Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I thought I had decided on which summer school to do, until a kind member suggested OPES! Wow. It looks great to do up to 3 weeks of ballet! In weeks the English school system can do! So, could anybody tell me what OPES is like? RBS is my first choice of course, but I thought I had decided on Moorland. Can anybody tell me what Moorland SS is like too? I feel like I'm going to end up doing a week at Ballet West, a week Moorland and a week OPES, but I doubt my parents would agree! Thank you!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi I hope I am allowed to suggest the Ballet Boost Summer School!

 

Its the week of July 24th at Pineapple ages 8 to 19 across different groups.

The level of teachers is high as is the standard. 

 

This year we have Olivia Cowley (RB), James Wilkie (ex RB), Sarah Mcllroy (ex ENB principal and ENBS 2nd yr teacher), Angela (ex BRB) plus Mathew Bourne's Red Shoes dancers teaching red shoes rep. And much more!!

 

Please see www.balletboost.com for further info

or call 07958 725862 for queries

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely. You can't assume anything about school holidays any more. My youngest is still at primary, and annoyingly his holidays are not even always identical to the secondary where my elder son is. And the counties adjacent to ours often seem to differ significantly. I've been caught out a couple of times now by seeing holiday courses and events that looked interesting only to find that my kids are still at school. It's very frustrating, and I do feel for the organisers of events as with so much variation, obviously they can't please everyone.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely. You can't assume anything about school holidays any more. My youngest is still at primary, and annoyingly his holidays are not even always identical to the secondary where my elder son is. And the counties adjacent to ours often seem to differ significantly. I've been caught out a couple of times now by seeing holiday courses and events that looked interesting only to find that my kids are still at school. It's very frustrating, and I do feel for the organisers of events as with so much variation, obviously they can't please everyone.

never mind the  practice in scotland and leicestershire that sees  schools have all of july off and go back for the new term when the exame results come out in mid august 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did try my best to check dates but they are all so varied now and space in central london is not easy to find - i am restricted to that week for now!!

 

All i can suggest is (as some are doing) Talk to your school - if they have a passion then most would allow them to take the time  as we all know not a lot happens, especially in those last two days!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Masters of Ballet at Sadlers Wells is a great Summer School with amazing teachers from English National Ballet and ENB School, such as the legendary Irek Mukhamedov OBE (an absolutely fabulous opportunity for DS's).

 

This is their list for this Summer: their website is www.mastersofballet.org

I think you have to send them a short video of some class exercises or a solo.

 

Faculty

 

Galina Enikeeva - Head Teacher of Junior Ballet Classes at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and coach of stage practice for students at the Marriinsky Theatre.

 

Elena Glurdjidze - former Lead Principal of English National Ballet, Best Female Dancer Awards, International Guest Teacher.

 

Irek Mukhamedov OBE- currently Principal Ballet Master and Character Artist at English National Ballet, former Principal of Bolshoi Ballet (Moscow) and Royal Ballet (London).

 

Meelis Pakri - former ballet teacher at the Royal Ballet Upper School, he was also Principal at the Estonian National Ballet (Tallinn), and the Colorado Ballet (USA). He also served as a guest teacher at Estonian National Ballet and numerous other schools. Curently teaching at The Harid Conservatory (USA).

 

Olga Semenova- currently teaching at English National Ballet School and Central School of Ballet. Former ballet teacher at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and Ballet Mistress of European Ballet, New English Ballet Company, Honorary Member of Association of Russian Ballet & Theatre Arts, Honorary Advisor of Vaganova Method at Hong Kong Youth Ballet Academy.

 

​Agnes Oaks CBE- Ballet repettiteur at the Estonian National Opera and former Lead Principal of English National Ballet.

 

Sara Knight- Artistic Director of SLK (New York), Co-Founder of the Greenwich Ballet Academy (USA), former guest Soloist and teacher at Boston Ballet Company (USA), former guest Soloist of Northern Ballet Theatre (UK).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did try my best to check dates but they are all so varied now and space in central london is not easy to find - i am restricted to that week for now!!

 

All i can suggest is (as some are doing) Talk to your school - if they have a passion then most would allow them to take the time  as we all know not a lot happens, especially in those last two days!!

Hopefully  (normal) schools  will still have the attitude they had  20 some years ago ,  while my experience is not with dance summer schools, it was with  a very close analogue  in sailing - a regional youth race training  week  ...  School were  happy to sign off that absence  as authorised as it was ' other education'  -  how much the presence of  the Senior national coach  at the wek had to do with that  , i'm unsure. 

 

iti;s not as if it;s  trying to avoid higher holiday prices  is it 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did try my best to check dates but they are all so varied now and space in central london is not easy to find - i am restricted to that week for now!!

school doesn't

 

All i can suggest is (as some are doing) Talk to your school - if they have a passion then most would allow them to take the time as we all know not a lot happens, especially in those last two days!!

My DD applied to Emma's Ballet Boost SS. Her school doesn't break up until the 28th, but I've spoken to them before about similar situations and, if the child is focused, and the subject is potentially vocational, it's allowed as 'off site education'.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have politely advised the school that DD will be away at dance summer schools etc rather than asking them. She has never attended something that didn't fall at the very end of term and has therefore never missed too much school, but I have always confirmed that she will arrange to catch up with whatever is missed.

 

The school has never raised an objection so I assume that it is recorded in the same way as a sporting or cultural event requiring time off school would be recorded. As students including DD often attend such events, I would have objected very strongly if the school had tried to refuse permission to attend a dance summer school.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes some schools are surprisingly accommodating where further training is involved. Some even allow weekly PE classes to be missed to allow for extra Ballet coaching if that child has a passion/talent for Ballet.

It's all about the attitude that  the management team have  towards the issue. 

 

Some are afraid of  being seen to set a precedent by allowing  students  'time off' to attend Summer schools  ( whether that is  performing arts  stuff or sports )  and perhaps more pointedly  don;t have the confidence to be able to  assert themselves  that it is acceptable  for Tom  to spend a week  out to sail  with the national coaches on  the RYA's equivalent of a 'Summer School'  ,  for Dick to spend a week  at a ballet summer school or for Harriet to have a week of MT at a summer school   and how the educational basis of this is defensible  vs those who want to take their children out of school early/ return late  becasue it saves a few (hundred)  quid  ...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In our experience dd's schools have been accommodating with regard to time off needed for courses, exams and auditions etc - although we have on occasion had to resort to the "Well if she was a boy and had been invited to play with Manchester United's Youth team you'd let her have the time off school wouldn't you?" scenario.

 

We do know of others at different schools however, who have had requests refused point-blank.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Professional dance experience did a workshop day at our dance school recently and the children really enjoyed it.

 

DD would like to go to their associates but she already dances when they offer classes.

Edited by Pixiewoo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...