Intellectual Property of Etudes

The Etudes are the intellectual property of the Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO) and are licensed to your organization for the sole purpose of participating in the 2025 Florida Dance Performance Assessment (FDPA). They may not be shared, lent, given away, sold, publicly performed, or publicly displayed except in direct connection with your organization's participation in the 2025 FDPA. All rights not expressly licensed are reserved by FDEO.

Adjudication Requirements

• Teachers may opt to go up in assessment rating but not down

• 5-20 students per school for assessment only * please do not ask for more

• All dancers involved in FDPA assessment must do all 3 categories of:

   Etudes / Acquisition / Ensemble

• The Etudes are expected to be done on both the Right and Left sides

• Please use simple transitions - Etudes should be done in unison - this is not the place to stage

• Teachers do not give directions to their students during any assessment with the exception of blocking prior to Ensemble for safety.

• Teachers are a fly on the wall during the 3 assessments and will not talk or defend their choice(s) - of course hello and thank yous are welcome!

Levels of Adjudication

Proficient (beginners with 0-5 hours of dance/week)

• Must do 5 ballet and 3 modern etudes; may opt to do Jazz or West African or both.

• Ensemble time 3-5 minutes

Accomplished (intermediates with 5-10 hours of dance/week)

• Must do 5 ballet and 3 modern and either Jazz or West African; may opt to do all 10 etudes.

• Ensemble time 3-8 minutes

Advanced (10+ hours of dance/week)

• must do all 10 etudes

• Ensemble time 3-12 minutes

Ratings: All levels adjudicated at the same ratings of…

Superior: Surpassing expectations in quality of presentation

Excellent: High level of presentation

Satisfactory: Good presentation

Needs Improvement: Lacking in presentation

Assessments

Technical Proficiency

• Performance of preset Etudes: Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Ethnic-African

Movement Acquisition

• Learning & performance of a new phrase given on site.

• New phrases will be chosen at random in any style other than given Ballet/Modern/Jazz/West African etudes

• Be ready for anything - we will share what shoes to bring (or not bring) a week or 2 before the assessment

Performance Ensemble

• Performance of a piece rehearsed ahead of time

• No props or costumes

• The piece may be student or professional choreography

• Teachers will block their dancers and then do the adjudicated run

Vocabulary

Adjudication: Assessing of presentation by professionals in each room

Alignment: Proper skeletal alignment while in motion or still

Application of Specific Details: Dancers ability to apply specific details to the phrases

Artistic Expression: Use of movement expression that represents the theme or genre of the choreography

Authentic Feedback: Immediate feedback shared with students and teacher

Clarity and Execution of Intent: Dancers perform with musicality, spatial and focal intent

Ensemble Cohesiveness: Dancers perform choreography with unison

Evidence of Dance Technique in Work: Technical proficiency in relation to genre of choreography

Interpretation of Stylistic Nuances: Dancers ability to apply the specific dynamic and style of the genre

Knowledge of the Phrase: Dancers knowledge of the preset exercises including order and counts

Musicality: Ability to follow the musical structure- counts, rhythm, or pulse

Positive Participation: Dancers willingness to learn the movement phrases

Rate of Acquisition: How quickly the dancers pick up the movement phrases

Safe Dance Practices: Movement choices are at the appropriate level and age of the dancers

Stage Presence: Use of projection and commitment to movement

Technical Accuracy: Use of correct body alignment, articulation of movement, technical aspects of the genre

Transitions: Use of connection from one movement to another