Picturesinthefirelight

With regards to the schools you asked about. I’ve heard mixed about Northern ballet. I know a couple of their current teachers who are excellent but I have heard rumblings of discontent. The students I know of didn’t complete the course One because of injury the other transferred elsewhere so I know a sample of two isn’t representative. I dont know much about KS general dance course. I only really hear of the classical course. There is definately a difference in the amoaunt of ballet the different colleges offer. For example even though it’s not a classical course a daily ballet class is at the core of Hammond’s training & I have heard ballet is featured heavily at Laine. By contrast colleges such as Performers & Bird offer less ballet classes from what students there have told me.

There may be an issue with funding at Millennium next year (if funding is needed). I believe they lost their DaDa funding a couple of years ago & they had problems with Designation this year for the degree.

Dd has used the same black Bloch dance bag all five years but lots have the same one so she attached a coloured ribbon. She started off with a black then grey backpack for books but ended up with a bright blue one.

They do not encourage ballet flat style school shoes as they are bad for the feet although some of the drama students try to get away with wearing them. Mary Janes & brogues are the more st common type of shoes.

They are looking for a male freelance dancer to work with them for the next two months. Working with choreographers Wayne Eagling & Jenna Lee. I saw this on their ballet mistresses personal Facebook but they have a website.

Sadly there does seem to be a minority of posters, one in particular who seem to enjoy trying to mansplain everything in the most condescending manner & attempt to assert their superiority at every turn. I myself have been the victim of this on many occasions where a certain poster or posters have clearly not known what they are talking about but that hadn’t stopped them. All done according to the DALOG principal.

Any canvas split sole are fine. Whatever suits your Dds feet best.

It never occured to me to match tights to shoes. We just go for which ones fit best and don't ladder!

I have to admit the first thing I thought when I saw the shoes was wince at the cost implications of potentially ruining a pair of pointes & what would happen if a pair broke during the run. Do the kids really ask you to Amazon Prime stuff (I don’t have it so I wouldn’t know really?) I have to say the senior ballet was the best I’ve ever seen them do.

I will PM you

The choreography was too difficult for her. She can't perform it safely without risk of injury. A combination of lots of missed classes during GCSE's, a general loss of fitness and the choreography being almost entirely made up of her specific weaknesses are some of the reasons and have led to a general loss of confidence.

She asked to be taken out of the piece for her own safety and that of those around her.

I'm watching tomorrow. Dd isn't in the Year 11 ballet so for us its a difficult end to the last five years, not what we would have wanted really. Got a lot of hard thinking to do over the holidays. On a different note, I haven't had any communication about collecting their stuff from the boarding house. What time do we have to be there by?

If she’s done Grade 3 BBO she’s going to find Grade IDTA very simple & probably boring.

Nicky spent a year and a half ish performing in An American in Paris on the West End and as you said she is doing lots of freelancing as well as teaching.

Dd no longer goes to OPES - Its outgrown her so to speak. But she has such fond memories. I'm sure this year will be very emotional.

There is a Level 2 btec in dance available. Ds's school offers it as an extra option/alternative to doing PE. It used to be commonly offered in schools but several dropped it recently with the new Progress/Attainment 8 restrictins of how many non bucket qualifications you can take. However as others have said the btec diploma advertised on that website is a full time 30 hours per week course at Level 3 (equivalent to A Level) so unless this is a different course not yet on the website it will not be suitable for your dd until she has finished Year 11.

There were apparently 500 people in the park in Chester yesterday. Hopefully some signed.

I am so, so sorry to hear about this. My daughter danced informally at an event yesterday organised by Agonyautie and there were posters and postcards up saying Remembering Oliver. I wasn't able to be there as I had to take my son to an audition but I've got a feeling thery were collecting signatures.

The Stage forum closed some time ago I think. I was a member circa 2004 ish

The training sub forum of notapushymum is probably the closest.

Indeed. I’m lucky in that I live close enough though I will have to book a day off work as husband is not allowed to drive at the moment but it will be difficult for many.

I wonder if the change is due to GDPR & they are afraid of giving information to the wrong person. Is there anyone from the other schools with a current year 11 who can tell us what is happening this year?

We’ve just been told that results will not be released over the phone or by email this year.

We heard this very sad news yesterday. Am shocked & saddened. We knew his wife more so than him (she’s the reason Dd is still dancing) but he was a lovely, lovely man. Our thoughts are with his wife & little girl.