Petalviolet Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Actually your right I think it was straight forward not straddle! So maybe just a fortnight then... The quicker the better as I don't want a downer on my birthday month in July! My birthday lasts a month. Sometimes even into August. I'm sure I read here 1/10 statistically so I thought perhaps two or three from a class but as ours was the youngest they may not deem any to be ready yet or they may have seen some fresh faces they liked? No way of telling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Page 8 of the RBS annual report gives you a breakdown of figures for each centre for the last academic year x http://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/RBS_AnnualReport_spreads_1314.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I don't think I want to read that. I think I want to stay in fairyland where our place is assured. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 So looks like girls odds 1 in 8 boys 1 in 2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Ok so at our bath time stretches (seemed to be hitting post audition lacklustre phase already with these might ask advice in separate thread on motivational tips) managed to get a bit more out of DD and I know auditions all done for us lot but maybe someone reading for 2016 might be reading...who knows...? She also said that they were to pretend a corner of the studio was the Royal Opera house and that they had to run across the floor, choose a couple of jumps which they could make up but the landing pose had to be the same and then present to a pretend audience. I probably won't be able to milk her for much more insider tips because her tiny memory won't serve for much more than a couple of days before it reverts to more important things like Lego Friends. Also I think I've had enough ballet chat tonight after coming off the worse in a "there's no such thing as fondue in ballet" argument. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Good investigative skills petal violet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Oh and by the way I've let my dd off all stretches the rest of the half term now audition done. She will be back to them from Monday when she starts back at classes so was no biggie really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Think I'm definitely going to need some advice re stretching routines for the under tens but I always have to work up the courage to start a new thread and it can wait till Monday as have a few questions fermenting. Let's all just enjoy no more auditions before the pacing begins! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 This squat keeping heels on the floor is to check length of tendons. Short tendons are more difficult to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Hi tulip, yes that would Make sense, although they didn't do that stretch in the audition, the one petal violet was talking about was they sit with legs straight out in front as if to do a seated forward bend and then press knees into the ground to see if their heels pop up - we thought that was to see re swayback knees?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Also DD said they tried the same move with feet flexed so toes pointing to ceiling to see how far heels popped up? I guess they were checking for lots of things and that was the move that stuck in her mind the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I still think that they will be looking at hamstring and long tendons. Enjoy the experience everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new123 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 sorry I am getting confused now (easily done!).. the move that petalviolet mentions when they sit on the floor with legs forward in 1st and try to keep knees on the floor but lift the feet off, is what my daughter told me about as well (they must have spent some time on it for our little girls to talk about this particular move).. so... were they supposed to be able to lift the heels off the ground or not? as if they were checking for sway knees, wouldn't it be desirable to keep the heels on the floor rather than up in the air? My daughter said she felt they impied it was good for ballet to be able to lift them up and she said she tried really hard to do it and managed to get them up an inch or so..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Exactly. The position was sitting on the floor, legs in front with either toes pointed heels off and feet flexed heels off. Now whether heels off and to the degree heels off is a good or bad thing I can't possibly judge. DD may have been trying to stretch to do something that emphasised a negative but SHE THOUGHT the purpose was to see how high those heels came off the floor as if it was a good thing!!?? It's purely one move during the whole audition that has sparked interest in their minds or was memorable. I'm sure there were lots of other positions as the audition was thorough and would have incorporated lots of different aspects. I mention simply because it was an interesting topic and I think the girls were having a good go at trying to do their best! Well done little ones and try not to worry parents! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Yes, it was to get heels off, and I think it is to see if they can. I don't think the point in that position was to keep them down as I know DD has had a teacher do that with her before and told her to practice as it was desirable to lift heels off as high as poss, with legs out straight in front. Interestingly that wasn't the one my dd was worried about - she spent the whole week before the audition practising her seated forward bend, trying to hold it flat for 60 seconds. She was sooooo hung up on that stretch - (which is to test hamstring flexibility obvs). Luckily they did do it in the audition, although she said only held it for 20 seconds, made me laugh when she told me that cause she must have been lying there over her legs counting to herself. SO glad they did do it otherwise I think she would have come out very disappointed after all her focussing on it! I agree, they are all to be commended, there is no way I would have had the courage to do these auditions at their age!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new123 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 thank goodness for this forum! I did music when I was young (er) so have no dance knowledge at all, this is v helpful. oh the things we do for our little ones!! My son's interests are very different to my daughter's, cricket and programming weren't my hobbies either.... can't they choose something we as parents are more familiar with? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomin Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Do your kids all enjoy stretching? Or do you have to dangle the proverbial carrot?! I always thought it was a bad thing to stretch out the the back of the knee to get more swayback? I always presumed a bit but not too much was ideal (unless you're russian!) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Honestly I'm just glad we got through the audition without an alarm sounding and a trapdoor opening. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 DD has never done that particular stretch before or worked on improving it as I also thought it was one of those tricky physical things you are just born with that creates a pleasing line but is hard to work with and too much was a bad thing? Even in her Russian classes but then she's still v young and not advanced. She only started to enjoy stretching when it began to pay off and she could see improvement but now auditions over and we still have to keep going....reaching a wall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 They'd be no discussing it here would there? If they don't like you...it's the chute. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Just quickly asked my daughter what they could be looking for with that exercise. I said whilst in box splits, she said that they (dancers) thought it was to check for swaybacks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 It was a Russian teacher who told DD to practise it - not that she often did, lol. On the general stretching issue she has only really gotten into doing regular stretching in last six months, now she does do it 4 or 5 times a week at home after classes when she is warmed up (although every day in last few weeks run up to audition). Again it was only a good few months solid routine that brought about a noticeable change in her flexibility and convinced her of the value of it. Before that she got frustrated if no change after one stretch session, lol, although as they are young it's not really surprising they find it hard to appreciate it is a long term pay off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aballetlife Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 yeah any exercise where you poo your heels of the floor is generally to look for swaybacks, I think most people (dancers!) can get their heels off a small amount and then the more swayback the more your heels come off. I think it's because someone with quite large sways would have 'bent' legs when sat on the floor normally so when they fully straightened their legs their heels would pop off?? hope this makes some sort of sense? :/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I wondered as I remember it being mentioned in our Day As A JA that associates get homework (so to speak) a selection of small exercises to do a few nights a week like froggies and zipping up tummy muscles and I thought just introducing these on a regular basis would get DD into the habit and see how committed she was? I assumed it's not just for Royal Associates but for all the pre vocational courses so Tring or YDA, LJB, Elmhurst etc all might encourage this. We did spend more time on splits and that's where the most improvement has been (again took about three months before noticeable) but that hadn't been required in any audition and only gave her confidence in the waiting room! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Oh aballetlife...such a knowledgable post scuppered by autocorrect... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aballetlife Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I know I've just noticed and it's too late to edit... cringe! ???? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomin Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Love it ???? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 When my dd auditioned for a year 6 RBS JA place, at the suggestion of her teacher, she was only doing one graded ballet class a week. She couldn't do the splits, achieve flat froggie, bend double or have practiced any of the exercises discussed on here. She lined up with the other 21 year 5 girls and I wondered what we were doing there ! They chose 2 that day, my Dd being one of them ! I still don't know what she did in that audition. It remains a mystery to me. When I watch her dance now I see her love of dance, maybe that was it ! Good luck to all your little Dds and Dss ! Enjoy the ride x 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Maybe that's what all the squatting was about. NO PV NO! This thread is not to be sullied by your whimsy. I want this thread to be one of the threads Anna C chooses to pin when anyone asks about the RBS. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Cotes du Rhone, you've just given us all hope! Well done to your dd btw, hope she enjoyed her time at JAs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 She did amos73 thank you x She is now at vocational school and has just made me smile with a quick message "❤️" . Says it all really. I feel it's about love and luck ! And you need a bucket full of both x 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 And a wand. Have found hermione granger wand in ballet bag which due to previous injury has snapped in half again. Chute beckons. DD got licked in the face by a large black lab on the way home? My mother purports that to be lucky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred71 Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Wow Petalviolet you have managed to get so much out of your DD after the audition. We (well obviously not me haha! Can't pass for a 7 year old) were in the same class. My DD loved it, the best part being making up a dance/ (port-de-bras exercise I think?) pretending to be fire. Apart from that, I asked her whether she had done anything else she didn't normally do in ballet and she said 'Well yes Mummy, I don't normally stand with my back to anyone'. !! That was it! Cotes du Rhone that did give me hope, thanks, all we can do is wait. I really hope it's the case that we hear nearer the middle of June than the end, I don't think I can cope with it! Good luck to everyone.. On another note, as my DD loved it so much I've been investigating the other options such as LJB and Tring. Does anyone know if you audition in November for Tring and get through, do you start in the January? Are there fewer children auditioning then? Is LJB very difficult to get into? Auditions are in September again as we missed the May ones... Sorry for all the questions! Thanks all, I love this forum, it's a whole new world to me! :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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