Bluebird22

There's a school an hour away from our school that has private messaged students from our dance school and suggested that they move to their school as they can offer them more than we can as a school. They have invited them to Easter courses which we had no problem with them attending as it seemed like it a good opportunity. It is really bad taste!

In the past 2 years I've had 6 students join me from a local dance school and on every occasion I have tried to encourage the parents and pupils to work through their difficulties with their old school, on the simple grounds that if my students were upping and leaving for another school I would want the opportunity to work things through with them.

Definitely inform your dance teacher and enquire if she offers a similar comp programme

Good luck to Birmingham auditionees today! Have a great time

A few of the girls I teach haven't done GCSE dance but will be picking up A Level dance come September. The teacher of the A Level course knows the girls through the dance school and has said she is happy that they can dance to a high standard. She has said that she will need to spend a few days with them just giving them a quick run down of the GCSE syllabus as some components are expanded on in the A Level syllabus such as the choreographic devices etc

I would imagine that varies from school to school depending upon their intake and their past experiences

White Lodge gave feedback but only to teachers, might be worth getting your teacher to enquire? Worst they can say is no.

So impressed by this and my 2 pupils have been featured much more heavily this time, so they are made up too!

Never heard of it with BBO ballet

I've said this so many times, but I used to sit in the bath tub in mine and let them dry on my feet. Worked for satin ballet shoes to make them nice and snug, soft pointes and turning pointes to softs!

Fees is a really good one, not just the cost per class but if there is a pay as you go system, monthly, termly, how to pay BACs/cash/cheque/card!

Two of my students are in the younger group! Seems like a brilliant programme!

Don't think of it as an audition just an extra class with a different teacher. Have a great time and try and remember one new thing you've learnt to tell your parent/teacher after. The less pressure the children put on themselves to get in the more enjoyable it is

Lovely shoe, two of my girls have those. One has been wearing them for so long we just ring ahead and ask them to put her size to one side. One of the fitters still makes her try half a dozen other shoes in case something else is more magical, before admitting that she did a wonderful job the first time round!

So pleased for you Tuco123, I bet she's so excited!

A few years ago we had a costume that had a skin coloured panel between the skirt and the top with stretch sequins running in between the 2. Stick on bras had just become a thing and with the varying designs of our costumes they seemed like a great idea. We had a rehearsal for the quick changes of a particular section in the show, the first rehearsal had a few minor hiccups missing headdresses etc the second run through we were all much much warmer/sweaty. Everyone's stick on bras had dislodged themselves but we had all wriggled enough to keep them pretty much in the right place or discreetly managed to pull them off and throw to our changers- apart from my poor best friend who now had 2 stick on cups lodged in the flesh coloured panel around her middle!

Perhaps they make notes under each girls name? People often revert to describing key features if they can't remember the name. One examiner we had recently talked about a group of candidates (who wore numbers) as the little one who tried hard, the beautiful ballerina, the good effort who was the wrong shape for ballet and the tall one. And at work our teaching staff are described to the receptionist as the boy, the tall dark haired one, short one with reddy hair, the quiet one etc.

Yes I think it is, bestfootforward. It's just a peculiar position to look at. Since I was very little I've sat in a similar position so my bum doesn't touch dirty floors, my dad used to call me Gollum from lord of the rings!

Atacrossroads and Taxi the stretch I was told about was facing the wall lunging forward trying to get the knee to touch.

I've had a class try the standing back to the wall and the lunge one. Lunge one is really really hard! At WL they measured how far away from the wall you were when the knee touched. Elmhurst made them stand on a set line and aim for the wall.

There's also a weird one that I won't be able to describe properly

Standing sideways parallel feet, bend the knees keeping the heels on the floor and back straight lower as far as you can. I've known this to be asked from JA auditions upwards.

A few years back we had 2 students age 11 (m/f) attend different lower schools one came back at October half term the other stuck it out until Easter before returning. Luckily both want to try again at 16 and are happening attending associates, workshops etc, but it could quite easily have put them off further dance training and even dancing.

Sometimes even when it is a yes, the timing is wrong. Every child is different and no one can say with any certainty how they will respond to being away from home, new training systems, new rules etc. Sometimes a No is a blessing in disguise

Perhaps they are an overseas student?

I have a year 6 pupil who is an Elmhurst associate and she is being led to believe she can continue in year 7 but it's very hush hush!

Graceful as a butterfly, absolutely feeling your pain!

Have Manchester heard yet?

Pictures it was on my to do this morning (I prioritised it above the mound of clothes I need to have washed, ironed and packed before tomorrow!) so I can happily tell you I have ticked that off my list! Thank you again Pictures it is much appreciated!

There does seem to be support in place for learners with additional needs and from doing a previous course with them there was a lot of extra help available for people with dyslexia and long term injuries. It sounds ridiculous but I don't know what support I could ask for since I'm being examined on something I do in my own unique manner 6 days a week.

Kate I have to say I agree with the disabilities counsellor. Even writing this I'm struggling with the concept of needing reasonable adjustment or additional support because up until 14months ago I was perfectly able any voice loss I experienced was a short term inconvenience when I was poorly. My stubborn, independent personality just doesn't like asking for help.

As I said upthread I've never been convinced that it is stress related, prior to losing my voice I was blissfully happy, I'd had a lovely Christmas break, I'd come back to the job I love, I was stuck into show choreography, I'd cleared Tuesday's permanently as a day to spend with my boyfriend.

When I lost my voice at about month 6 I did become quite anxious as a result of the voice loss, kick started by my car breaking down on a busy A road, the breakdown company operator told me to speak up, that I had a silly voice etc. I started having night mares about being chased and not being able to scream for help. That continued for a short while before I cancelled my breakdown cover, bought a whistle and a torch and stopped making calls.

I will look into Alexander Technique, it sounds familiar perhaps I researched it before!

Thank you everyone, your comments have been really helpful!

Karen that information is very helpful, though you are right I'd rather not pull the equal opportunities card if I can help it. In an IDTA teaching exam one of the examiners comments was that I was too quiet and needed to learn to project my voice more. This was about 8years ago when I was just recovering from laryngitis and was a little hoarse but it was barely noticeable unlike now. I've had laryngitis quite a few times apparently I have a very sensitive larynx.

I suppose the best thing to do is go along to the interview and get the course organisers opinion.

It felt sore like when you've coughed for a prolonged period. And I'd get a horrible wriggling sensation in my ears. After some of the sessions I would feel like I'd eaten a chicken bone and got it lodged in my throat.

Depends what you mean by say?