tutoo2much

My DD auditioned a few years ago now, but my main comments would be- keep it fun. We combined it with something else exciting to do that day, and just thought of it as an opportunity to 'show the nice people her lovely dancing'. Keep the build up to a minimum and try not to let her know if you are getting nervous as results date gets closer. (Postman stalking is an occupational hazard of being a ballet Mum.)

Angela, Don't be nervous about calling them (though I can understand why, I am just a bit further down the road). You are a paying customer. You paid £20 odd pounds for them to look at photos of your daughter and inform you of their decision. That's not including printing costs and postage. They haven't fulfilled their side of the bargain. It's not like you are asking for feedback, which they clearly do not offer. I have always found the summer school team very helpful and it does sound like there has been a slip up with your letter. Might even be the post. Hope it is good news when you do eventually hear!

Hope you understood what I meant, can't find the edit button! Meant to say 'go to summer school and end up being invited.....'

I have just read on another thread that Yorkshire Ballet Seminars hold scholarship auditions for their summer school. Is anyone is aware of any other summer school scholarships that students can audition for? I know RAD sometimes do, but it doesn't seem to be every year.

afab- I doubt if the summer school place will make any difference at the audition, even if the audition panel knew. It is all about what happens in that hour! However sometimes children who do not get offered a place after the audition, going to summer school and being invited to stay on at the school fulltime!

Glowlight- I find it hard to believe that a letter from ballet teacher would make a difference unless your teacher is widely known and respected. I know for a fact that there is some direct communication between some JA teachers and Miss Stock, but I suspect they don't have an influence over the final outcome. I just imagine she sits there with a huge pile of photos and has 3 piles a yes, no and maybe! It is fun, but probably pointless, to speculate. And it does seem that children who apply on more than one occasion can get a different response each time. Sometimes the children that come in from the waiting list are the ones who go on to get invited to audition for the school or win prizes, so it is obviously far from infallible.

Another way of looking at it might be to think about what your DS needs, what does he need to work on? My DD has a place at RBS summer school, but I am wondering if she would get more out of something like National Youth Ballet. (-f she got in) I think her overall ballet training is good but she gets very little opportunity to perform in public. I would imagine different summer schools have different strengths. .

Oldermum- We have received financial assistance from RBS for attending summer school in the past and as far as I can work out the funding is totally based on income. My contribution, as a proportion of the full fees has gone up with my income. I am fairly sure that if you are on a very low income (eg entitled to free school meals) it is fully funded. Don't be afraid to ring up with any questions. I have always found the admin team of the summer school to be very approachable and helpful. Dancing Taxi, I think that quite a lot of the younger English girls, (but not all) are RBS associates. However there are children from all over the world that aren't. JA's are given a form to apply that have JA stamped on it. And I think a lot of girls send their photos in in wearing their JA uniform, but not all JA's get a place. It seems that all the girls who are invited to the RBS finals get a summer school place, but maybe that is a coincidence. I also noticed that some of the girls who attend White Lodge do the summer school. I don't know if they are automatically accepted.