Picturesinthefirelight

To my mind the advantage of going recognised syllabus exams us that you have sine sort of guarantee that the teacher us qualified & knows what they are doing and that the syllabus has been put together by experts to ensure children are covering the appropriate technique at an appropriate stage in their dance education.

Of course there will be talented teachers who devise their own syllabus but equally there will be many who do not. One common problem I hear of on us based dance forums is children put into advanced classes who are Anything but and when they come to change school are surprised to find they are little more than beginners.

Of course even within the syllabus/exam system there are bound to be schools of varying quality if teaching.

The best parent done buns I've seen at dd's school is a girl whose dad does her hair. He's brilliant at it- she always looks pristine.

Dd's modern & tap teacher does French pleats for exams as buns get in the way during floor excercises and they look neater than just normal ponytails.

I can't do them at all. My bun attempts are passable - just.

Because dd's ballet class is straight from school ( some finish school at 4pm and class is 4.15pm her teacher doesn't mind as long as you've made an attempt.

Dd's ballet teacher likes the children to wear waist elastics for all classes as she says it helps them to feel things.

Think they are compulsory for rad exams.

They did that with the hard if hearing girl too who teaches at a school run by someone I know. She was a Laines graduate.

Of the finalists 3 were Laines & 1 Bird grads.

How funny. Dd wanted to audition for Hammond because she loved the school dinners at the open day & summer school.

That's why I don't like festivals. It should be all about the quality of the dancing not who can afford the most authentic costume.

Dd loves character dance in ballet which I guess us similar to national. She has dive Hungarian & another I can't remember.

The producers sometimes ask professionals to "audition"

And on the other side if the coin it makes my husbands life very difficult when he is teaching dancers to sing as you have to let go of your core for singing!!!

I see one of the mods has moved it to this section for you.

Totally agree about staying civil - plus you never know who's reading!

There are so many factors involved in deciding where to send your child if indeed sending them away to school is the right thing for them.

You not only have to consider the quality of the training but all the other things you would be thinking avout at a normal school, academics, ethos, pastoral care, distance from home etc.

What suits one may not suit another

I suggest you post this in the doing dance section where there are lots if parents who have had to make similar decisions.

And good luck to her for finals.

Thank you that's really interesting.

Dd doesn't wear Uggs. The proper ones are too expensive and the fake ones don't fit! She has the one pair of clarks boots that actually fitted and Wellies. Interestingly as a toddler the assistant in a wonderful but sadly closed down now local show shop advised she wear ankle boots as she had a tendency to roll.

She has always in the past worn start rite shoes as clarks are not deep enough however her current wedge ones are clarks. It's difficult for me as a mum to know which ones are supportive as the sales assistants seem to want to push whatever fad is in at the time.

She also has a problem in that at 11 years old she is still in the sizes that come with toys in (I always refused them).

Luckily she's not too bothered she wants to look after her feet and she knows she needs to wear what fits and we struggle to get things that fit. She is a size 13.5 - 1 G fitting depending on the brand.

Yes I would be interested in that link. Dd doesn't aspire to be a ballerina but she wants to aim for a career in musical theatre and/or teaching.

Dd was told on Sunday that she has magic feet (ha try telling me that when I'm trying to get school/party shoes that fit her high instep) & (jokingly I'm sure) that its a crime against ballet not to work magic feet.

Am I correct in thinking that she is likely to have less strength etc due to her high instep. She wears full sole leather ballet shoes only but split sole jazz shoes. Should she be doing anything in particular to help strengthen them and to ensure she doesn't injure herself?

What about street shoes? When she goes to senior school they have to be flat. The brogue style are too narrow and so called ballet flats she bulges out of. Her current school shoes have a concealed wedge. I have a feeling she may get into bother for them.

His mum runs a large successful dance school. He has run master classes there in the past.

How interesting. Dd and ds are taught by his sister. Wonder if shell say anything?

She's doing RAD associate class. They said not to worry. Just waiting to pick her up. Very surprised. When she was rehearsing in Stockport last year there was big dance shop. Surprised there isn't one in Brum.

She's got convertible tights so will have to go barefoot. My fault entirely. I took her shoes and said I'd put them in my bag.

Am on a train to Birmingham & we've forgotten dd's ballet shoes. Are there any shops within walking distance of New Street station open on Sundays?

It's official now. It's on the schools and Beth's twitter.

That is stupid.

Dd will be going to a selective school and they only do 9 or 10 gcse's. they have the best results at gcse and a level in the area.

That's interesting Julie. Dd dies turning skips a lot at stagecoach jazz class. They've just started work on spotting at her ballet school and the teacher has singled her out to demonstrate and complimented her on her spotting.

Dh didn't get to meet her.

Seems like one of the contestants has been getting some dance lessons today. Anyone's dc meet her?