Peanut68

I pay £5 for weekly Adult Ballet Class - approx.1hr 10mins. Well worth it......esp. as only pay when you go. Should add this is in a small southern town....

Well, as ever your humour made me laugh Petalviolet & made me think that £1 a month is well worth it for your comments alone!! So - made my donation for suggested amount via paypal (& got immediate thanks notice & email confirm).

Allgirls - not sure if you are looking just for your DD or planning a 'family' stay but I can recommend looking at getting an airbnb place....DD was in ENB Nutcracker last season & living a long way from London meant a stay so we all upped sticks to London....cheaper than a hotel & bang in centre of Covent Garden which was fab for all! Cooking way cheaper than eating out & no peak time travel costs (in fact once there - no travel costs at all as you really can walk to most places/things from CG) Weigh up all the options & cross ref costs based on location.....sometimes paying more to stay central saves money (& time) in the long run.... A friend does lots of successful homeswaps too...I think it is via homestay.com...... Works great for them.....I just do not think I could ever get my house in good enough order that anyone would want to swap with me, but if you are more of a domestic goddess than me, could be worth looking into....Am thinking I have perhaps 4 years to get ship shape to try for a swap with New York for DD to go to Jeffrey SS like Swan Princess!!! Well - she can aim high (& give her Mum a reason to go to NYC!!!) Good luck! You could also check any London Uni campuses as they often rent out rooms in halls of residence in summer....

drdance - good rational explanations of things we ballet mums really can get in a muddle & worry over, thank you! It does all come down to the fact that everyone is unique & we cannot (nor should we want to!) make our DC's into perfect technical machines. & let's not forget that a performance is only that if there is an audience to appreciate it....& each member of that too is unique with their own interpretations & emotions.

Am wondering how to work a glass on wine into this new exercise regime???Maybe aim for placing glass on floor 3 inches in front of toes....& bend....& rise....& enjoy

Krishell....that sounds too good an opportunity for your DD to pass up......surely there must be some Angel out there who could help fund this?? There seem to be lots of Scholarships that enable Americans to come over here to our Universities to study....are there not any reciprocal programmes? Perhaps a call/email/letter to the US Embassy here might help? Is she at a Vocational school here with funding? Could that funding be transferred to pay for this like when as part of a degree course one year si spent ay a sister university in a foreign city? or could you suggest a transfer with your school...ie. you go to Joffrey, & a Joffrey student goes to your school (or have I got this completely wrong as is with the company? apologies of so!) You both still pay as per your current arrangement (plus of course travel/accom I guess.....again - look for local charities....lots will fund travel programmes (if not the actual frees themselves). I so hope you can try to make this happen - the very best of luck in all things to your DD - she must be a real talent & I am sure will succeed wherever fate takes her!

Well, how many of us are now trying this???......It conquers up quite a picture....!! bums in, bums out? I can definitely get lower if bum out & lean fwd but not an elegant look or the JA audition position I suspect!!

Great news for your DD allgirls! At 15 - is that WL SS or at Floral Lane? has anyone received a 'golden ticket' from wait list for WL SS?

Haven't been on forum for a while so only just seen this.....Petalviolet - you had me in fits! So, we move from doughnuts to more savoury delights.....your 'spatchcock chicken' quote got me thinking it's almost warm enough for a BBQ!! Mmmmm Seriously - some of the stretching at auditions does seem tortuous but I guess it is the way dance is going - ever more gymnastic. It seems that where once a leg line of 180 degrees in say a penchee (spelling right??) was the bees knees, now it's moving beyond even that with legs going beyond what seems humane ......At the risk of being controversial.....not sure I like it..... At times more freak show than artistry. Maybe I am just showing my age......& penchant (rather than penchee!)for doughnuts etc!

We are on it!! I found a cheap & cheerful Italian family owned café with a £1.50 cappuccino when DD was at WL audition - must be the cheapest one in Covent Gdn! On Maiden Lane (I think....) Also, just down from The Coliseum is the most amazing 'street food' Italian for takeaway/eat in Pizza & Pasta.....the best ever! £5 gets a wonderful slice of pizza or a box of Pasta - huge portion & little tip....heard obvious in the know locals asking for half & half...they got a box filled to burst one side pasta (choice of shapes & sauces) one side mixed salad. I coped suit....& it was more than enough for me & my Nutcrackering DD to share. Small Black entrance, same side as Coliseum just down from Cote Cote....might be called Pepe's (but don't hold me to that one - go by your nose; oregano & basil call you in!!)

My DD will be 12 in Sept & she too is not 'en pointe' as yet & I expect many in the youngest group will be same so not worried! Has anyone had any course info through yet (timetable/faculty list/clothing lists etc)? Thanks

Well....fantasy forward planning here as DD is only 11 but thinking if there was any way to buy an investment flat here then she would have somewhere to live & could get flat sharers from ENBS.....how lovely would that all be? Maybe we should start some sort of Ballet Buyers Consortium to purchase a block of flats for dancers!!!

Thanks for the info...will tell my DD to look out for it in a few years time (I fancy a reason to have to go to NYC!).I so need a seriously well paid job to make all these things possible!!

Wow SP - what amazing offers...am I right in thinking you are 16+ & that these Joffrey courses are for older ones? Am just starting to see that there is a whole WORLD of opportunity for our DC's... As mum of younger one's we'll stick with Blighty for now but look fwd in future years seeing what's out there & hearing of your & others experiences! Good luck (& if your parents are funding this....be very, very nice to them - as I am sure you always are!!) x

I hope your DC's enjoy the experience.....& know how dearly others wish they were there too! (I hope the parents all get to enjoy the whole thing as well as really it is them who put so much effort into making it all happen for them!)

I can see both sides on this....discretion is perhaps a good idea as there is sensitivity needed when still deciding & manners to communicate in the correct order within families, schools, funders & friends. It is helpful though that people share what they can - even if it is a general indicator about 'it ain't all over till the fat lady sings' ....quite nice to hear that dear lady is still possibly waiting in the wings & there may still be opportunties for some of our talented DC's!!

Bet you can get very posh doughnuts in Westfield! Need to look into this option too!!

I suspect we have minds working the same way....perhaps we could start a rating system for cafes near dance schools? Can recommend Café Niche near Sadlers Wells.....they let me nurse one coffee for hours when we had time to kill before the wonderful Ann Maguire Gala recently! I sadly did not have enough money for a cake...but had I am I sure there would've been no cake butchery or faking fresh there! BTW - I am so gonna have to go get a doughnut at some point today....

From what I can see, this is like most private schools in that they offer dance as part of the curriculum. You will find many do RAD syllabus as standard (I think Upton House - a private day school in Ascot does) so rather than taking your child to lessons after the school day they are included. Fees look high - typical for area. If you are sending your child to private education anyway - yes , you might as well research for the one with best dance provision. Otherwise, save your pennies (well - pounds, let's get real her)for when they are of an age for vocational school. To be honest you will probably find they do 1 typical length lesson per week & may have to do with whole class so including many who do not wish to be there. She may enjoy more & benefit better from classes after main school at a dance school in her area where kids have chosen/shown an interest to be there. Look at Associate schemes too as I think these give a good lead into what is expected for succeeding at auditions for Yr 7 entry.

.Most important is to see a professional practitioner - & best if they have training in/experience of treating within your sport/dance specific area. I saw a professional for this injury with mostly 'general public' focus. Good treatment but better was when seen by a Physio with experience treating ballet dancers. They assessed my own body mechanics, used specific treatments & more importantly understood how I was using my body - could identify 'bad habits' that had formed that were leading to/aggravating injury & gave advice/exercises to rectify this with lifelong beneficial results. Even 30 years later I can identify when I am getting shin splints pain again & take those steps to avoid making worse (now walking the dog mostly to blame rather than ballet!).

Now...getting back to the far more long-lasting subject (doughnuts will be with us long after our DC's have fledged the nest onto stages across the world.... or not...). Nicely warmed doughnut? I am deeply suspicious. Methinks he has defrosted a frozen doughnut in the microwave & the reason for cutting in half was to check it was thawed all the way through!! I think this café needs naming & shaming for blatant doughnut abuse!!

Petalviolet - you are right, it is as useful to hear of no's as well as yes's (makes us all feel a little better about our own DC's no's!)....& even more useful to learn about doughnut etiquette in Chiswick!! Hillarious....who ever thought of cutting open to serve? Maybe he has watched too many Bake-offs & see's every day as the bake-off challenge section....gotta show Mary...sorry, the customer...how much jam/custard is inside!!

I used to suffer from shin splints when training many many years ago. Ultra sound physio helped a little. But main issue was I always walked & danced very straight legged - minimal knee bending. Even now if I 'clip clop' along at a pace as I tend to do I can get pains again. I found that by really focussing on bending knees more - especially low & slow (think chewing gum) for take off & landing of jumps really helped prevent re-occurrences. It was also aggravated by very flat shoes - recommend a slight heel always & perhaps plenty of bounce in the sole for everyday wear. Rest when you can & I also found rolling the back of my wrist up & down the shin helped ease pain/release tension. Good luck! & bend ze knees!!!!!

Gosh - I have so much to learn....never even heard of CDET so went to link & then their home site.....wow - all these schools/colleges I barely knew of! Am guessing this is mostly relevant for ages 16+?

I understand Tring (probably for many sensible & obvious reasons) do not get directly involved with any arrangements for offsite living with host families etc. But it does happen so does anyone have any information about Hosts, typical costs & way it might work? Any information - the sooner the better - will be much appreciated as options are looked into! Thank you