Jump to content

Lower School Auditions 2016


balletmum20

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.6k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

It seems it is mainly ballet, I only know about year 7. They have 3-4 hours a day of ballet, plus an hour of either modern, tap, or Pilates. Wednesday they do a bit less and they dance Saturday 9-12. Also do some early mornings if exams are coming up. I think all the schools have similar dance hours.

Edited by Snape
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They start on Intermediate Foundation, unless they have already done that grade as was the case with a couple of girls in the current Year 7. Those particular children went straight into Intermediate I believe. Exams are then taken at various times throughout the year. My dd for example did her IF before Easter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dd is now in Year 9.

 

In year 7 her timetable was

 

Mon am 90 mins ballet pm 60 mins ballet 60 mins tap

Tues am 90 mins ballet pm 60 mins singing 60 mins modern

Wed pm 60 mins ballet

Thurs am 90 mins RAD ballet pm 60 mins street/Pilates 60 mins drama

Fri am 90 mins RAD ballet pm 60 mins ballet 60 mins tap

 

On Saturday mornings she did 3 hrs of modern, creative & street/Pilates

 

The Year 9 timetable is

 

Mon pm 90 mins modern 60 mins singing 60 mins ballet

Tues 90 mins ballet 60 mins pointe 60 mins tap

Wed 60 mins ballet

Thurs am 90 mins RAD pm 60 mins ballet 60 mins modern

Fri am 90 mins RAD 60 mins tap 60 mins drama

Sat is an hour each of Pilates, ballet & contemporary

 

I believe that in year 10 they will no longer do drama (unless they choose it as a GCSE option) & they will add jazz & choreography.

 

Everyone starts in Year 7 with IF (unless already taken) but the RAD is just two classes per week. Everything else is non syllabus.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The quality of the classical ballet training in lower school at Hammond is excellent. You can rest assured that when they leave at year 11 they will be at a competitive level for entry to upper schools. Some students stay on at Hammond, others go to MT courses or choose to study dance or classical ballet elsewhere. The vast majority seem to have a choice of funded offers. I do not have any official destinations figures, nor do I wish to give references that would identify individuals but I have known of students going onto other schools like Elmhurst, ENB, Northern Ballet, Bolshoi, Ballet Theatre UK, Central, Royal Conservatoire Scotland, Urdang, Rambert, Tring, Laines, Bird.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Totally agree 2dancersmum our DS was at Hammond for five years and there is excellent tuition in all disciplines there. They also found his voice and he excelled in singing and acting too. He was offered funding at everywhere he auditioned (Professional dance and musical theatre level 6 diploma ) . The Hammond training prepared him well for the auditions , he was even offered funding at one place at the audition !! . He ended up going to his first choice though .... Laine , he is enjoying every minute of it .Couldnt have done it without The HAmmond .x

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seconded again - my son felt he learnt more at Hammond than his previous institution - the learning style suited him and the teachers went the extra mile (or 7).

 

My previous worries - living off site, being bussed in, turned out to be strengths as it gave him a "home" and "school" environment, and the wider range of student strengths and aspirations meant they were able to respect each other's skills without always being in direct competition for one part.  And you can play football there, even as a dancer!

 

My overwhelming impression is of a very fair school, where everyone was respected and given the chance, and parts in productions were, as far as possible, shared equally. Academically it was streets above his previous school.

 

this is from the mother of a ballet-till-I-die boy, who has been able to continue in that discipline (and avoided street dance classes for two years, and loved his two years in bottom group tap!)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Places can become available because people change their mind as the reality of going away hits in. Some personal circumstances change - family or health issues for example, meaning that it doesn't work for the family to have a child away. I have also been aware of the financial reality setting in and a family deciding they cannot manage the cost. One person declining a place can set off a chain of events, the place is offered to the next person on the list who may have previously accepted a place elsewhere, etc etc.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

My daughter gave up a full DaDa at Laines during August as we had to secure paper work for her place at the Bolshoi ballet school. She gave up her other funded offers as better offers from other schools came in. So yes even very late offers do become available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...