balletbean

Mmm. Interesting. I have read it as :- emergency, which the move most certainly isn’t Whilst I can see they do include the line ‘if we consider it necessary or desirable for any reason’ I think planned refurbishment is a stretch too far. They know the tenancy contract dates the onus should be on them to plan around those dates not ignore and override them. I’m interested to know where they intend to accommodate the tenants for up to 6 weeks of their tenancy agreement. And will they cover costs involved in the move. Certainly won’t be a hotel for that length of time either and their ages as many hotels won’t permit it without an over 18 present. I feel this might be the right time for an email to the CEO 🤨

Unfortunately I would put it down the B. As this turfing pupils out isn’t new to them. NBS pupils seem to catch the brunt of it all as their term finishes so much later than the majority of the Uni students.

I don’t know where you are in London but if you can checkout BASE Dance studios. The Ballet classes in particular run by Charise Logan. An amazing teacher. Passionate, engaging, encouraging about teaching ballet with sound technique in a very thoughtful and constructive manner Charise also looks at the wellbeing of her students. 🩰 You can checkout her Instagram page which is under her maiden name of Charise Renouf. Definitely worth a try. ☺️

Oh my goodness they are still doing that!! I thought they had stopped with all that messing about after last summers fiasco. My DD had to move out of Parkway Gate for the last two weeks! Yup. The entire pack-up, clear out and move into Medlock for just 14 days. Was supposed to be a week earlier (so 21 days before the end of contract) but fortunately the Deputy at NBS stepped in and pushed back the get out date to enable the show to go ahead without the girls having to pack up. I do have the CEO’s email address if required. It did work on another matter covering the end of term. ps if you signed a contract for a particular Medlock flat, double check the wording (I’m sure you have already) as there was no clause in ours that allowed them to force a move for their convenience but only worded due to fault of the occupants or for a structural issue affecting Health & Safety.

I’ve just looked at the new pictures. Wow, what a makeover they’ve all had since last summer. Looking so fresh and welcoming. 🙂 I have noted though that the delightful Aztec pattern curtains haven’t changed. The curtains are paper thin. Whilst my DD was there a couple of us mums bought black out/thermal lined curtains to hang in their bedrooms, just stored the old ones until end of term. Certainly made a difference. Managed to recycle those curtains later on so not wasted either. Just on a side note. Looking at the pics the kitchens aren’t new. They may have received some TLC during the decorating stage however, it’s well worth packing a screwdriver in your belongings as some cupboard/drawer hinges do require a little attention over time during the academic year just based on their age and general use. DIY option can sometimes be more convenient than requesting maintenance on some occasions. ☺️

That’s is strange as uS have always ensured that NBS pupils are not sharing with Uni students unless explicitly requested. There is a duty of care due to their ages. There was a mishap one yr where a 21yr old male Uni student was placed with NBS girls. A few choice words over the phone by us parents soon saw the poor chap relocated. Before he even had chance to walk in the door. I do have the email address for the CEO of uS if anyone requires it if they have concerns over duty of care/welfare at Medlock of the younger NBS pupils. Contact does produce results where all other avenues have failed 😉

How exciting for you both. It’s a big milestone to reach. Simple things to remember before you head off. Ensure toe nails are not too long. The shop would normally provide tights or socks but in this current climate I’m not so sure so take a pair of your own. Your DD must speak out. Whilst the fitters are qualified and experienced there’s still no guarantee so it’s important your DD speaks out during the trial in movement etc. They will feel weird but it’s a fine line between a snug fit and a pinch that can make all the difference. Only a dancer can really tell the difference. It’s so easy to be caught up in the excitement of the experience and not want to speak up if the box is catching the little toe for example. You will obviously need ribbons and elastic and of course the pouches. Along with needle and thread/wool for darning. Be prepared that her first shoes may only last a matter of weeks. Not because they are worn out but that her feet can change shape as more pointe work is done. So what was a good fit at the time might not be so in a few weeks. Be also prepared to try out different makers during this period. Feet change shape and the strength of foot develops. Initial outlay may appear higher, just like the dreaded September new school uniform moment but as the pouch and darning threads etc aren’t just per shoe your next shopping trip won’t cost as much. You can also reuse the ribbon if you are careful. However, we kept DD’s first ever pair of pointe shoes as a momento. So didn’t reuse the ribbon on that occasion. Care of shoes is also important and can be overlooked ie buried in the bottom of a dance bag between lessons as life can be hectic. Try to teach your DD to leave them out to air dry at home after each lesson. Will also reduce the risk of the tell tale odour that pointe shoes seem to develop over time. Good Luck. 🩰

Thank you. The mum was found sheltering in a church. ⛪️ We appreciate the dangers aren’t over but still incredibly grateful for her and the young lad’s confining safety through these very challenging times🙏🏻 .

Update today was that the young lad has been in touch and that he is in a safe place. No confirmation where just relieved to hear the news. The missing mum in Mariupol has been found safe. 🙏🏻🇺🇦

I also pray for the ongoing safety of your friends family in Odessa. 🥺🙏🏻🇺🇦

Thank you. Sadly, we do know that the Russian army are already on the streets of Izmail. The young lad is in hiding trying to avoid them. I am so sorry to hear that the young dancer has been killed. So unnecessary 😢 The other young dancer in the company whose family live in Mariupol has lost contact with her mother who remained in the city. Having initially thought she had left with other family & friends. No one has heard from her for the past two weeks despite their best efforts. Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. 😢 So distressing to watch the news I too struggle to watch. 🙏🏻 We also have many Ukrainian flags being flown and one even on our Government main offices. 🇺🇦

Good idea. Easier if Rambert are actually offering a different qualification/course than Northern then that could be used when communicating with the school. Rather than asking one school to waiver a fee whilst waiting to hear from another if they are offering the same course/qualification. If that makes sense.

A little update. The young girl featured has been identified. She is a 15yr old European Ballet Champion having previously represented her country. The Chairman for the DWC (Dance World Cup) is now working closely with his contacts in Poland and other neighbouring countries with the hope of setting up a programme to allow this young lady and others like her to continue with their training (not just ballet but across most genres) during these unsettling times for them all. 🇺🇦🇵🇱🇷🇴🩰

A tip for anyone checking out of uS accommodation this summer. Speak to the staff very nicely and they will lend you the use of their parcel bucket type trundle. Fits the lifts perfectly and will reduce the amount of trips back and forth to bring the stuff down. Absolute game changer.

Hi. We used SafeStore on Cheetham Hill and ‘Grey Panther’ provided the service to lift and shift the goods for us. Multiple companies offer discount deals for students many dropping flyers off at NMH. So well worth keeping an eye out for them. ‘Grey Panther’ even collected from storage and returned all items to in-time for our return in the Sept. An absolute blessing. No running around once in Manchester. It was all there waiting for us in the living room of the flat. Some storage companies offer the use of their own vans at an additional cost. Safe store don’t but work closely with Grey Panther on a regular basis so felt safe for them to arrange times for collection etc. Best packing advice. Don’t worry about boxes. Pain to carry and take up too much space during the actual packing/unpacking process. We used the large checkered laundry bags, bought in a pack of 10 off Amazon. Easy to store afterwards and reuse the following year. Good Luck. I was always surprised (shocked) at how much they accumulated each and every year 😬🙄

We’ve just found out that the young lad is in Izmail, in the region of Odessa 🙏🏻

Thank you. I’ve just spoken to my DD and the latest news they have is that he’s still in his home town (still unsure of the actual towns name) but he did say that he has to watch out as the Russian Military are on the streets 😥.

Thank you but sadly no news at all. Which weighs heavy in our hearts with both myself and my DD. We can only but hope and pray for that he is in a place of safety. 🙏🏻

I appreciate we don’t generally share photos on this forum but felt I wanted to share - throughout all this darkness there is light. 🩰 A local photographer who travelled to Poland with Aid from home captured this young girl practising whilst sheltering in a rescue shelter near Mielec 🇵🇱🤝🇺🇦

That was great to hear about the support offered. I would certainly do the same if I was a Homestay provider. However from friends experience it does appear to be up to the individual home stay provider to decide how much inclusion & support within the household is offered, rather than a general acceptable standard across the board. The 16yr old that we know of stayed with a family who had very young children. They were obviously welcomed into the home but besides their room with meals they were left to sort themselves out, incl the ‘commute’. Probably as a result of the parents being busy with their own children through no one’s fault just one of those things. It would be wise therefore to double check the family dynamics incl any pets within the household (especially if not used to cats/dogs etc) of any Homestay provider you are considering.

Staff at Medlock and then next door at Parkway always commented that the NBS pupils were Courteous, polite, disciplined, quiet 😉 and exceptionally well turned out even at 8am every morning as they leave the building!! They also commented about how well they look after their flats (there are occasional inspections) where stars are awarded and little gifts are left as a way of saying thank you 🍫 Always lovely to receive a compliment.

Please take some comfort that uS are very understanding where NBS pupils and their funding is concerned. Also NBS offers of funding come through before most Uni students in their first yr seek accommodation. However don’t leave it any longer than necessary. As previously mentioned by others uS do offer the opportunity to book a room then if funding cannot be secured it can be cancelled for NBS unlike other students. Always good to look around but please go with an open mind. 😉. 🤞🏼

Sadly there are many other stories similar to this😢. A young lad (19yrs) sent my DD very generous Valentine gifts as he was smitten by her (even though there was an obvious language barrier) before ‘popping home’ to Ukraine for a week to see his family before starting his new contract. Despite their best efforts no one knows what’s happened to him . 😞😢

Aah thank you. The Student Loan scheme is very different from the funding scheme in my jurisdiction. Always keen to learn about others. 🎓

Gosh, that’s harsh but was the decision based purely on their skills as a dancer or could there have been issues arising on the academic side of the Degree? Like other Uni students who ‘fail’ their year end exams. On the subject of finances. What happens if a pupil has taken out a student loan for the BA course but now finds themselves (not by choice) being unable to return and therefore complete their final yr?