meadowblythe

I've been asked by some year 8s  to acquire some dance books for our school library.  Ideally they'd like some on technique (they said ISTD but I think they may be pushing their luck here!) and also a couple of biographies - we have Hope in a Ballet Shoe but I fear others are now pretty outdated.  If anyone can suggest singing technique books along the same lines that would be wonderful.  

We have a number of older students who also dance so obviously I am  hoping to stock titles that will also appeal to them.

Agree with Peanut 68.  As an aside, when my musical DD was at Junior Conservatoire, the opinion was that entering as private candidates, or with old teachers, would boost results by 10 marks on average compared with being examined at the conservatoire.  Somewhat ironic as a condition of taking lessons at JD was that you didn't take them elsewhere. Equally ironically, none of the full time conservatoires care about which exams you have passed anyway.  

Ds wears flesh coloured - or whatever is provided!  When he was younger a big fan of Capezio, Sancha So Danca.   If in doubt, Sheila Beelam is your person.

Interestingly, my dancing son doesn't promote dancewear - sports shoes, mens accessories ... as I mentioned he's not exactly RB standard but he does look a fit and healthy young man.  

His photography is done by his flatmate on a phone, with exception of aforementioned filming exercise.  That was a friend from junior school who happens to study film-making .. and he's looking at starting a youtube channel - with some brazilian footballers he knows from the town where he lives so again thinking fitness rather than dance.  I am wondering what this says about his own self image. 

As with all things ballet he is learning new life skills: how to negotiate a deal, to work with a company outside his area of expertise, digital marketing skills (he can tell which photos will increase his following), financial awareness, working internationally (he lives in a different country from any of the three companies he promotes, and none of them are even on the same time zone as each other).

It has also opened up new pathways for when he finishes ballet - he'd always assumed he'd move into some sort of gym based role but has really enjoyed the whole digital marketing experience and is now hoping there may be opportunities in this direction.  Hopefully this will be many years in the future, but you can never tell.

My son is a dancer and endorses products.  Working in Eastern europe it makes a huge difference to his income. He only endorses products he believes in (one a shoe brand he lusted after for years and could never afford to buy, they now send him pairs in return for him posting on Instagram). Another accessories company put some money in his account to "tell his story."  100,000 viewings later, maybe some people who never knew about ballet or thought about it have learnt a little about the life and how the sacrifices that need to be made.

He is a good-but-not-great dancer - will never dance for ENB or RB  but makes a living and gets some good roles.   Unfortunately, what is good for Eastern Europe goes very little  when it comes to flights home, and chipping in for Christmas presents is  a real struggle.  I know he saved his commission from the accessories company to buy all the males of the family (and probably some females!) presents.  

If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll send you the link to the video.

He came to a school I worked in about 25 years ago to record an episode of his programme.  Even though they showed him pulling a roasted bird from our bread oven he tried 6 and burnt them all to a crisp - so cooked it in a microwave and just pulled it out of the oven for the TV.  

Also managed to bust the door an a top of the range Bently that a parent had lent to him to show him arriving at the school.  Opened aforementioned door just onto an iron post while the car was still moving.  

But a really nice chap, very affable and his team cooked lunch (in an ordinary oven) for all the staff.

Slightly older children (15+? 16+?) may also enjoy summer schools abroad - great opportunity to travel unaccompanied, mix with a wide range of students and get a taster for a life outside the UK if they decide to pursue that route either for 16+ education or beyond.  Generally a lot cheaper than the UK even with travel factored in (never could afford the  Prague summer school). 

My musical DD's first lesson:  you don't go and stand at the bottom of the plane and wait for the luggage as you do on a coach.  And the baggage handler may not speak English to explain this to you!

Few years ago now, but yes.

Hi Hoglett just wanting to clarify - is it teaching at a dance school  or teaching in a secondary  school that your daughter is leaning towards?

We worked out it would actually be cheaper for us for DS to take a degree ballet course at 16, and then if the ballet didn't work out to take a second degree via distance learning (or even at a local university part time), rather than going the Tring/Elmhurst route.

Special treat for my lot in our JA days (so long ago!) was Big Wok chinese buffet - near to the Arcadian.  Not sure if I'd want to dance on it but they seemed to manage.  Admitedly this was long before the glories of Grand Central.  

Quite understand wanting to do it all - but just consider what you will do if the journey goes wrong, and also the wear and tear on you and your DD - and presumably the rest of the family.  Is your daughter more likely to end up injured from leaping from one to the other and just dashing in the door as the second class starts?  Last thing you want in year 6  if you are looking at auditions.  Ditto a child who is in less than robust health.

Having said that, I would probably try it!

From a school's point of view, with Ofsted breathing down their neck, if students are not attending school for any reason (good or other) they need a record - and there are stringent requirements for coding a student as educated offsite 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/564599/school_attendance.pdf (p9).

Personally, I preferred my children's teachers, ballet and  state school, knew what they were up to - mainly because of courtesy but also because I didn't want to be in a position to ask my children  not to mention thngs in class.  Again just my old fashioned upbringing.  Certainly my musical DD's teachers often advised against applying for certain things, because they knew she was not, to be blunt, of the standard required at that time.  They also advised against courses where bad habits might be picked up and not corrected, and as such would be a retrograde step.  

Yes you are paying for  ballet classes, but the teacher no more has to have you in their  school, than you have to go there.   

Decided on a whim we're going  promming tomorrow night (2nd August).  Any suggestions on cheap places to eat nearby before hand? I know the V&A is open late on a Friday but also remember having to donate a kidney (OK not really) to pay for food their on a previous visit.

Just wanted to add well done to your daughter -  she's obviously a very motivated and well organised young lady.

I would personally voice my concerns sooner rather than later - it gives the establishment a chance to address the issues when all concerned are present.  

I would also personally strike the school from my list of future establishments.  I think there would always be a niggle in the back of my mind.  We had a very similar experience, my DS disliked the buildings and staff he encountered so much in a summer school he refused to audition for a full time place.  His argument was that the school chose this way to present itself, its dance school and ethos.  He didn't fancy 3 years under  this regieme, even if it wasn't fully representative.  

The key code issue doesn't sound great either.  

If I've learnt one thing through 10 years of vocational training (DD attended musical boarding school and now conservatoire) it's that you shouldn't go just because of  reputation.  It may be great for some, but if it's not right for your child they will never flourish in an institution, however prestigious.    If alarm bells ring - listen!   

I hope the rest of the course goes well.

True - DS took Advance 1 and Advance 2 once he had started a 16+ vocational - took each on 2 days training at the end of term.  Literally 2 intensive days, take the exam on the 3rd.  No prior preparation just a filler at the end of term.  No impact on results.

DS  was at RCS, drop me a line if you want to know more about accommodation etc.

whilst I would agree with everything Pups_mum said, for us attending either was going to be a 5 hour minimum round trip - so the extra class on the same day was the least of the problems.  Also, as a boy, one scheme offered the chance to dance with male teachers which he was not going to get elsewhere, and the other was JA and you have to be brave to turn that down when you know nothing about ballet.

Our take was to try it for a year and see how it went.  It's sometimes easier to drop a class than to get into the scheme in the first place.

DS did Elmhurst Associates (Birmingham) in the mornings and JAs (also Birmingham) in the afternoons - quite a few of his cohort did that.

Anna C's interpretation is the same as  mine was .  We looked at the relative costs of taking a dada and then self-funding a distance learning degree at a later stage - an OU degree requires 360 credits and they charge just over £3000 per 60 credits.  I think it's a case of do the maths and see which works out best for you.  I don't know if you can get some credit for the level 6 qualification.

This is a few years ago,  and may be one person's experience.  He certainly didn't find the school a positive experience in any way but that doesn't mean he regrets going there.  Just wishes he had been better prepared. I think he expected the  focus on fun and tricks prevelant in Associates to be carried through to full time training.

We are not a dance family and didn't know what to expect.  As I said, just a word of caution and definitely just one person's view from a few years ago.

2 hours ago, SissonneDoublee said:

If you are thinking of applying to Elmhurst for full time training, their associate programme might give you more of an idea of the school’s ethos and possibly some valuable audition preparation. 

Things may/hopefully have changed since my DS was an Elmhurst Associate but just a word of warning.  He got a completely erroneous impression of the school and its dance training from his time as an Associate.  This was a while ago, but the vibe was completely different on a Saturday, even with the same staff.  The first year of full time education there was a horrible shock!

9 minutes ago, Loueeze said:

So I think is that three of us in this forum on the SWL for boys who will be year 4 in September and want London?

My DS got SWL for year 4 many years ago - now in his 3rd year as a professional and dancing the roles of his dreams.  He was very tiny and wobbly now a strapping 6 foot (although he didn't actually grow until he was 16).  He wasn't physically ready in year 4.  

It's still painful wathcing all the results all these years later though.

@Bluebird22, I so wish my DS could have had you as his teacher !! 

His teacher just kept on pointing out he "only" got into JAs in year 5 not year 4, and "only" got 3 MDS offers for year 7 and WL finals.  I think her finest hour was asking him to hand his own ballet shoes over to the child of choice (who did go to WL and was a JA from year 4) because my DS had split soles, which the other child fancied.  

Not the best way to build confidence.