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EYB Swan Lake


Balletsister

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My DD had a wonderful time being a lady in waiting and a Hungarian dancer. They danced en pointe as ladies in waiting and character shoes for Hungarian dance. All though they all wanted to be swans they actually felt they had much better parts. They did a variety of dances and were on stage for a long time.

The great thing about EYB is no matter what part your child has they are all made to feel important.

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Hello, I am a new member and this is my first post. Hope it is ok to tag along to this post (still finding my feet on the site).

 

My dd has been cast as a Little Mariinsky and will be en pointe. Would love to hear from anyone who can enlighten me on this role, and also what the costume is like. I have watched the EYB Swan Lake clips on YouTube but cannot work out who the Little Mariinskys are. Many thanks.

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I'm quite certain one of my students was a little mariinsky last year- from memory I think it was a white long tutu with a black waist sash and choker.

 

Another student was a lady in waiting and she had a terracotta colour coat and skirt with a funny feathered headdress.

 

I also had a silver swan/Spanish dancer and a Hungarian dancer (can't remember what she wore though)

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  • 7 months later...

Hello Sarah2203, congratulations to your DD on her role as a Tsar's Courtier. The girls wear a long dress and jacket (jacket removed for Act II to reveal pretty white blouse with the long dress). Dresses and jackets are either green, blue, terracotta, or red. When they are all dancing together it looks striking. They have quite a long time on stage too.

 

Take a look at the English Youth Ballets Facebook page and you will find the Swan Lake videos. My DD was a Little Mariinsky (knee length white tutu with sash and choker). It was the most amazing experience for the whole family.  My DD made some wonderful friends and enjoyed the whole experience so much. My husband and I watched every show (I cried every time too, ha,ha).  My DD cried too when it all came to an end.  So excited though as she auditioned for Sleeping Beauty (was even shortlisted for a scholarship, unfortunately didn't get it but incredible achievement anyway). Castings take place in June and cannot wait to see what she gets.

 

The Swan Lake production is stunning and anyone involved will not be disappointed. Good Luck :)

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Can anyone who did EYB previously help. My friends DD is having difficulty getting a letter from school for the dress rehearsal. What will happen if they don't authorise it? Show is next week so it's cutting it fine now.

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I would contact your Local Authority Education Welfare Officer.  They have the power to over-ride headteacher's wishes and to issue a performance licence including time off school.  Many heads/schools don't actually realise that they have no legal authority to refuse permission and are under the misapprehension that the absence will class as unauthorised. 

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Thanks for replying. Our local council is an absolute nightmare. They've refused to accept license form without letter of support from school. I'm unsure if there's an issue with attendance etc as the same school has did a letter for another child in the cast?

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My dd did EYB several times and her schools were never a problem. They were happy to authorise it, and marked it in the register as 'educated offsite' or 'authorised sporting activity'. Only on one occasion did one person decide to be a little awkward, and then we just said that if she had been offered the opportunity to compete in a sport for the county/national side, then they would give time off, so what was the difference? They saw sense and capitulated.

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Legally your school have to give a reason why they are refusing to give a letter of support.  Have they done that.  perhaps send a quick email pointing out their obligations quoting the following legislation

 

"The amendments made to regulation 7 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 on leave of absence do not affect the section that allows the parent of a child performer to seek leave of absence from school for their child to take part in a performance. The amendments affect section 3 and 4 of regulation 7, which relate to leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday.
Section 2 of Regulation 7 (which has not been amended) still enables a head teacher to grant leave of absence for a pupil to undertake employment during school hours for the purpose of taking part in a performance within the meaning of section 37 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963."

 

On page 2 of this thread is an excellent letter template that someone used in the past to challenge this tyoe of decision (and they won)

 

http://notapushymum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20729&hilit=licence&start=15

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Brilliant Thank you for the information. It's not for my dd her paperwork all in order. It's my friends dd. She's trying to sort it today so I'll share this information with her. I did advise her to sort this before she handed over the payments as her dd doesn't have the greatest attendance and she's had a fair few detentions this year (She's in secondary school). I've tactfully tried to say she can quote all the legislation but if her dd doesn't reign in her cheeky attitude then the school have good grounds to decline permission.

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A cheeky attitude is no legal reason for the school to decline.

 

Poor general attendance could be if the school feel that she is behind with her education already because of this (according to potential not ability) but there is an argument that taking part in something like EYB can be a great motivator in other areas of school life.

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51 minutes ago, Sarah2203 said:

Brilliant Thank you for the information. It's not for my dd her paperwork all in order. It's my friends dd. She's trying to sort it today so I'll share this information with her. I did advise her to sort this before she handed over the payments as her dd doesn't have the greatest attendance and she's had a fair few detentions this year (She's in secondary school). I've tactfully tried to say she can quote all the legislation but if her dd doesn't reign in her cheeky attitude then the school have good grounds to decline permission.

Attendance will be the issue  i'm quite sure  , leading to people ( form tutor, head of year, assistant head)  not wanting to make the decision , and it's possibly  going to  end up going to the   de facto  if not the titular Headteacher ...  ( i make  that distinction becuase  at both  the  scool i attended 11-16 and for sixth form the  actual Head  did very little  operational or tactical  management  and was  entirely strategic , where as  the deputies  had the operational and tactical  focus ) 

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14 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

My dd did EYB several times and her schools were never a problem. They were happy to authorise it, and marked it in the register as 'educated offsite' or 'authorised sporting activity'. Only on one occasion did one person decide to be a little awkward, and then we just said that if she had been offered the opportunity to compete in a sport for the county/national side, then they would give time off, so what was the difference? They saw sense and capitulated.


It's a long time ago ,  but in my youth  I sailed  reasonably competitively  and  the RYA  region  organised a  coaching week  each summer , which depending o nthe exact holiday  dates of the various schools / counties in the  region was in term time for  half ( or  more)  of the participants ...   the fact the course was run by the governing body and  had the attendance of  one of the National Coaches  -  often   he'd fly back from the  Youth worlds  as it finished on the Friday  and appear mid morning  on the Monday morning having been to RYA  HQ to collect his  car and  coaching boat ... 

I think the issue  in the current environment is people  not wanting to  take the decision   and a culture  within  the schools that  zero tolerance makes it easier  to refuse the  requests that are purely  hoildays , rather  than  for  coaching  or competitng / performing ... 

attitudes of the SMT/SLT  / whaterver buzzword  is used to  refer to the head , deputy(s) and assistant heads  in the school will also play a part.
 

Edited by mph
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I do agree that the schools don't feel able to make decisions themselves. Originally my dd school said they weren't allowed to do a letter as local council wouldn't allow them. After speaking to EYB they did do it happily.

My friends dd is still battling with her school. Don't think it's an issue now of school refusing point blank as another girl at the same school had hers done straight away. I think it's likely to be an issue with attendance/behaviour/school work. 

I'm very lucky my dd school have given us all the days we've needed this year  for auditions etc. A few teachers have really supported her and are watching the show next week as they've never seen her perform properly.

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33 minutes ago, mph said:




I think the issue  in the current environment is people  not wanting to  take the decision   and a culture  within  the schools that  zero tolerance makes it easier  to refuse the  requests that are purely  hoildays , rather  than  for  coaching  or competitng / performing ... 

attitudes of the SMT/SLT  / whaterver buzzword  is used to  refer to the head , deputy(s) and assistant heads  in the school will also play a part.
 

 

But in the case of performing there is legislation which specifically regulates the issue of permission for time off.  Schools cannot decided tro have a zero tolerance policy, in fact they can't decided to have any kind of policy on this matter (though many still think that they can)  They should be following the law.

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6 minutes ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

 

But in the case of performing there is legislation which specifically regulates the issue of permission for time off.  Schools cannot decided tro have a zero tolerance policy, in fact they can't decided to have any kind of policy on this matter (though many still think that they can)  They should be following the law.

 

 'enables a head teacher to grant '   does  not  mean that permission  must be given ,  only  clarifies that  approval  from  on high ( LEA  and/or  governing body) is not  required. 

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That is just one paragraph clarifying the 2006 amendments.  The full regulations make it clear that is  not within the headteacher's authority to refuse permission without valid educations reasons which can be challenged in court.  The only person who can grant or not grant permission legally is the Local Education Authority Education Welfare Officer.

 

Children and Young Persons Act 1963 chapter 37 (4) : " ... a local authority shall not grant a licence for a child to [do anything] unless they are satisfied that he is fit to [do it], that proper provision has been made to secure his health and kind treatment and that, having regard to such provision (if any) as has been or will be made therefor, his education will not suffer; but if they are so satisfied, in the case of an application duly made for a licence under this section which they have power to grant, they shall not refuse to grant the licence."

The Statutory Instrument that followed the Act, The Children (Performances) Regulations 1968, states chapter 2 (1) "The licensing authority may make such inquiries as they consider necessary to enable them to be satisfied that they should grant a licence as required by section 37(4) of the Act, and in particular they may request a report from the head teacher in respect of the child."
 

 chapter 39 (6) says "Where a local authority refuse an application for a licence under section 37 of this Act or revoke or, otherwise than on the application of the holder, vary such a licence they shall state their grounds for doing so in writing to the applicant or, as the case may be, the holder of the licence; and the applicant or holder may appeal to a magistrates’ court".

 

Edited by Picturesinthefirelight
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