Bluebird22

Boys just get one day, so it seems a slightly cheaper experience 😂

Requirement, although you can take the classwork assessment younger than the age. I think for all vocational grades it’s 13, may be mistaken though! 

Nope! 

I have some students currently in third year at vocational college and they have lots of opportunities to be seen by casting directors. When I watched their show last year, there were quite a few announcements made about third years who had successfully secured contracts, a few had left for contracts before completing their course. And another vocational college sends people for auditions as soon as they feel they are ready regardless of where they are in their training. These aren’t ballet schools though, so this is more in line with Pictures 

One dance UK might also be a good place to contact. 

@drdance I’m going to PM you some names

bbodance CPD ran a safe stretching course last year, which talked about safe practice and development. I think that’s a good start but I think the cost of courses alienates people and more often than not teachers will choose a CPD session on a particular grade or syllabus recap over the more seminar style courses, I suspect because recapping the syllabus improves grades and as teachers we feel we are judged on exam results maybe? I think changes need to be made in regards to CPD, not only should all dance teachers and facilitators have to complete 18hours per year but they should have to dedicate a certain percentage to covering safe practice and safeguarding. I am only speaking from my association with a particular exam board so I don’t know if CPD is mandatory with other exam boards to continue to enter students. 
 

As someone who dedicates a lot of time to my teaching qualifications and CPD, it pains me that ex dancers with no teaching qualifications are viewed as the best option for kids, in my experience it is these teachers who continue to teach in the way they were taught adopting very old school approaches. I have also seen a complete lack of awareness of safeguarding not just from ex dancers but trained teachers too tagging kids on social media, with the date and time of the class or showing photos of them with their certificates and their full names visible. I know this is not true of all ex dancers and some do leave their professional careers and retrain as teachers, but not every excellent dancer makes an excellent teacher, being a dancer and teaching dance are two very very different skills, some people are very lucky to be exceptional at both but not all.

@drdance I think maybe putting together a PowerPoint or video seminar with some accompanying documents that teachers could access through the members areas of their exam boards would be a great start. And maybe to educate the kids there is a way of utilising instagram? 

And before the auditions they encourage everyone to try again, hard for kids to want to do that if they feel like they are being dismissed! I’m so sorry that any child has been made to feel like that. I had a group of kids leave an audition last year having felt completely ignored, but thankfully there was a group and they were able to laugh and joke about it. 

There’s definitely an audition tomorrow, I’m taking a student who wants White Lodge, so I’m hoping they are really fast getting the finals letters! 

Are we thinking it could be Manchester tomorrow ?

Thank you! Don’t know why I didn’t just check there myself 

Attended Manchester auditions earlier today, I’m sure the group after were auditioning for SA, just wondering if the earliest group were mixed for year 7,8,9 or just year 9? 

Interested to know if anyone has been successful for Leeds in Year 9? 

I have always done my students photos, doesn’t mean they get a place however good the photos are. I had 2 JAs a few years back both got waitlist and then one was taken to White Lodge finals, Elmhurst finals and eventually offered a RBS MA. So waitlist is absolutely no indication of anything!  

Thank you! I couldn’t remember his name! 

There was someone advertising as an advisor, think he set up a thread. He said he would assess potential and offer advice 

A yes for my student!

What is Audacity like storage wise? That’s my biggest issue with Hokusai the files are huge!

I use Hokusai 2 to edit fade, chop and splice tracks together. Easier to use than garageband I think and I do it all on my iPad 

Thank you for all you do! And thank you to everyone who contributes, everyday is a school day! 
 

Have a lovely Christmas 🎄🎄

Just what I was going to say Taxi! The amount of emails I send to examiners who don’t go by the same name in their professional life. I don’t think the bbo is as far reaching as Argentina, but maybe the IDTA is an organisation to add to the list. 

Postman I spy has bought a yes from group 1!!! Overjoyed for my student! Congratulations to the other yeses and good luck to those still waiting

Let the games of I spy the postman begin 🤣

From the 26th November! Me and the mum are on pins waiting for the letter, feel more nervous knowing other people already have a yes!

Has anyone heard yet? I know of 2 who have had their yeses for finals from Birmingham, unfortunately we are still waiting!