When testing adults across the UK who had previously danced in childhood, a huge majority of 61% couldn’t make it past Grade 1 – the level that a 7-year-old dancer would be entered into!

To celebrate World Ballet Day on the 19th October 2021, dancewear company BLOCH has created an interactive quiz based on the ballet exam. The quiz is designed to showcase the years of hard work and knowledge that go into the art of ballet.

Of those who made it past the 7-year-old level:
· Just over a quarter (27%) achieved a Pass grade
· 11% achieved a Merit
· Only a tiny 1% would have passed with Distinction.

The quiz contains 6 Grades to mimic the official ballet exam, which is aimed at dancers aged from 7-12+. On completion of each Grade, users are awarded a Pass, Merit, Distinction or Fail. BLOCH is challenging both children and adults who are dancers or dance lovers to take the quiz and see how they score against the national average.

Cathy Radovan, COO at BLOCH said of the findings:
“With World Ballet Day 2021 taking place this month, we thought there was no better time to celebrate the hard work, learning, and knowledge that goes into ballet dancing. To be successful, young dancers go through years of training, preparation, and exams – exams that, as we’ve discovered, even adults struggle with.

“Many dancers don’t continue into adulthood, so we were interested to see how these ex-dancers would fare with the ballet exam if they were to take it today. We were surprised to see well over half wouldn’t be able to beat a 7-year-old – and only 1% would have passed with Distinction! It just goes to show the levels of commitment required to study ballet and become a ballerina.”