DamhsaMom

... that is my life...DS has just stopped dancing to complete exams and house isn't even being cleaned because I am just rambling around wondering what normal people do when they don't have to drive somewhere everyday...it's true what they say works expands to fill the time, now I can postpone cleaning and as a result it doesn't get done at all

Well done LB - that is fantastic news!! Enjoy every minute of it x

Well done. Hope finals go well for you

Hi Dance ATM, we are also living in Ireland and I am sorry to report that we had auditioned for Tring and they posted the letter (bad news) on the 26th of January and we still haven't received it. My nerves and lack of sleep because of nerves got the better of me and I called them and they then e-mailed the letter on to me. Although it was bad news it was better to get it and move onwards and upwards. I hope your DD gets good news!!!

We are going to look into a few more options because he is 15 now and preparing for his intermediate exam and doing his GCSE equivalent in June. My requirement that he his academics don't take a back seat hampers his choices somewhat but I am hopeful that something will work out for him. Do the RAD boys only weekends involve a lengthy application process?

Little Ballerina, show them what you are made of and have a ball!! Best of luck x

Thanks all of you for the support. It genuinely helps a lot!! My son coped much better than I thought he would. Very upset and disappointed but still wants to continue which is a good sign. My main concern is that his options in Ireland are non-existent and he only started ballet at 11 so is a late starter who I think has made great progress - his first ballet exam was inter found after only 2 years of ballet.

After several phone calls we finally got notification from Tring but the news wasn't good...am going to have a devastated young man on my hands when I tell him ..any suggestions on how best to handle this, I've not been here before!

DS's audition on the 17th was 10 students - 8 girls and 2 boys..We did receive our audition notification by e-mail and the original followed by post and I thought that might also be the case with the audition and have been watching my e-mail like a hawk but nothing.

Afraid I can't help on the Mason's contact but over here some of the banks offer funds as do the Arts Council. Mind you given the state of our economy I think they would be difficult if not impossible to secure. Thanks for the clarification on the Year 10 question. In Ireland we just have 1st to 6th year with GCSE equivalent being done in 3rd year and A Level equivalent being done in 6th year. Should I be concerned about lack of response - It's OK to tell me the truth I would just rather hear now and get it over with my DS needs to be concentrating on his exams and just can't focus at all at the moment

That is fantastic news Lil..am very pleased for both you and your daughter!! Sugarplumsmum - congrats to you too. Please don't think you have failed to provide for your daughter. You have given her so many opportunities and even for her to get this far takes so much dedication on both your parts. Hopefully the masons will help. Can I ask a stupid question - our school system is different in Ireland - is Year 10 the same as 6th form? I am getting increasingly concerned because my DS auditioned on January 17th and we haven't heard anything at all. Is that a bad sign or is it just the postal systems on both sides of the Irish sea? Should I call Tring? Surely we should have gotten something at this point. I originally thought that Lildancer auditioned the same day as us and was somewhat comforted by your response but now I realise you were a week after us!!! We have had to put all our eggs into the Tring basket because of the logistics, the full board option, the potential DADA option and the Academic stream which I feel is a must. If my DS is unsuccessful at the Tring auditions he doesn't really have any other option which will devastate him.

Ditto from another clueless parent :D

My DS would love it but unfortunately GCSE time (well our equivalent) so academics must come first for this Easter anyway!

He is very dedicated and I'm just the encouraging free taxi driver. He really wants to dance but does not want to be a ballet dancer if that makes sense...it makes it harder as all training is focused on ballet which he enjoys but his passion is for commercial and/or contemporary dance!! Me being an accountant who has never danced in her life doesn't help - don't even understand the lingo

As a parent of a young male dancer I must admit to feeling that it would be a good idea if for no other reason that as one poster pointed out for boys to be afforded the opportunity to dance together. My DS is the only boy in his ballet school and came to ballet in his teens. He was the only boy in Ireland to complete Inter Found and is now preparing to be the only boy doing his Intermediate. It is extremely difficult for him to have no peers to compare himself with etc. and we have to travel a considerable distance 4 times a week to ensure he gets decent training and we have no idea whether it is even enough :-( We pay just the same as any parents of female students and in my view get less "bang for our buck" so to speak because he is the only boy and therefore cannot be catered to during all classes. He is very fortunate with the school he attends and is encouraged every step of the way but there is only so much they can do! I only wish there was something available for us here that wouldn't mean he has to leave not only home but the country to pursue his dream.