Streetdancer

May I ask which colleges have said this? My DD has 2 post-16 auditions coming up which include singing but nothing has been said about clothing. I'm wondering now if she should take something non-dancey with her? She'd happily stay in her leo all day 🤣

I believe that's the old form. You now apply through the ICTheatre website.

We finally worked out how to apply to NBS and submitted the form. Surprised to see no questions about dance training or grades. Is there another stage to the application, does anybody know?

All the information, including the fee scales / calculator is on this page. https://www.gov.uk/dance-drama-awards

Thanks I'd appreciate that!

Do you mind me asking where you found the application form? I registered with ictheatre but haven't heard anything at all. Thanks.

My DD, age 15, needs an audition leotard for this coming year (general dance diploma, not classical ballet). She struggles with fit as she's long-bodied. Her usual dance uniform is the Roche Valley Ava size 3 which is pretty good on her, but she'd ideally like something a bit more special (but still black). Her associate scheme Freed RAD leo is too short and rides up over her bum and she recently bought a Capezio for a show in size L even though she's only an adult size 8. I usually have to shorten the straps whatever she gets. All brands seem to have equivalent girth sizes, so looking at size guides is no help. Any help appreciated thank you!

Where can I find info about this? My DD went last year but I haven't seen anything advertised.

Does anybody have an ISTD modern intermediate DVD that you have finished with?

I just wanted to say how brilliant the NBS student 'assistants' were at the summer school this week. My DD learned a lot from them about the course timetable and the jazz vs ballet strand etc. She had a great time and came away with a good feeling about NBS (and she especially loved the jazz).

I know it very much depends where you live, but we don't have car. My DDs cycle to their classes and we take DD1 to her associates on the train. You can be green and dance! In fact DD1 says she wants to design a range of zero carbon dance-wear 😁 Sorry to go off-topic!

There's some lovely profiles being put on social media of the Academy of Northern Ballet CAT scheme graduates. Proof that vocational school is not the only route to 16+ training. E.g. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRD3riJKnMK/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/associate-programme/senior-associate-short-course/

We do lateral flow tests already for secondary school Balletbean. It's still more than a month away so fingers crossed.

My Dd is booked on this. We're really hoping it doesn't get cancelled because of the Delta variant 🤞

Oh yes indeed. I read your earlier comment Peanut about 6th form and thought crikey, we're getting all that at age 14! I think DD feels literally hemmed in. So much time for introspection and over-thinking and very few escape valves. Now I think she's fighting her way out. Thank heavens for dance.

That's what I understood from the email we had. Of course, students may have left during the year, or will be going elsewhere in September so there will always be some spaces.

Actually, all existing associates were formally assessed this weekend, as they are every year. Offers went out at the same time as new place offers. Not all students will have been "moved up" as it were, but my understanding is that everyone has been offered a place somewhere. There are approx 30 in a class in normal times - at least for IF, Intermediate and Senior. We have no experience of JA.

No idea, but when my DD was a reserve for IF 4 years ago a place did come up. This year I believe all current associates have been given a place for next year. I can understand why - telling a student they haven't met the grade after all the restrictions of dancing under lockdown would be really harsh. But like last year, this means new places are probably quite limited.

Northern Ballet is a company based in Leeds. It has an attached Academy which runs the UK's only CAT training programme in ballet and an Associates scheme. Training stops usually at 16/17 though there is a post-graduate course too. Training is in ballet and (after age 12) contemporary. Company and students share the same studios. Northern Ballet School (rebranded NBS) is an upper school which starts its training at 16. Its name is largely historical I would say - it does have a classical ballet strand but also a (bigger I think) theatre dance strand. Hope that helps!

My DDs are lucky enough to have a local teacher who has always built in conditioning to her classes. Both my DDs have a very good understanding of how their bodies work and how to protect them in movement - this whole ethos now goes throughout the school, especially in the ballet, acro and PBT classes. When my eldest DD started a regional associates scheme in year 7, she was more than ready for the challenging conditioning element, which takes the first 45 mins of every class. I've watched it, and it's tough! As a parent, I really value this. I know that if / when they move away from dancing so much, they have learnt things about themselves physically which will support them throughout their lives. My eldest DD's current plan B is PE teacher! I wonder if there's a gap in supporting and training local dance teachers to understand the importance of fitness and strength work in dance and provide ideas of how to build this into classes or timetables? I imagine some teachers will worry that children could find this boring, but I've seen how it can be taught in an engaging way.

I think they can safely fit max 15 in a studio at the moment if that helps.

I think teachers can ask for feedback on behalf of pupils - we definitely got some when Dd was a reserve.

@CRH My Dd is an intermediate associate. There are about 30 in a class of roughly 2 year groups (seniors Y10-11 ). Last year nobody was asked to leave the programme out of fairness because of Covid but this year assessments (of a sort) are going ahead at the end of April so I think you can assume there'll be a small number of spaces in all classes.

DD wears the Modibodi seamfree bikini in black (as they'd sold out of neutral at the time) and they do not show at all as they're quite high cut. She wears size 6. She's really happy with them.