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 |
|