Mummy twinkle toes

1 hour ago, Pointe21 said:

I requested standard or ensuite (don't mind either) but yes on WL. Fingers crossed 🤞

Hope you get one soon 🤞🏻

43 minutes ago, Pointe21 said:

Has anyone managed to secure accommodation at Chester House, starting in Sept as a first year student. Been told there is a WL and wonder if this is no longer an option. Accommodation selection available at 16 is minimal...or am I missing somewhere. Txs

Is this for all of their rooms? Standard rooms (non-en-suite) are usually available. Each corridor has around 12 rooms with bathrooms at each end. Otherwise LSC usually send out a list of accommodation and new joiners connect on social media. Always people looking for people to house share.

6 hours ago, Pointe21 said:

Good luck to your Dd, that's amazing. My Dd is only 16 and we can't decide whether now is the right time or wait until 18. I do wonder from a social aspect whether at 16 you'll get left behind as you won't be able to go out with the older students etc..

My Dd was 16 when she went. She has not had any problems. During Freshers week they did organise several activities and some you had to be 18 for but there are other 16 year olds so always someone around to spend time with.

29 minutes ago, Pointe21 said:

Anybody know how quickly Chester House get booked up? Have an offer for LSC but keeping options open at the moment. Is it mainly LSC students there?

It is popular especially if you want an en-suite room so I would suggest contacting them. It is mainly LSC and Urdang students.

This is on RBS page under corporate partners: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/our-corporate-partners/

The Kinoshita group state specifically they are supporting Japanese students. Nothing wrong with that but the MDS awards, if not used, could be used by the other music and dance schools rather than just be wasted.

Thanks Jan and FlexyNexy. Interesting reading

Does anyone know anything about them? Dd has been offered a junior artist traineeship. We know one of their senior artists and I have seen some discussions on the US forum but it is dated.

7 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

Ok… am I missing something here? Why is a Japanese corporation who seems so keen to promote Japanese dancers not pumping money into ballet provision for these dancers to train in their home country?
Japan has the Imperial Family. Why not create their own ‘Royal Ballet School’ or ‘The Imperial Ballet School of Japan’

It seems appalling that this company wants to (let alone is allowed to) pump no doubt many many thousands (even hundreds of thousands?) of pounds into the RBS…..but with a completely transparent aim as part of this money to provide opportunities for Japanese students. It’s basically looking to me like bulk buying places in the school! 
This is not helping to develop grass roots ballet in Japan & promote cultural well being there. Personally I do not think the RBS should be taking this money if it comes with ‘strings attached’…..surely it’s Charitable Status & own institutional aims & principles would not allow this? 
Expect ever more overseas audition tours & intensives to now include Japan…..

I cannot see how this furthers our National ballet flagship school to fulfil its brief & its founding aims. 

Completely agree and RBS already has government funded places so it is not like they needed the money for that. Will the RBS be able to use the funding from the group to fund dancers from other countries?

10 hours ago, RubyM said:

A strong insinuation that the UK RBS students need to "elevate their standards" and "work harder" 🤔

Yes, that is rather insulting. He could have praised students from Japan without inducing insults to others.

Congrats to your Dd. Jazz pathway get lots of opportunities to perform. There is a performance team she can audition for which perform at Move It and other events. Lots of pro dancers and choreographers coming into work with them. Wide variety of jazz styles taught too from heels and theatre jazz to hip hop. Good luck with her other auditions.

Resmi Malko and Ruth Jones classes at Pineapple are also very good. Resmi has previously been on Central’s panel.

On 09/02/2023 at 01:36, FionaE said:

Looking at Danceworks .. Isabella McGuire Mayes may well give corrections.  She does a lot online.  Though I see it says her classes are for 16+.   That might be something you’ll need to check everywhere. 

Isabella is a very good teacher. Dds have previously taken her classes but not at Danceworks so not sure if in an open class you would get the same level of corrections.

On 17/02/2023 at 10:12, Pointe21 said:

Would be really interested to hear experiences studying at LSC for the Fda - classical ballet route, at 16yrs. Trying to consider options for Dd and whether to wait to study BA at 18. Thanks in advance 🙂

The FDA is the same apart from theory and additional wellbeing classes for under 18s. It leads onto the top up so both course graduates end up with a classical ballet degree. It is just the FdA set plus BA top up is awarded by the University of Creative Arts and the BA for 18 plus is awarded by Middlesex. Both sets of students will be in Images, the third year company. 
If it is classical ballet wanted then 16 is a good age to study. Dd1 is really enjoying the training there and is glad she opted to go there. She likes the variety of teachers she gets for ballet and the fact she has a personalised timetable.

On 20/02/2023 at 17:57, kazia1 said:

Hi, does anyone have experience of Chester House for LSC students? Just doing a bit of research before final decisions on where for DD? She’s decided not to do further auditions and look at her offers. What a busy time for all! Thx 👍🏻

Hi, my Dd has been living at Chester for 2 years. She loves it there because of the facilities, including the gym and communal gardens. The staff are lovely and the food is of a good quality. However, my DD is also able to cook her own meals too because there are communal kitchens too.

There is a small dance studio, cinema room and Tv lounge. There is a shop across the road. We found it very reasonably priced and safe. It is cheaper than a lot of private rentals in the area. Any other questions we are happy to help.

The FDA course leads into the top up BA. The current FDA do not need to audition for the top up. This is for 16 plus. The classical BA (aligned to Middlesex) and FDA students learn ballet together. (FDA plus top up is aligned to University of Creative Arts- theory is different for the two degrees).

Every student at LSC has a unique timetable as there are options to pick each term too. Dd has done additional pointe, additional virtuosity, singing technique, singing rep, hip hop etc. There is usually a big list to choose from. The first week is ‘audition week’ and after this you get streamed for ballet, jazz and contemporary. Classical ballet students are set one for ballet. 
Happy to answer any other questions.
 

11 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said:

 

Yes, that's just not right.  I don't think it's right for children to be partnered by mature men and some of the roles are unsuitable for children to be dancing.  I like seeing the children in the party scenes in Nutcracker but I definitely think they shouldn't be at 10 dancing adult roles with grown men.  It just makes my skin crawl as well.  

He wasn’t a grown man. He is 16 and they danced since they were 8 and 14

He is 16 there. They started dancing together when she was 8 and he was 14. A gap in age but looking at their videos it doesn’t look like they had lots of boys.

This is her last year 

I do remember hearing that when she started at Vaganova they were steadier with her training. 

This is her at 10 as Odile. Lada was trained rigorously from a very young age. Pointe at 6 though is very early and I have never heard of it in the U.K.

Meanwhile Dd1 was just starting pointe a couple of months before she turned 11 but started with just rises at the barre and then did IF ballet exam. We struggled to get pointe shoes as she was only a size 13 but luckily size 1 Grishko fit and was the smallest shoe in U.K. You could get smaller abroad though. Dd2 started at 13.
 

Edinburgh Festival have good classes for children. Would that be too far?

Non-vocational schools in U.K. tend to focus on technique, syllabus work and some will do shows. Not all schools do competitions. School day ends around 3.30-4pm so most cannot take ballet class until then. Home schooling is still rare in U.K.

Serious non-vocational school students will be aiming to get a vocational place either in lower or upper school. YAGP’s popularity in the U.K. is growing but it is still not held in the U.K. If you are able to be coached for it then it still means travelling to France, Spain or Italy to participate. The costs alone are prohibitive for many.

On 19/12/2022 at 23:21, DD Driver said:

My understanding is that RBS teachers see a large number of candidates e.g. on the intl audition tours.  They take notes & possibly take video to share their thoughts/recommendations with the AD.   

 

Last year Australians did the Finals audition via Zoom but this year a video must be sent in and then if selected then they have to go to London audition.

Of course, at YAGP & PdL some dancers may get offers - as they are being seen in person by the AD over a period of days.

 

- I do find it confusing that UK students - not at a vocational school - are not getting advanced coaching & attending YAGP/PdL as much as o/s students do!  Great teachers are available.  I get that homeschooling & Distance Ed are not as big as o/s and the school exam timing may be unfavourable...but you could still get quality hours in.  Can someone explain?

 

There are teachers available to coach but the costs are expensive. You also have to be located near them as if your dc is at a non vocational school then they can only train after their school day has finished and weekends. Teachers we know coaching for YAGP are in London and want their students 6-7 days a week.

Prices may have changed since we were auditioning 2 years ago but this was the information we had.

Elmhurst- dada plus school contribution meant it cost around £8000

KS dance- dada meant our costs would have been 2000 fees and then house share was around £400 per month plus food/utilities 

Central- fees paid by loan but nearest student accommodation was £18000 plus food. Cheaper student halls in Aldgate but then need to add in Oystercard.

Kings- some scholarships available. Flats nearby for £400 pm plus food/utilities 

BTUK- fees paid by student loan. 2 share a flat £500 per month plus food.

Moorland-a few scholarships/discounts otherwise £26000

Tring- dada, some MDS, then accommodation fees- not cheap

RBS-MDS

LSC-16000 fees. 6k paid by student finance. Several scholarships available. Local halls 7.5-9000 including food.

Edinburgh festival-9k fees, some small discounts available, up to 2k if from Scotland and halls generally around 8-10k excluding food.

Hammond-dada and boarding around 13000.

ENB-dada, local halls around 12000 including breakfast.

Hope that helps.

If Adam Pudney’s class is available then that is great. Pineapple always has a mix of abilities. His class does have beginners in it so not too difficult. He is a lovely teacher.

Runqiao Du offers live lessons online. He is in the US but you join by zoom. You would need to check times. He taught at the Kirov and is a very good teacher. A single class of 90 minutes is $25. You can find out more here: https://runqiaodu.com

ENB were also offering online classes but not sure if they still are. They have some free YouTube videos of ballet classes that they filmed at the beginning of the pandemic.