Anna C

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! :-)

I have hidden a posting which may contravene our Acceptable Use Policy.

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. :-(

It's not that we should only give positive feedback Primrose, and my post about the Acceptable Use Policy was a general reminder, not intended to target just one or two posters. As a parent I think it's important to get as much information as possible, and if people have issues at any of the schools which new and prospective parents would like to be aware of, then that's fine. But the rules of the forum need to be kept in mind.

I have no problem with people posting their experiences here, but please be mindful of the Acceptable Use Policy which everyone here signed up to as part of the terms of use; in particular this part: "If a member chooses to make highly critical comments this must be done in their own full name and not behind an anonymous user name and email address". Please also be mindful that there are posters here whose children may be starting at Tring in the autumn. While it's beneficial to have as much information as possible, I would not like to think that as a forum we may be worrying anyone.

With all due respect dancerbabe82, I do have to disagree with your last statement. Although the course at Tring is, quite correctly, called a "Dance Course", I know two beautiful dancers who have trained classically at Tring.

My dd's memory of her Tring and Elmhurst auditions - 3 years ago - are that the Head of Musical Theatre at Tring was "lovely" (in fact all the people in the room when she did her song, piano piece and recital were very welcoming and lovely), Miss Rist was "a bit intimidating" and "not very friendly", and that Mr Kelly at Elmhurst was "really friendly". So there you are! Firsthand impressions from a little auditionee (she was 10 at the time). Although she was offered a Theatre Arts place which may explain why the people in the room were so nice! :-) Conversely, I know people who think Miss Rist is lovely, so you never can tell. In my dealings with the old Junior Conservatoire (which became Tring Park Associates), all the teachers were great, in particular Rachel Lane and Miss Jones (is she still Head of Jazz?)