glowlight

I think this is a good message for @LexBallet's dd. Even professional dancers have to focus on their technique.

That's exciting - that is where I went to school for 6th form!! Fantastic location.

Some 12 year olds regularly wear make up and feel uncomfortable without it. But if your dd doesn't usually wear make up I would probably avoid it for the exam. If the teacher thinks it is important to wear make up, then at least have dd practice a bit before hand. Even just a little foundation and mascara feels strange and uncomfortable if you're not used to it.

Some students simply don't get on with some teachers. It's not that the teacher is wrong or that the child is wrong - sometimes they simply don't gel, and continuing down that route can be unhealthy.

The info pack says... 'BBC Young Dancer was first staged in 2015 and normally takes place every two years. With the emergence of Covid 19 this next edition was delayed and will now run through 2021, with the Final taking place in early 2022' It looks as if initial casting calls will be in August, Residency in October with the final in Jan 2022. I guess with lockdowns there just isn't time to fit the whole programme in to 2021.

I would agree - if it isn't suiting your child and if they don't want to continue, it is probably best to withdraw him/her. However discuss it with him/her before making the decision - they may be horrified at the thought! When my dd was a child, if she wanted to stop a hobby/activity/class I would say she had to keep going to the end of that term. That gave time to assess whether it was just a bad patch, and I felt also told her that commitment was important too.

Yorkshire Dance are advertising opportunities for 'Dance Entrepreneurs', open to 16 to 24 year olds who are on Universal Credit. This looks like a fantastic opportunity as it combines training in Arts Administration with a performance project.

If you look further down the page there are also adverts for Norwegian Cruise Lines and Crystal - these two don't seem to have age limits.

Very positive to see that the cruise companies are auditioning again.

Coincidentally the BBC website had a link to this interview with gymnast Beth Tweddle about the problems of puberty for young sportswomen.

The only other thing I would suggest, would be talk to your dd and see how she feels. See if she wants to continue with ballet, making it clear that she can if she wants to. See if she wants to stay at this school or look elsewhere. Empower her by making it her choice, and then do everything you can to support her in it.

I don't have experience of this, and I don't know if ENBS operate a reserve list, but it seems to me that it could be a case of 'No news is good news.' If they have said it is 'under review' then at least you know that the response hasn't been lost in the post. They may be waiting to see what responses they get from their first round of offers, which I think were made at the beginning of April. Most schools give people a few weeks to make up their mind. Of course if you have other offers which need a decision it puts you in quite a difficult position.

Hi Shauna - what a string of bad luck you have had, but you are doing well to still be fighting for your dream. Have you considered Northern Ballet School in Manchester? When my DD trained there (albeit more than 10 years ago now) there were students in her year ranging from the age of 16 to 26. Age certainly wasn't a barrier to admission. Whilst you will get a solid classical ballet training at NBS, you will also get excellent training in other genres of dance which will make you a more employable and versatile dancer in the long run. Although not everyone gets a funded place, there is funding available through the DADA scheme, which offers support for fees and living expenses - the amount you get depends on your household income. Living expenses in Manchester are cheaper than in London, and we knew of several students who were effectively supporting themselves through part time jobs. Looking on their website it seems applications are still open - however I would urge you to apply sooner rather than later, because they will be starting to allocate their DADA awards around now, so you don't want to miss the boat on funding. Good luck.

@alison - I can still see Lillya's email address in her post

Here we go again...how are folk feeling about the gradual easing of restrictions? I am determined to be more bold this time as I feel I missed opportunities to spend time with family last summer. Today we went to a busy outdoor market. I found the crowds, the noise and the proximity of other people very strange and slightly daunting. But I really enjoyed the amazing grilled cheese sandwich on artisan bread.

I think my dd was about 12 when other things started to fall by the wayside. It was really when the pressures of high school plus the increase in time spent dancing (and travelling to dance classes) meant that other things naturally fell away. But she didn't really have any other serious hobbies at that stage so the choice wasn't as hard as yours. She didn't play any musical instruments when younger, but started singing lessons when she was about 14 as she felt she felt this might help with her future dance career. I think you will know if and when the time comes that a choice needs to be made. You just won't be able to fit everything in! Until that point, and as long as she is still enjoying it all, personally I would keep options open as much as possible.

Absolutely. And I certainly didn't meant to imply that lack of comment should always ring alarm bells.

I think the message is to enter the whole process with caution. Just because one person (or group of people) had a bad experience at a particular time doesn't mean that will still be the case. Similarly a school which has always been top form may take a turn for the worse - things change as staff change. Also ..different children will have different experiences at the same school at the same time - different personalities, different bodies all contribute. Trust your instincts and listen to your DCs. Be very cautious if your DC is being advised to dance when injured (I'm not saying that it is always wrong - but it should ring alarm bells). Notice if their personality seems to be changing in a negative way. And..look critically at what people write on the forum and what they don't write. If there are lots of positive posts about a named school then that is a good sign. If there is very little comment about a named school - what aren't people saying?

How sad...conversely my DD was given the advise from a teacher and former performer that she deeply respected that if it came to a choice it was important to chose the option which was right for her and her family.

I remember asking exactly the same question to a work colleague whose daughter had gone through vocational training when my dd was about to go to her first associates audition. He looked genuinely surprised at my question, as if it hadn't even occurred to him to regret the choices they had made, even though is daughter never danced professionally due to injury. As to me, no I don't regret the expense or the time commitment at all. But we always kept the expense within what we could reasonably afford as a family, and drew some lines about time commitments. eg For many years we managed to keep Sundays free as a family day. When dd was in her teens I was grateful she had a hobby which she loved, which consumed so much of her time. It meant she never really wanted to party like some of her friends did...she knew she wouldn't be up for Saturday morning associates class if she had been to an 'all nighter'. The fact that she was able to make a career of this passion was really an added bonus.

@BalletBliss - don't take this lightly when I say that it was a HUGE achievement for your DD to get a place in the finals. There are hundreds of wonderful dancers who audition and don't get that far. Please encourage her to keep going (if that is what she wants). You will see from other threads that there are many other opportunities out there.

@BalletBoyMumma makes some excellent points in her post, but this is really important. Social Media is media - it was what people chose to publish about themselves. Just as what you read in a magazine or see on the TV may not give you a full and balanced picture - what people publish can be very one-sided. I would also add that if one particular school has had particular success this year, it could be the luck of the draw, could be that they've struck it right with the balance of their teaching this year, or maybe the camaraderie that these students feel when auditioning together gave them that extra boost of confidence that helped them to shine in their final audition. I remember the very first audition my dd did, her dance teacher took a group of them together and made a day out of it. They were all dressed similarly with a little flower in their hair. Although obviously they were judged as individuals they went in as a team. There is a strength in numbers that brings a special something.

I think the take-aways from this discussion are: Some children who are successful in auditions do lots of associate classes and/or private lessons Some children who are successful in auditions do fewer classes All children who are successful in auditions work hard, love to dance, have natural potential, and (from what I can see) have supportive parents Not everyone who works hard, loves to dance, and has natural potential will be offered a place at vocational school Some families like to shout about what they are doing on social media, others keep what they are doing private We shouldn't worry about what other people are doing - we should do what is right for our own families

Wow - I'm so glad insta wasn't a thing when my dd was a child. The thought of complete strangers being able to follow my child's progress sounds quite scary to me. And I'm not surprised your dc's feel intimated by these glossy profiles - but please remind them that what people put on social media isn't necessarily a true representation.

Did anyone try the careers tool that the government put on line last year? I came out as 'Brewer' or 'Author'. Neither of these is anywhere close to what I do now. As some as you know I aspire to the second, and Brewing sounds fun, but I'm not sure that it was really very accurate!