Anna C

Hi It070809 and welcome. 😊

Congratulations on being accepted into Ballet Boost.  After you’ve been there for a term, it might be worth speaking to your BB teacher and asking for her honest opinion of your potential.  Try not to get hung up on worrying about Central Pre-Seniors; like most upper schools, not all their associates will get a place on the full-time course, and there will be plenty of dancers at auditions who aren’t associates.  
 

Has your current teacher given you any indication of what they think your prospects are; do you have the physical facility/capacity (turnout, the strength to maintain turnout while dancing, and the other aspects that Kerfuffle has mentioned) and so on?  

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

Yes I mentioned her...another lovely dancer and  a good promotion prospect. 

Sorry Richard, I missed that. 😊

On 27/05/2023 at 10:56, PeterS said:

Shout out for Harris Bell who also deserves to move up the ranks imho

Another vote here for Harris; I would very much like to see him move up.  I also agree with Leticia Dias and Isabella Gasparini; both really lovely dancers with great stage presence.  
 

I don’t know if Mica Bradbury has been mentioned but she always draws my eye too.

Great advice from everyone.  As mum of an adult daughter who has the opposite problem (hypermobility), one thing we learned from the late, great Dance Physio Shirley Hancock is that stretches are like prescription medication - what works for one young dancer can be extremely bad for another.  Also, that flexibility should be balanced with strengthening exercises, because there’s no point having flat turnout without the strength to maintain it while actually dancing.
 

In my opinion, stretches & exercises should be tailored to the individual, and adjusted as necessary, especially when a child/teenager is growing.  Flexibility and strength both go up and down like a yo-yo during puberty, so try not to worry too much.   We were also advised never to stretch cold muscles, so to do a full barre session first before stretching anything.  
 

As others have said, stretches and body conditioning exercises should be prescribed by the child’s teacher or Physio.  

42 minutes ago, Kate_N said:

This thread popping up again made me wonder (I am very nosey) about the original poster & her daughter, and whether they ever did relocate the whole family to London for the RBS or other London ballet school. 

Indeed! @Entrechat hasn’t posted since 2021 though, so we’ll probably never know.

34 minutes ago, Ondine said:

Thanks to today's forum Links via @Jan McNulty

 

A review, and it's good to see Harris Bell in the header pic (along with Melissa Hamilton).

 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/jun/11/royal-ballet-triple-bill-review-wayne-mcgregor-untitled-2023-corybantic-games-anastastia-act-iii

 

 

Excellent.  I’m a fan of Harris, and it’s great that he’s being given more stage time.

1 hour ago, Jones&dance said:

Answering to the needs and planning for the future a new choice  of vocational training is available . Students are happier progress faster and achieve the results they desire. 
options for a “homeschooling” academic plan runs through the the day and older studatevtrained as part of a “Company” after which they are all supported to gain full company places around the world through placement auditions and visits.  You can find out more here or join the summer intensive’23 and leave that impressed with your improvements and a s part of an award winning choreographers film! 
now that’s great for your showreel 

www.emerging ballet.com 

Hi, Jones&dance, and welcome.

Assuming you are representing emerging ballet, and/or have a commercial interest in the company, please add your commercial contact details as your “Signature”, as detailed here (under “Commerce”):  https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/417-the-balletcoforum-acceptable-use-policy/
 

Many thanks,

Anna C

49 minutes ago, Ondine said:

I'd say snowflakes but no doubt that will cause sharp intakes of breath too.  😏

Certainly won’t cause me a sharp intake of breath, but it may make me wonder if you are Laurence Fox in disguise.

Anyway, could we get back on topic, please.

1 hour ago, Ondine said:

I note some of my posts have been 'disappeared' from this thread. It keeps happening.

 

Thay weren't rude, thay weren't sarcastic, they were on topic, they were responding to other posts, it seems I'm being 'cancelled' for some reason. Interesting.

 

 

Nobody is being “cancelled”.
 

It is forum policy to hide posts which *may* breach our forum rules, while said posts are discussed by moderators.

11 hours ago, Fizzyliz said:

No sorry- just the fees for associates at RCS are so much more than the fees for Scottish ballet associates

They are quite expensive, aren’t they?  I had a quick look and they’re more expensive than Central School of Ballet’s Preps and Pre-Seniors, and they’re in central London.  
 

I wonder if Scottish Ballet get grants or some funding for their Associates because they come under the company’s Outreach work, perhaps?

Hi Fizzyliz and welcome.  😊 

Do you mean the fees for the degree course at RCS?  Or for Associates?

2 hours ago, Sunflower said:

Thank you @Anna C

 

from the look of it, ballet boost don’t do contemporary, but BTUK definitely are doing for this coming year. I don’t know if that changes your mind at all? But fingers crossed she can do both if BB would like her.

 

She’s doing Central and Northern summer school, and is waitlisted for Rambert. It was a struggle to find anything that late, but they all do contemporary too for the intensives so that will at least give her an intro.

I have personal experience of the full-time course at the school we don’t discuss, but not of their Associate Scheme.  Contemporary is always worthwhile, and I hope your dd’s Rambert SS waiting list place comes good, because that was a superb summer course; one of my daughter’s favourites. Assuming Central still does Contemporary as part of its summer school, that’s also a great well-rounded course.
 

Tring Park School’s CBA scheme went on to 18 when my daughter was there, but I’m guessing that might be quite a way from you if you’re looking at Leicestershire and Hull?

My daughter was a Central Prep & Pre-Senior (every Saturday) as well as a Tring CBA student every other Sunday, so it absolutely can be done.

If I had to choose between your two schemes, I would choose Ballet Boost.  Also, do either of the Associates do Contemporary as well as Ballet?  That is incredibly useful, as many ballet companies now have Contemporary in their repertoire, and some really good upper schools like Rambert and Central provide excellent Contemporary training alongside classical ballet.

Lastly, all dance students need a Plan B, so don’t underestimate the value of a good set of GCSEs, including some facilitating subjects (especially a science) should your dd ever need to change pathways and do A Levels.

8 minutes ago, JNC said:

Manon

I still think we shouldn’t be obliged this every other year

To be fair, it’s every third season, isn’t it?  We get Romeo & Juliet, Mayerling, and Manon in rotation.  
 

Manon’s one of my favourite ballets so I’m always happy to see it return.

How sad, I am sorry to hear that.  Len was an excellent Head Judge on Strictly, and for me, the show was at its best during his tenure - especially when Darcey joined.  The two of them seemed to have a lovely friendship and working relationship.

RIP Len.

15 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Gosh I misread the post and thought you were saying I did stretching tutorials!

Hidden talents, Jan? ❤️
 

Hi Oksana, I can only echo glowlight’s excellent advice.  The other girls may or may not be truly hypermobile, but if they are, it can definitely be a curse rather than a blessing - especially if the hypermobility is caused by a connective tissue disorder.

Flexibility can absolutely be improved, but it needs to be done gradually, safely, and at a young age, under the supervision of a qualified teacher or physiotherapist.  Stretches and other exercises should be “prescribed” and personalised for each child in order to avoid injury.  So personally I would not let a 9 year old do stretches from Youtube, but as the others have said, chat to your dd’s ballet teacher first. 😊

2 hours ago, Lou Lou said:

My dd decided against the BA route as she didn't want to use up student loan and we thought DaDA Funding was the better option at this stage. 

I think this is an excellent and very wise move.  Without wishing to be the voice of doom and gloom, the likelihood of making it through 3 years of training without injury/illness/being assessed out/burn-out AND getting a paid contract in a classical ballet company is still really small.  If you haven’t used up the full course length + 1 year of Student Finance loans because you have a DaDa place then it makes keeping your options open afterwards SO much easier.  

Hi Balletmum08 and welcome to the forum.  Asking here is a great idea.  As well as the feedback from other parents, it’s also worth trying to find out where graduates of each school get jobs, what qualification(s) do they leave with, what funding options there are, what the accommodation is like and where/how much is it, what happens if students get ill/injured, how much performance opportunity there is, what’s the pastoral care like and so on.

11 minutes ago, OnlyDance said:

Another Bloch and Mirella suggestion here - both worn by my DD (who sounds similarly shaped). Also, Dansez camisoles. Leg line at front nice and high but the way it is cut and stitched the back has good coverage.  I've sometimes needed to shorten the straps to get the bust gathers to sit in the right place.    

Yes, if a camisole is ever a requirement, this is such a lovely leotard - it was the Central Preps/Pre-Senior uniform leotard so dd actually has it in 5 different colours, and black as she loved it so much. 

https://www.dancedirect.com/dancewear/leotards/black-leotards/dansd911-dans-ez-camisole-leotard?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInP7cn6fX9gIVTOvtCh16IgkUEAQYAiABEgI9b_D_BwE

Bloch and Mirella were always a firm favourite with my daughter, and they have some beautiful cap sleeved leos this year: 

https://uk.blochworld.com/collections/adults-dancewear-leotards/short-sleeve?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlbzbv5DX9gIVzN_tCh2o1wfCEAAYASAAEgK9DfD_BwE

Don’t forget that getting a paid contract as a ballet dancer is not the only option/measure of success for those students graduating from upper school level courses, especially at schools like Central where the training in other dance styles is of a high standard.  Contemporary companies, musical theatre, cruise ship work, teaching and choreography are all good options for a versatile dancer.  

Ever since I joined the original Balletco Forum, there have been more places than there are jobs - yes, there are new schools now and even fewer permanent jobs as paid ballet dancers, but to be honest, we’ve known for many years now that the only graduates who are guaranteed a paid job in a ballet company are those who graduate from Royal Ballet Upper School.  I can’t see that changing any time soon.

He certainly put on a good show, didn’t he.  I can’t take to the disproportionately huge bouffant hair though. 🤭 I think the commentator said the larger poodles originally had the strange haircuts in order to combine propulsion through water with protecting their joints, but imho the toy poodle just looked ridiculous.  

I wanted that beautiful Border Collie to be Reserve.  Loved the flatcoat; what a happy dog. 

1 hour ago, Isabella said:

In terms of tension in other parts, no, people often comment on her beautiful posture and long neck. It’s solely her fingers. It was picked up several times by adjudicators and her teacher. 

She’s very young, Isabella; try not to worry too much at this stage - valentina’s excellent advice should help. 

It’s a good few years since dd was applying for upper schools, but the application forms all asked similar things, namely:

How many years ballet training the applicant had,

Do they take any other dance classes (tap, modern etc)

Name and contact details for local/full-time dance teacher,

Name and contact details for Associate/other dance teacher/school

Last ballet exam passed with result (if applicable)

Current level being studied.

Then all asked for academic school and projected/actual GCSE results.

So Associates/CAT scheme were definitely a useful thing to have for those applicants not already at lower school. I don’t know about feedback from SAs but hopefully someone with more recent application experience will know.

11 minutes ago, RobR said:

I didn’t think there were any poor dancers in the RB and Anna Rose certainly isn’t 

“Poor dancers” as in I felt sorry for the number of dancers slipping and falling on that particular flooring - and the regularity with which it was happening.