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Questions about Upper School auditions


Anna C

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As I have posted about all the US auditions, thought I would add a few thoughts about Central yesterday as I know there are still other dates to come so someone might find it useful. The building is old; not sure what it might have been in a previous life but was warm and welcoming. Existing Central dancers met the auditionees and took them to the changing rooms, which felt friendly. Dd said the hour and a half class taken by current central teacher was typical of the other audition classes with no unexpected exercises or activities. There were around 30 in the class, boys and girls and there were at least 2 more similar classes the same day. 5 people on the panel. There are a number of pleasant coffee shops close to the school and quite a few restaurants, delis and small supermarket. No information or tour for parents but parents not chased out of the building either. Dd was told they would hear within 2 weeks (which is when finals are, so hope its soon!)

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Biscuit 11 February results are out from ENB- so far as I know both yes and no results so I would get in touch if I were you. Good luck.

 

Anyone know numbers at finals for ENB last year and how many places?

 

From memory around 30 -35 at  (girls) finals and approx 30 places ,split between boys and girls - good luck

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As I have posted about all the US auditions, thought I would add a few thoughts about Central yesterday as I know there are still other dates to come so someone might find it useful. The building is old; not sure what it might have been in a previous life but was warm and welcoming. Existing Central dancers met the auditionees and took them to the changing rooms, which felt friendly. Dd said the hour and a half class taken by current central teacher was typical of the other audition classes with no unexpected exercises or activities. There were around 30 in the class, boys and girls and there were at least 2 more similar classes the same day. 5 people on the panel. There are a number of pleasant coffee shops close to the school and quite a few restaurants, delis and small supermarket. No information or tour for parents but parents not chased out of the building either. Dd was told they would hear within 2 weeks (which is when finals are, so hope its soon!)

Yes - I was surprised at the lack of any info for parents at prelims. But, all who were invited to finals were also invited (with a parent) to an open day before the final itself. I was frustrated as to having to take an extra trip to London, but I'm glad we went. It really opened my daughter's and my eyes to a school we previously knew very little about and it actually made a good impression, to the extent that she came very close to accepting the place there.

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I imagine no overseas would qualify for DADA anyway? So that would explain it. Not good for morale.....

 

It seems to come round to the discussion we have every year about the differences in train in of teenagers abroad and their level at 16...

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I am told that the DaDa guidelines stipulate that to qualify for funding the dancers have to attend an audition altogether. If some have been offered places prior to the final auditions then they must be self funding.

 

Many of these early places are given full scholarships from the "pot of benevolence " ;)

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Welshballetmum2000- my impression is lots of call backs for U.K students this year.

 

For which schools Welshballetmum2000 ? Central and Tring seem to have called back lots but not sure about RBS, ENBS and Elmhurst. A much larger number of my DD's friends and aquaintances have call backs for the first two, but very few for the other three that we've been able to find out.

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Mine has a call back for Elmhurst and I have heard of a few others. It is ENB and Royal Ballet that I have heard of places already been confirmed at. It just doesn't feel like a level playing field when they have a short audition to sell themselves and some overseas students are invited to spend a whole week there. Rambert were auditioning in about 6 different locations in the states recently. Even if they only took 1 from each location it leaves very few spaces for U.K. Students.

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I can't help reading all this that establishments based in the UK should be giving Uk students a fair crack at the whip & an equal chance to prove themselves & show their abilities to the full. We should be nurturing home - grown talent as a priority & then any spaces left be offered to overseas students. My opinion only :)

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Throughout the history of the Royal Ballet, many of the famous names originally came from Commonwealth countries, so this is nothing new.  I don't think European students are involved in these early offers, they would be expected to travel to auditions in the normal way.  If dancers have come from other continents for the Prix de Lausanne I don't think it unreasonable that they should be allowed to show themselves during the same trip, rather than having to come back again.  The costs involved would be horrendous.

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I agree that if overseas students effectively have a week-long audition then it seems unfair that U.K. students don't get the same chance. But life isn't fair and it would also be unfair, as Pas de Quatre says, for students from other continents to be expected to travel to the U.K. for preliminary and then final auditions along with the U.K. students especially when they may be in Europe for the Prix de Lausanne already. Plus the fact that they were selected to compete at the Prix and then did so is an 'audition' in itself.

 

I don't believe that U.K. schools should be for U.K. students, with any places not awarded being offered to overseas applicants. If that were the case, the U.K. schools wouldn't have the reputation that they enjoy. Places should be offered on merit alone; better get used to the reality of auditioning for company places against dancers from all over the world.

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Yes ..... I can fully understand that reasoning, begs the age old question - are Uk students not at the same level of training compared with foreign students of the same age ? therefore Uk schools feeling the need to take non uk students to maintain their reputation. If this is the case (and I don't know enough to be honest) I wonder why it isn't addressed. I do feel it is unfair that Uk students are just given a quick snap shot of time to prove themselves & their ability compared with foreign students, who may be given longer - if this is actually the situation. As you rightly say legs eleven ...... life isn't fair. Ho hum. I just feel a bit sorry for all our lovely UK dancers that give it their all, work so hard but attend final auditions knowing that places have already been allocated .

I am biased very much towards promoting our own uk students, I guess, but I also understand why decisions are made in the way they are..... and like you say - uk students will always have to compete with their foreign counter-parts for company places etc. Good luck to EVERYONE auditioning for upper school places. :)

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I don't think anyone is suggesting it should be uk only but it should be a fair process. I don't believe anyone should be offered a definite place before the recruitment process is over. If the schools want the best students they should see everyone first. For overseas students again I don't think anyone is suggesting they should have to do 2 auditions. Their 1st audition is their DVD and if that is good enough then it's fair for them to be invited to the final audition here or in a tour of their country. I do feel that they should have the same format of audition as here to make it fair. Over the course of a week there is more opportunity to demonstrate your potential.

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I think the ‘problem' is that, as a country, by and large we choose to give all children a full and balanced education up to the age of 16. This means that many talented UK dancers have simply had less training than their counterparts in other countries. I believe that this should be taken into account by the ‘big’ upper schools when selecting, because given the chance the UK dancers may well prove to be just as good, if not better, at age 19. That’s not to say that I think UK should be shown undue favouritism, just that the amount of training they have had to date (because of our cultural desire for a broad education) should be considered.

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