Billyelliott

Thank you and I’m so looking forward to actually being able to go and see something !!!!

So DS has graduated ……but it feels very surreal …… all the hard work and the choreography for the Final performances that will never be seen….

All shows cancelled less than 24 hours before I was due to drive up and watch proudly!

covid strikes again! So incredibly sad about this missed opportunity.

However very pleased to say that they leave to take up an

Emerging artist contract with Sir Matthew Bournes new adventures company!

Assuming that this isn’t cancelled due to Covid they will be joining their nutcracker tour of the UK so hopefully there will at last be a chance to watch them dance In October!

On 09/11/2020 at 16:58, Peanut68 said:

I must say Elmhurst must rate top of the list for PR savvy! 
Hope they are putting as much effort into training students as they appear to be at gaining media mentions!

Touché 

That’s all I’m going to say !

Elmhurst closes Friday

Many of the students have already gone home

Thank you and Merry Christmas one and all !

Very sad news 😥

Thankyou John and family for the wonderful legacy you have left in this thriving community!

If it helps at all.......

I agree that those starting upper school @ Elmhurst will not feel as if they are joining an existing year group as there is a lot of coming and going between Yr 10 and 12 and in fact I would say new students generally outnumber the existing ones......

If memory serves the current yr14

cohort is very small - That will be by there looking for anybody that might be interested in joining them.......

presumably the benefit for the student would be “exposure “ whilst touring

Not sure how it will be founded since year 14 live in rented accommodation as well!

 I suspect it’s mainly young men they’re looking for as they are particularly thin on the ground in year 14 !

Congratulations indeed and all the very best for your DS!

Hope you will pop in with advice from time to time !

16 minutes ago, Hambleton said:

Hi there, unless people know something I don’t know, I can’t think of a shop that has a good selection of dancewear for guys. Capezio, Dancia, Freed, Bloch in Covent Garden sell shoes and socks and dancebelts. My DS gets practice wear from H&M sports section. Dance shorts he gets from the US 😂. There’s a Lululemon in Covent Garden. Wishing you well for your trip. 

Just my thoughts - IF ONLY such a thing as a male dancewear shop existed!!!!

Even the online selection in the UK is poor !

1 hour ago, Tulip said:

The academy has actually acknowledged that student have been physically and emotionally abused and have vowed to change its practice. 

Sorry I didn’t know how to copy the quotes from the report. 

Just what I was going to say - assuming the article is accurate on that point then it seems at the very least there is an admission that things need to change!

Shocking and disgraceful !

but sadly I’m not surprised...

I do hope that in the future enough of the students will feel empowered to unite and speak up and stamp this out!

Also

The child benefit is NOT one of the benefits included in the list that you have to declare!

I’ve just found the photos of the forms I did last year.

You have to declare any tax credits. Then the next question is about your total income before deduction of tax or national insurance, the value of any benefits in kind, “other” income including pensions , investments/savings income, foreign income,income from properties/estates/trusts....

then the page on pensions says- “write in any personal pensions you paid into NOT including the payments to an occupational pension via your employer as this will already have been deducted using the figure on your P60 “

The photographs of the forms are too big to post but I hope that helps

Most of  those awarded a DADA

are also given bursaries towards the boarding element which are means tested.

The assurance was that we would not end up paying more by way of parental contributions than we did during Lower school.

This has indeed turned out to be the case .

It is worth contacting the finance department for a discussion I believe the ladies name is Rachel Titley 

Wonderful news C4 D !!

May she go from strength to strength x

My very short DS Yr 12 Elmhurst Would be delighted if there were some shorter girls for him to partner! - There are usually quite a range of heights and I’m not aware that there has ever been the minimum restriction.....☺️

11 hours ago, Gemma Haye said:

Hi Nicola,

 

I am looking for a summer school for my niece and wanted to do something special for her seeing as she is turning 16 this year! 

 

My niece has been doing ballet since 4 years old and looking at your summer school post above, this seems like an ideal gift, but just wanted some more information on the course from you please.

 

Kind Regards

 

Gemma

My DS did this last year and the year before aged 14 & 15 

it is a real treat and worth the expense if you  can manage it - they do work very  hard but have fun too!

Happy Christmas one and all - hope those of you who have been missing your dancers have them safely home for the holidays and recharging their batteries and reintegrating back into family life !

18 hours ago, Lifeisgood said:

Can anyone recall how many went to finals last year for upper and know how many they actually offered places to? 

DS ( who is in yr12)says he thinks it is 16 girls and 9 boys this year that have places if that’s any help 

Jan you are amazing! Thanks

fir the link 

CDR - yes mine too !  ☺️

16 hours ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

I notice that the casting for this has just been announced.  There are several young people that dd knows who are either current or past members of her school who have been cast including one who was in her year at lower school and one who is in her year now.  Huge congratulations to them.

I’ve tried very hard to copy the link to the casting announcement but with no luck!

1 hour ago, worsethanclueless said:

Thanks so much everyone. It's been so useful to hear your experiences. And yes, Pups_Mum, I do overthink things! Valentina - your examples of post ballet careers are very heartening. I didn't think there'd be such a diverse list.

 

I wasn't sure how questions from a complete newbie would be received but I've gathered some great thoughts and insights- thanks all!

We were all newbies once !!!

all the best !

Hi worsethanclueless and Astrid

Here are my thoughts...

we have now reached Yr12

on this journey.......

If I had sat down and thought about it coldly & logically (from the point of view of finances  long-term career prospects et cetera )at the beginning... Before starting on the JA’s  - well - we would probably never have started down this road. 

BUT

I’m so glad that I just took it all one step at a time and didn’t drive myself mad worried over the future! Otherwise I would’ve given up before we started !

I think the deciding factor is the amount of passion your child has for dancing in our case it is the only thing he lives for.

 This means that no matter how tough things get he has always wanted to keep going!

After a drama queen rant and rave yes - but stop dancing ....never ....nothing and nobody will stop him dancing.

 Does he have the perfect physique certainly not! But he can still out jump out spin and outperform  many of those who do have perfect physique yes!

 If that is how your child feels or grows to feel and I think you have to let them dance - the rest will sort itself out in some way or another. There are always other branches of dance there always scholarships and bursaries and there are plenty of other second Careers especially if you make sure they have a broad-based education while dancing.

 Many have described the journey as a rollercoaster and I quite agree but  it is one that you can get off if the pain exceeds the passion!  And those years will  definately not have been wasted  as long as the child continues to enjoy the journey then I say let them continue !

I’ve just been asked for a gym membership for Christmas !!