Anna C

Well, I must stress that this is only my personal experience, but my DD has never applied for RBS or RBS associates as her teacher says that she doesnt have the RBS physique, which apparently is a shorter torso and long legs. Despite having long legs, she also has a long - as far as RBS are concerned - torso. Of course they will also be looking for beautiful feet with - I assume - high arches and insteps, flexibility in turnout, hamstrings etc, and musicality. I hope anyone with more experience of RBS will correct me! :-). That is literally just what DD's teacher told me. Fortunately different schools look for different things and my daughter's Associate classes don't think she has anything wrong with her proportions. :-))

I know! Allegedly it was because they weren't happy with the part they were given....and yes, payent would have been made in full by then!

My DD and her two friends are definitely taking up their Aylesbury places.....mind you, last time, rumour has it that one or two of the older girls dropped out after the casting day, so you never know!

No, but similar! :-)

Yes, definitely, especially in a school like my DDs where their aim is to send all the girls to Oxbridge with 12 A* GCSEs and at least 4 A'levels! Yikes! It's a very difficult juggling act trying to keep both academics and enough dance going. Hence DD always wants to do as many holiday courses as possible. I feel for you Rowan! :-)

I take it you mean on a Saturday Fiz, not 10pm -3am on weeknights? ;-)

Very sensible glowlight. At Primary School it worked taking our DD to Tring for some classes, but with at least an hour's drive each way I know it would never be possible nowadays. All you can do is, as you say, find a balance and allow for some time off. :-)

Sadly we aren't the ones on the selection panel! Probably just as well. :-) It could be that her physique isn't quite right at the moment, it could be literally anything. Also different schools look for different things, but as they are the ones doing the picking we have to trust that they know what they are looking for. It doesn't always seem right or fair but it's one of those things. I think we just have to remember that a "no" now isn't necessarily a "never". But it might be that our children will never be right for certain schools, and it's no bad thing to be able to accept that and look elsewhere. For instance my quiet, introverted, technical daughter is not suited to a "performing" school, but that's fine. She will no doubt find her niche somewhere IF her physical capacity, feet, turnout etc. are suited to classical ballet. So many IFs and BUTs in the ballet world...all you can do is keep trying. :-) How old is your DD, Balletmad?

Thanks lisadebs! Not quite sure where she gets the energy from but she's so driven, I get a right look if I suggest she drops anything!

So helpful Anjuli :-)) Rowan, if it helps, I don't know if my DD does "enough" hours in a week, but at this stage, short of moving local school, there's nothing I can do about it. DD does 4.5 hours locally plus Private lesson every other week, plus a twilight GCSE dance course, plus 3.5 hours at Associate Class on a Saturday. There aren't any other suitable classes locally she can go to. I try to top up with Easter School, Genee Dance Challenge and either EYB or a summer school. Given that she's also a high flyer academically and in two choirs, plus piano and singing lessons, plus an extortionate amount of homework, I think it's enough for now (she's not yet 13). I don't know whether or not adding in another hour or two at this stage is going to increase her chances of an Upper School place at 16 but personally I feel it's more important that she has some time just to relax, watch TV and rest her body and mind! So I do think it's important to find a balance. :-) How many hours does your DD do?

Exactly! Now I know that to most of our dancing children he must seem insane to throw away being a Principal at RB ;-) but I have heard of children voluntarily leaving Vocational School....must be a hard enough decision in any case, but imagine feeling like that and knowing that your parents had got themselves into thousands of pounds worth of debt to send you there? With regards to Sergei, who, it seems, has now had his permit to work revoked - one can't help wishing he'd had a chat with Dame Mon earlier and asked for a temporary leave of absence....

I'm guessing people are meaning the Freemasons....? I think what you'd be looking at is this: http://www.rmtgb.org/how-we-can-help-you/talentaid My DD was offered an unfunded Year 7 place at Tring a couple of years ago, which we couldnt take. It's so sad and you do feel guilty but the fact is that some people are wealthy and some people aren't. Simple as that! It's not fair, but life isnt fair. All we can do for our children is our best, but imagine if you sold your house to fund a place, and then your child became injured, got assessed out, or simply decided they didnt want to dance any more? In my humble opinion that is too much pressure on everyone. Eventually my daughter accepted that we couldnt send her and now when she looks back she is pleased that she performed well enough to be offered a place. Auditioning is always valuable experience and good practice for next time. Hope all those with a no this time can cope with it and keep moving onwards and upwards. Xx

I would disagree slightly with the point about exams being no good for learning free enchainments/step sequences. The RAD Inter Foundation does introduce free enchainements and as part of her lessons leading up to the exam my DD's teacher did throw in some long and compex sequences to test her vocabulary. The enchainement in the actual exam was a lot shorter and less complicated! My DD is very lucky because she seems to have the dance equivalent of a musical "ear", so once she's marked a sequence with her feet or hands, it is "locked in" and easy to dance. It's been a great asset but if that isn't present in a child, it can still be practised in class if the teacher is willing to do so. But free enchainements were certainly part of the old Vocational RAD syllabus...I assume (and hope) that they are also included in the new syllabus.

Wow, 13 boys? My goodness! There were only 8 auditioning at Aylesbury.

Gosh Kiwimum...why so few Brits? :-(. Anyway, wishing your gorgeous DD lots of luck xxx

Thanks Glowlight. :-)

Good heavens! :-(. I take it that's p/a not per term?! Similar to places like Young Dancers' Academy. I'm just thinking how massively oversubscribed a free ballet school for girls would be, and wondering how hard it would be to find top quality teachers who aren't already working.....

Is the rule of thumb basically though that if you are aiming for a career in a classical ballet company, you should aim to be in Voc school by the start of year 12 (lower 6th) - even if you then move schools?

When do they let people know kiwimum? X

Wouldn't this have the same legal status as any other single sex school though? If we are allowed single sex academic schools in both the public and privately funded sectors, then surely legally this is no different - it just happens to offer vocational training alongside academic classes.

No, I never get the toolbar any more, nor can I even see any option to re-expand the toolbar in case I've accidentally collapsed it. It was there originally as I think I used emoticons in about my third post, but I'm stumped! :-/

That's so odd! Have you tried logging onto FB from a different PC/iPad/phone? Sometimes my FB behaves oddly when my temporary Internet files/cache need a cleanup....not sure what else to suggest!

Definitely not a joke! The ROH link is on their page, posted on 24th January at 13.14. :-)

....I've just realised I'm not seeing a toolbar, hence can't click on emoticons on said toolbar! Any ideas how to get it back!

I thought it was because I'm using my iPad....will have a look on the "real" computer later and see...thanks!