glowlight

The Swan Lake Bath Ballet - both wonderful and weird. I'm sure it should come with a disclaimer about the dangers of dancing en pointe in the bath tub Enjoy.

Equality rather than equity? Reminds me of my Dad's tale that, as a teenager, his younger sister was given more pocket money than him because she had to buy make up! (Sorry - that was way off subject!)

Hard work really does pay off. But I remember dd saying to me when she was about 12...'Mrs x says if you work hard enough you can do anything you want. But that's not true is it?' I had to agree with her. It's true of many things in life, but perhaps more so in dance, there are so many other factors which come into play. It's not a bad lesson to learn. The motto she lived by was one another teacher gave her. 'If you try you might, if you don't you won't.'

Good point!

There could be many reasons why someone wouldn't take up a place They may be offered a full time vocational place somewhere Family circumstances may change - if mum/dad looses their job they may not be able to afford the course and the travel involved any more They may get injured or ill They may have conflicting offers and realise they cannot fit everything in They may decide that they no longer want to be a dancer. I know of at least one person who got an offer from SWL. Mum was so shocked when she got the phone call she thought it was someone playing a prank.

Feeling for those who weren't successful this time. It is hard, especially after all the waiting and anticipation. Please encourage your little ones that one 'no' doesn't mean you will never get any 'yes's'. If it's what you want - keep trying and the right thing will happen for you when the time is right. And if nothing else - this audition was a practice for the ones to come.

I've been having a bit of a tidy out and came across a couple of folders of ballet training stuff from when my dd was younger. Back then everything was on paper - and I guess I'm a bit of a hoarder because I had kept everything. What struck me, going through it today, was how many rejection letters there were. How on earth she kept going I don't know. But amongst all the rejections were the few, treasured 'delighted to offer you a place' letters. Despite all the rejections she went on to get a funded place at dance school at 16 and to become a professional dancer. When you read the posts in this forum it is easy to think that everyone is being accepted for everything they apply for. This isn't true. Many people don't want to post their disappointment. You don't need to be accepted by every school or training scheme. Sometimes just one offer of the right thing at the right time is all you need.

Does anyone darn pointe shoes these days?

@fwr I wouldn't worry too much about it if I was you. I doubt you will be penalised for submitting your application close to the closing date. And you won't be the only ones to do that.

You're not hijacking my thread @worsethanclueless - you are asking the same thing. What can go wrong? I remember my mother telling me about a friend of hers who had been offered a place to train at Saddlers Wells (back in the 50s) but her 'foot collapsed' because she had gone on pointe too young, and she had to stop dancing. As a young hobby dancer this put me in great fear of going on pointe! I don't know what she meant by her 'foot collapsed' though.

Thankyou so much - this is just the sort of thing I was looking for. My dd didn't go away until she was 16, so it was a very different experience for us, but I still remember the excitement and emotion of getting that first pair of pointe shoes. Keep the stories coming - it is interesting to hear how different schools approach it differently.

When I came back to this forum about a year ago, it was because I wanted to immerse myself in the dance world again because of a project I was embarking on. The project is a novel about a girl starting at vocational school. I wrote the first draft many years ago... when I was 13 years old. Last year I rediscovered it, written in pencil in 3 WHSmith exercise books. Over the last year I've been playing around with it, updating it, and I'm now about to start editing my second draft, but I realise that there are lots of gaps in my knowledge which I think some of the wise folk on this forum may be able to help me with. So - first questions are about pointe work. 1) How much pointe work do girls do in Year 7 at Vocational schools? 2) I know that girls shouldn't go on pointe too young, but what exactly is the risk? What damage does it do? Is the damage likely to manifest in the months after she starts pointe or is it something that will not be a problem until later life? Could the damage stop a promising dancer pursuing a career in dance? Many thanks.

Remember that they only want to see what your little dancer can do - they won't be judging your skills as a cinematographer.

@Pinkpip100 it is definitely possible to get a place at vocational school at 16 without having been to vocational school before that. My dd did and so did several of her friends. You need good local training and probably be prepared to do a fair bit of travel to get the right training, especially as she gets older. Make sure your dd's local dance school is aware of her goal, and ask the teachers how best to go about it. Associate schemes are definitely a good idea. Reputable summer schools are great too - this will give her (and you) a chance to see how they compare with other students of the same age including those at vocational schools. Also the experience of being taught by other teachers is very valuable. And summer schools can give an insight into what life at vocational school, or even in a company, is like depending on the course. Depending on where you live it might be worth looking CAT schemes which are designed to enable students to stay at home while receiving vocational training. It helps if the high school you choose is supportive and understanding. Keep doing auditions if possible so that she is used to them and can work out what works for her to manage the stress. And for now, enjoy having her at home. To be honest if she doesn't feel ready to board it may be for the best that she didn't get a place this time.

@Peony - I would feed it back if I was you. It probably isn't a reflection on what your teacher is offering (especially if they don't want to do ANY online classes). More a reflection on the medium. Online classes don't work for everyone and it is probably better for the teacher to know that.

I think maybe Rebecca wants to hear from parents whose children may attend the auditions in 2021. I'm sure there are plenty of those on the forum.

The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has recently published guidance for how elite athletes can return to training. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation/elite-sport-return-to-training-guidance-step-one--2 I wonder if they might soon publish something similar for vocational dance training.

I want to share some words form an article that the head of our local primary school posted, in response to many approaches from concerned parents about the mental health of their children at this time... 'This experience is affecting children from all backgrounds, all ages and all abilities. There is no pattern for which children are most affected. It is our duty to ensure our children return to school and are strong and can persevere BEFORE we start addressing any gaps in learning.'

I'm loving this thread. But also very grateful we don't have to make space for a ballet studio in our house as it is very small. When I do may pilates workout I have to lie diagonally across the living room so I don't bump into the furniture. It would be useless for dancing!

I'm assuming that @Whiteduvet's family are moving to Europe in any case (presumably Germany) so they are looking for schools which would be closer to their new home. I don't personally have any experience of vocational schools in Europe. My in-laws have lived in The Netherlands for years, and I would say the Dutch generally speak exceptionally good English, from a very young age, so a school in The Netherlands may be a slightly easier experience, but I think you would still have the language problem of classes being run in Dutch. I think if it was me, and if we get back to where we were in terms of being able to travel, I would consider vocational schools in the UK. It takes no time at all to fly from the UK to Europe. If travel restrictions continue I wouldn't want my child in a different country.

I think most people aren't feeling the usual buzz about doing the things they usually do, so please encourage her that what she is feeling is quite normal. Perhaps she needs to take a little step back and rest for a few weeks. Trust that the buzz will come back. It probably will, with a vengeance. (But if it doesn't it isn't the end of the world...no need to tell her that now).

Have patience folks. I know the wait is really, really difficult, but remember the school may be operating with limited staff at the moment. At the best of times it can take a while to sort out the admin - right now it could take longer. Take heart from @tutugirl's post - there will be good news to come for some. Wishing you all the best in your waiting

If you rent premises will you be eligible for the Small Business Grants Scheme for businesses which pay little or no business rates? I know it doesn't help with the immediate cash flow problem, as you have to wait for it to come through.

@balletshoes5's teacher may not be eligible for the government's self employed support - it depends on how she operates her business (If she operates through a limited company she won't be eligible as a self employed person - and the position is still unclear as to whether she can furlough herself). However I think most business owners reluctantly recognise that if we are not offering a service we don't get paid. It is one of the risks you run when running your own business. But this is all very new, and fast changing, and the teacher may not have really got her head round how she is going to cope with all this. If I was you I think I would try to speak to the teacher and have chat about options, and all the concerns you have expressed in your original post. They are all valid.

I love this idea. Thankyou for starting this thread. I have nothing significant to share asI'm well out of the loop with dance related achievements these days - but I did manage a short at home pilates workout yesterday morning. Felt really awesome, despite having to repeatedly wriggle into different positions to find the right space on the living room floor.