s.dancer

Yes, it is at a high standard and produces successful dancers in all different fields of dance. Last year's graduates are now at dance colleges including ENBS, Central, NBS, RCS, Rambert, NCDS, Laine, Bird, Urdang...

I have this foam roller and it's great:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01DTI9AIM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476815113&sr=8-1π=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=2+in+1+foam+roller&dpPl=1&dpID=41gK9iw6ufL&ref=plSrch

 

It's a 2 in 1 roller and comes with guided instructions on how to use both of them!

Hello, I use Freed Classic soft pointes and I recommend then -I also have very narrow feet. I find them easy to break in and can be done using just your hands (no bashing required!) . Hope this helps x

Thank you thebunhead. Can I ask if you have done this one before?

This is my first time doing the Central Spring Course - looking forward to it

Hello, I would recommend the bloch warm up boots and all in one warm ups which are great to warm up in and also handy to walk around in between classes and during breaks. I am also going to the Central Spring Course and I am bringing other things such as jazz shoes and warm up shorts and leg warmers.

I think the children in these countries such as Japan and USA do have more intense training than in the UK probably giving them a better chance of making it. Yes they are young to be on pointe and also the dancers in their countries also do a lot more pointe! I have been on pointe since I was 11, and now I have just turned 14 have only just started more intense pointe such as more turns an soutenus even though I am at a vocational school! Sometimes I wish I was training in America

Phew that's expensive!!

Isn't half

My friend was 12 and I know someone who also went who was 15 that went. Don't think it really matters as most of the coaching is private x

Yes at elmhurst there was lots of age categories with many girls up to about 17! Would recommend it

My friend went last year and loved it, it is £950 for a week residential...

My friend has extremely swayed back legs and everyone always tells her how lucky she is, as they create nice lines especially on pointe, and is common in many professional dancers, however I notice that especially very swayed backed legs are quite hard to control, to try not sit into them and when in positions such as 1st they cause difficulties. I guess it's one of these things that can be a bit of a curse and a blessing!

Last year I contacted ENB about their summer school as my dd was 14, had taken her Adv Foundation and was studying Adv 1, so we asked if she could join the 15+ group. They said no, it would definitely be the 11-14 group as it was by age, not current level. She decided not to apply in the end, as she prefers things to be a challenge, and the travelling would have been difficult anyway.

That's good to know, thankyou! Currently still deciding where I am applying this year

Yes LinMM that is the best decision (dancing amongst people up to 19 won't best the best idea yet haha) Thankyou for all of your help, it really is quite a difficult job organising summer schools!

Some international summer schools seem great quite a treck though especially to America :'(

When I am 15 I will be sitting advanced 1 but that will be next year so 11-14 will probably be best

Do you mind saying what your level is thebunhead? As it seems you will be or very nearly be 15 by next summer so it may be worth looking at the senior ENB course if you are up at Advanced one or two level ballet. Otherwise you should be okay in the 11-14 group a bit difficult when ones birthday falls at an awkward time for these courses!!!

I am sitting my advanced foundation before Summer and I just turned 14 x

Will find out from friends DD as she was 13 last summer so was probably in this group then.

I went to the show on the last day and I'm sure some girls were on pointe in some pieces but they did some very nice more contemporary style pieces as well.

When she was at the Yorkshire one as she was only just 13 at the time she might have been put with the youngest group in that week but I think there was some mini pre assessment at the beginning (can't remember whether mum asked for it or whether they did as a matter of course) but they moved her into the middle group anyway.

Whether this happens on the ENB one I don't know but is it divided into junior and senior groups it could be the senior course is not the same week!!

Thanks for your reply!

I also have a question to everyone about ENB Summer school. The course B is age 11-14 so I would be one of the oldest in the course and I was wondering how challenging it is? (Is there a lot of pointe work?) thanks again

DD did Central last Summer. She had just done her Int Fdn exam and had already done a couple of terms of Intermediate and was just 13 and did the one week course. There was quite a range of dancers with a few vocational girlies. I think there were about 20 in the group. They worked them hard and the teaching was generally excellent with plenty of time for personal corrections for all. They did pointe work everyday except on the first day. They also had pilates most days although DD said it was quite basic. They did character and contemporary most days. They also had the chance to watch the Central vocational dancers in a rehearsal. It was well organised and well planned. They had 5 full days classes Monday to Friday and on the Saturday they had class and then a rehearsal before a performance for parents.For this they performed as Lilac Attendants from the Prologue of Sleeping Beauty and then a lovely contemporary piece. There is also a 2 weeks course for dancers 14 years +.Later in the holidays she did the Harpenden Summer Ballet School which was excellent and brilliant value for money. If you can sort out accommodation this is definitely worth a look. Some of the girls knew each other from Associate classes or from their regular dance school but DD didn't know anybody. She settled in very quickly as she was made to feelvery welcome by the teachers and the other girls. The teaching days are shorter than Central but the standard of teaching was first class.

Thankyou so much Florence for the info about Central I really have an insight of what it is like now and Harpenden also sounds good x

Yes, there was no audition for YBSS just what LinMM said for UK students. X

I seem to have written something similar on the cost of summer schools thread yesterday but my friends DD did YBSS last summer and loved it. You were probably in the same group but she did not board as we (mum dad and brothers and myself) were staying at a farmhouse just outside York. She lives in Sydney anyway.

She also did a week at the ENB summer school and although she enjoyed this too she preferred the York one. But how much of this was due to the farmhouse and their two dogs Im not sure!! I was certainly impressed with the overall standard of the pupils at YBSS and I loved the end of week show!!

Maybe if you have attended the York one it may be good to try a different one this year and I'm sure you won't be disappointed with the ENB one.

Thanks that's great to know! Yes you're probably right, going to a different one this year is probably best especially since I am interested in others such as ENB x

I think that this year for 14 year olds 2 weeks is compulsory at WL. (last year you could choose between 1 or 2) Go for it ! I think that the standard was very good at WL last year, I was just wondering about alternatives. x

Thanks yes I think I will apply, not been to a 2 week course yet x

Ellie, I enjoyed YBSS and last year the standard was high. That's great your DS enjoyed WL, quite keen myself to apply for the summer course. Is it for 2 weeks?

Picturesinthefirelight, YBSS is very good the teachers are great, the people are friendly and it is residential. I was in a group with dancers aged 13 to about 16 or 17 which was challenging however there was also a group 13 and under. We did ballet, contemporary, pointe and the younger ones also did character dancing. I learned a lot there and everyone got personal corrections. Hope this might be helpful!

Thankyou Janet McNulty! I am also tempted to apply again for YBSS as I learned a lot there and I liked the challenge of dancing with slightly older students.