Anna C

37 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I wish I could see them again on Saturday!

I wish I could see them, full stop.  I do wish they’d had more than two performances. 😭😭

5 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

I haven't seen the clip but, from what you say, it sounds like Joonhyuk Jun (artist) and Ava May Llewellyn (AJYD).

It is indeed; I’m watching them now (on delay).

19 minutes ago, EVWS said:

Nunez dances Myrtha in the Cojocaru/Kobborg Giselle DVD from the early 2000s.

One of the first times I saw Nuñez dance was as Myrthe with Cojocaru and Kobborg.  She was wonderful.  It is indeed a treat to have her dancing the role again. 

Lovely to see Yuhui Choe back in class.

2 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I would agree that in previous weeks there were other celebs far worse than him but, totally objectively, I would say that on last weekend's showing he deserved to go

Agreed. 

3 minutes ago, alison said:

I've set up a discussion thread here

 

for anything which isn't really information, so please do feel free to use it

Thanks, alison. 👏🏻👏🏻

18 minutes ago, Kate_N said:

And I misread the schedule _ the Royal ballet is in class now, with the wonderful guest teacher Olga. Just watching her clean simple barre makes my brain & body feel good!

What a wonderful teacher Olga is.  “Was I clear?”

She always has a constructive correction for everyone, whether Principal or Aud Jebsen dancer.

Indeed.  I love watching Class and rehearsals, so we’re in for a treat!  Information/Scheduling is on this thread - alison has kindly set up a discussion thread too (posted below):  

Well, Greg-dislikers rejoice; he was booted out on Sunday in favour of Judy (although I nearly fell off the sofa when Shirley said she would have saved Greg, especially after judging him so harshly in previous weeks).  I didn’t rate either dance; both celebs made mistakes but Greg was always onto a loser with a slow-paced Samba.  It’ll be interesting to see if Judy is in the bottom two again next week.

Having ignored all mistakes last week and overmarked a whole host of celebs, Shirley and Motsi in particular did a complete 180 this week and were undermarking people left, right and centre, while (IMHO) overmarking others (9s for Tilly’s Paso?).  I was really cross at Rose and Giovanni getting two 6s for “mistakes” - the only tiny issue I saw was Rose being slightly ahead of the music for a moment; she was dancing solo and is deaf, for goodness sake.  Even Craig gave her a 7; has that ever happened before?

I’ve been pondering the music (and costume) choices; they really can make or break a dance (John and Johannes trying to do an American Smooth to a song too fast and in a tricky rhythm, Greg trying to Samba at a funereal pace).  I wonder whether the Pro really does have Carte Blanche, or is there some* input from the producers?

*a lot of

On 16/10/2021 at 16:52, Farawaydancer said:

Dd had some marks added under this category for one of her vocational exams, when the studio they were in was “hotter than the sun” but also the pianist seemed to be having an off day and was playing inconsistently (maybe to do with the heat). This came about from the examiner on the day, not requested by the pupils or teachers. 

Sounds like the day dd took her Advanced 2 at RAD HQ. ☀️😳 It was 33 degrees outside but the exam was in the big upstairs “greenhouse” studio (Genée, maybe?) with the huge windows, lunchtime sun roasting the studio.  The one fan was pointing at the Examiner.  I don’t like to imagine what the temperature in the studio must have been, but Special Consideration marks were awarded. 

I was watching a video recently of a talk by (among others) hypermobile EDS Consultants at a 2019 conference on Psychological and Emotional Health and they had Q&A afterwards.  An NHS Psychotherapist who works with young people stood up and asked the panel about what, if any, training GPs get on hypermobility disorders (the answer was none).  She herself has h-EDS and says that in many of the patients referred to her for help with anxiety, she sees other symptoms of hypermobility spectrum disorders/h-EDS so writes to the GP to ask them to investigate.  

As Thecatsmother rightly says, it’s the autonomic nervous system in HSD/h-EDS (in particular, over-production of adrenaline, dysautonomia, POTS/tachycardia) that is strongly linked to anxiety, which is why meditation, beta blockers, amitriptyline etc *in combination with counselling* work better for these patients than antidepressants/medication alone.  

This might be of use, @Dancers Dad   https://www.dynainc.org/docs/hypermobility.pdf

Also some info here:  https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/psychiatric-psychological-aspects-ehlers-danlos-syndromes/

3 hours ago, Dancers Dad said:

Interesting. Quite early stage research and simply stating a correlation - but I'm still curious. I'd be interested in the social factors that play a role - eg Do hypermobile people go into training/careers that have a higher likelihood of stress? Also, the definitions of both hypermobility and anxiety are wide open for interpretation. So while I'm interested in this, I wouldn't draw any conclusions.

There have long been links between hypermobility and anxiety.  IIRC, one study found that people with hypermobility were around 16 times more likely to suffer with anxiety than non-hypermobile people.  Certainly my daughter was anxious and prone to panic long before she started intensive ballet training.  So no, I don’t think social factors played a role; she simply produces too much adrenaline and her body can get “stuck” in fight or flight mode.

A lot hinges on whether someone has some/mostly/all hypermobile joints, or whether they have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome/Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, which often goes undiagnosed and brings with it a whole host of other symptoms, including anxiety, panic attacks, an increased production of adrenaline, tachycardia, chronic fatigue, general dysautonomia, and more, depending of course where one is on the spectrum.  

44 minutes ago, Dancers Dad said:

Great articles, thanks. And completely chimes with what the two S&C specialists my daughter has seen say. All about the strength. Cold, pre-class stretching of little or no value and actually can damage - yet nearly everyone in class still does it.

I concur.  I used to have to remind dd not to do any actual stretches until after a full barre.  Pre-class warm up is one thing, actively or passively stretching cold muscles and ligaments is quite another - we still used to see so many children and teens doing it pre-class or pre-audition (the latter, especially when done “competitively” is always best ignored!).

On 13/10/2021 at 11:14, Pas de Quatre said:

I agree that much of what is seen on social media is extreme, it really does need the old warning "don't try this at home"!  However there is a big difference between hypermobility and flexibility.  Hypermobility is a laxness in the joints, it may affect just a few or most of them, it is inborn.  Flexibility is achieved by lengthening muscles and tendons.  Frequently a dancer with hypermobile, sway back knees, actually has very tight hamstrings.  Stretching needs to be very well explained and targetted as otherwise it can simply overstretch the knees without doing anything to the hamstrings!  That is just one example, but an important one.

A very good point, PdQ.  Hypermobile joints can be more of a curse than a blessing; they can be more prone to injury, they often lack strength (flat turnout is not much good without the strength to HOLD the turnout when working), and hypermobile dancers can often have very low proprioception, which can mean teaching them can be more challenging.  When my dd was 11 or so, one of her Teachers questioned the flexibility of her feet and her ability to point her toes - she had plenty of flexibility but lacked the ability to activate her hamstrings and to actually feel the muscles necessary to sustain the point. 

As you say, the muscles and tendons can be very tight, and unless a hypermobile dancer is prescribed tailored stretches, they can do more harm than good by simply doing whatever stretches their classmates are doing.  

Further along the spectrum, hypermobile joints can sublax or dislocate, be painful, cause tendonitis - in short, they may look desirable and give graceful lines, but they can be a real problem, especially if not managed properly.

I cringe every time I see a dancer “sitting back” into a swayback knee, and I loathe seeing anyone - children or adults - overstretching, doing splits between two chairs and so on.  It’s not going to give them hypermobile joints, it might increase flexibility but it’s an unsafe way to do so, and at what cost in the future?  

A post on this thread is hidden while it is under review for being thought to contravene the Acceptable Use Policy and/or forum moderation policy.

In the meantime, please be reminded of our rules around discussing schools:  

Many thanks,

Anna C on behalf of Balletcoforum Moderators

On 11/10/2021 at 09:18, balletbean said:

All things happen for a reason. DD has been  offered a contract to which she has accepted. One very excited DD one very relieved mum. 🥰

Wonderful news, balletbean! Huge congratulations to your dd. 👏🏻👏🏻

11 hours ago, LinMM said:

Yes Me too as Judy knows how to put a dance across to an audience so is very engaging to watch. 
A dancer has to have this quality or very good technique and great when somebody has both. 
I was very worried for Adam tonight as I think he was unfairly marked by the judges for his Rumba (a very difficult dance) and so ended up at the bottom of the leader board.  I think he has the potential to be in at least the last five/ six couples. But luckily he wasn’t in the dance off in the end. 

Agreed, Adam fell victim to the Judges’ undermarking, especially when trying to do a Rumba in week 3 with no dance experience.  Poor Dan Walker had a torrid time too and I was surprised he wasn’t in the Dance Off.

Judy performs well, with sass and musicality, but I just didn’t think there was sufficient actual dancing from her; her feet barely left the floor and there was no Charleston bounce whatsoever.  Combined with a mistake from Judy, I actually thought Katie was marginally better in the *actual dance off* (which is all the Judges say they go on, rather than overall performance) and deserved to stay - however, I rarely agree with Shirley’s casting vote, so no change there.

Joint favourites of the night:  John and Johannes, Rose and Giovanni.  AJ continues to impress me too, as does new Pro Kai who is nailing the choreography and bringing out the best in AJ.  Excellent when you consider it’s Kai’s first series.

I also loved the Professionals’ opening dance, with Johannes channeling “Bridgerton’s” Duke of Hastings (albeit falling in love with Kai instead of Daphne Bridgerton).  Beautiful choreography (nice to see Jason Gilkison credited every week now) and gorgeous dancing from everyone.  Inclusive and emotional. 

A belated welcome to the forum, LargelyConfused - great name!

Before dd moved from Freeds to Gaynor Mindens, we used to cut the satin off the platform after sewing a blanket stitch around the edge, either in several strands of darning thread or wool if I’d run out of thread.  Dd liked the definite “edge” around the platform for stability en pointe. 

1 hour ago, glowlight said:

I just want to send love to all of you dealing with these difficult issues.  Nothing else to say.  Just love.

How kind, glowlight. ♥️

Well, I’m glad to report that Shirley seemed to be in a somewhat better mood on Saturday, despite a couple of strange remarks.  I don’t agree that Katie and Gorka’s dance-off was better than Nina and Neil’s, so it’s a great shame that the latter went from the competition.  
 

If you don’t already read Marianka Swain’s excellent “Strictly Speaking” on the Dancing Times website, I can highly recommend it:  https://www.dancing-times.co.uk/strictly-speaking-week-2-5/

What did you good folks think of the decision to save Katie and Gorka?

That’s useful, thanks Luke.  It strikes me as a big problem that standalone “schools” offering 16+ arts education are not covered by something like a Safeguarding LADO, but that’s probably a topic for a different thread.

2 hours ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

@Luke Jennings

You are so so right in everything you say.
It was our responsibility as patents to speak up, but sadly you feel so isolated and afraid that you might be the only ones that you don’t. And then that time had past and you are left like me sharing experiences anonymously on a forum and accomplishing nothing 🙁 

 

I think that often, we cannot see how bad/toxic a situation has become until afterwards.  When I look back on my daughter’s (mercifully short) time at a full time 16+ “school”, I wonder how I could have been so easily taken in by the people in charge.  When your child is in the ballet system, there is always that unsettling knowledge that if you as a parent dare complain or go “public” with your experiences, it can and often will be your child that is punished somehow.

The attitude of “you’re lucky to be here; there are hundreds of dancers just waiting to take your place” has never gone away, but while we are isolated by fear, we simply accept that as part of the ballet world.  Combine that with a child so desperate to follow his or her dream, who’s begging you not to “make trouble”, AND threats - either covert or overt, - to keep you silent, it’s not surprising at all that individual parents feel powerless until after their child has voluntarily or involuntarily stepped off the ballet treadmill.  We accept SO much from the ballet world that would not be even remotely acceptable in an academic state school, college or university, because of the constant competition.  

Afterwards, we wake from the poisonous spell, take our broken children to therapy, try our best to mend them physically and emotionally and wonder what on earth has possessed us.  Like emotional abuse or coercion and control, it’s insidious and often subtle, making it difficult to spot while it’s happening.  Therefore it’s extremely difficult as a parent to identify what’s happening, step forward, start up a group/ask for DMs from other parents, formulate a plan and challenge the system - especially for 16+ training/standalone upper “schools” for which there are no routine or mandatory inspections.   How do you challenge what is basically a private company with one person or one family running it, if it’s your word against theirs, you know your child will pay for you “making trouble”, and they aren’t inspected by a regulatory body?  

Things need to change.  Perhaps there are too many full-time schools in the UK, especially given the shortage of jobs as performers and the scarcity of Choreographer jobs (particularly for women).  I think Luke’s idea of a much more rounded artistic education is so important, especially in the case of injury-prone students, because even the strongest dancer cannot perform forever.  

Above all, as parents we need to find safety in numbers, remember all the time that if we wouldn’t accept it in academic school or in the workplace, we should not accept it from a ballet school.  Form groups, follow the proper complaints procedures, go to outside authorities if possible (more difficult in the case of standalone upper schools) and swallow the bitter pill that as the parent, we may have to be the bad guy and remove our child before they become irreparably broken. 

22 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

For me, her mourning of Tybalt is the high point of the ballet when she's cast.

Absolutely.  She really is exceptional.  One of those scenes in which I find myself forgetting to breathe.