2dancersmum

It is quite a few years now since my DD attended but the preliminary rounds for the seniors was just like a normal ballet class. My DD took pointe shoes and took them in with her, both years she went, but never got to wear them in the prelim audition. I think it does vary from venue to venue depending on who takes the audition though. My advice to your DD would be to just go, do her best but most of all enjoy the experience.

Dancexchange in Birmingham are currently advertising for an intern for a dance festival. I realise that if your DD is year 12, this year is too soon for her but the description of the job role and what they are looking for from applicants may be of interest to you, just for your own information http://www.dancexchange.org.uk/opportunities/production-intern/

I'm sure the teacher will go through this with her. As Anna says, you should be arriving well in advance of the exam time. Your DD will be told how to carry in her character skirt and shoes and where to place them in the studio where the exam takes place. Before they exam they all get a number/colour and they line up and enter the room in that order. Dancing unicorn explains what happens well.

Summer school is certainly not essential at that age but if you did want to dip your toes in the water, perhaps have a look at the summer courses offered by Ballet Cymru. They take dancers from aged 10. Its not residential - so not sure if you are close enough to drive - we used to stay in a Travelodge and it was still considerably cheaper than most of the residential schools. My DDs never actually attended course 1 but started going aged 12. The standard was always high and they are taught by dancers from the ballet company itself . Very friendly organisation.

DD2 is currently sitting on 5 offers for university . She completed all her UCAS applications including all her relevant dance results as well. She has not applied for a degree that relates to performing arts - but more science based. She was advised to talk about dance in her personal statement but that she had to relate it to her A levels, proposed degree or life skills it has taught her. The universities are not particularly top universities according to league tables - but more in the top 30-60 range. Only 2 of them are willing to accept points from other qualifications - one has a limit of 12 points and the other has specifically excluded dance qualifications - it came as a written note with the BBB offer.

Ballet Cymru have announced auditions for February for contract April-December 2018. Audition by invitation only. Further information on how to apply is on their website. welshballet.co.uk

I would imagine that the perceived drop in technique is down to the number of exams she has taken in such a short space of time as it does seem to indicate she has been taught to pass an exam rather than consolidating technique at each stage. The analogy DDs teacher gave her quite a few years ago now , that might help your DD understand, was to compare ballet to building a wall. You can build a wall higher (go up the grades) but if you don't align the bricks properly or mix in mortar, then your wall will not be solid and you will not be able to build any higher. It may well be that she needs a bit longer without the pressure of another exam to just consolidate what she has already learned - so she can concentrate on technique as she already knows the steps. It might interest you to know that DDs teacher often encouraged students to attend a class a grade lower than their current grade, rather than one above, specifically to consolidate technique - even when they had achieved a distinction. It certainly feels like it is constantly stretching them and teaching just to syllabus if there is such a focus on exams. One thing to definitely tell your DD is that she would not have been able to take all those exams in such quick succession if she was not talented. You talk of associate schemes - have you ever considered the RAD associates as these are non syllabus and very much technique based, running along grade levels? You don't have to audition to get in and they are 1 sunday a month, committing yourself to 4 months at a time. We found them very good, excellent positive teaching. As for the future, please remember and reassure your DD that only a very very small percentage of girls do go onto to be professional ballet dancers but not having the 'ballet body' does not mean she cannot go onto vocational training and a career as a professional dancer. Very few vocational schools and colleges actually are focused just on classical ballet. The vast majority offer qualifications in 'Professional Dance' - not 'Ballet'. My own DD is a professional dancer - not a professional ballet dancer - though ballet was her principle focus throughout.

You can get a breakdown of the syllabus, modules and credits of the level 6 Trinity Diploma by opening up the pdf on their website.http://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id=270 From what I was told, however, the requirement for the 'top up' or conversion course to get a BA Honours degree is not because of numbers of credits overall but because of the number of academic credits involved and the fact that there is no dissertation/final project. The Middlesex university course adds the 2 academic modules plus the dissertation

From my understanding, a student loan is only available for your first higher education qualification so once you have achieved your level 6 Trinity diploma , then you already have got a higher education qualification and so could not go back to university and get a student loan to do a different undergraduate degree course. This is the theory - but I do know people who have gone onto degree in other subjects afterwards - I obviously do not know their finances though. The funding rules however do allow for you to do the 1 year top up or conversion course for the diploma to a BA in Professional Practice. PGCE is post grad so different criteria apply for funding. You do need check entry requirements though as I think you do need the BA degree first

I have to say I have found the experiences of my children going through school quite different to what has been described here. I agree that 'food tech' is not the best of subjects. But that is studying at GCSE and none of mine took that. They did, however, start with baking right from reception class and had a term a year of 'cooking' - making everything from traditional biscuits, sponge cakes, shortbread, fruit crumbles through to shepherd's pie, curry, homemade pizza. In addition, the local sixth form offers cooking classes as a 'preparation for university' course, extra curricular. Most of the primary schools around here also have a vegetable patch and the children help with the planting, weeding, harvesting and of course eating the produce. I'm not sure if that is unusual for elsewhere in the country. I do live in the countryside and not in a city.

Another one to look at is Birmingham Royal Ballet. They do insight days and repertoire days in Birmingham where the boys are taught part of the day separately from the girls and with a male dancer from the company. There are no days currently listed on the 'ballet training' section of their website but you can sign up to get emails for the next time they do them. Midland Theatre Ballet might be an option - expensive but it is weekly extra class and a rehearsal as they work towards a full length ballet production each year. http://midlandtheatreballet.co.uk/ballet-classes-auditions/

Have you tried RAD Associates? They have a boys only class as well as the boys obviously being able to join in other classes too. They are 1 sunday a month and you sign up to 4 months at a time.

I'd echo Linda's advice about going back to your GP. If the tablets are doing nothing for you except give side effects then they might not be the best solution for you. You have been in pain so long already and they need to get to the bottom of exactly what is wrong. You shouldn't need to go privately to get treatment. Perhaps write down the exact history of this injury - when, how, what has been done/helped and take someone with you for moral support.

Balletbean - I'm afraid that answer is going to vary depending on the US your DD attends. Uniform, for example, some may specify certain items (brands and suppliers) whilst others let you source items yourself and unless things have changed some, like Tring, require students to have school uniform whereas Hammond US do not require academic school uniform. In similar fashion some may charge for academic exams like A levels but for others they are included in the fees. Trips and theatre visits will depend on location. My DD probably had on average 3 a year ranging from £12 to £30. Ballet and other dance exams with external boards like RAD are usually at extra cost ,plus travel to and from the exam centre . Insurance - shop around . Costumes - DD's school had a set amount per year that parents were invoiced for production costs (including costumes) - less than £50 but there were always items to buy separately for some dance numbers - often from somewhere like primark. Her school provided tutus for shows. Again this will vary. There was a one off fee for the tour/graduate showcases for the final year and school then provided coaches/trains to venues - cannot remember the cost but considerably less than if we had had to pay for even just the travel ourselves. Pointe shoes - I cant really answer. They always lasted well for my DD . BlueLou - I'm not 100% positive but I thought career development loans were for aged 18+ only and only available for 2 years with a cap of about £10k?

Ballet Cymru summer schools are worth a mention. Although not residential , we got a family room at the Travelodge and had a week away with DD- she danced while we had explored and cheaper than when she did residential on her own. The summer schools run by Ballet Cymru are high standard and my DDs both went for several years. Can recommend.

There are more than one type of student ID cards. The NUS card is for 16+ and not just university students - apply online and it gets sent to the school.£12 a year (sending it to the school and not a home address is the validation part). The international student card is also £12 , again apply online I think and it is for aged 12+ in full time education. You have to provide proof of education but it says a copy of a letter on headed paper so not sure it is validated in the same way.

A girl my DD went to school with (11-16) only ever danced recreationally and had no aspirations to be a dancer. She took a degree in a non performance subject and continued dancing at university, expanding her training with the opportunities available to her to the extent that she is now at Trinity Laban in vocational training

from reading the above it sounds like you have not actually done a ballet class yet, only watched them on you tube. When you have tried a class, some of your questions will be answered for you. Its not as easy as it looks. If you took someone at grade 2 and put them in a grade 5 class, you would soon spot the difference i'm sure. As for 'judging', well you perhaps have to remember that ballet is not supposed to be a competition, although competitions do of course exist. It is a performance art where technique, artistry, musicality and performance are all important. A dancer on the stage often has to tell a story and show a range of emotions and all through dance alone. I imagine with your gymnastic background you will be able to learn quite easily and at quite a fast pace. But like in gymnastics, there are various basics to be learnt and you progress as the technique for these skills gets steadily more difficult. Adult learners are a little different as the class will be more general but children here will normally follow graded classes that help them develop (and takes into account age/body development). In terms of helping your understanding it might be a good idea to look at the specifications and marking schemes for the grades and exams and then you will see how exams are 'judged' but do bear in mind these are schemes for teaching children from a young age through the stages and no adult class would be taught the same as 4 or 5 year olds. I've given you a link to one of the exam systems used widely in the UK and wordwide https://www.rad.org.uk/achieve/exams/what-we-do/rules-regulations-and-specifications

I would echo the advice to do a lot of the research and legwork yourself, collating forms and requirements for different colleges. I found my DD in year 11, whilst clear in her ambitions, just had too much pressure on her and demands on her time from all directions. I know since your DD is already at vocational school, her situation is different to my DDs but she still has all those pressures on her and arriving home late and tired is not the best time for her to start doing things. I would suggest trying to get some background work done for her and some forms ready to go so that you can tackle it at half term. Good luck, year 11 is a tough one.

No personal experience and no idea whereabouts in the country you are but places I have heard of that are free include: Birmingham Ormiston Academy - btec plus a levels CAPA Wakefield Bodens Performing Arts - n London Old School Danceworks (part of the Dance Mill) - btec - Halifax

I think for the MT auditions they often have more than one leotard. Classic black leotard and pink tights for the ballet part of the audition - does not have to be camisole and I think simple is better than lots of straps, just something she is comfortable wearing and that suits her. But then they often change for the jazz or contemporary sections of the audition - and this is where the coloured leotards come into and black tights. Singing and acting - simple and classical. Most of DDs friends wore a dress with the leotard and tights underneath. Make up is another thing to consider. Some of the MT colleges do like them to be wearing makeup - especially the red lippy. You will need read the audition requirements for each college though as some do offer guidelines of what they expect them to wear at audition

from the front it looks very like the Bloch Anapa (Porselli website) or the Taimi on Blochs own website. Assuming it is the childrens leotard you are referring to

I can't tell you much about the content of the course but it has been around at least 6 years as it was already going when my DD started there on the diploma course. My DD made several friends from the drama course as I believe they do 2 A levels alongside the drama and she met them in A level classes. All the ones she knows are singers and as well as separate performances for the drama students with a variety of genres there were opportunities to perform in musical theatre alongside the MT students. When my DD was there dance and MT students had different performance opportunities and I don't know how the introduction of the BA Honours degree affects things. As for grounding for drama colleges - I would say yes. I know there is a list of destinations of the drama students on the Hammond website. DDs friends went onto to Guildford ,Mountview, RADA. Fourth Monkey amongst others although not everyone chooses to pursue drama - some have gone onto MT courses, music courses or more conventional university degrees (from their A level subjects) I'd recommended attending one of their drama course open days to get your questions answered. There is usually one in October each year

Re tap - although I agree to a certain extent that keeping as several styles going is a good idea, it is down to what you can afford and what fits in with your timetables. My DD only did up to primary tap. Tap was not part of any of her auditions for entry to vocational school aged 16. She did the Trinity diploma in Professional Dance rather than musical theatre, though does some musical theatre in her professional life. She was able to pick tap up again very quickly at 16 and it certainly did not hold her back.

I agree with you Linn - its not pretentious to put on an amateur performance, - children or adults alike put on amateur performances all over the country and they are not pretending to be something they are not. The paying audience knows it is going to be a amateur performance, whether they be parents and friends or ballet /theatre lovers. Our local ballet school productions always has about 30 people per performance who are nothing to do with the school and never haver been. I get your 'quirk of personality ' too. If it is a theatre where mostly professional dancers or those in training to be professional perform, then I too would feel a little uncomfortable performing there as an adult amateur group. I don't think visiting a school like Ballet West is trespassing on hallowed ground at all, not unless you are performing there and expecting audiences to pay to watch you perform. Taking class is (or having private tuition) completely different to attracting a paying audience. theatre wise - The Shaw Theatre in London is used by several vocational schools for agent showcases. I don't know how that would compare on size or price for what you require.