Kitschqueen_1

I went to see this production twice.....at The Lowry with my youngest daughter and then because I enjoyed it so much I took my eldest daughter who usually hates dance & lives in London to see it at Sadlers Wells. I am not a dance connoisseur nor an experienced dance attendee as many of you are on here, I cannot give any meaningful critical analysis, I can only go with my emotional response to what I see. I was enthralled.....the lighting, the costumes, the staging, the eroticism blew me away. I saw Guiliano dance the role both times and loved his partnering work. The pas de deux with Henrieta made me tearful both times. Interestingly, when I was in London I was sat in a restaurant near Sadlers Wells and had brought my programme from Salford for my daughter to read before we went to see the show. A lady on the next table asked if we had been to the matinee as she had & I explained that I had seen it in Salford the previous week and was about to see it again. She said she had absolutely loved the production & had booked to see it again. She said she was a regular attendee at Sadlers Wells but this was the best thing she had ever seen!! I felt very proud to be Northern! Leaving the theatre that night we bumped into Guiliano and he graciously signed my programme and posed for photos. (My eldest daughter loved it btw! :-D)

Just booked tickets to see this on 5th September :-)

Mmmmm but would I rather be challenged with what I watch than see "safe" classical repertoire?

Which contemporary dance school in Manchester was it Stardancer? Was it The Lowry CAT? I think as people have said in this thread and others, versatile dancers are necessary for the current dance workforce. However the training pathways for a classical dancer and contemporary dancers are very different (Rambert excepted of course which offers equal training in both and can be accessed from 16 until early 20's). Not sure how old your dd is but if ballet is her passion then let her pursue this, contemporary is best pursued in early teens once they have been through puberty and technique and core strength are sound. Nice to hear such positive feedback though..

CAT's are fab!!! Watch her fly :-) so pleased for her

A few years ago my dd auditioned for a number of associate schemes and also for a CAT place. She was offered a place at York scholars that she initially accepted and I paid the deposit for. However when she was also successful for the CAT scheme it was impossible for her to do both so she then had to regretfully decline the place at York scholars. I seem to remember that the final payment wasn't due until mid July so it was only the deposit I lost. You never know there may be some movement on the reserve list before September. Good luck everyone

Thanks every-one for posting these fabulous clips of truly amazing children and young people. Really fuels the nature/nurture debate.

And good luck to anyone who will be auditioning alongside her in 2016!! Amazing!

Totally agree, my dd did gymnastics when younger and at an international comp the Russian gymnasts were weighed at the end of the competition and told whether or not they were allowed to eat at the party!!

This is the selection process that the school my dd is interested in uses. They hold 31 pre selection auditions (across Europe and beyond) that involve a day of classes in ballet, contemporary and creative. Then if successful the auditionees travel to Belgium for 6 days and are observed doing daily classes in ballet, contemporary, improv, theatre techniques and rep, interviews and a written exam! Exhausting yes but at least then they have the opportunity to observe those students on good days, bad days and everything in between! Also demonstrates how the potential students will manage the rigours of full time training. Edited to add that this is for students over the age of 18.

My dd's situation is slightly different as it is contemporary dance she wants to pursue and she will be 18 when she goes to study full time. She certainly does have the technique and talent to get into a Consevatoire in the UK but she absolutely loves the French language so she will also be auditioning for P.A.R.T.S in Belgium. She is studying French at A level but my understanding is that most of the classes are conducted in English anyway as they take students from all over the world. What better way to learn a foreign language than by living in the country and being immersed in that culture. The costs of training are a lot less than the UK, €12,000 for the three years training as opposed to the £27,000 she would have to borrow with a student loan. They have small bursaries but I understand that the financial burden will primarily be mine and her father's. Having put an older child through university I know that even with loans, I paid for her accommodation and gave her a monthly allowance for the three years she was there. There is no cheap way of accessing further education for our children whatever it is! Sorry mods for hijacking the post somewhat but I think every young person is different, every family situation is different and if someone wants to explore different opportunities then they have the right to do so. I did not become a member of this forum to judge and criticise others nor do I expect to be judged and criticised. Most people have so much more experience than I do and it is their opinions that I seek and value.

This made me smile so much. Just like my dd and her AS revision!! :-D

Unreported World Channel 4 (7.30 pm) this evening is reporting on the only school in Iraq dedicated to ballet and music that is increasingly being threatened by religious extremism and sectarian tension. It also follows the progress of a 17 year old ballet student whose parents won't tell their neighbours what their dd is studying as ballet is seen as immoral! Looks a very interesting programme.

There is an interview with Lauren Cuthbertson about this in The Sunday Times today.

Think your DS is in for a treat Billyelliot. We went to see Lord of the Flies at The Lowry last night. it was visually spectacular as always with Bourne's work and Danny Reubens danced and acted the role of Jack to perfection. The 24 boys involved looked like they were having the time of their lives ( who wouldn't want to act like a savage!:-D )They all had their photos in the programme and had written a small biog about themselves.