Confuddled

Can anyone recommend some books about ballet? Dd has the ballet encyclopaedia, but she’s looking for some more - particularly anything about famous current or recent dancers. Could anyone recommend some? She’s reading at an adult level, but she’s 12, autobiographies that are too graphic wouldn’t be suitable.

Is there any way to do a quick survey of parents of littlies and the older dancers themselves? Because what would work for some of dd’s friends who go home first and are driven to dance, would not work for dd (she has to travel by public transport straight from school to ballet, she uses the toilet at ballet to change and do her hair). 

In principle, I see no problem with no uniform for the older ones who know what you need to be able to see. But the younger ones may appear in school uniform PE kit (ours was tracksuit bottoms like clown trousers and a baggy t-shirt), which would obviously be a problem. Maybe you could specify the type of leggings or shorts you mean, so they can see you want eg cycling shorts not football shorts.

Thanks - lots of helpful information and it’s really good to get specific recommendations as the various brands don’t have anything in their FAQs about using them for dance / gymnastics (though I’d have thought it’s a fairly common issue).

I’ve had a search but can’t find any recent threads, and I know there are lots of new brands and products. Can anyone recommend period pants that are high legged enough to go under a leotard and come in a colour that won’t show under a leotard? Size 8 would be too big, I think, but better than nothing if nowhere does a size 6. Thanks!

On 28/04/2020 at 22:19, drdance said:

Hi Peanut and Confuddled, and anyone else who's interested - I have done a little video demo for you all 

 

Really helpful - thanks!

15 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Length of room gonna be key here!! If only we had a ‘Long Gallery’ or Ballroom.....🤔

Yes, dd is sure everyone else has much bigger houses, proper ballet flooring, their own barres etc from looking at them in zoom lessons. It may well be true, but there’s a terrace-sized limit to what we can manage in our house.

49 minutes ago, drdance said:

You can buy lenses to clip over a webcam or ipad that makes the angle wider... I bought a set off amazon which helps make the view from my ipad better.

 

For teaching I have a laptop connected to the computer which enables me to see the students in gallery view, then I also log into the meeting on my ipad in portrait view with a clip on lens which ensures the students can see me from top to toe. For younger classes I put myself in spotlight view so they can only see me and no-one else, but for older students they benefit from seeing the whole class including themselves.

Ooh, that gadget sounds interesting. Would you recommend that particular one? It’s hard to tell which might be best specifically for dance from the Amazon reviews.

2 hours ago, Charliesmum said:

We ended up putting our computer on a chair rather than the table, I then use string to hold it in place as it needs to be sort of ballenced on the edge in order for the teacher and Charlie to get a good a good view

We’ve been doing something similar - phone is propped up on a stool with a mini beanbag (which is usually a microwave hot pack) so we can get the angle right.

I’ve spent a lot of time this week fiddling around trying to get a phone or laptop in the right position for all of dd to show up in the picture for online zoom lessons. The issue seems to be that we don’t have a big enough house to get the phone far enough away...

Has as anyone found a way to get a more wide angle view from a phone, maybe by blue tooth connection to a webcam with a wider lens? Or is there some other solution that gets the whole of a dancer’s body on-screen even if they move a step or two from their initial position? 

Dd has tried quite a few and is now just doing the regular 12.00 class by Ballet Skirts by Lucinda on Instagram- apparently it’s just right. 

Thanks for the advice - I’m torn between letting dd do some of the classes like EYB and NYB where it’s aimed at young people and I know and trust the brand, and saying to just wait for her dance school. I don’t mind about her losing fitness etc as that’s all regainable, but a good class does make her so much happier, and that’s really important at the moment when she’s cut off from so many of the things that make her happy.

Ive heard that the Easter Course run by Mary Goodhew at Ibstock Place School (SW London) is excellent - dd certainly enjoyed the summer one.

Has anyone heard anything about NYB this year? I’ve had a look at their website and it still doesn’t have anything up about the timing of auditions or even what it will be this year (apart from not residential) but I thought someone here might have some insider knowledge!

Thanks! I’ve got an ipad but not a computer, has anyone found a way to burn CDs from an ipad? I can see the audacity app would allow me to make edit the tracks, it’s the physical getting them on to a CD I’m stuck on now.

What sources do people use for music? Dd tends to find things on YouTube, but that’s often poor quality and I’m not sure of the legalities and practicalities of getting it off YouTube and on to a CD. Is there a better source for music that you want to use for competitions?

DD loved it (did Swan Lake in Wimbledon summer 2018) and is very disappointed they’re not anywhere near us this year. I’d highly recommend it both in terms of the teaching and in terms of getting performance experience. I particularly liked how everyone got time on stage in both acts, and the way it was very well organised (which made it much less stressful for parents than it might have been).

I know it feels like a huge move, but my experience was that it was right to go. If the school is no longer giving your dd what she needs, then that’s the right time to move on. My dd felt huge loyalty to her old dance school and her friends there, and took well over a year to make the decision to go (and it was very hard, and involved a lot of tears) but looking back she’s clear that it was the right decision, and that (if anything) she wishes she’d moved sooner.

The rehearsals vary depending on whether it’s term time or holidays - the August one last year (also Swan Lake) was two weeks of rehearsals (all day Mon-Fri) then the first half of the third week off and the second half (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun) dress rehearsal and shows.

It did mean we had to do our family holiday in July, but EYB audition so far in advance that it was relatively easy to work around the dates as we knew dd had a place in about March.

Yes, I’d also heard that about Richmond (probably on here). 

They’ve also added a Norwich date, since I last looked.

I was having a look at the EYB auditions page and saw they’ve got audition dates for Bromley and Southend:

http://www.englishyouthballet.co.uk/auditions1.html

Nothing near enough for us yet, but they are for performances in April, May and August, so I assume they’re still nailing down the dates / venues for June and July.

10 hours ago, Peony said:

Was it a standard exam she did? I thought the grades all required the shiny tank Leo. The little ones all wear bright colours so I wouldn’t go for black, or white, unless it’s got a good lining! But otherwise anything that is the style of the gandolfi  one will be fine

You know, I’m ashamed to admit I can’t remember! Dd is asleep, otherwise I could ask her. I know it wasn’t a shiny leotard as she would have complained (she doesn’t like how shiny feels). It’s nice that she’ll have a choice of bright colours.

12 hours ago, ImgyA said:

I've looked at the photos from last year, looks like tank leotards. They're here:http://www.elainemaysonphotography.co.uk/gallery/?parent_id=232

I need to check with DDs teacher what the rules are for this one. For the Wales and West its just plain colour, not black,any type of strap. This looks a bit more plain and uniform. I'll post here when I've got the exact wording. 

What section is your DD entering? 

Lower Junior, I think. And the exact wording would be great. I need time to order online and send it back if it’s the wrong size, or maybe get it altered (she often needs the straps shortening and my sewing is rubbish, so I need time take it to the dry cleaners and get it back again).

1 hour ago, Peony said:

It’s a plain shiny nylon tank with belt- any colour. The same one that she’ll wear for cecchetti exams. Any colour. Might Hager away with a ruche on the front but definitely no camisoles!

https://gandolfi.co.uk/product/all-leotards/gandolfi-navy-official-enrico-sleeveless-leotard-plain-front-with-belt-928/

Thanks! Her last exam was similar but cotton and with a ruche, so I suspect I can’t re-use that one.

5 minutes ago, ImgyA said:

Which Cecchetti competition is it? Different rules for different competitions 😊

The Mabel Ryan award. I’ve had a look at the webpage but am not much wiser. I keep thinking that one day I’ll know what I’m doing with all this ballet stuff...

DD needs a leotard for a Cecchetti competition - I know from another mum that there are strict rules about leotards but last time she was in a group so I just put her in what everyone else was wearing and didn’t have to worry. Is there a list of the rules, or the right type of leotards? From memory it was tank style, quite high necked, with a belt - is that what I need to look for? Do they have rules on colours? I’d be really grateful if anyone can point me to a list of the rules or of the allowed leotards, googling has not been much help.

It is a huge commitment - dd has decided not to audition this year, as (if she had got through, which she didn’t last year) it would have prevented her doing various musical activities that she loves, as well as missing a family holiday. The other thing to take into account is that the touring company has more dates, I think usually at the start of September, so that impinges on the beginning of the school year.