dramascientist

My sister who is a teacher has a problem with this part of her foot I cant remember what its called but I will contact her and ask. Try taking ibuprofen because I do know its an inflammatory problem. DRSC

Hi I do not have a pay pal account that is active and it wont let you set up a new one when you change countries. Any advice on how to donate? DRSC

FANTASTIC NEWS SWANPRINCESS! I am so happy for you. I will be watching out for you in the Nutcracker next year. Woo hoo! DRSC

My DD did one festival a year for 4 years before we moved abroad and loved it for what it was, a chance to perform, dress up, wear stage makeup and feel part of a group. She did win sometimes but not always and she still looks back on them as a special time . BUT there were some children who were at different festivals every week, when did they have time for ballet class? I found when watching that they looked super on many of the dances but when it came to the ballet section then you could see their weaknesses. Funnily enough my DD won a medal for every ballet solo she did because thats where she spent most of her time and it really showed. Yes its great to do but its no compensation for class. I think this shows in TV programmes like dance moms where the kids look absolutely super on the stage performing their numbers but when they were in a ballet class on one episode I sawon you tube you could see that their technique was not IMHO what it should be. Your DD would not have got into The Hammond without significant potential and talent, tell her look forward to it and don't listen to other peoples petty jealousies!

DH just seen the massage balls post......still laughing!

OMG have been, along with DH, in hysterics reading this thread, just what you need at the end of a loooong week. Just off to order fluffy sancha warm up and boch booties from a amazon for DDs birthday next week!

LOL DRSC

Oh Swanprincess I am so pleased for you! Have a fantastic time, can't wait to hear about your experiences! DRSC

Fantastic news for your DD1 Afab, congratulations to her, hope you can cope with her being in another country better than me, its sooooo hard DD is so far away and now she is really busy I feel like hardly ever talk to my DD Dramascientist

Well that's a blast from the past! I started my teaching career at Hurst Lodge too many years ago to mention!!! I was so young I was still dancing myself, taking exams and stuff (I only taught part time as I was still writing up my PhD thesis). I have to say in those days the standard was very high with two excellent dance teachers, I don't know if they are still there now, I would have to look on the website. I know that they did RAD and ISTD exams and the results were high. Several girls went to vocational school at 16 and 18 if I remember correctly Laines, Bird, Urdang etc. No help really since I don't know what its like now but still, DRSC

When DD auditioned at Hammond and we were taken on a tour of the school we saw one ballet class, I would say about year 8 age and they were all beautiful! My DD attended the national ballet school here and had about 1.5 - 2.5 hours of ballet a day and reached a hight enough standard to receive offers from all the schools she auditioned at. I think its quality not quantity thats important!

I must say when DD attended auditions at Tring Park I was very impressed at the level of passion exhibited by the head of academics. As a teacher she made me want to work there because I could see that the academics where just as important as the vocational studies. I would have loved to be able to afford for DD to have taken up her place there for year 11... ho hum.

oo I'm going to look for it Jazzpaws, I find when DD is travelling home so hard. Neither my DH ir myself sleep the night before worrying about her journey, its just so far so ths might make it easier. Thanks DRSC

My DD never practices at home even now. Pilates, stretching, choreography yes but She has never done "ballet class" at home and I agree with the reasons above in terms of bad habits, injuries etc. She is 16 and has been at vocational ballet school since she was 11 but at home wanted to be a kid even though , as she would say, " ballet is her life!" I really don't think you need worry.

Me too

"Only" merit? Wow what pressure these daners put themselves under! Don't forget some examiners are more strict than others too even though they are supposed to mark to the same standards it is well known that some are harsher than others!

When we moved to this Eastern european country I took DD to a local school and was shocked by the terrible rolling ankles due to trying to force the180 degree turnout. I made a point to DD that she needed to work very hard to make sure this didnt happen to her. She is lucky to have flat turn out but at 10 she did not have the strength to hold it. However when she started at the National Ballet school I did notice that they only took those students who were very turned out and as I said earlier they spent most of their time at the barre in the early days where its easier to hold. I am not sure I am a fan of this obsession with flat turn out but I guess thats how the style is. I know that now she has the strength to hold it, people do mention how beautiful it looks when she has been at summer schools and things, so I suppose this is the eventual goal of this type of training.

My DD trained in the Vaganova method for 5 years. It is a very rigorous training method which concentrates on barre work in the first couple of years. They had a class of 90 minutes and I would say they spent 55 minutes at the barre and 30 in the centre. This makes for a very strong body, legs and feet and gives a lot of strength for jumping. However IMO doesnt give the students much chance to develop musicality so much or maybe that was a cultural thing, I don't know. I think my DDs experience in ISTD and RAD gave her the edge in this. I don't think that I could comment on how the method translates to England but it certainly is a good method, maybe more expressive in terms of arm and body position than the more controlled RAD way but I would say no better or worse than any other. It depends on what the students like or what suits them best.

Wow I wonder what they are looking for? From what I have seen the standard of training at these top schools is amazing, I am flabbergasted. Maybe if there was more fonding and supprt from the government for the arts, facilities and resources would be better and complement the excellent teaching at these institutions?

LOL literally! Pettaviolet, you have made my evening:)

I teach fun after school ballet and tap classes, not for exams or anything and I only let the parents watch at the end of term. The students are often sillier and less focussed with their parents there so its much better without them. Also the parents can really see the progress if they can't watch all the time. I take my hat off to teachers who don't mind parents watching all the time, I would always feel under scrutiny.

Thank goodness these results are finally out, I felt for you all as you were waiting. Huge congratulations to the yesses and keep smiling to the nos, there is always another path, no problems just different solutions to be found! DRSC

When I did the old pre- elementary I had been taught the plie exercise incorrectly. There was only one girl in front of me and I didnt dare copy her just in case she was wrong so I carried on. At the end of the exercise the examiner asked me what had happened and I just sort of shrugged, she said she would just put it down to nerves. When we turned round to do it on the other side I just copied the girls in front of me.......I still passed even though I was convinced I wouldn't. Mind you I made really sure I performed like I was on stage for the rest of the exam to try and get her to forget it had happened. In the end the examiners are just teachers too and know that things can go wrong

With the cost of everything in a life of dance and/or sport, even if you are"rich" you wont stay that way for long.........it is so expensive even with funding but I guess its why I get up and go to work every day! (not that I ever have been rich I'm a teacher after all!"

Wow cant quite believe that these students who are JAs ao are obviously talented are only getting "reserve list" what are the schools looking for? Well done to all for getting so far and lets hope that you have what Elmhurst are looking for! DRSC