Bluebird22

Balletbean, that is one of the most frustrating things to happen! We had exam centre where we received the results but the report sheets vanished so while the girls knew their overall mark they had no idea of the examiners feedback or where they lost or gained marks

I second festival dance fever, very nice lady, I’m sure if you call her she will be able to help. Also Amaris Dancewear very good made to order. Dylon dyes are good too as most boys stuff is limited to black, white, navy and sometimes grey. I have 13 boys to costume and the market for boys costumes is so limited, I end up relying on dressmakers when I need a costume to coordinate with the girls. Or I pick a theme that is easy for me to costume from everyday items! Good luck and keep us updated with where you end up using as I could definitely do with another supplier of boys dancewear!

Thanks Jay Jay I’ve been using them and actually have a student ready to take 2 of the Level 3 units in July!

I’ve also seen the new BBO g6 and honestly I was bored to tears!

Royal JA and Mids get multiple sets of feedback over the course of the year. I’ve known warnings about performance be given way in advance of the final assessments. Elmhurst JAs get written feedback at the end of each year and my current year 6s have had plenty of verbal feedback from their teachers. Ive had a student who transitioned from Elmhurst JA to extended associate programme last year and received no end of year report and feedback has been limited. This year they were told they would be assessed but it’s not been made clear who has assessed them as no one has been in to class! Ive had several conversations with Mr Annear and the JA teachers at Royal who have all been happy to share feedback with me as a teacher

I’ve always thought the second round of auditions with the photo requirements was to catch any that hadn’t auditioned the first time round but had auditioned for Royal and got a no. Maybe that’s just because I sent a pupil along to the second wave of auditions after she had her no from white lodge. I think Royal manage to convince more of their JAs to audition for white lodge than elmhurst do because the white lodge audition is in with the MA audition. And by the time you’ve gone along to white lodge finals I think part of you is mentally packing your child off in September. Just my thoughts on it anyway.

I think there is just such a lot of demand for places. Some have been there since primary school age without reauditioning so to speak, whereas at Royal everyone has to reaudition for year 7 places and then they are reassessed yearly. To my knowledge this is the first year elmhurst have formally assessed, but I think until recently the extended associates as a whole was quite a hidden, invite only sort of scheme. I wonder if now it’s taken off they are having to change how it operates? Who knows, the ballet world is always finding new ways to be a complete mystery!

From the snippets I’ve heard I think they are having a shake up, this is the first time I’ve known them assess out Associates in the same way Royal do. There may well be more spaces available than before!

ImgyA the current year 8s have started receiving their assessment results and I’m sure there are more auditions this weekend which is possibly what the delay is.

One very big yes for a year 5 place, for the most super boy (hugely biased but he’s just fabulous!) After being so disappointed last year with a no from Royal we are absolutely over the moon! Not ashamed to admit I had a little cry, I was that happy! Hope to hear lots more good news fingers and toes crossed!

We’ve heard!

We are based in Staffordshire, so it’s just over an hour to Birmingham

Impatiently waiting to hear from 2 of my students who auditioned on Saturday!

I’ve had a few JAs and when I’ve watched the classes the only thing I would say they all have in common, is an aura of something you just can’t quite put your finger on. As a teacher I have had the odd shock student who got in when I wasn’t expecting it because I didn’t think they quite had the Royal physique and equally I’ve had the most royal looking children turned down. View it as a fun day out, throw in a little spot of lunch somewhere a little bit special and maybe some RBS merchandise, all of the kids I’ve sent over the years have loved the experience and I think the little bit of one on one time is always good. If nothing comes of it you’ve made some nice memories.

Best of luck with what is a really hard situation. As a teacher I’ve seen it a few times (not quite to that extent) and honestly I’m not sure there is a best way of dealing with it. Quite often I’ve seen the older sibling change their dream so they are no longer “competing” with their sibling, or simply quit dancing altogether, partly to stop themselves being hurt I think. Do your girls have another shared interest you could get them to bond over ? I guess a real mixed bag of emotions for you, I really don’t envy you!

Am I right in thinking your dd has swaybacks?

Are you looking at elmhurst extended Associates, they haven’t auditioned yet although it is pretty soon. Graham Fletcher in Leicester is an excellent male ballet teacher although his sessions are once a month for the mixed class and on the same weekend there is an additional boys class. His auditions aren’t until September though so you have plenty of time to audition for other things and get a feel for what’s out there. I know he’s quite flexible so if you contacted him and explained your situation he may let you go along and watch one of his classes, then your DS would know whether it was something he wanted to do. His wife also offers pilates classes alongside the ballet class. Does your DS have Miss Hurst at his associate sessions? She also runs a scheme at KSD in Warrington through Cecchetti.

They refunded me and cancelled my order today, I placed the order last Tuesday. I received no confirmation email from Sansha so I rang them and they said they were processing it.

If you wear the full sole satin ballet shoes in the bath (they must be on your feet) then leave them on your feet to dry they will be less rigid.

I was gifted one of my students ballet shoes last year as he left for vocational school, in a picture box. You could get your dds old pointe shoes displayed in a photo box or have them decorated. Personal and thoughtful

The other authority rang me two days before a show to tell me that they had “misplaced” the licenses for a number of children. I hope the rest of the country has slightly better luck with their licensing departments since ours is utterly incompetent! I will query the license age with them again!

It’s very bizarre I wondered if they had got it muddled and thought anyone over 16 was exempt from needing a performance license or chaperone. Certainly not the case where I live where kids still need a license in the August after they have left school!

CeliB I tell your DS story all the time to a new to the dance world mum and her absolutely incredible son. He has it, whatever it is, he has it in abundance and Royal turned him down last year at the time both me and his mum were utterly flummoxed, but everything happens for a reason! He’s dancing with a fabulous associate teacher elsewhere, who just absolutely gets him, and he’s more in love with ballet than ever before.

Pictures, I’ve spent the past two days sifting through the new rules on Data Protection, so I’m totally with you. Quite recently I’ve had parents tell me that they “are only videoing their child” unfortunately in a class situation there is a high possibility that you will end up with someone else’s child in the shot and not everyone is comfortable with their child’s image appearing on social media or being kept by another person. In some instances it actually puts the child in danger.