ponklemum

Does anybody know the cost of the Opes course and also where I can get a form?

I don't know about the cost but the forms can be downloaded from their site. (When its back up and running)

I've found an old information letter from when my daughter attended and they had warm up and 11/2hr ballet, then a break followed by what was classed as repertoire for 11/2 hrs until lunch. 11/4 hours repertoire after lunch, break and then 11/4 hr contemporary class. There were also evening activities including a pas-de deux workshop, bbq and barn dance last year.

 

My daughter has been the last 2 years and had a great time, although she hasn't boarded as we live locally.

That sounds brilliant, thank you. I've told my daughter in order to give her a rough idea and she's really looking forward to it.

Hi

Arrival day is Sunday, classes are Monday to Friday with performance on the Friday afternoon.

 

There is a daily ballet class first thing for each of the groups, then there is either jazz for the younger group or contemporary for older 2 groups. There is also pointe, rep and pdd for the 2 older groups. Tap is not the norm but just an add on last year at the last minute!

Fab classes with fab teachers!

Do you have any idea what a typical day would be like for the younger ones? My daughter will be going for the first time and is 9.

For the lower school students the main dance genres are Classical and Jazz, DD also did a little tap routine on the performance day. Four girls took their tap shoes and OPES fitted in a lovely routine for them.

 

Upper School students it is mainly Classical, PDD & Contemporary.

 

The standard is very high but it is a very fun week for them. Once my DD is there I rarely hear from her!!

Thank you for this, I didn't realise they did jazz and tap too. I'll be sure to pack her tap shoes.

Hi, this will be my daughters first time but as far as I'm aware, it's all ballet. The information was posted on Olivia's page.

I had an email off her this morning saying they're working on getting the website fixed. The following information is what has been posted on Facebook

Apologies about our website. I think people are trying to access certain areas and cannot get any information. We are dealing with this and forms and information will be hopefully be available from 1st January 2017.

Lots of you have been asking for our dates for 2017 so here they are for the time being.

Week 1- 30th July-4th August

Week 2- 6th August-13th August

Week 3-13th August- 19th August

Thank you all so much for your patience. X

My dd has been doing 2 grades since last sept (2015). She's in grades 1 and 2 (Rad) and will be taking the grade 1 in march. She'll then leave that grade one class and take grade 3 classes. Same for the summer when she'll do her grade 2 and consequently move to grade 4. My ds has also just started doing 2 classes, primary and grade 1.

My girls did this yesterday and absolutely loved it.  They talked about what they did and learned throughout the day and said they would both like to do it again.  Thank you drdance and all at Midas 

I never thought of that to be honest as the children's dance school don't offer them.  There's not much locally anyway in terms of dance schools but I will definitely have a look. 

Unfortunately a 4 hour round trip is the most local thing I have (which we do now) in Newport.  Other than that Birmingham and Chester are both 3 hours away and Bristol around 2 hr 20.  

For 9 year olds how long are the classes and what time do they start?  Before making the decision of taking my dd to audition, I would like to know if it's worth the 6 hour round trip.  

Fab news, congratulations. 

I'd love to bring dd but unfortunately it takes us 3 hours to get to Birmingham from where we are in Wales.   

I've decided to turn it into a day out for all the family so am booking it.  The girls can't wait for it and the boys are looking forward to a day out.

I'd love to bring dd but unfortunately it takes us 3 hours to get to Birmingham from where we are in Wales.   

SS are a struggle to do as finances stretched & also lots of family pressures which make travel/residential difficult. There seem to be lots if Midlands & Northern based SS but very few in the South West....in the past RAD did day SS at Pavillion Dance in Bournemouth - great studios, great location & pretty local for us :-) I do feel our area is lacking....I even think that it could sustain a full time vocational school! We have beaches & nice weather much of the time......could DrDance or TutuGitl or others be tempted to consider a trip down here? We'd make you very welcome & kids & parents would be so grateful!

Its like that here in West Wales, there are no residential courses (as far as I know) in Wales at all.  It takes me 2 1/2 hours drive to get to the border of Wales so everywhere is far to travel for us.

That was something else I was wondering about actually.  If the children feel like they get a lot out of it and if they feel they're improving from doing the course.  

Dd attended week 3.

 

Class size depended on the group. She thinks there were about 10-15 in the youngest group. There were 21 in her group & about 20 in the oldest group.

 

For most classes each of the teachers had an assistant with them who were usually young professional dancers (in one case an assistant taught some demo choreography from a professional ballet company she had performed with.

That's brilliant thank you.  DD 2 has already made up her mind that Opes is where she wants to go next year and everything that I'm hearing about it is very positive.

My DD attended weeks 1 & 2 of OPES summer intensive and had a great time.  Teachers were friendly and supportive, giving corrections to all participants in a positive way.  Good amount of differentiation in what was taught (ballet, contemporary, etc.)  Accommodations were also very good.  Other kids were welcoming - which was great as my DD went alone.  Would definitely recommend.

Hi, What are the class sizes like there? 

I think this is a brilliant idea and that something needs to be in place. Having had issues with my children and 1 teacher at a dance school and feeling like there was no where I could turn was absolutely awful.

I thought that too. Apparently it's easier for them to spot the water while they're rotating.

Have just 'liked'loads on FB. I agree this forum is fabulous . I now need to get a huge notebook to write everything down !

That's what I started doing yesterday. I've noted the names, minimum age, residential or not, and whether they're predominantly ballet or mixed dance.

That's brilliant, congratulations.

I've watched the videos on here and I'm really glad I watched them. I've been practicing on my older dd, her hair is really really long and really thick. I did the split in into 3 then separately twirl them around. It worked really well and I manage a flat (albeit untidy) bun. With a bit more practice I think I'll get it.

Good morning !

I've had a lovely response from forum members regarding summer school .

Advanced 1 group is nearly full now .

 

Spaces available in other groups .

Do please PM me if you require details .

 

We have a nice mix of non - vocational and Royal / Elmhurst / Tring etc

Regards

Tutugirl

Hi, I've tried to send you a pm but it says you can't receive any.

Mine have just done the RAD Dartington course. There were 66 students split in to 3 classes. For the middle and younger groups they were split in to an hour each of ballet, creative, group dance, musical theatre and singing. The older group did contemporary instead of singing. My youngest dd is 8 so the youngest that can attend and grade 2 which is the youngest grade too. She thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that she was really pushed due to having higher grade students in the class. My other dd (who was in the middle group) felt that she was pushed but I dont think as much as my younger one. Both have said they'd love to do it again although dd2 wouldvalsblikd to do one that's all ballet.