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Royal Ballet School SS


Mouseys mum

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Did this application consist of only pictures or did the application form ask pertinent questions such as training, length of training, etc.? I'm just wondering how they will decide based on pictures alone!

They asked on the form what their last exam passed was, current level of study, hours of ballet per week, hours of other dance per week though I have no idea how much any of this is taken into account when selecting.

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Of course it's not just photo based, the students standard of training must be of a high enough standard to cope with the ballet classes offered. This is an international ss where the standard is going to be extremely high. It's no good having a beautiful physique without the experience and ability. My daughter attended the senior summer school a couple of years ago, very few British, standard was high, classes full on.

Edited by Tulip
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My daughters JA teacher told me, when i thanked her for whatever recommendation she put in when she got summer school last year, that she has no input whatsoever and they really do choose off photos and apparent facility. The app form just gives an indication of whether they will cope with number of classes but I've known children attend doing very few hours a week from a small local ballet school and on average level grades for their age (i.e. My dd!) and those who do lots of hours. However that was for year 5, this may change the higher up the year groups you go. We certainly felt very privileged to attend as you are correct in that children from the uk are in the minority, even in the youngest years, but my dd was able to keep up, even as part of the year 5/6 class xx

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I guess I asked this question because I know of a dancer with a very good ballet facility.  Unfortunately I don't think she is at the level she should be for her age.  Would this dancer, based on pictures alone, be accepted to the highest level of this SS? 

Edited by balletsoccermom
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Can I ask a quick question - what is the general level/grade you should be at according to age? So, what grade should a child be at on average at age 8, 10, 11 (vocational school entry) and 16 (upper school entry)? Is there a consensus?

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Can I ask a quick question - what is the general level/grade you should be at according to age? So, what grade should a child be at on average at age 8, 10, 11 (vocational school entry) and 16 (upper school entry)? Is there a consensus?

 

I'm pretty new to this but I would say it's impossible to say!

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I am no expert in these matters, but I have known children to have been accepted to vocational school aged 11 with no previous experience other than an outreach programme or once a week recreational class.

 

However aged 16 I have not heard of anyone be accepted to a ballet based upper school who has not been dancing on pointe for several years & reached a high level of technique around Adv 1 Level even if actual exams have not been taken.

 

Someone recently told me that at Elmhurst they enter their dancers for Intermediate in Year 9. Someone else told me that at Hammond they aim for everyone to have taken at least Adv 1 by the end of Year 11 but many will have taken Adv 2.

Edited by theother51
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Can I ask a quick question - what is the general level/grade you should be at according to age? So, what grade should a child be at on average at age 8, 10, 11 (vocational school entry) and 16 (upper school entry)? Is there a consensus?

 

Very rough rule of thumb? SS that specify a minimum grade like English National Ballet accept from age 11 and expect Grade 5/IF. For vocational entry at 16 most schools specify a minimum of knowing the Intermediate syllabus well. Most dd we met  on our audition travels for 6th form entry were Adv 1 or Adv 2.

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My dd is 11 (year 6) & started intermediate foundation in September.

I'm not familiar with grades as no experience of ballet before DD started. It seems she is doing 2 exam boards so IDTA grade 5 and inter foundation RAD. Does this sound right? Edited by Living2dance
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Hi,  we will be looking into summer schools next year, so reading all this has been great  Thank you.  Just a question, Do the children have to be at a certain grade for the summer schools or doesn't this matter.  My little girl will be 10 when we apply next year but at the moment is 9 and in grade 2 RAD

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I'm not familiar with grades as no experience of ballet before DD started. It seems she is doing 2 exam boards so IDTA grade 5 and inter foundation RAD. Does this sound right?

Yes that sounds about right to me. Some schools seem to do the graded exams alongside vocational exams while others like dd's school do either or after grade 4

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Hi,  we will be looking into summer schools next year, so reading all this has been great  Thank you.  Just a question, Do the children have to be at a certain grade for the summer schools or doesn't this matter.  My little girl will be 10 when we apply next year but at the moment is 9 and in grade 2 RAD

Some summer schools ask for the children to be working at or above a certain level to apply while others don't but ask what their most recent exam passed is or what grade they are currently in presumably to know what group to put them in at the summer school

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are we meant to hear today?? I know it will be a No but just want to know!!!

We are the same. Not holding out much hope but just want to know. I read on here that we would hear this week though haven't seen a specific day mentioned.

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I'm working on the basis that we will hear at the end of the week. No insider knowledge, but im presuming they're so busy with WL finals results, that those children will get their results first, perhaps older years finals today, boys finals tomorrow, yr 7 girls finals Thursday, leaving summer schools to hear late Thursday/Friday, simply because they said we'd hear this week.

 

I don't envy the admin staff at all at RBS this time of year, imagine the pressure to get them all out, on time! And correct! ???? You seriously would be double and triple checking your work this week!

 

Good luck to all. Hope it's sooner xxxx

Edited by Balletmummy55
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I'm working on the basis that we will hear at the end of the week. No insider knowledge, but im presuming they're so busy with WL finals results, that those children will get their results first, perhaps older years finals today, boys finals tomorrow, yr 7 girls finals Thursday, leaving summer schools to hear late Thursday/Friday, simply because they said we'd hear this week.

I don't envy the admin staff at all at RBS this time of year, imagine the pressure to get them all out, on time! And correct! You seriously would be double and triple checking your work this week!

Good luck to all. Hope it's sooner xxxx

I think you are probably right Balletmummy55. I definitely don't envy the admin with so much to get out in the same week

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