Dance*is*life

I have to say that I am indeed very lucky to be able to teach in a school where, in spite of the fact that we don't have selective auditions and take anyone who wants to join us, the class schedule is a rich one. The girls (and the occasional boy) can take jazz, modern and flamenco as well as ballet. What this means in practical terms is that our student body includes the full gamut of talented and non talented dancers, but, since they all commit to the full schedule, those that are talented are able to achieve high enough standards to eventually become professional dancers. Not always in ballet, as for that you need the physical attributes too, but we've had some of those too. Similarly even the weak ones get enough hours to ensure that they can pass their exams with a respectable Merit. Compared to the schedules I read about in the States on other forums, they still don't get enough lessons, but the older serious students often join the dance stream at the local high school and then they got many more hours of dancing there too. I have no idea how you can teach any ballet class in 40 minutes. Our Primaries have twice a week 45 minutes! It astounds me that even at RAD Headquarters the vocational levels don't get 90 minute classes. I suppose this is why it takes longer to prepare for an exam and means that the students are older. What actually amazes me is the ability of the pupils I teach to juggle school and dance and do well in both. I think it comes down to the fact that they are able to commit and so have developed work ethics to be proud of. Dancing children always strike me as being a very special breed!

Why do you think it "unlikely!" that Grade 7 students would have several hours of class time per week, youngatheart? Or that they would have to do nothing but syllabus work in order to learn it? I have to admit I'm curious about that. I would say that it depends on the school and the way the timetable is built. I actually prepare students for Grade 7 in about 6 months! I teach it in the year between IF and Inter. It's a wonderful syllabus that enriches them artistically and really allows them to move and dance. In addition, it widens their vocabulary and teaches them about the romantic ballet era. I am so pleased the RAD hasn't phased it out. Our Grade 7s are usually about 12/13 years old and have three 3 x 90 minute ballet classes a week. One non-syllabus, one pointe class combined with free work in soft shoes to start preparing them for Intermediate, and one purely syllabus class. Nearer the exam, we concentrate more on the syllabus of course. Our exams are once a year in March/April, so plenty of time left after that for non-syllabus classes and preparing the end of year performance. By the way, the examiner last session commented on the fact that they really seemed to understand the Romantic style and gave very high marks, so it is possible, youngatheart!

Seven is still very young and honestly, I don't feel that your daughter will lose out by not starting serious training at that age. Give her another year or two to decide how important dance is to her, before sending her to a more focused environment. I am definitely a teacher who goes for the positive approach - I want my students to love ballet as much as I do, because I believe that you work harder at something you love and get pleasure from, than something that you are forced to do. Some children are ready for serious, dedicated training earlier, others later. Listen to your child - she wants to have fun and make up her own dances - I agree with the other posters - I would let her :-)

Interesting discussion. We only have one exam session a year around March/April. So we have about 6 months of twice a week classes to prepare the exam work, after which we spend the rest of the year with non-syllabus classes and working on the dances for the annual performance. I try and allow as many children as possible to take the exams, but there are kids who don't want to do exams - they don't want the pressure - and that's OK too. We do have a policy of putting everybody up each year to the next level, regardless of whether they have taken the exam or not. If they are doing the work to the best of their ability (even if that ability is limited) and have learnt that grade, we wouldn't hold them back. Sometimes a really talented child will jump a level, but this is always the exception. In general we find that they need to do each level in turn as it builds on the previous one. Most levels have mixed ages, but the bulk are about the same age with just a few younger and older. New girls are slotted in according to ability and previous training, but with an eye on their age so that they will feel comfortable with the other children. I was surprised to read that Grade 4 students would also start learning IF at the same time. Doesn't that muddle them? From Grade 7 our students get a third non-syllabus classical class and that gives them the break from exam pressure. I have to say that in recent years we have stopped sending the students in for exams altogether after Intermediate. The higher level vocational exams are so very expensive here, that I can't justify the expense to the parents.

balletqs - your students take Grade 5 after IF?? And whilst they're working on Intermediate? Do they find it challenging enough? Why do you do it that way round? Doesn't it make them a lot older than usual for Grade 5? Just curious - not critical.

It's also a beautiful traditional opera house. I performed there in 2008 and I must say that I was thrilled. Sounds a wonderful and very varied programme.

The student mentioned above really swam a lot, far more than 5 hours a week. It all got to be too much. A hobby is one thing, but her schedule was really crazy and she needed to drop something. Kids need down time too.

Here's a little titbit. I was at the premiere of Sandy Wilson's Valmouth in 1958 My mother, who was a professional dressmaker, was hired to help with the costumes and I went along with her quite often and also helped out with little things like flowers for the dresses. I remember the costumes as being extremely over the top! Anyway, we worked until the last minute and so they invited us to come along to the premiere. We had house seats in the middle of the front row of the circle, if I remember rightly. I was only 11 (about the age I was in my profile picture!) and I remember someone in the audience making a remark that it was not a production that was suitable for children. Reading about it on Google just now, I think she was probably right, but everything would have gone way over my head, so it didn't really matter. I was just thrilled at seeing those wonderful costumes on stage.

I have to say that I have a young student who swam seriously and even though she was then only 10 or 11 she was becoming "beefy" round her shoulders and chest. Now that she dances more, I think that she has given up swimming and I have seen a change in her shape. I didn't really think about it until reading your post, but it has to be because she has given up swimming, as she hasn't grown enough to fine out her body.

Just wanted to add that I think the new RAD syllabi have changed the concept of RAD as a gradual slow process. I'd be very interested in hearing how teachers are coping with it, who only see their students once a week!

I think what recent productions of Ashton's works are missing is the subtlety to the characterisation. I believe that what was so special about Ashton and Helpman's portrayals of the Ugly Sisters was that in spite of everything (that they were men and not young etc) somehow you believed in them. I even felt sorry for Ashton's character at one point. An aaaah moment! The same goes for Fille. There is a filmed version that has survived of Nadia Nerina - possibly the original Lise - and she is simply delightful and whilst David Blair's technique is very much of that period with all its pluses and minuses, he too is charming. It's all so pretty and gentle and "English understatement" at its best. Nowadays without pyrotechnics audiences seem unmoved. Well except for the lovely people on this forum!

Sounds great fun! Love places with live music! Especially when they're free! My sons have never forgotten the evening we went to eat in a chinese restaurant next to our hotel when we were on holiday in Rome. They surprised us by having a karaoke session and I was pushed into singing - hadn't sung in public since..... well I forget. Anyway, I chose Raindrops keep falling on my head - only song with a small enough range that I could sing - and I think they were actually quite proud of me.

Probably not as old as me, my dear! I know nothing about pop groups and singers - my favourites are still Doris Day and Jack Jones! I only discovered Collabro by chance because I was checking out youtube - you can tell that I haven't gone back to teaching yet and am bored! Anyway, Collabro won this year's Britains Got Talent. They are a 5 guy singing group who, unlike most pop boy bands, actually sing musical theatre ballads. They sang Stars and Bring him Home from Les Miz in the competition and received a standing ovation from judges and audience at every stage. Simon Callow signed them to a recording contract and their first album was released about a week ago and is already at number 1! They are really talented - all five have great voices and are really nice looking, charming and well spoken. Check them out on youtube.

Can't believe their album is already at number 1 in the charts! I have to get it! I think they're super and such nice guys. I was so pleased they won !

Skydancer - thank you! Are any of the entries on youtube as I can't get Sky? By the way when I opened your link I got two men dancing together - is that right?

One of my favourite museums in London is actually The Museum of London at the Barbican! We took a group of ballet students there some years ago and they loved it - no connection to ballet of course, but we had to drag them away! It deals with London through the ages but from a social history point of view (nearly wrote pointe of view!). There is a wonderful light and sound model of the Great Fire of 1666, for example. There are displays of shops and rooms of furniture, clothes, scenes of family life. I think the Coronation coach is there too.

We don't have Sky, so I am not asking this to be "clever". Why are former professionals taking part in a reality talent competition? Isn't it supposed to be to discover hidden talent? Obviously, they're beautiful, but I mean they know that - we know that - so why?

The thing about the Bolshoi in Moscow and the Maryiinsky in St. Petersburg is that Russians can buy tickets cheaply - tourists can't. There are two prices for everything - even to go into Lenin's tomb - and the difference in price is tremendous. In a way it's nice that they are enabling their citizens to access culture, that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Definitely Covent Garden for me! The street entertainers and small shops and stalls are lovely and the ROH shop is a must. You could carry on from there in the direction of Trafalgar Square through St. Martin's Lane and Freeds and visit St. Martin's in the Fields. The National Gallery at the top of Trafalgar Square has free entrance so you could take them in there for a bit too.

If you had to get there by public transport, does anyone know how? Train to Nottingham and then??? Or is there a nearer station where you could get a taxi?? It sounds really good and considering it includes all meals as well not that expensive.

Well presumably he allows the floor to be cleaned??? A bucket of water with some vinegar added is surely not a big deal? I would tell him that if a child slips and hurts herself, the parents could sue him for negligence!

Apple Vinegar in the cleaning water (no soap) does help. We swabbed our floor down just before the exams and it was good.

I was visiting my student son and we had a meal together after the theatre. When we came out on a bitterly freezing cold November night wrapped up with thick coats, scarves, gloves and hats, we saw a group of hen party girls. They were all wearing the skimpiest of strappy mini dresses, mile high winklepicker shoes and silly hats on their heads. I know that love is supposed to keep you warm, although I wreckon it was booze in this case, but I came out in goosebumps just looking at all that naked blue flesh!

He really was a giant of British Cinema. Lived to a good age I see, which is nice. It makes one think that he probably fulfilled his ambitions and used his talents fully. So many talented people die ridiculously young and you think what a loss and what a waste..........

Janet, I travelled up to Manchester and back from London to visit my niece and you are right - absolutely no cheap tickets on the friday. I went up on the Thursday evening train at 8pm instead and it only cost me £12.50. I came back on sunday at 11.30am and it cost me £25. So not too bad. I booked through Virgin, which was better than what the TrainLine and other supposedly cheap travel companies offered and no booking fees. I booked quite a while in advance though. We saw a very good production of the ballet Romeo and Juliet in Budapest last year and if I remember rightly we paid about £35 a seat!