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Picturesinthefirelight

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  1. Picturesinthefirelight
    Are you able to get to one of the NIDMS clinics (London I think would be easiest for you but there is also Bath and Birmingham). I can't reccomend them enough. Am i remembering correctly that you current college does not have sprung floors? The colleges you originally applied to are quite specific and pretty elite in their field. There are other dance colleges offering Level 6 courses where students are sometimes older. Graduates from these colleges tend to have portfolio type careers in the commercial, jazz, cruise ships areas etc. Your age will go against you at some places at certanly to be eligible for a Dada you have to be 23 or under when you start. Have you had honest feedback from any teachers about your potential for a career as a dancer?
  2. Picturesinthefirelight
    Let me get this straight You spent a year at university (presumably after A levels) but realised it wsn;t what you wanted so you went back to college to do a Level 3 course (presumably Btec or similar? So you are 21? You could apply for a Level 6 course. Your year on the degree should not preclude you from this but most colleges do have some kind of physio assessment as part of th audition process. Is the shin splints problem still ongoing? Do you think you are fit enough to withstand the rigours of a professional career?
  3. Picturesinthefirelight
    I had that problem too. However I also had issues on two other websites so had assumed it was my end. Perhaps not.
  4. Picturesinthefirelight
    Having had a child in a (non vocational school) where there were serious issues culminating in the Head resigning suddenly in the middle of the school holidays, I'd want to know. (I had remved my child by that point). I assume that those with children at the school would have received some communication. I have also as a parent had to make a complaint about a staff bullying/safeguarding issue at a vocational school (an academic member of staff though not vocational) which was handled very well.
  5. Picturesinthefirelight
    Dd used Nobody from Bandstand for an audition. Great swing style jazz number not so well known.
  6. Picturesinthefirelight
    No, the ISI inspection results were published last November. Colleagues of dh have known about it since then.
  7. Picturesinthefirelight
    Hello and welcome. You say your daughter is 10, what school year is she in. Disregarding competitions for the moment (of which I have no experience whatsoever) regarding auditions there are a few differnt kinds you may want to consider with varying outcomes. 1. Auditions for Associate Schemes - The purpose of such schemes is to givce talented children extra, high level training with other like minded children. They are not only available for ballet, ut also other dance forms. Some are associated with vocational schools (eg RBS/Elmhurst/Tring/Hammond) others are independently run. Travelling times are something to consider when deciding which ones to apply to. 2. Auditions for Performance Opportunities - You have already named some of these. They can be expensive but offer a lovely opportunity for those children selected. 3. Auditions for full time vocational school - This is not for everyone, lots of things have to be taken into consideration, whether your child wants to go away to baording school (most of us never dreamed we'd be sending our kids away) and whether you can access high level training nearer home. Most families begin to consider this during the latter part of Year 5, beginning of Year 6 as the main point of entry is Apply in September of Year 6 for entry in September of Year 7. However you can apply in later years too. Don't be put off by the fees until you have looked into it a little more. RBS, Elmhurst, Tring & Hammond all have MDS places available where parents pay fees on a sliding scale according to parental income. Only you can assess your family circumstances and whether you would be able to manage any expected contribution. You do have to be aware that Tring and Hammond do not have enough MDS places for everyone though. One more thing you may want to consider is a summer school. Some are residential, some not. Some are run by the vocational schools others are independent. Some are pure ballet, others are various dance forms. They can be fun and a way to meet other like minded children.
  8. Picturesinthefirelight
    I will enquire. My husband is doing an MA (deferred due to serious illness last year) and he is doing it at a different institution. It is only recently they have offered a full degree (last year was the first graduating year) and it was a big thing that they were now offering degree level education (but in Musical Theatre not dance). At an open day last year they said they were hoping in the future to be able to offer a top up degree to the dancers on the Trinity diploma. Of course I know in the past Higher Education was organised very differently to now. Out of interest I just looked on Hammond's website and all the qualifications of their dance faculty are listed in the way you describe.
  9. Picturesinthefirelight
    Hammond don't offer an MA and as far as I am aware, never have.
  10. Picturesinthefirelight
    I think the issue arises when you are applying to a mix of privately funded, Dada funded and student loan courses. Dada funded courses are not allowed to make offers of funding before a set date. I can't remember the exact date off the top of my head but think its the 31st March. Dd had an offer of a place with a scholarship from what was essentially a private school. The offer was made in January and we had 14 days to reply. At this point she had an offer with a Dada recall elsewhere but hadn't even done her other auditions at that point. We just had to turn that first place down and it all worked out OK as she was then offered another place with a scholarship and one with a Dada. At one college she was offered a college scholarship on the spot as long as we paid a deposit and a Dada recall (they said the deposit would be refunded if she got a Dada there. ) Or she could not pay the deposit and just attend the Dada recall. Thats what she decided to do in the end but was offered a Dada by her first choice elsewhere.
  11. Picturesinthefirelight
    I think we definitely hit a bad year with the centenary year/18 months/lets see how long we can drag this one out.
  12. Picturesinthefirelight
    Dope - I know of several children who had a no to finals but an offer of MA's so don't lose hope.
  13. Picturesinthefirelight
    Even better. I’d be emailing a complaint to the head of dance or even the principal and asking what the school are going no to do about it. (Yes I am one of “those” parents!)
  14. Picturesinthefirelight
    I presume the teacher did this without your permission or explaining what she was doing and warning of any possible damage. If if so I would be looking for the teacher to cover the cost of replacement.
  15. Picturesinthefirelight
    With a few rare exceptions who take 16 year old school leavers such as Rambert or Central (& RCS for their classical course but not their other courses) you have to have attained Level 3 qualifications and have a certain number of UCAS points. For or young people educated in England & Wales this means A levels or Level 3 Btec/Cambridge Technicals/RSL and it would be most unusual to find a young person who took these qualifications before Year 13.
  16. Picturesinthefirelight
    I don’t think the allocation has been made yet. It’s usually mid February when schools find out.
  17. Picturesinthefirelight
    As far as I am aware unless things have changed recently the school is not registered with the DFES to offer full time education to under 16’s and it’s not part of any regulatory body.
  18. Picturesinthefirelight
    I remember one rather far-sighted comment " Also if Ofsted did get to hear about some of the things that went on, I think that there would be some serious come back. Like it has been pointed out we do tend to be careful where we pick our battles, however you learn very quickly that it will go against you. " It shoudl be noted however that OFSTED only inspect the 6th Form Dance course and boarding accommodation. ISI are responsible for inspecting Lower School.
  19. Picturesinthefirelight
    And if I remember correctly from previous threads Dancer123 is one of those lucky rare exceptions and the teacher her dd goes to is on a par with any vocational school.
  20. Picturesinthefirelight
    I can pretty much echo what Margarite says except I have a very academic daughter and we actually turned down a place at a selective school for her to attend Hammond. I will reply fully by PM.
  21. Picturesinthefirelight
    I will PM you as my reply will probably be wildly off topic.
  22. Picturesinthefirelight
    Does she want purely ballet or Dance in general? Other schools that offer vocational and A level include Abbotts Bromley School & Hammond.
  23. Picturesinthefirelight
    It is usually sometime in February when institutions find out what DADA allocation they have.
  24. Picturesinthefirelight
    Im pretty sure that is not the case. Ceccettti exams only go up to Grade 6 whereas RAD go up to Grade 8 but in both exam boards children tend to start Intermediate Foundation around Grade 4/5 Level. This is Level 2 on the QCF Some schools will then have more serious students work on Intermediate alongside Grade 6/7/8 whereas others may abandon the numbered grades in favour of only taking the Majors.(Grades 6-8 and Intermediate are all Level 3 on the QCF) it’s up to the teacher how they work it. If a student is studying Ceccetti then they may take Grade 6 alongside or followed by Intermediate & then Advanced 1 followed by Advanced 2. (Adv 1 & 2 are Level 4). RAD set minimum ages for each vocational grade but as far as I can see ISTD only stipulate age 11 to start the majors.
  25. Picturesinthefirelight
    I have to be honest abnd say that Patisserie Valerie has gone downhill in my opinion, I found the cakes rather tasteless in erecent times as compared to the absolutely scrumptious Cafe Concerto. I'm just a bit sad that they have taken Druckers with them (who are more Midlands based)
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