Viv

Wow @Kate_N that's really comprehensive, thanks!

Has anyone taken the adult classes at the English National Ballet? Are they any good? I only have 5 days in London next January and there's so much to see and do, plus I'm there with my sister who is not ballet obsessed like me, so I probably can only squeeze one or two classes in while I'm there. I know one young lady who would scream with jealousy at the idea of taking classes at ENB but I was wondering whether the class itself is worth it? And what the levels are like? I have just completed Advanced Foundation RAD (though probably gorked the exam) so would Intermediate be appropriate, or possibly too advanced? I don't think the Improvers classes allow drop ins. Oh I just wish there was a short workshop in London while I'm there, that would be absolutely perfect

But learning ballet has never been about showing how well you can hold your technique separately from how well you perform. It's always been about doing both simultaneously, which is why my teacher encourages us to start 'performing' from the very first plie at the barre. If the exam is designed to demonstrate that you can do the step well enough on its own, or in a relatively simple combination, but then show that when you perform you can't maintain your technique throughout the whole variation, I'm afraid I'm still struggling to see the point. Honestly I feel that the development exercises are more likely to show the examiner early on where your weaknesses are so they know what to look for in the dance! Really I can't wait for this syllabus to start being examined properly. I want to know how people who are studying DR in a proper class format, to exam readiness, and then performing it on the day, feel about all of this. That's the true test of a syllabus and the feedback of people who have done that will be the most valuable in my opinion. I'm thoroughly enjoying learning DR because I like rep and I like the idea of chunked 'exercises' to help you work on technique that you'll later perform. For that DR works perfectly for me. I suppose I only struggle with the actual exam part of it, or like @LinMM with the amount of time one would have to spend doing the syllabus before being ready to move on. But then, despite beginning ballet as an adult 5 years ago, I don't really feel like I'm the target market for DR either.

While you can't move through it the same way you could from Grade 2 to Grade 4, that comparison sort of falls away if you look at moving through from Intermediate to Advanced 1, which is really what the target is... Obviously it gets a lot harder, going from your first 'attempt' at double pirouettes in intermediate to fouette turns in Advanced 1! Seems similar to the advancement in difficulty of the DR levels. I have no interest really in DR as my sole ballet training because the class work looks incredibly simple, but as a supplement to other classes I find it rather enjoyable. So far I have only done the development exercises as a way of learning the variation, I have to say I hadn't really considered what it would be like to have to drill these exercises over and over to exam readiness, considering it only consists of steps that you will eventually show in the variation anyway? And then actually performing them in the exam, knowing you're about to perform the exact same steps in a slightly longer sequence...I'm not sure I totally see the point, and imagine it might actually be a bit dull for the examiner? But clearly they trialled the syllabus and there was positive feedback about it so there must be interest. I'm not doing it in a standard class, just as a bit of fun in a half hour private every fortnight so I'm not really getting the proper DR experience which might also colour my responses.

Yes the tights over shoes idea is one of the options I considered, but I was concerned it would be too slippery and not safe? We're not allowed to use rosin on our practice surface floor but I could explore other options to make it stickier I suppose. I have emailed Pebble Dance, a UK company making pointe shoe covers. They say that their covers are designed for photoshoots and performances on stage and not just for warming up in, and they have a hole in the bottom so the sole of the pointe shoe pokes out to provide more grip when running around stage. They do say though that they are not for beginners and dancers should be 'very confident' en pointe before using them...hopefully 2 years and intermediate level is sufficient! I have sent these to the student so she can at least have the conversation with her mum, discuss a number of researched options and they can come up with a solution together. I find sometimes that these girls are so worried about putting extra stress on their parents by asking for something that they refuse to ask at all, so the parents never have a chance to come up with alternatives! Being able to go to them with the request of the teacher and cost effective ways of doing it might be the right way just to open up the conversation. If she does end up getting the covers, I will report back! Hopefully the next time someone is struck with this dilemma they'll be able to know there's a product out there that works, before reaching for the sharpie

For our end of year concert, our teacher also wants black pointe shoes, and all of the students are excited about it except for one. Her parents don't seem to understand how quickly dancers go through pointe shoes, they get upset every time she asks them for a new pair, so she ends up dancing on shoes that are far too dead to be safe... Her current pair were given as an early Christmas present. This particular student is concerned that if she tells her mum that she has to paint her new pointe shoes black, her mum will refuse. Because of the 'dancing until the poor shoes should be dead and buried' aspect, she has no old shoes that she can dye and dance in safely for the show. I have tried to convince the student that since she got these shoes in September, by the time we do the show in December, after 3 lessons a week of concert rehearsals done entirely en pointe, she'll be lucky if her shoes will even survive to concert time and she'll be able to paint these and buy new ones for next year...but she refuses to hear it So my question is - has anyone tried the pointe shoe covers raised by @Bluebird22? To actually dance in, not just for wearing while breaking in to protect the shoe? Or can anyone think of a non-permanent way to make pointe shoes look black? Tough ask I know 😕

In class today I learned the entire Giselle variation (in about 10 minutes so it was a bit hectic!) and I must say it is HARD! Certainly far above grade 5/intermediate foundation in my opinion. Very fast, tricky footwork with some pretty complicated steps. Normally you don't learn saut de basque until advanced 2, but they've thrown them into this variation. I can't do pointe at the moment because of my achilles but even on flat it was challenging (in a good way) and I think it will be a good compliment to my usual classwork when we start polishing it. I haven't learned any of the development exercises for it yet so they will hopefully help me get a handle on the steps at a slightly slower pace. The more I learn of this syllabus the more grateful I am that the RAD has developed this program, it's a lot of fun but is still good training.

Just finished Grade 7! It went really really well, after the rigidity of my two exams yesterday everything in the exam today just felt so free. I felt like I could give myself fully over to the performance side and it was so fun to do it. I think I did my dance (free movement) better than I have ever done it before. It was a celebration of making it out of these two days alive haha. It has actually inspired me to maybe not give up on exams entirely...while Advanced 1 might be out of the question, I'd like to work towards Grade 8. Today I remembered what I always liked about exams

Well I had two out of three exams today. I woke up this morning with an inflamed and very sore achilles but I just had to get on with it, I know I didn't do as well as I could have though Intermediate went very well but only two hours later was my advanced foundation and I know I didn't do my best. But that's okay, I did what I could on the day. After tomorrow, my grade 7, I may be done with RAD exams for good. Between a neuromuscular condition that is progressively worsening (I can't even walk some days, let alone dance) and increased work commitments, I'm not sure I will ever be in the position to do another exam. That is why we decided to push forward with Advanced Foundation this year, I wanted to get as far with my ballet as I could before I have to take a step back, and considering the state I'm in this afternoon I think that time has truly come... I will take Advanced 1 classes next year and maybe Grade 8 but I'm not sure I will ever physically be able to do the exams, not safely I know the decision to take three exams in one session was a bit surprising to some of you, but there are circumstances behind it that I don't feel the need to disclose. It has always been my decision to push forward, when my teacher told me she thought I was ready, I was guided by her opinion, but it was still my choice. I think the idea that if you're not going to get the highest possible mark, you shouldn't bother with the exam, a bit surprising. Some people, for a whole variety of reason, will never be capable of a distinction. Should they not bother with exams? Even if it pushes them to do better than they otherwise might have? Or if they enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of the examiner? Just getting through the entire exam was my goal this year and I am very proud of myself, regardless of the result. Now to leave the vocationals aside! Very excited for grade 7 and a nice dancey exam, I agree with most of the comments here that it feels beautiful to dance and I love the romantic style. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in RAD exams who doesn't want to go the vocational route. I'm even more excited to leave syllabus behind for a while... I'm sure I'll be bored with concert rehearsals in a couple of weeks and want to get back into real technique classes, but right now I am looking forward to a break!

I think that's your problem right there @aisha! Those are fashion shoes called 'ballet flats' or 'ballet pumps' but they are meant for wearing with jeans and a tshirt and not for actually wearing to a ballet class. You need to go to a dance store and ask for some ballet shoes, they'll look a bit like this (oh yikes sorry for the size it won't let me make it smaller!) See how nicely she is able to point her toes? It's because the shoe is designed for pointing your toes. I know that it can seem expensive, but canvas ballet shoes are generally a little bit cheaper and they'll last quite a while since you're not dancing much. Unfortunately, your mum can't go to the store to buy these ones for you because they need to fit your feet really well. You should go to the dance store and get properly fitted for ballet shoes, it will make pointing your toes 100% easier and you hopefully won't need to go barefoot anymore. And you can use your black pumps next time you go out for dinner, so they won't be wasted

If anyone is interested, RAD Australia is live streaming a public demonstration of discovering repertoire on their facebook page right now. Just finished Level 2 Unit 1 (class) and just started the development exercises for Level 2 Unit 2. I know you're probably all asleep but sometimes they keep the videos up for a couple of days if you wanted to check it out At least part of the demonstration is performed by students from Alegria which is headed by Hilary Kaplan, who also trained the inimitable Steven McRae.

@LinMM I actually might be! I was planning on heading to Bruges some time around then but my dates are pretty flexible and if I have to go 9 weeks without any ballet, I will probably go spare... I tried PMing you but it says you are unable to receive messages? Not sure what's going on there

Oh no, I get to London on the evening of the 13th! Such a shame. If only it was one week later, I have two weeks of unfilled time before I'm due in Paris

The glisse exercise in the level 2 barre is the same music as the Advanced Foundation grand battement exercise! That's just confusing... 😄 Slow and steady seems the name of the game with this class work. Having done the coppelia spanish variation, which is fast, energetic and involves a lot of crazy spotting, I don't really see how the class prepares you for the variation. I guess that's what the development exercises are for, but I would have thought the class would be more tailored towards the variations that I thought were the eventual end goal?

I have started learning the giselle variation from level 2 en pointe. It is very challenging, especially because I have never done the contracted foot, bent knee thing before and now apparently I have to waltz in that position? Ahhhhhhh! But it's so much fun. Because I have ballet exams in 2 weeks, learning it has been crammed into the last 10 minutes of a half hour private so I've only done the first half, but it's such a relief to be doing something that is helping me cement my pointe work for advanced foundation but that isn't the same 5 exercises over and over again. There's a lot of freedom to doing this variation and I am excited to continue with it next term I am not sure I will ever do the 'class work' section of the exam because it seems pretty simple and only contains steps that I'm already working on in other levels, but maybe one day I'll consider the 2 variation 'units'... I won't be able to do any exams at all next year for a number of reasons, so maybe I'll just keep this as a no stress, nice piece of work in the background of my normal classes. But dancing giselle makes me happy

I ended up going with this bag in the end because it was neutral colours, didn't have DANCE in pink glitter anywhere on it, but was designed with the dancer in mind https://shop.rad.org.au/collections/featured-items/products/youth-dance-bag It has been holding up very well, I use it 6 days a week, but I've only had it for 6 or so months. And was cheaper than both the Nike and the Under Armour I was looking at. Not sure about international shipping though? Rough dimensions are 50cm long by 35cm high by 40cm deep however it is very expandable. Almost empty it seems quite small and very light, but I was amazed at how much it managed to take for the mid-year dance concert, including five costumes (none of them with the same style of shoe) and an entire three drawer make up case. The entire top folds back and has a mesh pocket in it, currently holding three pairs of pointes, one pair demi pointes, one pair leather flats and one pair canvas flats without any problems (and keeps the smell from getting too bad). Mesh pocket at one end holds my water bottle, secure 'dry' compartment at the other, small zip pocket inside to hold my phone and large zip pocket on the outside holding sewing kit, first aid kit, two fascial release balls, three spanish fans, a journal, 4 pens... Perhaps it's time to clear my bag out.

I know that this thread is for wide feet, but I also want to share in the hanami love and say that they work perfectly for very narrow feet as well! I wear my pointe shoes in an X width and I also wear hanamis and I adore them. I don't know how they've made them so stretchy yet so snug but I don't think I'm ever going back.

Have you considered MDM dance shoes? They do leather and canvas split soles, but have put basically an orthotic/full sole on the inside of the shoe to help stabilise the foot and provide a bit of cushioning and support. The new Intrinsic Profile is a stretch canvas split sole and is a lot more flattering than some of the previous designs by this company! I personally don't like them for my feet, but I know girls at my studio who swear by them for injury rehabilitation and comfort in general. Not sure what the stock options are in the UK but here's the website, they have 'fit quiz' which makes it pretty easy to fit yourself online https://www.mdmdance.com/

I think as part of a graduated program towards full time or upper school training, it doesn't seem unreasonable. Whether it's physically possible, or you have access to this amount of training locally is another matter, but she does say this is across all genres and would include things like associates and youth ballet productions. It also seems in line with the hours provided by other reputable organisations aiming to train kids for professional careers. For example, if you look at the Northern Ballet CAT program, they take from ages 10-16, starting with 10 hours and progressing up to 18 hours 'depending on age, level and academic year'. Seems about in line with Claudia's hourly framework, and the CAT doesn't include hip hop, tap, musical theatre etc. A 14 year old doing 14 hours at CAT and also doing a couple of 'fun' classes at another local studio would fit into that framework. I'm not sure what the CATs view on outside classes is, perhaps they are discouraged, but if they believe that a student who started at 10 and progresses into years 4/5/6 of their program (therefore being 14/15/16) should be doing up to 18 hours of classical and contemporary training, Claudia's recommendations seem about the same.

While I don't agree with everything Claudia says (some of her videos on preparing pointe shoes I think need to have a caveat that you shouldn't be doing things like shaving your shanks the second you get your first pair of shoes out of the bag!) I don't think there's anything in these two videos that I disagree with. If there is, it's something small that doesn't stick out. While I know that she's not a trained teacher (although this is an assumption, I don't know what training she received or is currently receiving in that arena) I do think that she does her research, has a good relationship with local physios and really cares about developing her students into dancers who can have a lengthy career in this industry. I think that as long as a teacher is guided by best practice, isn't endangering any students and is producing results, then they are a good teacher. I have had some teachers with all the training in the world who still believe that you should start class with static stretches, and who produce more injuries than classical ballet careers. I have also met professionals who have a wealth of experience to share and can tell you 'sure, this is how they want you to do it for the exam, so we'll train that, but actually every professional I know does it this way'. I do RAD because my teacher is a wizard, and it's the best training for me, but as Claudia says in this video, every dancer is individual and learns best from different people. I'm going to take what I can from Claudia Dean and apply it in conjunction with my regular training, and I think a lot of dancers and teachers here in Australia do the same. But as far as full time training and appropriate hours per week, I think she is spot on.

I don't think it's particularly surprising that the things you thought you wanted at 13 aren't necessarily what you want when you're 18. People change. Circumstances change. When I was 14 I wanted to be a pilot! I loved to fly and thought nothing could be better than doing that every day. As I got older and pursued my dream, I realised that the realities of a career in that industry just didn't suit me. I still love to fly and it's a great hobby to have, but I don't want a career in it because the idea of flying the same 3 hour route twice a day, every day for 5 years does not epitomise what I love about flying. Does that mean the time and money I spent between 14 and 17 was wasted? Absolutely not. It just wasn't the career for me. It's the same with ballet. I love class, but I can't imagine any career worse than a classical ballet career! I think it's important to teach kids that just because you love something, doesn't mean it has to be your job... And that if you make the choice to pursue it as a career, and decide that after experiencing it it actually isn't for you, then that's okay. It's not because you're not tough enough, or unprepared for the mental rigours of the job, it's just not the right path for you. Dancing occasionally, teaching ballet, or packing it in completely doesn't make you a failure, it makes you someone who...isn't a professional dancer. Like the vast majority of people who take a ballet class in their life! We are the 99% 😝 Now, I do believe that hothousing, home schooling, 40 hour a week training and attending every international ballet competition under the sun is incredibly damaging and should be discouraged. I believe that physically and mentally you are setting these kids up to fail in a way. Life is about balance. But just because someone pursues ballet as a career and then changes their mind doesn't mean that there is some inherent failing in them, and I think we have to be very careful of the language we use to describe the people who have left ballet behind, for whatever reason.

@DD Driver Sorry I can see you already posted this video! I tried to delete my comment but it won't let me?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, but it just came out today. A video by Claudia Dean, former dancer at the Royal Ballet and graduate of the RBS upper school, who now runs a private coaching company in Australia. These are her honest thoughts about the decision to go into 'full time' training (as in, dancing during the day every day and doing online school, rather than a vocational lower school). She is pretty scathing about full time training for dancers under the age of 15, it's very interesting because a number of the dancers she features on her channel have made the decision to go into full time, 30 hour a week training at 10! I'm so glad, and think it's quite brave, that a teacher who is practically worshipped by young dancers here in Australia is coming out unequivocally against this. I think it ties into some of the things we've discussed on this thread, particularly about age appropriate training at the YAGP and the international students RBS are taking in who have been training at a (in my opinion) dangerously intense level for many years. I'm hoping a return to sanity and reasonable/appropriate dance training is going to emerge in the not so distant future.

Congratulations @The_Red_Shoes I thoroughly enjoyed the video of you I have officially been entered for Grade 7, Intermediate AND Advanced Foundation in October. Not sure if I will be lucky and do them over three days, or whether I will have to do two in one day. It's been a real struggle to get me ready for Advanced Foundation, I'm still not sure I am ready! But my teacher wants me to do it and I don't argue with her. Recently I've been rewarded with comments such as 'that was almost a brisé' and 'one day soon that will look like a grand jete en tournant' so I must be improving... At least I have two more months to keep working and hopefully by October I'll actually feel ready.

They are 14 and 15 and, like many of the DC on here, are training hard every day to try and get into a classical upper school. I agree that many students, not just international students, can come back from these schools broken (all you need to do is read some of the recent threads on here to know that this is a serious problem!) but it becomes almost impossible to stop them when they want it so badly. While I agree that many Australians have access to amazing local lower level training (though I do place a geographic caveat on this, much like England the quality of training in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane is far better than what you can get in Wollongong for example), it's a simple fact that there are no classical finishing schools in Australia (besides ABS) the way there are in Europe. I don't want to derail this thread into a discussion of the poor, underprivileged, upper middle class Australian girls whose primary concern is which country they want to get off to over the summer, so I'll leave my comments about the topic there. Or I probably will... I don't know sometimes I can't help myself 😁 This is a concern of mine too! How many amazing, prodigious ballet talents win a scholarship, join a company and flame out? Through a combination of years of intense and sometimes dangerous training catching up with them, and suddenly being relegated to the back of the stage, waving a rose backwards and forwards while someone else does the solos they've spent years perfecting... In my opinion there is no substitute for solid, class based training, and the progression into a suitable finishing school if it is so appropriate. It's why I like many of the competitions run by the RAD. They have strict limits on the age at which one is allowed to perform en pointe and they set the variations that can be competed at certain levels to make sure they're age appropriate. I wish more competitions were like this, though of course RAD competitions are set by an authority whose primary focus is in training, not tricks. Perhaps that's what makes the difference.