Yorkshire Pud

Pictures they were Adult Learner Loans, which are now available for students aged 19 and above. They are available for numerous vocational subjects as well as A levels , for qualifications from Levels 3 to 6.

Just speaking as someone who taught in FE for 15 years up until last year - I have taught numerous students on professional / vocational courses who have obtained student loans at levels 3 and 4 who already had degrees. Funding didn’t seem to be an issue as long as it was for training in a subject area completely different to your degree. Also, it seems like anyone can access apprenticeship funding from level 2 right through to level 7 even if you already have a degree in a different subject area, and no age limits. There are more (and cheaper) options for retraining than doing a Btec or a degree. Best to enquire with a local college as rules seem to change annually.

We were meant to see this production at the Bradford Alhambra on Saturday 25th May. We arrived for the matinee only to find out the entire show had been cancelled due to cast illness, with no understudy being capable of standing in. One of our party had made a 2 hour train journey especially for the show. The queue for refunds took an hour and a half. We were informed the evening performance would go ahead as an understudy was on the way from London ..... but no spare seats. Very disappointed.

Hi. We’re about 15 months down the line with my dd who has had ‘shin splints’ almost since she started at full time upper school. My dd has seen various dance physios, tried sports massage, taping her shins, acupuncture, corrected her landing technique, but still has pain in her lower shins. I asked her physio to refer her for an x-ray to rule out any hair- line fractures as it has been going on for so long. She had this at Easter and her doctor suspected that a hair- line fracture was starting on one shin. She was then referred to see a specialist Musculoskeletal doctor on the NHS. We are now waiting for an MRI so he can confirm exactly what is going on with her shins but thankfully he is very positive that he can help with more appropriate physio exercises for her, better taping technique and most importantly a proper period of rest over the summer. I would definitely ask for an X-ray and MRI if physio hasn’t helped you to see exactly what is happening with your shins. I know dancers hate to stop training but I’m afraid resting for only a day is definitely not going to be of any help whatsoever !! Good luck with your appointment.

That is great news Twoballerinas. What a fantastic position to be in !

YOU - photos, applications, travel arrangements, personal statements, booking days off school, sorting revision sessions during school hours e.g by DC missing PE etc. Applications in as early as possible to avoid too many auditions/finals (if lucky) just before exams. Oh and lots of chauffeuring to and from training. Oh and work!! DC -coursework, revision, exams, training. Try to attend training less and less as auditions/finals are over from around March time onwards. I think I have read your DC attends the NBT CAT scheme? Please correct me if I’m wrong. Whilst they are quite strict on attendance they are great during GCSE year and will allow DC to miss as many nights off as they need for exam revision or if they are just too exhausted and need a rest😊 Good luck and enjoy doing it all together. It all seems like a huge amount of effort but I guarantee you will miss all of it once they are away at Upper School👍

Tickets still available for this next week at very reasonable prices. Stalls from £17.50 to about £35. The Alhambra are offering a further reduction of £10 off per ticket with the code BALLET.

Well this afternoon's performance in Leeds was greatly appreciated by a packed audience of all ages. I wasn't looking forward to the music after reading previous posts but it wasn't half as harsh as expected and totally appropriate to the subject matter. It must have been a very difficult score to play. If you are one of the many who do love the book and the film, you will enjoy this ballet. I was also very pleasantly surprised to see such a lot of young people in the audience today. Those sitting around us were totally absorbed and eagerly looking in the programme during the interval to see what ballet Northern are performing next. We'll definitely be booking tickets for their next production in Leeds !

I think the 'reviewer' in the Telegraph was determined to write a bad review even before he had seen this ballet. He very clearly disliked the book and film on which it is based. We're looking forward to seeing it when it comes to Leeds.

I'd just ask her - then she can enjoy looking forward to it as well.

Hi Jacqueline. Is the tour to the Emmerdale Studios or Emmerdale Village? I haven't been to the studios but the village is set in the lovely grounds of the Harewood House Estate, which is worth a visit in itself.

I'm going next Saturday and I can't wait. I watched Casanova Unmasked on the Northern Ballet website and had to book tickets straight away! If you can't get to the Ballet I'd recommend watching that. It is fascinating to see how it has all been put together.

Have a wander around the Christmas Market. Lots of food stalls and mulled wine.

Also, if a school has any sort of charitable status based on providing dance opportunities to children from all sorts of backgrounds, then they actually need to monitor who they are offering places to.

Have you seen the spoof of the John Lewis advert with the Obamas as the parents, Hillary Clinton as the child and Trump as the boxer?

Just note however that it is 100% of students making it to the end of the scheme at the end of Level 5 or 6. A lot get assessed out/drop out along the way for whatever reason. Most who make it to the end do get places in classical schools but some who are not considered classical are helped to get into upper contemporary schools or MT schools. A few Level 5/6 students on the CAT also attend classes with Phoenix Dance who very luckily share the same building as Northern Ballet.

Thank you Janet.

Feel free to PM me too. My dd has just completed 5 years on the CAT scheme. They have just posted a lovely new promo video on their website but unfortunately I haven't mastered doing links!

Chuffing hell!!

You don't have to give up after your first attempt. We know several girls who didn't get a place first time round but did on their second or even third. An extra year of increasing strength, flexibility, technique or whatever might be all you need. Don't forget there are so few places for the number of dancers auditioning and you will have 16 year olds auditioning against 17, 18 or 19 year olds. Some dancers at auditions will already be in a vocational Upper School, but they are trying again to get into a different school. Age doesn't seem to matter. The schools just look at the dancer on the day. Good luck!!

Lakeland vacuum totes with outer cover - you can use with your own vacuum cleaner.

Have a search on Etsy.com for 'ballet gifts' or 'ballet charms' or whatever, and you'll find hundreds of mostly handmade individual ballet related gifts

In terms of the number of applicants there were around 500 applicants auditioning at each vocational upper school last year that we went to, with around 50 going through to the finals. A large majority of that number were auditioning for the same list of schools. So clearly many more non-vocational students auditioning than vocational 11 to 16 year olds.

I have to give a big thumbs up to the Brownlee brothers, who very kindly let us (and by us I mean my friend) interrupt their tea and scones this morning to have their photo taken with my friend's baby granddaughter. ????

My dd and her friends have started various vocational upper schools this September. Ages for new starters seem to range from 16 to 20.