Ruby Foo

Good idea to go wth something that your Dd likes, is comfortable, is flattering  colour wise and flattering on the leg line and shoulders. The JA leotard can look gorgeous on some people but it’s not the best colour and cut for everyone! 

On 08/11/2018 at 06:14, Mouseys mum said:

Ballet Mummy28.... in London or Hong Kong?

how many dancers are in a class for those that have previously attended? Do you get a timetable closer to the time?

Not sure about Hong Kong but the classes at White Lodge Spring and Summer are quite large, around 28 girls. Boys taught separately. There is usually a half day settling in and the timetable is pinned to the noticeboards.

If you are able to visit the UK, you could combine some sessions with a dance physio with a thorough pointe shoe fitting. Beth at Freed is very good, but they obviously only sell Freed make, which your Dd may not like. Dancia is also excellent and stock all types. Try to go when it is not busy so you can take your time to get them exactly right.

Maybe check with her teacher/ physio that she is landing from jumps correctly. Her pelvis is straight and not tilted on landing in plie and she is distributing her weight correctly through the center of the foot and not rolling ( again in demi plie on landing) and thirdly, going through her foot properly to soften and cushion the landing.

Maybe worthwhile researching diet to boost collagen which will strengthen tendons and add support to bones. Cashew nuts, pineapple, flax seed, sesame seeds and plenty vitamin c such as red pepper.

The first part of the RBS audition revolves around physical suitability, so the fact your Dd hasn’t had a huge amount of experience will not matter. We are talking about physical suitability to RBS which does not necessarily mean physical suitability to other schools or associates as they all look for slightly different qualities. There will follow a basic ballet class( nothing tricky) followed by some musicality / self expression.

There are a huge range of standards of participants so it would be important for your Dd to be confident and show her love of dance

throughout. My Dd was gr2 when she successfully auditioned for mid associates and did 1 class a week. Perhaps you could ask her teacher to try out some steps from the grade above in her  ‘one to one’ just to give her an extra boost. At the end of the day, most of the participants seem to really enjoy the audition experience which is great. Some very famous ballerinas started much, much later (12 or 13?)

I’m thinking Misty Copeland but there are plenty others.

1 hour ago, Derin's Mom said:

As far as I know, they don't.

But POB summer school is a possibility, my DD has done it twice there.

Thanks.

Can you tell me if they run a Summer School please?

Just wanted to add,  that If you see any photos of the famous  professionals as young kids, they all seem to have that gangly, bambi look going on especially in the legs area. As though they might topple over any minute!

Although it’s frustrating to see other children performing with strength and clarity right now, its important to see the bigger picture, and to peak at the important time ( 15- 18yrs) takes time and patience especially with the type of physique you have described.

I think you are worrying unnecessarily ( don’t we all! )

At 8 she should just be enjoying her dancing and concentrating on the basics, like good posture. Later, at 11 and 12 she will gradually build strength through the exercises she is doing and by slowly increasing her hours of training. To try too hard to build strength now, might overdevelop her muscles which would be hard to undo later. 

On 30/09/2018 at 21:05, ArucariaBallerina said:

Hi, I have 2 questions sorry! 

 

1) Could anyone recommend a really really good pair of ballet flats (preferably canvas split soles) to me? I love the shape of the so danca sd16, but I don't feel they support my feet enough - they can sometimes ache? I do really like the basic Bloch canvas flats, but they do tend to look a bit baggy. I would like a shoe that is comfortable, arch hugging, and good for turns 😃 I have medium-high arches, fairly strong feet and a very narrow ankle, widening to medium-narrow at the ball of the foot. 

 

2) What forms do Central usually require? I.e Will they want a dance or academic reference, a doctors note or a personal statement?

 

Thank you so much in advance everybody! X

So Danca are nice and slim fitting and a pleasant colour too!

Try to think about the line you are making from the top of your leg right down to the tips of your toes.

if you’re feet are not stretched ( pointed) then you will create a ‘ broken line’ which is not aesthetically pleasing. Much of ballet is about creating beautiful lines and making the limbs look as long as stretchy as possible. Perhaps you could look on the internet and find photos where the feet arch and extend the line. All the exercises given above will help to engage your feet but when you think of the bigger picture you are creating,  you are halfway there!

It is very usual for teachers to want to see what the feet are doing without shoes as shoes can hide a multiple faults.

15 hours ago, Wigglybunny said:

 

I’m our experience, summer school has been great from a young age. I would say there is real benefit if your child is looking to go to lower school and hasn’t been away from home before. My son went aged 10 the year before he auditioned for voc school to see if he could cope being away from home but mainly to see if he liked it. He went to two very different summer schools that year and ended up only auditioning for one because one was right for him and the other (which he thought he would prefer) really wasn’t. He learned lots and from a male perspective, he really benefitted from being in a class of all boys, almost all of whom were older. It was a huge inspiration for him and not something he could have got in many places elsewhere. 

Couldn’t agree more. Also being surrounded by competent dancers from both UK and Overseas, especially the South Koreans and Japanese students,  really inspired my Dd and pushed her to work harder. She would never have been exposed to such excellence if she’d stayed at home! She came from a small school in the Styx where most kids went dancing once a week.

I can’t answer all your questions but my Dd loved the Spring Intensive. She has done both Summer and Spring and enjoyed both for different reasons. The Summer tends to be mainly foreign students ( only 4 British students in her group) and the classes were technically a little more challenging. Spring was easier to make friends as more home students. Think this is possibly due to the spring Intensive in Hong Kong which obviously attracted the Australian and Asian students. Not sure if this is the situation this year though. I’m not sure how old your Dd is but 1 week is plenty as the day is long and challenging, happy and tiring. 

I think it will be separate applications and fees. They are usually pretty strict and organised about these things due to the huge numbers of applications.

Good Luck

Central School of Ballet and the London Russian School If you’re keen for your daughter to stay in London.

8 hours ago, Dance*is*life said:

To go back to ENB changing to only the 2 or 4 week options, what happens at weekends?  Are there any organised activities or outings?  Are there 5 or 6 days of lessons each week?  What happens about food during the day - is there a canteen?   I'd be very grateful for the info - it will help us decide if we can send a student or not next year. Thank you.

As far as I understand, it will be much the same as choosing the 2 week option this year. Classes are Monday to Friday. You do as you wish during the weekend and there is no provision of a canteen. Packed lunch needed each day although I believe there is a fridge and microwave. Majority of participants were from abroad this year, staying nearby and wanting to sightsee over their weekend.

I wouldn’t worry about your daughter ‘ not being up to standard’ at an audition. At this very young age they are looking for potential, physically, mentally and musically rather than a certain standard.

The way your daughter responds during the audition will be more important than doing the splits, which most children will probably achieve with time and practice anyway.

Taking her to an audition workshop is a great idea and will give her confidence to let her joy of dancing show on the day.

So happy to see how much progress you have made already! 

You have been very courageous.

I’m fairly new to this forum  and have read your heartbreaking story and signed the petition. Hard to believe that while most of us were troubled about the mundane stuff surrounding dance training, you were going through this terrible trauma.

My advice would be to write to members of the House of Lords. I’m thinking particularly about Lord Saatchi as a starter. He managed to change the laws regarding medical research of cancer after his wife died of breast cancer, he felt, unnecessarily. He put up a huge fight against fierce opposition but was successful in the end. Like you. he was determined that his wife’s death should not be in vain. He had his story in all the major newspapers - Times, Telegraph etc. Easy for him, I guess, when he’s surrounded by people in publicity. But if you can find someone who has similar passion and determination for change to take on your story and support you then I’m sure you will be successful. Happy to write too if you need additional back up.

Good Luck.

The colour of tights ideally should match the colour of shoes in order to make one long, continuous leg line. Some shoes tend to be a very peachy colour and others more a baby pink,  in fact every variation of ballet pink exists, and I swear we have tried them all!  It’s a nightmare trying to match them together. Russian Pointe ballet tights are a nice, subtle, traditional colour... but then it would depend on your shoes.

We are very happy with the academic standard at Tring.  Time is obviously an issue but they seem to maintain a good standard nonetheless. Dd was at a very good academic school beforehand but never seemed to be particularly passionate about any  of her academic subjects. Since moving to Tring she has far more motivation and enthusiasm. Feel this is stemming from the teachers who believe in the pupils ability to do well regardless of the time limitations.