dancemad

 

 

I spend all my time with people who went to the "top" international dance schools and one thing I do know and I'm not saying this to get at anyone here, the same demands for entry in terms of body shape, facility and aptitude for ballet training hold wherever you go. Be it London, New York, Moscow, St Petersburg, Hamburg, Paris

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Sorry but I disagree with this. At least as far as selection in the USA is concerned. My DD has a male friend who recently went into a top ballet school in the US at the age of 16.He is 6ft 6" tall. There are other young dancers who have gone through US schools into the company. Both Samantha Lynch and Drew Jacoby (female) are 6ft ( so about 6ft 4" en pointe!) and rose up from corps de ballet level. Fabrice Calmel is 6ft 6.5" at Joffrey Chicago and Lines Ballet in San Fran has even taller.

I just don't see RB or ENB (for example) ever employing such tall dancers or selecting them as youngsters for training. As many know, POB have a height chart that prospective students have to fit into!

So not all institutions employ the same selection criteria (thank goodness)!

Invisible Circus

 

 

 

The costs listed at Hamburg, Stuttgart, POB etc are for nationals. To say you're "Sure" there's financial assistance doesn't mean it's true, in fact from what I know about British dancers studying abroad which is actually quite a lot, the one big problem they all faced was money. It's as expensive to study in one of the big European ballet schools, if not a lot more so than it is to study here.

 

And that brings me to another point if someone doesn't have the technique or talent to get accepted at one of the top schools in the UK they won't be accepted at one of the European schools either.

 

And why would you want a British kid to go into a foreign school system at 14/15? Not only will she be studying a completely different curriculum but also in a language she doesn't understand.

Stuttgart and Dutch National Ballet Academy certainly offer funding to some UK students. At both schools there are so many students of different nationalities that teachers converse in many different languages.

European & US schools are also not as set on one particular body type or height so for some students it is a good option.

Julliard maybe. However if the drama summer programmes run the same as dance ones, then auditions for this year have taken place & available places allocated.

Hi balletqs A few years ago DD had to choose from exactly the same three offers as your student. Not an easy task. Good luck to her for September where ever she goes

Yes JoJo. DD will graduate in July and already has a job offer

Thanks for sharing this JoJo Very interesting & glad to hear Tala is doing so well. My DD was in the same class as a Tala all those years ago at NBT Junior Associates!

Good luck to everyone waiting When our DD got her acceptance it came by letter, on the Thursday after the Final audition (so the equivalent of today). That was 3 years ago though so maybe email is used now.

Hi MIAS. If a candidate is called back in at the end it does indeed mean that the panel were uncertain about offering a place. Those who are not called back in at the end are either a definite yes or no.

When I was with DD at her Central open day visit, a parent actually asked about it and the explanation given was as above.

Good luck at the weekend

Think it is a matter of schools & parents continuing to challenge the new system in the hopes we will eventually be heard! Basically that is the only option for all of us on this side of the fence!

Not really Interested Parent sorry! I've already probably said more than I should I was just trying to put peoples minds at rest a bit as earlier on the thread, some postings were assuming the schools aren't reacting. They are! As we all know, primarily the schools want students with talent not money. Obviously there are students with both but equally there are those with 'only' talent.

Not really Interested Parent sorry! I've already probably said more than I should I was just trying to put peoples minds at rest a bit as earlier on the thread, some postings were assuming the schools aren't reacting. They are! As we all know, primarily the schools want students with talent not money. Obviously there are students with both but equally there are those with 'only' talent.

Schools are fighting. A committee has been formed with representatives from the various schools, trying to put things right

Hi Nutcracker.

There is a Cecchetti scholars programme held at Kate Simmons Studios in Warrington once a month. The student doesn't have to be studying the Cecchetti Ballet method. The students also do a jazz class.

The organiser is Gill Hurst.

Sorry dancemad, I wish you were correct, but a recent tribunal confirmed that the DaDA courses are 'Higher Education'. That is why students can not claim housing benefit and parents lose child benefit. However, the DaDA regs say they are 'Futher Education', which is how the govt justify not allowing student loans. It is a mess, they seem to change the category to suit themselves

Well it is a mystery then Our DD is currently on a Dada & we are in receipt of Child Benefit! I rang the CB office when she started and they asked for the name of her new school and the qualification she will receive (National Diploma in Dance) and that was it. Then we received notification saying the benefit would be paid. DD does not do A levels.

Hi Jazzpaws I'm starting to confuse myself,

I was refering to the MDS, there seems to be quite a difference to what is taken into account due to marital status in certain circumstances..........you are right in thinking this benefits stop under dada rules as diploma is higher than A levels.

Child Benefit is still awarded on a Dada Award. The Dada related courses are classed as 'Further Education' and not 'Higher Education'

I LOVE this app. The way you can save playlists (with saved tempo changes if you wish) is wonderful. I will certainly look at the latest version. Thank you Andrea.

Sorry drdance but I am still very happy to stand and say that I do not agree with the following sentence "The truth is, dancers need to supplement their ballet training with aerobic activity: Studies show that technique class isn’t enough to prepare dancers for performance—the physical intensity of a show has higher aerobic requirements."

Your evidence may well show improved function and I did not say I was sceptical of the research. In fact I said it was an interesting acticle. However it does not show that professional dancers NEED to supplement their ballet training. Having been a very successful professional dancer and knowing many more, we have only ever prepared for performances with class technique and rehearsal hours. We don't see dancers at Covent Garden or wherever looking (or feeling) tired so clearly class and rehearsals ARE enough to prepare them for successful performances. That is the single aspect of the sentence that I disagree with, proven to myself through my own experiences.

As far as the study goes, a dancer is a dancer and a dance scientist is a dance scientist. They are not made up of the same thing and they do not think in the same way. If you don't 'get' this then you are not and never have been a dancer. A Masters degree does not make a dancer and analysing dancers does not make a dancer. It is only a dancer that understands dancing and the innate feelings whilst dancing. The dancers feel fine in their performances (because I know them) and so are clearly happy with their training, regardless of the scientists thinking otherwise. Academia has a very limited place in the real dance world and the majority of dancers are not impressed by big words or evidence.

*nonsense!

I recently saw this article about dancers and running. It seems to contain some useful tips.

 

http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/februarymarch-2013/your-best-body-running-dancers

What an interesting article

However I don't agree with the sentence ...... "The truth is, dancers need to supplement their ballet training with aerobic activity: Studies show that technique class isn’t enough to prepare dancers for performance—the physical intensity of a show has higher aerobic requirements."........total none sense in my opinion. Bet the "study" was done by a sports scientist rather than a dancer.

Remember that in a ballet class the warm up is very gradual, and aerobic energy is used because of that by the time things become faster moving. If going straight into a jog without warming up, the the body is working on anaerobic energy for about the first ten minutes, hence the breathless. The level of allegro etc that your DD will be doing Tulip is certainly enough cardio for any dancer and I bet your DD is never really breathless in class (on the same level as when jogging). Jogging is more 'sports specific' than dance & so in my opinion the two physical activities can't be compared like for like.

Gosh those were the days when we could jog AND go to vocational school all in the same day Don't know how we did it!!

Hi afab

Compulsory warm up is at 8.50am and classes then start at 9.30am, half an hour/45 minutes for lunch and classes finishes anything from 4.30pm - 6.00pm. When they are preparing for a show then they will rehearse anything up until 9pm because classes generally are not replaced by rehearsals, rather rehearsals are scheduled for other hours. No classes on a Saturday or Sunday except for the odd rehearsal schedule. Hope that's helpful.

Wish someone had told us this piece of information last year. Not being on an mds we stuck to the uniform list to the letter as we were told we had too. The wear moi leotard I was told she had to have that cost me nearly £60, we paid for it up front it took months to arrive. when I checked the label it wasn't what they said it would be, I checked the same one in line it was £24 !!!!!!And it was damaged. by the time i had seen it when dd was home it was too late to do anthing about, i know they have to make a profit somewhere but felt completely ripped off.

As for pointe shoes as my dd usually wore grishkos and we were told by the dance shop Hammond do don't like them, they fitted her in school in what could only be described as wellies, I returned them as luckily they had given her a broken pair ( I do have to say there was no problem in returning them ) I asked her dance teacher if she could have grishkos again as they seemed to be better on her narrow feet, and her reply was yes get what fits not a certain brand.

Don't get me started on tap shoes way too long a story !!!!!!!!!!!

So my advice would be shop around mds or not

Happy shopping

.....don't know if you noticed Balletbun but the leotards aren't even Wear Moi (as at 2002-2011) !!!! They are Wear Moi International UK which has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Wear Moi that we would all expect them to be after going under this name.

I'm not sure if its the same for each school but I would imagine so. The uniform allowance is paid directly to the school but the money belongs to the student and can be spent anywhere the student chooses to do so. If I'm honest, we found the school dance shop to be very over priced and we could literally get two pairs of ballet shoes elsewhere for the price of one at school. Of course the school shop is convenient and ideal if you don't have the money to pay up front and claim back.

Just a tip....remember that on an MDS award you can also purchase your own dance uniform things from anywhere and send the receipts to school for a refund (regardless of what the school dance shop tells you!!!!). Works out much cheaper that way

I was also at the performance Janet but to be honest I found it a little slow moving in places. However I do agree that the piece set in collaboration with Central St Martins College was amazingly ingenious and I enjoyed 'anon' very much too.

It was a shame there were so many empty seats but the dire weather had no doubt prevented some from attending.

Just my opinions!