balletmadmom Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 As I understand it, ENB does not offer A levels, but Royal and Elmhurst do and Central and Rambert are degree courses, with degree funding. And... following on from earlier, I assume that although students do get places in year 2 and 3 of upper schools, clearly places will be even harder to attain in these years than for first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Don`t you have to be specially invited to attend the Graduate Class at RBS? I didn`t think just anyone could turn up and audition for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Jaylou - it is a stressful year but you may find at this stage the anticipation of what is to come is worse than when the auditions start. My DD felt a lot better after that first audition when she could see that in her words - she did not stick out like a sore thumb for being worse than the others. With my DD we also reassured her that she could try again the following year or at 18, that it wasn't the end if she could not go at 16. My DD enjoyed every audition she did and came away happy for the 'extra' ballet class. The fact that she was so busy with GCSEs and ballet classes did mean she had no time to dwell on any audition or its outcome. It is undoubtedly hard year but remind her that at least she has a long summer break to catch up on anything she feels she has missed out on. For my DD this was a social life as for the most part she just did not have time to see her friends outside of school. Good luck to your DDs and yourself this year. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Hi all - I am wondering if any of you have DC who are at Northern Ballet School (Manchester) or if not, participated in the audition process last year. If you are willing to share your experiences of the school and the diploma offered I would be very grateful. Many thanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Talking of Northern Ballet School, I've found that it's quite hard to navigate around their website. It doesn't seem to matter which computer I use either. Is it just me, or has anyone else found this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet? Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Talking of Northern Ballet School, I've found that it's quite hard to navigate around their website. It doesn't seem to matter which computer I use either. Is it just me, or has anyone else found this? We struggled too, there appears to be a scroll bar I'm the centre .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 We struggled too, there appears to be a scroll bar I'm the centre .... Exactly, you use it to scroll down until it drops off the bottom of the screen and you can't get any further down to read the rest of it. Glad I'm not the only one.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 My daughter auditioned at Northern two years ago. It was all very pleasant with a physio assessment and an interview with the director after the ballet class. A nice audition and not stressful as far as we remember. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Tulip, what sort of questions did they ask at the interview? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 I will ask my daughter when she phones home tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Northern Ballet had a tour round the facilities to start with a Q&A session with the director.Parents then were sent away as they did their auditions. As tulip says physio and interview followed. Questions were along the lines of - why you like to dance, what you hoped to achieve through your training, if you knew what direction you wanted training to take you, your ideal job - all quite general questions and quite chatty and relaxed. It was my DDs 1st ever interview and she came out smiling. One question I know they ask, because they told us parents is - how many GCSES do you take/have taken and how many GCSEs are/are predicted to be at grade C or above. The director was quite adamant she just wanted to hear a number and not have someone talk about them or be adding them up mentally or out loud when she asked the question. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Besides the stress of all the actual auditions, I would just like to pre-warn everyone to be prepared for the possible unexpected costs as well! Last year when my dd did all her auditions, I had budgeted for a certain number of hotel stays (for those schools which were a long way from home), but what I hadn't planned for was some of the early arrival/audition times at many of the more closer schools! Maybe we were just unlucky, but for both my dd's auditions at Tring & Rambert, we had to register at 8.45am and for her RBS, ENB & Central it was 9am. Because we did not want to risk travelling on the morning in the rush hour (stressful enough, without having the added worry of traffic or train delays!!) this consequently meant that I had to book an overnight hotel stay for those as well, which for London in particular certainly was not cheap. So that was an additional 5 hotel bookings on top of the 2 for Elmhurst & Northern, which I had originally planned for. Then add to that any further ones for Finals, an absolute small fortune was put on my credit card! Maybe we were just unlucky getting all the early slots, as for some they got lunchtime or afternoons. Guess it's luck of the draw. But just be prepared. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 We've still got a year to go - perhaps I should start saving now! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guesty Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Its her life is so spot on with her comments! Include everything in your budget for audition season. I really adds up. Saying that ...its wonderful to be a part of this very exciting year for your dc. Make the most of it and enjoy the special moments you have together cause when they get that place and start next september you wilk miss them! We made a revision schedule for dd gcse that started early so that she was less stressed and that worked well. She came out with excellent results but was very prepared and that was key as academics other than math and science aren't her thing. Also, we talked a lot before each audition on getting a yes or no and how that would affect dd. It helped me know the places she really wanted to get and her to see that it wasn't life ending if she got a no. Have a fantastic plan b and a wonderful plan c in place so worse case scenario your dc will know she is ok. I know one girl last year that got finals at several top places but no offers...she has gone on to her plan c to study medicine i believe ... good luck to her...she will earn more no doubt! Good luck to all. Long year ahead but all performing arts students who really want to make it are very driven ...that inner strength they have will prevail. As parents we worry more than them sometimes! Pm me anytime if i can help. X 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletmadmom Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Its her life.... was it all worth it though? Did you DC get into an upper school? With the actual cost of ENB and Elmhurst being £17k and £27k respectively if you earn over £70k, it makes you wonder if it is worth spending the money auditioning. My husband does earn over £70k, which sounds a lot, but with four children, there is not a spare £20k a year floating about! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaylou62 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) As well as auditioning for schools in the UK dd is sending DVD auditions to 4 schools in Germany. German ballet school's tuition is free for EU students. The schools use Vaganova style training. She is applying for John Cranko; Hamburg; Munich and Mannheim. The websites are: http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/schulgeld.htm http://www.en.john-cranko-schule.de/admission/ http://www.heinz-bosl-foundation.com/ http://www.muho-mannheim.de/frame.php?path=/wirueberuns/Ballett Edited October 7, 2013 by Jaylou62 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaylou62 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Ooops - the link for John Cranko doesn't work - try this http://en.john-cranko-schule.de/schooling/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Yes balletmadmom, it was all worth it. My dd got into Tring on a full DADA (i'm a single parent on very low income so qualified). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 A quick and unashamed plug for the wonderful Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The course is a 3 year degree course, student funding available. In the current first year there are 10 students. The studios are very modern. There are close company links with the Scottish Ballet (students visited in their first week, and actually used the studios for class as the Genee was using theirs ..). Students generally live in halls for all 3 years, with pretty much exclusively RCS students, from a variety of courses. 15 minutes walk from the studios. Very generous bursaries are available. RAD training also encouraged. Actively encouraged to be part of the wider artistic community One very happy DS - except he has to be in early so can't always hang out with his mates on the jazz course who don't start until 11! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I know that the school you mention Meadowblythe is new. However I think they have had two years of graduating students. Are you able to tell me where these students have gained employment. Just being nosey really. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Others on this forum will have more info than me but I do know that they had very high rates - when I last asked this question (last april) they were expecting 90% plus for the year that were graduating - destinations mentioned were Ballet Wales, Northern Ballet and several going to the Far East. Afraid I can't remember the details. Bear in mind they are talking fairly small numbers. To be honest we felt that these were people we trusted to give our son the best chance of finding employment, so we were prepared for him to take his chances at the end of the course, or at the very least, to gain an excellent training along the way. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I know that they do have a good teaching faculty. I am just curious with it being new their graduate destinations. A huge well done to the students gaining employment in these difficult times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frangapani Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 My Central form printed off okay - but The Hammond one has come through a bit fuzzy - as if I was reading it after several glass of good red wine! Cripes it is SO stressful isn't it?? F x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Could anyone tell me how if you audition for hammond how important it is to be good at singing ? My dd wants to audition bit is put off by the fact IOU have to song. She can just about hold a time Sorry if posted in wrong place I'm a complete newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Apologies in advance for spelling etc . Sending off phone whilst walking dogs probably not good mix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Hi Mad House, welcome to the forum. If you and your DD are interested in Hammond I would not be put off by the fact you have to sing. The dance part of the audition comes first and if a candidate impresses in dance I imagine they are looking for potential as much as anything else in the vocal. They will know who has had vocal training. Don't forget that although it is a common audition for a common first year, the course splits into dance and musical theatre strands in year 2. I doubt anyone is equally strong at dance, vocal and acting and I imagine they do choose candidates both on their existing strengths and their potential in their weaker areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Thanks for your advice 2dancersmum, She is hoping to audition for yr 12 will this make any difference in what they need to do in terms of singing and dancing? If she were to get an audition she would need a very basic song she could sing . Does anyone have any ideas on a something simple??? Sorry for all the questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 If you look at post 16 dance on the website it tells you what the audition consists of. Ballet, contemporary and jazz class auditions, followed by vocal warmup class and then solo songs. Songs need to be musical theatre and they sing an extract, not the whole song. Is there a music or singing teacher at her school that she could ask about it? No one really can recommend a song to suit her - your DD needs to listen to some songs she likes and see what styles she likes and can sing. You can get audition song books from places like amazon that come with sheet music, CD for practicing to and guidance for if you want to choose your own extract rather than starting from the beginning. A few sessions with a singing teacher might help boost her confidence though if possible. After lunch the definite 'no thanks you' are finished and go home. The others then have their dance solos, 2nd song, monologues etc. It is not an easy audition, but then none are but at least you more than one class to show what you can do. Good luck with it all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Thanks for info on audition 2 dancersmum dd has never had singing lessons although she was in school choir for a while. She really is put off by having to do a song. I think she needs to make a decision and take it from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 The important thing is to give it a go, show you are willing to learn & try & bring some character to the song. Oh & make sure she learns the words (might sound obvious but you'd be surprised how many don't) & mark any cuts in the music clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Ill PM you later when I'm not at work with what I know of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Hi and thanks pucturesinthefirelight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 This has reminded me. I really must get my dh to sort out running some singing audition prep workshops. He was thinking about it last year & there seemed to be interest. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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