Jete Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hello I would like to know if anyone knows this school in Clapham. I am thinking of sending my daughter there. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks Jete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I can't help you really because I've never sent my DD there, neither do I know anyone who goes there... but wanted to respond because the Russian style does interest me, and I have heard of this school because I undertook some research to find a Russian school for her at one point. However this one is too far to travel on a regular basis. DD has had some one off coaching from a Russian teacher in the past and found it an eye opener. Jete, I would also be very interested to hear any feedback! Good luck, I hope someone knows something. G xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 My daughter attended this school about 3 years ago for about a year. She could only attend one day a week in the adult open class, she also attended their summer school. The training is excellent. Very hands on, which i believe a child needs in order to develop the correct muscles. This school gave my dd her first taste of true Russian training and as most will know inspired her to go on and finish her training in Russia. In the last year before she went out to Moscow she was very fortunate to find a Russian ballet school in Bristol which is where we are currently living (military family). Again she loved it and it was this school that allowed her to audition for the Bolshoi Ballet school. I would say give it a go, its not suited to everybody, but you will never know until you try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 On their website they say classes are (I think) £9 .... does that mean that it's pay as you go, or do you pay upfront for a term as at most schools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jete Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Dear Gingerbread and Primrose Thank you for the response. I think I will give it a go and see how she goes. Will keep you posted. Primrose, how wonderful. Is your DD in Russia now? BTW, the price is per class. Bye Jete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hi Jete, yes she is training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. The only thing I would say about the school in Clapham is that they do not like you to audition elsewhere, however it is your right to do what you feel is best for your child, a very valuable lesson I learnt in the last couple of years of my childs training whilst she was at vocational school. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jete Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Hi Primrose Thanks for letting me know. A very well done to your daughter and I hope all goes well on her assessment. Take care 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueperkins Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This school is excellent - my son trained there before being offered a place at The Bolshoi Academy in Moscow. Would highly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeliB Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Hi, my son went there on and off for around a year before being offered a full scholarship at Kirov Academy in Washington. I think the training there can be excellent, but a few caveats (just so you know what you are getting into!). On the positive side training is Russian (great if you like it), high standard (as evinced by their results) and they offer large fee discounts if your child is considered talented and is offered training aimed at achieving professional level. Also they have contacts at Bolshoi if you would like to consider that option. On the negative side they are very dismissive of all other forms of training than Russian and will go so far as to wash their hands of you if you consider any kind of english training (eg RBS associates), they have very few boys (can be hard as a boy not to have a cohort especially if they are relatively young- my DS was 12/13 and only one other boy there of the same age/standard who wouldn't speak to him as he didn't like having competition for the position of 'best boy'), they show a singular lack of understanding of the logistics of having a family (wanted DS to be there daily despite a 2 and a half hour commute each way and 3 younger siblings to manage), they are organisationally chaotic (never publish their term times, often don't answer phone or email etc) and lastly I would say that in terms of training (now I have seen the set up at Kirov) the studios are extremely small- so very hard to learn/practise big jumps and combinations. I know they have plans to expand so maybe this will change. That said if you live in London and can manage all the classes alongside normal school this is a good alternative to vocational school. Didn't work for us because of the distance and the lack of a boy cohort, which I do think is important for motivation and camaraderie. NB I should say a friend of DS who still trains with our local (Vaganova trained) teacher also attends a teacher in London who is Russian and is apparently fantastic- I could find out the details if you are interested... Edited February 23, 2012 by CeliB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 It sounds a nightmare, Celb! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeliB Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Ha ha, yes well there were nightmarish elements about it for us but I think partly due to having a boy and living a long way away. I think if you have a girl, live relatively locally and are not too easily wound up it provides some brilliant training at potentially v low cost.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jete Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Thank you everyone for the replies. I see on their website that they have a performance in April. I think I will take my DD to watch it. Anyone thinking of going? If so we could exchange our thoughts on the forum after the performance, which from what I can gather from your replies It must be good. Bye for now. Jete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hi my two DDs have been at london Russian since last April i can only say that the training is brilliant and also the support we have received,we live in surrey and can get to a tube which makes life easy.My DDs used to do R.A.D but now love Russian Ballet.My youngest is thirteen and attends most days after school and sat afternoons and my eldest started full time training there in September she is also doing two Alevels alongside her ballet training.The teachers are very honest and want to give pupils every chance,i agree that they dont like you attending other schools but my DDs are happy there,they used to go to Laines and had to make the decision to pick which sch to attend and they feel they made the right choice.Ihave always manaaged to speak to Someone if needed and they always call me back if i leave a message. If you look on youtube there are some videos of pupils at London Russian. Just wanted to say thankyou to Sue Perkins as it was after reading about her son on this site that we decided to try London Russian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I have to agree also with all that Celeb B has said. I have just come across this post on a young girls formspring account, She attended this school for many years. how come you changed schoooooooool? So here is the story. I was going to LRBS and I was happy. Then I started to become less happy as I was feeling restricted by them not only in what I was doing in the lessons but also how they were controlling my life outside ballet. for example they stopped letting me go visit my nan etc. Then I decided that I wanted to audition for ballet sixth forms but they didn't want me to. Decided not to go back... Got sent an awful email from the head of the school telling me how untrustworthy I was and how bad my behavior was and how I should be ashamed of myself because I had left. Decided REALLY never to go back... Of course I was upset at first but now I believe it was one of the best things that happened to me and my brother (who got chucked out as a consequence) xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueperkins Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I would just like to add another comment after reading about CeliB's experience. My son was the first teenager of either gender/boy over 10 to attend the school (he is now nearly 21). He was in a class of adults for the time he was there - older Gennya is an amazing teacher (he's the ex Bolshoi dancer) and was able to bring my son up to Bolshoi school audition standard in such a class (some classes were for complete adult beginners but my son wanted to go every day and they had no teenagers' classes way back then). My son coped and it was good training, having to make conversation with adults, for going to Moscow by himself at 15. This school is not unique in not wanting you to attend any other school - my son has attended a school in Surrey when he was much younger that did not want him to audition for National Youth Ballet and another which frowned upon him going to the Central associates. So, you cannot criticise them for this. And if they are heavily subsidising your child's training, do you not owe them some loyalty? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I agree, also there is two sides to that story London Russian are only asking for honesty after all they are putting a lot of time and money into the pupils that attend,most dancing schs have rules.My two DDs are not interested in looking elsewhere they know they are getting the best training possible. Go and see the show that way you will see how good the training is,that is what we did when we joined last April. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 The article by Primrose as to why someone left the russian Ballet School is somewhat misleading. All that i would say is that there are two accounts to every story and you have heard only one version. The only time i know where a pupil has been asked to leave is where they have been deceitful . If you are offered a bursary where you are getting a high level of teaching at a reduced cost, but still dance at other schools and attend auditions for other academies,without the prior knowledge of the school where you are gratefully receiving a reduced fee, then it is the right of that school in my opinion to terminate the pupils association with them and offer the bursary to someone more deserving. The Russian Ballet school is an excellent establishment with high quality teaching and would recommend them to anyone interested. They have a show in April and would suggest that anyone interested attend and make up their own opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I don't think that Primrose was having a go at this school, infact I think she had put some very positive comments forward regarding the school, however she gave a very balanced view of what the school was about. It came across to me that the Russian style of training is absolutely high standard, however like a lot of dance schools you are expected to stick to their rules. As members of the forum it is good that we get a balanced view of opinions and as individuals we can make our own minds up. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Thankyou Tulip, Doubletrouble if you read carefully my first post you will find that I agree that the training at the school is very good. However, the article I posted is far from misleading. My dd as I said was a pupil of this school. We stopped going because they insisted that I travel from Cambride to pick up my dd from Tring and then drive to Clapham every evening for her to have lessons with them. When I refused things became a little chilly. Its admirable that the school liked my dd and wanted to help her further with her ballet training. I can understand you being supportive and protective about the school but this is a forum where people are asking opinions of the school . I am giving my honest opinion about how things were for us and several other children that I know. Once again the school offers Fantastic ballet training but is far from perfect. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I did read your first comment primrose and have no issues with you posting your opinions, but when you add the comments of a third party which is only giving one side of events, then this does not form part of your personal opinion hence why I commented it was misleading and not a fair assessment of this excellent ballet school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolly Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Hi In response to Jete original post, I took my daughter to see this school performance as we were in London during this period and we were very impressed with the standard of the show. All dancers performed to a high standard and all performed extremely well on pointe. It was a very professional show overall including costumes, repertoire and standard. I will be making some enquiries regarding the training as my daughter seemed to be very keen. She is currently on a associate place in London and is hoping to train full time one day. I wondered if you had any more comments to add since your last posting ? Dolly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Hi Dolly just wanted to let you know that if you havent looked yet that there is information about LRBS on their website,my two DDs love it there my eldest goes full-time.If you ring the School ask for Harriott,or leave a message and she will get back to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jete Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 We went to see the performance and had a great evening, I second what Dolly has said. My DD is thinking of starting there next September. All the best. Jete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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