Nama

I think my point is that the instance of conflict of interest in ballet world is in the example where - for example - your child auditions for a spot at upper school. They get 1 class to show their capabilities. They could be in a class against another student who was coached by the AD privately. A student who had attended a us summer school and had a series of private lessons by the AD or a student who is connected to a teacher or panel member either via family or past teaching. Would you feel that it was a level playing field for your child. Another example is - would you be comfortable if your child was in a class and competing against another student who’s mum paid a current teacher at the school to teach at her own summer school in the holidays. That same teacher then selects students for rolls in performances et. Its this type of conflict of interest that needs to be highlighted and addressed. Its going on in major schools. Parents need to ask what is the schools conflict of interest policy. Is it available to all parents. Are the parents aware of the conflicts in their child’s class. It’s a business in which opportunity is on a selected basis and can be hidden in style or artistic choices - the perception of conflict is as important as the actual conflicts. I’m saying. - go find out what’s happening at your child’s school - find out if it’s a level playing field. You wouldn’t accept it in a normal school. Don’t accept that ballet world is different. Go ask.

I believe that people promoting their ballet summer schools or extra programs around the ballet world all know that the attraction for students - especially the ones wanting to progress to a career in ballet - need to offer not only fabulous teachers but a showcase type aspect to influential directors and sponsors. This is especially true to RBS and other top schools. Why is it then people go to Prix or YAGP etc to name the top comps. For showcasing as well as scholarships. It is naive to believe in this ballet world that exists today that a student can get a top spot at an upper school without showcase to an AD or via an influential teacher or comp winner. Just look at the kids in the schools. Look at the offers received at Summer schools for automatic entry/ entry to finals/ international scholars etc etc. Why do you think RBS offers endless audition opportunities as part of their spring/ summer schools and why it’s a widespread thing now across the world. Not only is it a money spinner - huge boost to their coffers - but sells the hope of getting noticed and therefore entrance to the RBS programme. The other poor kids are sending in photos and videos and praying !!! The issue about conflict is so clear - when you put it in context. Is this course more attractive to students because of the showcase opportunity directly to the AD of RBS and the location than it would be if it relied on the reputations and expertise of the course teachers alone. To be blunt - ballet world is currently under the spot light. The time has come for the situation for ballet students to be considered in the same regulatory and legal environment as every other institution and ballet world has to stop believing in its own exceptionalism . This should include the way courses are advertised to students.

Isn’t there a conflict of interest here when applying for a position at RBS. Is Mr Powney excusing himself as a AD when deciding on the placement of these kids in White Lodge or Upper School. I was under the assumption that RBS staff couldn’t coach individual students who then gained a place at RBS. If it was an RBS course then there wouldn’t be an issue. It seems blurred lines here - a course offered by a company so close to an RBS staff member in RBS buildings but not by RBS staff and I assume run for profit. Not for the benefit of RBS. This looks a difficult position for the AD and conflict of interest perceptions.

Agree. Often there is a carry forward from past experiences of the teachers. I think that given the experience of my daughter and what has been said to me - the RAD or the schools inspectorate needs to step in. They need to oversea a training and registration system that teaches the teachers what is the acceptable communication and mental health protection strategies that are required in a modern system. In an instance we saw the teacher was suspended after a confrontation with a student - disgracefully in a parent viewing day. The Mum called him out about humiliation to her student in an open class. Parents obviously complained and teacher was suspended for a week. That’s not good enough for all concerned - the teacher needs help to re-train. It was very brave of the mum. The teachers - from my experience and we pointed out the damaging impact of language to students and also actions. If an AD steps in to a rehearsal and openly removed students from roles in rehearsals. That’s damaging. We requested a side conversation to limit damage. We demanded changes to the way students are spoken to and the mental health consequence. We are still fighting for better mental health and communication in ballet schools.

The school should have counselling as part of the staff. And if that’s all full they usually have a connection with an outside counselling service. If should be viewed as any other medical service like physio or go. I know that it’s supposed to be kept separate but unsure that rule is kept. Anyway I know my daughter sought counselling and waited in the line as all appointments always booked. However I insisted and she got a few sessions and got more as the counsellor realised she needed help. Maybe ask for a confidential talk with the medical staff

My daughter had mental health issues after a very difficult graduate year at a uk prestigious ballet school. She needed considerable mental health treatment from psychiatric doctors and therapy. This treatment at the school and associated company required a lot of rebuilding of her confidence and belief in a future. She’s not the only one - and she’s a very confident and articulate young woman. But even she was shattered. This was despite my constant requests for help ( in person and email) for her from the school AD He and teachers made the assumption that he believed she was ok as she appeared “stoic” and “coping “. My daughter knew that if she collapsed in a heap and let her emotions out in class she would be told to act professionally and learn resilience. It would be held against her. If this was a normal school ignoring mental health issues and openly commenting in a class situation regarding a students emotional state - the institution would be in serious trouble. Parents need to look at the situation as a service and a school environment- if you are unhappy with the service you are paying for call that school management to account ! If it says school over the front door your child deserves to get all the usual protections dictated by law.

I agree. Also the state of the way schools and companies are run - people feel that it is detrimental to show any failings of faults. As pointed out in the article it is often thrown back at you if you show any vulnerability. The girls are constantly told they are all replaceable - so they hide their anxieties and mental health concerns. This starts in schools and is carried to professional careers. The issue of mental health is a serious problem in ballet as an industry. Needs to be brought into the modern workplace and the language and behaviour of artistic directors and teachers needs to be called out.

Agree again - I’ve seen Australian situation and UK. Also my daughter had first hand experience of a favoured student being very slow to pick up choreography in a newly choreographed ballet with a very famous uk choreographer. It got so bad that the practice run was stopped and the persons difficulties pointed out - the comment was despite how great you look your useless to the company if you can’t do the dance with the rest of the corps. Despite being known for slow pick up of choreography and being constantly replaced by other dancers this person is now in the job and employed. Crazy ballet world. !!!

Totally agree. We’ve all experienced it. In auditions kids get cut and sent out after the first exercise on the barre. That is certainly a size issue. Also the size maximum listed on coy audition criteria. That’s ok - we all know what they want. But be honest - don’t waste people’s money and time and the damage done to the candidates confidence who are rejected and don’t know why. The kids watch the candidates and know who is a better dancer. They see the technical faults and know that size is a key factor. Many of the students in my daughters graduate class were constantly injured and unwell. They had no stamina and fitness. That’s why the healthy strong kids danced more filling in endlessly for the favoured student as they were too ill to dance. Vulnerable to damaged legs and to diseases. Just too unhealthy to maintain the demands of daily dancing. It’s ironic that seeing those same super skinny weak dancers have bulked up to almost normal levels when in coys and the daily requirements have necessitated healthy habits in regards to food. So why chose the skinny weak ones then require them to eat properly and get muscle tone when they’ve got the job in the coys. This is particularly evident in the famous coys

Yes. The medical info and help is readily available and everyone knows. But - the industry is at fault. Look at the winners of prix etc. Skin and bone for the winners. My daughter and I have seen girls for years eating just nuts. Carrots and orange juice for a main meal. And that includes in the boarding houses. Girls with bone density degradation at 19. No periods for years. Hair falling out and excess hair fuzz growing on arms and back. All the signs of eating disorders. And teachers in class that praise weight loss. They must think that the dancer is not healthy. The measuring for costumes on the largest girl and making comment if it fits so and so it will fit everyone. Measuring for students to do an exchange with an over seas school. It’s subtle but the dancers know the language- the whole industry does. The comments. She’s a strong dancer. She’s tall. Needs to tone up. Lengthen the body. All language about size. If schools produce healthy dancers then the coys have to take that shape. It shouldn’t be governed by a beauty parade first and if they can dance second. Otherwise why are we paying to train these kids. If it’s a skinny beauty contest. Then admit it is. Don’t pretend to the parents paying the fees and stop taking the tax payers money. Even the summer schools are a beauty parade based on a photo. This industry is toxic to kids and I know as my daughter been all the way through to the very top and walked away. Happy she’s now judged on all her personal attributes including her brain in her new career.

I agree. I’ve seen students so thin they don’t even fit the child’s size leotards. They are skin and bone. Praised by the teachers for beautiful line but over be t feet and sway back legs. No muscle or tone - just like a very skinny child not a young woman. The downside is numerous examples in those classes at the top level are starving for that shape and over exercising. Many cases of told to sit out and watch until a few kilos return - but as soon as teacher leaves - excessive training again. And the message it sends to the class is loose weight to that level and you will be praised. The opposite is the dietician appears at the class door and hands you a note for a visit. The message is lose weight to become as the one teacher says “ audition ready”. Very negative cycle. All get to the lowest point to achieve success or be left out of casting. The top schools say it’s not happening anymore. Yes it is. Yet they hide behind fancy statements of pastoral and nutritionist and equipment.

As a tip for ballet audition videos - there are loads on YouTube and you can see they tend to follow a pattern. Ideally practice beforehand loads and get the teacher or coach to help. Especially with the angle and fine tuning. I’ve been told loads of time that they tend to scan through so a good strong start is always a good idea.

From the experience of my dd it is also a question of the level of pastoral care provided by the schools attached housing set up as well. The whole concept of pastoral care across the school needs attention. The idea a school can say we have done enough for the students - or that they had more attention than any other etc - fails to recognise that all students have different pastoral and mental health issues at different times. The system needs to be flexible and accommodating. A duty of care is a human issue and a moral one too. The schools inspectorate needs to look further and question more widely.

I think that there needs to be a good look at the various schools complaints policies and practices. Speaking from experience it’s very daunting to initiate a complaint and to follow through to a conclusion is very draining for parents and students. The fact that parents and students struggle to be heard and know that the experience will be combative. There needs to be an independent body outside of school governors and staff that parents can appeal to outside of getting lawyers and challenging the school. Independence is the key. 1 supposed independent person on a school initiated panel ( as required under schools inspectorate guidelines) is not enough to ensure justice for parents who have genuine complaints.

My daughter was at a uk ballet school and has since graduated and quit ballet. The idea of resilience and being “ stoic “ despite the situation around the student and whatever issues they are dealing with was always called “ professionalism” and it was expected of the students at the school. They are told to make it in the industry you need to exhibit professionalism. Also the feeling that troublemakers or complaints would be held against the student. Especially if parents complain and seek clarification of the treatment experienced by the student. Also the weighing of students was regular and constant. The passing of a note to a student in class to attend the nurse or nutritionist- openly done and everyone in the class knew it meant issues with body. The whole body image was marked on the assessment form each year. You did get a number ranking. You are spoken to about being “ audition ready”. Students were removed at the last rehearsals as being too big in the eye of the guest choreographer. Costumes were sometimes sent from Japan and girls who couldn’t fit the costumes were told they couldn’t dance in the performances. Praise was openly made in class when a student had lost weight. Weight and size are a constant for girls - even the audition applications around the world ask height and weight as the first questions. Some company applications restrict height to even apply. The image of the girls is paramount to this industry and seems to be if they have the right look but lack the technique etc. They still get offered a job or place. I’m sure nothing has changed - but the schools need to appear to have changed their process to protect children and their management. It should be remembered and enforced (by relevant authorities) that these are schools and they have a duty of care to the students first. And this should be in co-ordination with the parents and with full disclosure to the parents at all times.

Totally agree with comments made by Goldenlily17 about RBS. The situation with casting has become very unpleasant with the majority of the kids. Large number of parent complaints and kids openly complaining to stafff. These are not the young kids either that don't comprehend the "industry practice " these are young adults that have been at the school for a number of years and have contact with external professionals who agree the treatment of the students is not in line with their industry experience. And yes I do have a dd at RBS - so I know directly what I have seen and heard.

As a mum of a DC who went through the WL SS from a young age to WL full time and now RBS US student. I can say that things appear to have changed over the years. Increasingly it seems SS is offered as incentives at competitions internationally and the focus is shifting to international competition dancers. The chances of getting into the SS appear tougher today if these other places are prioritised over the online applications.