irishballetmom

We had the same thing, straight no first year and now our third waiting list. Here's hoping third time lucky getting off the wait list lol!

Oh my goodness, YES!! I blame early morning for that!! Good luck to ALL THE CHILDREN applying!!

After several years on the wait list, my daughter still wants to apply, so I filled out the application last night. They don't ask for their height and weight anymore, had out the measuring tape and all lol! I guess they can tell from the photos if the dancer has the proportions they look for and the height doesn't matter? Or did I miss them somehow!? Anyway, we know it is a long shot and are very lucky she has a full scholarship to a Dublin intensive this summer, good luck to all the girls that are applying!

I am certainly proud of my daughter but I hope I have never been that mom (I probably have on occasion!) but she has gotten more nos than yeses so that keeps you grounded. If they love it though, you let them keep trying up to a point. She is still young and we won't look at vocational school till 16 again. This ballet world is so fickle, amazing these moms have such confidence that their kids are such prodigies. There are definitely more doors closed than open in this world, so I think the best approach is keep quiet and just provide every opportunity you can help your kids within logistical and budget constraints. I am probably a glass half empty sort when it comes to the ballet world, and whatever comes, I hope she takes it and enjoys it!

My daughter is still on the RB Waitlist this year, as she was last year, but was never called up. She was accepted to ABT this summer and we were delighted for her, but after we added up all the costs (airfare, money for the duration of the intensive, etc) and her age (13) we decided we would actually hold off on sending her this year. We live in Ireland, but my family is in the USA and we go every two years so hopefully she will be accepted when she tries again at age 15 our next visit Stateside! In the end we have decided to send her to a Dublin intensive at the end of the summer. The teachers are excellent and a great variety of dance styles while focusing on ballet technique, for a fraction of the cost. She was excited to be accepted to ABT this year, hopefully she will be able to attend in the future!!

Yes, no two tiered wait list this year, we got the same wording Won't be holding that week open, as we are heading back to visit my family in the States this summer!

Waitlist for White Lodge here too doesn't seem to be the Priority and Selected like last year, the two tiered system was confusing! Though I alway imagine their waitlists must be HUGE!

No, the first year my daughter applied with two hours of ballet a week, she got a straight no. Last year with more hours and an audition she got Priority Wait List. This year I am just hoping she doesn't go back to "no" and gets a waitlist or the ultimate dream for her, an actual place, though not thinking of that one as a huge possibility!

I need to replace the half dozen tights I bought for this summer's summer schools and workshops already, my 13 year old (just turned 13 today, eek!) seems to get runs in her tights by just looking at them and am looking for what tights you find the most durable. Have tried a lot of different brands but none seem to last long, especially frustrating when you pay so much for some of them! Please tell me which brands last the best for you!

My daughter is serious student in a rural school that really has mostly recreational dancers. She did grade 5 at age 12 most of her fellow classmates were 14. She is now doing the highest level class with 18 year olds and teacher is mainly doing Intermediate Foundation for her otherwise the older students had been doing grade 6 and moving on to 7. There really is no reason for many schools to do vocational levels unless they have serious students. The higher levels seem to have to be done as private lessons for the other two more serious girls the teacher has at her other location and I am sure it isn't very cost effective for her, she needs to do the levels the students are suited to take and not all recreational students are going to want the difficulty of the intermediate and advanced vocational exams. I do wish there were more serious students to make the vocational exams more feasible for the teacher, but hopefully my DD will be able to get to a decent level before she is 15 by doing the other the other levels privately. I don't know how it will work out but hopefully she will get there. She has been accepted into a regional youth ballet that does pointe and contemporary so will have a chance to learn there, but that involves a three hour return trip journey so it really just isn't easy for a serious student to get enough training in a rural area, it involves a lot of driving or bus rides lol!

We applied from Ireland for year 8 and another girl from Italy applied as well. We really didn't expect her to get in at Year 8 but from Ireland the flights were inexpensive and we stayed with close friends so it was really more for the amazing experience! I am pretty sure we could never find funding for the international fees if she somehow got in, though I guess you'd be tempted to try if it happened. She had a great experience and we don't regret it, but won't repeat auditions for full time training till upper school. If she stays dedicated and determined and teachers think it is possible that is...her passion hasn't changed since the age of 9 and she is soon to be 13 in November!

Wow, my daughter is starting to finally do some stretches on her own at 12, it is definitely not as much as your DD does, very impressive! She must have an amazing drive! My daughter wants the dream but didn't think she needed to put in the work! I think she finally realizes it is a tough competitive world after a few wait lists and call backs but no straight yeses for RBSS and our national youth ballet! It is a tough journey these girls want to start!

Amazing wonderful fantastic news! Congratulations!

It is a bit intimidating! So much gear...don't forget bout all the elastic band stretchy things to lift your leg up to your ear and bend your body into lots of balletic shapes! Or the torture devices to improve your arches? Then the fun things like turn boards! I was looking around last Christmas... I went for calendar, book and Theraband, will leave the other gear for when she finally discovers them herself!

I think the rolling pins are to roll over sore muscles to relieve tightness? But I am sure there are ladies in the know that can confirm!

I have seen all these things of which you speak when looking around at the ballet world online. Luckily as my daughter has not ventured out much past her local classes she doesn't know about them yet and I am not telling her! She used some gift money to buy a portable barre for her room which is a big enough expenditure for now! But I bet requests for snow boots lol and "trash bag pants" knitted shorts etc will come. Hey I knit maybe I should look up some patterns in anticipation!

The topic I started has certainly evolved! I like the idea of the title change! Fits all the different subjects...

Well deserved! Wow New York City! Have fun!! Edited to correct annoying autocorrect!

I was only talking about my daughters insecurities about a growing chest I certainly wouldn't think anyone who is flat chested is a stick insect. These girls work hard and I think they look great! They could probably outlast some guys in endurance and strength. Ballet is not for the weak!

I would love to have some old pointe shoes. My DD is still on her first pair but I am a crafter and would love an old pair to decorate with flowers and other craft goodies I have and hang off my daughters wall as a decoration. I could do a similar decor with your own shoes for you if you wanted in exchange for a few pairs of dead pointe shoes! Please pm me if you'd be willing to send over some shoes to Ireland, I could pay the shipping costs?

At 7 my daughter didn't practice at home but still got distinction... She decided to be more serious and does practice before exams now and do some stretches etc for only a few minutes most days but I don't think they recommend the DC practicing things too much at home in case they are doing things wrong and repeat bad habits they have to correct again at class.... I definitely wouldn't worry about it at 7 though, then and now my daughter dances down grocery aisles, across room to get a book, put away dishes etc, that is her main form of at home dance lol!

Snowflake, I'd say having a teacher there to get the poses right and choose best photos is important, if you didn't have that before. A professional photographer wouldn't know when she was in the best position for the photos but the teacher would... I just used my iPad to snap photos!

Ours were done in a church hall with no windows, and striped painted walls...not ideal at all...but the teacher was helping get the poses right and helped select which ones we sent. She got priority waiting list not in but still a move in the right direction since she go a no last year...

It sounds like places can come up last minute Balletqueen and your daughter has a good chance getting one if that happens!! Never say never!

Thinking of you and wishing the best your family. Rant away, we are here to support and listen!