Ruby Foo

My Dd enjoyed Nicola Tarry’s summer school in Kent. She had a little boarding available. As a small dancer she enjoyed RCS in Glasgow - the contemporary was wonderful. She did a fabulous one in Northern France and we stayed in a campsite and had a little holiday at the same time. It was in a tiny village and quite remarkable. She also did an RAD one in Italy that her RBS associate teacher taught at ( very high standard) but she stayed with an Italian friend and we did not need to go. There’s something really lovely and creative about a small, non competitive summer school. My Dd felt she learned more, got more attention and had more fun! I can recommend Malvern and ENB for older students. There are also summer schools in Marseille, Sicily and several in Switzerland if you can combine with holiday. Always good to see how the Europeans are teaching and the competition as you get older. There’s lots out there that are great, just try to look beyond the usual stuff. I will try to find some links and post if I can.

No experience of the younger years but I can imagine that would be the case. The cost of flights/ accommodation etc for parents accompanying young international students would be pricey.

From experience ( 3x summer intensive) 95% ( approx guess) of Summer intensive are international students - many are first timers. My Dd had only 5 or 6 English speaking students to mix with, of which several were at RBS already. My opinion ( I have no inside knowledge) is that it’s a chance for the school to see worldwide talent they haven’t seen already ( through the uk associate schemes). Internationals tend to want summer courses because of the academic requirements / term times internationally and, I guess, they make a summer of visiting UK. Internationals don’t seem to be so omnipresent at Eastertime. My opinion only - that at the higher levels 13+, the international students are at a very high standard indeed especially where pointework is concerned. My Dd struggled having just passed inter- foundation. Her fellow students from S.Korea and Japan were easily Adv 2 standard and looked like mini professionals. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter a jot because everyone takes their own time to develop and gain the strength needed and meantime, there are loads of other great opportunities out there which my Dd enjoyed just as much, if not more.

My Dd got a place from the waitlist. The email came through 1st week of June.

My Dd and her friend received one in yr 8

I don’t think it matters but as they’ve seen you in the ballet class already, it’s quite nice to show versatility and adaptability by offering another style especially contemporary/jazz/ lyrical. Tring is very strong classically but also produces very versatile dancers.

My dd did RBS summer school twice around the age of 12 and 13. We took the pics in the cramped living room with our 2 cats visibly perched on the sofa behind.

I only know it’s possible to be offered both.

This seems like invaluable information but my overwhelming reaction was Wow! All you must have been through! Congratulations on surviving!

A good chance Reggi. There are a couple of posters on here who have not got to Elmhurst finals but got to finals at WL. Some who have been offered a place at WL. From personal experience.

That’s a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to your daughter! I apologise to your daughter and everyone doing RAD, ISTD internationally for using UK in my post. I’m so used to international students not doing exams!

In my opinion the RAD grades ( also ISTD, BBO and others) provide a good basic framework on which to build. I would say it’s more about the quality of teaching though than the actual syllabus itself although the syllabus is good too. There are some fabulous teachers out there who look beyond the basic syllabus work when they are teaching but are slow and careful at the same time. When a student gets to a stage when they are secure in the basics, (posture, holding their turn out correctly, weight placement and balance ,correct arm and head alignment, technically secure jumps etc etc) and they can mentally hold on to those!! then adding additional Vaganova style lessons ( with an excellent teacher) or lessons with an ex principal dancer will give them something extra that RAD can’t. I do think that generally the UK syllabus work brings in all sorts of interesting ways to develop musicality and rhythm, dynamics, movement and flow and spacial dimensions which some other styles are definitely lacking. And this shows! A dancer is not just about wonderful technique and it’s hard to replace those fundamentals at a later stage. When these important ingredients are incorporated in the training from the beginning they can build a very special dancer. RAD (and others) definitely have this built in. At the same time, the standard is incredibly high these days so mixing it up would be very important too especially if a student is yr 9 or above.

I completely agree re the versatile performer. And the superb training!

Sounds like a great tactic Dancing unicorn.

I can empathise and feel for you in this position. 13 is such a tricky age group. Sounds like you’re thinking about the situation very carefully and doing the best you can at the moment. When young people are trying to please their peers( fitting in ) they will exhibit very unhelpful behaviours such as trying so so hard ‘NOT’ to try too hard in case they are labelled a geek etc etc. Fitting in is their topmost priority in life. On top of this they are super conscious of ‘self’ and making a fool of themselves. Inside, most of them will secretly want to learn and be good but they’re stuck inside themselves. Just like you, they are actually having a difficult time but it doesn’t come across like that. Unlike you, they have plenty support from their friends in the class, which makes your position very frustrating and lonely. I would ask if it’s possible to split the class into two separate classes and split the very uncooperative ones up between the more keen ones. This is probably not possible as it will need more studio time and changing schedules. I would certainly communicate your issues very clearly with the principal so you can get the support you need. Have you thought of organising something that might allow you to get to know these girl’s personalities better? Loosely connected to dance but not necessarily. A theatre trip? Something after class ? At present, you are seen as the threat/ enemy to some so there’s a chance of breaking that cycle, and, as your the adult you need to open the door if you’re able, to connect with them on another level. Thirdly, if you can find someone or something they can easily connect to who is inspiring in being a better self each week for themselves!!! and not for the teacher or their parents or their friends. They might get the message…probably not! Which leads me to say that nothing is forever. They will grow and mature and change if you can ever believe it and try to work with them as best you can.

I think a strong classical dancer is at a disadvantage in the tap dancing world. For a start there’s the strength in the ankles which is problematic for tap as the ankles need to be loose. Then there’s the problem of keeping the parallel alignment of the legs and feet and not letting them turn outward which is not easy for a trained ballet dancer. Then there’s the issue of weight and relaxation which is in tune with the very essence of rhythm and the culture and storytelling of black rhythmic tap. Then there’s the rhythms themselves which certainly in new black rhythmic tap are based on jazz and the joy of spontaneous improvisation and sometimes the complete obliteration of tempo. It’s tricky to break down everything you’ve been taught previously and to work with no rules. The best tap dancers are those that have been brought up with their souls in the culture and they transfer their language and story to others in the purest form. I can see my Afro- American jazz teacher ( Alvin Ailey) now, brimming with frustration at us ballet students because we failed to bring the essence of the style. It was simply impossible for us to rid ourselves of what had become integral to our brains and bodies.

Ballet certainly isn’t the foundation of tap dancing or some styles of traditional Jazz such as Afro jazz. In fact I’m sure there’s a discussion to be had about whether Ballet has actually diluted some dance forms and not in a positive way. If some historical / ethnic and cultural forms of dance are picked up by exam boards/ vocational schools where the students are highly classically trained then the results are a far cry from the original style.

In my DD’s year at WL there were at least 4 girls from JAs and one from MA ( never a JA). There may have been more but that’s all I know about. I think there’s a little truth in that, for the Summer Intensives they like to see new international talent - students they haven’t seen before.

From what my daughter told me, the Eastern European open auditions are slightly less well attended than the others, say in Paris and Barcelona. I’m sure there will still be plenty though. Does your daughter have plenty performance opportunities at the moment? Competitions? My daughter had a minuscule chance to perform and competitions were a no. It was a bubble environment. If you are just training all your life it’s helpful to get any chance to adapt ‘ the classroom ‘ into professional performance on the other side and to be challenged among your competitors at the highest level.

There is also The Movement Studio- run by Kate Menzies who is ex RB, BRB and ex Scottish Ballet. I don’t have personal experience of this gyrotonic studio ( don’t think it was around when we were there) but it looks like it would be very helpful. It’s in Glasgow too!

The Fabrice Maufrais studio in Glasgow will be a great place to start. It used to be called Penny Withers ( Penny was head of the Associate programme at Scottish Ballet) but has been recently taken over by Fabrice. It’s a fabulous gyrotonic studio run by experienced Ballet people. Fabrice ( ex English National Ballet School teacher ) was the head of pedagogy at Ballet du Quebec. Gyrotonics helps re align the body and strengthen those muscles to hold it in place. I know Scottish Ballet dancers are regulars here.

Just an opinion and not based on experience or specific knowledge, I would say this is worth going to. Theres some good companies represented here such as Hungarian. In the 2 company auditions my dd did before injury, the 2 contracts ( 1 in each) went to girls who were already in companies. My dd said they stood out a mile as being super confident and professional. Although she didn’t get a contract she learnt so much from being there. I’m sorry your school is not more helpful. It’s so expensive and bewildering when you’re completely abandoned like this. Wishing you and you dd the very best of luck. x

Mrs Moo - Arts Ed in Chiswick has a very accessible Musical theatre course. ( Hopefully I can mention this school? Moderators please delete if not) When my daughter was 10yrs and in grade 2 ( she started late too) a much older male student came to her class every week. One day she told me he was 17 in a shocked voice, as though anyone could be so old! This very, quiet unassuming guy continued to come to pretty much everything regardless of who was in the class - he was 1 of only 2 males in the school. He went to Arts Ed at 18 and BLOSSOMED. He came back to her school to do a West End workshop one weekend and boy!! He was unrecognisable! The confidence and his performance were incredible as was his dancing. Just blew me away actually. He danced professionally for a few years and is now a fitness coach.

Without doubt the chances are greater for boys starting late, than girls. Will still be a huge challenge but if he feels this is his pathway to fulfilment and he’s fully aware of the amount of hard work, then better to get started! Do you have a very good school near you that will support and offer enough training to get back to the level needed to audition? Having a decent voice will help no end. The other option or plan b might be to take adult classes at a dance center and apply for amateur musical theatre groups. Another plan b would be to join some excellent dance and musical theatre groups at university. I’ve heard some are very professional. Sometimes you can do what you love by going through a different door.

Thank you for educating me Roberta.