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balletbean

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  1. balletbean
    That’s reassuring. My DD is being caught in the middle of not wanting to miss classes if NBS remain open but also like other pupils from European countries and Ireland being recalled home. But if she does come home she’s looking at the minimum of 6 weeks of no intensive training. The exact length of time as 1/2 a term. Lost. 😭
  2. balletbean
    I agree. It’s also reflected in the more tests done the more likely the positive results will increase . Not because there are necessarily more people infected in just a week just more tests done so the probable outcome will change. The authorities here have decided not to test anyone displaying symptoms of the virus just told to self-isolate, unless they have been in direct contact with the two residents who tested positive or a direct travel pathway from an infected country (probably easier to list those countries who haven’t got it). So at the mo we have no idea of numbers in the island. Ps. Considering how warm and sunny it is today it’s eerily quiet.
  3. balletbean
    Press release from RCS. https://www.rcs.ac.uk/audition-update-covid-19/
  4. balletbean
    Meanwhile our Chief Minister held a press conference yesterday. Message sent out :- Keep Calm and Carry on, including taking holidays. Yup they actually said that. 🤦‍♀️ But then added that they were ‘cancelling all non-essential Government business travel’🤷🏼‍♀️ ps. Even though airlines are cancelling flights right left and centre. As parents we are obviously concerned just like everyone else, how our children will get home should the UK start closing the schools. Can Boarders stay on the premises if they can’t travel home?
  5. balletbean
    MoveIt 2020 at the Excel have just postponed the entire event UFN.
  6. balletbean
    We (Jersey) have it slightly in reverse. Many travellers returning to the island from Italy after the 1/2 term break including a school group. 2 confirmed cases and 20+ in self isolation. The local Government are holding an emergency meeting to consider options to reduce the risk to the islanders. Airlines have already reduced flights. Being on an island we also have limited access to Health Care. Should the worse case scenario occur, and we follow Ireland then what happens to over 1500 local teenagers who are currently in the UK at vocational schools colleges and universities come the Easter holidays. Add into the mix, if COBRA make the decision to close the above then what happens to not just students from the Channel Islands but also all the international students? Preparing for the worst praying for the best.
  7. balletbean
    BBC News flash just announced. Republic of Ireland have just closed all schools and colleges and other public facilities from 18.00hrs this evening until 29th March.
  8. balletbean
    If the cancellation is related to current events concerning health, then it’s Interesting to know that MoveIt is taking place this weekend after receiving advice from the UK Gov and given the go-ahead.
  9. balletbean
    Hi. How close to Blackpool are you thinking? I only ask because last week (1/2 term) my DD and I had the pleasure of visiting Blackpool and had the most enjoyable afternoon watching the Ballroom dancers in the iconic Tower Ballroom whilst indulging in a scrumptious afternoon tea. Being the home to all things Ballroom they would certainly have the details you are looking for.
  10. balletbean
    My DD found that darning (noticeable rim) just around the box helped her ‘feel’ the floor and therefore position herself correctly en pointe. Especially in the early days of pointe work. There are plenty of videos on YouTube by Leanne of Straighttothepointe that are so helpful. 🙆‍♀️🩰
  11. balletbean
    My DD took her GCSE’s in 2017. Study leave started a week after the May 1/2 term holiday. The actual exams were so spread out we never felt as if we ‘were in the thick of its. Mainly afternoon exams. We live so close, so on one occasion she sat on her bed in the morning going over past papers. Left her books open. Went to school for the exam. Opened the paper to find it was the same as the one she had left on her bed!! Only pupil to leave the exam hall grinning from head to head. 😄. Pressure? What pressure 😂
  12. balletbean
    Absolutely. I don’t recall any ‘study leave’ One subject one paper except for Maths that had two papers (one calculator). A B C etc. Please don’t get me started on this new grading system of 1-9 but with A levels staying as it has always been. 😳
  13. balletbean
    Oh bless. My son just got a grade 2 in his recent Spanish GCSE mock. His tutor then announced that he could achieve a 5 in the actual exam!! Unsure how she even came to that conclusion. I’ve kindly ‘informed’ the school he will not be continuing the subject after half-term. MFL are compulsory at his school. Funny enough I’ve yet to receive a response 😉 He is hoping to aim for quality over quantity. Well that’s what he tells me. 😄 What many ‘outsiders’ don’t understand is that to achieve 9 GCSE’s can result in a pupil having to sit up to 27 separate papers/examinations. So many subjects are made up of 3 papers.
  14. balletbean
    Schools can be very creative when publishing their GCSE grades & %. It’s taken me several years and experience for 3 of my 4 children to finally get my head around it all. And just when I thought I understood all of this my youngest and non-DS can’t decide which 3 A Levels to select (paperwork needs to be submitted by Thursday😱) as he keeps bouncing between 3 different degrees 😉. Auditioning for a place at vocational school/ college seems like a breeze, now I look back at it all 😂
  15. balletbean
    I totally understand your comment but I was posting from a British students perspective. Therefore studying and training in the UK.
  16. balletbean
    I totally understand that there’s no way a University can possibly offer the same level of training in Dance that a specialist school/college can offer. Just that there are options out there. It all depends on the end game for the individual student and where they see their career path leading them.
  17. balletbean
    I wouldn’t like to dampen anyones desire to pursuing their dreams but I do agree with not auditioning for yr11. Not just for the academic reasons as schools vary on their choice of examination boards which could have a detrimental effect on even the highest academic achiever receiving the grades they would have expected had they remained at their school. There’s also absolutely no guarantee of a place for US. That’s before the dreaded word ‘injury’ is even considered let along mentioned. Then what? We are all passionate about the world of dance but we can’t ignore that the rest of the business world incl acceptance at a University (even as a mature student) is based on academic qualifications incl 5 GCSE passes, 2 of which must be Maths & English. None of us know what’s around the corner.
  18. balletbean
    You are spot on. ‘Joint honours’ is the correct term. On a quick google search, Bath Spa , Derby and De Montford are three institutions that offer English Lit & Dance as a Joint Degree. Didn’t look into the content of the degrees as that’s down to personal preferences.
  19. balletbean
    First of all Congratulations to your daughter securing a place at uni. Luck has nothing to do with it. She’s obviously worked very hard and has been recognised for her efforts. You have managed to ask one of those incredibly difficult questions which most of us can’t answer. How to pursue a career in dance? I doubt there are any stats done on % of graduates securing dance work within the industry. You maybe too late to seek an audition for this Septembers intake at the independent schools & colleges. NBS are advertising their audition dates but unsure on availability. Have you considered researching availability of dance at the Birmingham Uni but not as degree? I’ve known of a few girls that have pursued their Degree courses at uni in an unrelated subject and joined the dance Club/Societies. Taking part in many competitions representing their Unis. To an incredibly high standard. Which obviously maintains their technique/fitness & stamina. There is no requirement for dancer to even hold a dip/degree in dance to attend some ‘open’ auditions. ie cruise ships. Applicants need to know how to present a professional looking CV with headshots then obviously nail the audition. Pupils at dance schools obviously have the support of their schools everything is possible with a little bit of research and knowledge 😉. A friend has just completed 8yrs performing with a reputable Cruise Liner as a performer (working up through the ranks to a soloist) having never attended a dance college! Offered a contract through an open audition. That example is probably an exception but that’s what the life is like. There’s always an exception to any rule. Just as much as dancers who graduate specialist providers but that much wanted contract eludes them. Don’t let Uni be the end of a chance for a potential dance career just a different pathway. I would just like to conclude that my post is related to Jazz Focus. Which encompasses tap, modern, contemporary with a minor in Ballet. The skills you mention in your post. ☺️
  20. balletbean
    Lovely gentlemen. His rather temperamental car was a Triumph Roadster. 😉
  21. balletbean
    Absolutely. Makes you look at life in a different perspective. Bergerac was fantastic. He completely reconfigured the entire island map. Islanders were amused and visitors confused 🤣. The fun part was so many of us appeared in the tv programme over the years. 🤩. Saddest part is watching the old series and realising how much the island has changed since then 😕
  22. balletbean
    You are partly correct. All our GP visits are private and come at a significant cost £35/45 per visit for daytime surgery add another £10+ for a referral letter/blood test etc but we do get free prescriptions. Out of hours exceed £100. However we don’t have to wait. Invariably a patient can get an appointment on the same day with their own designated GP subject to the GP’s working hours. Visitors to the island incl those from the UK incur additional charges for a GP visit 😱 If residents including students from the island are in the UK they can access free GP service and hospital treatment in England. Doesn’t seem quite fair to our visitors. There are many islanders that are sent as tertiary patients for care within the NHS as the island can’t provide specialist care. The island health dept pay the NHS hospital for the treatment/surgery directly whilst patients are placed on a public ward. So they are neither private or public Ps Only primary school children can access the free school dentist. Older school kids can access the free orthodontic care. But the sting in the tail is there’s a waiting list. 2yrs for regular checkups and a whopping 5yrs for orthodontic treatment. Everyone else is Private 😱 The whole health care system is so messed up. Currently the local Government have taken nearly 10yrs to discuss and find a location for a new hospital and failed! 😉
  23. balletbean
    Residents of the Channel Islands are excluded from applying for a UK Student Loan as well as applying for a DaDa. It’s so confusing as for the vast majority of the time residents are classed as part of the UK. ie access to NHS hospital treatment and GP care. But then sometimes called “international students” by some educational institutions. Therefore the higher fee rate. There’s no definitive rule of where these students stand. It’s up to the individual providers to decide and parents to hold their breath and keep their fingers crossed. 🤞🏼
  24. balletbean
    Will UK graduates still be able to join European Ballet Companies now that Brexit has happened?
  25. balletbean
    Thank you. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the way you look at it. Our Education authority offer a Grant for BA(Hons) or equiv qualification. The main issue is that the Grant only covers costs up to the average uni fees of £9,250, which we all know falls well short of the true costs for Vocational Schools. No DaDa, no student loans either so it’s a regular lender with the usual repayment terms and interest rates for the parent/s. Pupils at vocational schools are obviously too young to take out a loan for the balance. Attendance at a specialist school/college is actually ranked as the 4th most popular pathway for local students (ahead of medicine ) but one that still fails to gain the recognition from the education dept 🤷🏼‍♀️ There was one incident a few years back that the Director of Student Finance didn’t know that a Diploma Level 6 is the vocational equivalent of a BA(Hons) degree and the Deputy Minister didn’t know what ‘classical ballet’ was!! 🤦‍♀️
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