2dancersmum

Taking a completely different slant on this Pastel, I would check with the school in France exactly what they mean by medical certificate. The health care system is so different in France it is possible that by 'medical certificate' they are meaning more along the lines that you have your DD covered medically ie 'health insurance policy to cover for injury whilst attending' rather than a doctors note saying she is normally fit and healthy and there is no reason for her to not to take the course.

I don't think it is new. I'm sure I saw it on their website a few years back - but I don't know anything about it either.

The visa issue does work both ways. It is hard for a US dancer to get a visa to work in England and for a British dancer to work in the US. . Currently, as part of the EU our dancers do not need visas to work in Europe. We hold EU passports and as has already been stated a lo of companies state that an applicant must be an EU passport holder and have the right to work within the EU. The US is a huge geographical area and there are a lot of dance companies that US dancers can apply to, without jumping through all the hoops of a work permits and visas. The UK is tiny in comparison with few dance companies and hence our visa -free zone is Europe. Noone really knows what is going to happen post Brexit but if work restrictions are imposed, then yes there will be consequences.

Horrific news and may she RIP. Her poor family and I thought it pretty poor taste to show images of her on the news lying on the street. The truth of what really happened will no doubt emerge other the next few days. The news report I saw said her attacker was waiting for her when she and her PA came outside. that he stabbed her and a man in the dry cleaners saw and came out and tackled him, at which point he pulled out a gun and shot her as she lay on the ground. All in all a pretty senseless killing - another one to add to the innocent lives lost in the past few weeks.

Amazon has a surprising variety of ballet themed cake toppers and accessories for parties. Most cake and crafty shops tend to include ballet shoes in their ranges for the tops of cakes, but not seen any tap shoes.

It says intermediate/advanced on the advertisement that Janet posted. I think also the very fact that they are called 'masterclasses' as opposed to 'taster classes' perhaps indicates that they are aimed at dancers of a certain standard and not beginners.

My village is basically three roads in the form of a right angled triangle and a number of cul de sacs off of them. Previous street parties have always been in little cul de sacs but this time I think they want big impact as it is the diagonal road of the triangle that is closed off - so basically no traffic through the village centre. Its amazing there is such a sense of community here as we have a school, a church and a pub and that's it and most of the school children don't live here but there does always seem to be something going on.

It really still will depend on the nature and degree of the disability for the individual. As Eileen said, it may become apparent at audition and could have the opposite effect to the desired one - if a company knows that a disability can be managed they are more likely to take it into account at audition, when they know people are nervous then if they are judging on appearance/behaviour alone. As I said before though, I doubt very much that a dancer could keep any form of disability quiet. As ballet is a physical activity I am pretty sure that along with a contract there will be a pretty comprehensive medical form to fill in and a company may well withdraw an offer if they feel relevant information has been withheld prior to a contract being signed. DD does not work for a ballet company but is employed as a professional dancer and her form included questions on asthma, bipolar, ADHD, diabetes, fainting spells. seizures, time off for illness, depression and any other mental issues, hospital stays, medication taken, injuries, allergies. This is in part for medical insurance but she also had to give consent for further information on anything declared. I think honesty is the best policy so you can be auditioned on your dancing and your strengths. Having a disability does not necessarily go against you. DD does actually know a professional dancer, a graduate from vocational school, who suffers from narcolepsy. This dancer obviously declared their condition prior to audition, a brilliant dancer whose condition does not effect their performance or rehearsals at all but who falls asleep frequently when sitting still or inactive for long periods. I am sure this person would not have been hired if they had fallen asleep during the long audition day without the panel knowing there was a reason for it and that their condition was diagnosed, medicated and stable.

I swear birds have personalities sometimes! Yesterday there was a group of about six starlings around our bird box. One was poking its head inside whilst the other sat on the nearby fences watching, all in a cluster. No idea what it was trying to get at, but after a few minutes it swapped places with one of the spectators and a 2nd bird began the frantic pecking towards the inside of the bird box. I shifted position in the house and one of the birds turned its head and looked at me. The birdbox bird stopped pecking and at exactly the same time all six birds looked at me, then each other, then flew off. It really was as if I had caught them doing something they shouldn't. They looked so sheepish.

Seniors - ie diploma course - don't actually have exeat weekends in any case so they will finish at their normal time those Fridays. They don't have classes at the weekend , unless they are requested for extra rehearsals and are therefore free to go home any weekend they chose.

Wishing you all the best Harwel. Sounds like you have a difficult weekend ahead. Here is another village with a street part/fete going on. Managed to avoid being part of the planning and organising but with the main street being closed for the street party for quite a few hours, it would be difficult to avoid altogether and I daresay DH and I will have a wander around.

Think it also depends on the circumstances of the 18+ dancer ie at home or away, dance as a hobby or in training for a career Practical gifts for dance - like toe tape, bun nets, hair pins and something to store them in always go down well - also things like a top for over the top of a leotard for warm up or wrap around dance skirts. A student away at vocational school (or away on a contract)- easily portable items to store make-up, jewellery etc and pretty storage items - boxes or bags. Photo frames or small pictures/postcards of ballet/dance to decorate their room/sleeping space. Wall calendar/diary. Phone case Gifts my DD has been given (that have to stay at home and cannot travel with her) - wall canvases of dancers of various sizes, bronze(?) statuettes of dancers, cushions and bed throw. Set of toiletries in a lovely ballet themed carry case

Fantastic news Jaylou - so pleased it has worked out well for your DD after all that waiting for news

Greek National Opera are also looking for male and female ballet dancers, born before 31st December 1996. Visit their website for details http://www.nationalopera.gr/en/

Ballet Finland is looking for 2 male and 1 female ballet dancers for season 2016-2017 productions. Excellent classical and contemporary technique required. Positions starting from August 8th 2016 onwards. Auditions by invitation only. Send CV, pictures and/or videos to info@balletfinland.com. Deadline for applications: June 30th 2016. Edited to add:I copied and pasted this so not my wording. It says to visit their website for further details

I've watched that taxi and had a quiet chuckle to myself. In a similar vein, DD's ex teacher always used to get quite peeved when she gave girls brooms as props for show work and seemingly no one knows how to brush the floor anymore. My actual gripe for today though - burst water main last night - so trickle of water only first thing and then none at all for an hour. Bad enough normally but with no water with no advance warming after a hot and sticky night is no fun. thankfully restored now though.

Might be going off at a tangent but have you tried high street stores like Primark. Over the years my DD has bought many items that we could not source in dance shops because something similar has been in fashion. I know in the past when she has needed tan, blue, yellow tights etc she has bought from high street shops and if they have been too fine, worn two pairs. I'm pretty sure she has had to cut feetoff in the past for coloured tights and they have been ok - though for a few performances and not regular use in class.

I'm sorry but "deserve to find corps de ballet jobs in this country". Does it mean that students trained elsewhere are somehow 'less deserving'? As that is how it comes across. Getting a contract as a ballet dancer is not necessarily about being the best and I agree that 'not good enough' is perhaps not an accurate phrase - but it is personal. Each director will know what he wants from his dancers - technique, expression, performance, look and I agree with Goldenlily that graduates should research prospective companies and their repertoire. I also don't really understand the preoccupation with 'in this country' if I am totally honest. A contract is a contract at the end of the day and how many people actually get the job they really want straight out of college. That is true well outside the world of ballet. The first job or first contract is just the first step of the ladder in the real world. I think also the fact that all but 2 of the current batch of RBS graduates have secured some sort of work is testamount to the quality of the training and the standard of these dancers. I cannot help but wonder how many students are due to graduate this summer from our dance colleges and universities in this position and how many are still searching and auditioning. I don't doubt that every school has its failings and areas that can be improved on but the onus is on the student too. The real world is a competitive place and nothing gets handed to you on a silver platter. Where you trained might help open doors but you still have to prove yourself the right person for the job/role etc.

Is it really a poor success rate if the graduates are finding work as dancers? I don't personally consider it 'poor' if graduates are able to find employment and I think our graduates actually have quite a wide region in which to do so. We are currently part of the EU and our dancers can search for work within the whole of the EU. Protectionism is mentioned - I would suggest that it already exists to a degree. There are no end of companies within the EU - ballet, contemporary and more general dance where you will see alongside the details of the audition that the person auditioning must hold an EU passport or already have a work visa to enable them to take up the position. It may be for the 'big names' and more established dancers that a company will assist with getting visas but I doubt for those starting out. USA has been mentioned several times in this thread. Well I think it is perhaps worth remembering the sheer size of the place and that a UK dancer working in Germany or elsewhere in the EU may well be closer to home than an American still within the USA. Also, it can be very difficult for them to obtain visas to come to this country to dance or even train as an American friend has discovered. And yet I do know of several British dancers, trained in this country who have been able to go to American ballet companies albeit often only for 6 months - as graduates or with only a few years experience. So I don't think either 'side' has the upper hand actually. I think we are in lucky in this country that excellent training for dancers exists and yes we train more dancers than there are jobs for but to me it does seem wrong to think that just because a child aged 11 goes to vocational school that they have some sort of inherent right to a position in a British company at the end of training. It would rather write off all those that enter the vocational system at a later date as well. It does not matter if you are talking ballet or business, our world is based on the fact that the job goes to the person who is most suited to it - its highly competitive whatever you do. Plenty of university graduates fail to find employment in their chosen fields - perhaps because they are searching in a more restricted workplace ie within the UK and not internationally. I think we are rather lucky that dancers in this country are trained well and can compete for work internationally because ballet is global. Giving priority to British dancers in British companies could be a bit restrictive for the growth of our companies as a whole and to be honest the idea of discrimination on nationality does make me a little uncomfortable, as have several comments on this thread

The list changes year to year, depending who has vacancies and on any new places that Hammond find during the year - especially where the accommodation is living with a landlady (who does breakfast & evening meal & washing) as opposed to a shared house of just students. Priority goes to the under 16s for landlady accommodation. Quite a few of the student houses are close to the centre of Chester as opposed to the school. My advice is to phone as soon as you get the list, even if you cannot view straight away. DD went at 16 and her landlady operated by the idea that the first to phone had first refusal rather than the first to view, within reason obviously but she was well aware that some of her students would live quite some distance away and not be able to just drive up easily. In fact I know in the past she has had students from abroad also.

Personally I don't find it strange that so many British trained dancers find work with European rather than British companies. If you look at Britain versus all the countries in Europe, then obviously there are way more companies abroad. Even if each country had only one ballet company, the numbers of companies and dancers required would still outnumber the number of British ballet companies. Yes a directors taste will influence who he or she hires but I am sure that if you looked at the destinations of graduates training in any single country in Europe getting a contract in the same country versus the rest of Europe, the same picture would emerge.

When my son struggled to find work during the summer at the end of his first year at uni, he was told he was not eligible as the student loan was designed at covering the whole year - England though. He is wise to call in in person and ask though as I believe they do consider applications on an individual basis in view of personal circumstances so the fact that it is unknown if the second year of the course is even going ahead may sway things in his favour as well as family arrangements. With a 13 week break though I imagine he can find something. Its quite a long break - and especially if it is continuous.

I perhaps didn't express myself very well if people think I advocate giving up just because you don't get into your first choice of school - and no I was not thinking along the lines of RBS Upper Schools and thinking of anywhere else as second best. My post was more in response to stardancers comment about 'if you go to eg the Hammond for a year, and it didn't work out,- and 'more beneficial than your local dance school?' I quite agree that they have to make the most of opportunities offered and that was precisely my point, that the student has to be in the mindset of making the most the school they attend and NOT be viewing it as their only option. Again, it was stardancer who made the point that her DD was concerned that a school she thought offered a lot of ballet actually offered a lot more singing, acting and musical theatre. It is an individual decision but as with any stage of their training, I think you do have to weigh up all options available if your DD wants to do classical ballet, for instance and as stardancer put it the course offered is 'not suitable at the moment'. For an individual this may be accepting an offered place but if they still have access to high quality ballet training locally, continuing to train for ballet locally and trying again for a more ballet focused course the following year - there is no set one route suits all solution. My DD had her heart set on classical ballet and on Elmhurst school in particular until the time of the auditions when it was a different school she much preferred. So no, there was never a question of "last resort" but I have heard the words "thank goodness I didnt'get/didn't go" many times as she thrived at the school she went to. She still intended auditioning for classical companies up until about the first term of her final year but then didn't. She has been working as a professional dancer since she graduated,still on her first contract and has no regrets that she is not a classical ballet dancer. But there are a lot of students out there at the moment who have finished their auditions and are on reserve lists, or who have places but no funding or have been offered foundation places. Especially for those who have widened the net from the more ballet focused courses and gone for 'professional dance' or MT and so include colleges like Laines, Bird, Performers, Urdang, Millenium, Bodyworks. Each of them has to weigh up all their options - as what is right for one will not be right for the other. And to come back to the original question - I still don't believe it matters if you have 1 year at a vocational school, local training or a foundation course on the application form, it is still the audition that will decide if you are offered a place.

To me honesty is the best policy and people do have valid reasons for switching schools. I think age does come into it though. Children starting a vocational school at year 7 have a long road ahead of them still and a lot of things can change. Starting vocational school at 16 is a little different I think because you are entering into the final stages of your training and looking towards getting into the profession, getting a contract, more so than long term training. I think parents and children/students look at the whole package training/education/accommodation/pastoral care a little differently for different ages, even if it is an individual choice. I think I would be a little bit wary of accepting a place at an upper school if it is only because you or your child did not get offered a place or perhaps the funding to attend their first choice school. I believe that to a huge extent you get out what you put in and if a student is there only because it is their last resort I do wonder if they will make the most of opportunities in front of them and thrive - not just in terms of dance training but also friendships - for if a 16/17 year old will feel like they belong if they know it is only temporary? And what happens if the next year, the student still does not get a place at their top choice of school? Do they stay put if their heart is not in it? If at 16 your child is set on a particular school or pathway, I do feel you need to consider all implications for the child for the different options available. I don't think a school, looking at an application form, would be swayed either way by a prestigious school or a local ballet school on the application form as it will be the audition itself that counts.

thanks Fiz. I honestly have to say that yesterday was truly stressful. The funeral went ok but I had barely been home five minutes and DH had just left for work when the phone rang. A voice against a noisy background sobbed into the phone, said 'mummy' and then hung up. Bearing in mind that DD1 works abroad and is often out alone in a country where she does not speak the language and that DD2 at the time was inbetween exams and under supervision (ie no phones allowed) because of an exam clash, I really did not know what to think. So after a few hours of worry, DD1 texts to say she had not phoned me and I collected DD2 from her final exam and it was not her either. So I've no idea who the call was from - though it certainly sounded like DD2.After that the day could onlyget better.