irishballetmom

Thanks for all the kind comments. We know she is behind others her age who have access to more hours of classes. She is very flexible, Lin, but her problem is she doesn't have the strength built up to really show it lol. She has her splits and 180 turnout when tested for it ( though not always while dancing, she has to remember to keep it engaged ) her extensions aren't high yet but when lifted by teacher or held with her own arm can go up to her ear lol... Teacher has started her doing floor barre at home to strengthen but only time will tell if she has focus and drive to try for her dream... It is a competitive and scary world and odds are stacked against her, but we will help where it is feasible and within our means as long as she is passionate about it! I do admit though that I am an unlikely ballet mom, would be content to see her change her path if she decides to later! I do love to watch her dance as she loves it so much though... I knew nothing of the bigger ballet world outside our village before this time last year when her teacher suggested trying for RBS summer school, the more I research and learn about the ballet world, the more daunted I am. On YouTube there are kids so much younger than her so much more advanced...kids dancing 4,5,6 days a week to train lol we just don't have access to that... It is hard sometimes not too be too realistic when talking to her about trying for her dreams, but don't want to discourage her, just not get her hopes too high to come crashing down. How do you other lovely and very knowledgable ladies deal with all of this? It is definitely a roller coaster ride, started at ge 9 when she told me her dream lol! And getting scarier when her teacher didn't say it was completely unrealistic... Maybe I should post this as another thread and get some good advice for moving forward!

We did an audition video on Saturday and hope we included everything we need. My daughter is very new on pointe and just turned 12 in November so we had to include it for the video! Do you think this looks ok? She is only getting more than 2 hours a week this year, as we live out in the countryside and have access to just one very good teacher... It is her dream to try for vocational school at 16 and professional dancing, we will find out soon enough if it is a realistic one!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IKTmGRGkvU

I am American, but my husband and children are Irish! I am small and round lol you sound very elegant compared to me. My daughter is slim, petite and red headed! Ho studiato Italiano (French and German too!) all' università, posso praticare un po! Our DVD will be last minute as well, but will try anyway to organise it with the teacher.

Thank you Zaccharoviti! I know it is a very small chance but it will be zero chance if we don't apply. So I just need a note from doctor and then separate note saying we will pay insurance if she is accepted? How did you do your video, it looks like I need to send DVD rather than a YouTube link? I see you are going to be at same RBS audition, maybe I will see you there

My daughter wants to send in a video audition for the summer school. Her ballet teacher sent her home with a POB school documentary last year and now it is a big dream of hers to visit there. They ask for a medical and insurance certificate. For those that live in countries where those dont exist what have you used? We only have a few weeks to organise so not sure it is feasible. I guess I should email the school to get clarification. For those of you who have done videos do you have links to share how you set them up? She is just 12 since November and just got pointe shoes so not sure how that section will be. Thanks for any help you can offer!

We are coming from Ireland to audition for Year 8, but don't really expect too much as there is such competition for so few places, it is more for the experience. My good friend lives near White Lodge/Richmond, though we won't be auditioning there we found out lol! Will be a great day and she will see the world she wants to enter, a real eye opener I would say! She is strong dancer in her local countryside studio and does have a lot of facility, but so will all the girls there! I think it will really help her decide if she wants to put in the work she will need for a career, and of course just be amazing to dance at the Royal Ballet School studios! Good luck to all auditioning!

I didn't know about the Northern Ireland summer school! I really am still new to all this so have tried just Royal last year on her teachers recommendation. Will look into it for this summer as the Royal is just one of those dream ones she would love but not very realistic.

We got two emails in the last few weeks... We tried last year with no success and will try another time this year but don't hold out much hope! She loves her ballet and has limited opportunities here in the west of Ireland so we figure there is no harm trying as she does have the right "look" and facility according to teacher! Not sure if we will try a third time next year though!

I am mostly a lurker here, but agree with Cara in NZ, it really needs to be us facilitating what they want to work hard for, it has to come from them and we just need to help make things possible if it is within our financial and logistic means. When my daughter told me she wanted to dance professionally at age 9 and begged me to ask her ballet teacher about it, I talked to her teacher expecting her to tell me it was not a realistic dream for her (she is very honest and wouldn't tell you a child could do something if they couldn't). But she frightened the life out of me and started me down a scary and somewhat costly road of trying to get enough ballet lessons in rural Ireland for a girl with some big dreams in her head! I guess the teacher thinks she has the facility and body shape and talent so far to at least give it a try. I won't fund any extra ballet though if my daughter isn't motivated herself. Her teacher recommended trying for Royal Ballet and POB for the experience... So we will try for summer schools and do the ROB auditon in January for the experience (good friends live near Richmond so this makes that an easy possibility...) My fluent French is not enough for me to let my just turned 12 year old try for POB lol as it would be an extremely long shot and a costly trip for just experience. She still has the dream after several years and is taking as many hours with her teacher as we can and taking master classes and summer schools when she can. Who knows where the journey will take us but I love to see her passion and if she stays focused I will help her where I can, but she has to want it...it isn't my dream it is hers and if she doesn't work for it then I will be happy to see her move on other other passions. I do admit that I do love to watch her dance though!

Well it was a no for us here, but it was lovely that her teacher thought she had the "look" and talent to at least give it a try!!! I think it will be a hard road for us here for her to get the hours of training that make a classical ballet career possible, but we will continue to support her passions and her dreams, there is always teaching or other dance related careers if her big dream doesn't happen!! There is a former ABT soloist doing a summer intensive in the States in my parents town and she has given DD a scholarship to do a two week intensive with her so now we are excited about being able to do that!!! That studio is five minutes from my parents house (I am American married to Irishman!) and it sounds amazing as they have group outings planned after most days of the intensive after their hours of dancing and the maximum students taken are 20 so she will learn a lot! I have been stalking this forum a lot and am just not sure if she will ever be able to get into the UK ballet schools (not any to go for here in Ireland) but I have had a wonderful time following the DDs and DSs journeys here!

Hello from Ireland, just de-lurking here to say congrats to everyone that has heard yeses and waiting list!! My daughter's teacher recommended her to try for the WL Summer School this year and we have applied and are waiting anxiously!! She has been constantly asking me since last week if I have heard anything. It looks like the yeses and and wait lists have gone out so I am not holding out much hope for her. We hadn't even known about the summer school in December and realize that it very unlikely to get a yes, but I just wish we'd got our no/yes/maybe email soon, now that I know they are coming out, the suspense is killing me and she will be home soon to start stalking the email herself!! She is only 11 but told me at 9 she wanted to dance professionally lol. Living out in the west of Ireland it is hard to get opportunities for more than a few hours of ballet a week but her teacher is excellent and she has completed her RAD 3 exam with an 87 at age 11...I think this might be behind the norm of ages and levels, but she is loving her dance and is hoping for a good message today.... Cross your fingers we may have the luck of the Irish later, though I do think it is unlikely, it isn't a no till the email arrives!!