Peanut68

That is a very good point to raise Legs!! It really does appear as if there is no coherent & thought through joined up process to the MDS & possibly DaDa funding....

The MDS awards are targeted towards the ‘most suitable for classical training’ (I think this is roughly the wording I read back in the day....) though actually individual needs/circumstances etc are taken into account.eg. Hammond may offer bursary to those in higher family income bracket & the MDS to others requiring higher level of funding as this could behold them with travel etc too. So not always just 100% talent based....lots to consider. Also remember some students at all schools may well be in receipt of various funding assistance. eg. military families, Masonic & other organisations offering arts education funding, wider family assistance.

I think the first round interview date is today so 🤞🏻🤞🏻the perfect person is with them today!! The start date is April.... but I agree unless people/places are already ‘booked’ then who knows when things will be announced?

In order to qualify to offer MDS the 4 schools have to offer chiefly Classical Ballet focus.... Hence lower school Hammond timetable is predominantly ballet focus. Tring Dance Course (lower & Upper School) is Classical Ballet focus & in my cross ref of all 4 schools timetables for years 10 & 11, Tring has every bit as much Ballet as RBS & Elmhurst.

Was wondering too.... First round nterviews should’ve now taken place I think for the freelance General Manager role advertised....though I must say the brief for that seemed so not clearly determined IMHO that I wonder if they have had suitable applicants?

Wish I were! Where is it being held? I enjoyed a 2 day ballet retreat held at Rambert last year...it as my first (only) one. Teachers & other dancers (many who all knew one another & teachers from previous retreats/masterclasses/regular classses) all very welcoming & inclusive so I soon felt part of it all! Lovely to have 2 days to immerse in ballet & nothing else (I tied it in with watching ballet in the evening too!) Enjoy!

Several years ago when DC was year 7 & wait list we’d been told there were likely to be 6 MDS & were forewarned that reserve list was long & DC not that high up on it & boys always sought....!I think in the end there were 7 given our that year - bit at least one went to a current pupil in older year group. Sadly not one for us that year.... I think info is more open & transparent now from schools.... Bit still think it is the government sharing of funds out to the schools that needs looking into for fairness so that it is a known fact how many each school can & do offer & that the 4 schools (this maybe should be more?) each have a pro rata equal share. (ie. a school with a higher intake should necessarily have a higher ratio of pot that one with fewer maximum places) On the info that was around at the time there was certainly the assumption that technically 24 MDS could be given out to year 7 White Lodge joiners.... though in reality figure will likely have been less as there would probably be some joiners from overseas or who financially were outside of funding criteria. And possibly same situation for Elmhurst. Tring (& Hammond possibly?) have smaller intake onto Dance (Classical) course so it wouid make sense that it would have fewer to give out, but based on the other 2 mentioned schools surely they should be able to offer to all year 7 qualifying joiners? If it were an even playing field....hmmm. The government are responsible for much of this lining up a ‘pecking’ order of dance schools..... it should be that if a school deemed good enough to be granted government money then there ought to be equality. After all, different schools suit different students - it’s not necessarily always just about going to where you get a place based on an order of supremacy!!

The Point at Eastleigh has an impressive programme of dance both to watch & participate in - regular classes & one off courses across age groups... Only ever been to watch things as it’s quite far from me but looks to be lots going on & not far from Basingstoke!

I’m of the opinion that funding - especially if it is the government money via MDS or DaDa funding - should be transparent & it surely is the government who should be making information available. Then perhaps more of a level playing field may actually develop? Data request rules must permit asking those questions? I have no idea personally on the facts/rules etc just the ‘impression’ I think we all have that Royal & Elm can pretty much give out an MDS to any child qualifying on the resident & finance rules but that Hammond & Tring have fewer awards annually that they can give.... So does that mean Royal & Elm potentially could offer MDS to at least 12 girls & 12 boys entering year 7 every year plus others with later years entry? So over 24 awards annually potentially? Yet on here there’s been mention of the only other 2 schools who receive this funding for dance as only having perhaps 6-8 awards in any one year to give out across the year groups.... As I say, personally no idea of actual facts/figures but do think a challenge for open info is long overdue! The schools themselves should be challenging this anomaly! If only 4 schools deemed worthy of government (well taxpayer) money then surely they should be on an equal footing? There are many more music schools (some attached to ‘choir schools’ of major Cathedrals & the such) in this funding programme & looks like on the whole these continue to fund under MDS criteria all the way through to A-Level age; families not moving to the less money generous DaDa as is often the case in dance. I’d hazard a bet that they have same percentage of pupils who can be funded without this silly ‘pecking order’ that we have allowed to develop in dance....& without the goal posts moving for post 16 funding too which is an extremely big issue for decision making post 16! Lets have the info & push for transparency, fairness & equality!!

Tring Park offer some specific boys only programmes - ‘kick start for boys’ https://www.tringpark.com/associated-courses/kick-start-boys-programme and an upcoming day with opportunity to audition for funding towards associate type/holiday courses I believe https://www.tringpark.com/associated-courses/boys-day-of-dance-and-paul-watson-bursary

Very well explained pups mum....I too was wondering about the ‘child welfare’ as we’ve all seen horror clips on uTube etc of so called pro teachers pushing kids far beyond what we wouid deem acceptable in terms of stretching, hours worked etc. Even physical abuse - I do recall canes being used to ‘tap’ legs to straighten in my young years (1970’s.... guest Russian teacher!!) & can quite believe this type of thing may well still be ‘the norm’ in some studios....I do hope not though... I often wonder how these hot houses youngsters develop once out of clutches of over ambitions parents/teachers/mentors/sponsors & can make their own choices & life decisions..... Am thinking of parallel examples of ‘winderkinds’ who to my mind often change tack quite forcefully.... would it be fair of me to suggest looking at Charlotte Chirch, Vanessa Mae, Milley Cyrus?

I agee Unicorn..... also the occasional 🤮too!!! 🤣

Remember that admin staff generally work regular working hours during much of ‘school holiday’ periods

I think this is a Q we should all be asking of all the schools!! And IMHO I would expect ALL staff from bottom to top - even the academic ‘business’ principal - to know all pupils (in institutions where year groups are well under 40 generally) by name!!!

Next weeks London Book Fair has just been cancelled....massive blow to publishing industry....huge repercussions if more of these sort of these get canned to finances of many of us I expect 😲

🤔

You say North West.... The Hammond in Chester run programmes too. Remember mall the various ‘Associste’ schemes out there have commitments that will often impact the whole family with time/travel/finance so important to get the right balance & go try out for best options to suit your individual life situation! There is also Tring CBA which I think is only once a month but a decent length session so actually whilst it could be a long journey at least it’s only once a month not weekly but could well provide similar hours of training as a weekly programme might and might be more economical with fewer journeys (my DD did this - it was a 2.5 hour journey but Sunday traffic was good & could tie if in with visiting family who lived near to Tring) Good luck!

Students in any field generally have need of a plan B plan C & plan D & during working years some of us may actually find we’ve pretty much gone through the alphabet!! Gutted cruiseceorj uniikey to ever be a take up option by my offspring....gets seriously seasick in any size boat!! So no cheap cruises for me sadly 😟

No! Most definitely the other ‘Mother’ is the insensitive one!!! And proof that perhaps you & your DD might actually be luckily out the other side of the (sadly at times) far too critical, far too bitchy, far too insultated & far too full of small minded idiots like her Classical world!

Guess it’s like Uni Students.... I know of students on Laban dance degree courses a few years ago who each summer during course went to work at Camp Americas as dance coach - taught ballet/contemp/modern & choreographed for shows etc. Gained huge experience & confidence & free travel with some pay!!! Might be worth researching these places now.... Guess it may well only be open to ages over 18.... students I know only went to Laban after completing A-levels & training at local schools - still amazing dancers btw....proof that voc school from 11 or 16 not always the be all end all! Have also heard of cruise ship/overseas holiday hotels/holiday camps etc giving summer holiday contracts.... obs not really Classical & im also guessing that no longer for U18’s (as in my day...)

Does mean they’d have time to do one of those (crazy long) (crazy expensive) USA intensives I guess.....

The only careers advice I received in 2 years of Upper School vocational training (many years ago now...) was ‘if you are serious about a classical career then you really need to consider a body reduction’ !!! To a 16/17 year old !! 😱😱😱 That ‘advice’ would perhaps be considered as verging on child abuse these days!! And crazy thing was at the time I doubt I even fully filled a 30B cup!!!! In the world of ballet I felt huge - so much so giving up seemed the only option - then in the ‘real’ world my chest seemed somewhat inadequate with no heads turned on the beach 🤣 Mind you, I’d oh so happily trade the (where did they come from???) DD’s for a B cup now! Not enough though to resort to the knife (& clearly not enough to resort to proper diet & lifestyle changes ie. giving up cake/wine either 😂)

Yes, I can see how this could be a minefield....& how maybe ‘deals’ could be struck... but surely that should never be necessary if businesses felt beyond recourse??? T’s & C’s are usually pretty standard & well known about in advance..... And btw, removing kids is doable & must surely be seriously considered if in best short term & long term interests of a child & family?

Sad but undoubtedly true