Mariska

My DS did a few online sessions with Iain during lockdown, which he thoroughly enjoyed and found very helpful. Can truly recommend it.

My son has just graduated from the Berlin State Ballet School, with a contract in his pocket too, and the school is free, regardless where you are from, apart from the boarding fees. There are pupils/students from all over the world and if there is also (part) funding I believe for the boarding facilities if a talented pupil can't afford it.

Hello Paola, It is indeed a very new school, and all I know, because I am Dutch and have followed some press on the school, is that the school's director, Jean-Yves Esquerre, used to teach at the Dutch National Ballet School, but was made to leave from there. Having said that, he does have a good artistic reputation. Also, one of their teachers, Igone de Jong, is a former soloist of the Dutch Natonal Ballet. Has your daughter ever considered auditioning with the Dutch National Ballet School? My DS is in Berlin, as he only wanted to go to a school with boarding facilities rather than going into a host family, but has the Dutch National Ballet on his list of companies he wishes to audition for.

Yep, we also did and also accepted twice, to be on the safe side. Have also written to the RBS and they have come back stating these emails are automatically sent without checking in the system whether the palce has already been accepted.

Congratulations to all who received a “yes”! And commiserations those who received a “no”. Fingers crossed for the SWLs that some more places will materialise 🙏🏻🙏🏻 My DS has thankfully been offered a place for the 3-week course at CG. He’s at vocational school in Berlin, going into his final year after the summer break. Am really hoping it will take place, since due to COVID, he has only gone back to school last week, with the school not offering any online ballet training during all the lockdown months. So a 3-week intensive would be a great way to start his final year.

Berlin State Ballet School - My DS has been there since the age of 9 and is very happy. He is now almost 16. He startet as a boarder. They take particular care of their foreogn students both pastoral care and language support. When our son wanted to go to vocational school, we also looked at Hamburg and Stutgart but didn't like the concept of school and dance being separate. Berlin is more like the vocational schools in the UK where everything is integrated into one school. http://ballettschule-berlin.de/en/

My DS went last year for the two week course (he'd just turned 14 then) and he could wash his dance cloths, which I think he did (he is a boarder at the Berlin State Ballet School, so is very independent when it comes to domestic chores:)). We bought him microfaser (trekking) towels, as they don't take up so much space and dry quite quickly. And yes they danced Sat and Sun. He loved it, was sad he couldn't go this year due to his school holiday being timed differently.

I had a a very helpful telephone conversation with Matz, which has provided good guidance on a tricky situation.

RAD I believe offers Summer Schools without audition too.

I don't know what it is like at other vocational schools, but our son started in year 5 at the State Ballet School of Berlin (they start there form year 5), together with about 26 other pupils (two classes) and today he is in year, auditioning shortly for Upper School, and he is the only boy left from that year along with four girls (three German, one Japanese). Over the years others have come into to the process, all from abroad. At the moment they are 15 alltogether, with only 4 from Germany. And it is unfortunately already clear that not all will make it into Upper School. So perhaps it is not necessarily a UK-only phenomenon.

Have you considered the Berlin State Ballet School? it is a fabulous place and they look after their students really well. There is a big classical focus and many opportunities to dance alongside the Berlin State Ballet. They don't necessary look at the age that strictly (our son started at the age of 9 as a boarder, as he was already in year 5, which is their entry level - he is now going into year 10 next year). Our son told us about an American girl who came into year 11 and was only 15 at the time. http://ballettschule-berlin.de/en/

Hi, we accepted our DS’ place straight after receiving the email offering him a place (WL week week 1and 2), but haven’t heard anything since? Does anyone know when the invoice and further information are being sent out? And do all their ballet and other clothing need to be labelled (hope not, as this is not required at his current vocational school in Berlin) with their name? Any info very welcome.

Any other DS for the residential week 1&2? Does anybody know how many boy generally participate?

We just received a yes for week 1&2, our DS is very chuffed.

Fingers crossed!

Nope:(

Our DS is at the State Ballet School in Berlin, in Year 9, and has loved it form day one (he started when he was only 9, as a boarder, in Year 5). They have a great reputation and almost everybody leaving the school do so with an employment contract for a ballet company, in Germany or elsewhere. PM me if you would like more info.

Our DS started at the age of 3, wanting to follow what his 2.5 year older sister did. At the same time he was also in a talent football team. At the age of 7 he asked to quit football and focus on ballet (as well as modern) only, increasing his number of hours from two to seven a week. At the age of 8 he told us he wants to go to vocational school (his ballet teacher gave him an article from the Guardian about twin boys having been accepted at the RBS. We didn’t even know such schools existed. Then, age 9, he auditioned for the State Ballet School of Berlin (we live in Germany) and was offered a place. Off he went straight after the Christmas holidays as a boarder, now four years ago and still loving every minute of it. Was on Stage with the Berlin State Ballet as Fritz in the Nutcracker and many other performances. For us it was hard to have our youngest 600 km away from us, but seeing his joy, made and still makes everything worthwhile.

Am still hoping though, that my DS, who is at vocational school in Berlin, will get offered a SS WL place:)

Would a school abroad be an option?

Our DS and DD both wanted turn boards.

Every school and every teacher is different, but our DS did his ISTD Grade 2 when he was just 7 (he is now in Year 7 at a vocational ballet school) and our DD will be doing her ISTD Intermediate later this year, at the age of 14.

Our DS (now almost 12) started at the age of 3, because his sister was doing ballet (therefore he wanted to do it too). We never saw an issue in it and as it turned out, whilst he was also very good at football and in a special team, at the age of 7 he announced that all he wants to do is ballet from now on (this was just before the summer holiday started). When he was 8, he asked when he can go to a vocational ballet school, and when he was 9, he went to the Berlin State Ballet School as a boarder and has loved it ever since, as well as being good at it too (also academically). Even though it was a huge change for us, we know it was the right thing to do.

Hi DanceMomma, are you set on a school in the UK? Woudl you consider a school in Germany? Our DS (11) is in year 7 at the State Ballet School in Berlin http://www.staatliche-ballettschule-berlin.de/en/ and has been there for two years now as a boarder. They give pupils who don't speak the language extra German tuition and they have two years to get to grips with the language. The teachers are all great, both in the academic subjects and dance, and the boarding house is something on a different level. We looked at all at the four vocational schools in the UK and there none of the boarding facilities came even close to the one in Berlin. Our DS is in a class of 14 (they were lucky in his year, as they have two classes of 14, rather one of 25) and about 60% are not from Germany. Only this school year a boy from Italy started in Year 7, with no German (or English) knowledge and already he is pretty fluent. Just a thought.

Going to Germany may indeed be a valuable tip. Our DS is at the State Ballet School Berlin and during a televison documentary the artistic director said, that Germany is like heaven for dancers, as there are over 70 companies. It is so important thought for children to follow their dream, even if it is a difficult way in getting there. However, we also tell our son often, when he questions the academics and should he do A-levels or not (he is only 11 now and in year 7, so still a long way to go), that it is good to have a solid education too, as a fallback in case an aspired dancing career doesn't turn out to be what one wished for.