Clara

Thanks Loulabelle, glad I'm not the only one feeling a little confused! Yes, I thought it was just JA's yesterday, but my dd is only 10 and has to go again next week.....so maybe I am right in thinking it's because we requested residential?! I hope she doesn't feel too put off if they are mostly older than her next time! Maybe we will have more of an idea next Sunday.....Or I might have to discern which parents are old hands and see if they can shed any light on it all!

Hi Loulabelle, we will be at the main cast recalls this coming Sunday too (and were there yesterday!) I'm a little confused by the audition process as it's new to us! I requested a residential place for dd due to commuting problems if she was successful and assumed this was what the main cast recall was related to.....but I'm not actually sure now! What is the difference between yesterday's audition and next Sundays? Also, will those who are not at the next audition find out if they were successful before those who are?! Plus.......Sorry for the bombardment of questions, but the letter I think said it would take 2-3 weeks to hear about the result, but if the photo shoot is on May 5th that's only a week from the final cast auditions?! Apologies for the very confused ramblings of a newbie!! I'm sometimes shy in new situations so would have been standing alone nervously waiting yesterday, but hopefully if dd is successful I'll get to speak to some of you lovely parents soon!

Thanks Jazzpaws! We were taken into the studio where the level 3's (I think!) were dancing so I expect I saw her! Looked like they were working hard and doing well!

Hi all, Just a quick update to let you know dd attended the open morning at Dance East today for the Academy and really enjoyed it, so she is definitely going to apply for an audition place! Thanks to everyone who offered advice and feedback! We were told that about 150 auditioned last year with only 20 places offered so I don't know what her chances are; but she's going to give it a go!

Yes I'm sure the next couple of weeks will fly by! My DD doesn't know anyone either, but she's quite out going and makes friends easily, so hopefully she'll be ok seeing as they will be there longer on the 21st than they were at the initial auditions. I guess they may get a chance to talk to each other at some point! It is difficult to gauge ability on a National scale.....I look at DD and know she is a nice little dancer, but then I made the mistake of digging out my old NYB videos and had completely forgotten just how beautiful the younger dancers were who secured the main roles for their age group! The way I'm looking at it is that to be given a recall is a nod to their ability and potential as they wouldn't bother recalling them if they didn't see something they liked! As the letter said, the next stage will be a lot to do with the number of parts available for their age group as well as characterisation etc, but if DD doesn't make it this time around, at least I will know they liked her dancing enough to want to see her again! Will unwittingly see some of you Mum's at recalls....without actually knowing who any of you are!

Hi dtadmin, I honestly don’t know as this is the first year my DD has auditioned and I can't remember from years ago when I used to audition, other than there were roughly 100 dancers who made it through to the final cast. I think I'm a naturally apprehensive person, but nearly every post I've read on here tells of dancers making it to the recall stage......which automatically makes me think there will be a lot of competition for the available places! That said, maybe those who don’t make it through to recalls just don't post it on here! From everything I have read there seems to be less parts and definitely smaller parts available for the majority of the younger ones, but like I say, I'm new to it, so I guess it's just a waiting game! It has seemed such a long wait from the initial auditions through to recalls! Thankfully DD seems to take everything in her stride and although admitting to being a little bit nervous about recalls 'because it will be all of the good dancers' she still seems relatively unfazed and is looking forward to the next set of auditions! Just me feeling anxious! Good luck to everyone with recalls coming up!

Will probably depend on whether there have been lots of exams taking place around the country at the moment. I wouldn't say it's the busiest time of year, but I've known results come back in as little as 3 weeks (Rarely!) and as long as 6-8 weeks in busier periods. Good luck to your daughter!

Yes, the asking prices do seem a bit out of touch don't they?! I might start selling the contents of my house...I could potentially make thousands to fund dd's dance habit!!

Wow!! Well I have one or two 90's vintage NYB T-shirts......Several leagues down from the RB.....but who knows; £50 a piece maybe?!!!

Ah brilliant thank you if only! You really are a fantastic source of useful information.....I am particularly interested in locating the Chelsea Teapot for the consumption of more cake whilst dd is dancing her socks off during audition!! (This is typed whilst demolishing a very tasty Easter egg a whole week before it should have even been unwrapped!!) The audition experience of NYB has been good for her even if she doesn't make the cut. But it's good to hear that younger dancers who have not had solo roles have previously been offered beds. It makes the situation seem a little more obtainable at least! It is definitely very expensive but we are not having a holiday this year, which means we can keep some money aside if she was offered a place. She has said she'd quite like to do the DanceEast summer school if not though. The Suffolk Junior Dance Company sounds like it may be worth looking into, although dd currently dances with me on a Wednesday and is fiercely loyal when I suggest she may eventually have to give my class up in favour of a class with more credibility when it comes to looking at dance professionally! Dd is year 5, although one of the oldest in the year. Although she would probably say modern/musical theatre is her favourite dance style at the moment, ballet is definitely her strongest point. She is blessed with beautiful feet which is a heriditary thing. (As my head swells ever so slightly!!) My Mum had good feet, mine were then a little better than hers....and dd has amazing feet better than us both (Not that I let her know they are better than mine just yet.....I have to keep her on her toes so to speak!!) Funny you should mention the hip-hop, dd had a 4 week course at school and I'm sure she likes to think of herself as quite cool (Probably a very uncool word to describe it!!) But I always think her ballet posture looks a bit awkward when she's strutting about the house in her sun glasses and fingerless gloves trying to be street!! It's probably a good thing that they all have their strengths and weaknesses as they can all learn from each other and there's no room for complacency. Maybe I will still let her audition after all then if she enjoys the open day. Do the open days get booked up quite quickly? I'm worried I've left it a bit late as I've only just emailed requesting a place! Oh and Yes my little one is an absolute darling.....She is currently telling me in a very serious voice 'You're a nightmare aren't you Mum?' I'm not even sure what I have done!! Is there a certain age where you're considered too old to use smiley faces then?!

windover 60, I am based in Suffolk and don't know where/which associates programme would be best for dd. Where do you recommend? RBA?

Thank you hfbrew. Your post has definitely reassured me and given me peace of mind that dd is progressing at a normal rate. I too don't agree with children being pushed too far too soon but nevertheless when I see or hear of it I can't help but then wonder if dd is behind where she needs to be! At the moment she loves her dancing, is constantly practicing with no need to prompt and receives lovely exam results as well as absolutely thriving on the performance element of dance, so whilst she is enjoying it and wants to do more I think I will just continue to encourage her and seek out new opportunities and auditions. If she does well and is successful then brilliant, and if not she is still achieving and doing well within the classes she has at the moment. (She currently attends ballet, modern, tap and musical theatre lessons). Well done to you and your ds, a massive achievement for both of you! You must be extremely proud! Thank you all for the advice, I already feel more relaxed!

Ja Sm, you're quite right. I know from my own experiences that although I was one of the best at my own home town dance school when I was younger, I was then only average within the county scholarship scheme (which I still successfully auditioned for), then again; at National level, although fortunate enough to secure a place with NYB on several occasions I was acutely aware that I was at the lower end of the ability pool in that particular situation. I still loved every experience I had and it probably kept my feet securely on the ground knowing that there were always better dancers to admire and aspire to. My daughter is in a similar situation and has always been quite successful locally but I have no idea how she'll compare on a greater scale. I have only recently started considering various avenues for her which involves auditions, so it's quite a new experience, but like I mentioned previously she already has an advantage over me because where I was and still am very self-critical she has far more self-confidence which at the moment I can only see as a good thing because in an exam, show or audition situation she seems to treat them all as a performance which is I guess is at it should be! Well done to your dd for her determined attitude and perseverance. I think sometimes it's harder on us parents as they're much more resilient when they're younger and if they love what they do they will continue to bounce back despite the knocks and pitfalls!

Morning if only! Yes Janet is still involved with NYB. She has choreographed some beautiful dances for them in the past and seems to be quite actively involved still, although I think NYB may now be the thing she does. When I was with NYB my Dad used to drive me to London every Sunday at the crack of dawn for rehearsals, but the format has changed quite a bit now and the majority of rehearsals take place at a 9 day summer residential summer school in the holidays. This is more aimed at the over 12's though I think with younger members commuting in daily. I was told I could apply for a bed for dd, but seeing as she's only 10 I'm not over optimistic that she'll make it through the finals this time as I'm sure these beds will go the younger dancers who are good enough for the solo roles i.e. associate dancers, but I'm really proud of dd for getting a recall! Thank your dd for her glowing appraisal of the academy! She obviously loves it and is a great advocate for them! Pass on an overly cheesy grinning smiley on my behalf as a sign of my gratitude!!! The opportunities available do appear to be fantastic and unlike any other available within the area. I'm a little sad that the younger ones do seem to have their classes on a Saturday afternoon as I know at this point my dd will not want to give up her other dance commitments as she really loves the theatre group she is with and so do I to be honest.....but I do feel that if she is serious about dancing the academy may benefit her more if she made it through the audition process. I'm still going to send her to the open day so that she can get a feel for it. If she then doesn't want to audition because of the clash of days I won't make her, but I will encourage her to maybe give it ago when she is old enough/or at the required dance level to be considered for a place on a Sunday. Thank you so much for your insight into the academy. (and everyone else on here!) It has been really helpful. My youngest actually faked being asleep whilst at the tots class (I optimistically carried on skipping around the room until I realised I probably looked a bit silly doing it on my own!) So I scooped her into my arms and headed towards the cafe to wait for the friends we were with. My little pickle then sat bolt upright bright and completely alert and stated that she didn't want to do dancing anymore and that she'd have some chocolate cake instead!! I can cope with that, one daughter who loves dance and the other who loves chocolate cake......My two biggest loves.....Other than my husband of course!!

Thank you audsjcanuck, what you have said is completely true and makes perfect sense......it's just sometimes a little unnerving when I see and read of such as advanced young dancers (For me, thankfully not dd, she just takes it all in her stride!)

That's definitely very reassuring to hear Balletgirlsplease, and your dd has obviously still done exceptionally well! DD has had ballet classes from a young age but also started modern and tap about a year and a half ago. She struggles a little more with the tap (but still enjoys it) and loves modern. Thankfully unlike me when I was younger (I always told my Mum I'd failed every audition and exam.....despite doing well!) My dd is confident and thrives on performing. Even her first proper audition for NYB she came out of happy and smiling as though she'd just been on stage! I know inevitably she will face disappointments along the way, but she's so full of hope and enthusiasm I just don't want to see that confidence knocked as I admire that in her so much as it's something I never really had!

Thanks Jazzpaws! All of the feedback so far seems really positive and there do seem to be some amazing opportunities on offer! I think we will definitely attend the open day based on what everyone has said so far. Did your dd audition at age10? If so does she attend on a Saturday or Sunday?

Thank you celb. I have been honest with her and told her it's a difficult profession to make it in, so she sensibly said that maybe she could teach dance in schools if she doesn't make it as a dancer! But in the same breath, I guess I have to let her experience new things including audition successes and disappointments before she finds her niche and knows what she is realistically capable of achieving!

My dd is a keen dancer and having danced myself I am aware that she is quite nice. However, I feel like I’m starting to develop an inferiority complex on her behalf! The more I read on here, the more aware I become of the fact that so many other children of her age seem to be leaps and bounds ahead of her. I have read numerous threads about primary school age children on inter-foundation level ballet, 11/12 year olds en pointe and lots of very talented children of a similar age who are various ballet scholars and associates. My dd is 10 and only on grade 3. (This being the same level as most children of a similar age at the dance school she attends.) She is quite adamant that she wants to pursue a career in dance but isn’t sure which route as yet. I let her audition for NYB for the first time this year and she has a recall at the end of April which she is very excited about and I’m extremely proud of her for making the final set of auditions, but I can’t help but feel like I’m throwing her into the lion’s den with children who will be so much more experienced and advanced than her. I want to give her opportunities and I want her to believe in herself…..but how much should I prepare her for the fact that she is a little fish in a big pond?! I partly want to let her experience lots of auditions to see how she gets on but I don’t want to give her false hope either. I know you will probably say I’m over thinking it….. but it’s hard not to get despondent when you see what other incredible things children are achieving by comparison! It makes me really confused and unsure what route is best for her!

Oh brilliant, thank you if only. I will definitely see if I can book her in on the open day then if age and classes don't always correspond! It will be nice for her to just see what it's all about at least even if it doesn't go any further than that. Yes you're right, I believe the ballet enrichment classes did evolve from the ballet scholarship scheme. In fact I know my old ballet teacher and another of my scholars teachers taught on the programme (Janet Kinson and Linda Shipton) I was surprised it seemed to fizzle out. It's a real shame as they were two of the best ballet teachers in the county responsible for some truly amazing dancers! So were you commuting weekly for the London Junior & Senior associates? Do parents stay at the open day? I am familiar with the cafe as I used to take my youngest to the tots dance class......she decided she was more interested in the chocolate cake than dancing so I'm not entirely convinced she has inherited the ballet genes! Although she will be starting at the ballet school I help at after Easter!

I think all parents/dancers should listen to the advice of their dance teacher when it comes to pointe shoes. My own dance teacher firmly believes her grossly bunion infested and misshapen feet are a direct result of being on pointe too early. I think there is no 'correct' age, it is usually down to the individual. Ankle strength, arch of the foot, core strength etc. I personally think that pointe shoes before your feet have stopped growing is not ideal. I appreciate that some girls who have reached advance levels at a young age may be required to learn pointe work as part of a syllabus earlier than others, but I don't feel it necessary for any child of 9 to be pushed through higher levels requiring them to be en pointe anyway! That's obviously my personal opinion, but I just don't see it of being of any benefit to them. At the other end of the scale you will get girls who are only ever embarking on ballet as a hobby and may never have the required strength to meet the demands of pointe work. There's definitely no set rule for this one!

Oh and I've seen people post before that a has appeared in replace of a 'b'! Very strange!!

Thank you both for the great and detailed replies! Very much appreciated. I take it the levels are based on age? In which case my dd would be auditioning for level 1? If this is a Saturday I think it would be a no go for us for the time being as she already attends ballet, modern and a local theatre group throughout the day on a Saturday. That's a shame as I think she would really benefit from the training the academy offers (providing she was successful in the audition process!) I was hoping it would be a Sunday as this is the one day she currently has completely free apart from December when the theatre group she is with kicks into show season! I'm an assistant dance teacher at a ballet school and also run my own local amateur performance group (Non-audition standard!) But there are 2 brilliant dancers from the ballet school, one who also attends my group also who have both been with the academy for several years and have had some amazing experiences. (They are year 10 and 11 so I assume probably level 4 or 5 perhaps?) As you have mentioned contemporary does seem to be the really strong element of the academy. My dd has had no contemporary experience although like I say she does do both ballet and modern. If only your dd certainly seems to have a good career plan worked out! My dd only knows that she wants to dance but hasn't yet decided on a route! She completely loves musical theatre but her strength is with her dancing not her singing hence my reason for enquiring about the academy! I'm thinking of sending her to the open day in April but I don't know whether this is worth while if classes for her age group are only run on a Saturday. What do you think? Also, what associates programmes is your dd with? I only really knew of the old ballet scholarship scheme within this area and I don't really know what avenue of further training to send my dd in!

Does anyone living in the East of England have any experience of the Dance East Academy? I'm debating letting my dd audition this year, but I think I have always been influenced in the past and swayed by those who were anti the ballet scholarship scheme being abolished in favour of the academy. I was a ballet scholar when I was younger and thought the scheme was a successful and invaluable source of training for aspiring dancers......and although I still think there is a place for such a scheme....I'm wondering if I have been misjudging the academy which could actually be a fantastic stepping stone in other areas of dance?! Does anyone know when classes are for younger students if they are successful at audition level? Thank you in advance for your help and any info you can offer!

Yes it definitely is! Ooh that's handy that she only has to travel for the one date! I don't suppose I can really complain as I haven't got as far to go as you; so I'll just take advantage of a bit of lunch and London shopping instead!