JulieW

Good luck from me too. My children all found it a big change from GCSEs to ASs. Luckily for my daughter - they were still doing January modules because she got the wake up call she needed at that point and realised how much work was needed to get the good grades she needed at AS and A level.

Don't panic Sarah - you'll learn as you go like the rest of us. When my son got into JAs there were only a handful of us ballet parents on the forum. Fortunately there was a girl from our local dance school who went to WL and was a couple of years older so I could quiz her mum a bit, because I knew absolutely nothing. It was a steep learning curve :-) To answer your question, he was assessed or of WL in year 9, but went to Elmhurst and stayed there until he graduated. Good advice to visit the schools if you can and form your own opinion of where feels right for you, but remember that you won't necessarily have a choice! Lots of people on here with experience of different schools - if you have a search and dig around on the forum you'll find lots of info. Personally if I were doing it all again I'd still only be looking at WL and Elmhurst, but that's my personal preference.

I'm sure you'll get lots of replies about this, but I'll chip in with my view. It is a completely different way of life and unless you were intending to send your child to boarding school anyway, it's one you're thrown into as a bit of a surprise. But whether vocational dance school or "regular" boarding school, they make amazing bonds with friends and some adults, and at least at vocational school they have one very big thing in common!!! (My son went to WL and Elmhurst and suffered terribly for the first year or two with homesickness, but we are still glad he did it)

So sad - http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/10342-jonathan-ollivier/#entry138715

Terrible, terrible news.

See here: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/10342-jonathan-ollivier/#entry138715

I know (and I understand as I work in the NHS) that money is tight, but I fail to see how returning uni students are at less risk and therefore not given the vacc!!

I'm glad you asked too - we call it a dip dye round here :-) My daughter likes to be different and has it darker at the ends. All started when she dyed it all black years ago and then grew it out. It's currently natural (kind of light golden brown to her shoulders, then red(ish), then nearly black at the ends. She doesn't do subtle! I'll try to find a picture.

Gary Avis and Olivia Cowley will be dancing too :-)

Interesting topic, great question, and some good advice above. If I were you I'd definintely contact Drdance.... I can't speak for all teachers of course, but in my opinion I really don't feel most local dance teachers could give a good, unbiased opinion of a student who they know well. "Rose tinted spectacles" sometimes, or maybe over-critical, or perhaps in some cases just not knowledgeable enough. But also remember that if you're just looking for an opinion on "does she have a chance of getting into a school" - that's almost impossible for anyone to say (if there's nothing intrinsically wrong with technique or physique) - you only know by trying.

Very interesting thread. I agree with the points that if students are going to vocational school, hoping to be professional dancers, then exams don't really matter. But just wanted to add that from my experience with my younger two children who didn't go to vocational school, or want to be professional dancers, one of them loved doing exams (enjoyed the preparation, the buzz from the actual exam, and then the feeling of achievement when she got her results) and the other couldn't see the point of them at all and carried on throught some grades without taking the exams. They were exactly the same about their music lessons. Eldest (who is now a professional dancer and went away to WL in year 7) did take some RAD and Cecchetti exams while at voc school, but really only so they were eligible to enter various competitions where that was a pre-requisite. His intermediate levels would be useful if he wants to go into teaching I suppose (he doesn't at the moment!), but having a distinction in an exam doesn't make him a more employable dancer. (My daughter's an example of that too I suppose, but the other way round - fantastic exam results, but there's no way she'd be able to be a professional. Her exams and festival experience however did look good on her UCAS statement for vet school applications!!) Sorry - I've gone off on a tangent

I'm game if you are

We'll have to have a way of identifying eachother as balletcoers (I'm sure I'll recognise you Janet!!)

HFB - we should try to meet up for a Vienna Festival performance this autumn/winter - and a BTUK one :-)

Come on ballet fans (those of you in easy reach of London anyway) - there are lots of tickets left to watch this lovely company of young dancers and choreographers in a fortnight's time. Please help support them and the charity. They are a great company to watch with your young aspiring-to-be-professional dancers as the dancers will have come by a similar route to that yours are following. I'll be there on Thursday and Saturday afternoon. Hope to see some of you there!

Come on London-based (or living near to London) ballet fans. Loads of tickets left for these performances in 2 weeks' time. Please help support these young dancers and choreographers and the charity. I'll be there on Thursday and Saturday - hope to see lots of forum members

Can someone please fill me in - in case I've missed it - as to why they're only vaccinating those in that age range going to university this year for the first time - what about those going back to uni? They had a different vaccination last year didn't they, so won't be covered.

I know some of you don't venture much outside of Doing Dance so thought I'd bring this to your attention - if you're close to London and would like to see some lovely young dancers with some guest artists (hopefully!)... http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/10275-new-english-ballet-theatre-august-performances-in-aid-of-nepal-earthquake-appeal/#entry137909

(Thanks to my fellow moderator who merged the threads - silly me!)

NEBT will be performing at the St James Theatre (near Victoria station in London) on 20-22 August 2015. Here's a bit from their "blurb": Following on from our successful Gala at the Royal Opera House in May, New English Ballet Theatre would like to announce their thrilling series of August fundraising performances for the Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal. These shows will take place in the St James Theatre, a unique, award winning arts complex in central London and we would be delighted if you would like to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to see not only NEBT's successful programme of ballets, but also newly choreographed pieces and famous guest artists in the heart of London this summer. http://www.nebt.co.uk/performances.shtml And lots of information about the pieces and the appeal on the theatre website here: http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/theatre/dancing-for-nepal/ Looks like there should be some guest appearances from RB and/or ENB dancers too.

I remember that Melody. But I think it was the freelance dancers as you suggested.

Has anyone seen any of NEBT's performances this summer? There are 3 more to go as far as I can tell - fundraisers for Nepal I believe.

A couple of old but useful threads... About early days at vocational school and homesickness http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/7761-news-of-dc-in-vocational-schools/?fromsearch=1 http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/4911-homesickness/?fromsearch=1

I'll be there. Son should be dancing!

Just found the Defile done by the Kiev State Basket School a couple of years ago, on YouTube. Same music as RBS, and very similar choreo, but not a patch on the RBS version imho.