Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician.
Movement and Dance
Level 1 – 3
Performers assemble! Grab your crew, perfect your routines and get rewarded for all your hard work with RSL’s Group Performance qualifications in Movement and Dance at Level 1-3.
Performers can be assessed as a collective in an ensemble of any size, or individually as part of a group between 2 and 12.
Group Performance – Movement and Dance: Level 1-3
The aim of these qualifications is to provide a flexible, progressive mastery approach to the knowledge, skills and understanding required for group performance. RSL’s group performance assessments focus upon the recognition of achievement through the development and demonstration of skills, knowledge and understanding within the context of learning and performing movement and dance within a group. The ultimate aim is the creation of group performers with the knowledge and skill set to be able to perform live in a professional capacity.
Certification Titles
Individual Certificates
- RSL Level 1 Certificate in Group Performance (Individual Certificate) (Movement and Dance)
- RSL Level 2 Certificate in Group Performance (Individual Certificate) (Movement and Dance)
- RSL Level 3 Certificate in Group Performance (Individual Certificate) (Movement and Dance)
Group Certificate
- RSL Level 1 Certificate in Group Performance (Movement and Dance)
- RSL Level 2 Certificate in Group Performance (Movement and Dance)
- RSL Level 3 Certificate in Group Performance (Movement and Dance)
Assessment
All assessments are carried out by external assessors. Assessment consists of a group performance, performed or recorded live. Group assessments can be taken as:
- Live assessments
- Recorded digital assessments
There are five bands of assessment (Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, Pass and Unclassified) for the qualification as a whole.
Individual Certificate: General & Performance Guidelines
Please download the syllabus specification for full guidelines, level descriptors and assessment/grading criteria.
Types of groups
These assessments are open to movement and dance groups in any performance genre. There are no restrictions on the type of group, although certain guidelines apply (see the Performance Guidelines sections below).There is no need to provide details of the programme in advance.
Group size
These assessments are available for groups of 2 to 12 performers. Groups can include performers who are not being assessed, but these performers will still count towards the group size, e.g., a group with 10 performers who are being assessed and 3 who are not being assessed will exceed the maximum group size and will need to be pre-approved by RSL. Performers must have adequate space to both perform and ensure that they are visible to the assessor (or camera) at all times.
Identifying learners
All candidates must wear their allocated candidate number on the front and back of their clothing throughout the performance.
Performance levels
Groups may include performers who have been entered at different levels but candidates should be aware that if there is a significant difference in level within the group that may impact their ability to fully achieve all of the assessment criteria. Performers at a lower level than the majority of the group do not need to perform for the full performance length given for the higher level, they are only required to participate for the minimum performance length for their level. All performers must be entered at a specific level in advance of the performance.
Performance durations
Performance durations are given in the qualification specifications in the following chapters. Performances must not exceed the stated maximum performance duration for the level. Performances that do not meet the minimum duration will not automatically be penalised so long as the material allows sufficient opportunity for all learners to demonstrate the assessment criteria. Following the complete performance the assessor may request to see parts or all of the performance again.
Equipment, clothing
While it is not necessary for movement and dance groups to wear costumes, consideration should be made of how this will enhance the overall performance quality (including narrative, communication of character and/or synchronicity). Movement and dance candidates must ensure that they are wearing appropriate footwear for the genre in which they are performing (if applicable), all jewellery must be removed and their hair must not obscure their face.
Audiences
A live audience is encouraged, particularly for recorded digital assessments, but it is not compulsory and candidates will not be penalised if an audience is not present. The word ‘audience’ in the assessment criteria refers to whoever the performance is being presented to, i.e., to an assessor, the camera, or to a live audience.
Repertoire
There are no restrictions on the type of material or the number of pieces performed. Performances can include existing repertoire, own choreography and improvisations. The technical and performance demands, and the level of communication required by the material, should broadly comply with the level descriptors (see the chapter: Qualification Specifications), which give an indication of the appropriate level of demand. The performance should be carefully planned to ensure that there is suitable opportunity for each candidate who is being assessed to achieve each assessment criteria at the level they are entered at.
If there is doubt about the appropriateness of the material, you may seek prior approval of the repertoire from RSL.
Please e-mail us at info@rslawards.com with a video of an extract of the choreography and intended level. A full reply will be given no later than 4 weeks after payment of the approval fee (£10) which will be facilitated via an online link that we will e-mail to you.
Please bring a copy of the approval confirmation with you to show the assessor, or for a recorded digital assessment submission please upload a copy of the approval confirmation with your video.
Please note that approval will be provided solely on the basis of the submitted material, so it is important that this is representative of the whole performance. We will not be able to account for other content which may be easier or more difficult than the material submitted.
Where prior approval is not obtained, assessors will make a judgement about the suitability of the repertoire at the time of the assessment, and if in their judgement it does not meet the requirements for the level, this will be reflected in the marking.
Operating music
A member of staff must operate the music playback equipment. Where a chaperone is required, the same person may undertake both roles (see page 7 for guidance on the use of chaperones).
Use of an aide
Performers that require an aide in order to complete the performance (i.e., wheelchair users) will be assessed on the indicative content (see Qualification Specifications) that is applicable to the performance given, similarly to the application of the relevant indicative content to various styles or genres of dance.
Group Certificate: General & Performance Guidelines
Please download the syllabus specification for full guidelines, level descriptors and assessment/grading criteria.
Types of groups
These assessments are open to movement and dance groups in any performance genre. There are no restrictions on the type of group, although certain guidelines apply (see the Performance Guidelines sections below). There is no need to provide details of the programme in advance.
Group size
These assessments are available for groups of any size. The number of candidates in each group must be provided when booking the assessment. Performers must have adequate space to both perform and ensure that they are visible to the assessor (or camera) at all times.
Performance levels
The group as a whole is assessed at the level entered for. Within the group there can be performers of different abilities but groups should be aware that if there is a significant difference in level within the group this may affect the overall ability of the group to fully achieve all of the assessment criteria.
Performance durations
Performance durations are given in the qualification specifications in the following chapters. Performances must not exceed the stated maximum performance duration for the level. Performances that do not meet the minimum will not automatically be penalised so long as the material allows sufficient opportunity for the group to demonstrate the assessment criteria, however, each performer within the group must participate for a minimum of 50% of the minimum performance duration for the level. Following the complete performance the assessor may request to see parts or all of the performance again.
Equipment, clothing
While it is not necessary for groups to wear costumes, consideration should be made of how this will enhance the overall performance quality (including narrative, communication of character and/or synchronicity). Candidates must ensure that they are wearing appropriate footwear for the genre in which they are performing (if applicable), all jewellery must be removed and their hair must not obscure their face.
Audiences
A live audience is encouraged, particularly for recorded digital assessments, but it is not compulsory and candidates will not be penalised if an audience is not present. The word ‘audience’ in the assessment criteria refers to whoever the performance is being presented to, i.e., to an assessor, the camera, or to a live audience.
Repertoire
There are no restrictions on the type of material or the number of pieces performed. Performances can include existing repertoire, own choreography and improvisations. The technical and performance demands, and the level of communication required by the material, should broadly comply with the level descriptors (see the syllabus guide chapter: Qualification Specifications), which give an indication of the appropriate level of demand. Groups don’t need to demonstrate this level of demand throughout the entire performance but the performance should be carefully planned to ensure that there is suitable opportunity for the group to achieve all assessment criteria at the level they are entered at.
If there is doubt about the appropriateness of the material, you may seek prior approval of the repertoire from RSL.
Please e-mail us at info@rslawards.com with a video of an extract of the choreography and intended level. A full reply will be given no later than 4 weeks after payment of the approval fee (£10) which will be facilitated via an online link that we will e-mail to you.
Please bring a copy of the approval confirmation with you to show the assessor, or for a recorded digital assessment submission please upload a copy of the approval confirmation with your video.
Please note that approval will be provided solely on the basis of the submitted material, so it is important that this is representative of the whole performance. We will not be able to account for other content which may be easier or more difficult than the material submitted.
Where prior approval is not obtained, assessors will make a judgement about the suitability of the repertoire at the time of the assessment, and if in their judgement it does not meet the requirements for the level, this will be reflected in the marking.
Operating music
A member of staff must operate the music playback equipment. Where a chaperone is required, the same person may undertake both roles (see page 7 of syllabus guide for guidance on the use of chaperones).
Use of an aide
Performers that require an aide in order to complete the performance (i.e., wheelchair users) will be assessed on the indicative content (see Qualification Specifications) that is applicable to the performance given, similarly to the application of the relevant indicative content to various styles or genres of dance.
Please click the button below to access our help centre for full Group Performance assessment support. We’ve listed the top FAQs here too. Please do check the help centre before getting in touch with RSL Awards.
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These assessments give you the chance to get a globally-recognised qualification for performing as part of a group.
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For individual group performances, you prepare your performance as a group and our assessor will assess your individual role within the group.
For whole group performances, the assessor gives one overall mark for everyone in the group. The assessment is based on the quality of your performance, how you interact with the other members of your group and how you communicate to the audience. Please refer to the syllabus for full details of the Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria.
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Groups can perform in any style and on any instruments. It doesn’t matter if you are recorder players or rappers, or if your group has both! Tap dancers or two-handed fret tapping guitarists, you can express yourself and get a certificate. Please note that if your performance has both musicians and dancers performing together, you will need to make one entry for each discipline.
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For individual assessment within a group, the group size must be between 2 and 12 performers.
For whole group assessments, any group size from 2 performers upwards is allowed.
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You can perform in any style using any repertoire you like. You should refer to the specification to make sure you select repertoire that enables you to demonstrate your skills at the appropriate level and that you adhere to the other assessment regulations.
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Yes, you can. We welcome original material, as well as repertoire that includes your favourite bands, artists, and choreographers. You can use the syllabus and the benchmarking criteria in our grade books to help you work out what level you are performing at.
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The specification sets out minimum and maximum performance durations at each level and guidance for performance durations. These performance durations are suggested to make sure that you perform enough content for the assessor to be able to accurately assess your skills against the assessment criteria. However, these are likely to vary depending on the number of members of your group.
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In-person: Groups are assessed through a private assessor visit. We will send an assessor to you to assess your group as part of a whole day of assessments. These can be a day of group performances only or a mix of group performances and individual assessments. There is a minimum spend in assessment fees required to ensure we can send an assessor to you. Our Information Guidance document provides more information on scheduling.
Recorded Digital Submission: You can submit your Group Performances via a video upload. More information is available on our website.
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For groups of 12 performers or less, that have selected individual assessment, you will receive a digital marksheet and certificate which gives your final grade, along with a brief comment from the assessor on areas of success and areas of development. The standard format will be via e-certificate with a small additional charge for a paper version.
For whole group performances, the assessor will write one report for the whole group but each candidate will receive their own certificate.
