junedancer

This is all bit strange - next term date in the calendar for CBA is 14th May (admittedly that is out of sync, with the last one for the half term the following week, 21st May) - today is Boys Day of Dance - 28th May is the next CBA auditions.

Those with a DC taking up a boarding place at WL would have to be earning around £20k a year before they would receive 100% funding (not taking account of any dependent children or adults) and those earning £100k would get about 50% funding.  Even an MDS place can be totally unaffordable.

1 hour ago, Colman said:

Yup, looks like tap really wrecked McRae's dancing. As far as I can tell, the tap-is-bad-for-ankles thing is one of those unsubstantiated bits of folklore. I suspect it comes more from ancient snobbery than anything else. 

All I will say is enjoy!

5 hours ago, amos73 said:

 

I know of the courses mentioned above and yes, normally YDA do run one, but I haven't had confirmation yet so not sure.

Thank you - I have send a message to YDA so will hopefully hear back after the Easter break.

2 minutes ago, Caitlin_dance said:

Emma Northmore (Ballet Boost) is running one at the end of August too.

Thank you - we have posted at the same time. 

Thank you everyone.  I have also come across a course by Ballet Boost to add to those above.  I have also been back through the Forum and noted that YDA ran a course last year.  Does anyone know if they plan to do one this year?

We have friends visiting from abroad at the end of the summer and DD asked if there are any classes they can attend together.  Does anyone know of any back to school ballet classes in the London area that will be running this year?

Anyone else with ENB results?  We got week 2 but had requested week 1 (I knew that might happen) hoping that if DD and her friend both got a place they could go together - we are sharing holiday childcare.  She got her week 1 but they are both already booked for elsewhere for the dates of week 2.  Anyone been able to swap a week before?

Is there a wait list as another friend with a no was wondering if this was a straight no or if there was any chance of a place if people don't accept.  We know of one DD who has been offered week 1 but has RBS the week before so they have decided not to accept. Hoping there is some movement.

I saw a lovely dancer doing The Grinch last year - green make-up and hair!  Not sure if she had a dance after that - not sure I would have recognised her out of character - it was very good!

What is a flop?

So I asked DD and got the "don't you know look".  She says it is a fish flop and you can go on your toes to come up out of it.  I am none the wiser!

If they were inundated with applicants each paying £25 then by my basic grasp of economics they have enough in kitty to pay for decent email merge software/extra few hours of staffing/temp/outsource to outside communications agency etc to ensure a deadline is hit !!

£67,350 to be precise!

Yes, all three are fantastic fitters.

Thanks Anna C and everyone else for their helpful comments.  We will be shopping around - I was just wanting to know who to ask for in Freed.  DD's teacher has said that she thinks Freed will be best for her feet.  Not sure whether or not to go there first or last.  Planning a trip to London at Easter.  Letting DD lose in any number of dance shops may well prove to be and expensive trip!

Freed does have mirrors - they are small but perfectly adequate for seeing your feet and ankles in. Visiting several shops is a very good idea, and don't be frightened to say "can you hold them for us while we go and think about it?"

 

It's worth making an appontment in Bloch as they can get incredibly busy and sometimes won't do a fitting without an appointment. You can phone Freed on the morning of your visit and ask if Beth, Sophie or Jade will be in. As far as I know you don't need an appontment in Dancia. Personally I wouldn't bother with Sansha for shoes (lovely for leotards) unless you are a professional dancer or teacher and can fit yourself.

 

Edited to add: I agree with Dance is life - 10 is young, especially with hypermobile joints. Has your daughter been working in soft blocks and/or doing pre-pointe strengthening classes?

DD's teacher has suggested we go to Freed for pointe shoes and I was wondering if we should still be asking for Beth, Sophie or Jade?

The RBS site has a fees calculator which if up-to-date shows how much you might get - the value is different for boarders and day pupils and it also depends on siblings and other carer responsibilities - the basic cut off is around £175k.

Congratulations to Forum members with DC in this year's, main and touring, companies -

Thank you for all the replies. I've got to say Tring impressed me the most. For the dance course at Tring do they still do singing? My daughter absolutely loves it which is probably why she initially thought hammond would be her favourite. She's absolutely working her socks off now trying to get in as much ballet practice as she can in preparation for the funding auditions. Even if she's not successful this year it's definitely made her want to work and improve so she can audition next year.

Dance students do singing and drama and there are opportunities for all students to try out for the choir.  I saw that their senior choir won BBC Choir of the Year last year. 

And there are the ones who apply for summer school and are luck enough to get a place and then get an offer of WL post summer school - it is not unheard of!

Hi my dd did this fantastic summer school 'she did the classical course the standard was high very friendly fantastic studios.

The presentation was a mix of ballet students one side'jazz the other side 'that was wow'then the comtemporary on the other side 'they all had the same amount of time.

My dd would live to audition here for ballet.

Hope this helps i even have a lovely hotel i no where you can stay

A summer to rememberxxxx

Stardancer, can I ask what level your DD did?  I have been looking at this and as applications are open and appear to be at a lower level than Central or ENB I was ruling this out.

One bun head is pretty much the same as another - easily done.  Dancing in baseball caps and black leggings doesn't make them easy to spot either.  I am guilty of this one big time!

So with the auditions process well on the way and heading to finals and the decision stage we have reached a crisis.  DD has always done well academically and following feedback from the final parents' evening of primary school last week we are concerned about the academic records of vocational schools.  A conversation at the weekend with someone who knew two children leave vocational  schools age 14 due to parents being unhappy about the academics has really put DH off agreeing that we should continue down this route.  I have struggled to find information that is up-to-date and/or impartial about how well DCs do academically at vocational school .  Can anyone give me an insight into how good the teaching/results are at the big four?

Thanks Amos.  I have passed on the information.  They have been told results letters will sent out tomorrow so not long to wait.

Question to those who have auditioned for YDA and for those with DC already there.  Just had a call from one of DD's friends Mum's asking what I knew about YDA from the Forum - note to self must ask her to join us when I call her back!  

How many audition sessions do they usually have and how many get through to finals and for how many places in each year?  There weren't many there this morning so she is assuming they are auditioning again later today.  They are in east London so would have quite a way to travel so were interested to know what times of the day they start and finish and what is the balance of dance and academics.  Some were held back for pointe work so do they expect you to have started yet.  If you do get to finals what else will they ask you to do?  I think that was all.  Thank you. 

Can anyone tell me how many places are available for Year 7 at the "big 4"?  I know that RBS can take up to 12 boys and 12 girls but how many places are there at Elmhust, Tring and Hammond.  Sorry if this information is out there but I can't find it.

I liked some of the offerings in this page.

http://www.sciencefocus.com/feature/music/space-music-10-best-songs-about-space

My daughter did the BBO northern ballet. She went to the Easter Course once and loved it. I think it would give a good representation of scholars.

Thank you, most helpful - I think we will be booking the Easter Course to see if DD likes what they do.