Dance*is*life

A former student of mine is now training at headquarters and has been attending the Performance Course. I think the talk was part of the course, but they opened it to the wider public too. It's such a wonderful treat for students to listen to advice from real live ballet dancers!

I have checked the RAD website and it seems that 7 is the minimum age for Grade 1 to Grade 5. I cannot believe that any child of 7 would be ready for the new Grade 5, which has very difficult elements in it. However, for the sake of argument, let's say that you are incredibly talented and manage to pass your Grade 5 at 7 - you would then have to wait 4 years to do your Intermediate Foundation, which has a minimum age of 11! If you only have one hour long lesson a week, that's one thing, but if you have two x 90 minute classes a week I don't see why you wouldn't be ready to do IF after a year. So the whole minimum age is problematic. If the minimum age for Grade 1 is 7 and presuming that you do one exam a year, then you would probably be 11 by the time you got to Grade 5, unless you skipped a couple of levels, so why keep 7 as the minimum age for Grade 5, but insist on 11 for IF??? I do appreciate that pointework is the problem, but really there are only very, very basic exercises in IF - 2 on the barre and one in the centre, not a great challenge physically. Intermediate, on the other hand, has a minimum age of 12 and I personally find that it's the rare student who doesn't need two years between IF and Inter, which requires far greater maturity and strength, particularly because of the demi-pointe shoes. So it doesn't quite make sense. I do feel that when we have the odd "baby ballerina" the teacher should be allowed to decide if the child is ready or not. And what about boys, who don't do pointe work?

It's funny about happy endings, Buddy - I love them too, but I am very attached to my dramatic ballet endings and wouldn't have them any other way!

Yes of course you're right - it does depend on the choreography, but because I adore the music and the story line, I haven't actually hated any version so far (I do steer clear of wierd modern interpretations though, which I know in advance that I would hate!). I saw an interesting version in Budapest for example, which was very different, but which I still really enjoyed and of course I've seen Macmillan, Cranko and Ashton's versions, with MacMillan coming out top. My first Romeo was actually the Bolshoi version with Ulanova, but I was a little girl when I saw it and didn't have the perception to critique it and anyway, whatever Ulanova danced became special!

M & S do an afternoon tea that's quite tasty, with sandwiches, scones, cream and jam and pastries and very good tea. Can't remember how much it was but about £8.50 I think. My sister treated me to a special tea in Fortnum and Mason for my birthday some years ago. Verrrry expensive, but what a treat! I thought the food in the ROH was very expensive. We stuck to coffee and an ice cream!

I saw the Mariinsky's Swan Lake a few years ago and was bowled over by it. At the end of Act 3 I had tears in my eyes because I really felt that "This is what Ballet is all about" ! And then came the final act with it's happy ending and I was devastated! How could they give it a happy ending????? It was so feeble to hear this amazing music and see Odette and Siegfried just standing there doing nothing, instead of soaring together triumphantly up to heaven There was a tangible wave of disappointment in the audience. Anyway, for me it totally ruined the evening, which had been wonderful up until then. In general I like the traditional choreography for the Tchaikowsky ballets, whereas I prefer the Prokofiev ballets to be the more updated versions. But to have a happy ending for Swan Lake, is like having Romeo and Juliet wake up and live happily ever after - totally wrong........

I was at the Xander Parish performance. We sat in the Amphi and whilst we had an uninterrupted view, without opera glasses I couldn't see the expressions. Maybe it was because I was sitting so far from the stage, but I didn't really get involved in it and Romo and Juliet is my absolute favourite ballet. I've performed in it myself and I never tire of it. However, I have to say that I found the choreography very uninspired and the whole production had an outdated feel. Too many sweeping Spring Water arabesques leading to a run and grand jete en tournant (entrelace) Even the "cushion dance" didn't live up to its gorgeous music. I remember going to the Opera House Exhibition in London,donkeys years ago, and watching the filmed extract of Fonteyn and Nureyev in the Balcony p de d over and over again - this balcony duet really didn't move me however fantastic the dancing was. Xander and Tereshkina are very talented and beautiful dancers, but the chemistry didn't seem to be there. And I don't like curtain calls between acts - it spoils the dramatic continuity for me. I have to say that I was more thrilled at being back in the "Garden" after so long, than at seeing the ballet, which was a shame, because I was very excited that we managed to get tickets. I personally don't think that there is an opera house in the world that can compare with Covent Garden - it is just perfect. Even though I do miss that vast mirror that used to be at the bottom of the stairs leading down from the exquisite Crush Bar and up from the foyer, now that they have opened up the adjacent hall. And what have they done with "Madame's" bust?

A syllabus is a set of exercises worked out and written down by a panel of experienced teachers. Even if teachers are aware of the original intent of the creators of the syllabus, they will still use their own methods to turn it into a living thing and interpret it, In my opinion it's how the teacher passes it on to the student that matters, not the actual content. We used to have RAD vocational exam rehearsals together in my area, ie each teacher would bring his or her students and they would do the class together. It was pretty easy to see the differences in the way that they had been taught, because even though they were all dancing the same steps, in many cases it appeared otherwise! Some were very weak technically, some strong, some had flowing dance quality, some were stiff and lacking in flow. Etc etc. A talented dancer, who is well taught, will shine whether she learns Vaganova, RAD, Cecchetti, BBO, whatever. However, the amount of classes IS important to a dancer's development and certainly the seriousness of the school is paramount. You can't advance properly, however good the teacher is, if you only have one combo ballet/tap lesson a week for example.

I went to Move It the first year that they moved to Olympia and it was a great improvement on the previous location. I loved it and wish I could go again. A former student who has moved to London was planning on going, so I shall look forward to getting the low down from her mother! By the way there is of course wheelchair and baby pram access, although the lifts got crowded.

I was trying to introduce a friend of mine to other friends. I have literally known her all my life, so I tried explaining that as "This is my oldest friend", but of course she's not the oldest age wise! In the end we settled for a childhood friend, but it still doesn't quite explain that I've known her longer than any other friend.

I am on a book reading binge at the moment! I am dreadful - I can't resist special offers of books - you know the kind - buy one get the second one at half-price, so I have shelves of new books I haven't managed to get round to reading. I have recently discovered an excellent writer called Jojo Moyes. I read The Girl You Left Behind by her and just couldn't put it down, so I went out and bought a second book of hers You Before Me and couldn't put that down either! Before that I read a trilogy The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer only to discover that it is not a trilogy, but is intended to be a series of 7 or 8 books, so now I am hooked I'll have to buy the next one which is due out soon!!! I just finished Heartbreak Hotel, which is by the same author, Deborah Moggach, who wrote The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and was a fun read. I liked Longbourn by Jo Baker too. It's the downstairs story of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice - very clever! By the way earlier in the thread someone mentioned The Little Princess, which was one of my favourite children's books too, but as far as children's books go I adore anything by Noel Streatfeild. I can always re-read them! My favourite for those of you with dancing daughters (which I suppose is nearly everyone!) is Wintle's Wonders or as it's sometimes called Dancing Shoes. It's a wonderful portrait of a stage school in the 1950's. Great story!!

Just wanted to add that my student takes 3 non syllabus classes a week, including one Russian style, as well as RAD and as it's just one class, as part of a weekend trip to London, I don't think it would do her any harm. I just wondered if anyone actually knew what standard intermediate ballet refers to? Anyway moving away from levels, ballet terms are a nightmare all on their own! For example sissone in RAD is a jump from 2 feet to one and temps leve is a jump on one leg. Unfortunately Vaganova has a long name for temps leve and they tend to shorten it to sissone!!!! And what about cou de pied and coupe? One is a position and one a movement but people seem to ignore that fact! In my day we used to call pointe shoes blocked toe shoes, so imagine the consternation caused by saying - oh dear I haven't got my blocks with me!

With relation to all the above levels cited above, I enquired about a student of mine who did Intermediate Foundation (old pre-elementary not pre-intermediate as someone noted above) last year and will do Intermediate next year. This year she is doing Grade 7 and will be preparing for Intermediate after the exam, so what level should she try for in classes at Danceworks or Pineapple? Should she look for Intermediate level or beginner? How on earth do you know what would be appropriate for a 13 year old? I would have sent her to Anna Du Boisson's Elementary class on Friday, but she won't arrive early enough. Obviously I wouldn't send her to Advanced or Professional, but it does so depend on the teacher.

I have to say that I was very pleased that one of my students did a summer course at the Barons Court premises of the Royal Ballet School, before they moved to Covent Garden. It gave me a chance to revisit the school where I had spent three amazing years and he was actually very excited at knowing that he was dancing in the same studios that I had! I had even told him of the wondrous occasion when I had done a series of triple or quadruple pirouettes on pointe in one of the studios (a feat sadly never to be repeated) and showed him the exact studio where it had happened! Happy Days!

I don't think it was my first ballet ever, but I was lucky enough to see the Bolshoi when they came to London for the very first time in 1956. My Dad queued up most of the day when the Covent Garden box office opened for ticket sales, but when he got to his turn, he was told that he could only buy two tickets per performance. Somehow he managed to persuade the man in the box office that it was absolutely vital that he take his 9 year old daughter (me) as well as his wife, because his little girl was going to be a ballerina and so just had to see the Bolshoi perform! The man was obviously convinced and allowed Dad to buy three tickets for three performances! I remember we had good seats too, we really splashed out - Stalls Circle and Grand Tier in the middle! I saw Ulanova and Struchkova and all the greats and I was so bowled over by Ulanova that I wrote to her and invited her to tea! I got a gracious reply refusing regretfully due to her heavy schedule, but she sent me a signed photo, which I still have by my bedside. I remembered those performances as being so amazing, that when I bought a DVD of archive performances by the Bolshoi, I was almost afraid to watch in case, compared to what we expect nowadays, I would be disappointed. I needn't have worried - Ulanova was indeed incredible and I sat watching the DVD as mesmerised as when I had seen the real thing all those years ago.

The requirements for entry to Prague are age 16 and working on or above Advanced 2 level or first year professional. I am sure they would waive the age for someone exceptional, but it really is geared towards the older dancer. It's a fantastic course and well worth doing, but I too would recommend waiting a year before doing it. Congratulations on his getting all these scholarships! Amazing!

Thanks for the ideas - I will pass them along

Legs Eleven - I agree with you entirely that we would expect RBS to pick the best - I didn't mean to sound critical of this policy. I was only stating the fact that even though my student was invited back three years running to their summer school, when it came to full time training he was rejected, because he still had technique issues that needed strengthening. However, considering that after a year at Elmhurst he got Distinction (82) for his Advanced 2, the potential was obviously there, which leads me to wonder if by always focusing on the elite, the RBS is missing out on potentially excellent British dancers, who need more work than the already professionally trained overseas students that they do take. Also to clarify my remark about the vast majority of British students going to vocational schools at 16 - perhaps I should have noted instead that this is the age when many British students who study in local schools apply for vocational school, but unfortunately it seems that they are not being accepted. All of which brings me back to the premise that if a child is talented, but only takes one or two classes a week, he or she is unlikely to be accepted for the vocational schools.

With reference to the early morning classes in Australia that I mentioned - this was some years ago now and I'm afraid I don't remember where this examiner taught, but she said that the really keen ones did extra classes before school lessons started. So yes they definitely would be the serious ones! Look I think the UK vocational schools are excellent, but because the vast majority of British kids go at 16, I think that they are often at a disadvantage because their local private schools don't offer enough classes. The RBS picks the top of the top and can't be bothered with those who don't fit that description. I had a student who attended 3 RBS summer schools, but when it came to full time training, they wouldn't accept him. Luckily Elmhurst took him with alacrity and he had two wonderful years of training there and has been dancing ballet professionally for some 6 years now. I have a student who moved to London and tried to find the same amount of hours of training that we had given her and in spite of going to three different schools, she can't get enough hours. Without enough high quality lessons, you can't fully develop your potential. When I was accepted many moons ago to the RBS, I came from a full time arts school, but even so it was easier to be accepted because in those days you had to be British. The "foreigners" were put in separate classes and the level was lower than the rest of the school. So why is the situation so different nowadays???

I have a 13 year old student at RAD Grade 7 level (Intermediate next year) who is going to be in London at the end of March for a weekend. She would really like to take classes whilst she's there on the friday and saturday. I know where there are drop-in classes for adults - Pineapple, Danceworks etc, but is there somewhere a young teenager can take drop-in classes?

With reference to the Australians - we once had an Australian examiner and I asked her how their RAD children are so advanced at such an early age - by the time they get to vocational school at 16 many of them have passed Solo Seal. She told me that her students had at least 9 x 90 minute ballet classes a week by Intermediate Foundation level! Three syllabus, three non-syllabus and three extra classes before school with more advanced students! From what I have heard, one 60 minute class a week at that level in the UK is nearer the norm. My students get 2 x 90 minute classes and I don't think that is enough! The amount of classes a week makes a huge difference and I think that more effort should be made in local ballet schools to offer more hours a week. By the way, the new RAD syllabi places a far greater emphasis on turning, which should be a good thing for the future.

I too would say 16 for ballet. Those final two or three years of full-time training are vital in order to transform a promising student into a candidate ready to turn pro. There are also so many extras that they get at vocational school, which they cannot get in a local ballet school - pas de deux for one. It is a combination of quality and quantity which completes the training and it needs to be done when they are young enough to benefit from it. Competition is fierce - nobody's waiting for you - your daughter should be trying to get an apprenticeship at 18, not starting intensive training then.

Oh YUK!!!!!!!! Wierd!!!!!!!!

Do go and see Saving Mr. Banks with Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks about the meeting of the writer P.L.Travers, author of Mary Poppins with Walt Disney. It's brilliant, a wonderful film. I adored it!

Happy new year to all on this site - it's a wonderful site - I'm so pleased I found it! May 2014 be a great year for you all.