Grading Rules
FOR COMPETITIONS HELD IN VICTORIA
PLEASE NOTE - A DANCERS AGE ON JANUARY 1ST OF THE CURRENT YEAR IS THEIR AGE GROUP FOR THAT YEAR
WHAT GRADES ARE/MAY BE INCLUDED IN COMPETITIONS IN VICTORIA?
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PRE BUN
This grade is for children aged 5 years and under on January 1st, each year.
The dances are 16 bars shorter than Novice and Bun.
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Reel - speed 122 - 32 bars of music in total
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Light Jig - speed 116 - 32 bars of music in total
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Single Jig - speed 124 - 32 bars of music in total
NOVICE
This grade is a precursor to Bun (Beginner) Grade.
It is only available to a dancer competing at a Feis for the first time (other than a class Feis) in each particular dance.
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Reel - speed 122 - 48 bars of music in total
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Light Jig - speed 116 - 48 bars of music in total
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Single Jig - speed 124 - 48 bars of music in total
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Slip Jig - speed 124 - 40 bars of music in total
BUN (Beginner)
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Reel - speed 122 - 48 bars of music in total
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Light Jig - speed 116 - 48 bars of music in total
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Single Jig - speed 124 - 48 bars of music in total
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Slip Jig - speed 124 - 40 bars of music in total
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Treble Jig - speed 92 - 32 bars of music in total
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TUS (Primary)
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Reel - speed 116 - 48 bars of music in total
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Light Jig - speed 116 - 48 bars of music in total
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Single Jig - speed 124 - 48 bars of music in total
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Slip Jig - speed 120 - 40 bars of music in total
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Treble Jig - speed 92 or 82 - 32 bars of music in total
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Hornpipe - speed 144 - 32 bars of music in total
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Traditional Set Dance - as per world syllabus. Right & left of step and right of Set.
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MEAN 1 (Intermediate 1 or Elementary in some States)
Only open to dancers 9 & Over who have never been placed in the top 25% in any State or National Girls Championship or who have never won a National or State Boys Championship.
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Reel - speed 113 or 116 - 48 bars of music in total
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Light Jig – speed 116 – 48 bars in total
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Single Jig – speed 124 – 48 bars in total
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Slip Jig - speed 113 or 120 - 40 bars of music in total
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Treble Jig - speed 73 or 82 - 8 & Under 32 bars of music in total, 9 & Over 48 bars of music in total
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Hornpipe - speed 113 - 8 & Under 32 bars of music in total, 9 & Over 40 bars of music in total
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Traditional Set Dance - as per world syllabus. Right & left of step and right of Set.
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Own Choice Set - as per world syllabus. Right & left of step and right of Set.
MEAN (Intermediate) & ARD (Open)
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Reel - speed 113 - 48 bars of music in total
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Slip Jig - speed 113 - 40 bars of music in total
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Treble Jig - speed 73 - 8 & Under 32 bars of music in total, 9 & Over 48 bars of music in total
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Hornpipe - speed 113 - 8 & Under 32 bars of music in total, 9 & Over 40 bars of music in total
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Traditional Set Dance - as per world syllabus. Right & left of step and right of Set.
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Own Choice Set - as per world syllabus. Right & left of step and right of Set.
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WHAT IS THE METHOD OF UPGRADE IN VICTORIA?
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A section must have a minimum of 2 schools entered for an upgrade to apply.
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A section must have a minimum of 8 competitors competing for an upgrade to apply.
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Unless rule 7 applies, dancers aged 5 years and under are not to be graded and dancers aged 6 years will only be graded to Primary (Tus Grad).
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If there are 20 or more competitors in any one section, that section may be split at the discretion of each organiser.
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The number of times a dancer wins a section of less than 8 dancers and/or 2 schools for a grading to apply shall be determined by each state. In Victoria this number is 4 wins.
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Dancers can compete in sections they have not graded up to. This means a dancer who is graded Beginners (Bun Grad) or Primary (Tus Grad) may dance up into Mean or Ard Grad (Intermediate or Open grade) at the discretion of their teacher. Note: if a dancer wins in the higher grade they cannot go back to the lower grade.
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Sub Minor 7 years and under and 8 years Open Championship winners are graded out of the 3 dances of the championship but are eligible to dance in other grades for other dances.
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Any other open level championship winners aged 9 years and above are graded to Ard Grad for all dances.
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An Open graded (Ard Grad) dancer who has not won a particular dance for 2 years can apply to go back to Intermediate (Mean Grad) for that dance through their teacher. NOTE: this does not apply to winners of a Championship.
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A dancer who competes interstate is subject to the grading rule of region they are competing in and the grade registrar of that region is to notify the registrar of the region the dancer is registered in of any graded result.
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