amos73

9 hours ago, SJK said:

HI there - am looking for other parents with dc's attending YBSS this summer. This will be my daughter's first time attending (she's 12) and she won't know anyone so am hoping to connect with others before she goes.  We are London-based but would welcome meeting other dc's (even virtually) no matter where they are from...  Please feel free to PM me (sorry I don't know much about PM-ing - am relatively new to this wonderful forum) or connecting any other way.  I also have some questions about YBSS in terms of the weekly schedule if anyone can share that. 

 

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi my dd and her friend are both 12 and going for the first time to week one. Which week is your dd doing? Pm me if you like.

OMG - they really should have worded it better in the email! It does appear you needed to click it and accept waitlist. Although relieved to hear they assume all will want to be on it unless they hear otherwise. 

It def said you had to click to come off the list - don't tell me we were meant to click it to stay on?!?

25 minutes ago, Lisa O`Brien said:

What I think some parents don't understand sometimes, especially ones who haven't danced themselves is that there might be a particular school, vocational or not where the principal was formerly a professional dancer and trained at say, RBS or somewhere else prestigious. I suppose they maybe use this fact as a selling point. The reality is that a successful professional dancer doesn't always make a successful dance teacher. The two are very different things and the qualities you might find in one don't always transfer to the other. Don't just blindly assume such and such a school "must be good" simply because the Principal was a dancer in a classical ballet company for ten years. 

I would agree, my dd has already at the age of 12 said to me that there are some teachers she has had who are great classical dancers (in some instances have been principles with major companies) but have not had all of the qualities it takes to be a really great teacher. 

56 minutes ago, Flora said:

It's hard to judge surely or be totally categorical about the best thing to do from a pc remotely with little idea of the situation and not knowing the people involved- other than of course to say the right thing to do is put your child first. 

 

We were in a difficult situation at one point with our child involving a teacher and we took the approach suggested by Tabitha and decided to hang on in there. I was in two minds but the time with that teacher was coming to an end and our child was adamant that making a big fuss would also make life harder in class for the few weeks that remained.  The next year everything transformed and general happiness/sense of well being totally revived with a different teacher. In your case, that may or may not be the right thing but I feel for you as they are incredibly difficult decisions to make.

 

Having said all that I suspect you are receiving lots of responses voicing very strong feelings because there are a lot of mothers out there who know there are issues with odd teachers in a number of the UK ballet schools. I'm not a ballet teacher or a dancer but as an outsider I'm shocked by some of the things I have heard - for example, young people vomiting before class because they are quite simply petrified of the teacher or pointing to a child's legs in front of the whole class and saying this exercise will help with that bit of flab on you or saying to a teenager that bit of your body is "disgusting". And happening in more than one school. On what level is this sort of thing acceptable in any school let alone those receiving public tax payer funding? Sadly pianists do not speak out and there is an attitude that in the ballet world "you need to learn to get on with everyone". 

 

 

 

Wow. Tha is truly appalling.

I actually find it hard to believe such treatment of students would be allowed these days with safe guarding and anti bullying policies. Just goes to show ...

Just now, mimi'smom said:

We also had our £100 refunded one year when dd unexpectedly got White Lodge Summer School and a lovely 'hope she enjoys it' message from Miss Porter. I do think the YBSS team works incredibly hard to secure an unprecedented level of funded places and I am so grateful that my daughter, amongst many others, has been able to access such a fabulous summer school with an amazing faculty as a result. 

Good to hear that the deposit was refunded. And yes it is fantastic there are so many scholarships available for the course.

13 hours ago, mimi'smom said:

Thank you Amos73. Is your dd going to be a junior, intermediate or senior? Mine will be senior. 

I'm not sure which group she will be in - she is 12, year 7 full time vocational student. She is really looking forward to it as her best friend also got a place.

I don't know anything about how it is done but would have thought pretty unlikely that someone is assessed out of mids. Good luck to those with assessments!

I didn't realise the deposit was non refundable. I would have thought for anyone who applied for scholarship or bursary and if they really could not afford the course without it wouldn't they have to refund? 

On another note im still not quite clear on how the bursaries are awarded - are they handed out from the sch audition? Or is it purely a means tested financial thing? It isn't made clear on the website. And when the list was published last year of scholarship winners in dancing times it included the list of bursary recipients as if they had also been awarded from audition? 

Congratulations to your dd!

Good news life is good! Which week is your dd going? My dd is week one. 

35 minutes ago, matchstickmen said:

we heard yesterday after the London audition on 30 apr, an offer of a place without scholarship which sadly we have had to turn down as we cannot afford the fees without any help.  they said they were overwhelmed with applications for funding which is suspect is indicative of the fact it appears to be the only summer school which offers the opportunity of funded places.  Sadly for our little family, summer schools are luxuries, so it will be a summer of stretching and swimming to keep dc fit! Was worth a try and there is always next year I guess. Well done to all those who were successful.

 

MM

Really sorry to hear you have had to turn down the place - would it not be worth speaking to them re possibility of a bursary, as whereas the scholarships are given regardless of financial circumstances, the bursaries I think are done based on financial need?

11 hours ago, shygirlsmum said:

Hmmmm..... still no email for us, we were tagged on so perhaps they have forgotten about us ?

I would give them a ring 

I Know various people who got results today after yesterday's audition 

Def think there would be merit in doing yeses and nos before auditions so yeses only could be invited to audition for scholarships 

Did they say when you would hear re scholarships from York?

12 hours ago, shygirlsmum said:

DD has been offered both weeks, I'm still recovering from the shock ?

Congratulations! Did your dd audition in London for a scholarship place?

I don't blame PPV for being less than happy ...

Yep.

So they have said to some from the london audition they are possible scholarship but won't confirm till the other auditions done? I wonder why they don't just wait till all the auditions are done before lettjng people know? Wouldnt it make more sense now they have the video application to do yeses and nos from the videos  then yeses can come to the scholarship audition if they would like? Anyhow good luck to everyone still waiting and I guess those they have said may get sch after York has been done will still have a place so that is good news. X

It seems not. They have definitely awarded yeses with scholarships, yeses without scholarships and nos already. 

Yes enail came today 

I know of definite yeses, without scholarship so I think various  results are out. Dd didn't get a scholarship but has a place so is very happy 

YBSS results seem to be coming out already after the scholarship audition in London last weekend. Bit odd though as they haven't had the York scholarship audition yet?

This is INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!! Amazing and inspiring and incredible. What a journey you have already been on and wow, where it is now taking your DS is the stuff of dreams (dreams based on hard work, commitment, sacrifice and of course 100% support from his family.) CONGRATULATIONS!!

10 hours ago, junedancer said:

Thank you everyone.  I have also come across a course by Ballet Boost to add to those above.  I have also been back through the Forum and noted that YDA ran a course last year.  Does anyone know if they plan to do one this year?

I know of the courses mentioned above and yes, normally YDA do run one, but I haven't had confirmation yet so not sure.