Bluebird22

Elmhurst is a Saturday and this year at least all the others (bar ballet theatre as I have no students there) run on a Sunday, graham fletcher runs boys classes on a Saturday but otherwise the ordinary classes and Pilates sessions run on a Sunday.

Came across this earlier... there’s some lovely photos so I thought I’d share! Prince Charles and Camilla Visited with Cuban Ballet Dancers During Their Official Visit This Week - Town & Country https://apple.news/Aj7CIeqpMStOcAJdEUXAGcg

@PenguinBoysMum I’ve mentally logged his name so I know to look out for him in show programmes in the future!

@PenguinBoysMum huge congratulations to you and your DS! I think I remember last year that he got to Elmhurst finals? I’ve just spent the afternoon with someone who knows your son I think and she was so excited for him! Very much deserved!

I know one who was at vocational school but also attended RBS MA which meant they had to travel 2.5 hours from London every week to get to their associate centre to then go home! Seemed like madness, especially annoying as if they had declined the place one of the waitlist kids would have had a shot- and at that time I had one sat on the waitlist

I’m also curious about why it is more of an issue for the girls? I have 2 JA boys wanting to audition next year for year 7 and it does seem to be a more heartening outlook for the boys- I wonder is this actually the case or are there just fewer boys parents out there telling their story and sharing their journey ? The figures for upper school do seem to suggest the training for the boys stands them in better stead for an upper school place. Wish things were more transparent!

I am a bbo teacher and in touch with quite a few other bbo teachers! Feel free to pm me Applications for the scholars scheme are live currently, and if it’s like last year once they fill all the slots they close applications and you get added to a wait list

I did wonder if it varied across the country, I only have experience of 2 centres and 1 was so long ago it may have merged 4,5&6 into one class! I think we try to place logic where there is none, in a bid to make it all seem more sane!

I don’t think any aspect of the Dancing journey is easy!

I always thought Year 6 was the “easiest” year to get in to as they have a separate class to the year 4/5s so there is more places available? I know they can ask JAs to give up their place if they don’t think they are responding well to their training programme. Not sure how frequently this happens, but I know in one of my students classes a child left think it was a mutual decision between parent, child and RBS, so not assessed out per se, but they do seem to advise when they think it’s not suitable.

Barnums in Warrington carry a variety of soft pointe brands- I took 11 of my students for soft piinte fittings, they left with Freed, Bloch, Grishko, Capezio and Gamba (might not have been Gamba!)

I’m curious is there a gender divide present? Are more girls being assessed out/leaving than boys? And are the international students predominantly female? I worry that the dancing world as a whole treats female dancers, from JA level right through to professional level, as highly replaceable. I get told by other teachers all the time how lucky I am to have so many successful boys, but no one bats an eyelid at my incredibly talented and accomplished girls.

Post Modern Jukebox do some fab reworkings of pop songs in different styles. Definitely worth a look!

Brenda Last makes me feel like a giant at 5”3, until I’m stood in class with her (both as a pupil and teacher) when suddenly her presence makes her larger than life. She has to be one of the most commanding, terrifying and respected teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of being taught by. Some people just own a room, a stage, a studio and their height is irrelevant.

Oh gosh I think I’m one of those nightmare overbearing teachers, I wouldn’t dream of letting any of mine send in photos I hadn’t personally taken. I remember way back actually researching the most flattering angles for dance photos. Then I sit and scrutinise the photos zooming in and out vetoing photos before I put together the albums, organised by audition school, so the parents don’t have to work out which photo belongs where. Those successful students are wonderful free advertising, so you get out what you put in

I have qualifications with two exam boards and the difference in training to qualify with both exam boards is outstanding. One exam board assessed my capabilities as a teacher purely on my ability to remember and recall the content of the syllabus from prep-advanced and essentially retake those grades all in one go. The other qualification route is in my opinion more rigorous, lectures and assignments on nutrition, injury prevention, psychological well being, safe practice, lesson planning, curriculum design, choreography, quality assurance and the role of assessment and numerous videoed and observed lessons. Is it fool proof - no, because much like learning to drive you learn what you need to pass and settle into your own routine shortly after. I certainly do not write lesson plans in anywhere near the amount of detail I did to pass my first year. This exam board also insists that to maintain their teaching status, teachers must engage in 18hours of CPD per year. Again this doesn’t really assess my suitability to teach, but I do feel there are substantially more things put in place to at least guide my teaching practice. The same exam body qualified my teachers some 20 or so years ago, and back then they just had to demonstrate the syllabus, and now they just have to complete their CPD to continue teaching, having never received training on some of the subjects they now deem essential for teachers. I think poor teachers exist whether qualified or unqualified and flashy credentials are used to entice parents. One of my students was invited to join a class with a royal ballet trained teacher - her mum assumed she had danced with the royal company. As it turned out she has been a JA just like the girl who was invited to the class but been unsuccessful at Mids where the student had been successful, thus actually making her more royal trained. We are so unregulated as a group, which is terrifying since we are probably the most long term teacher a child will have and we are such a huge part of their childhood. The responsibility is massive, we can make or break kids not just as dancers but as people.

A yes for my student, after a no for JA place in year 4, now a year 5 JA at Royal and Elmhurst and a place at Summer Intensive! Very happy teacher, very happy mummy and a very very very happy student!

Graham Fletcher based in Leicester is brilliant, I know of his Ballet Associates programme but I think he also runs classes during the week in Northampton possibly? I think they have posted on here previously. I teach a lot of boys and while I try my best, as a tiny lady, I think eventually boys need to have a male teacher, not necessarily as their main teacher but they certainly need a male perspective. My younger boys have had the pleasure of one of my ex students at vocational school coming back to visit this past week and they have just loved having someone their giving them “boy tips”.

Does he do associates?

I’m a BBO girl through and through, so I was utterly bewildered earlier this year when I entered a student for an RAD exam and there was absolutely no written feedback! It made no sense to me at all! The comments are considerably more valuable than the marks even before examiners had to type reports and the handwriting was illegible!

We are expecting a no so no postman stalking here

10 days my student was told!

Hi Clarkd3 Have you tried Dance Gear? Their made to order jazz pants are reasonably priced, and I would say more dancer size friendly. I’ve used them for a lot and if you call up they are usually pretty accommodating if you need something tweaking slightly, I imagine if you had a sizing request (as in you needed a slightly longer leg) they would probably be able to help or they would at least ask the manufacturing team. I remember when the width of the flare on your jazz pants was in direct correlation to how cool you were 😂 I even had scary spice inspired leopard print ones! Good luck with the hunt, they really should remain firmly buried in the noughties!

I had 5 audition today 4 got in 1 got a place on the reserves! Think there was quite a lot auditioning tonight

I think we should all be far more child like in our approach to things we don’t know about or don’t understand. I have witnessed so many parents leap in and apologise for their child’s questions and then scold the child for being rude! As I’ve mentioned before I have virtually no voice and I speak no louder than a whisper, I include it in my introductions to new people more often than not as it eliminates them feeling awkward about asking me what’s wrong, or worse still whispering with me!