Anon2

Great news. 
 

They’ve hidden in the press release that Lazuli Sky is available to stream from this weekend. Something to look forward to.

21 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Just back from my last fitting. There will be four happy girls starting pointe after half term. The tally is - 2 Blochs, Hannah & Amelie; 1 Grishko Pro Flex, 1 Gaynor Minden. The last one had feet so narrow and shallow it was the only shoe that worked.

It’s so lovely you with your students for their first fitting. We had to trust the fitters and the dance teachers recommendation for a particular brand regardless of foot type. Once dd was confident she went with what she felt was best for her. 

Elmhurst rent out their facilities to help keep themselves in the black. I’m sure RBS/White Lodge are gaining financially from this arrangement. 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/20/teenagers-death-after-being-given-antipsychotic-was-potentially-avoidable
 

Oliver’s poor treatment and death is still making headlines. His parent’s and family show such strength continuing to fight. 

15 minutes ago, DD Driver said:

 

I am very sorry to hear people said nasty things and targeted your sister - or any young student! 

 

Auditions are competitive situations and can be stressful.  Directors are making selections based on their personal, preferred criteria.  Of course.  Different students have different advantages - in their facility, their body shape, their dancing, their looks, their height etc.  I don't believe that commenting on where the preferences (appear)  to lie, is necessarily a product of envy.  

 

People are looking to understand the selection criteria and what directors want.  Over the 4 pages of this thread there are posts discussing pressures on those selected to maintain an extremely low body weight - despite their (probably) natural leanness!  This is not in the interest of any child or adult interested in pursuing ballet, professionally or for pleasure.  IMHO!

But if you’re a self conscious 12 year old, say for example you’re one of the first in your class to reach puberty, and a number of the observing parents are watching you intently and whispering behind their hands rather than watching their own offspring how do you think the child feels? 

1 hour ago, Tulip said:

But very often it’s the parents who sit there watching these children dance doing the criticising, judging their weight, talent etc etc. They think that it is ok to say she only got chosen because she’s skinny, but she’s not talented enough and is forgetful. My child is far more talented but can’t get a place because etc etc. Inside vocational schools can be bad enough, but some parents who don’t always know the requirements for classical full time training, sit there making critical judgements. It’s cruel and distasteful. 

And the children are very aware they are being judged by the watching parents. 

11 minutes ago, Peony said:

So many of them seem to have no concept of their own safety let alone anybody elses! I’m surprised you have escaped them for a few months, they’ve been out in force here!

Over the last few years there have been increasing amounts of huge organised cycle races that start at local public school and head towards coast, they claim to be raising money for charity. In May we normally have a sunrise cycle that attracts hundreds and at the same time a two day triathlon that also goes past in opposite direction. When I still did night shifts I had to make sure I wasn’t working otherwise no sleep was possible. 
 

9 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Rimrose Valley Country Park is a magnet for groups of lycra clad cyclists who assume they own all the pathways and go at sometimes ludicrous speeds spread across mixed use paths.

 

My favourite walk onto the main body of the park is through quite a narrow path the eventually has a sharp bend and incline.  I've lost count of the number of times I have had to leap out of the way of speeding cyclists coming down the incline and around the blind bend.

 

Mind you last weekend took the biscuit when I was nearly mown down by two speeding runners who were part of a group timing themselves!

And then look at you like you shouldn’t be there? 🙄

I’m back to put groups of Lycra clad cyclists in Room 101. I hadn’t realised we’d had a blissful few months without packs of shouting, Lycra clad, entitled cyclists until they are back this morning. For the past 5 hours we’ve had groups going past the house every few minutes, shouting to each other as the approach the junction ‘LEFT, LEFT, LEFT’. Not sure why they can’t see the various arrows that have been put out or the actual road signs that inform all road users of the T junction. And don’t get me started on those that think the drive is their special stopping point for a drink and a chat even though there is a perfectly useable village green across the road. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-covid-alert-level-posters
 

Don’t know if this helps 

I can’t imagine anyone is committing to arranging a face to face winter course this year. Maybe some will plan a remote course via zoom 

1 hour ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

I keep seeing dancers sharing this on social media with anger 😡 I’m not sure if it is a genuine government advert but the question is something that has been floating around in our house for the past 6 months. Is there a future for ballet for our current grads ? I have two Dc in this predicament ☹️ 

My Dd made the decision to quit ballet a couple of years ago and follow a different path. She deferred her university place this academic year but we’ve had lots of conversations about those still in vocational training or auditioning for company contracts and how although her year isn’t as planned she does feel she is in a better place than her dance friends 

10 hours ago, Motomum said:

The writer has been so refreshingly transparent and open about her mental health, this is absolutely the kind of honesty needed. 

 

My son is struggling with acute  anxiety on return to a new vocational training program after lockdown. The pandemic has added another layer of stress to an already stressful pursuit for some of our children. 

 

Like the writer I worry about speaking out and letting the school know in case this reflects negatively on him further down this path. Or I speak out and no support is forthcoming. I feel just awful as a parent even having those thoughts, but they are there nonetheless. 

 

The crazy irony is dancing and training with anxiety doesn't make you weaker. I see my son and I know how strong he must be, how strong the writer of the article must be to have managed in situations where I know I couldn't have managed. 

 

It is a conversation that needs to get louder and more widespread than it still is.

 

Mental health issues are IMHO for the most part still seen as a flaw rather than a part of the human condition in the perfectionist, rarefied world of ballet. 

If you don’t feel able to speak to your son’s school about his anxiety please consider investigating private counselling for him. He needs some help with his anxiety. It is unlikely to disappear without support. 

I believe Ruth Brill trained at Tring lower school and then ENBS. Joseph Sissens trained at Tring and then RBS. Just two I’m aware of. 

I’d never heard of Erdem before today. It says net profit donated but doesn’t say how much that is per mask? 

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

A bit out of my price range and not sure about the fit based on the pictures but beautiful and for a good cause...… from the RB Twitter feed

 

 ERDEM has collaborated with The Royal Ballet to create a limited edition Face Mask. 100% of net profits from the Face Masks will be donated to the @RoyalOperaHouse Recovery Campaign that will help performers return to the stage: http://bit.ly/RoyalBalletMask

 

https://erdem.com/en-us/face-mask-doria-rose-ps21_1377drpx.html

 

I emailed the ROH shop months ago about masks and they said they were thinking about it. 

How much? 😱

I can’t help with info regarding that particular institution but were you aware that Elmhurst had posted about taking late applicants onto their sixth form course? There is info on their website under the news section

11 hours ago, Tutusrus said:

My DD who has started at London School of Contemporary Dance has had to go into student halls as she is under 18 and on arriving was told that she can social distance and wear a mask “if she wants”.  She did “want” but not one other student has even attempted to social distance and no masks in communal areas and she has been made fun off for trying to social distance/wear a mask 😔🤷‍♀️ I feel anytime soon she will not be able to attend the very minimal face to face classes all because other students can’t seem to understand the risk/impact. 

That’s a very stressful situation your Dd is in. Did her school recommend the halls? Would the student support step up and speak to the halls? 
 

I did look on the LSCD website and couldn’t find anything regarding a covid policy. 
 

The halls my Dd was offered allowed moving in any time from the beginning of September (without any extra costs) although her start date would have been this Monday. Their thinking was any international students could do the 14 days quarantine if required before the course started and U.K. students wouldn’t all arrive on same day causing crowds of people in corridors and stairways. 
If students did take up this offer I should imagine they have been mixing socially before term starts. 

Term dates seem to vary. Our local university started a week ago. 
I wonder if one person in your university household is symptomatic are they are then testing the others? 
A friend who was symptomatic was able to book a test for herself and 3 others of her 6 person household. Turned out her test was negative but one of her asymptotic children was positive. 

11 minutes ago, Peony said:

Given the choice I’m sure most people would choose to work from home at the moment. I feel incredibly sorry for these students who were encouraged to move into university accommodation even though they won’t be able to actually attend the university. And now we’re telling them not to go to pubs and not to go home for Christmas etc. Those rooms are pretty tiny, many have shared facilities and lets face it you don’t get to choose who you live with. Sounds absolutely awful to me. The universities have some sort of responsibility in this too. 

It does look and sound absolutely grim. My Dd decided to defer her place much earlier in the summer as it was becoming obvious covid wasn’t going anywhere and increasingly the info about her course was that the majority would be taught online and no library access for undergrads and no in person societies. When she let some of her fellow students know that she wouldn’t be joining them this year she was shocked to discover the majority hadn’t researched what was and wasn’t going to be available at the university. 

10 hours ago, Colman said:

What are the fees like for non-EU students? 

This crossed my mind as had child at university in mainland Europe when the Brexit vote happened. His fees were very low and he could apply for the same benefits as home students. The students from outside the EU paid a lot more for the course. 

No just google for them in your area and self refer 

Podiatrist might be more helpful than a GP 

A corn cushion might give relief whilst dancing 

I’d contact the RBS as there may be a fault with the website that they’re unaware of and also explain your problem