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Being Realistic , Child Wants A Dance Career


Bellatrix

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My first time on here! I keep try to find articles on your child wants to be a dancer? and nothing seems to help me. My daughter has been dancing for a few years and really loved jazz and contemporary and was told by her old MT school to take up ballet as this was the core of all dance. I am not a pushy mum and to be honest I am out of my comfort zone around ballet schools. Anyway she loved ballet after years of saying" no way" to classes to "I love it".  She's a late starter (started at 11/12 at ballet) and is now 14.

 

She is with a good school and other teachers say she has the potential to get into a small company? but

I am now thinking really? I don't want her heartbroken and should she look at  maybe a dancer rather than a ballet dancer? and even then she may not get into a full time vocational dance school at 16. She has been wanting to just concentrate  on her ballet of late and get the strength and tech strong. I know she only wants this, and really lives for dance.

 

Is it best to start up again other types of dance? or should I just let her do what she wants? Tips please as I am lost at this business!! :o

 

:)

 

 

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Hi Bellatrix and welcome! :)

 

If your daughter has solid training already in Jazz, tap and even singing, then personally I'd let her concentrate on ballet for the time being. It is the core of other dance training, including MT schools, and if she can keep up with singing tuition in the meantime (I'' assuming she sings if she's been doing MT) then so much the better. While she has a passion for ballet and wants to improve her technique, then great.

 

You could look particularly at schools like Tring Park for 6th Form who have an MT course AND a dance course - audition for both and see what happens. A dancer is most likely to have a career in dance if they are versatile. Even the most classical of companies are dancing more and more Contemporary rep, so a course that does other dance styles too sounds like it would be lovely for 6th form.

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Hi Bellatrix and welcome. There is definitely a trend that even voc schools with a strong classical focus want versatile students who can do other dance styles especially contemporary. So if possible focus on the ballet and improving technique AND do some other dance genres as well. Start with the end in mind and maybe look at a few school websites to get an idea about the application process and expectations they have of prospective candidates. Perhaps your dd's teachers have some thoughts on destination schools?

Also realistically be prepared for it to be a very tough journey into full time training. Its a real roller coaster and places huge emotional demands on parents and children. Competition is extremely fierce for full time places and lots of time it will be 'no' (or not yet) before it is a 'yes'. There are some fantastic accounts on this forum of tenacious, determined dancers who have tried again and again before achieving their goals. Good Luck!

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Bellatrix,

 

There are some lovely 'summer schools' around the country offering anything from pure ballet to jazz to MT courses. Some residential many not. 

 

Maybe worth considering, this way it also gives your DD an idea of the standard out there away from her own little dance bubble. Which is so easy. 

 

The bigger schools have already passed their closing dates but many others offer first come first served.  It's a great opportunity subject to your own personal budget and family commitments. 

 

I'm sure that others on this forum could offer suggestions on summer schools, once they know where in the country you are. 

 

Good Luck because once they are hooked on SS they will be booking their own return ticket the following year.  ;)

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Agree with mnemo as we've heard a lot about versatility and contemporary being a popular genre

 

I guess it depends on time and money but otherwise I'd say do as much ballet as possible but fit in jazz and contemporary if you can

 

:)

 

Oh and nothing wrong with starting late, I know some girls who've started much later and doing very well :)

 

Good luck

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Thanks everyone for replying, she did singing and tap and dropped both . She did not like singing and that's how we came on to ballet because she said I want to dance! And her old teachers said this is what you need to do to help get maybe vocational level? She would go mad at me talking, but I just wanted some honest answers! She has some lessons with Tring and I must say very good, but I don't like to ask as how many parents say ,what I am asking! Summer schools look great , but funding for places at the likes of RB are just to much , plus the amount of students wanting those places must be so high. And does not help that our other children are doing uni etc.

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Unfortunately what you really need is a crystal ball - if you find a working one, there are several of us who would like to borrow it!

 

There is definitely a "path less travelled,"  summer schools that are less high profile but less expensive.  If you look at the summer schools tag here you will find lots of information.  We could never afford Prague and the like.

 

If your daughter is taking some lessons at Tring, I would personally suggest there is no harm in asking whether they think she would be a suitable candidate to audition for their sixth form courses - and you could even ask which they think she would be best suited.  Make it clear you are not asking for guarantees.  What have you got to loose?

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I find it interesting that there are more MT courses and bigger intakes than classical schools. Is there really lots more MT jobs? Surely the first hurdle at any audition is the ballet class as most want sound classical training as it's the Base of all dance.x

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There are definitely more jobs available for students graduating from the MT colleges. You only have to look at all the shows in the West End not forgetting all theatres across the country, cruise ships, hotel singers and dancers, tv shows etc. A lot of auditions don't include ballet and if it does it's probably no harder that intermediate standard. A lot of them have a commercial/street round first so that can knock quite a few out.

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Bellatrix, I echo everyone else's comments about going for it - as much GOOD ballet training that you can find.

 

And I think that you have to take away the "Will she have a career?" question. Who knows? There is no certainty there at all. But there is a certainty about NOT having a career - and that is not pursuing as much high quality training as possible.

 

But I have to say that if she wants to work in musical theatre, not singing is not a choice. My mother trained at Tring as a ballet student, and when she left worked in theatre - but she's not a singer so very quickly moved from commercial musical theatre to the straight theatre, ad worked as an actress. But her solid dance training has always been a foundation of her work as a performer - until she was 80 she worked as an actor-trainer, in physical work for actors.

 

Even if your daughter doesn't go on to have a career as a dancer, learning ballet is a wonderful education. It gives you discipline, the satisfaction of working slowly & steadily towards a very high & difficult goal. I've danced on and off since I was about 12, and in my years as an adult dancer, the one thing I keep hearing is "I wish I'd started ballet as a child." A lot of parents see ballet as a far less desirable hobby than netball or football. I have no idea why ...

 

If she loves ballet, follow that passion.

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Thank you so much , it's been wonderful to hear what others have had to say. I have said this to my husband that we must let her go with this, but he's always said be realistic! If she could dance eight hours a day she would, she is all for this and not academics .

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I think it is better to try and actually go for something. It would be far worse to have regrets later in life, going over countless what ifs and why didn't s ? [ Obviously everyone has to have a dream that is within the realms of some sort of reality based on their talent, academic abilities, or physical attributes, or whatever it may be].

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Even if your daughter doesn't go on to have a career as a dancer, learning ballet is a wonderful education. It gives you discipline, the satisfaction of working slowly & steadily towards a very high & difficult goal. 

I agree with your sentiments 100%.

 

There is a recent story which I have previously posted on this forum but is so apt for this post I thought I could repeat it.

 

A past student (of my DD's dance school) started ballet at 14 attended RBS at 16, graduated and spent a very happy 8 years performing professionally.  Whilst on tour with Swan Lake in the USA she studied to convert her English academic qualifications to be recognised by those in the USA and then went on to pass her medical school entrance exam (between matinee and evening performance!) she commenced her training as a Doctor last Autumn. The mindset of a ballet dancer is hard work and dedication, which is exactly the qualities that are transferable in the medical world. There is always a place for ballet in everyone's life. And you don't have to compromise with one for the other. You can have it all just over an extended time scale... :)

 

A great story to share, especially with those fathers that have reservations about their children pursing a performing arts career believing that, that will be the end of that. It doesn't have to be. and definitely no "What if Mum and/or Dad had let me" ringing in or ears.... ;)

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We had a meeting with DD's head of year at her academic school shortly before GCSE mocks in year 11 and dd needed yet more time off for upper school auditions.

 

The HOY said that you have the rest of your life to take exams, but you only get once chance to go away to vocational school at 16.

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I'm not sure if it's so much out of fashion as quite difficult to do. Whereas you used to find colleges who did a levels they are pretty much 6th form based now due to the changes in the system. And it is much harder trying to study when you're older. Which is not to say impossible but the reality is that it is much harder for many reasons and it may be worth pushing yourself to do both if at all possible

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We looked into further education colleges as a back up plan, we found one that offers a wide choice of A levels and will take students up to 24 years of age without paying fees (who haven't done A levels before). Even if never needed its good to know its there.

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If you are within travelling distance of London, it could be worth looking into auditioning for the London Studio Centre associates. These cover ballet, contemporary, jazz and musical theatre with top level teaching and advice available from their vocational school teachers and some west end staff. These start age 14, auditions I think are in May and this newish scheme is becoming increasingly popular so it would be worth applying sooner than later. This would be a way of keeping all these genres going.

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We looked into further education colleges as a back up plan, we found one that offers a wide choice of A levels and will take students up to 24 years of age without paying fees (who haven't done A levels before). Even if never needed its good to know its there.

The rules on funding in Further Education have changed over the last few years so it has become more difficult to do A levels as an adult, but it is not impossible.  There are a number of routes

1. 19-23 first full  level 3 qualification  is free (3 A Levels) 

2. 24+ you can take out up to 4 Advanced learning loans which are paid back once you earn over £21k

3. There are Access to HE courses for those who want to go into HE for  which you have to take an advanced learning  loan, however  the loan is cancelled it you move into HE and take up a HE loan.

 

The only issue I can see these days is the fact that you only get 4 years of HE funding, so if you wanted to do a three year dance degree and then wanted to do an academic degree in later life, you would only be funded for 1 year of the second degree.  The costs may then become prohibitive.

 

Edited to add - you can take out an advanced learning loan from the age of 19 if you already have a full level three qualification.

Edited by Huddsballetmum
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The only issue I can see these days is the fact that you only get 4 years of HE funding, so if you wanted to do a three year dance degree and then wanted to do an academic degree in later life, you would only be funded for 1 year of the second degree.  The costs may then become prohibitive.

 

Very true. A current line of enquiry that I am researching is the option to do a degree conversion course. A few universities offer MSc level courses that claim no prior subject knowledge and will accept any BA degree (including classical ballet one assumes).  If anyone knows any more about this option I'd love to hear from them.

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