amum/Cathy

Thanks Fiz. That’s reassuring.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CGDL86ST?th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true I came across this via a tweet from the author. Not out yet but on the surface it’s sensationalising the awful Ballet West Scotland saga… I realise I’ve not been on here for ages, so apologies if this has been highlighted before.

Hi Margate, Good luck with your decision. My son was unusual in that he went to university to do a humanities degree (having completed his ballet etc exams while at a normal school) but danced intensively in his spare time, then did the postgraduate diploma at Laban, and then successfully auditioned for the Masters. One or two people from the dance societies at his university (Warwick) had successfully gone down this route.

Congratulations Margate! You don’t mention what level your ballet is already at. I’ll echo Pas de Quatre and meadowblythe; my son did the Masters in dance performance at Laban and had to traipse from Greenwich into the centre of London for any extra classes at his level (he had Advanced 1&2 ballet). Professional level classes were daytime and clashed with Laban classes so he was limited to the weekends. In the end he found a convenient Intermediate class with a sympathetic teacher who would give him extra teaching during the class so he was working at a higher level.

Alison it's a consultant physician specialising in immunological diseases and disorders. They are generally looking to rule out autoimmune disease (eg thyroid or lupus) when patients are referred with a potential diagnosis of CFS/ME, but also infections (such as Lyme disease if there's a possibility of tick exposure). The GPs should be doing an autoimmune screen blood test anyway but the immunologist may consider rarer ones.

Thanks for the article Jane. Alison the ones who recovered relatively quickly were the ones who were picked up straight away, as soon their post viral fatigue period was ended and they still had symptoms they were referred to the Immunologist and started working with a key worker. Those who were shunted around from doctor to doctor without anyone properly taking responsibility for getting them investigated and diagnosed did less well. The longer they had the symptoms before getting the help they needed the longer it took to see improvement, basically.

Completely agree about the flu jab. I've always paid for my dcs too. That's interesting about not knowing how prevalent myocarditis is for influenza. In fact we have no idea for chronic fatigue syndrome patients either I suspect. Cardiac investigations weren't on the protocol for diagnosing CFS when I worked with CFS patients. Probably only those with POTS ( Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) got those investigations, and then it was some years down the line.

Alison I agree completely with everything you have said here. Thanks for posting. I worked in General Practice with CFS sufferers for about 10 years - often seeing them through from first presentation until recovery. That warning to "rest when you are ill and allow recovery time" is one I gave often to patients attending with acute viral illnesses. Often those who go on to suffer CFS are those working flat out physically and mentally, who are too impatient or driven to slow down and follow that advice. I'm scared for our dc dancers. I wish I knew the colleges/schools were watching out for it and insisting students were aware of the issue.

This is an easier article to read about the study of athletes on a US student sport scheme who had MRIs of their heart done. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/14/health/covid-heart-inflammation-athletes-study/index.html

Is anyone else worrying about their dancing dcs not allowing for recovery time if they get COVI-19? I haven’t really looked into the incidence of myocarditis yet but I came across this article this morning. https://www.wired.com/story/if-youve-just-had-covid-exercise-might-not-be-good-for-you/ talking about myocarditis in athletes. Are any of the vocational schools/colleges monitoring or warning their students? After a summer of zoom classes with ds home where I could keep an eye on him, he’s now back to Trinity Laban where I have to trust he’ll be sensible.

Trinity Laban are screening this year's Transitions Dance Company (their postgrad student MA/MFA company) production online from tomorrow for a week if anyone is interested; https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/news/transitions-dc-presents-their-first-ever-dance-film DOI my ds will be in this company next year!

Thanks bridiem and bangorboy. He’s got limited space at the moment as we’ve put him in the guest room which has its own bathroom and outside door, just to make sure he hasn’t brought the CV from London. We’ll let him into the main house on Tuesday when he will be able to swing his legs a little more freely. Maybe no grand jetes though 🤣

Ds home from Trinity Laban, which stopped classes on Monday (he’s on the Graduate Dance Diploma). Luckily they’d finished the auditions and recalls for the MA inDance Performance/Transitions Dance Company and he’s on it for September regardless of what happens this summer. But who knows what will be happening come the autumn. I feel sorry for this year’s Transitions’ dancers as they trained last autumn and started their company tour only recently - which they must now be missing. He’s trying to find online classes to keep himself going. Apparently there was an ENB one this morning?

We've crossed paths so often on here and notapushymum and mumsnet and yet never met! Wishing your dd good luck in her career Pictures. It's been so helpful reading your posts over the years. Thank you.

I’ve just come on here and found some of my posts about ds have been tagged. He did a humanities degree but lots of student dance at Warwick University. He’s now on the Graduate diploma course at Trinity Laban (self funded but with a partial award) and is going to try auditioning for the Masters course, which involves touring with the student company, which should be eligible for a postgraduate student loan, we believe. One of his tutors at the college followed the same route. Hope that’s helpful as an update for his pathway via a “non dance” academic degree. A fellow student and friend from Warwick now teaches occasional classes at Pineapple studios, amongst other things, although she had considerably more training pre university than ds.