Petalviolet

21st is their assessments I know that much? I shall keep a beady eye on website from now on.

Interestingly last time I was there I couldn't access Balletco through the Tring wifi? Other forums were available but not this one. Make of that what you will.

Delicate PV didn't join them on Tring trip today owing to me being poorly. Never trust a vegetarian in charge of a BBQ.

Just had a phone call from Mr PV who has arrived at Tring to be told all classes cancelled today for auditions! Apparently there has been some miscommunication...

We didn't get any notification so thought I'd post on here in case anybody else was thinking of travelling to the later classes. If you did get an email let me know as it's a four hour round trip for us to Tring so Pater PV not very impressed.

Love YDA!

Good luck everyone!

In show of support I will dust off and waive my lucky pom pins

pin poms

pomspi

pompsp

pumps

OH MY GOD BLOODY AUTOCORRECT.

pom poems.

pomegranites

pom poms 

.

We also have the pivotal French elections..

My other half is far more politically minded than I am. I look to him for warning signs. I don't know what contingency he is planning for but whenever he starts stockpiling cans of lobster bisque you can bet troubles a'brewing.

We've been required to be a tomato once?

Closest to tap I can suggest...

As far as I know English Youth Ballet, National Youth Ballet and London Children's Ballet don't require tap as part of the audition process. Which schemes does your ballet teacher mean?

Three bags of wotsits.

Three whole bags of wotsits before I could get any closure on this last night.

Not even my wotsits.

DD has a very nutritious oat based after school snack today which she won't appreciate one bit.

*can't go to bed now.

That thread got me through bunion surgery. I salute it.

Thank you, I'm a mere BalletCo pipsqueak in comparison to the glory and majesty of the contributions on the Simply Adult thread - may it never end.

Ah. Must be toes. Toes that were being very very bad. Naughty toes. Naughty phalanges has less of a ring to it.

DD's teacher went through a strange period of focusing on one particular correction, almost to the point of mania, for a random fortnight earlier this year but I've no idea what she was referring to or why. Either the correction has been applied or she's given up as I've not heard reference to it lately.

"Watch your filangees!" Or Phil and gees. Feelanjis.

What was she going on about? I don't like the sound of it which is why it stuck in my mind. I think (before you correct me) that a philangee to a dancer is like a gill on a fish? Behind the ear. Or in region of inside upper thigh of which I don't wish to speak.

It's the type of word that just makes me want to pluck out my mind's eye.

Look people, I'm not angry with you, I'm just so disappointed you're not giving the thread a chance to fulfil its potential

I can't begin to tell you how funny this is. Chortling.

A classic sign.

Mine was only interested in challenging gravity in that dogged fashion by mountaineering up slide irrespective of anybody coming down OR due to damp circumstances of self and/or equipment v v v irritatingly slowly squeaking her way down to mid point then sticking. No splits. No such balletic aplomb.

Do you think some children are born with a natural inclination to turn out as well? Even in some tiny babies of two years old just starting out you will see some naturally just adopt a turned out position whilst almost adult teenagers on stage, waiting for applause etc might relax into a parallel position when they don't feel observed?

That's what the P in PV stands for..Pro.

Ok it doesn't.

Exactly. To paraphrase for all the non dancers or less adulty adults amongst us;

If the straighty bits can't or won't stay straight then all the twiddling will do is impress the likes of mum and dad and that's just fine but better get that sorted whilst your little so you can enjoy lovely ballet and also become a very successful brain surgeon who will pay for mum and dad to go on lots of lovely cruises in their old age or get Invisalign braces, liposuction and a facelift which is what I urgently need.

That is an excellent point proballetdancer, especially for a non dancing parent who simply cannot SEE a turned out dance step. Turn out is the foundation of good solid ballet technique and if you don't recognise that and all you can appreciate are pretty arms and a nice face and being in time with the music you can understand its sometimes disappointing and frustrating for children and parents alike?

I can see what a turned out hip looks like if a child is in 1st or from a pose for an audition photograph but when the child starts moving from step to step - it's a mystery. I can see that the steps maybe flow a bit better or look smoother but that's only a general impression. If the bit above the tutu skirt seems in good order to me it gets a thumbs up and then I turn to my ballet chum with a face of sage and wise expert opinion "oh yes that was a lovely dance etc" and see their face of horror then have them start to guffaw..possibly a look of pity, an eye roll, pat on the arm..

OR I see a dance that seems composed of mostly sliding from left to right or jumping left to right (sorry that's the best way I can describe it...less twiddly more straighty) and I don't rate it at all but it scores very highly, what the choreography is probably showing is a simple dance utilising a child's naturally good turn out which is appreciated by an adjudicator more highly than say...eyes and teeth and pretty arms. It's much harder to turn out so it should be but as a non dancer I don't get that.

Well all I know is that it takes an incredible amount of focus and attention to make it through hundreds of dances each day and critique them all. I only had to witness three or four sections and my komats were feeling distinctly numb.

I'm sure points are deducted for a floppy axe.

Interesting- thank you!

We are speaking of scarves and Isadora Duncan in the same thread...oh dear :-(

Classical Greek is a genre of its own. You can have Greek folk dances in a national section of course but that's completely different.

Classical Greek is a style of dance largely developed by Ruby Ginner in the early 20th century and the dances tend to be based either on ancient Greek legends or natural themes like flowers and animals. There are quite a few subdivisions of the genre, such as lyrical and athletic styles each with a specific vocabulary and choreographic style.

Wow! The dance world expands exponentially before pv's eyes. So you could have a dance that was pretending to be sprinters at the ancient Olympics or you're a faun etc and not because your dance school is bonkers (my first thought) but because this is A THING and goes back actually quite a long way..but not quite as far as you think but still..quite far? I've learnt something today.

The mind boggles.

Lovely dancing but risky with prongs and sheets and daggers. Found the little bit of National with ribbons very serene and soothing after the "eyes and teeth". They should do more of that, it's like visual sorbet.

I am so glad that my daughter no longer does national dancing. It felt like torture having to sit through the classes at festivals. My worst national experience was a whole day/competition specifically for national dancing. I still have flashbacks..

 

Is Greek a National dance or its own thing? I have seen two Greek dances this week - is there always a lot of bed linen?