Moomin

Yes I'm an adult and don't do much pointe but mine seem to have got a bit shorter and wider!

Good luck to your daughter. Speaking as an adult dancer it's lovely to have something away from your career that you do for nothing other than the love of it!!

I don't really have any knowledge but I don't understand how you can 'cheat'? I've heard Gaynor mindens are harder to roll through which put me off because as a beginner practically everything involves rolling through your shoes! Surely it would make you feet stronger though?

http://www.feliway.com/uk/Cat-behaviour/My-cat-is-not-eating

Have you tried one of the plug in things which is meant to calm cats?

I am very grateful that nobody can see me in class! I can see why they would have cameras and why it would be nice for parents but I also agree that a ballet class should be a 'safe' time to make mistakes and only look foolish in front of your teacher!

I liked it but sorry can't give any meaningful feedback as I've never done contemporary and wouldn't have a clue what they're looking for!

I managed to bag a 'mog' from sainsburys last year, totally unknowing that they were a 'thing', unfortunately by the time I realised they were £60 on eBay the kids had fallen in love with her! But sad that people are buying vast quantities to sell on, perhaps they'll be left with a whole bunch of Kevin's after Christmas though ????

personally I think minimum of age 12 and pass of grade 5 is a sensible starting point. It's not that high a level of technique. Don't forget that if it is a different syllabus there may be 6 grades and a minimum of age 12 for IF. I agree that there should be individual assesments, I just don't really see the need to start at 10, i thought that was one of the reasons that IF is optional. we all want the best for our children and make the best choices we can, it's no criticism but certainly a lot of teachers and shoe fitters have 12 as a minimum age

LAre the wear moi leotard & hoodie &size 3 character shoes available still? Will take them if so!

IF comes after grade 6 and is minimum of age 12. The problem is that the cecchetti levels are not really directly comparable to RAD. There is no way a grade 4 would start IF because the level is way higher and the work progresses through the grades so they would miss some. For example in IF there are double pirouettes and grande jete (normal and en tournant) and the adage requires an awful lot of strength. I know officially IF is below grade 6 but i think this was designed more with the RAD pathway in mind. I think she must find standard 2 quite easy at 11, perhaps she could just be moved up? Or could she do standard 4 as well if not standard 3? If she's serious she needs to be doing 3 classes.a week I would have thought?

They won't expect the same standard from a just turned 7 year old as an 8 or 9 year old though. I imagine the others were probably a year older, which is a big gap when you're that little! Heights vary so much at that age that it is very hard to tell age! They do some dance days at Tring which maybe she would enjoy if she liked the audition?

There is pre-primary, primary and grade 1-6 before IF and you can only take exams from 5, grades from 7, so if you took all the exams you'd be quite a bit older than 11 for IF. The minimum age for that exam is 12. I do think they need to speak to the teacher as she probably does need to stay in lower grades for a while to establish technique but you're correct that she is behind. My daughter will take standard 2 at 7, grade 2 the following year. They are all 7or 8 in her once a week class. If children are keen most teachers will find extra classes whether that be at their school or another, or other associates schemes though. If she likes the teacher I wouldnt just leave without exploring options as she may have a plan!

It depends on how much ballet she has done before though. If she hasn't done much she will be behind the other associates? The standards are designed for students who only take one class a week and/or who don't have a perfect physique for ballet. They are the same 'level' as the grade but less exercises I think and there is more emphasis on dance quality in the marking. You still need to have good technique to get a good mark though. The teacher goes in to the exam room and teaches the class but they pretty much just say the name of each exercise and that's it, it's reassurring for them to have the teacher in the room though! They are also not asked questions and don't have to do free enchainements. In the grades they do both from grade 1. What level is she in? and how many classes is she doing? Some schools only do standards and then do vocationals afterwards, it doesn't preclude that and most teachers will be doing non syllabus work as well (maybe more if they only have to learn a standard). The content of a cecchetti grade is quite a bit more than the equivalent RAD and a lot of things seem to be introduced earlier (eg grand jete en tournant is in standard and grade 6 onwards) . You also take all 6 grades or standards before doing vocationals (or senior certificate which is the standard equivalent). If a dancer had done ballet for a few years and had potential I think you'd expect around grade 4/5/ standard 5 as average at that age. My daughter does 2 classes and takes a grade every year. She could get higher marks if she stayed in each grade longer Ive no doubt, but personally I don't like that approach and she never gets bored as they also do non syllabus work. I love the cecchetti syllabus and think it builds beautiful dancers, have they spoken to the teacher about progression?

I just watched it and I agree, its not ballet is it?! And I missed all the traditional parts of a class like double frappe, petit battement, batterie, sissone, assemble? And the strength building work in centre- grand plié, grand rond de jambe, slooow lifts? Is it not there or just less noticeable because of the use of varied exercises?

I can still remember our Grade 1 dance, involving a real ball ???? odd how some things stay with you!

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=55965 Phew definitely not just me! The pirouette was definitey grade 3 not 4 though as I didn't study 4

I only got up to grade 3 rad, so was definitely not after that. It was the syllabus before the change in early nineties though. He exercise was tendu second close 5th in plié up to retire on 3/4 pointe, repeat other side then repeat but with turn and repeat all starting other side. There was definitely an exercise with hands on shoulders and little steps whipping head round and character turn with spotting earlier on. surely I'm not the only one old enough to remember????

Glad to hear it Lisa???? On a practical note could she get a pre-pay credit card? You can top up with cash at the post office/ some banks and you can only spend what you've loaded on there so no issues with debts etc.

Do you think anyone could identify your sister through this? Just concerned that we know that she has jewellery and large amounts of money in the house, some horrible people around ...

I agree, anyone know why the rad moved pirouettes to a much later stage? Wouldn't you be expected to do doubles en dedans and dehors at intermediate? Seems a big step if you only started in grade 5!

Ours is proper pirouettes from grade 4 exam, but there is a pirouette preperations exercise from about grade 1, aimed at learning spotting etc. they've been doing various spins in class for being little I think though. Back in my day there was a turning polka & spotting exercise in grade 1 and pirouettes were in grade 3, Grade 5 seems really late!

Do bunheads do a small bun net aswell? The ones I go were a full hair net which is fine if you've got a great big bun but not so useful for daughters shoulder length hair! Also has anyone found any that don't snag immediately? We usually end up with a circle of net with a bun poking through the middle!

We've usually lost one of the pair before they have a chance to fade anyway!

I got some in boots last week. They were in the clearance section!