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2dancersmum

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  1. My DD1 attended the Hammond as a young 16 year old. She took 2 A levels alongside the diploma - there is limited choice of A levels but very small classes and you don't miss any of the dance classes to attend (or at least didn't when she was there). Year groups had a mix of ages in them - plenty do the diploma at 18 (or even older) as well all the 16 year olds. My DD absolutely thrived there, especially compared to secondary school. She graduated on her 19th birthday and has worked as a professional dancer ever since, with just some time out in 2020. She's mostly done cruise ships - likes the travel and the variety of the shows she has performed in, all styles of dance including jazz, musical theatre, classical and modern ballet (en pointe), contemporary. If she is interested in the Hammond, keep a look out for their taster days as they really give a feel of the place and the style of the auditions. To echo another poster, it is good to do a number of auditions. There were a few places my DD came out of and said she would not feel comfortable there
  2. 2 items for room 101 today twice weekly text reminders to book my flu jab - from the GP clinic who administered said jab several weeks ago student loans company - daughter graduated last year and was asked to send details of what she was doing now. It listed forms of ID to provide for her identity and address. She did as requested. They then send her a letter to say that since they were unsure if she was in the UK and could not prove it, she was being issued with a penalty fee to her student loan and they again send the list of acceptable forms of ID she can provide - same list as before that she has already provided. Took months for them to finally accept their mistake and remove the penalty fee (and charges) - because guess what - they had all the information they had requested all along
  3. The harsh reality of auditioning for upper schools is that although some get offered places everywhere they audition, perhaps the majority will get more rejections than offers and some will get no offers at all. My own DD was not offered a place at Tring but got final auditions and offers elsewhere as well as getting rejected after the first audition. My DD's dream at that age was to pursue classical ballet, only changing her mind in her final year. She has been working as a professional dancer since she graduated in 2015.
  4. Michelle, either method would help preserve the satin on the platform of your pointe shoes though I was under the impression that it was done more to make it less slippy for dancing. A glued-on suede patch would probably outlast your pointe shoes but you do need use a strong glue rather than a fabric glue. My DD has always preferred darned shoes, which I darned initially before she took over. For darning you either want embroidery thread (comes as 6 strands together and you want to use three) or you can use a pointe shoe darning thread like the one in the link https://www.dancewear.co.uk/product/darning-thread-for-pointe-shoe/
  5. sorry for the delay, as Horsellian replies - yes you can be both employed and self employed at the same time. As I mentioned before, the unfortunate part of being self employed is the need to fill in a tax return every year - but in that you enter any self-employed earnings/expenses for the year and the PAYE earrnings will show on your account too so that the tax office gets an overall income for the year
  6. I've no direct experience of the A1 form but it sounds to me like your daughter will need to be registered as self employed as it reads as if an A1 form is if you are already employed in the UK and being sent abroad on a temporary basis by employer or if you are self employed. If your daughter is self-employed, it means she herself is her business and on the tax return at the end of the year she will enter details of the company she worked for in France and pay etc and HMRC will ask her to pay NI contributions on those earnings. My daughter, registered self-employed, has done several contracts for a UK company but abroad and that is how it worked for her - though as I say a UK company and it was before Brexit
  7. I do hope that the young girl and others are able to continue with their training and that this horrible situation in Ukraine soon improves. My DD dances on cruise ships and there have always been several of her cast members from Ukraine as well as quite a few crew from other departments. This time she has 3 male dancers from Kherson - 2 married, one with a young child. Its heartbreaking.
  8. I know of one dancer there who has been there since 2016. Her mum used to be active in this forum prior to auditions for vocational upper schools as our DDs know each other a little (from associates/workshops/auditions prior to 2012) but I don't believe either mum or daughter use this forum any more. As far as I am aware, the dancer has been very happy there - right from the start she seemed to get quite a few pas de deux opportunities, some beautiful productions not just in Austria but also touring and especially Canada. I see quite a few posts on facebook from the mum whenever she visits her daughter
  9. Auditions can be funny things. My DD attended 2 auditions also at one place, a year apart. First time - she made it through all the rounds to the final dozen girls but did not get the contract - they were only looking for 6 dancers - but got a positive rejection letter. A year later , having done another contract and gained more experience in the meantime, she felt quite positive going into the audition. It was exactly the same choreography as the year before - she was cut after two rounds.
  10. I have no affiliation with this whatsoever but came across this notice for male ballet dancers and thought I would share. Copied and pasted from another website for performers. Edinburgh Festival Ballet is looking for professional level male ballet dancers with strong classical technique for Peter Schaufuss' production of Nutcracker with performances touring in Denmark & Edinburgh. £400-£600 per week dependant on experience. Rehearsals in Edinburgh with accommodation provided while on tour in Denmark. Dates : 20 Nov 2021 - 18 Dec 2021 To apply email johan@edinburghfestivalballet.com with show reel, CV and for additional details.
  11. I mentioned RAD, ISTD and IDTA as they are the ones I have experience with but they are not the only ones that offer dance training. I just do not know the levels or grading systems of other organisations. The main thing is the minimum of 'intermediate level' to enter dance teacher training - this is the level which is the vocational equivalent to A levels and thus qualifies for UCS points. I'm sure UKA will have their own grade/assessment system and equivalent teacher training courses to those Anna C highlighted for RAD and ISTD. I think many of us on the forum are just more familiar with organisations like RAD for classical ballet as a lot of posters on her have children aiming for vocational ballet schools and I think UKA covers a much wider range of styles.
  12. Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), ISTD and IDTA are all training methods and exam assessors to teach ballet and other dance genres. Grades go from pre-primary, primary , then grades 1,2,3,4 etc. For RAD ballet grades 6-8 are level 3 qualifications (vocational equivalent of A level). Alongside these standard grades are vocational grades inter-foundation (optional) intermediate, advanced foundation (optional), advanced 1, advanced 2, solo seal. Intermediate is the level 3 qualification of these vocational grades and often an entry requirement- certainly for ballet, tap and modern. I'm not sure of the situation for contemporary, acro and street - they seem to be optional extra genres (not sure there are any grades)- certainly contemporary usually needs a solid basis in ballet first. My DD1 is a professional dancer and she only started contemporary properly at 16 so was only assessed as part of her diploma in professional dance
  13. hello and welcome If your daughter is interested in becoming a dance teacher rather than performing herself, I would echo the advice that associates are probably not necessary. Generally speaking your DD will need to have taken intermediate exams in dance genres she wishes to train as a teacher in - where applicable - ballet, tap, modern - not all genres offer exams. So based on this, concentrating on getting a good solid grounding is probably most important with extra lessons, workshops, summer schools, associates an optional extra if you can afford it but not essential. I would suggest that you have a look at the websites of Royal Academy of Dance, ISTD, IDTA for their courses in teacher training (dance) and colleges like Preston so you can see what would be studied, entry requirements etc and then work backwards for how to help your DD get to that stage
  14. I feel for you. Its a tough situation you find yourself in. Its especially not easy when your DD has lied to you as it is a double whammy of hurt. I would ask you if she respects your wishes and does not smoke when she is home from school. If it just at school then hopefully she is just being a sheep as you put it, smoking with the others to fit in/be one of them. If that is the case, then hopefully it will be a passing term-time only phase. My DD never smoked but knows several who did start during their 3 years upper school training (or who already smoked) and very few of them continued after graduation as they went out into the real world. You have made your feelings about smoking crystal clear to your DD. The dilemma you now have is if you follow through the threat of stopping the funding. To be honest, this is where you have to consider your feelings more so than perhaps your DDs. How would this make you feel, what would the consequences be for you and your family relationships as it will obviously affect more than just you and your DD. Take your time before making any decisions, not just for your own peace of mind but also for it to register and really sink in with your DD just how much she has upset you - not just with the smoking and consequences for her health/not giving 100% but also for the deceit. Good luck
  15. I cannot offer any personal advice for your son but congratulations on his place at ENBS. There are various threads on ENBS currently and previously in the 'Doing Dance' section of balletcoforum - you can use the search facility to help you find the threads. I know accommodation is a topic that often crops up. I suspect actually that your post will be moved to Doing Dance by the admin team as you will probably get more replies there. LYH - my son spent a year's work placement at Holland House quite a few years ago now and there were ENBS students there - but I think it is 18+ - though worth checking directly with them. good luck
  16. hi balletmum225 and welcome to the forum. You've had lots of advice already. I think Anna C's comments on 'body stabilising' are very valid. It takes years really for their bodies to settle into their adult shape. One of my DDs hit puberty aged 11 and Anna's comments regarding rib cage, shoulders are spot on. But the most important thing regarding your DD and her changing shape should be the fact that it is normal, that all girls and all dancers go through it. By "lie," I only meant should I tell her the truth that we're leaving due to discomfort around her body - I find that comment and your earlier comment "I don't want her to feel guilty about leaving" quite unsettling. To me those comments, especially when you are talking to your DD, need completely turning about - there is nothing wrong with your DD, she is going through completely natural changes - it needs to be clear to her that it is the teachers and the environment at that particular school that are in the wrong here. You obviously do have your DD's best interests and her emotional well-being as your priority. I agree wholeheartedly with the advice of talking to your daughter and see how she feels about her school and about ballet in general. She needs to know that she has choices and that you support her fully, though since it would appear that the current school is completely unsupportive and toxic for her, if she wants to continue to do ballet or dance in general, make sure the option of a better school is a choice for her. And given your own dance background I would stress that you emphasize the fact that you love her and support her whichever path she takes, that she is not you and will not be disappointing you. This fact may be obvious to you but may not be so obvious to a 10 year who sort of expects to grow up like mummy . I always remember my youngest DD at about that age asking me about ballet and did she have to go because her eldest sister did (on track to be a professional dancer at that time)- it hadn't occurred to her that she had a choice, she thought it was just something she was expected to do. I was totally surprised at the question - I thought she knew I would support her with whatever hobby/activity she wished to pursue, that she wasn't her sister. But it can be difficult to see into the minds of 10 year olds. In any event I wish you good luck in finding a school that will support your DD in her interests and in guiding your DD through the difficulties of going through puberty earlier than her peers.
  17. A friend's daughter came to the UK aged 16 after gaining a place on the Trinity level 6 diploma course in Professional Dance. She had the option to take 2 A levels alongside the diploma and opted to take A level English literature as she was unsure of the workload of doing 2 A levels and the coursework for the diploma too. She found that plenty as typically in college from 8am to 7pm and she did have to adjust to the English system, not just in academics but also in dance classes. She had specialised in ballet but tap, commercial jazz, street and contemporary were all fairly new to her. After graduation she returned to the US - she would have loved to have stayed in the UK or EU but it was due to her visa that she could not - if I remember rightly she had a student visa. She soon found work in the US and has been part of a dance company for the last few years as well as doing other projects. The link below explains the level 6 dance course - level 6 is a vocational equivalent to an honours degree - it is the ratio of dance-academic that is different - level 6 is approx 25% academic whereas the honours degree is upwards of 40%. For level 6 dance element - different schools colleges offer teaching in different styles but not not all styles will necessarily be assessed for the final qualification - ballet is plus at least one other (can't remember the details and the link no longer gives course breakdown as it used to). Assessment is on technique ,studio based and on stage performances https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/PPAD/level-6-dance
  18. No, I don't regret it at all. It was always my DDs choices - they both loved dancing and we supported them fully, as we did my other child who had no interest in dance in their hobbies and interests. I'm not sure that we ever encouraged it as a career route though or made a distinction between career route and hobby. We supported them in their love of dancing and just followed where it led - one to being a professional dancer and the other to university studying for a career with nothing to do with performing arts, completely different field. Children grow and change their interests and passions. The important thing is that they are happy, following their own interests and dreams regardless of where it leads. If they have been happy, I don't think there is anything to regret - years of dance teaches many skills that are useful to them in life so I don't think there is any waste either.
  19. My DD went to vocational school for the Trinity level 6 diploma at 16 . She did the odd workshop aged 12-14 and then a monthly scheme from 14-16 but it only ran 9 sessions in a year and was open to all, not entry by audition (RAD scheme). she did the Ballet Cymru summer school for a few years and an odd workshop with them too. Apart from that she danced in a small village dance school. I should say though that although ballet was her strength and main love, it was dance courses she auditioned for rather than ballet courses
  20. I think its quite understandable as they do not want children within a year group to know who is funded (or how) and equally who is not. There are posts on this thread, as there are all years, suggesting maybe mds are only ever given to year 7 - which is incorrect as those with children at the Hammond or those that have been on this forum for years know - but the school will not want false information circulating - especially if they get a phone call from an upset parent of an unsuccessful year 8 ,9 or 10 applicant. There is also the issue of anonymous postings and being able to identify a person or their child. I agree that sometimes it is just an educated guess - but many parents/children actually meet at the auditions and recalls and are actually known to each other - even if its only by number or colour of leotard and where they stood in the room.
  21. I would urge extreme caution in the assumption that you are able to obtain student finance for a degree at university after obtaining a level 6 Trinity diploma. It is a question frequently asked at open days - asked by my husband in fact and heard by myself in later years when I took another student to auditions and the answer from various colleges was always 'no'. The eligibility criteria for student finance states that it is only for a first higher education qualification (level 6 is already a higher education qualification) and further says : If you’ve studied before You’ll usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification - even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances and for some courses. (copied and pasted) When my husband queried with student finance at the time my DD was applying at 15 for entrance to vocational schools, he was told quite differently to what cotes du rhone was told. It was explained to him that for every university course there is a top up element between loan and course fee that is paid by the government, easily done for universities as we all pay taxes and they all receive some government funding. Vocational colleges as private institutions do not receive government funding and yet we have all paid the education component in our taxes - hence why the government gives the 'top up money' to students through the DADA scheme. I am not saying that you would definitely not get student funding if you aleady have a DADA. I know of quite a few students who have just done that and only one who had to appeal with the universities help to get the student loan. I just think it is a grey area where guidance and reality contradict each other - quite possibly down to the continued general misunderstanding of the level of the diploma but I do remember how the same grey are occurred with housing benefits for dilpoma students some years ago - they used to get them as no student loan until the authorities tightened their belts and enforced the 'only for those in further education and not studying for a higher education qualification' rule. So please do go into the process with eyes wide open.
  22. Adverts pop up all over the place. Job interviews take place in really random places, followed by months of background security checks on whole family, followed by lists of countries in the world you may no longer travel to. And all in all its a bit like the use of Voldemort's name (He who must not be named) in the Harry Potter books as you cannot name where you work, talk about work etc.
  23. Perhaps slightly off on a tangent - rather than injured dancers - there are degrees out there aimed at using dance in therapy - both for physical conditions or injuries and mental issues. My DD has friends who are at Derby doing joint honours degrees (dance, health and wellbeing and various other subjects). I know one for her work placement was at a hospital helping with workshops for dance and movement for patients with brain injuries, another helps/helped with a dance program for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I am sure that other universities must offer similar courses and it may be another avenue for her to explore
  24. We've had our own share of trials and tribulations with poor customer service blamed on pandemic - all eventually resolved. Car leasing company I put in room 101 - lease on husbands car ran out 27 March and on that date they were supposed to take the 'old' car away and bring another one. Notified on 22 March that due to shutdown that would not happen and then nothing - no response to emails or phone calls til 2nd week of April when they informed him that since he had kept the old car he would now be on £x per month and still be liable for mileage in excess of the amount agreed for the 3 year term - the new cost was just over 25% more than he was paying. My husband is a keyworker and at the time was working 6 to 7 days a week getting hospital wards converted to high dependency units so he needed the car still - an official complaint later and they backed back to original terms and extended the lease until end of may - when we had a repeat performance and another official complaint made and then again when the new car was delivered 3 weeks before they could collect the old one. Finally sorted out mid July so that we were not out of pocket but took so much time and effort at a time when my husband was working such long hours and under a lot of pressure. 2nd one was the water company - did a meter reading and then asked us when we had had a new meter installed as they had no record of it! Well nor did we - complete surprise to us - they think one of their workmen may have changed the wrong one some months ago - anyway their mistake meant a number of months they could not charge us for as no meter reading from old meter 3rd was potentially very serious mistake from a finance investment company. Husband transferred money over with written instruction for them to pay it into his SIPP. Only it never arrived - accidentally paid into someone else's account but they had no idea whose. Luckily our daughter spotted a payment into her account for the same amount that she had not made so the money eventually was returned.
  25. "the only people who inspect the institution in question are the QAA; however, looking at their reports it seems they only inspect the academic provision, CPD etc. We’ve had this discussion previously about private “schools” for 16+ dance training that are not obliged to be inspected by anyone from a pastoral care or safeguarding point of view. This is a flaw in the system of 16+ dance training. " I know nothing of other schools but I do know that the Hammond is inspected by Ofsted and ISI and they do include pastoral and safeguarding for under 18s. I remember that when my DD attended 1st year students (16 yr olds) on the diploma courses could live anywhere and that was picked up the inspectors and consequently rules were changed to ensure under 18 yr olds had to be in approved landlady accommodation . I admit its not something I picked up on prior to her starting there. School on the news on the other hand was a red flag for us and we turned it down.
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