Moneypenny

There is a Pizza Express near Long Acre. Can't exactly remember where, but there is a TGI Fridays. A very nice fish n chip shop I think in the same street as the Dancia shop. There is also either a Natural Burger Co or a Handmade Burger Co in the same area as TGIs and a nice pub called Lowlander on the corner of Long Acre & Drury Lane. There are also places like Pret, Simply Food and Starbucks near the Covent Garden tube.

I too think this is a lovely opportunity. As with all things, you can't please all of the people all of the time, but given that it's happening I'm sure there are several of us on this forum who will be delighted if our DC are selected to take part. It's a masterclass and a performance opportunity ... and who knows who may be sitting in the audience checking out the talent!

Does anyone know when and where any photos may be available?

Looking forward to next week too, I know dd is absolutely loving it.

And when you look at income bands, also bear in mind that its gross income before tax and everything like the value of benefits in kind, bonuses, share dividends, pension contributions, basically absolutely anything deemed as income into the household, you have to bear your financial soul for mds.

I'd be very interested to hear more about how the audition process works for graduates through the final year ... Do ADs come into schools or is it a case of the grads travelling as far and wide as they can, or a combination of both? Are jobs advertised, is it just grads that are seen or do they join open auditions. How much help do grads get from their schools? It's all a bit of a mystery to me at the moment.

MOTR ... No, your dd should not have to put up with this. Healthy competition amongst peers is one thing, but this sort of behaviour is, in my opinion, out of order. Students should be able to learn, make mistakes and take corrections in the class/studio environment without negative reactions from peers. I would also expect the teacher to put a stop to it. This sort of thing can also be compounded when students are at vocational school as they all have to live together. Issues can spill over from the studio and into the boarding house.

From memory, I think there is an arrival time window and I don't know about other parents, but we were dispensed with after helping to unpack. The first time dd went though, we did hang around until her room mate arrived and intros were made.

Not much happens on the first day. Drop off is around mid afternoon and parents are allowed to rooms to help unpack. I think all the students then meet in the theatre at some point for a welcome meeting. It is literally arrive, u pack and settle in on the first day.

Usually able to watch, so would be surprised if its any different this year. It's usually something like 3-4 on the Friday afternoon. I hope we're able to watch again this year.

Stardancer, try to find a way for your dd to cultivate both her ballet & contemporary if she is strong in both, as it can surely only be to her advantage in the long run. Unless of course, she has a passion one way or the other. I've lost count of how many times I've heard "versatility". I would echo applying to somewhere like Rambert, where equal emphasis is placed on ballet & contemporary. Alternatively, whilst RBS, ENBS, Elmhurst etc are classical ballet led, in 6th form they all train in contemporary too.

We were of the mindset that if dd had not been offered an upper school place at one of the schools we decided to apply for this year, then academic 6th form would have been the route, as hard as it would have been to accept. I too think that there are too many dancers in training, but that probably goes for a lot of other professions as well. I appreciate that it is all a matter of personal opinion and choice, but we just felt that if she had not achieved a place at one of these schools, then it would probably have been time to move on. I appreciate that anything could still happen over the next three years and getting employment is going to be tough, but at least I feel it's worth taking the chance.

Ellison school of ballet too.

Slightly off topic I know, but from my dd's RBS JA group, many of them went to vocational school at year 7, a few stayed on for MA and subsequently SA and all the ones I can think of have now secured upper school places for September at places like RBS, Elmhurst, Central and Rambert. I guess my point is that there are many former RBS associates in all of the UKs well known ballet schools and many of them do go on to upper school somewhere.

Sorry Swan Princess, misread your question, not got my glasses on!

Dd has recently moved to Gaynor's Mindens and she says they are so much quieter.

When my dd was offered a year 7 mds place a few years ago, we had to turn it down and pull out in the June, so I'm guessing someone may have then been awarded that place pretty late in the day. She then auditioned at the same school again for year 9 even though the then year 8 cohort was full. She was wait listed and offered a place in August to join year 9! So, yes, it does happen.

We too turned down Rambert this year ... Very best of luck to everyone still waiting.

Body balance is amazing for strength and flexibility ... I am personally a big fan of it. It's one of those classes that looks easy to the uninitiated, but it builds strength, flexibility and stamina. It is also great for overall toning.

When my dd auditioned this year for Rambert, the director made a point of emphasizing that there is equal emphasis on both classical ballet and contemporary. No bad thing given that dancers really need versatility. I believe Rambert are still accepting applications.

Amethyst ... As you accept each provisional dada place at different schools the information is passed to the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET). If someone is holding more than one dada place by a certain time, they will be asked by CDET to confirm the school of their choice ... I think! Please feel free to correct me anyone if I am wrong.

I think dada clearing is end April, so I don't think multiple dada offers can be held for much longer.

I didn't think enb school was attached to the company. I thought they were separate entities.

I guess the point I was just trying to make is that given so many of the year 11s at RBS and elmhurst seem to have been offered upper school this year, there are so few external places at those schools compared to enbs. Anyhow, they are all hideously difficult to get into and the competition is indeed fierce.

It may indeed be the case that enbs accept more international students than uk students, but given that they don't have a lower school there are obviously more places available there than at RBS or elmhurst for 6th form. I daresay RBS and elmhurst attract just as many applications as enbs, both from the uk and overseas but there will be far fewer places available given the incumbent year 11s.