2peas

How do they do the 4 hours of dance is it split up through the day - like 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in afternoon or similar? What time does the school day finish? Do they do any dance after school finishes or is it homework time then?

Youngatheart thanks I think this is exactly what dds teachers meant, but I didn't quite understand in the chat I had about it! My dd has turnout but can't hold it all the time I think that is what they said might be a problem if she always has to have this turnout as you have explained. Just to clarify the teachers are not at RAD HQ it's a local school that does RAD so I'm not sure if that is what is 'English' style or RAD style or what! However there is also the factor that they don't want her to leave their school. So perhaps that was why we told this! It probably wasn't the best idea to discuss it with them. I thought it would be ok as they had agreed that dd needed more outside of the school. Dd also wants a change. However thank you to everyone here for all the informative advice and experience.

Thank you everyone for your replies, and spannerandpony thanks for posting the previous thread that's given me a good idea as to what to expect. I've noticed that there seems to be quite a few Russian ballet schools in London. My only concern is that I've been told by dd's RAD ballet teachers that Russian training isn't always the right way to train English bodies! I'm not quite sure what that means, its made me a little concerned, but when I've discussed it with them they've been very wary of us considering this style. I don't really know what to think about that, wouldn't a good teacher know about injury prevention regardless of the style of training? My dd is very keen to try Russian style as she feels she wants a change from RAD style.

Hello, does anyone know anything about this school? My dd is keen to have more intensive/vocational lessons without going to a vocational school and is interested in the Russian training. I don't know anything about this school so if anyone has any experiences they can share I would be very grateful. Thanks!

Hi I'm glad to know that we aren't the only ones who don't have the summer school result. We seem to be the only ones that we know that didn't get the result on Friday when everyone else did! My dd has been so upset about this and I'm going to have to phone tomorrow as we had been told that the results would be out by 30th Jan and I think they might have forgotton us!

If you only tick ma box then you won't hear anything until after the finals are over. If you ticked WL box then you should get a result for that.

Ok I had better check I ticked ma box then! Unless it's just that she isn't going to be considered now.

Hi yes I'm also interested in whether some got 'strongly considered for MA'S' my dd was in the year 8 audition but was also only really interested in mids place and on our No letter we didn't have any mention of consideration for MA so if others have got this then should we just assume we are out of running for that? Last year dd was a JA and did have that she would be strongly considered for MA on the letter but then got waiting list but no place. What are others no letters saying?

Hello! I'm curious as to whether all the vocational schools require children to be up to date on all their vaccinations? A friend of mine said they get flu jabs at WL so I was just wondering if this is the same for all of the 4 main schools? Is it optional or a school policy for everyone - and also when taking up a place in the schools is it a requirement to have all other childhood vaccinations up to date? Also is the policy the same for boarding and day students? I know this can be a sensitive subject and I've tried to do a search but couldn't find anything regarding this, this is just out of interest in what the school requirements are and not what the pros and cons of vaccinations are I hope its ok to ask here. thanks!

Ok thanks for posting that, it gives me more of an idea that it won't be far off from around that date I guess.

I think that it's great that she wants to be a midwife now. I think that (most) Midwive's are really special people she must be a lovely person! Maybe she will apply her ballet training in someway, perhaps develop excersices for pregnant women or for during labour - Pilates and Yoga are good for pregnancy so maybe ballet too!

HI everyone, I was just wondering if anyone might know when the JA term starts in September? We have some events booked for the first 2 weekends of September and so now that dd got a JA place we are wondering if we will have to cancel these things as being a new girl she wouldn't want to miss the first class of the term. I would phone them but I expect they are a bit busy at the moment and I don't want to bother them, so if anyone has a bit of an idea or from what the dates were last year that would be great! Thanks..

What time will it start?

Is it only for the families of children at the school or can others go? We went 2 years ago but we were given a flyer for it and it seemed to be advertised. I had thought that this year its just for the those at the school.

Hi everyone, My dd got a JA place!!! We are so excited!!! However we got our second choice of venue which at the time we put the application in wasn't such a problem but we are probably going to move over the next few months to much nearer to our first choice and further from the venue she got the place! It says on the letter that if we want to get our first choice we can give up this place and go on SWL for preferred place, that seems a bit of a risk!! What do you all think? We are so grateful to just get a place, but worried about how we'll do the logistics! Congratulations to all the other yes's!!

yep i've tried them they are good schools with good all round reputations and they are the ones that won't let her do ballet elsewhere!! She really loves her little ballet school and they love her and have really encouraged her in ballet - but they just don't do any other dance foms she won't leave them and so we are a bit stuck!! - there are a few other schools that i can try but they are more musical theatre and jazz don't do the istd modern and tap exams. maybe that would be good enough. I could try further afield but then it would be too much travel time!

Thanks for your replies - I should have also said that I know the teacher because my dd did do 1 term of ballet with this teacher when she was 5 I took her out because they wouldn't move her up into the primary grade class and she had been doing pre primary already for 2 years at another school (we had moved into the area). dd was so bored in pre primary but this teacher didn't want to know. The school does have other teachers but it would be the same one for the modern and tap!! Sorry should really have mentioned that! The friends we know who went there were in different grades and had similar experiences with her and that she has favourites in the class we had already left by then though! However maybe things are different now - maybe we should try it out again - at least they don't mind if she does ballet elsewhere - maybe you can't have it all!!

yes I have asked them, but the school they recomend isn't one I'd want her to go to. I know some friends of mine weren't happy with the teaching there. hfbrew - i agree its such a shame that so many schools have this policy.

Thanks for all your replies, I will definitly look into her starting some modern, tap and maybe jazz. The problem I've found is that most of the schools would want her to do her ballet with them aswell and don't seem to be happy for her to stay at her ballet school and do the modern and tap with them. The ballet school she goes to is only a ballet school and dosn't do the other dance so its a bit of a problem as she loves her teacher and the other girls at that ballet school.

My dd has only ever taken ballet classes - she's doing about 4/5 classes per week 9 yrs old. She is doing very well in ballet exams and wins festivals, is an associate of various schools etc but she is interested to try other dance forms such as modern, tap, jazz etc. She loves ballet and says she wants to be a ballet dancer - but she is now beginning to realise the reality of what it takes to be a ballet dancer - she knows that ballet is difficult to get it right and that its hard work! I know that at the moment ballet is 'her thing' and doing other dance would be more about having a bit more fun, I've been told by her teachers that she is a 'natural performer'. Other people (family and friends not those in the know) are telling me she should do other forms of dance because just doing ballet is too limiting and especially as she is a good performer and loves being in shows she should be doing musical theatre - also what if her body changes and isn't right for ballet etc etc. I don't really mind her doing other forms of dance - apart from how we'd squeeze it into the already busy timetable! But would doing other forms detract from what is her main goal at the moment - to be a ballet dancer. Also as she's only 9 at the moment does it matter? But I also think that if it dosn't work out for her in ballet then it would be good to have the training in other forms aswell, do we need to decide now - I don't think she'd want to start out at grade 1 tap and modern when she's older. I'd be interested to know what others think about this. Thanks,..

Thanks for the welcomes! Thanks Anjuli Bai for the explaination of the styles, just from the words that you've used to describe them with I would say that my dd would like the Bolshoi style - as she likes lots of emotion and dynamic movement! I will have to look into the russian style - although she's only about to turn 9 so might be more for the future. thanks,.

HI everyone, I'm new here and have found so much info just reading all the posts. I'm looking at all the different ballet methods and wondering if one would suit my dd more - she's currently doing RAD grades. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between all the methods? I googled russian method and it came up with 2 styles vaganova and legat? What's the difference? Also what's the difference between the russian method and the others? Also the cecchetti method? I would love to know more about the differences between them all. thanks.