hfbrew

My pupils do not regard presentation classes or Class Awards humiliating in the slightest and I would be absolutely furious with anyone who looked down on such candidates or made them feel that way. I have found examiners to be very respecting of and encouraging to these candidates. No one has ever said that they felt humiliated. A lot of my students opt for these awards either because they really don't want to commit to the extra classes, or they prefer not to have the pressure . In a few cases I recommend them , particularly if they are borderline and lacking in confidence. But I make sure that they are valued nonetheless. It is certainly not regarded as a public statement of " not being good enough". But it is a way of getting recognition for their work too, not just the ones who will achieve good grades easily. And then everyone can get on and enjoy learning Ballet and not just syllabus content for the sake of an exam. One of my favourite groups come from a school ( for moderate learning difficulties) that I work with and I am lucky to get half an hour per week with them. They wear their class award medals with great pride and rightly so. Better still,their school really appreciate their achievement. It is seen as a valuable part of their education . I do believe that students capable of at least a pass should be given the opportunity to do the full exams if they wish and it concerns me that some teachers don't enter the full range of abilities. But I really don't see any shame in doing class awards and I believe it's a good way of helping whole classes progress.

Don't apologise, I thought that it was an excellent post. And the lady getting 49% should have been delighted,it's very respectable mark for that level. In truth I originally wrote an essay only to press the wrong button and lose it all!! Hope that you recover from the flu soon.

This makes me very cross. A teacher who is just cherry picking the best students so that her record only shows distinctions is discriminating against less able students. Being trained to get Distinctions in Ballet exams is not the same as good Ballet training. I had written more but managed to lose it all!

This is so sadly true having spent considerable time trying to find the right words of encouragement to a pessimistic ds as he once again approaches the rollercoaster ride of auditions. And he is a seasoned performer! And even when you get a contract it's not plain sailing. Years ago at the summer school I used to run I used to get people who had been successful in getting major roles in shows . One explained that he was among the last to know when the AD decided to replace him! Quite agree with balletbean that the process of auditions can challenge the most hardiest of characters and once you actually get work the life really is very hard work .

I always give extra praise to young children who have clearly tried to do their own buns, however untidy it looks. And I am always happy to help do a bun provided a student comes equipped as I then take the opportunity to show how it is done. With practice young students can become very adept,very quickly. I particularly like seeing them help each other. My niece was doing her own hair from aged 6 as my sister was adamant she couldn't do it! You parents are all awesome for letting your children come to Ballet in the first place and whenever a child says "my dad , mum, aunt or whoever" can't do hair I always suggest that they do it themselves !

Going back a few years,I knew a lovely family who flew from Scotland to London most weekends for RBS associates for their children. They did eventually move south though. Oh, and one of them is now with the Royal Ballet!

Well for anyone that knows me, wine, chocolates or flowers ( especially plants!)..... And I love the personalized teddy idea. But may I suggest posh pen and maybe notebook? Always needed by us teachers and they can be personalized too. To be honest though, a thank you card from the student themselves is always appreciated.

A young family friend went to Laine a few years back and there was plenty of Ballet training then as it was regarded as an essential discipline. There was a student from Laine in the same RAD Advanced 2 exam as ds. Sorry this information is not that recent but it's within the past 8 years! ( our friend has just finished a stint as a lead singer on a cruise.)

Sound advice. I have seen far too many potential careers ruined because xrays were not carried out early enough . I have known young dancers struggle on with inappropriate treatment which would have been avoided if more thorough examination had been done in the first place. Not all xrays will pick up problems I know but I do think better safe than sorry. One ex student of mine was left nearly paralysed , something that would had been avoided had an xray been done in time. You should not need any medical knowledge to apply this common sense!!

Firstly I would like to point out that the RAD have indeed moved with the times so that nowadays exams can take place at weekends and some intensive summer courses allow students to take exams afterwards, several of my vocational students have done this to avoid taking Ballet exams during GCSE or A level terms. But this does cost more money especially for those who have to travel far. The system is as flexible as is possible bearing in mind that examiners have to be actively teaching to stay examining and as well as running their own schools are often examining overseas during UK holidays or teaching on summer courses. But the RAD don't "insist" their exams are in term time, teachers can also book "specials" which can avoid this. But specials are more expensive and as previous posters have pointed out they could clash with summer courses, never mind holidays which can't be taken during term time. Requests for weekend exams ( which teachers can do these days) are always oversubscribed , but I personally would not be able to get my exam venue most weekends . And for those pupils whom I know might have problems I put them down at the end of the day anyway so that they will do their exams outside school hours. But if exam hours then impinge on the normal after school classes its a logistical nightmare rescheduling said classes especially during short Spring terms. As for holidays, well most of my pupils are away then and that's when I spend hours on administration, two hours today alone registering candidates for next term! If all my candidates had to have exams out of school hours then an examiner would be having to come to the venue most of week and the same for other schools, the sessions would be never ending! I find it very upsetting that anyone would class dance ( especially Ballet!), drama, music or high level sport as a mere "social" activity that shouldn't ever interfere with school hours. As the Arts and Sports are increasingly being sidelined in schools surely it's even more important in this day and age that pupils are allowed time out to take exams/competitions that they have worked hard for? If this was prevented, school teachers would have even less awareness than they do now of the high level of work and commitment that our young dancers,artists,musicians and sportpersons give to these extra curricular activities. Luckily the vast majority of the schools my students attend actively encourage dance/ music exams. The younger students are often asked to bring in their certificates to show and tell. And the headmaster at one school I work with actually drove his pupils to the exam venue himself! I was also lucky years ago to have an understanding head teacher let me have time off to get to Ballet classes (and exams/ auditions) which resulted in my eventual acceptance into full time training. Thank goodness he thought outside the box! ( And I still passed A levels....) As mentioned in posts above ,many students don't have to miss that much school. Last week my Grade 6 candidates were back in school by 11am having only missed registration and one lesson a full two years after doing their previous exam so it can hardly have impacted on their academic education! But they now will have an equivalent of an A level, some UCAS points and its something that can be put on D of E forms. Now none of these are going to be professional dancers but that doesn't mean that it's any the less meaningful for them. And I am very proud of the fact that recently 4 of my students all got into Oxbridge having also achieved highly in Ballet and Music exams "despite" said exams sometimes being in school hours! Gosh, if all such Ballet , music and other such exams were only ever allowed to be scheduled for holidays when on earth would young students rest? ( never mind us teachers..)

I would do the same if I had my own premises!

It's not as simple as that, my students would not be able to take the exams if examination hours were restricted to out of school hours as I simply would not be able to get the hall space for the necessary length of time. For example I have over 60 candidates entered for RAD exams next term and I also have to factor in examiner breaks,lunch etc. I always ask parents to let me know of potential issues so I can endeavour to timetable accordingly if at all possible.

Please wish her many congratulations from me if she remembers me! So,so pleased for you all.

I am sure that I speak for the vast majority when I say many thanks to the moderators who work so hard voluntarily on this forum. I have frequently just skimmed read threads recently for various reasons and I am in awe of those who somehow have to find the time to read everything. And am saddened and disgusted to read about the unpleasantness that you moderators have received. It's really not on. Thanks from me anyway.

I still have my Ballet for All programme from the late 1970s when they came to Malvern. Frustratingly doesn't list individual dancers!

Different teachers have different uniform requirements but I do not know any who allow Tutus in classes unless they are advanced RAD exam students rehearsing for exams. Professional Dancers may wear practise Tutus when rehearsing classical pas de deux. Please do also look at Ballet performances as there are many which have no Tutus at all, an obvious one being Romeo and Juliet. And as a Ballet teacher I am quite famous among my students for detesting pink....

Mice are all girls. My ds was a "tall" soldier, he and some of his friends very nearly got a Christmas off when in year 9 on account of their height. Years 10 and 11 not involved, well certainly not during our time.

I remember a prominent teacher that I was working with at the time raving about this wonder child before she even auditioned for White Lodge .And yes,that was Yasmine. And I remember a certain child called Anna Rose O Sullivan , I knew she was special just from watching year 7 body conditioning class and told my dh to look out for her in the company. But I would say that everyone develops at a different pace. I've seen students assessed out when the previous year they had top marks and had been picked for company productions. (Very often those who do get assessed out do much better elsewhere.) And then there are those like ds who hang on by the skin of their teeth but still end up with a career having had the support and encouragement of one or two exceptional teachers. I do think sometimes though that a lot of pressure can be put on the chosen few who end up missing out on half term holidays. Then at the other end others are never singled out and I have seen some students who have possibly underachieved as a result of both extremes. But to have been chosen for the Royal Ballet School in the first place a student has to have had something special. These students are often multi talented and the academic staff nurture them, at least they did in ds day, There are many successful people in all walks of life who once went to the RBS.

Ok a bit of self publicity here! My adult Ballet class is tiny! If anyone wants to travel to St Albans pm me. I even employ a pianist... Helen Brewer

DS had to ask permission to attend any holiday course other than RBS, many went to Yorkshire Ballet Seminars. We simply couldn't afford it so I quietly opened and ran a local summer school with the help of a dear friend. After all the powers that be could hardly moan about ds having to come to work with me...

Seems a long time ago, actually 5 years, but ds got his by the Christmas.

Remember that Ballet can feel more difficult than it looks.

Too right, I can only just about carry mine from it's cupboard to the car!

There is no way a keyboard would fit into one of my pianists car! I provide an electric one at the venues that need it. For me personally to provide the best for my students a pianist is a necessity not a luxury. And I still make a living, just not as much as most! Luckily I have no desire for designer handbags or shoes.. But I have to say that I live an area from which it's easier to recruit pianists (I employ 5 on a daily basis) but this is extremely difficult for many teachers in other parts of the country/world. Fortunately there is a lot of excellent recorded music available.

The thing with auditions is that there will be successful candidates who have not done any external exams at all whereas others who have been used to high marks either in exams or festivals will not necessarily be what an audition panel wants. It's the level that a student is working at, not necessarily the mark achieved and whether they are deemed to have the potential to progress well in whatever school that they are auditioning for. As someone has already said,it's the learning that's important. A high mark in an exam is wonderful but if it has been attained by only ever studying the relevant syllabus content to the exclusion of any other work then that is not in depth training. I remember a teacher friend who conducted audition classes saying that some students were so far advanced that the panel felt that their establishment was not for them. Possibly too entrenched in one style perhaps? I have certainly known of a Principal saying that students who were too obviously "festival" dancers weren't as successful at audition. I like my students to take exams and take pride in achieving the best that they personally can, be it pass ,merit or distinction. For these students this matters because they are not going to become professional dancers but they do like to have achieved certain milestones. But talented vocational students I feel should be looking at the bigger picture and getting good quality training. And this doesn't have to entail taking every exam and getting high marks.