amum/Cathy

Kate_N it's very interesting to hear your perspective. Thank you. I suspected that would be the case, although ds likes the thought of all these extra various points! Ds is looking into Liberal Arts degrees where he could do History and Drama/Theatre/Performance Studies and is looking at the competitive places. Maybe yours is one of them. Putting together the appropriate Personal Satement is going to be a challenge. Some courses interview, some say they don't but their drama degrees do we notice, so we still anticipate an interview +/- an audition style workshop if he is highlighting a desire to major/minor in drama. We suspect the dance qualifications won't help him at all, but performance experience will, hopefully. Also he has just been asked to choreograph the school musical (West Side Story), so that experience will be a handy one to talk about. (Oh and he's in something at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer) Anyone else with a dc trying to find courses that combine the academic and performing arts?

Yes RAD also 33 credits. I think all the main ballet organisations were given the same recognition. The link to it is on another RAD page as it's not UCAS - higher than UCAS. It's the equivalent of first year undergraduate according to the chart drdance linked to.

Hi drdance. Thank you for posting that explanation, and the links. That makes it all look so clear, for me, as well as school. Very useful. Thanks again. Cathy

I'm glad you've posted an individual thread Julie. When the notices first appeared they took ages to drift into my consciousness so I'm sure others have found the same. Something to do with being stickies and the donation links being top right - Usually I mentally shut out the admin stuff and head straight to the active threads on forums I am interested in. Hopefully more will notice your thread. Hope the findraising picks up. The previous round of donations seem to have lasted a long time.....I'm surprised we didn't need another appeal earlier.

Ds is taking his Adv 1 IDTA in a few weeks and I want to ask the school to release him from PE for a few extra private classes. Please can anyone tell me how can I explain the level of the exam to the school (very academic)? It's beyond the UCAS points, as far as I can tell. Is it equivalent to a musical instrument Diploma exam? They would understand that as one or 2 reach that level most years. Also how would it go on the UCAS form if it doesn't attract points? Does he put his Intermediate one under UCAS points and then the Adv 1 under other qualifications under his GCSEs abd music exams etc? We are spending the summer puzzling this all out, but the letter to school needs to be written tonight, so any suggestions/help very welcome..... Thanks

Apologies if it has been said before, but I feel this has been set up to produce a male winner. And I speak as the mother of a male dancer who loves all encouragement to male dancers. The poor girls have put in years more training than the boys and it's not being reflected in the results. I also think the last asian dancer should have had a wild card. The asian girls, like the ballet grils have been training since they were 3. None of the boys have!

I'm with you on this. My ds will probably apply this year but he really doesn't know what he wants to do or where. The school is sending them all to Newcastle University for an open day on 26th June and they were told they would have to have a very good excuse if they didn't want to go. Well ds has his Advanced 1 exam next day, plus a tap, and a jazz exam and didn't want to miss his friday evening classes. It certainly showed us where his priorities were! Anyway he's settled on missing half his jazz class but then doing his Adv 1 class but like you we really don't know what to do about all the open days around the country that he should apparently be checking out....

Thank you all. Brilliant advice. I will buy superglue and screws at B&Q (and pick up some toothpicks somewhere) and try that. Sounds the cheapest option. Ds has always grown out of shoes before we reached this stage before

Just a quick question. Does anyone know where you can buy spare screws for tap shoes please? Ds lost 3, he's suddenly announced - Bloch. Thanks if you can suggest a UK source.

Joining the thread a bit late but I think we had a thread about this which I can't find, but I do have a link which Anjuli might have posted originally - http://sarahjukes.com/2013/01/31/6-reasons-why-ballet-dancers-make-awesome-employees/

Well done. That's wonderful news. What an achievement.

Happy Christmas to all and thanks for the helpful advice and support from everyone on here in 2014. Looking forward to more of the same in 2015!

Oh my goodness what an epic. And sorry to hear of your dd's troubles as well Pictures. Did you actually have the pointe shoes Pups_mum? You didn't have to buy new ones in Covent Garden as well did you? So sorry to hear of all those problems. Just as well you did go down the day before. Fingers crossed for the results.

Good Luck for your dds' exams Pups_mum and Lilac.

The best time to check for returns on the website is approx. 9-11am. Having said that I got my Alice returns 2 weeks ago at 8.30am - and they definitely weren't showing the night before. Good Luck.

Oh No! Sending all our good wishes your way. Lots of rest and maybe things will be OK. Crossing everything here!

Those are lovely Dave, thank you. Any reports on tweaks or changes in the production yet?

Pups_mum and I and our dcs went to to the Lowry Saturday matinee and caught Liam Mower in the role of Edward. Fantastic! I too had some tears in places. Great entertainment but I was slightly disappointed in that the dance content for Liam was less than when we saw him as the Prince in Swan Lake, and Count Lilac in Sleeping Beauty. He is a beautiful actor and takes you on the character journey very movingly, but he has such wonderful classical lines and technique that I would have liked to see more made of these in the choreography. Has the extra dance content in Act 1 increased Edward's dance content already Janet? For me Swan Lake still wins out by far - the music and the emotional journey/content feel so much more powerful. The music for Edward Scissorhands doesn't have much light and shade and feels repetitive.

Thanks DaveM. I'm glad to hear about 2 intervals as I do remember the first act felt way too long. I'd love for anyone to post who spots changes once the performances start!

I saw Wheeldon's Alice on its first run and am seeing it again in December. I would be really interested to know what changes have been made to it since its first season... can anyone summarise please?

Thanks for all the comments and likes. I can remember asking the (male) head in year 7 why the girls had dance as a compulsory PE choice and the boys weren't even offered it as an option. He mumbled something about thinking it wouldn't go down well in this school. We live in a heavily rugby dominated area of the north so I feel this a significant moment 5 years on!

Bumping the thread as I'm bursting with pride. At my son's grammar school's GCSE awards evening last night he was presented with the Trophy for boys sport - for his dance! He's never danced in school but it turns out they are all very proud of him. The applause was amazing!

I'm fairly sure some Hammond boys did a local(ish) EYB a few years ago when they were short of boys for a production. They may have been called in/offered places without an audition. Don't know the details.

I think there's a lot of hard work on her part and yours that's earned her that amazing summer and "open" reference Katymac. Well done to you all. Cathy/Hecouldshine (NAPM)!

Hi C4D. Pups' dd and my ds will have AS levels next June so prob not a good idea to be doing those dates sadly. Buxton might work, provided most rehearsals were in 1/2 term week next October. I imagine that's too far for you? You can email to ask for an idea of rehearsal dates before the audition but they don't usually confirm them definitely until they have the venue confirmed. Can't remember with ours when that happened.