Picturesinthefirelight

Central is a degree isn't it so the student applies for a student loan for Maintenance?  I guess it's London prices.  I know a lot of people who are actively discouraging thier children from applying to London absed universities becasue of the higher costs.

£4,300 per term!!!!!

I only pay slightly more than that per year for Dd with a host family elsewhere. 

I occasionally have a look across there but I’m more likely to visit the opera section. 

Can i I make a confession. I’m not really very into ballet. I’d never choose to go and watch a ballet (MT every day for me). But obviously I support my child hence this forum. 

Yes. I wondered about that. I don’t know anyone on the dance course personally only Acting. 

How is Birmingham to get to?  I’m thinking maybe BOA. 

Given what you’ve said about her aspirations I think so. It’s the same level of course as if she’d stayed at her old school and she’ll have more options at 18 than are available at 16. 

If she is interested in a funded Level 3 diploma then Steelworks in Stoke on Trent might be do-able on the train. 

Oh gosh I remember your other post now. Your poor dd and her year group have been dealt a rough hand. It could have been us (dd is in year 13) so easily. 

Add Moorland to the list offering A Levels. 

There is no such thing as a “high school degree or diploma” in the UK.  There are a variety of qualifications that lead to university entrance that schools and colleges offer after national GCSE exams have been sat age 16. 

The most common/well known of these are A Levels. Students generally study between 3/4 academic subjects between the age of 16-18 unlike the US where I believe a wider range of subjects remain compulsory. Off the top of my head the schools that offer A levels alongside vocational training are Elmhurst, Tring, Hammond, London Russian & Kings. 

Many students in the UK however choose to study an alternative to A Levels called a Btec diploma. They are available in a variety of subjects including dance but I don’t know any ballet schools who offer them. 

Both the above are Level 3 qualifications. Exams and assessments are set, moderated and marked by external exam boards accredited by the UK Qualifications & Curriculum Authority and universities make offers depending on your grades. 

However the anomaly in the dance training works is that several vocational schools offer actual university level degrees or a degree level diploma to 16 year olds. These are Level 6 qualifications, the level of a bachelors degree. Central offers a BA Hons and ENBS offers the diploma. Elmhurst, Tring & Hammond offer the diploma with optional A levels, Northern Ballet offer just the diploma. 

A panto company used gold spray paint when dd was in a month long run, think they had to be resprayed after about 3 weeks.  I also used green car spray paint when dd was Tinkerbell but that was for a one night only show.

10 minutes ago, Danceintherain said:

Tring is also on my DDs list, but I'm concerned about the cost.  Does anyone know when the Dada list gets updated for the September 2020 entry?  I think until I see Tring on that list, it needs be off our's.

I think it is usually updated about February/March time which is when the schools are told exactly what their allocation for the year is.

Also, it says on their website that they can take the award from you if they aren’t pleased with your progress, assessment results etc. Is it really possible during 2 years of A-level?

DaDa funding is specifically for those enrolled on the Trinity diploma which is classed as a full time course even if it is possible at places like Tring, Hammond and Elmhurst to do A levels alongside.  You have to pass each year in order to progress to the next year.  In order to be eligible for the funding in the first place schools ahve to show they are awarding it to those who have mopst potential to suceed. This isn't specific to vocational schools.  If you are at a normal school or 6th form studing say a Btec in dance plus 2 A levels but don't pass the first year then you could also be asked to leave.

In the light of hoglett's most recent post however I would also advise looking into the Level 3 Btec/UAL courses available as the majority of DaDa funded courses are geared towards intending professional performers.  Some are private but there are now many that are funded.  This can then lead onto a post 18 degree course and she may find more choice at 18, especially for the choreography/teaching route. 

DaDA schools for 2019 to 2020

The following schools offer DaDAs for the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

• ALRA (Academy of Live and Recorded Arts) - (Acting )
• Arts.Ed, London (Acting or Musical Theatre)
• Bird College - Dance and Drama Theatre Performance (Musical Theatre)
• Bodywork Company (Dance or Musical Theatre) common 1st year
• Elmhurst Ballet School (Classical Ballet)2yr (Dance) 3yr
• English National Ballet School (Dance)
• The Hammond School (Dance or Musical Theatre) common 1st year
• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts (Dance or Musical Theatre)
• Laine Theatre Arts (Dance or Musical Theatre)
• Liverpool Theatre School (Acting or Musical Theatre)
• Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (Acting or Musical Theatre)
• Northern Ballet School (Dance)
• The Oxford School of Drama (Acting)
• Performers College (Dance or Musical Theatre) common 1st year
• SLP College Leeds (Dance or Musical Theatre)
• Stella Mann College (Dance or Musical Theatre)
• Urdang Academy (Dance or Musical Theatre)

How old is your sister. 

As a dancer at vocatinal school she would be entitled to be referred to one of the NIDMS clinics but I'm not sure if there is still a mnimum age.

https://www.nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-injury-clinics

Also if you look at the spec of the diploma itself on Trinity website you can see that the different skills are assessed at different levels.  The Dance Diploma has Key Technical Skills in Professional Dance & Performance in Professional Dance both of which are assessed at Level 6.  The Supporting Skills element which can be Choreography or Voice are assessed at Level 5.

Similarly with the MT diploma the Key Skill of Singing is examined at Level 6 along with one other Key Skill area which depending on the college can be dance or acting.  (Hammond choose dance)  The thirs supporting skill (whihc at Hammond is Acting but at a less dancy college may be Dance) is assessed at Level 5.

It will vary from college to college but for some colleges if a candidate is weaker in one area but strong in another they will take that into account and may offer a place or even a place on a different course than originally expected.

At one college dd auditioned for one course and they rejected her because they said her acting was not strong enough for MT but her dance standard was higher than she herself believed at the time so they offered her the dance course.   The principal of that college told me they regularly have candidates who audition for dance but their ballet  isn't strong enough but then they discover they have a great voice so offer them MT instead.

It might also be useful to know whether or not you require a course with funding (be it Dada for Level 6 or a government funded Btec.  Some of the institutions mentined are funded (albeit according to parental income if a DaDa, others are fee paying although some scholarships may be available.

"However her teachers schedule a unit of singing classes as a back up and suggested that each student in their vocational school , which is principally aimed at producing company dancers not MT,  apply themselves to finding that one song that they could produce for audition if absolutely necessary. "

This is the rationale behind most of the dance schools/colleges incorporating some element of singing into their courses. It wil be very hard to avoid singing completely. 

Northern School of Contemporary Dance is an excellent school but they only take students with A Levels or equivalent. 

Another place I thought of is Performers College in Essex.  Again the dance course does contain singing, but in a much lesser proprtion than ther Musical Theatre course.

When you say she doesn’t want to do MT, do you mean she doesn’t want to sing at all?  

Dd auditioned for places not in London and the immediate areas but most all round dance courses contained some singing. The ones I know most about are

Hammond - Chester - L6 Diploma in Professional Dance - 1st year is a common year so students study all genres, ballet, jazz, tap, commercial, contemporary, acting (was minimal dd topped up via Lamda) & singing. 2nd Year course splits, dancers can then choose between a choreography module or a singing module. 

SLP - Leeds L 6 Diploma in Professional Dance - Those on the dance course study all genres of dance but there are still singing classes as part of the course. 

1 minute ago, OnlyDance said:

 

This was certainly the case in my dd's grade 3 class. A mixture of 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 year olds. My dd did her Grade 3 exam with a 14 year old girl who had been learning ballet for almost 2 years (she started in grade 2 before moving up to the grade 3 class without ever taking the grade 2 exam). Two of her year 8 friends started ballet this September in grade 3 (ISTD), and I know of another girl who started learning ballet in grade 4 (RAD) whilst also in year 8. 

 

 

This.

 

Ds started dance age 13. He took Grade 2 (private lessons as the only grade 2 class had only littlies in) 9 months later and took Grade 3 age 15. 

Due to a change of syllabus half way through and various other factors my dd was in a Grade 3 class for 2 years.  In hindsight it was absolutely the wrong thing for her and I wish I had moved her.

My daughter didn't start ballet until she was 6, almost 7 so she skipped primary too.

I really think you need to speak to the teacher.  I wuold say that the age of 6/7 is the usual age in which to take the primary exam.  By the age of 7/8 most are in a Grade 1 class.  Is there any reason for this that you can think of (lack of concentration to get through the exam, co-ordination issues or nerves about performing in front of a stranger etc?)

No advice I'm afraid but we were so very nearly in a similar situation.  Dd was offered a musical theatre scholarship for their Level 3 Btec and 2 A levels.  She went elsewhere thankfully but would have been in the cohort that had just finished Year 12.

Did your dd manage to find a school that accommodates her GCSE choices? 

IN fact I say an for many letters

eg

It is spelt with an S not a C.