PippinPointe

I have a youth ballet company and we were due to perform season 8 in 2020 - for obvious reasons it sadly didn’t go ahead. We have tried to get it back up and running but just don’t have the students applying. We have a well known Patron who is very involved but we have had to cancel this year due to a lack of desire for it. It has given so much joy, experience and performance opportunity over the years. It’s two weeks of daily “company class,” rehearsals, make-up etc with our costume department there full time to make sure everything is as it should be. There is usually a performance /dress run for an audience of various groups and then four performances. These opportunities are already there but if there aren’t enough children there aren’t enough people to fulfil the choreography sadly. The company is usually around 40-45 children aged from 8-17. Our first performances were 2011 so we have done this for a while. I think often unless it is attached to a well known establishment people don’t think it’s good enough sadly. I just wanted to say that this is already happening but needs support to be able to run 😊

Hi TillieJ Just thought that I would let you know that last weekend was Centrals half term weekend - they were back in on Monday but off Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. The lack of students would have been because of this. Also for the 3rd years Saturday off was their half term. The school would not have been running with its normal activity :-) PP

I just wanted to clarify about what is needed to teach with the RAD. Intermediate and the Adv1 and 2 examinations are not teaching qualifications but qualifications that will enable you to apply for an appropriate teacher training course and gain a teaching qualification through that further training. Hope this helps :-)

I was lucky enough to have been taught by Alicia Markova, she was so gentle and warm. I have a letter that she wrote to me when I was 15, which is still intact and complete with the envelope. Moments in time to be truly treasured :-)

London letters are arriving, good luck to those waiting :-)

I don't think it's about what grade you have taken an exam in - the level of learning should be broader at any exam level than the exam itself which is a snapshot of the learning at that level - or should be. The prelims for 16 entry are not outlandishly difficult - intermediate/ advanced 1 level, however for finals, the level is raised and some of the schools state in their information for finals, to expect the audition to be at a more advanced level. If its classical vocational schools then although there is an element of potential being looked at there is also the student being at a comparable competitive level.

Congratulations to you DD Taxi - much deserved :-)

Letters are arriving - good luck to those waiting :-)

Sorry we were posting at the same time!! I wasn't being specific about YDA but vocational schools in general from 11-16

Spax that is excellent for your DS and like you say you got your evenings back - there will be many parents on this forum who will totally understand that side of things

At my DD's school the students had to do at least a year of wearing soft pointes, band work and pointe preparation classes before going on pointe and then it was at the teachers discretion

Thank you Tango I'm glad you understood what I was saying. Vocational schools naturally offer more training which is exactly why they are a desireable option. However they are not the right route for all but if you have spent years training at that level the underlying strength is more than those who haven't for very many reasons followed that path. This does not however exclude non- vocational students from gaining places at vocational classical schools at 16. For some it may be seen as an advantage in that the student may have huge potential that will then be realised at 6th form - where others who have seriously trained for longer may have already realised their potential and find that there is not as much to come to fruition - I am not saying this is the case just a possibility for an occasional student. I know many non vocational students who have gained places at vocational 6th forms and done very well as well as those who have studied vocationally for many younger years and have also done very well too. It takes many ingredients to make the dancer and many varied journeys. I think this is probably a discussion for another thread. I would however like to wish your DD Discouraged the very best of luck for her Central finals - fabulous school

If Spax you are correct, then why all the frenzy to send a child to train vocationally at 11? I think you may possibly be a little off base with your information. I'm not sure how many children access locally 20+ hours per week of training? Just an observation. Well done to all of those gaining 6th form places, a very tough year for parents and students.

Of course Tulip and rightly so . It just goes to show that "one size does not fit all". This runs both ways, for the schools and the students. It's a complex and competitive world out there and can be quite subjective both ways. One school will offer the complete fit for a student in their training and the student may be a complete fit for the school. Sometimes the fit just isn't quite right .

Tulip you mentioned about the girl getting RBS and ENB finals but not Elmhurst and this is quite correct, however she did also get finals at Central along with a place, but chose to go to Tring

I know that this is a very contentious issue right now, but ribbons I completely agree with you, who could cut their cloth with just 6 months notice!! Although I am not affected by this as my DD started her training in September, I am a dance professional and extremely concerned about what the future holds for young dancers, going forward. My husband and I would have been totally affected by this change and would not have been sending DD away on a DaDa. I work a 90 hour week and don't go on holiday every year or live in a big house to downsize and yet we both work full time and some. We have a good old batch of qualifications, including a first class science degree and we would have hit that magic 70k and gone just over but would no way have been able to afford the 32,00 required for some of the schools. One of us would have needed to give up our job to consider this as it would have been the only way. I think I mentioned in another thread about the funding at Central being a far better option. I can honestly say as my DD has tried out both Dada and student loan that the least impacting upon us and our income is by far the student loan, no comparison.

Oh my goodness!! Having looked at the figures it will be impossible for parents who earn around the 70,000 mark to afford this. After tax of approx 20,000 and fees of 32,000, a family will need to survive on 18,000 a year to put a roof over their other children's heads, pay all bills and eat!! I'm not sure who was doing the sums but that seems utterly ridiculous! It doesn't affect my DD as she is already vocational but now it will be so sad to think that so much talent may not come to fruition because of funding issues - how very very sad. Sadly it's the middle earners in this country who always pay both ways :(

Hi there, my DD did the summer school last year at Upper School and loved it. RBS expected them to be there by 9.00 latest to be warmed up ready for class at 9.30. They tended to finish the day between 5.00-5.30 pm. There were a lot of foreign students, and my DD really liked that she made some really nice friends from around the world. There were 3 groups of girls. Everyone's experiences are different and I can only comment on my DD's experience which was all positive

Hi Taxi, I think in that situation you will find that you're able to apply for help for household income under a certain threshold. I know that child benefit for that particular child is no longer payable once on a degree course. Anyway its all a bit of a minefield, however I would say that for full time vocational training, parents are faced with the financial issues also faced by those with children continuing in education. Everything costs these days, sadly On another note, most of all I would like to wish everyone the best of luck with their auditions and hope that the results are out soon and that there are some happy yes's for finals PP

I have had the same thoughts as Ribbons. The funding of the degree course is in reality far more accessible and possible even with the current DADA system. The worry for parents with the changes that may well be coming in very soon with the DADA will make the degree option even more attractive and far easier for parents to manage. Currently with a Dada you would still need to find about £12,00.00 per year (out of your net income) if you weren't able to get any extra help. For many parents the option of student loans makes it possible for the DC to train if they are offered a place I think Central are ahead of the game myself but thats only my opinion

Just wanted to say well done to those with a yes and for the no's, keep your chins up, its always worth trying again as on another occasion it may be a yes as Alikat has said. I know 3 younger students who have just got places and are thrilled. I hope they get as much from it as my DD did last year

Hi Swanprincess, my DD auditioned when she was in year 10 for 2nd year SA's and got a place. At the time she had been studying at Advanced 2 level for about a year, however one of the girls who got a place at the same time as her took her intermediate the summer before she started in SA's. I think RBS are just looking for what they like and it would be near on impossible to guess what that might be. If you enjoy the audition experience at RBS and get something from it then audition as nothing ventured nothing gained. You definitely can't be offered a place if you're not at the audition. Good luck to you if you decide to go ahead

I think these days the Royal offer are really fantastic

I know children who were in year 4 when they got in, I know one was definitely 8 when she got in

Oh and also, the CBA is a fantastic opportunity for children not already at vocational school and Tring should be applauded for it