☆ Grading Awards & Results for Tues 23 May 2023
Congratulations to all Beginner Salsa students who took on the challenge of the Beginners 101 Grading in order to advance to the next level. It was a super large group of new dancers passing this grading and going to the next level next week - Well done!
It's fantastic to announce that 8 Salsa dance students have achieved a high-level "platinum grade" - an incredible achievement!
☆ Special Awards
Congratulations to these Students;
• Esther-rose Murray - Most Improved Award
• Colin Carmichael - Best Lead Award
• Theresa Barth - Best Follow Award
• Stephanie Escalante - Highest Grade Award
All students who participated in the grading will have now received a certificate containing their results, including any special awards or platinum grades earned. While we don't list all the results publicly, any special awards will be posted on this page. If you haven't received your email and certificate yet, please ensure your spam filter is working correctly and contact us as soon as possible.
Gradings are also designed to help improve you fundamental level, so If you didn't get a platinum grade on the first attempt this is actually normal for most 80% of people. You can always improve your fundamentals in beginner classes or get help in the areas of weakness with private lessons and then resit a future grading.
To continue improving, we recommend a combination of practice, online classes, private lessons, group classes, and social dancing. This is especially true for Beginner lessons, which are designed to be repeated. No matter your level, there are always areas for improvement and practice through training. The exciting part is that there is always room for growth, and we want to support you in your dance journey by helping you reach your maximum potential. It's always beneficial to receive feedback on areas that need work to improve.
☆ Types of Special Awards
- Highest / High Grade Award - Given out to those that show a very high grade & highest grade in class - Lead Awards - Given to the best dancer lead(s) of the night
- Follow Awards - Given to the follow dancer lead(s) of the night. - Most Improved Award - Given to those that show outstanding improvement and we notice!
- Sabor Award - Translated from Spanish meaning "flavour" Given to those that show awesome flavour of that dance style.
- X-factor Award - Rarely Given out to those that have a special x-facto
- Most Spirited & Enthusiasm Award - Rarely Given to those that are positive & show enjoyment & extra love for dancing, learning process
- Body Movement Award - Rarely Given out to those that show amazing body movement that reflects that dance styl
☆ Gradings for Progression
In order to advance to higher levels in Salsa, Bachata & Kizomba, a graded pass is mandatory. Salsa Latina is a pioneer in the 'Street Latin' dance industry in New Zealand and has introduced "Group gradings" as a means of elevating students to higher levels. This approach has resulted in several benefits, including the assurance that dancers are at the appropriate level, identifying areas of weakness and strength for improvement, and maintaining a higher standard in the higher levels. Since 2020, this approach has had a significant positive impact on classes, improving the quality while challenging dancers and increasing enjoyment for everyone. We encourage other dance schools to follow our lead and adopt the same approach to raise the standard throughout New Zealand. For more information on gradings, please refer to the link provided. ....see more information on gradings here >