Isobit

One of the missing posts mentioned being discouraged from using too much sparkle on the tutu (I'm paraphrasing, sorry). We were also told to keep it simple in that way, and no arm cuffs or tiaras.

Well the teacher seems to think it is not acceptable to be discussing other pupils in a negative light and is going to have a general word with the main person. It's still early days and whether anything will change I don't know. General gossip about other parents seems to be the norm, but this crossed a line for me. It seems to be not the done thing to confront parents directly, so I haven't done that. Thank you both. My instinct is to leave really. Especially as one of the parents potentially reads our children's reports from the festivals before giving them to us, that makes me feel very uncomfortable under the circumstances.

Some of this sounds familiar. Our dance school has schools they 'don't speak to' I didn't ask which as I wasn't going to get involved in all that. I'm finding it all a bit dreadful, though. The children, on the whole, and from different schools, seem to be supportive of each other and we've kept in touch with some people we've met. It's the parents from our own dance school who seem to be the main problem, especially the person who organises them and who views everybody in the school as competition to her daughter, whatever their age, and will also make disparaging and personal comments about our children and their abilities which inevitable gets back to us. I thought my daughter would benefit and gain performance skills and improve expression etc which is why we let her try the festivals, but I'm really not sure it's worth it. We're considering another school but worried it would be the same.

Thank you so much for the recommendations and to those who sent suggestions via private message. It's been an enormous help, with us now having managed to narrow it down to a couple of schools to look at.

We're looking at dance schools in Leeds, and surrounding areas, at the moment, for two children, aged seven and nine years. I would really appreciate any recommendations for a good school, please. IDTA or RAD ballet school is fine, possibly a school offering festivals too. Many thanks in advance

My daughter didn't do froggy stretch in her RBS JAs audition, no splits at all (agree, splits only occurred in waiting room!) They did do some sort of straddle stretch, but I'd have to check exactly what that was.

Thank you for the welcome!

This is from the ballet grades glossary. Hope it helps Grade 5 Triple run Step and close with turn Posé into arabesque Pas de bourrée piqué Chassé en avant and en arriére Echappé relevé in 4 counts to 2nd and 4th Jeté en avant and en arriére Pas de basque sauté Sisonne fermée en avant Sisonne changées en avant Posé assemblé soutenu en tournant Petit batterie including entrechat quatre Changement battu Echappé battu fermée 3rd arabesque en l'air balletic walks Pirouette en dehors Posé temps leve by half turn Courus en arriére Sisonne ouverte en avant Full contretemps