MAK

On 23/04/2024 at 06:44, Pas de Quatre said:

Rambert Pre-vocational

 

Here's a link to the schedule. Yes they do good classical classes.

Wow this looks amazing! I wish I'd known about it when my daughter finished her five years at Central Associates back in 2022 as would definitely have applied. Missed an opportunity there!

12 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I think looking young helps with plausibility for certain roles: Juliet, Manon & Aurora for instance, all characters who are supposed to be teenagers. I wouldn't say being skeletal is necessary but girlish rather than womanly in build. My opinion on this may be influenced by having spent nearly 20 years regularly operagoing compared to only a few years of balletgoing. After years of trying to suspend disbelief when watching stout 50 year old tenors as young heros or very unconsumptive-looking sopranos supposedly dying of TB (yes, there are plenty of physically plausible opera singers but there are also plenty of implausible ones), it's nice when seeing ballet to know that no matter what cast you see they will look suitable youthful & slender for their characters.

Thank you for this. It reminds me of a conversation I've had a few times with my daughter about the acting world, which she has some involvement in/experience of, and whether we should try to rewrite history (and characters) or create new, interesting roles for the world that we live in. Maybe it's akin to the likes of Matthew Bourne (and others) pushing those boundaries and creating exciting new work that both existing and future audiences will love and eventually (hopefully) this will have a knock on impact on the training and physical requirements in the earlier stages of these dancers' careers. Just thinking out loud here.

I'm interested to know - if the dancers in principal roles had curvier figures and perhaps looked more like women than young girls (and I'm not by any means saying that some don't, I'm very much generalising) would regular ballet audience members be put off? For me, when I watch dance, I'm inspired by those dancers that draw me in with their incredible artistry as well as exceptional technical prowess. Inevitably with the amount of exercise they are undertaking, professional dancers tend to be lean. But do they really need to be skinny, and in the case of the female dancers, have a kind of pre-pubescent look? 

3 hours ago, Ballet_novice said:

Yes. But why the so called investigative journalism does not do a proper investigations and does not limit to 4 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66720433

The article mentions that 50 dancers were interviewed. I imagine there wasn't the time to give a sufficient amount of time and respect to a higher number of individual stories in half an hour but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

The rest of my (long, sorry) post is not in direct response to Ballet_novice and is just how I've felt having had time to watch and process the programme and read the article.

There were lots of things that rang very true for me. Whilst I have never suffered with an eating disorder myself, I have had three very close friends that have, as well as a family member and several other friends and acquaintances. Two of my close friends were hospitalised and one very nearly died (she was 18, not a dancer). The issues causing their conditions were extremely complex and food just happened to be something they could control. Those of us that loved and cared for them were really careful not to use language around them that might worsen their feelings. We were teenagers living at home. I absolutely cannot bear to imagine what might have happened to them if they had been living away from family and non-dancing friends (of various sizes) and been regularly complimented and rewarded for the bodies they gained by depriving them themselves of food. The hospitals were doing everything within their power to incentivise them to eat, even if just a little. One friend was told if she could manage to put on a kilo she could go home for Christmas for example.

Quite the opposite of having your chances improved of getting a lead role in a ballet or a Company place by continuing to starve yourself.

These dancers had already proved their ability and potential by gaining places in these prestigious schools, selected over thousands of other applicants. It would no doubt have been the dream they'd dedicated most of their young lives to and the excitement they must have felt when invited to join must have been overwhelming.

I'm absolutely in awe of these young people and their families for finding the courage to abandon that dream and walk away in order to survive - albeit permanently scarred. 

There will always be people in any environment that come through it unscathed. There is also a strong argument that prospective ballerinas are likely to be perfectionists and self-critical, competitive and potentially more prone to eating disorders. My personal view is that with this being the case already, it is incumbent upon the schools who are responsible for these children during their time there, to be even more responsible for ensuring they are supported, protected and healthy.

On 11/06/2022 at 19:44, AMP said:

Just want to share that there is hope, we have just had a waitlist offer for Central, so anyone waiting please don't give up hoping, we almost had!  ❣️

Amazing news, congratulations!

Hi,

Does anyone have a pair of dance heels in black leather size 4.5 or 5 (street shoe size) with a 3 inch heel and T Strap that they'd be happy to sell?

My daughter needs some asap for rehearsals for her dance show but she won't use them after the show so second hand in good condition would be the best option for us if we can find any! Picture as an example.

Thank you!

7 minutes ago, Bolshoi said:

How do you know they didn’t?

Sorry I should have phrased that differently as my use of the word "all" is inaccurate. Apologies. Can't edit my original post but i hope everyone hears soon. 

No vested interest but I do really feel for all the Central Associates who were at classes all day on Saturday and did/could not receive phone calls, only to find out later that other Finalists had heard. Even though they may well get good news tomorrow it's a shame the news couldn't have gone out at the same time. 

I watched the BBC interview with Torvill and Dean afterwards who picked up something I thought was glaring after the event - the fact that her coach didn't hug her when she finished (especially when she had done so after she had been in gold medal position after the short programme, the first time she had skated after the drugs scandal had become public). Both T and D were highly critical of this lack of support and comfort. Then the presenter (I think Hazel Irvine but might be wrong) went on to say that they were getting (at that time unconfirmed) reports that someone had translated the comments the coach had made immediately after the performance and it was along the lines of :"what happened? Why did you give up?' etc.

I'd like to say I was surprised but...😩

20 minutes ago, PMum said:

My DC auditioned for Tring on the 24th and we just received the letter in the post today. 

Hope it was good news 🤞

1 hour ago, ally6684 said:

We were told 3weeks from audition date and by post (yr10 audition). Looking at the other threads it looks like they stick to that timescale.

Yes we thought similar and those we know who auditioned for other year groups had their results through just over three weeks after the audition. I had wondered if the half term would make a difference but perhaps not if the relevant staff are still in situ.

1 hour ago, tired dance mummy said:

Hi just wondered if anyone had heard from Tring, my DC auditioned on Tuesday 25 Jan.  It's the waiting ....

 

Nothing here. DD auditioned on Mon 24th and I know the school breaks up for Half Term tomorrow, so not sure whether that means an extra week to wait?

12 hours ago, Silversparkle said:

How was Tuesday?
A friends daughter was there and said they had 2 lots in that day so guess lots auditioning if they have extra day as well. 

DD enjoyed the morning and said she felt the standard was very high. The group auditioning was quite small - 9 or 12 dancers - so they will certainly all have had the chance to be seen!

Thank you @Silversparkle I will see what I can glean after the event! I do know that the three days of first auditions are showing as fully booked on the website.

Sorry can't answer any of your questions but DD will be at Tring on 24th Jan so though I'd post in solidarity!

Good luck with the auditions 🍀

49 minutes ago, Twinkletoes22 said:

Thank you for clarifying that. I got the sense from their email that the finals were to decide production or touring. Their email said: ‘From this final round, the panel will select dancers to form the LCB Company and Touring Companies.’

So it is still one more cull to go. I’ll have to calm my nerves!  Good luck all. X

It is slightly ambiguous but is the same wording they have used in other years and as Margarite has said, after Finals your dc can potentially be offered main company, tour, waitlist for either of those options (places do come up) or a "not this time". Good luck!

DD2 has just gone into her final year as an Associate at Central and is loving the new studios!! Glad the adults are too

37 minutes ago, Mum of unicorn dancer said:

Do you know how long is class usually? Thank you. 

Depends on the level but usually 1.5-1.75 hours of ballet, 30-45 minutes Pilates and around an hour of Contemporary.

15 hours ago, Ballet Power said:

Does anyone know what time Prep 1 classes are at central? Also are they every Saturday on term time?

 Thanks 

Every Saturday during term time except now usually not on the half term weeks (which they used to be). Times have varied although Prep 1 usually has started around 10am. However, they may have a change around with the new studios etc. If memory serves me right, we don't usually get the confirmed timetable until fairly near the time the term is due to start.

DD2 about to go into her 5th and final year at Central and is looking forward to being in the new studios.

DD1 also spent two years in the Central Associate programme.

Yes you get the same teachers every week for ballet, contemporary and Pilates. Classes have ranged from 14-20 dancers. We have found the teaching to be excellent and opportunities such as creative choreography days to be a fun addition to weekly classes.

It's also (in our view) a very good value scheme. Even in the younger classes you get a lot of hours and a variety of classes.

Feel free to PM if you would like any more info.

58 minutes ago, Jewel said:

 

Hidden in teensy tiny print in one of the policy documents is the statement that Kate, Penelope & Alex Frost are all licensed chaperones. Having googled their names it appears they are the owner/teachers at Penelope's Dance Studio registered at the same address as Birmingham Ballet Company.

I was trying to remember where I'd seen BBCo mentioned on Instagram and it was on Kate Frost Photography's page - which makes sense now reading the above!

For us giving up gymnastics coincided with when the girls started attending Associates Classes weekly as we just couldn't manage the logistics with two of them dancing both days and my husband and I both working. Plus we just couldn't find a way to keep them working at a competitive level in gymnastics whilst doing so many dance hours. We know if others that have managed it though, at least initially, and our dds did keep up with their music lessons/Grades but no ensembles or concerts. Tough choices. Good luck. 

@Anna Cthe yearly Assessment at Central still takes place in fact.  I would even go so far as to say they are clearer now than they were when we started our Associates journey back in 2015 🙈 about the place offered only being for one year and what the possible outcomes are from the Assessment. I personally find it very beneficial to have that clarity.

Hello, do you still have the black age 12-14 available at all? We are on the hunt for a plain black leotard with high cut leg in that size!

On 18/10/2020 at 11:46, Melody said:

David Mitchell in The Observer has a hilarious response to what he calls, among other things, "a spectacularly bad mistake."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/18/the-cyber-jobs-ad-is-a-laughing-matter

 

Brilliant article, thanks for posting.