amos73

I am aghast to hear about the puddle of tears Annalisey and I remember your posts about the smacking, I'm not surprised you are so upset and angry about it all, how awful for your dd. I'm so glad that she is no longer in such an abusive environment. As you say dance should never be about that sort of rubbish. X

I think that is it joy of dance, the parents and children have seen various celebrity dance school programmes and believe, misguidedly, that this sort of thing will result in their child becoming fa famous dancer in that mould. The dangerous stretching that appears to go on, along the lines of annalisey's post is also a serious worry, with potential long term damage being done to children's hips etc. The fact that there seems to be no legislation re safe training practices for children is a real concern. Is that the case as I don't know about the legal why's and where fores?

Yes dr dance! And lots of wise words Emma

I think some of them are as young as 7, at least the school trains children that young if not younger, and right up to older teens.

Don't worry, I wasn't going to on here! Only in my mind ...

This is wrong, full stop. And probably dangerous. I dread to think what other dangerous practises are taking place in the name of 'stamina'. There are some schools which post pictures of other kids helping children into stretches that are definitely unsafe for a child to be doing on another child. Ps I have a feeling I coukd hazard a guess as to the name of said school

Sherbet, there are 3 men sitting on the same desk pod as me, (one is the managing partner, another a consultant and his junior,) 2 of these men face the door and one is considerably younger than me (the junior) so they are the faces anyone coming in the front door sees first, yet none of these men get asked to sign for parcels etc! Just saying ...

Kate, this happens to me too. My desk is the first you see as you come through the door (reception is sort of behind the front door) and as I am a woman I am always getting delivery men coming up to me and asking me to sign, assuming I am the receptionist. In fact I am the Finance Director, lol.

That would make me sooooooo cross taxi!

I spoke to highly respected and experienced dance physio recently about this who said she felt it was important for DC to have down-time over the summer holidays, she said exactly what your DS said Meadowblythe, they grow over the summer if they have time to rest. She also said there is a risk of over training if the DC don't get some time off. Her opinion was a week or two of good quality summer school and some open classes was more than enough for DD who is 11 and going into year 7 at vocational school in September. I can see how the value of doing summer schools abroad as well, plus in year before applying for upper schools can imagine important to do more. Apart from anything else we can't afford to do any more than we are with all the costs associated with full time training!

Ah, sorry, yes have read back now. Sorry to hear about your DD's less than satisfactory experience Double Trouble.

I think you could have a point DrDance. More girls apply than boys at 11, there is an emphasis on a particular body aesthetic for girls, that they believe they can train 'their way'. If during puberty their body changes they can get assessed out, equally if it materialises that despite having the perfect body type the training hasn't turned them into 'stand out' dancers they might get assessed out. Boys they have less chance to pick a certain body type as there are not as many to choose from. Does this mean they choose them for other things, as you say, which would benefit in terms of finding stand out dancers? Also, it has been said in the press and discussed on this forum previously that there is a tendency to not encourage stand out, dazzling dancers amongst girls during training, but then to recruit those very same types of dancers as winners of international competitions (that the school does not allow their own home grown students to enter!). These 'stars' are then brought in to the detriment perhaps of the original cohort there? There is a lot to think about here ...

Yes, DD did the easter course as well. Oh, why do you say you would have preferred she had done this summer school instead of RM?

Yes dr dance, 3 hours of ballet a day minimum, plus Pilates and yoga, with some jazz, fosse and contemporary thrown in.

It does get booked up, Emma does sometimes allow people to do part of the week if they have other commitments so you would be best off contacting her through Ballet Boost and speaking to her direct. IT starts at 11am so that people can travel in hopefully at off peak time.

Yes, Anna, there was. Emma Northmore is going to be running one at Easter next year too. It is worth checking out!

My DD took part in Ballet Boost summer course at Pineapple two weeks ago. This week was fantastic. 11-5.30 every day, with ballet class, followed by rep or pointe in the morning, then a workshop in afternoon, (West Side Story, Fosse style class, contemporary, Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty) plus pilates (most days) and yoga every day. Guest teachers for her group, lower seniors, included Sarah Wildor, Peter Parker and Wayne Sleep. She came home every day buzzing and exhausted, having felt she was challenged and had learned loads, plus made lots of friends. The standard was very high, (lots of vocational students attended), and the whole course was extremely well run. It isn't residential, but is in the heart of London, so for anyone with access to London it is definitely worth looking at.

Both have very good teaching as far as I am aware (only had personal experience of YDA though). Would second ballet coach's comment that YDA also have the full time vocational school which is very good and has great exiting destinations for upper schools.

Yes that is right

Hi if you DM me I can help.

I too am very interested, we can't make it this year but my mother has just bought an apartment in Barcelona so am def going to consider it for next year for DD as we won't have to worry about accommodation! If anyone does go would be really interested to hear about it.

YDA full time vocational school has fantastic training, excellent pastoral care and their yr 11 graduates this year are going onto upper schools, Royal, ENB, Tring and Elmhurst. Not quite sure what wouldn't be seen as 'good' about that for anyone who wants to pursue a career in ballet! The associates is excellent too. As of September the teachers for associates will be Anna du Boisson and Kerry the two directors of YDA, and Roberta Marquez, principle dancer with Royal Ballet, and Klara Houdet, Paris Opera Ballet.

I was there with DD and we both also thought there was some really outstanding male talent there. Harrison Lee was phenomenal!