Pas de Quatre

Yes, Kings International.

It may simply be that they can't find teachers. RBS was advertising a couple of months ago for a JA teacher for Totnes and I looked at the details wondering if it would be worth applying even though it would be a very long drive. When I saw the hourly rate of pay, my reaction was "You've got to be joking" it was so low!

I think it is similar to the old split tours BRB did to smaller venues. Programme 1 did certain theatres and Programme 2 went to others at the same time. The following year they swapped. This is only one programme, so they are doing it at different theatres for the second year.

Thanks Janet, I have diarised when booking will open!

The only time I went, 2009 I think, it was mid November.

I think I shall have to find the original poem. We had Baudelaire's Fleurs du Mal on our syllabus (in the original French) and that is pretty evocative!

No need to get professional shots, but do make sure you cover all the different poses. There are often differences in arm positions, or other variations.

Fascinating article Nijinsky Misrepresented. Thanks for posting here Ian as I don't always get time to read the links. Madame Rambert was a good friend of my original ballet teacher, and when the company was appearing at Arts Theatre Cambridge they would use our studios for rehearsals. Arriving after school for our own classes we were allowed to creep in and watch the last bit. I didn't see Faune in rehearsal but did in performance. OK these were the swinging sixties, but I did wonder why the ending of Faune was meant to be so shocking when it wasn't. This explains it.

This all seems to assume that if anyone leaves WL it is because they are assessed out. A pupil of a teacher friend did not like it there and left by choice, returning home. They then went to one of the major European schools post GCSEs and have now graduated into the company.

So it appears the wrong children are being chosen and then they are not taught or inspired sufficiently!

Someone once said "Man does not live by bread alone."

It can be very interesting watching the Celebrity edition of University Challenge at Christmas, to see what each of the candidates studied, often quite different from their subsequent career. However I do think the old fashioned ways of training, with sandwich courses and apprenticeships served the students better.

The original school was founded by Marika Bessobrasava a Russian dancer. At first it was in her own name and later became the Princess Grace Academy. For over 50 years it has been one of the foremost ballet schools, and as has been said previously extremely hard to get into. When I worked in France, one of my friends was Japanese and had trained there, and the AD of our company was a great friend and admirer of Marika. I fear the ballet training in UK simply does not have enough hours. My nephew is a promising young adult swimmer (competes at a National level) and the hours he has put in are phenomenal. Poolside 6 am 3 weekdays before school. After school some evenings too, with dry land and pool training at weekends. Likewise, gymnastics training involves many more hours than ballet/dance.

Yes, Francesca Hayward may may have been born in Kenya, but she was brought up in England by her paternal grandparents. She and the other principals Kerfuffle mentions, Yasmine and Anna-Rose were trained when Gailene Stock headed RBS. Things have changed in the intervening years.

There is a certain kudos to being a JA of RBS. Also, the classes are aimed to prepare dancers for RBS auditions.

Good idea re feminine items balletbean. The excitement and stress can bring it on, whether the first time or periods are established. As a teacher I always had a supplementary "first aid" kit for exams and performances.

Notepad/exercise book/drawing paper with pens, pencils and crayons. Small sewing kit. Favourite cuddly toy or mascot.

There were some major problems at Tring a few years ago, a search on this board should find the discussions. The Director of Dance at the time was effictively relieved of her duties after a snap Ofsted inspection prompted by parental complaints. The new Co-Directors of Dance who are currently in post are excellent and the standards are high. Just checked Tring's website and will update this. Antony Dowson and Lorraine Jones were originially Co-Directors of Dance but their functions have now been separated. Antony Dowson is Artistic Director of the Encore and Graduate programmes, and Lorraine Jones is Director of the Dance Course, Head of Dance.

Maybe they time it to coincide with company and academic years in the northern hemisphere, to make life easier for everyone.

Contemporary isn't necessary at such a young age. It would be better to spread out to four sessions rather than do two long ones. All bodies, but in particular growing children need recovery time after exercise - less really is more!

I think it is the sheer logistics of travel, so RB limit it to people who don't live too far away. Years ago one of my boy JAs was invited to audition to be a page in Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake (not sure which). His JA teacher warned it was quite a commitment and when the parents saw the schedule of rehearsals and performances they decided it would be too much.

I am another who recommends Kings, as a fellow teacher rather than because I have a DC or pupil there.

I imagine that like every organisation there are budget constraints. It is not unknown for dancers to step down a level and take a pay cut to be able to join a particular company. Was writing at the same time as you Sabine.

One pupil attending one class is OK, it is when there are too many, lots of whom aren't serious. With regard to Associates and Intensives, a good rule of thumb is whether they are a well known and/or only take pupils after a rigorous audition process. Not those spurious ones that are just trawling in their local area.

No LinMM, poaching is when teachers actively encourage pupils from other schools to switch, by starting Associate schemes, performance clubs, and even contacting direct on social media. What doesn't seem to be understood is how disruptive trial classes can be for existing pupils.