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glowlight

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Everything posted by glowlight

  1. 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.
  2. 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.'
  3. 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!
  4. 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.
  5. 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).
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. @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.
  9. 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.
  10. Definitely speak to your current teacher and ask her thoughts. I would even go as far as to say ask her permission if you want your dd to stay with her for her training. Many dance teachers are happy for the students to have lessons elsewhere if they have faith in the other studio. She may say no. If she does say no, accept that she may have a good reason which she may not be able to share with you. If this is the case, you could ask if she has any suggestions about how your dd can increase her training. She may suggest she attends a grade above or below what she is currently doing, or maybe adds in different styles, or maybe there are other associate schemes she would recommend.
  11. At least dancers who take cruise ship contracts can be financially independent pretty much from the start - which isn't necessarily true of dancers starting out in some ballet companies, especially if they are offered an apprentice role. Working on cruise ships also promotes many other life skills which are valuable to future employers when you finish dancing. (And of course I'm biased because my daughter also switched from classical ballet training to cruise contracts)
  12. Remember that there is a lot of movement between schools at 16. There are more options open to students but also a lot more students looking for vocational places. For many children going away to vocational school at 11 isn't the right thing for them, and I'm sure that in terms of overseas students there will be many more families happy to send a 16 year old to a foreign country than an 11 year old. So if RBS is seen internationally as one of the most prestigious schools in the world it is not surprising that the demand for 6th form places from overseas students is exceptionally high and attracts the highest calibre students trained in their home countries. In many ways the Paris Opera Ballet approach of only recruiting from within their own school looks fair - but if all schools took this approach there would be limited opportunities for those who don't go to vocational school at 11, or for those who find that the school they started at simply isn't right for them. I think I've said elsewhere - if we only looked at the statistics no-one would ever aspire to any sort of elite art or sport. The main thing is to go into it with open eyes being prepared for the path to be a winding one.
  13. Reassure her that it won't matter if she has a nose bleed during the audition. It's one way to get noticed! It might be worth mentioning to the staff when you check her in, and making sure she has a stash of tissues just in case.
  14. Flowerpower - can I suggest, with your physio's approval, you consider pilates to help you regain your strength after your injury. Great at all round strengthening but less stressful on the body than dance. Pilates forms an important part of training for many dancers - and there is good reason for it. Make sure you find a good, qualified instructor who can give you one to one or small group attention as it is so important that you are doing it right.
  15. An honest reflection Rowan, and I don't disagree that you are much more likely to get a decent dancing job in other types of dance, but if people didn't have dreams and aim to reach them there would be no ballet companies, no theatre, no orchestras, no elite sportsman, no doctors, no research scientists, no astronauts (sorry got lost on a tangent there)! I love the saying...'If you shoot for the moon you might land among the stars'. Aim high - you may not end up where you thought you would but you but you will hopefully end up somewhere better than if you tried. I remember my dd, in her final year of training, sitting us down and explaining how narrow the odds are of getting a ballet job. Quickly followed by her saying she was going to audition for every dance job she could. She didn't end up working as a ballet dancer, but did have wonderful experiences working as a dancer on cruise ships.
  16. Sorry to hear you are going Pictures. I understand though - when my dd finished at vocational school I dropped away for a while as I felt the forum was no longer relevant for me and I didn't have much to contribute. Maybe we will see you back again in the future. Good luck to your dd.
  17. I just want to say thank you to the moderators on this forum. They give up their free time to ensure that the forum can be the place it is for us to share our questions, thoughts and experiences. We may not always agree with their decisions (I bet sometimes they don't like the decisions they have to make either!) but we should remember that they are doing what they are doing to ensure that the forum is still here for us and for future generations of dancers, parents and teachers. Thanks guys.
  18. So many conflicting things going on for your poor dd (and you) With regard to vocational schools - don't push it, but don't let her turn down any offers yet. The thought of going away may suddenly be very scary (not unreasonably) and she may need time to adjust to this. Maybe she won't go - but give her time to make the decision rationally. If she really doesn't want to go to that last audition I personally wouldn't push it, but that has to be your call. Maybe stress about this final audition (if it is one that she always really wanted) has pushed her 'over the edge'. With regard to the boyfriend - assuming he is a real boyfriend not someone she only knows through social media - meet him, invite him into your home, maybe invite him to the festival to watch her dance. Get him involved in her real life. With regard to social media - when things have calmed down point out to her that whether or not she is dancing - talking to strangers on snapchat is dangerous and an absolute no-no. If she doesn't take up a place at vocational school this year and then subsequently changes her mind, she may still have the option of going in future years, as long as she keeps up her training locally. Don't feel that it's now or never!
  19. I would definitely seek teacher’s assistance with photos and also, if possible, to choose which photos are best to send if you have a choice. Thank goodness for digital cameras! I wasted so many rolls of film on audition photos before they were a thing. The quality of the photograph isn’t important, it is how it shows your dd’s physique, facility and technique.
  20. I suggest you let here audition - you will never know if she doesn't try. Try to encourage her to enjoy the experience of the audition, but not be too disappointed if she isn't chosen this time.
  21. I would suggest she applies to audition for some dance courses for 2020 entry and sees how it goes. She may not be offered a place, or may hate the audition process - in which case at least she won't always wonder 'what if'. If she is offered a place - then she will have to make a decision, but having gone through the audition process may make that decision easier. A quick google search found that it's not too late to apply for this year. I looked at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Northern Ballet School, Rambert School, and Urdang and all are still accepting applications...I expect others are too. As to what dancers do after... well my dd went to dance college, worked on cruise ships for 5 years. Now she works in IT and manages a team of web developers.
  22. Don't forget pilates. Excellent for all round strengthening, but I would suggest small class sessions (or 1 to 1's) with experienced teachers where the teacher watches every student and will make corrections.
  23. Welcome Mrsmac. Most schools in England don't break up until 10th July or later, so you may not find much happening before the wedding. Scottish schools break up earlier so their courses may be earlier. I see that Royal Conservatoire in Scotland in Glasgow have a course starting 13th July which is probably worth a look. Their website helpfully says that students should be working at Intermediate Foundation or Intermediate Level. Glasgow could make a good base for a family holiday too. It's a long time since my dd was doing summer schools, so I can't really recommend any based on recent experience, but she always kept going back to Northern Ballet summer school. She loved the way she got an insight into the life of the company. Yorkshire would also be a great base for a family holiday.
  24. Not about technique - but on the fiction front look at 'No Ballet Shoes in Syria' by Catherine Bruton. A book about a Syrian refugee girl who is also a brilliant dancer.
  25. I see no reason why students at stage schools shouldn't be allowed to take regular dance exams. RAD/ISTD/BBO exams are open to everyone (as long as they meet minimum age criteria), and have strict grading criteria, so from that point of view are very fair. Dance is a competitive life, but your sister should try not to see dance exams as a competition. They are a measure of the individual at that time. Your little niece is still very young and there is plenty of time for her to gain in technique and confidence. If your sister feels that her DD is disadvantaged, perhaps she should speak to her teachers about whether she could take extra classes to improve her performance in exams, or whether there is anything particular she can work on. For my dd at that age it was performance and stage presence.
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