Anna C

These skirts must have been flummoxing non-sewing parents for years! :-) It's a shame that RBS don't just commission an "approved" supplier to make them, like the RAD do with their character and long chiffon skirts. Just as well dd was never a JA; I dread to think what I'd have produced!

Oh, how lovely! :-) I remember our whole class going to see "Annie" in London when I was in Primary School as my friend was one of the orphans. :-)

My apologies, I should have said when mentioning my dd's "withering look" about taking certificates in that she's 13! I think it's a sweet idea when children are at Primary school. I think - if I remember rightly - that dd might have taken her Grade 2 certificates in. She wasn't presented with them again but she took them in as part of "show and tell". :-)

No, really Fiz? My dd would give me one of her special withering looks if I even suggested such a thing! :-)

Yes, I think you probably need a doctor's note or something more concrete than a note from the teacher. I found out about special consideration after my dd's Inter Foundation which she did when really quite ill. To be honest I decided it was just bloomin' bad luck and she got a Merit when her teacher said she was on course for a distinction. I didn't tell the RAD. These things happen - often with the most unfortunate timing! :-)

Ooh, exciting! Hope all goes really well. As soon as my bank account has recovered from paying from tutu and carrier I'll be straight over to order lots of tights! :-))

Yes, it's a fantastic school if you're academically minded! In year 9 she can choose between Russian, Italian or Spanish as a third language, with the option of Japanese in year 12 as well. She adores German and likes French too, so is excited about starting Russian. I don't know of any other schools in our area that offer so many languages. :-)

Luckily my dd seems to be quite gifted in German, getting 100% in her recent exam! She's taking Russian too in Year 9 - she's decided it might be useful in ballet! :-))

Must have been such a tricky decision, kiwimum! Hope your lovely dd has a wonderful and happy time at ENBS. :-) Thanks Jane - yes, pretty good numbers! :-)

How many girls and boys in the year, Jane?

Commiserations Maria. :-(

My dd's school has taken a slightly different stance in assisting her. As she dances 4 evenings a week plus most of Saturday, they let her miss 2 out of 3 P.E. lessons each week. She uses the time to work in the library, which gives her some time to do homework during the day. She still has to spend much of Sunday doing homework but at least she's not having to burn the candle at both ends trying to juggle evening dance classes and homework. We're happy because she's not missing any academic work, so it's a winner all round. Could this be an alternative for your dd if nothing suitable can be found during the day? At least she wouldn't then have to miss a whole day of lessons.

Please don't leave, Bankruptmum. I've deliberated whether to lock this thread but it's tricky sometimes to know whether to rush in with hobnailed boots or to leave it open to allow people to respond. The last thing we want is people to leave, particularly valued and longstanding members, so I am going to lock the thread.

Congratulations to your dd, grumpybearz!

Yikes! :-/ Dd doesn't have particularly strong feet - although they're much stronger now than they were - so she doesn't tend to break shanks very quickly. Mind you, every so often her feet kept having growth spurts so she'd grow out of them before she'd break them! :-)

On the subject of the dance show, I know the beautiful new studios are now complete at Tring, but have they started work on the new theatre? If I remember rightly, they were going to build a new theatre for dance, and use the Markova theatre for drama - is that correct?

I have considered doing that Tulip, but while people are discussing the dance show etc. I will leave it open...for now. :-)

Excellent, Happymum! :-)

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True. But if said horse doesn't work for you despite your very best efforts, you don't have to keep it....or like it!

You beat me to it, taxi, welcome 2peas! :-) I can't help with the differences (my dd only does RAD and non-syllabus) but we do have a book called "The Ballet Companion" by Eliza Gaynor Minden. As well as being a gorgeous book with everything ballet-related, it has illustrations of the different ballet positions with notes on the various styles, as well as a section on each different style.

I also think it depends how speedy you are at sewing (I'm very slow), what your teacher prefers, and how quickly your dd gets through shoes. My dd's teachers have no preference, so we use the suede patches, particularly as dd is still growing so her pointes are only lasting a few months. It would take me that long to darn them! :-)

I agree that a funded place at any of the "big four" is an amazing achievement. However.....if your child was truly unhappy after a few years' training at a school, perhaps ignored by a member of staff, picked on, streamed into an area they did not want to pursue, and you found that even after following the proper channels of communication there was nothing that could be done to change matters, you may feel differently about whether the grass is greener. This is just an example; I'm not making allegations here. I can see why you feel the way you do. But people's opinions of things they have experienced and people they have encountered are valid. Forewarned is forearmed, after all. I'm hoping that future intakes of pupils at our Vocational Schools all have happy and fulfilling experiences. But thanks to this forum, at least parents know which issues COULD possibly arise, which hopefully makes the passage - and the communications process - easier.

There's nothing to say that you HAVE to audition for all of the "big four". Just as there's nothing to say that the only route to a classical ballet career is to get a place at 11 at Vocational School. There are many roads to Rome...

Wish YDA had some MDS places. :-(