Piepie

Hi, I know you posted this ages ago, but I'm really in need of some help. My daughter (18) is about to start at Pole and I feel like we have not been looked after in terms of sorting things out. I'm sure it's totally our fault but we haven't requested any accommodation (we thought we had, but we hadn't) so now I'm really worried about what I'm going to do. I can't find any forum for help, they're closed and time is ticking on!! Cannes is not easy to work out how to get rental accommodation and without knowing the area it's a nightmare. What I'm asking is is there anywhere I can look for expats at the school support or anything like that? I can't tell how old your child is so not sure if you're in a similar situation or not. Would be grateful for any help at all!! Thank you xx

Thanks for your replies, I know this isn't a big area for people from the UK. Yes, they are soooo much cheaper, it makes you wonder how we charge so much if they can do it for so much less!! We are going to start a spread sheet to work out which ones to apply for

Hi, I've had a look through previous forums and I can't find anything to look at, sorry if this has all been covered before. My daughter wants to go to a contemporary school in Europe, preferably french speaking as she is doing french A-level. Being realistic she is going to have to leave ballet behind, as she doesn't have the strength for pointe work (after six years of trying to find pointe shoes that fit, we have to accept that they don't exist). She's at Tring at the moment. I need help with any aspect of auditioning in Europe, and auditioning this year when travel is going to be so difficult! We are trying to look at P.A.R.T.S, but I can't work out the audition process if anyone has any insight? Then the two Conservatoires National Superieur in Lyon and Paris, ACTS ecole de dance, Paris Marais, Pole National Superieur. Obviously can't afford to audition for all of them, but also can't find out any information about which is better, what their focus is on. Her teacher mentioned Canada, but I think I want her closer to hand than that so don't know if I'm going to invest much effort in that Thank you for anyone who can help, this forum has always been so helpful through my dance parent life, especially as I don't know what I'm doing even now!! xx

Thank you! I thought it would be odd if they'd all done it by year 12!! Not sure what the reasons are behind it 🤔

Hi, not quite on topic but this is the closest thread I could find. My DD is starting sixth form at Tring and the teacher who does the saturday classes there advised that she do her advanced 2 before she goes to Tring. She's only been on the syllabus for a year, if that, and finds it really hard so she doesn't want to do it, and her teacher doesn't want her to do it. Basically she's not ready. Will this disadvantage her at Tring? Will most other people have done their advanced 2 by year 12? I thought she would be better to wait then she could at least be in a class with other kids who are going to do the exam (she's pretty much on her own at her school). It's so expensive to do the exam, and I think you have to get a very good mark or it's not worth your while doing it. Any thoughts? x o

Thanks everyone, we went to see Sheila (didn't see that you'd posted on here Sheila before we came!) today at Just Ballet and she was amazing and was easily the best fitting we've ever had. She is trying the FR Duval and another pair of Grishko. Glad to find somewhere that will definitely remember us, and takes the time to get it right.

I do really like the lady at Dancique, she's great, but we had no success there either

We go to London for shoes (sounds fancy!!). Yes, I think it's the high arch and flexibility that make things very hard. I haven't heard of Russian pointe, is that a brand or a style? Where could we go to see them? Thanks for input all, really great x o

Hi, My DD is 16 now and we have always struggled with getting pointe shoes to fit her feet. They are VERY flexible feet and it seems that there is not a shoe that ever seems to work for long. She is currently in Grishko I think, have had two or three pairs of Freed, at least two pairs of Gaynor Mindens. She is not at vocational yet, and we still only get about three weeks out of a pair of shoes doing minimal amount of pointe compared to what she will be doing. I have consulted all her teachers (mostly because they love to tell us that we have the wrong shoes, but refuse to come along to the hour long pointe shoe fitting to try to find something that works!) and generally it has been the consensus that at some point we are going to have to start having them made, and I think maybe we've hit that point. Her feet are maybe a few centimetres smaller when fully flexed and this makes her arch very hard for her to control when she's on pointe. She does lots of exercises to strengthen her feet, but because she doesn't feel supported in her shoes she is starting to hate doing pointe. My question, after a long winded ramble, is how do I go about finding someone who makes pointe shoes? I'm not a dancer, but from what I gather she has a tricky foot to shoe!! Thanks

That's great news! Congratulations xx

Hi Bean73, we have had an offer for sixth form this week (very pleased) with a wait list place for boarding. I think we got the letter on thursday so it was two weeks and two days after audition. Good luck!

Thanks for replies, Bedes and Moorland are very far away, and probably too expensive (we get means tested out of any scholarships, but still can't afford them!). I don't think she would be interested in YDA, she has had some interactions with girls that have gone there and so I don't think she would be comfortable. I'm probably getting on for leaving it too late to apply to other places now anyway, maybe if we don't get Tring it's just the universe telling her to take another path for now! x o

Thanks for that, I've never even heard of Russian Ballet School! I'll have a look x o

Hi, My dd is in a bit of indecision about what to do next year as she really wants to carry on with A-levels and dance. We didn't get in to Elmhurst, waiting to hear from Tring. She is now saying she's not sure she wants to audition at Central or Rambert as they don't offer any academics. Does anyone have any experience of doing academic study at either of these schools and how to go about it? I don't feel very positive about her Tring audition and I'm really trying to keep as many doors open for her as possible for as long as possible. Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks, xx

Thank you, I will try to get in touch with school. I know at other schools they are expected to be reasonably independent at sixth form. Plus she spends most of her time on her own in her room anyway!! xx

Hi, I'm also looking at Tring for DD next year. She only wants to apply there as she sees it as the only place where she may be able to get A-levels and she has decided that that is important to her too. I don't think we can afford the fees to board, but we are just a bit too far to drive every day. Has anyone ever found any other option like boarding in the town with anyone, or even living on their own in a flat? I think that would take fees to around the £20k mark which is at least less than I earn (though only just)!

Wow, this video has made me feel better about myself and the decisions that we made!! I took my dd out of Elmhurst in year 8 for a number of reasons, and posts like this make me even more certain that we did the right thing. The lovely Errol Pickford also supported us, as he thought that experiencing other sports and a normal life was very important too. I have always wondered what happens to those that start in year 7, how many of them go on to become dancers? Would be an interesting piece of research to interview some older people who have gone through the system and see how they think it affected their lives.

She's doing GCSEs and she's a stress head, and we left vocational because I wanted her to focus more effectively on her exams so I feel I would be a bit hypocritical if I then did this. Never mind. Thanks for replies xx

No, I've just realised that!! What are the chances of there being any exams the week before half term though? They are also required 20th to 25th all day. Feeling like the right thing to do for the sake of her exams is not audition!! But it would be such a good experience

We would be applying for Northampton which is May 27th to June 1st 2019 performance dates. There is no way there won't be GCSEs or A-levels in that week so they are essentially saying that only year 12 pupils or those that are just left school can apply! I called New Adventures to check that I had interpreted this correctly and she said that all performers had to be available for that week completely, so there's no point in us applying. Such a shame, as it would be an amazing opportunity.

They sent out the forms with the email I got, and one of them was applying for the license. I don't remember a section that talked about any absences required. They said they wanted a letter from the school and gave guidelines on what the letter had to say. I think the only issue is that they only feel you need one half day off school (and that is providing you are within half hour of the venue), and as someone coming from much further away it will be two half days (to get to the friday 4pm rehearsals) and the whole of friday (as we are supposed to be there thursday night, then 12.30 on friday). So I will be asking for much more time from my school. I have sent the school through the timetable as well so that they can see what it is all about and a link to the website. I think I will leave it to them to sort out, and hope that's enough.

Okay, should I email to EYB to ask about that?

Thanks for that Pups-mum, not negative, practical. We chose Oxford because granny lives there so I have asked her to take on some of the rehearsals and have my daughter overnight for some of the weekends; will make it a lot easier for us in terms of hanging around! I have emailed school to ask for the time off, hopefully they will be okay with it all x

Very excited to get an email this morning to say that my daughter has a place on this (she's 13). Any top tips, thoughts from people with previous experience would be really welcome. It seems to be very intense for September (rightly, the performance is in October!!). We will have to take more time off school than it suggests as we are coming from Northamptonshire. Is anyone else travelling a bit for this? Also on the weekends of the rehearsals will it be okay to miss mid-associates or should we bust a gut to do both? I'm really excited about this, I hope it is fun!!

I've just started looking at EYB. Has your dc done this before?