aileen Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Rightly or wrongly, we all tend to make quick judgments about people and organisations when we meet/encounter them for the first time. Many people feel that 'gut instinct' is very important. I don't think that organisations always realise how important receptionists - who may be quite poorly paid - are; they are the first point of contact with the public. I think that someone made a good point above about sixth form vocational schools. They will have a different feel and approach to schools which take students from 11 as they regard their students as young adults and so they are more akin to sixth form colleges. As with many things, good communication and managing expectations are the way to create a positive image of your organisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TillieJ Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Maybe a lesson for future auditionees to take from this thread is that it's very difficult to get an accurate idea picture of a school on audition day. DC did the upper school auditions in 2011 - I still feel sick remembering the stress of the auditions and the awful wait for letters! We'd been well advised though and had managed to get courses booked at each school on the list in the couple of years before auditions. By the time the auditions rolled around DC already had a good feel for the schools and was clear on which were the best fit so the fluffy welcome (or lack of one) wasn't important and some faces on panels were familiar. I'd really recommend spending some time training at a school (if at all possible) to get a real feel for it. Interestingly, one school slipped down the list when DC felt insuffient time was given to auditionees to warm up because they'd been given a tour of the facilities. I guess they all have different priorities, DC actually preferred the less fussy more adult atmosphere at Central, chose it above others and spent 3 very happy and successful years there. Of course it's all in the eye of the beholder and the audition wasn't DC's only chance to behold. Good luck to your daughter in her remaining auditions, I hope she finds the right place for her. ^^ Thank you I am very happy to say she has and her audition process is going extremely well. She is a non-vocational student who has worked extremely hard and she is already in the very fortunate position of having choices. I am sure there are those who feel my opinion of CSB is due to her not getting thru to their finals - I can assure you it is not. CSB was never one of her top choices, despite their reputation. Judging by the photos on display on audition day, I don't think she is the shape they possibly look for (?) My DD is a lot finer in comparison. Obviously it would be ideal to even do a summer or easter course at every school you are thinking of applying to in the future but it is not always possible. Any experience at a school, even if only an audition gives most DC's a feel for the school and how they operate. It is therefore important how they treat their auditionees as this could well put them off a school as it did for us with CSB.........and quite a few others I have spoken to also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 ^^ Thank you I am very happy to say she has and her audition process is going extremely well. She is a non-vocational student who has worked extremely hard and she is already in the very fortunate position of having choices. I am sure there are those who feel my opinion of CSB is due to her not getting thru to their finals - I can assure you it is not. CSB was never one of her top choices, despite their reputation. Judging by the photos on display on audition day, I don't think she is the shape they possibly look for (?) My DD is a lot finer in comparison. Obviously it would be ideal to even do a summer or easter course at every school you are thinking of applying to in the future but it is not always possible. Any experience at a school, even if only an audition gives most DC's a feel for the school and how they operate. It is therefore important how they treat their auditionees as this could well put them off a school as it did for us with CSB.........and quite a few others I have spoken to also. I am really pleased that your DD's auditions are going so well, and wish her all the very best. My DD was also a non vocational student, who also worked really hard. I really wish you hadn't made that comment about body shape, saying your DD is 'a lot finer ' in comparison. In DD's year there are certainly some very tiny girls. I'm sure students are selected on their potential and how they will benefit from the school's training. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BankrollingBallet Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I wonder TillyJ if you might consider editing that comment out of your post, and Jazzpaws edit out your quote? It's really not an acceptable thing to say at all but particularly about teenagers who can be identified. It doesn't add anything to the points you're making about your audition experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Some of the students at central are extremely tiny and I wouldn't want to see them any finer in shape. They are in the photos by the way. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I wonder TillyJ if you might consider editing that comment out of your post, and Jazzpaws edit out your quote? It's really not an acceptable thing to say at all but particularly about teenagers who can be identified. It doesn't add anything to the points you're making about your audition experience. I'm quite happy to edit out my quote , will just have to work out how Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BankrollingBallet Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I think you just click on 'edit' next to the multiquote button in your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I am really pleased that your DD's auditions are going so well, and wish her all the very best. My DD was also a non vocational student, who also worked really hard. I really wish you hadn't made that comment about body shape, saying your DD is 'a lot finer ' in comparison. In DD's year there are certainly some very tiny girls. I'm sure students are selected on their potential and how they will benefit from the school's training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 The edit function only works for about 10 minutes after you have posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 So be it I think it's best to move on from this now and wish everyone's son's and daughter's the very best in finding the right school for them 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 As a moderator I don't believe there is a problem with what was said - it was the poster's opinion and not talking about any particular students. Please move on. This discussion had been interesting regarding first impressions. We felt a bit the same (6 years ago) about Central and ENBS (although I liked both the schools after going to finals/open days) but I agree that it's important for schools to think about how their reception staff deal with visitors. They are the front line dealing with potential customers after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Well actually I disagree about letting this go as my daughter is actually in those photos. What is worse is that she is actually only 7st 9oz, so at 5ft 5inch she is very tiny and long limbed. If that photo is compared as not been fine shaped in comparison then I am left speechless. My daughter is not the only one who is this shape there are lots of the students there who are very fine shaped. Yes discuss audition experiences and buildings and reception on arrival, but please don't compare the shape of the students as I actually know these kids, who have achieved a place there not because of their shape, but because of their talent. I definately don't get the rules on this forum as some threads get closed down due to opinions honestly discussed from experience and yet even when student can clearly be identified, it is ok for discussions to continue????? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TillieJ Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I did not mean to offend anyone but for goodness sake, it is common knowledge that different schools prefer different body shapes. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard the term "classical body shape" etc. ........I am just not sure I know what it looks like..........and to be perfectly honest after hearing (and reading on this forum!) what the different schools supposedly "prefer" and then seeing what they actually take.........I am even more confused (?) My dd is of course absolutely perfect to me but she is very petite and fine boned which may not be every school's cup of tea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veryskint Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I have watched this thread with interest as I do with most topics but I feel prompted to post. I have the highest regard for the moderators of this forum but I agree with Tulip and BankRollingBallet that the reference to body shape in photographs proudly displayed in a reception of a ballet school is both irrelevant to the discussion and wrong. I do not have a DD so I have no personal experience to draw on but I was surprised and a little horrified to see the comment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletla Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Tulip - the point is that nothing referenced in these forum comments identifies any specific student apart from yours in which you clearly identify that your dd is in the photos but that was your choice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I didn't want to comment on this, but I will (briefly). Ballet students and indeed most professionals are usually their own biggest critics in terms of their shape/technique etc. Teenagers especially. Please don't comment on body types, 'fine boned' to many teenage dancers means thin - if you're not 'fine boned' and 'thin' then you are overweight. We, as sensible adults know that this isn't the case, but please be careful of posting comments on a forum where sensitive young people could read and misinterpret the remarks. They have enough on their plate already. x 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 We have strayed away from the original conversation into discussion to such an extent now, and into discussion about body types, and so to avoid more I am going to lock the thread. I really don't feel that Tilly was offensive to anyone, just giving her point of view on her own child, and no-one was identifying anyone else's child, but it's probably best to move on now. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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