Nana Lily

Both my DD's have at various times had Grishko Demi's. The only way to soften them is to wrap them in a tea towel, take a metal hammer (we tried a wooden mallet and it didn't work) and hammer the living day lights out of them. Bash the tops, the sides and the sole. Eventually they start to crack them soften. It's takes a good 30 minutes for each shoe. No amount of 'working' the shoe in the usual a way works, they stay as hard as concrete. Despite this they do look lovely, both mine wore them for their Intermediate exam. Older DD now wearing Bloch, but younger DD still with Grishko, and I had a blister to prove it though the hammering. Good luck!

How was it Terpsicore? Looking forward to hearing about it!

Will look forward to your review. I am so annoyed with myself as I had intended to go and watch this ballet, which is fairly local to us. But what with work, appraisals and driving around the county to collect DDs I completely forgot . Did so want to see it.

Thank you for posting, I really enjoyed reading it!

The first full length ballet I ever saw was at the Theatre Royal in Stoke on Trent ( now sadly closed), although I was a complete bun head I was 19 before I saw my first full length ballet and it was Nutcracker! It would have been round 1982 so I am no sure which company it was...may have been a Russian company or maybe Janet Lewis before she started EYB. I was totally mesmorised and I loved it! The second full length ballet I saw was in Southampton a couple of years later, it was Sleeping Beauty and was probably English National or what ever they were called before their current name. NL Edited to say it was Nutcracker!

Given the amount of international students applying to and attending our 6th form schools UK schools are clearly highly rated by other nations with students from abroad very eager to win scholarships to UK schools via international competitions as well as being self funded or are sponsored by their own nations. At my DD's lower school over the last 4 years there has definitely been an increase in the number of international students gaining places in the lower school too. They of course aren't eligible for UK MDS scholarships, so the families pay or they get support from their own country. A very demonstrable commendation of first class training.

Terpshicore, I have just read you profile and link to your blog, thanks for sharing and I will enjoy your posts. NL

Lovely Jacqueline and hbfrew! Have to say that after watching Carlos Acosta at the Colli with a friend , the night before we were to watch our DD's at the end of the WL SS we did go to the stage door and wait for an autograph. We were delighted when Zenaida Yanowsky spent an age talking to a group of young admirers, she was a delight. When Carlos finally came out, though he was clearly tired he was charming. My friend and I have a lovely photo and autograph. While waiting we met a lovely lady who was by herself and after we invited her to join us for an après ballet cocktail and made a new friend, ballet.co style! Terpshicore, I am intuited by your name, tell us are you a Muse of Dance or Choral Music, or from Hexam's only broad based dance studio for dancers ages 2.5 and up . Great name! NL

To be honest, I don't think anyone knows what each school requires or looks for in a dancer. What they want this year may be different to last. It's all very subjective. Artistic staff move or can change their minds. It's like the height discussion isn't it.... Best wishes to those who still have appraisals to do or are waiting for results.

Yes you are correct, you pay half the contribution of the first child for the second child. You still get the allowance though of around £1800 per child taken off your gross income. At my DD's school they then add the total contributions together and then split it equally between both children, so it appears on your invoice that you are contributing the same for each child, if that makes sense. PM me if you have questions. NL

Hi Lil, do you still have your DVD fOr sale? NL

Best wishes to your DS Kiwimum x

Thank you everyone! Have set my box to record! Looking to very happy ballet Christmas! Xxx

Gosh Katymac, that's a lot of auditions in a short space of time...wishing you both all the best and here is to a great outcome for your DD. NL

katymac I am very confused as to where your DD is auditioning, would you like to share where and when her auditions are so that others may support you and learn from your experience? Thank you Nl

Sorry...also do you make appointments for pointe shoe fittings, what are your arrangements...thank you!

May I ask which makes of pointe shoes will you stock?

Hi folks, Just found out there is a fabulous new ballet shop opening in Birmingham , very close to the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Hippodrome at Misfitted Hub, 71 Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM, B5 4HX. The owners are both highly experienced physiotherapists and trained pointe shoe fitters, also both ballet moms having had three children between them at vocational ballet schools. They open very soon on 4th January. Here is their FB page link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/dancique.uk Its long overdue to have a decent ballet shop in central Birmingham, and how lucky are those folks to have such fab pointe shoe fitters, well needed!!!

If you buy your train ticket in advance you can also buy a 'plus bus' ticket, the adult one is £3 so you do save. The 61 63 and X64 run very frequently so you nerve have to wait more than 5 or 6 minutes for a bus. The X64 is much less frequent, but it has very few stops so is quicker. This is a single decker bus. Best wishes to all.

Gosh Spax, isnt there anyone more local from the WL PTA to do the Manchester venue?

Fantastic news!

Lookimng forward to it!

Out of the 14 girls who started at Elmhurst in 2010 in year 7, just 7 remain. Of the 7 boys who were in year 7, there are 4 still there in year 10. As Belljul says, it's been for a variety of reasons, homesickness, injury, changes of schools and assessing out. If you child is lucky enough to get a place and start that journey, remember it is only the start, be realistic, cherish every moment for them, but be open minded. Best wishes for auditions if you decide this is potentially the right path for your child.

Quite rightly so too Julie. It was meant to have an element of humour in the suggestion. I don't see what's different to this thread than the back to ballet thread. The common theme is it's totally dominated by Michelle R, with posters commenting now only on her activity. I don't see any value in it for me. Sharing information about upcoming events or a brief example of an experience is helpful, but that not what this new thread is all about, for me anyhow. I won't be making any more comments on this thread and don't intend reading it either.

Michelle, Do start a blog, you will have many followers and you can 'own it' as it will be your own. I would follow your blog. Many of us really enjoy your contributions to the forum....some of the time. But as for this forum I have rarely read the 'going back to ballet thread recently I haven't found it constructive. I read this forum for information and enjoyment and I haven't found that recently in the back to ballet thread. As for this thread maybe the moderators could re title it 'Michele R's Simply Adult ballet Blog'. Then I would dip on an out when I wanted to catch up with your ballet activities. Edited for typos as usual Julie Lyon