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Questions about Upper School auditions


Anna C

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It was the same last year I gather. It seems to be intentional to schedule the London Upper School prelim on the same day as the Prix de Lausanne with the result the artistic director can't attend. Not an issue for dancers with an automatic pass to finals but a bit depressing for everyone else.

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Yes, it's a big mistake not being there. In his first appointed year there was a particular SA which he loved, this SA was not put through to final audition ( the daftest reason was given and made me lose any respect I had of the RBS selection process!). He assumed this SA was in the finals and was raging apparently that this was not the case, even rang the parents to speak to them personally. Said student was amazing and Excelled elsewhere.

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It is also the case that whilst he has been director several children who failed to gain a place at the school via audition have managed to enter the school with a trial week/day or simply a private class. There is definitely a discrepancy between the head of outreach and the directors choices. Just to put the final nail in the coffin, it's also the head of outreach that selects for summer school! If you're not Mr.Annear's cup of tea, then it's all over for you!

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Also a little inappropriate,as I did hear Mr. Power broadcast in an article about RBS,that he didn't approve of competitions for his students. "It eats into the work schedule!" Or words to that effect!

 

funnily enough  you may find similar sentiments expressed  in a variety of activities / sports / jobs and at all levels from the local provision through to the national level .. 

 

it's very easy to  take a quote out of context . 

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It is also the case that whilst he has been director several children who failed to gain a place at the school via audition have managed to enter the school with a trial week/day or simply a private class.

Yes, the student I was referring to was asked to reapply etc but by that point the damage had been done, another fabulous school offered and RBS lost an amazing dancer. Personally, the student was better off elsewhere.

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Good grief taxi4ballet. So the school is materially funded by the UK taxpayer but the head sees no reason to attend the first stage of scouting UK talent. And sees no reason to be in sell mode with parents who will have to work their socks off to pay up to potentially all of the fees and entrust pastoral care and academic education of their children. It's not the commercial world is it this?!!

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It is also the case that whilst he has been director several children who failed to gain a place at the school via audition have managed to enter the school with a trial week/day or simply a private class. There is definitely a discrepancy between the head of outreach and the directors choices. Just to put the final nail in the coffin, it's also the head of outreach that selects for summer school! If you're not Mr.Annear's cup of tea, then it's all over for you!

at  the risk of saying 'and such is life'  ... 

 

now the question is  would people be saying that  if Mr Annear  was the director , or  was someone  who was a 'high st name' ... ? 

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Good grief taxi4ballet. So the school is materially funded by the UK taxpayer but the head sees no reason to attend the first stage of scouting UK talent. And sees no reason to be in sell mode with parents who will have to work their socks off to pay up to potentially all of the fees and entrust pastoral care and academic education of their children. It's not the commercial world is it this?!!

 

 ' the commercial world' is an interesting thing ... to be facetious when was the last time you  saw Seb James helping somone put a telly in their boot ... 

 

oddly enough  in 'normal' schooling  the  tuitular head ifs often absent from significant events 

Edited by mph
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' the commercial world' is an interesting thing ... to be facetious when was the last time you saw Seb James helping somone put a telly in their boot ...

 

oddly enough in 'normal' schooling the tuitular head ifs often absent from significant events

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One of the points being made is that st other vocational schools the director of the school does attend both prelim and final auditions. This was the case at Elmhurst and tring last year.

Also the fact is the head of outreach has not been given the job of school director so that is why people find it odd that they have so much say over who goes there. If they had been chosen for that role then fine, but as they haven't people may well question it.

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Well said Flora! I know way too many talented children who have had the no letter. The good news is that other schools have benefitted from the RBS'S mistakes and the children in question have blossomed and perhaps by default ended up in a much better situation!

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As everyone's path through life is different, I am a firm believer that the opportunities that present themselves to the individual are the correct Ones for their journey. As one door closes, another door opens. Don't mourn what is not meant to be but joyfully embrace what presents itself. Our culture seems to be so hung up on success or failure as defined by someone else - I love the approach that nothing is a failure but a step closer to success. Your own individual success. Have a dream, follow that dream but be open to the fact there will be kinks in the road and those kinks are taking you to where you are meant to be.

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Not at my son's school. The head attends every event I have ever been to

Size of School? While the head of a 250 pupil primary may welle able to attend every significant evnt in the school calender it might be rather different in a 1500 + student 11-18 where there is something of significance on average twice a week ( although obviously clustered e.g. week long performance periods ( sometimes several times a year even in the 'nillaest of 'nilla schools) and week long exam shows for arts / DT )

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 ' the commercial world' is an interesting thing ... to be facetious when was the last time you  saw Seb James helping somone put a telly in their boot ... 

 

 

 

 

Sorry I don't understand this.  Such oblique references are not particularly helpful.

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Size of School? While the head of a 250 pupil primary may welle able to attend every significant evnt in the school calender it might be rather different in a 1500 + student 11-18 where there is something of significance on average twice a week ( although obviously clustered e.g. week long performance periods ( sometimes several times a year even in the 'nillaest of 'nilla schools) and week long exam shows for arts / DT )

 

 

MPH - the point everyone is making though is that in the dance world at vocational schools it is normal practise for the school artistic director to be present at all auditions. For Elmhurst and Tring I know from experience they are at both prelims and finals.

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The Director of Dance was not present at Tring US auditions this year but we were told this was due to personal reasons, not a recruitment drive at a major competition!. We felt very safe in the hands of the deputy who is also Head of Ballet.

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The Director of Dance was not present at Tring US auditions this year but we were told this was due to personal reasons. We felt very safe in the hands of the deputy who is also Head of Ballet.

Yes, serious personal reasons which are completely understandable and a very rare occurrence for her not to be present.

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The Director of Dance was not present at Tring US auditions this year but we were told this was due to personal reasons, not a recruitment drive at a major competition!. We felt very safe in the hands of the deputy who is also Head of Ballet.

 

 

So a one-off personal reason why they didn't attend, rather than an annual date elsewhere?

And, the head of ballet auditioning in her place sounds like someone who is a valid deputy. 

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The Director of Dance was not present at Tring US auditions this year but we were told this was due to personal reasons, not a recruitment drive at a major competition!. We felt very safe in the hands of the deputy who is also Head of Ballet.

The Director of Dance not being present this year at that audition was a one off, due to personal circumstances. She is otherwise always there :)

 

(Edited by Moderator to remove personal details)

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So a one-off personal reason why they didn't attend, rather than an annual date elsewhere?

And, the head of ballet auditioning in her place sounds like someone who is a valid deputy.

So is the objection to the RBS down to the job title of the individual involved ?

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At Elmhurst auditions the director and many members of ballet/dance staff are present. A video is taken too! The panel are a healthy mix of male and female representatives. It is virtually fool proof! I always feel that when a child auditions there, they really have had a good crack of the whip!

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