of Bandon

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Wandering Musician

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Storyteller

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Hurling Boys

6/8

69

8

14

30

Jig

 

St Patrick's Day

6/8

92

8

14

30

Jig

YES

Rub the Bag

6/8

66

8

14

30

Jig

 

Jockey to the Fair

6/8

69

8

14

30

Jig

YES

The Fiddler 'Round the Fairy Tree

6/8

69

8

12

28

Jig

 

The Spring of Shellelah

6/8

69

6

10

22

Jig

 

Drunken Gauger

6/8

66

15

15

45

Jig

 

Blackthorn Stick

6/8

66

15

15

45

Jig

 

Planxty Drury

6/8

69

12

16

40

Jig

 

The Three Sea Captains

6/8

66

8

20

36

Jig

YES

The Deep Green Pool

6/8

69

8

20

36

Jig

 

The Orange Rouge

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Miss Brown's Fancy

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Hurry the Jug

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

Humours of Bandon

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Wandering Musician

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Storyteller

6/8

69

8

16

32

Jig

 

The Hurling Boys

6/8

69

8

14

30

Jig

 

St Patrick's Day

6/8

92

8

14

30

Jig

YES

Rub the Bag

6/8

66

8

14

30

Jig

 

Jockey to the Fair

6/8

69

8

14

30

Jig

YES

The Fiddler 'Round the Fairy Tree

6/8

69

8

12

28

Jig

 

The Spring of Shellelah

6/8

69

6

10

22

Jig

 

Is the Big Man Within

9/8 + 6/8

69

8

8

24

Jig/Slip Jig

 
               
               

Traditional Sets

Name

Time signature

Average bpm

Bars in Step

Bars in Set

Total Bars

The Blackbird

2/4

140-144

15

30

60

King of the Fairies

2/4

124-130

8

16

32

Garden of Daisies

4/4

138

8

16

32

Job of Journeywork

4/4

138

8

14

30

The Three Sea Captains

6/8

96

8

20

36

St Patrick's Day

6/8

92-96

8

14

30

Jockey to the Fair

6/8

90

8

14

30