BankruptMum

Thank you Dramascientist, thats a really thoughtful post, they are thinking its a weakness in other muscles causing her to use her hip flexors too much i..e causing strain but physio doesnt seem to be doing a lot to help. It seemed to settle for a few months but she overdid it the other weekend and its come back with a vengence. I think further assessment is needed. Just hoping a rest will allow her to get through a busy Easter then we can get things sorted. Very optimistic I know!

Thank you Happymum, she is struggling with her hip, has had physio in the past but it hasnt done much for it. Has been dormant for a while but she pushed things the other weekend and its flared up badly. Has her Inter Modern exam end of this week as well - so I have signed her off dance to rest! think it is time to investigate further.

I have DD with an injury and an exam next week so she won't rest ????

Far too early to know how many places. Some will still be waiting for results from other schools.

I think this is a very good idea - if you provide plans and show how rehearsals, classes, homework, revision can all fit together and you can satisfy everyone, it will show a mature approach. You are after all the only one who will benefit from your A level results, the staff are there to support and help you but it must be frustrating for them too if they have an able student and all they hear about is dance. Maybe when its all down on paper you may find you are overstreatching things just a little and perhaps need to show that at important exam times you are reducing the amount of other commitments to make your A levels the priority - or you may find you have more time available than you think ;-). Good luck, its not easy for anyone Year 10 upwards.

I've heard of a girl who is at Tring taking part but my DD non-vocational.

Thankfully the status of BTech's seems to have improve greatly and the range of subjects offered makes it very appealing to many. A lot of courses are based on 50% hands-on training which allows for a very grounded and realistic experience/education which equates to A level equivalent qualitifcations. I always wondered if they were really considered 'equivalent' out in the big wide world but my elder DD has proved the system works this year and after studying her Level 3 course has received conditional offers for all 5 of her Uni choices to study Law - she has proved the system works. Seems BTech's are a good alternative to A levels.

My DD just wants a dress, leaving the tutu at home. Not found one yet though!

Well done anaballerina, still searching for a costume and teacher tweaking solo so you are doing well, exciting, looking forward to meeting you!

Wld be interested too! My DD finds Grishko too noisy. What are the Russians like ?

Well it seems 6 of the level 4 girls are linked to the forum, how lovely xx

Yes I noticed that - makes it seem far too real, better get on with the solo!!

I guess when you ask a question to somebody personally or post on a web page you have to be prepared to allow others to have opinions which may differ from your thoughts. You know what's best for your family and go with your gut feeling, dont worry about others.

Its so much easier to grow confidence when in a 'comfort zone'. I agree offering to help with younger ones would be a great boost if your DD is still keen on dance. Not only is it allowing her to feel a little more 'grown-up' but it allows her to show off her skills in a quiet way. Its so hard to know what to do for the best, often sitting back and let nature take its course is better, we can try too hard! Rather than stopping festivals all together, agree not to enter the next one and see if she misses it. Or as you suggested yourself Lilac, personal goals for festivals rather than thinking of placings is a great idea. My eldest DD quit dance at 13 and it wasnt until she stopped she realise how much she enjoyed using her time for other things. Although just because she has the ability to do very well, perhaps at the moment doing well is enough for her - there must be so many talented sports people and academics who never use their full potential but are happy doing what they choose in life. As long as she is happy in class and enjoying it, I'm sure her confidence will grow with time if she wants it to.

Sounds good to me, keep going with the Associates (RBS or otherwise - there are loads of programmes around offering a range of styles), its amazing the opportunity available now outside of vocational schools.

I do understand Katymac, especially having a DD in the same situation. I guess a backup plan or safety net is a good idea though, the audition process itself is a wake up to call to many, there are so many young girls who have potential, even some who make it through three years of upper school training still go off to universities rather than full time dance careers.

I do find the 'cloak and dagger' appoach rather strange to be honest. Why the need for secrecy? When my DD was at vocational school any exam results would be whispered by the teacher individually rather than announced generally or posted on a noticeboard which is common at dance schools. Some pupils then over inflated their results to others and it caused even more unrest. Likewise reports wheren't to be discussed. Its a big thing in academic schools now that pupils know their individual working grades and target grades - not sure secrecy is healthy.

Seems very odd they havent let everyone know the results at the same time, some are still waiting!

Its a great achievement, there are quite a few schools who take part in this competition and Cram who 'hold dancers back'. Our school has always pushed them on to make sure they are working at the right level for their ability. Unfortunatley my DD couldnt take part this year becuase her RAD grade is much higher than her ISTD this prevents her competing until her ISTD has caught up. It was a shame as its a lovely competition to do but a very fair rule.

Well done to your DD, great result!

My DD took part in Newport and had a great experience. Once it gets underway it's a well run opportunity. Well done for gaining a scholarship!

Judging is subjective at times at sa local comp. Add to that a panel of opinions and diverse requirements you have a range of possible outcomes. Perhaps all comps should reveal its marking criteria to enable a clearer understanding of their decision making.

Did anyone take part in the above at the weekend? Just wondering if there were any results!

I guess it really depends on what her future plans are. If she is intrested in using her dance/MT skills then perhaps the drama would be more helpful. I'm not sure the academic side of PE would help her very much. It sounds like she already has a lot of sports skills. Drama would perhaps give her more confidence in speaking / performing Ultimately I think GCSE's are a springboard onto further study, choose the subject she is more interested in if there isnt a clear advantage in having either.

I would hope they are assessed on their capability on the day rather than their age. I think it's a very shortsighted view to believe older is better - perhaps in a lot of cases that's true but it's a competition which takes a dancer outside their comfort zone, they are not in a studio environment - nerves alone could play a huge part.