Moneypenny

They didn’t publicise the semi finalists last time, they waited to announce the category finalists.

It is not unusual for young dancers in training to be “off dance” for many months with injury, I have seen it often and it happened to my dd so I can appreciate what you are going through. It is really hard for them as they are impatient and can feel they are falling behind, which they are not. It is really important to think of the bigger picture and realise that trying to press on or go back too early can end a career before it’s even begun. Long term injury can teach a young person a lot about themselves and build resilience and with the right support and rehabilitation they can strengthen and build an even stronger body to come back with. Hang in there. x

I’m also going to offer a slightly different perspective. Has the increase in dance hours been driven by your dd or you? Are you sure that she is ready for this increase in hours and that she actually wants it right now? She is very young and you talk of her being an aspiring dancer. Dance only enhances other areas of life, academics etc if the child is the one with the passion and drive, and even then it can be a tricky balance between how many hours is enough or too much. I fully appreciate and understand that it is a difficult balance and that the passion for dance can become all consuming. At 9, I’d say that quality versus quantity, and enjoyment of dance are the main considerations. I do hope you get to the bottom of things and that you find a way forward.

Vocational school is not for everyone. My dd always wanted to go and it was the right thing for her. I also know of plenty of dc who did not go to vocational school until 16. It is entirely possible, as long as you have enough quality training locally. Go with what is right for your child and do not be tempted to get either carried along on the vocational roller coaster or out of one’s depth financially. There are so many pitfalls and many children do well just to get through training. Upper school is tougher than lower school and the industry and work is even tougher. It is a journey to be taken one step at a time with your eyes wide open.

Kat09, all the very best to your very beautiful girl in whichever path she follows. I have such mixed feelings about an industry which covets ‘the look, one look’ over everything, despite talent. It is not progressive and does not always treat young people well. I hope she thrives going forward. x

They need resilience and tenacity by the bucket load. And as you say, when they do get work, it is incredibly hard work!

Company auditions are brutal, you will spend money on flights, hotels etc only to turn up and be cut after barre. No explanation, nothing, just bye bye. At other auditions you will make it to the end, only to be told they will get back to you and you never hear from them again. And then there are auditions where the AD is barely in the room for more than a few minutes.

Always had Bupa through dd’s vocational school years, couldn’t fault it.

Whilst physio is usually the most obvious treatment which may be needed on private health insurance, I would urge making sure that there is ample cover for other stuff, such as scans, consultant appointments, surgery etc, as you really do never know when you need it. Bear in mind that a consultant appointment, plus mri, bloods and consultant follow up at a London clinic, will be in the region of at least £1k upwards.

I’d be surprised if ballet schools drop their audition fees, I imagine it’s a nice stream of income each year.

An ankle injury is not to be under estimated, it can take many months to heal and require lots of strength and conditioning work on the whole body before returning fully to dance. The recovery can also be two steps forward and one step back. It cannot be rushed.

I totally agree it’s a balance, I’m just speaking from some of my own observations.

Unfortunately, getting a school’s name “out there” worldwide does not help graduates, especially if they get hardly any support in grad year. A school gets a good reputation by focusing on and supporting its grads to gain meaningful employment and having some decent grad destinations to shout about.

When a child goes to vocational school at Year 7, it’s a very very long game to get to graduation at Year 14! Young bodies are growing and vulnerable and in my experience they become even more vulnerable to injury as they move into upper school. I’m a big believer in strengthening and conditioning, but not in over training at every opportunity, ie. weekends and holidays.

Dd used to attend the York audition, which always followed the London one and results used to start coming out literally within a couple of days of the York audition. May be different now of course.

I used sportscover direct for Europe and Australia. Only thing to check with them is what age the person can travel alone, I think it may be 16, but best to phone them and check.

And how many disillusioned dancers are there out there who have been through UK vocational schools and then cannot even get auditions, let alone get a job. Look at the grad pages of some of the schools, they haven’t even been updated for two or more years, why is that?

The impression we got when looking at securing places into upper school a few years ago, particularly in respect of dada funding, was that they are already looking at potential for employability at 16.

Sportscover Direct cover ballet, I used them when dd went overseas. Can’t remember what age they have to be to travel unaccompanied though, I think dd was 16 the first time I used them. You would need to ring them to clarify.

.... go for it, it’s a fantastic summer school.

This term always seemed to be the longest, busiest and most gruelling and the one where all the bugs and colds were circulating. Year 11 was particularly busy. At Elmhurst, there was a Christmas lunch, Christmas Fair and Carol Service, all of which were lovely and fun and normal and a definite festive feel about the place. In any case, I would have no issue with a bit of winding down at the end of term, especially this one, as these young people work very hard.

In third year, there will be audition photos, the cost of which can run to a few hundred. And then there is the cost of travelling to auditions, which if travelling to Europe will be several hundreds of pounds per trip. Even the cheapest flights can run into hundreds depending on the location, not to mention one, sometimes two nights accommodation, food, train fares etc.

Nike Pro's are really neat. Very fitted, nice short leg and good to move in.

As others have said, if ballet is the priority then definitely JAs. And if ballet is the priority, the JA sessions will be very beneficial in the long run. Thankfully, dd never wanted to do festivals and we wouldn't have had the time anyway.

Bluebird ... what a lovely, considerate, thing to do for your students. Some things I bought for dd in upper school, though not going away presents ... warm up booties, foot roller, foam roller, and one of the favourite things was a nutri-bullet.