Picturesinthefirelight

I guess it’s going to be a day off work for me though I do appreciate I’m lucky to have that option. Dh dh is not allowed to drive at the moment but he may be ok to by then.

Some degrees may have a teaching module that is probably optional. Many won’t have.

It’s great to hear how your Dd is doing. I remember you posting about her starting her diploma & then watching her in JE’s ballet quartet piece. (She’s retiring by the way). My dd is about to start her US adventure & although her dream is to be in a West End Show she would also love the kind of life your Dd is living. All the best to you & your dd’s & please do pop back.

Ballet West too but I think that one has top up fees.

A level equivalent means a Level 3 Btec or Cambridge Technical or the new RSA Diploma I’m afraid not RAD/ISTD exams.

It really has flown by. The Katymac Spreadsheet will forever be your legacy. I remember even further back than balletco you posting on mumsnet about her. Then we became facebook friends too, then met in real life. Gosh, such a lot has happened in that time.

Ask them. Agent showcases are usually separate from end of year shows. They are an hour long & usually, but not always, held in central London. If you can't attend Open days then the CDET conference is a good alternative. This year's has just gone on sale. The young person gets workshops/mock auditions, the parents get talks on finances and the audition process and then you get the chance to chat to representatives of the different schools. LAst year it was held at LIPA, this year is Urdang I believe.

For what age? Do Bella danza do anything?

I assume it’s becsuse in the OP’s Home country secondary education ends at 15. She spoke in another post of her Dd taking her Junior Cert. If it’s somewhere like Ireland they then do a 2-3 year Leaving Certificate Course from 15-17/18

An agent is very important for musical theatre performers & actors. Unless you are already a name. Many auditions are closed. There are some open calls but they arnt called cattle calls for nothing. They are often more for publicity than actually finding someone. Youndtand more chance of being seen & given a decent amount of time at a closed audition.

I too am very surprised. i know of a girl there (and one who came home and decided to train locally instead). I really think that if they are offering full time vocation training they sho0uld at least offer the basic, safe facilities.

Dd was Grade 3 when she auditioned in Year 6. She did feel she was a bit behind her peers. She’d been in Grade 3 for 2 years due to circumstances (change of syllabus half way through & dance school show). The average grade of children starting Year 7 seemed to be Grades 4/5/Inter Foundation (Inter F was often taught alongside Grades 4/5). There were the odd ones who were a bit higher or lower than this.

First of all congrats to your Dd! Do Elmhurst have Saturday classes? Some schools do. Dd commutes to her school and she isn’t able to leave until mid-day on the Saturday. To be honest unless you live pretty close to school I wouldn’t advise a boarding child to come home every weekend. It can make it harder to settle & socially they do miss out. Also don’t under estimate how much travelling that distance each week will take out of them.

As a parent of a child at vocational school then yes, if my child had been advised to repeat a year I would have removed them from the school.

If the child remained in the independent system then perhaps. It would seriously affect a schools Progress 8 statistics & might cause problems if they moved back into the state system Aldo why should a child’s academic education suffer because they need to repeat a year dance wise?

Is this in the UK As repeating a year would have serious implications on her academic education too. I eouod not personally advocate a child going outside their year griupnunless its exceptional circumstances. It’s a bit different by the time they reach 16.

Oh no! Bet he's popular. I can just imagine what either of my two would have said to that. (Ds's equivalent is the MT workshop including private lesson with Kerry Ellis he's booked onto this year.) I honestly think they would have refused to come. Ds has already said he doesn't want to come on holiday this year becasue of various workshops/summer schools!

My dd only wears Bloch too. She loves her JSS which were a Christmas present but she can't wear them on all flooring as they can be slippy so she has a pair of normal bloch split soles. Ds on the othr hand wears Capezio becasue of his oddly shaped narrower foot!

No, they are all black with a red heart on the side not on the front like the Chloe & Maud. They are So Danca own brand. I know Dd rates Bloch highly (its Bloch who do the JSS)

What’s so special about them that they are usually that price? I always thought they were a budget brand (too narrow for dd). She loves her Jason Samuels Smiths.

Our local market sells Silky ballet tights, but dd doesn't like them at all!

If she is 16 then most non classical courses will be the Dada funded Trinity Diploma. The exception being Rambert which accepts 16 year olds onto its degree. Rambert is a member of the Conservatoire for Dance & Drama scheme so you can access the full Student finance tuition fee of £9,250 per year. Northern Contemporary is also a member but you need A levels or a Level 3 btec/equivalent to apply for their degree. They do offer a one year Certificate in Higher Ed (previously known as their Foundation/Access course. There are no fees for this course for students aged under 19 as it is classed as Further Education but they do emphasis it is only exceptional 16/17 year olds who are accepted onto the course. Most would be expected to be older with A levels/btec.

If a child is applying for vocational school aged 11 then the audition class will be very simple & all about potential. If if they are applying older such as age 14 (going into year 10) or 16 then they will be expected to be at a certain standard. My dd found that most auditions for 16 plus courses were pitched around Intermediate level. If an audition class is the first time you’ve ever come across a particular step or technique you aren’t going to able to perform it confidently.

Is your dd going to be 16 or 18? Dadas are means tested awards for level 6 diplomas. They are not a loan but the amount you have to pay towards tuition depends on family income. Only families with an income under £30,000 get anything towards maintenance. If a child is wanting to start training age 16 then most dance courses are Dada funded except for a very few classical schools that are degrees. Student Finance is available for degree courses. You usually have to have a Level 3 qualification A levels or btec etc) to get onto a degree course so in practise most will be age 18. The exception as stated above is a handful of classical schools who accept 16 year olds onto their degree course. This is is where it’s gets a bit complicated. A student on a degree course can apply for Student Finance. This is a loan to pay for tuition & maintenance. If your course is at a university or being delivered on behalf of a university the amount you can borrow is just over £9.5k which covers the fees. If the the course is run by a private college & only validated by a university then the maximum you can borrow is just over £6k & you have to make up the shortfall. 16 year olds going the classical route will often apply for both degrees & diplomas as will 18 year olds going the general dance/MT route although some will apply for degrees only if family income means Dada funding won’t be sufficient. 16 year olds going the general Dance/MT route only have diplomas to choose from.

The ones I know of with a good reputation are Preston College, Pendleton & The Manchester College.