DD Driver

Short story is that she did not make the 32 fouettes that night. Someone posted horrible words e.g. she is the WORST and an embarrassment... Misty put the 'critique' up and a link to her performance. Says she is not perfect etc but definitely worthy to be a principal at ABT....She starts a discussion around technique required these days (especially tricks) v. viewing an entire performance. Anyway the response to Misty's post is epic and heartwarming.

Take a look at Misty Copeland's instagram posts - mistonpointe- responding to some serious hate that a misguided individual had posted about her. It relates to her performance of the Swan Queen and failure to get to 32 fouettes. Or look at the Dance Magazine article (dancemagazine.com) on facebook or their site. Her 2 instagram posts on this are currently at 85,000 and 50,000 likes. Love it - Love her.

We live in Sydney. My dd has experienced very basic assessments and 'eye balling' during ballet school auditions (associate program). They were conducted by dance teachers - not physio's - before the barre work began. To understand your child's facility (current and potential), I highly recommend an ongoing relationship with a dance physio. For example, as part of my dd's pre-pointe assessment she went to a dance physio who put her through a very thorough testing session. The report provided measurements against norms and a list of exercises for her to work on before returning for re-testing. The report was sent to her school and this information dictated when and whether a student could start pointe work. It is the norm that students visit the physio on an on-going basis e.g. if no issues it is to get new excercises to help with their continual improvement. Here is a rough list of the categories in the Report: Spine (leg lengths, signs of scoliosis, pelvic alignment, low back mobility and control, and abdominal control), Pelvis (control during single leg squat and hopping tasks), Hips (turnout potential – passive and active ranges, flexibility of hip flexor and gluteal strength), Hamstrings (flexibility, kneecap alignment and flexibility, knee active hyperextension), Plie range, Ankles (active pointe range mobility), Feet (big toe dorsiflexion, arches and presence of bunions), Balance (quiet balance), and Hypermobility Assessment

Yes! The low pay and challenges of the corp might be unattractive to a child star.

Youth America Grand Prix. An international competition. A winner can be offered a spot at a top school or company.

In terms of training, I note Steven McRae's comments in his Instagram Q&A this week. He sees dancers as ARTISTS however believes that they need to treat their bodies as if they are athletes. Some very young dancers (e.g. 10yrs and up) are training like aspiring athletes. They are doing for example, a competitive rhythmic gymnastics program alongside an intensive ballet program. Another approach is going semi-full-time at an early age. You can view the schedule at the Master Ballet Academy in Arizona (home of some young YAGP winners). A young dancer does the after school program plus (by audition) an Intermediate Pre-Pro schedule that means 3 half-days away from school. http://www.masterballetacademy.com/class-schedule/. The intensity of this approach may exceed recommended hours in order to avoid injury. It is survival of the fittest! I know in artistic gymnastics that, from my daughter's experience as a 9 yr old, they tried to avoid injuries by slowly adding hours over time and in a 3 hour session there was half an hour of warm up and then half an hour of warm down. As well as injuries, some will be concerned about the impact on academics. Some schools in the US and Australia etc will allow hours away from classes for the pursuit of Elite Sports or Art. The child must show that they are still getting their school work done. Alternatively, there is homeschooling and Distance Education which are more established and supported in some countries than others. It is a luxury but when done well, can lead to academic extension for the child.