balletbean

On 16/09/2022 at 20:43, Pixiewoo said:

DD is getting ready to send off UCAS form and assorted applications for colleges. 

 

Do the colleges usually have auditions on particular days? A friend's child seemed to have most of their auditions on a wednesday or thursday, but I didn't know if that was luck?! Just trying to get my head around that bit of it, as I'm leaving the rest of it to DD! She seems very calm about it, I'm thoroughly confused having read what is required! 😆 I would love them to be at weekends, but I expect that is wishful thinking!

 

Thanks xx

Hi. I appreciate that we don’t know where your DD is applying for but from experience of the UCAS application process none of the institutions offer weekend interviews/auditions. Which isn’t ideal as we try to fathom out travelling time etc balanced out between mocks etc but hopefully all will work out well for you and your DD 🍀. 

7 hours ago, Contretemps said:

Thanks for this  Managed to get set up in the portal and have submitted everything except the gp certificate. Booking an appointment is on my list of to dos. I’m wondering how long it would be before hearing about an audition place. Also curious to know when the audition dates are. We have one audition right in the middle of her mocks  

Hi, from past experience (unless they have completely changed their dates) NBS start offering audition dates commencing in Nov.  Dates are released late Sept.  One round, no recalls. There’s a break then start again in the new yr, we chose the first date in Nov. Letter arrived in the post one week after audition. All done and dusted before Christmas and the mocks 🙂  

On 15/09/2022 at 10:04, Jo Jo said:

Same here we are off to uni halls tomorrow. 

Hope all goes well for you 🍀

On 15/09/2022 at 09:54, mum5678 said:

Ha ha.. you read my mind.  Dropping my eldest off into his Uni owned halls on Saturday... we were just saying that it will be very interesting to compare and contrast! 

 

Good luck & best wishes, hope all goes well. 🍀

7 minutes ago, Dancers Dad said:

It's appalling how little things change, despite warm words and all that corporate guff on their website. On the ground, they couldn't project-manage their way out of a paper bag. Poor old front desk team get landed with everything, time after time. 

 

I hope their complacency is punctured soon as students start voting with their feet. Let's hope it's not a genuine disaster that wakes them up.

 

I like the sound of the non-uS accommodation you found!

I think uS have a monopoly of Halls so they have become complacent over the years knowing that students have little other choice. Which is such a shame. 
My sons accommodation is on campus so the Uni has complete control over the accommodation. Somethings don’t change though. Missing shelves in fridge & freezers! Lol 🙄😅

1 hour ago, Ballet-taxi said:

Yes, we were the same.

We walked into paint splats,

plaster dust and large bits of plaster board everywhere.

There was a bucket of dirty water and pieces of wood on the floor. The whole flat was dirty with plaster dust and strong smell of paint. The showers were dirty from workmen having been working in there. 
However we complained and they explained they had finished decorating that morning and just hadn’t done the clean/tidy before we got there at 10am.

In fairness, they sent a team straight up and we continued to tell them about each snag/area to clean/fix and every time,

someone came extremely quick and got things fixed. Not ideal but they were quick to sort! So, I think it’s all flats. I’m thinking at least they got in and it’s all newly refurbished with everything new. It would have been a disaster if they had to wait to move in, or have a temporary move.

I hope your DD’s flat is sorted quick.

I’m so sorry to hear that uS are still up to their old tricks, having not learnt anything over the years. When my DD and friends moved in for their 2nd yr there was a supermarket trolley full of painters equipment. Overwhelming stink of white spirit and paint splatters all over the furniture. Not forgetting the hazard of storing flammable substances in a flat which I kindly brought to their attention.  The staff were great and removed the items and replaced furniture but that shouldn’t have to happen on checkin day. Despite their reassurances that all flats receive a full inspection before students move in this was and by the looks of things very obviously still not happening. 

I’ve just taken my son to Uni for the first time, for about the same costs as uS accommodation, his flat was immaculate, the en-suite was of hotel standard. We were both pleasantly surprised having only had uS accommodation to base our expectations on.
They even incl brand new bedding & linen!! 
 

I do hope everything is sorted out soon and everyone settles in to their new year. 

26 minutes ago, margarite said:

We’re deciding this month which upper schools DD will be applying for and I need help from current parents to try and work out how much we’ll need to pay on top of fees ( I have worked out our Dada contribution if DD is lucky enough to get one). I’d be really grateful if anyone who has children at the following schools ( or who have recently left) could DM me with roughly how much rent/food etc cost per month. 

Tring

NBS

RCS

KS Dance

Hammond

BTUK

 

thanks in advance 🙏

Hi. NBS don’t provide their own accommodation. Many of the pupils source self catering flats either through UniteStudents or Dwell in properties in and around the school. 
Prices do vary depending on the flat itself. Number of bedrooms en-suite or shared. All the current pricing can be found on their website. New Medlock is popular, Parkway Gate is currently being refurbished so may be available for Sept 2023. Artisan House prices reflect that this is a new build compared to other properties uS operate. 
All that aside the 3 mentioned are no more than 6 min walk if that from The Dance House, home to NBS.
Hope that helps.   
 

ps. Early bird rates (reduced rate) are normally available for uS properties if booked early in the calendar yr, can’t remember the exact dates.  

1 minute ago, Mamaderuby said:

Hi. DS, who will be turning 18 in June 2023, will soon be making applications for full time ballet training starting September 2023. He has decided to apply to Northern and KS to do Trinity diploma course, and Central and another school that can't be discussed on this forum, to do degree course. He has decided not to apply to Rambert or LSC. His real love is classical ballet, he also does jazz and contemporary.  Is there any other school he should consider applying to? His age excludes him from Elmhurst and Tring. I think his age might exclude him from the ENBS also, but has been advised to make application anyway. 

Any advice from parents/dancers who have gone through the process of applying to, or attending any of these schools, advice would be very welcome. Anyone currently going through this, or preparing to, support would be gladly received and willingly given.

Hi. Mum to a NBS 2021 graduate here 🙋‍♀️  Happy to answer any questions you may have about the school, accommodation, training and of course career post grad. 

On 16/08/2022 at 16:28, Balletbuds80 said:

Thank you. I guess i need to work it all out. Petrol is where most of my money is going at the moment. Plus gas and and electric so i guess one less child to feed, keep warm, entertain and ferry about! 

Good luck as it’s not easy at all. I’ve learnt so much over the years.
Be also mindful, of which I’m sure you will but it’s the hidden costs that also soon mount up. 
From health insurance, travel, show tickets/excursions ie school trips etc. 

The potential impact on the other siblings (if there are any) and also your financial ability to support their dreams and aspirations. 
I’ve been fortunate that despite having 4 children they somehow spread their aspirations out much to the relief of my bank manager 😅. Does nothing for the blood pressure though. 

Just now, PointeMeTheRightWay said:

Thanks for that.

I have been told that someone is looking into it for me and I hope to hear back tomorrow 🤞🏼

Great news. Shall keep everything crossed for you. The staff are helpful but you do have to be kind but firmly persuasive sometimes. Using the age card works brilliantly especially where alcohol is concerned 😉
Flipping the scenario around slightly. 🤞🏼😊

17 hours ago, PointeMeTheRightWay said:

That’s interesting, I’ll get onto them tomorrow. A level results come out this Thursday so hopefully more rooms will come available if people have reserved rooms for several Uni cities. 🤞🏼

Hi. I’m probably jumping in too late but Unite definitely allow a flat full of 16yr olds. They tried placing a Uni student in with my DD in her first year. We pulled the ‘safe guarding’ card with the support of other parents with DD’s in the flat. Uni student was swiftly relocated 😉

1 hour ago, Kate_N said:

 

 

Some suggestions:

I think you'd need to look at the learning objectives and outcomes for each course, and the modules within each course (if it's modularised). It's likely that there are different benchmarks and marking criteria for the different levels, even if they share some classes. Also, there may be other kinds of, and extra work set & assessed for the degree level course.

Thank you. 

4 hours ago, Jewel said:

My non dancing child applied for BIMM this academic year although they turned it down to accept a place elsewhere.  BIMM's music colleges have always offered a range of courses which include degree and diploma courses at various levels so and they already had degree awarding powers so I don't see why anything would change in the near future.  I'd guess that they may offer a degree option at NBS in the future as they already do at Performers.

It will be interesting to see if NBS are still offered the same amount of DaDa’s as they do now or will this be reduced in hope that prospective pupils are eligible for the degree and therefore a Student Loan. What I don’t understand but happy for someone to educate me is that at other colleges where they offer both a student on the degree course shares the same classes as another on the Diploma course even though there’s a significant difference in the fees. 

3 hours ago, MrsKrabz said:

So does this mean a change over to student finance for NBS or will it keep dada funding? 🤔

I was wondering the same but it would depend on the pupils ages as I believe that you have to be at least 18 to apply for a student loan. Some MT colleges offer both the Diploma and Degree with their respective available funding methods to cater for the various ages of their students. 

Interesting news just out. 
 

https://www.bimm.ac.uk/news/bimm-awarded-university-status/

“Summer School 2022 - Are you interested in applying for a place at Northern Ballet School, an international centre of excellence in training for classical ballet and musical theatre? Our free summer course offers you a taste of what that training is really like.

This two-day course will introduce you to the building and facilities and some of the tutors. It will help to build your technique and performance, gain confidence and meet like-minded people.

You will also get to watch our NBS Summer Show dress rehearsal in The Dancehouse Theatre on Thursday 7th, getting a real flavour of life as an NBS student and the performance opportunities given” 

12 hours ago, Mrs Brown said:

Thank you. Yes we had hoped to watch one before but she is in the second section of the day so it won't be possible as she won't have time to get into her national costume. I think she will enjoy I, just hope she doesn't get too nervous (and that we don't get stuck in traffic!)

And breath……….  
As long as you know where you will park and methods of payment that’s one factor sorted. 
Eat & drink en route so you are fully charged up ready when you arrive to focus on costumes etc Food may not be permitted in certain areas. 

Pre arrange a pick-up point for afterwards. I always allowed some ‘freedom time’ after performing before meeting up just to allow my DD time to talk to other children or their teacher without feeling the need to rush off to meet me but obviously that’s personal to you and your DD and her age if you feel that’s appropriate. The only rule for this freedom time was she couldn’t leave the theatre/venue at all. 
Enjoy the day. ☺️

On 11/05/2022 at 18:37, Mrs Brown said:

Sorry if I have missed a recent thread, I did search but didn't find one.

 

We are going to regionals for the first time in a few weeks. Any tips from those who have been before? My daughter is the first (and only) one from her dance school to do it and we don't really know what to expect. She has two dances, start and end of the sane day and she is really looking forward to dancing in a nice theatre. (Our qualifiers are in schools or colleges).

Hi. How exciting for you. My snippet of advice is if you have chance try to watch a session before your DD is due to compete. This enables you both to get a feel for the place and watch how adjudication as they seem to vary so much and what to expect.  Children make great friends at these events but there’s always some interesting characters 😉 both children and adults who may be seasoned veterans.  Just remember they all were new at some point they just might have forgotten it. Enjoy and celebrate the achievement of reaching this far. Your DD’s hard work has paid off. Anything after that we always felt was a bonus rather than an expectation. 🥇🥈🥉

Not to say it won’t happen but if the pressure isn’t on, it can assist them in their performance if that makes sense. 
They learn so much besides their actual performance as they seem to learn so much not just within their dance but of themselves just by watching others perform. 
 

Good luck. 🍀
 

25 minutes ago, Jo Jo said:

Hi you have probably already contacted artisan heights directly. But if not here are the contact details Dave Henderson 0117 302 7060 he is very helpful. You might get a room on the same floor as the as the NBS flat .Good luck 

Dave was at Parkway right up until they closed for refurbishment. I was wondering where he had gone.  Nothing was ever too much of a problem for him.
Certainly worth dropping into conversation that he’s been recommended as the one person who could be of help to you by other NBS parents. A compliment is always well received and can go a long way. 
Good Luck 🍀

47 minutes ago, Taxibank said:

Will try both of those, thank you!

Sorry to say Parkway Gate is still under refurbishment which probably explains why all other accommodation in the area is already fully booked. 
Wondering if it’s worth asking is there’s a waiting list for any of the flats/blocks as some students who have booked may not receive the results they need in August for their conditional Uni places.   Not that you wish bad news on anyone but in circumstances like this it can happen which would work in your favour. 
 

Ps. The other option which could be worth pursuing. Thinking outside the box. ‘Home stay’ but with another pupil at NBS that commutes in daily. Not even sure this would be a possibility but could be worth having a conversation with the Deputy at NBS. 
🤞🏼

12 minutes ago, MumtoEm said:

Thank you, yes I've contacted her and awaiting a reply - she does have some showing on her website so fingers crossed.

 

That’s great. I shall keep my fingers crossed for you. However, if sadly she’s doesn’t have the specific pair you are after please consider any options she may offer. Leanne is certainly someone you can put your trust in. We couldn’t do an in person fitting and the pair selected by Leanne after photos/drawings and measurements were sent incl details of the hours of ballet and grade. Nothing escapes Leanne and are by far the best fit my DD has ever had. 🩰🤞🏼

6 minutes ago, MumtoEm said:

Hi, my daughter currently wears Grishko streampointe 0541 shoes but I am finding it difficult to find supplies.  We have been unable to get hold of any for the last few weeks and her last pair have just broken and our supplier is unable to give a delivery date on when they will have them back in stock.  She has tried an alternative that was suggested for her (starpointe) but these are not working for her and she is now getting desperate as she has a show in 3 weeks followed by advanced 1 exam a couple of weeks' later.

 

I have been searching online for suppliers, including contacting Grishko direct but so far have not found any in stock anywhere.  I was therefore wondering if anyone can recommend any local suppliers to them who sell Grishko who I can contact on the off chance that anyone has any available in stock?

 

Thank you

 

Hi. My immediate thought would be Leanne at Straighttothepointballet via Instagram. Appointed Master Grishko fitter. We’ve used her services in the past. Absolutely brilliant   🩰. 

16 minutes ago, Maya_ruby said:

I would be a beginner, I’ve never danced before and I’m expecting myself to be quite rubbish to begin with 😆
I’ve had a good look on Google then got chatting to someone from Reddit who happens to live a town away from me in Greater Manchester. 

I said I looked at Manchester and Oldham and was looking at KNT danceworks and thought it looks quite good but she said it’s rubbish and more like dancing for fun and to get fit. 

She said she deffo recommends Fuchsia but it’s in Knutsford so it can be hard to get to after work. Then she recommended Fiona’s school of dance in Stockport but she improved a lot more with Fuchsia. 

I’d like to have some sort of syllabus to follow and barre work, not too bothered about taking an exam but I don’t just want it to be like a fitness class. 

Just wondering if anyone knows of a good place 🩰

Hi. 
Pre Covid :- Northern Ballet School used to offer evening and some Sat classes as friends who were at nearby colleges attended which they loved. They were in their early 20’s at the time.
Now our lives are beginning to return to some kind of normality NBS may start these classes up again if the demand is there. The school was taken over by BIMM/ICTheatre mid pandemic so they are still navigating their way through certain changes. 
No harm in a phone call 0161 237 1406. 
🩰😊

13 hours ago, Dancers Dad said:

Thanks for this. You're right - it's not good enough. Good point about sharing items in the flat - hadn't thought of that. I think I'll go to the site manager next.

Lay it on with a trowel. Nothing to lose 😉

44 minutes ago, Dancers Dad said:

 

I do feel like the 'or if we feel it necessary or desirable for any reason' is their get-out clause - although I agree with you that the reason shouldn't be poorly planned refurbs. I suspect, though, that it may not be poorly-planned at all but deliberate: ie they use this clause as part of their refurb planning process now and ignore the collateral damage of upsetting students and families.

They're moving them into either Artisan or Rosamund. Artisan is nice and close. But that's not the point. There's no guarantee of moving with their current flatmates, nor only NBS students. They've offered help with the move and £100 but that doesn't even get close to matching the inconvenience and upset. 

 Whilst on paper it may appear that they have gone over and above their duties in offering alternative rooms I don’t agree with their policy at all. Having done a move for just two weeks I can appreciate the upheaval a move like this makes and that’s with parents having to make the additional journey to Manchester to help them.  
We too had the ‘no guarantees on who your DD will share with…..’ comment. Needless to say that comment didn’t last for long when I kindly but firmly reminded them the duty of care due to their ages and that as a flat they shared many items between them all. They also offered each other emotional support due to the pressures of their course and their ages. No harm in keep reminding them. They do tend to forget. Conveniently sometimes. 
Whilst also informing them that they cannot possibly accommodate 16/17yr olds with Uni students that could be drinking and have alcohol in their flats 😉pastoral and duty of care again something they pride themselves on apparently. 
 

Be firm be polite but don’t accept any of their silliness. Worked for us. Whilst the girls still had to move they some how managed to find a flat to accommodate them together despite saying there was no room. 
I honestly thought they had left all that in the past and learnt their lessons. Sadly I’m mistaken. 
 

Good Luck.