Two Halves of the Year: Understanding Show Season & Technique Season at Flame

At Flame Dance Studios, we split our year into two purposeful halves — Show Season (September to February) and Exam/Technique Season (March to July). This structure isn’t just about logistics. It’s a thoughtful way to support your child’s growth both as a dancer and as a young person.

Show Season: Performance, Confidence & Community

The first half of the year is all about our annual show. It’s a time when dancers come together to create something joyful, expressive, and collaborative. In class, we still work on technique — but we also begin learning routines, working on performance skills, and preparing for the big day.

Children learn:

1. Choreography and formations

2. Expression and stage presence

3. How to rehearse and refine

4. What it means to be part of a team

   
   

Whether it’s your child’s first time on stage or their eigth, show term builds confidence, resilience, and connection. The focus isn’t on perfection — it’s on showing up, trying your best, and celebrating progress. For all of our students, show days become a core memory — a highlight of the year they’ll talk about long after the lights go down.

Exam & Technique Season: Growth, Focus & Personal Achievement

Once show season is complete, classes shift gear. From March to July, we return to a greater focus on dance technique, syllabus learning, and individual growth.

This is the term where students:

1. Build strength, flexibility, and control

2. Develop accuracy, musicality, and posture

3. Learn new vocabulary and refine existing skills

4. Work towards ISTD exams in Ballet, Tap or Modern (if ready)

   
   

Not every child will take an exam — and that’s okay. Exams are offered when we feel a student is ready, and some children may be working towards a future sitting. Regardless of whether an exam is taken, the focused work done in this term plays a big role in helping children feel accomplished and capable.

In Commercial classes, we use this term to:

1. Build on core skills

2. Learn fast-paced choreography and combinations

3. Explore musicality, groove, and freestyle

4. Push performance dynamics and stamina

   
   

While Commercial students don’t sit formal exams, their term is just as focused. It’s a time to stretch creatively and technically, gaining confidence and versatility in their movement.

Why This Structure Works

By splitting the year this way, we help dancers experience two different sides of their learning:

1. The joy and teamwork of performance

2. The focus and precision of technical development

It keeps things fresh and purposeful. It helps students see how far they’ve come. And it allows us to support them fully, whether they’re shy beginners or confident performers.

Supporting the Whole Child

Underpinning everything we do — in both show term and exam season — is our commitment to your child’s whole development. Beyond the steps and sequences, we’re nurturing:

1. Confidence and emotional resilience (read more on how we grow confidence in our students here).

2. Memory and concentration

3. Social skills and teamwork

4. Creativity and expression

5. A sense of belonging and pride

   
   

A Year Designed for Joy, Progress, and Purpose

At Flame Dance Studios, we’re proud to offer a balanced year that nurtures every aspect of your child’s development. From the magic of show term to the focus of exam and technique season, our curriculum is carefully structured to support confidence, creativity, discipline, and joy.

Whether your child is taking their first steps on stage or preparing for their next graded exam, we’re here to help them grow through dance — and to love every moment of it.