Lifeafterballet?

Tulte my daughter went to Elmhurst for the first time last year. She rang on the first night asking if we had to pick her up at the end!!! She had a fantastic time - both during the ballet day and in the evenings meeting lots of lovely new friends - all with one thing in common ... the love of ballet. she has just received a "yes" to this year and can't wait til August. Just won't forget the jazz pants this year !!

Hi, DanceDirect have a costume catalogue which have some nice ideas. We are so lucky we have a fantastic lady who can works nothing short of a miracle with Lycra and body net!!

Hi Straceydor, we did last years photos at home with hubby on camera duty! The most difficult bit was finding a plain wall big enough to fit DD tips of fingers, head, pointed toes in and be able to stand back far enough to get them all in the photo!!! They can't have been that bad though as she was accepted. We did take a couple of shots in each position so she could choose the "better one" . Good luck!

Hi, if its a costume i am decorating i stretch it over a plate or tea tray (inside) so the costume is part-stretched. Make sure your stitches aren't too tight.

Belle ballerina - think we may have had the same adjudicator as you last year. She wasn't content with the right country - she wanted the region!!

Hi Belleballerina, we have also seen all their work but Christmas Carol hasn't got to us yet - we have tickets and can't wait!

I have just bought a ticket to MoveIt for my daughter along with a couple of classes in a style she wouldn't normally do. It will be something to look forward to after Christmas is long forgotten x

Hi Tulte, RBS sent my dd an e-mail acknowledgement the same day they received the application form and said they look forward to seeing her at the audition - details of which would be sent 2 weeks before.

managed to prise it back from my daughter - have PM'd you Julie. I shouldnt have mentioned this website - she is hooked! Thank you.

Hello swanprincess! My head of year said I could do that and I think I may be taking a trip to see her tomorrow to ask about that! Although I would like to get out of school - but if all else fails I shall be doing that too! Thank you very much everyone! xx

Oooooooo!!! Thank you very much Kathy ! I didn't even consider that as I am younger than their students! Thank you xx

I would love to do that sort of thing as I'm sure teaching dance isn't just about turning up and turning on an iPod! My dance school is really quite small! Mum wondered if I could ask any schools close-by but wasn't sure if they would mind a student from another local school there - I don't think I could xx

Thank you lots Julie, I live in Hampshire too! I'm happy to travel as I would like to benefit from work experience and don't want to spend two weeks in the stock room of a shop! Which is what the majority of the list consists of! Thank you xx

Hello I have ambushed my mum's account - with her permission! To ask if your ds/dd have done any dance/ ballet related work experience? Or know of any? I am in year 10. Thank you very much Mum said this would be the place to ask if there is such a thing! Thank you again! xx

Larger Boots stores do sell travel/trial size bottle of the Ted Baker range as part of their usual range. You could try a shower gel or bubble bath before buying the larger gift boxes. Think they were £2.50 per bottle.

My daughter has just had a birthday and received 3 of the Ted Baker Gift sets from her friends - think they are going to be a popular choice this year for dancers - I was going to buy one for a stocking filler - glad I didn't now. The contents are lovely and she said she can use the boxes for hair bits etc.

My daughter was also group D. She had a great time - every sentence since picking her up has started "when we were at Elmhurst ...." She loved dancing with the guys and girls from BRB who offered advice to them individually which benefitted her tremendously. She enjoyed Jazz and contemporary lessons too. She did think one teacher tended to favour the full time vocational students but I guess you will get that anywhere. This is the 4th course at different schools/colleges she has been to but said Elmhurst was definitely the best!

Thank you everyone for your support and experience. Hi Drdance, as a dance school we do "ok" with ballet - probably better with the younger age groups than older. For modern and tap we do very well. As most will agree at every festival there is always a school that does well in the classical sections; we have a different one at every festival we do, but they are not within travelling distance on a school night to attend classes. We do not take festivals on to regional finals although my daughter has qualified. I think finding this forum has been a great eye opener to us and we need to talk to her teacher in September to see where we go from here. Thank you

Thank you for your kind reply. She has done summer schools for past 3 years and is looking forward to going to again tomorrow. She does do Festivals too so has no confidence issues and loves performing. I fear you may have "hit the nail in the head" when you say the hours and quality of ballet - as it is a local dance school she does ballet, tap, jazz and modern - maybe it is time to concentrate on a discipline rather than spread herself thin. I think we have a lot to research to do!

Until I joined this forum last week I was blissfully unaware have niave I am!!! How do I gain the info to become "a dancing mum". My daughter would love to progress her ballet but it is a whole different world! Girls from her local dancing school have gone down the musical theatre route (as preferred by her dance teachers) so I don't have any mums to ask for their experiences regarding ballet. She is 14, dances ISTD advanced and doesn't pass a mirror without checking "her lines"!!!! Where do I start?! Any advice would be great! Thank you

Thank you Tulip and Lildancer96 - she can't wait!

Hi my 14 year old daugher is going to Elmhurst for the first time this year as we tried to avoid London schools due to the Olympics. Are the classes very big? She doesn't expect to know anyone but is so excited!