glowlight

I suggest you speak to the principal and explain your dilemma. My dd's teacher was happy to let her go to classes at other schools (with her approval) to give my dd a broader range of experience which the school was not able to offer at the time. The original school was always dd's 'home' school, even when she was older and probably doing more classes elsewhere. Of course this depends entirely on the approach of the principal of your current school, but she may be happy to be flexible so as not to lose your dd.

You may enjoy Barre Pilates classes. These aren't really ballet classes, more an exercises class based on ballet principles, but great for strengthening and improving balance and flexibility. The majority of the class is at the Barre - with some traditional ballet barre exercises and some which focus on strengthening bits that ballet doesn't always get to Classes vary depending on the teacher, but often centre work is replaced by something more like a pilates matwork section. Claire's Pilates Studios in Garforth may be accessible for you. I used to go to her classes when she was based in Leeds City Centre and they were excellent.

Well there's no better reason to dance! And there are lots of different paths that dancers take. There are very few Darcey Bussells, but many people make a living in dance because they love it.

Shellym - don't let one 'No' put you off applying again if your DD wants to and you can afford it. Young dancers can change a lot over a year or two, and you never quite know what the audition panel are looking for each time. Nerves can play a big part in how your child performs on the day too. Also audition practice is valuable. Every audition is a rehearsal for the next one.

The wonderful local dance school my dd went to rarely advertises (other than through newspaper articles celebrating student success), and even now doesn't have a website. I assume that the power of 'word of mouth' and a reputation dating back many years enables them to fill the classes. When dd was ready to be stretched beyond what was available at the school, the principal arranged for her attend suitable classes at other local schools, but she stayed in control of dd's training and guided us through associate applications and auditions until dd left to go into full time training at 16. We were incredibly lucky.

What a shame you didn't enjoy it Julie, but if we all liked the same things the world would be very dull. I have to agree that sometimes I felt the close ups distracted from being able to see the whole dance, but it must be very difficult to strike the balance on a live broadcast. Hope you feel better soon.

The way I always looked at it was...you can do academics later in life - you can only train as a dancer when you are young. If it is what your child passionately wants to do, if they are gifted enough and lucky enough to get a place at vocational school let them grab it with both hands and enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Most of the professionally trained dancers I know are very employable in other fields as well because of their strong work ethic.

Did anyone else get to see Dracula in their local cinema this evening? Wasn't it wonderful? Although we are lucky enough to live close enough to Leeds to see Northern Ballet regularly, it was perfect on a work night to be able to stay close to home and see it in our wonderful local independent cinema with a mug of tea in hand. I really hope there will be many more live broadcasts by Northern Ballet.

Oh LinMM - what an inspiration you are. Most 70-somethings would be happy just to be walking properly 6 months after their accident, let alone dancing. Good luck with your recovery.

Even a class down a grade might help...extra time in class to perfect technique won't be wasted. I'm afraid my knowledge of summer schools will be very out of date now so I will let others advise on that.

A few thoughts... 1. Even if she doesn't get accepted for a programme, audition experience is always valuable. Good practice for next time. (My dd got a no from the 1st associated scheme she auditioned for, but got a place in the same scheme the following year) 2. Even as a late starter, at the age of 10 I would say she stands a chance if she shows potential. 3. Ask her teacher at her local dance school about how she could increase the amount of ballet she does. Her teacher may be prepared to let her go to another local school for some top up classes if she has a good relationship with the school. Or the teacher may let her attend a grade above or a grade below the one she is in for extra practice. These are things which could start almost straight away rather than having to wait until next September. 4. Make sure her teacher knows that she has a passion for ballet and might want to pursue dance as a career. 5. Consider summer and easter courses - a great way to experience a variety of teaching and break up the school holidays.

No's are hard, for DD and for parents, but are an important part of life as a dancer. In some ways learning how to deal with that disappointment when young can help when they are older when there might really be much more riding on it. The ability to dust yourself off, get on with it, and maybe try again is hugely valuable. She's still very young and there is plenty of time.

Take her to watch live performances. Give her every opportunity to perform in different ways...school plays, messing around with friends, festivals, dance school shows, reading to younger children (but don't make a big deal if she doesn't want to) Accept that it will be more difficult for her in front of friends and family (at one stage I my dd told me I could only go to watch her if she couldn't see me in the audience). Trust that it will come with time.

I would echo balletbean's suggestion to look at Northern Ballet School. My dd went there 10 years ago - so my experience may be out of date, but they seemed to produce rounded employable dancers.

Have you tried spraying your hair with water first to make it damp all over (the sort of hand held spray that you buy to spray plants with is ideal)? This should allow you to style your hair how you want. Then spray all over with hairspray. It should set solid. No need for gel. I used to use this technique when doing lots of buns for dance school shows, and I think there were only two girls that it didn't work for (mainly because they had very short hair).

Could you ask at NSCD if they know any teachers who teach RAD syllabus locally? Explain the situation and I'm sure they will help if they can. Or maybe contact Yorkshire Dance (who are based in Leeds City Centre) and see if they know anyone. If nothing else they may be able to help with studio hire. They have studios available for hire and I think they have a standby system which offers studio hire at a very reasonable rate if the studios aren't booked commercially.

There used to be a really good dance shop in Colne. Haven't used it for years so I don't know if it still there. I think it was called 'Song and Dance' or something like that.

My DD went to NBS some years ago, so my knowledge may be out of date now, but I can share my thoughts. It is true that the majority of graduates do not get work in classical companies, but that needs to be considered in the context that the intake is split into 'Classical Focus' and 'Jazz Focus', with the majority on Jazz Focus. I think there were maybe 6-10 girls on classical in my DD's year and 20 on Jazz. My experience was that the dancers they trained were employable and realistic about how to make a living as a dancer. A lot do cruise ship work, which infact is what my DD ended up doing, which can be a steady, reliable career with the added perks of international travel. I think that in my DD's year everyone who wanted to work as a professional dancer at the end of the course (which was most of them) was employed as a dancer within 6 months or so of graduation. I feel that Manchester is a great place for students. Not as hectic, big and expensive as London, but there is lots going on. And there is an International Airport near Manchester.

Getting a new business venture off the ground can be really challenging, and the sector you are in is very competitive. A couple of thoughts on things which might help: 1) For the associates programme your relationship with your local dance schools is key. Talk to them (in person if possible) to make it clear that you are offering an associates scheme in which you will work with them, that you are not trying to take over the students' training completely. Offer to do some workshops with them so that they can see you at work. Maybe a summer school or Easter Club so that they can see how you work before entrusting their students to you. 2) Your marketing needs to be very clear in what you are offering and be up to date. You seem to be using Facebook a lot, but your website doesn't give a full picture of what you are doing At the moment your website says that you are setting up an associates programme and feeder school for your company. If I was a local dance teacher reading the 'feeder school' aspect might suggest to me that you want to take over the students training There is no mention of what the commitment will be for the associates programme (how many days a week for example), and what the cost will be. I would want to know this before I contacted you. Also it says Auditions in January 2019 - so if I was looking at that I would think the opportunity was passed It shows last production as Cinderella in 2018 and nothing new since then. This makes it look as if the company isn't really doing much (but from facebook it looks as if it is) 3) Be open about who you are and who will be teaching on your programme Your website doesn't say who you are (as an individual), where you trained, what your professional experience is, what your teaching qualifications and experience are. These are all things which will give prospective customers confidence in what they are buying from you You should also publish this information for other teachers who are working with you. 4) Use your own professional network Get people you have worked with in the past to endorce you with comments on Social Media You undoubtedly have worked with people who now run their own schools, bring them into the loop with what you are doing, and see if they would like to send students to you 5) The more you get your company out there doing performances the more people will know your name - that will be good for both the company and the associates programme. Hope some of this helps. Good luck

And on the non-ballet front. I hope she has a wonderful time at Imperial. I did my degree there many years ago and loved it.

The main purpose of trying different shops is that a single shop won't necessarily stock all brands, and they may not have a full range of sizes in stock. So I wouldn't recommend going to loads of different fitters, but if you are making a special trip it might be worth trying a couple - especially if they stock different brands. You can check this when you make the appointment. Going with shops which have come recommended is an excellent idea. And rest assured it isn't as scary as it feels at the moment! Enjoy a lovely day or two out with your DD. And maybe fit in afternoon tea while your are out!

If she wants to keep the option of going to vocational school open for the future I would say, if both is possible, do both. If you can only manage one go for vocational. Don't break yourself, or your DD by trying to do too much!

As it's almost the end of term this suggestion possibly doesn't really apply, but how about seeing if she can watch her regular classes. As others have said you learn a lot by watching others and your brain is still doing the learning even if your feet aren't. Also it means she will still get to see her friends. As they get older it becomes quite common to see students with injuries observing class. Learning how to deal with injury is all part of the training!

What an exciting time. Here are a few thoughts. If possible use a shop which comes recommended - or be guided by your teacher Phone ahead and make an appointment Allow plenty of time (it can take a couple of hours, especially the first fitting) Tell the fitter it is her first pair of pointe shoes and that you don't know anything about it. The fitter should be able to guide you through. Don't be embarrassed if DD tries on every show in the shop - it is important to be happy. Different brands and different styles suit different people. eg. It doesn't matter if everyone else in her class has Bloche. If Freed suits her feet better, go with Freed. Ask if you can return the shoes if your DD's teacher doesn't approve the fit. I don't know if this is common practice, but the shops around us were happy to do this. BUT that means don't sew ribbons on until the teacher has seen them. Don't be afraid to go away empty handed if you are not sure.

As long as your local shop has a pointe shoe fitter I would say give it a go. You may need to make an appointment - and a fitting can take some time - allow at least an hour if you are trying new styles and makes. You may even find that what the local shop offers suites your DD better. Feet change over time (especially young feet) so it is worth being open to different styles