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Nala

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    Royal Ballet School / RBS

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    On 21/03/2023 at 08:55, DanceDaddy said:

    Good morning all,

     

    Our child has recently been offered a place at WL in year 7. They want to go, but rather than go into this with eyes wide shut, we wanted to do some research and learn from the past experiences of others. Looks like we just missed the boat and a recent thread has been removed by the moderators for one reason or another. I am a member of many forums and have never in my life known for a thread to be deleted. Locked yes, but deleted? All the forum needs to do is state that any opinions shared on the forum are not of their own and are of the members. Forums are very useful source of impartial information and was hoping to learn here. 

     

    Can someone give us a little flavour as to what to expect please? How did they child cope with boarding? Was the school helpful in settling them in etc?

     

    For £34k a year, the dorms are basic to say the least. The toilet in the dorms was covered in #%^* when we did a tour a few weeks and that’s when the school knew that  prospective parents were coming in. Any cleaners? 
     

    If the forum doesn’t allow discussion on RBS, which is shocking I’d this is the case, can someone just DM me please?

     

    Many thanks I’m advance.

     

    DD

    Congratulations on your DC’s offer to WL. 
     

    There have been some excellent pieces of advice given already but I thought I’d add our experience for you. 
     

    My DC started in Year 7 and the house staff were fantastic at settling the children in. There were cases of homesickness in the year group and at least two children left because of this in the first year. My own child did suffer from homesickness at times but there were always activities to get involved with to provide a distraction. 
     

    Cleanliness hasn’t been an issue that’s been raised too frequently by my child. There was a recent issue with the plumbing which lasted several days but has now been resolved. The biggest complaint I’ve heard recently has been the quality and quantity of the food being served as there has been some changes in the catering. 
     

    My child has loved their time at WL and wouldn’t change it despite how tiring the training can be. I’d describe them as being ballet obsessed so to them it’s been an effortless choice and they wouldn’t change it. 
     

    From my perspective as a parent, it’s a very tough decision to make to send your child away at age 11 especially if you don’t live local to London. They have to grow up much faster in some respects and it changes your family dynamic. Would I have made a different decision? No. But that’s because it has never really been my decision to make. 
     

    We have been very impressed with the training the children receive at WL. Yes, you have to be prepared to audition again in Year 9 which is very stressful but no matter what, my DC has RBS on their training CV and they’ve made friends for life. 
     

    You have to make decisions based on your own family circumstances but our experience has been, on the whole, a positive one. 

    • Like 9
    • Thanks 1

    Rambert summer school - what is needed?

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    18 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

    Possibly a contentious comment here....but with RBS Soring cancelled & Summer possibly in the balance... should applicants get the £36 each course application fee refunded? TBH, pretty much any other course/institution I would’ve dream of considering this but the Royal a) no doubtedly get more public subsidy than any other dance training institution & b) year on year thousands of us parents fill their coffers with these extortionate fees for them to merely look at photographs....

    The return of those £36 fees I’m sure would be very welcome in these difficult times where to maintain dance many are having to invest in flooring/barre/online classes/tech to view these on etc.

    I do think it wrong frankly to pay merely to apply to any course, though I do appreciate there is a certain amount of admin required. The course fees charged to attendees I am sure could subsume these costs. I’m equally quite sure that for the £36 application fee, actual auditions for those that prefer could be budgeted & surely provide a better & fairer way to select attendees? Plus give many more the opportunity to experience the Royal in some small way.....

    Just a thought! 

     

    I think, like most arts organisations, Royal will be finding themselves in a difficult financial situation this year with the cancellations and refunds they already will have to make for spring and summer, plus the international intensives. A lot of the money they make from the intensives goes towards the school supporting bursaries for students who otherwise couldn't afford to train with the Royal whether it is in full-time training or as a subsidy to the associate programme fees or intensives. By asking for a refund it is taking this money from the most disadvantaged families who really need the additional financial help. I don't think Royal do any of this to make a profit. At the end of the day, I'd rather my £36 went to help an inspiring dancer who really needed the financial help rather than asking for a refund.

     

    CAT schemes

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    On 14/03/2019 at 16:07, sunrise81 said:

    Fab thanks! Already over there on a Saturday for her RBS JA lesson and taking her over to Waarington once a month for Cecchetti Associates too so ok with the weekend demand. Just the weekday lessons. Oooh the decisions!

    Depending what level your DC goes into it'll be different days. This year CAT Level 1 was Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 16:20 (for a 16:50 class start) to 19:20 and then all day on Saturday from 11:20am (for a 11:50am start) to 16:30 in the first term and 18:00 for the rest of the year.

    CAT Scheme (Northern Ballet Leeds)

    in Doing Dance

    Posted · Edited by Nala

    There is an intensive every school holiday. Not always for the entire week but usually for 2-3 days at least.

    This academic year the intensives for CAT Level 1 were as follows:

     

    Summer - 6th August to 18th August 2018 (each Sunday was off) Hours were something like 11am - 4pm as far as I remember.

    October half term - 27th and 28th October 2018

    February 21st -23rd 2019

    April 12th and 13th.

    May 28th - 1st June (TBC)

     

    Hope that helps.

     

     

    Northern Ballet (Leeds) - associates auditions

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    19 minutes ago, Tinks said:

    I don’t know how it works! But I’m constantly on refresh 😊, my daughters CAT recall is 13th April but she will find out by 15th! So doesn’t have long to wait for that one, but would love to know about associates as she auditioned for those too. 

    Was it a younger one who has had a yes for the CAT already? Well done to them! X

    It was for CAT level 1 and I’ve heard about two boys who have been offered places. Nothing from any girls as yet. 

    Northern Ballet (Leeds) - associates auditions

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    1 minute ago, PutYourBooteesOn said:

    My DD was in the 9am group... it was huge wasn’t it? I was told by someone from last year that they had their results in two days too so I’ve been antsy, despite their 15th April date!

    but having now seen that the CAT recall isn’t til 13th April, I guess they’ll maybe hold off the JA outcomes until they’ve done that.... though they could send out for those not old enough for CAT (hopefully!) 

    I think some of the CAT results have started to come out. I know of at least one offer. So hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer. 

    Northern Ballet : Victoria by Cathy Marston, First Run

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    We attended this last night and thought the choreography was wonderfully rich and complicated. There was so much to view on stage that I agree about a second viewing. We’re looking forward to seeing the cinema screening later this year. 

     

    While led the plot was quite complicated in the synopsis, my ten year old, who didn’t read any of the programme prior to watching was able to grasp the main ideas and it didn’t phase him that he didn’t know all the people. He’s been learning about Queen Victoria at school and grasped the main ideas. 

     

    Personally, I loved the trio of Liko and the two Beatrices. 

    • Like 2

    Just for the boys...😉

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    On 16/08/2018 at 20:56, MrsMoo2 said:

    Thanks ladies.

    I will look into all those ideas. I just feel sorry for him sometimes.

    We’re on the mailing list for the project B events, and I have briefly been in touch with KS dance last year, as it’s not a million miles away, (I trained there till 19!).

    Like I say his current school is nice but I think he will outgrow it in a few years.

    DS auditioned for Hammond FT last year but missed out as he was lacking in upper body strength and some technique. Sure he’ll have another bash next year tho and maybe try associates. (The solo was a nightmare, and he doesn’t do singing! 😂).

    Does anyone do the CAT scheme? Just wondering if we can justify the drive! 😂😂 xx

    My DS is 11 and on the CAT programme at Northern Ballet. You can PM me if you like for detailed info but we think it is an amazing programme and my DS has come along loads in the last year. He does classical ballet and Jazz there. 

    Questions about Lower School auditions

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    40 minutes ago, Motomum said:

    Hello Nala, thank you for asking. He just got a ‘no’ for WL and the email asked him to re-audition for WL next year. I think that is a standard response, apart from waiting list.

    He had tonsillitis the week of the audition and the finals day was rescheduled for him, so he did half a day. He didn’t enjoy the audition at all, he found the seriousness of the whole experience really overwhelming and felt this reflected in his dancing on the day. He said he wasn’t nervous, just that his dancing was joyless.

     

    He was sad for a while this evening, as he felt that he hadn’t really been able to show them how much he loves ballet; but a Cadbury’s Creme egg brought him to his senses. 😁

     

     

     

     

     

    I’m really sorry to hear that. I’m sure that with the experience of doing it once, next year he’ll be better prepared for what to expect and the joy of his dancing will shine through.  I also find Cadbury Creme eggs are a fantastic cure all!  Best of luck for his next steps. Xx

    • Like 1

    Questions about Lower School auditions

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    On 18/02/2019 at 14:19, Motomum said:

    Hello all,

    might I ask, those of you with children, boys if possible, who have been through the White Lodge final auditions, what the day actually consists of?

    i would like to give my son some idea of what to expect as he doesn’t cope well with just ‘going into something’ with no idea at all of what to expect.

    I know there will be ballet 😁, but that is all I know, but how does it differ from the Preliminary audition if at all?

    Someone has said there is an exam, my son is Home Educated so I would really find it useful if anyone knows what this means in application.

     

    Thank you.

    Motomom, how did your son get on? Did he enjoy the day?

    YBSS application 2018

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    My DS hasn’t got a place this year. But has been offered the wait list. He’s going to be gutted when I tell him but it’s a bit of a financial relief to me as he was lucky to be offered a place for White Lodge for W1 and the The Academy of Northern Ballet for 2 weeks and I wasn’t sure I could afford another one! 

    • Like 3
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