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Ballet4Boyz

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  1. Ballet4Boyz
    Big hugs from me too !! It must be awful to see your DD so upset !! Please remember that this doesn’t have to to be the end of your daughters dancing journey ..... it is just going to follow an alternative path.....one that I’m sure you’ll work out together. Her dance experience gained from WL will stand her in good stead for the future and this awful time will pass and make her stronger eventually. There are many alternatives to training at WL and hopefully in the future - your lovely daughter will see all of this very differently to how she does now .
  2. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks Pictures ...... very helpful, as always 😊
  3. Ballet4Boyz
    Hmmm thanks Kate & Mummy TT, very much food for thought !! When you look at the links - it seems to suggest that the level 6 diploma is at an equivalent to the degree which is also level 6. I agree though ..... I think an employer from another field would view them differently !! Thanks for your help - would feel very daunted without the help from forum members 😊
  4. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks Anna - again, really helpful information. I’d also noticed some schools are only eligible for tuition fee loans of £6250, regardless of their fees. This would make a real difference when you may not get a great deal in maintenance loan either. You really have to look into individual colleges & courses so carefully. It would be so easy to end up applying to courses that at the end of the day could prove financially crippling , being offered a place, only to realise it’s not possible to accept the offer.
  5. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks Pointetoes - that’s a very helpful insight and you’re right in that happiness is a top priority - as long as the financial side is do-able ! 😊
  6. Ballet4Boyz
    I’m happy to be corrected but there seems to be a lot more college places offering the diploma course compared to schools offering places for the BA (Hons) course (for 16 yr olds) !! Does this mean the degree courses have many more applicants for each place available and therefore more competitive to win a place - or do many dance students favour the diploma for other reasons. Just trying to get an idea the reasons for choosing a degree course over a diploma & vice versa ?? I’m sure funding must play a part in a lot of decision making for many students .
  7. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks taxi - that’s great !! 😊
  8. Ballet4Boyz
    Hi everyone...... forgive my confusion regarding higher education qualifications !! I’m hoping someone with more knowledge can clarify things as I’ve ‘googled’ it - but it just throws up conflicting information !! What is the difference between a level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance compared with a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance & Performance. I know they are both 3 year courses and are funded by either Dada or Student loans respectively. What I don’t quite understand is if they are deemed equivalent to each other and are they recognised as equivalent to each other by prospective employers in the dance industry. Also , if a dance student wished to change career totally, away from dance ..... which qualification would be more recognised by employers in other fields - or are they both regarded in the same way ?? Thanks v much
  9. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks Dancing Kitty 😊
  10. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks to everyone for their replies - really helpful !! yes 2dancersmum, DS is competent in dance/acting/singing (although by far his comfort zone is in dance - all genres but particularly the more classical side) . He has a nice voice and his present school has dragged that out of him 🤣 - but singing at the moment he feels is his weaker of the three compared to dance & acting. so if he were to go down the diploma route - it would be the professional dance diploma. I just didn’t want him to entirely focus on the classical/contemporary schools and not consider some of the musical theatre options - particularly if they offer a strong focus on ballet/dance. When I ask him ..... it’s ballet all the way - so I suppose I have to trust his judgement, perhaps things may become clearer over the next couple of years 😊
  11. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks Anna, that’s clarified things 😊
  12. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks balletbean .... am I right in thinking students can enter straight onto a degree course at Central/Rambert/RCS at 16 & have access to government loans & maintenance grants to help with funding (even at 16) ?
  13. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks tutugirl - our DS is just curious about post 16 courses and it doesn’t hurt to do a bit of forward thinking. He’s probably leaning towards Central/Rambert/Northern/RCS etc - as although an all rounder at the moment - ballet is his preference/strength. He’s also really happy with his present school & that’s an option to apply there. The musical theatre courses are a bit tricky to understand how much Ballet content they offer & to what level ...... but don’t want to not consider them either , if that makes sense 😊
  14. Ballet4Boyz
    Thanks balletbean - just doing a bit of research and other people’s experience of the different courses prove invaluable 😊
  15. Ballet4Boyz
    Does anyone know if the Summer school for Central School of ballet runs on the same weeks every year ?? I was interested in booking a family holiday/west end shows in London for Summer 20 and would like to tie in the Summer school course ! many thanks
  16. Ballet4Boyz
    Hi everyone, just wondering if some of the post 16 musical theatre schools/colleges are known for having a more ballet-focused training that may suit an all-rounder student with an overall preference for ballet ......I know that all college courses provide ballet training - but wondered if some offered more than others or put a higher emphasis on it - just curious ? many thanks
  17. Ballet4Boyz
    All of the rooms our DS has stayed in haven’t been large enough for plastic drawers, so the under bed storage has been a godsend. 😊
  18. Ballet4Boyz
    Other useful items for boarding are laundry bag, mattress topper, coat hangers and under bed storage boxes. A lot of the students (including our DS) take multivitamin tablets . Fire away with any questions as we are all here to help 😊
  19. Ballet4Boyz
    Oh - the dance belt dilemmas 🤣🤣🤣 they are washed and tumble dried every evening, but our DS has several pairs in case they go missing......surprisingly - they seem to survive the laundry process quite well. They are covered by MDS as part of the uniform. He says most boys prefer the ‘padded’ option as more comfortable , although non-padded are available. Most boys wear the nude ones as less likely to show under any colour of tights. We don’t ask for a specific brand apart from them being nude & padded. They come in size S, M, L etc and I would think most year 7 boys would probably be size S. Dance tracksuit essential & covered by MDS - our DS has two which he rotates. He also prefers to wear turning shoes rather than jazz shoes but has them both as jazz shoes are always required for the boys in any shows. 😊
  20. Ballet4Boyz
    Congratulations ......... fantastic achievement !!!😁👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I personally believe many of us end up following paths in life that we don’t ‘really’ want to - I know I have !! There’s nothing wrong with that and something to be said for choosing the safe, sensible options in life. Personally - if I could live my life again ...... I would follow my dreams and if it didn’t work out ..... then re-evaluate things then. You only live once , it’s not a rehearsal and if your gut feeling is to give this a try - then go for it !!! You’re obviously very talented for them to offer you a place . so congratulations again & good luck with it all !!
  21. Ballet4Boyz
    Was the year 10 place for a boy or girl ? dancer 123, thanks
  22. Ballet4Boyz
    Yes - the boys dorms are always hot too !! 🥵😊
  23. Ballet4Boyz
    Hi PenguinBoysMum .... firstly congratulations to your DS ..... the Hammond is an amazing school !! There is an induction day towards the end of Summer term where the new students meet & spend time with their year group. You can meet Becky Edwards & her lovely team from Stardust (based in Lichfield) on the day - who supply all academic & dancewear uniform for the Hammond students. There will be uniform samples to try on there and then, but possibly not enough to kit your son out properly & it gets very busy. The best thing to do is contact Becky directly (there is a website) and explain your son has been offered an MDS place at the Hammond and she will guide you on everything ....... she’s a credit to the school & always so helpful. It’s always best to contact her early on as she becomes a very busy lady organising all the students kit over the Summer !! I can only speak for the boys dorms and the WiFi is there but can be hit & miss depending on the boarding house & the location of your room !! Before he attends in September you’ll be notified by email which boarding house he’ll be staying at and then on arrival you are then given your room number & specific bed & wardrobe etc. I’m basing this on the previous years but things may be done slightly differently now as there will be a new ‘head of boarding’ in place, which means changes could be made. Hope this helps
  24. Ballet4Boyz
    I think all parents/guardians with children at vocational schools - especially those that board , would welcome transparency on issues as important as this whichever school they attend. We put our trust in these schools to nurture, care, train and educate our children. At the end of the day - they are exactly that ...... children !! They deserve nothing less than for parents working alongside dance teachers, academic teachers, boarding staff & school heads etc to be able to talk openly about problems in order to resolve them. Surely this is in everyone’s interests - the school, the parents & most of all the students. I don’t think this can be achieved with a culture of schools being defensive and not acting quickly and parents feeling they can’t approach the school for fear of repercussions. I agree with Tulip, that maybe the events surrounding Tring should act as a catalyst for change ....... it’s sadly too late for some students (and we all hear & know of these stories - not restricted to Tring) - but hopefully lessons can now be learnt across the vocational schools.
  25. Ballet4Boyz
    There may be another positive in all of this - in that it might go some way in showing students that if they feel bullied or emotionally affected by the actions of others - be it another student, teacher or Houseparent...... that if they have the courage to speak out - that this issue is hopefully now more likely to be addressed properly. It saddens me to hear that young people working hard to follow their dreams to try & pursue a dance career have had to deal with this. It should be amongst the best years of their lives with lots of happy memories - unfortunately for some - it must be the exact opposite..... and I wonder how many students have felt like this. I think all the vocational schools can learn from this and work towards ensuring their students reach their full potential in a nurturing , respectful environment. I like to think this is possible anyway !!
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