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Hi thank you for all your comments much appreciated. Her new pointes are very slightly different to her previous ones, so to see which she prefers I will do them the same as her current ones then when I know which of the two styles she prefers ( Freed Studios or Freed Studio 2) then the next pairs I shall try both suggestions to see what she likes best. Glad you mentioned darning around the edges akh as I was wondering about fraying. Anjuli_Bai if you have a particular method I would be delighted to hear what it is so I can try that next. Thanks I

Thanks taxi4ballet. Rather unhelpfully she has two teachers, one who prefers the darning method and one who says to use the patches! Do you mean that rather than use a suede patch, you cut off the silk and just expose the box? Does this affect longevity? Sorry to sound so dim, not a dancer myself!

Quick question, which is better darning pointe shoes or the stick on suede patches? Does it make any difference at all? Are there benefits to either system? DD has so far only used the patches and am trying to decide whether it is worth spending the time bothering to learn how to do the darning and then teaching her. Love to hear your experiences and opinions,thanks.

Going back to the original question, I just assumed it was a question of perceptions of schools rather than a decisive and serious list. Personally I have little knowledge of the vocational schools and will take the time to research them myself and naturally my DD will form her own opinion of what suits her for the aspirations she has. We would consider ourselves very lucky if she gets offered a place to study post 16 vocationally wherever that may be.

Thank you Dancingdreams that is a really useful snippet of information. Any other tips are always welcome as we too are about to step onto the merry go round of vocational auditions(post 16)

Oh this is an interesting question Aurora. I must admit I would have always considered RBS as top and then I just assumed it was a matter of what suits each individuals taste and strengths and sometimes geography. Interested in pre and post 16 rankings / opinions to see if they are the same.

Thanks for the post atacrossroads. The article shows the harsh realities of the post vocational training employment, and it is not happy reading. I would love to see the show but it clashes with DD's dancing commitments. Certainly I wish them well and hope to be able to have the opportunity to see them at a later date.

What strength of character he has shown. Good luck to him and may he get the success and recognition that her so obviously deserves. Hopefully it will be less stressful for you as well. Youcan be justifiably proud of both him and yourself. Good luck

My dd is tiny, 5ft . She is well aware that there will be much fewer opportunities for her. Still it does not put her off! I am certain that will restrict any offers she may get for vocational training too. She takes the view that it's her dream and there is nothing she can do about her height but she will try to perfect her technique and performance qualities! On the plus side she should be easier to lift!

Yes I had heard this too, my dd goes to Saturday classes here and we have not heard anything either. How awful for your sons friend, getting accommodation in London is hard at the best of times. I am sure this fabulous forum will come to the rescue!

In my very uneducated opinion the trouble with this picture is that she looks like she is trying too hard. I always thought that ballet should appear effortless and sort of " wafty!" another new word alert! She is obviously very talented and I am in no position to criticise but we all like different things and different styles of dance and dancer but what is being shown in both pictures does not float my boat. Sorry.

Just wanted to wish all those attending good luck on Sunday, also hope the weather is kind for us Mums hanging about waiting!

Very scary that the audition dates for next year are out already ! Must get up to speed as we hope to apply for sixth form entry! New site looks much better. Thanks for the heads up Nana Lily.

Their shoe selection is based on peer pressure and fashion fads, and we need to take the time to educate them about the dangers of I'll fitting fashion shoes. Many of you are lucky enough to have DDs who wear school trousers under which more sensible choices can be disguised we have a skirt and there is nowhere to hide! Will give Clarkes another go if my education talk is enough to persuade her to venture inside! However, not sure I set her the best example with some of my own footwear choices!! I sacrifice much for her ballet but does it also have to influence my shoe choice as well??!! Noooooo not the shoes!

Sadly yes, I have even mentioned one kid to a ballet teacher. It is the much younger brother of another girl who dances with my daughter, he copies her and with no training he is utterly amazing! However my Dd is v graceful whilst dancing but off duty, so to speak, she is the clumsiest most accident prone kid there is! She would not show up on any ballet radar!

I was annoyed but luckily we had already decided prior to the panto that it would be her last due to GCSE'S etc We have the opposite problem to you , my dd is tiny, 15 and not yet 5ft! going off topic slightly you say that MT auditions have a height limit, do you know if there is a min height as well? My Dd was lucky to have 4 wonderful years, and despite the problems with the 5th it was a lesson to her in maintaining her "professionalism" in difficult circumstances....every cloud etc! I would not let one bad experience put people off, hopefully the company involved learnt something too and things are better for the kids next time.

I like your style! Never occurred to me! D'oh!

My DD has done 5 pantos and 4 of them were the best experience she has ever had. She has made countless friends, performance experience, experience of working in a theatre and rehearsing as part of a company. Yes it did muck up christmas but this was a small price to pay to escape some excruciating Xmases with the in-laws! They were well treated but not paid. The main juvenile co-ordinator was organised and ensured that the welfare of the children was paramount. However the 5th panto was with a different panto provider and was a much larger glitzy production with a huge star.TBH the stage time they got on this production was not worth all the sacrifices. Yes they were paid but they were not treated as well. The juvenile co-ordinator was more interested in ingratiating herself with the stars than looking after the welfare of the kids. It was badly organised and the chaperones were reported to the local authority for their poor care by cast members of the panto company! So I suppose my advice would be try and speak to parents of kids who have done it before at your particular venue. If their response is positive I would not hesitate to recommend it if you and your immediate family feel able to make the commitment. A small Xmas at home is actually really relaxing and you know so far in advance to enable you to make plans. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi hope I'm not alone in this! Long gone are the days when I could persuade my Dd to get "sensible" school shoes from startright or clarkes! Mind you actually getting shoes to fit was the biggest problem I have had much easier pointe shoe fittings that "normal " shoe fittings. The problem is her school shoes are now of the more flimsy fashionable ballet style (what else?!) my DD is constantly flexing her feet,toe pointing,pirouetting and generally foot exercising in her normal shoes. As a result we are getting through school shoes at an alarming rate.... More than either ballet flats or pointes. I have threatened to buy more substantial shoes and you can imagine how that has gone down! How does anyone else deal with this? It's getting very expensive. Any suggestions?

I think if you are even questioning your dance school your instincts must be telling you something? I too have questioned My DD's allegiance to her dancing school. Her ballet teachers are fantastic and I have no complaints however the modern and tap teachers are not the best. As ballet is her focus we decided to continue and resign ourselves to the less than perfect tap and modern. Some people have left for this reason but ballet is not their main interest. Not every school suits every dancer I suppose. Could you have a trial lesson elsewhere to see what your DD thinks? I think as Spanner and Pony says if you do leave as long as you give the correct notice and explain why ,then follow your instincts. Good luck in your decision

Really, honestly?

London Cecchetti Associates are currently based at Ballet Rambert in Richmond which if you are coming by train is quite hard to get to. It is a fabulous programme, you are expected to attend classes roughly once a month on a Sunday.The focus is classical ballet but then they also have guest teachers with different dance specialisms. They really don't like it if you do miss a class. There are also a group of scholars that meet weekly But at a different location. There are several levels of classes certainly for girls and then there is a specialist boys class.... Don't know much about the boys side of things sorry. I suppose you could always use the audition day as a trial run to judge how hard it is to get there and then decide. Good luck with your decision it's always very hard.

As far as I know she has a great reputation. I saw some of her vocational students perform at an international competition last summer and they were excellent.

My daughter has attended this Summer school for years and loved it. I usually send her with a collection of different dancewear and let her choose the most appropriate,we have never had a problem. It's not that formal except for the ballet. A chiffon skirt was also mentioned, perhaps this with a leotard would be most suitable. Also your daughter should not worry about the different style. The teachers are fabulous also Miss Paris and Miss Ruth who run it all are wonderful, kind and very approachable. Additionally there are older girls there who look after the dorms and they are a source of help and support to the kids. If she is at all worried once there they will be able to help her too. I think from what my DD says (cecchetti trained) they do more work at the barre and a couple of moves have slightly different names than RAD but it is really not that different. Every year she comes home with many many more friends to be added to her social network pages I am sure your DD will be the same.

! Thanks for that I'm no expert either!