Twirlingdad

Not all students have the same experience - some fly and others, for whatever reason, hit every bump in the road! From experience go with your gut feel and never be afraid to challenge a decision if you feel it is not right or made because it suits the school more than your child. If you politely challenge a decision and are met with hostility then maybe wonder why. Injuries are sadly a bit part of the dance world but dealt with efficiently can save heartache years down the line.

cotes du rhone ! - sorry I’m rubbish at tech & no idea how to respond to your post....... Just wanted to say - you are not alone. We too got caught up in the world of the school that aspired to be something it isn’t. Glossy on top but scratch under the surface and there are so many students who are now not dancing due to undiagnosed injuries - the pressure was immense and dancing whilst strapped up and consuming painkillers was sadly the norm. Only now we realise how much damage has been caused mentally and physically. We are crossing our fingers that our DC made it out in time and is in the care of an excellent Consultant who is repairing the physical damage. We did at the time what we thought best - resilience has been learnt and friendships made but it will take a while for the wounds to heal. Wishing you the very best of luck on your journey free of the constraints of dance. Would we change it all if we had a crystal ball - probably not........ but maybe we would have challenged some of the poor school decisions!

I know of several DC who have thrived at 16 on the Dance Degree Courses and several DC who have been terribly let-down by the schools that do A Levels. The schools who offer A Levels do not always communicate as you would expect and often children who are struggling with their A Levels are ‘encouraged’ to drop them to concentrate on their dancing and therefore sadly finish with no qualifications except the Diploma. I’ve been in and around the Vocational roller coaster for 8 years & have seen many highs but also some terrible lows regarding academics, communication and rehabilitation. Some DC sail through and some hit every bump in the road. Degree Courses or A Levels - different environments suits different DC. Graduate employment is very important too......... it’s not always easy to see beyond the initial ‘Sparkle’ of Open Days and glossy brochures🙃

OPES no longer exists as a Summer School. Olivia Pickford is running a 2 week Summer School in Malvern wk 1 begins 12/08, week week begins 19/08 or you can do both. www.malvernballetseminars.co.uk

Still waiting to hear from Manchester.......