Ballet4Boyz

This thread is very quiet this year ! 😊 Does anyone know when Central School of Ballet will be announcing the results of their first round/video auditions ?

Hi there everyone, Congratulations to all those offered a place at the Hammond. My DS is presently a year 11 at the school and has thoroughly enjoyed his time there and the training. He believes there are quite a lot of MDS places in his year which will be reallocated to new students ...... so good luck with funding auditions. It’s an amazing school and very caring/nurturing towards its students x

Hi there, can someone confirm for me where the auditions are held for RBS upper school .... is it at Covent Gardens ? thanks 😊

Hi there, For those of you with slightly older dancing children (teenagers) .... I make scented soy candles which would be suitable for male & female dance students studying different dance genres. Fragrances are based on designer Perfumes & Aftershaves. They make great stocking fillers !! All details are on my website under the dance/performance heading 🕯✨🙏🏻😊http://www.tranquilmomentscandlecompany.com

Hi Everyone, thanks for mentioning my candle gifts for dancers ! Just to let you all know - apart from ballet - I will also be releasing candles with themes for other dance genres and vocalists / musicians / actors etc . There are already some on my website for tap dancers & street with more to come !!! Might produce some for all the lovely teachers out there too - now you’ve put it in my mind. 😊 Anybody interested from this Ballet Forum ... if you DM me - I’ll give you a 15% discount code 😊

Thanks Bothballet ..... it comes from always looking for a masculine dance related gift for my son & discovering he loves candles .... so decided to combine the two. I’m expanding it dance wise but also for other types of performers such as vocalists, musicians etc. x

Hi Jan, Thanks so much for your feedback and really pleased your happy with your choice ☺️ Can I remind any viewers to keep an eye out on my website as there will be new "dance & performance" themed candles being released on-going - including gifts for other dance genres - something for everyone I hope !! 😁🕯️

Hi Pups Mum, yes of course, I’ve sent you a DM B4B 😊

Hi Meadowblythe ....they weigh 350g and the jars are quite sturdy . My son really likes his - especially with the after-shave fragrance , it’s always been a chore finding things a bit more masculine with a ballet theme ! 😊 The dance charm can be removed - so some of the designs would suit any performers such as a vocalist, musician, actor etc kind regards B4B

Haha ...... funnily enough that happens to me quite a lot too !! Thanks Jan x 😊B4B

Thanks Jan ….. glad you like the burners !! Signature all sorted, Best wishes B4B

Hi everyone, just thought I’d share a new gift I’ve designed for all the Ballet dancers out there .....including the boys !! If you’re looking for a gift to give the ballet dancer in your life - or maybe you’re a dance teacher looking for something different to treat your older students ...... these might fit the bill. I’m a mum of a male vocational student and have often found it difficult to find a ballet related gift for him ...... so I thought why not develop my own !! They are lovely scented soy candles with ballet quotes, with suitable options for males & females . They are available in different designs, shades & designer fragrances !! Some designs would make great “Good Luck” gifts prior to auditions or performances or “Well Done” gifts following all their hard won successes ! The designs can be viewed here under the dance range heading : http://www.tranquilmomentscandlecompany.com Watch out for other designs in the future covering other dance genres. Moderators...... hope this post is ok here !! Best wishes to all involved with the audition process this year !! Ballet4Boyz

Thanks Pictures ..... good to have an idea what optionsthe senior students have once they leave boarding. Thanks also Balletbean for such a detailed response re student living in Manchester...... good to know as accommodation costs are such an important part of our considerations . Thanks as always for everyone’s helpful replies 👍🏼

Thanks Karen ..... that’s really helpful 😊 Just trying to get our heads around the cost of upper schools. Doesn’t seem like 2 minutes since we were making enquires about lower schools 🤣

Hi all, I'm just trying to do some financial calculations and would appreciate any information on accommodation costs regarding upper schools. I'm interested in general costs of accommodation in Chester with regard to attending The Hammond and also Manchester with regard to attending the Northern Ballet School. I'm looking at all options ranging from student halls of residence to flat shares and bed sits. Any information from students/parents/guardians with knowledge of these schools would be fantastic.

So sorry to hear this news and all our thoughts go out to his family & friends. This forum has been & continues to be invaluable to a lot of us and even a life-line when the path through ballet training sometimes becomes a difficult one !! Thank you John ...... RIP

Yes - another wonderful show with such talented students ....... The Hammond really does nurture versatility in their dancers, with a lovely mix of genres in which they all excelled and performed with great technique, professionalism & bags of enthusiasm . Definitely the school ‘to watch’ and a more than worthy place amongst the big 4 schools. Well done to all involved !!

Hi all, I've just been on the Hammond website and there appears to be a few tickets available for all performances !!! ....... I know several people were hoping to acquire tickets and were disappointed when they were sold out .... Maybe a few more have become available 🤗😊

They are also sometimes called turning shoes !! 😊

We were really lucky with our primary school headteacher regarding our DS !! He never questioned leaving slightly early for classes, time out for exams and was even fine about missing a good number of whole school days to take part in English Youth Ballet & Midland Theatre ballet productions. It helped that his own daughter is a dancer & he is very pro children taking part in the arts alongside the academic subjects. He very robustly dealt with serious bullying issues suffered by our DS and was very proud of him when he gained a place at vocational school. It’s fantastic when headteachers recognise that some students have a dream to pursue slightly alternative career pathways. We count ourselves very lucky that he was so supportive in every way. We did however work really hard to always make sure he caught up with missed lessons & always completed his homework to a high standard & always in on time !! Good Luck with your DS’s school - I think to explain everything fully to your headteacher may help things and also explain your DS will always catch up on missed lessons.

Oh gosh - trying to think back !! I remember it was a slightly different day depending on your child’s year of entry ! I’m sure when our DS attended (for yr7 entry) ..... they had a ballet class as a group and did other activities in their year group. It might have changed now though !! Parents had a talk, tour and were then asked to return later that day to collect their child and sort uniform out . We then were free to leave. I remember it being a ridiculously hot day and trying uniforms on was very hot & busy ... Becky & her team are very helpful & well organised though ..... so that makes the process less painful. They won’t have enough stock & sizes to suit everyone - but you can order what’s needed on the day. We found it really beneficial to actually visit Becky’s shop in Lichfield during the Summer holidays - to collect everything & make sure it fitted. This is great for those of us who don’t live too far away . For those that live further afield ..... Becky delivers items to school & sometimes individual boarding houses, she also attends school once a week with uniforms ordered. Once you know your child’s size in everything - you can order items by email to Becky, who then takes it directly to school. Any items that require payment - you can do over the phone !! 😊

I’ve heard first hand from another parent who their child had the same outcome & it came as a total & complete shock with no prior warning. The parent even thought their child was doing well there !! They were quite rightly devastated too !!

Surely it’s not acceptable (in most people’s opinion I would imagine) for a school to ask a child to leave without giving helpful support & advice alongside clear reasons for their decision. We are talking about young people having their entire life turned upside down and all the effects this will have on them. I’ll be really honest and like proudmumofdd - we are relieved our DS got a ‘no’ at WL finals..... especially after hearing first hand similar stories from several other devastated parents. Our DS would not thrive under such pressure of constantly worrying about assessments!! He has assessments at his school - and they are classed as very important but I’m sure if there was a danger of being assessed out , the school would make us aware beforehand so that time would be given to try & rectify any issues. I’m also sure his school would be very clear on what the issues were ! I will add that some students seem to love their WL experience and indeed wouldn’t change anything ..... but it’s certainly not right for every student and not the only way to become a successful ballet dancer !