Pointeshoesarethedream

Thank you! I’ve heard grade 7 is lovely. I don’t think it matters whether your exam is a grade or vocational, as adults to be doing exams at all is absolutely brilliant. I live working towards a goal.

It’s so frustrating isn’t it. I’ve tried every trick in the book. The only thing that marginally works (but not all the time) is counting 2,1 each time … never 1,2!!! If I practice at home on their own they never work and what’s frustrating is that I have pretty good balance in relevé. I think I panic and tense up! Still a few more lessons left to have another go and hopefully I’ll feel more confident. 🤞

Hi all. I’ve lurked on this thread a bit and maybe comment once or twice a good few years ago but I’m taking my RAD Adv1 very very soon!! I’m happy with my work overall but double pirouettes are hit and miss and will either go right on the day or not. No matter how much I’ve practised I just don’t seem to be able to get them consistent to be confident! So I’m half looking forward and half dreading it!!!

Hello although this doesn’t help you with time the audition location and days are here which might help you with planning: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/apply/uk-auditions/

🤞

Sorry to hear that x

It’s definitely changed now as Mids are morning this year.

Not sure of exact times in Manchester but they are def afternoon as Mids finishes at 11.30am so one of the JA classes starts after that. The JAs are collected before mids comes out.

It goes on school years so if they are in year 5 now will apply for year 6 for September 2023 start. And if I were to show you our JA (non professional photos) you would laugh your socks off but we enjoyed 3 wonderful years as a JA and are now enjoying MAs. Enjoy the audition it’s a lovely experience.

Hi Sorry for the delay in coming back. It’s been a bit hectic. I really appreciate all your kind words and support. And some of the advice has helped. School have been great, really supportive so I have no concerns there. It’s been a tough couple of weeks as although I think we might be getting somewhere with the homesickness. The short term issue that we have with dancing is now looking to be a this half term issue so that is really not helping at all. Despite this thought. I have reinforced that they have a choice and if it’s not working they can say enough is enough but they’re not ready to throw in the towel yet. What this does mean though is that we may not end the term on a positive so it will make the decision for them to go back after Christmas harder, and if they do go back I know it’s going to be like starting all over again. It’s a complete rollercoaster but I am learning to let them vent and not to rise to it emotionally and just be there for support. Someone wrote on another thread about their child being a dementor and sucking the happiness out of them with the contact and this as absolutes hit the nail on the head 😂. MC is trying so hard though and I can really see that now. Hopefully I’ll be able to update one way or another soon, and if we do get through this hopefully I’ll be able to pass on some words of wisdom to others in the future. Right now I’m just winging it each day!

Thank you all. To try and answer some points @MamaFrostythank you. I agree it’s ok to walk away if it’s not right. They aren’t there yet! I’ve given them the option plenty of times but they’re still determined to see it through at least until Christmas while claiming they don’t think it’s for them 🙄 @WhatsThePointehopefully we won’t prolong it if it really isn’t working and we can be brave and say it isn’t right. But I’m not sure that we’re there yet. They insist on trying but yet it’s the struggling with the thought of them trying and still being sad. And finding ways to help them feel happier is really hard going at the moment. @glowlight I did write in the first half term but they haven’t asked why I’ve stopped 😂. So I don’t think it’s missed. I’ll maybe have to start up again this week though. They have restricted themselves to messaging me only with the odd short phone call as that’s easier to cope with. We exchange a few in a morning and a few throughout the evening, but the messages themselves are miserable at the moment. The point about stop trying to see the positives struck with me. Perhaps I’m asking for something that isn’t possible at the moment. I’m going to focus on not doing that and try keep the chat to more mundane stuff. I ask how their day was and immediately regret it…. It’s that ‘don’t ask a question you don’t want an answer to’. @Ruby FooI also like the idea of listing the positives and the negatives and trying to explain how they make them feel! I’ll try that. A few things for me to try and a really important one is to try rise above how they are feeling and take my mind own emotion out of it. I’m very quick to react and I have to bite my tongue to not say ‘right that’s it I’m pulling you out!’

@Raquellethere is some comfort in knowing that many DCs find it hard going back after exeat / holidays although it’s sad that this is the case. I had a good chat with house parents / ballet teachers last half term but it’s probably time to revisit that. There isn’t a house parent that they have connected with unfortunately but they do have some academic teachers that they trust and can talk too. The unhappiness with ballet should be a short term issue but it’s hard waiting for that to pass when it’s such early days and all new. There isn’t an issue with academics at all really more that they have got themselves in this sadness spiral so nothing is good. When they are away from the school however they do talk about it more positively it’s just when they are there and messaging me morning and night with mostly doom and gloom. I’m trying to get them to a positive place so that they can really assess if it is for them or not rather than giving up now when there’s a few obstacles that might be overcome but it’s really hard trying to ease through this and know whether we’re doing the right thing.

I think this is the bit that bothers me at the moment. There is a specific reason for not enjoying the ballet at the moment and it won’t be a permanent issue but it’s hard to see through it to know for sure that the enjoyment will come.

Good morning I’ve been searching through the boards for help with homesickness and found some really useful threads but some of the experiences feel slightly different to ours and I’m not sure where to go from here. My child (MC) has started vocational school this year (year 7) and is really struggling with homesickness. The first 3 weeks we nearly threw in the towel but MC although feeling very unhappy wanted to carry on trying. So we persevered with a compromise of coming home each weekend to begin with. We’re now into the second half of the term and although things are improving very very slightly (from my point of view as MC has control of their emotions more now and isn’t constantly sobbing and begging to come home) they are nowhere near settled yet. We are now not picking them up for the first weekend (wish we’d done this last term as it feels as though they are starting from the beginning) as a bit of a make or break because weekly boarding is not feasible due to the distance and because it resets the clock every weekend with the homesickness. I appreciate all of this probably seems normal and what others have experienced however the bits we’re struggling with is that they cannot find any positives about their days at all. They like the school but don’t seem to love it. Currently they aren’t looking forward to the dancing or academics and certainly not the boarding so cannot see how to stay positive about it all. They are disappointed in themselves because this has been a dream for a few years and they worked really hard to get to this point and don’t want to give it up and regret it but just want to feel happy. I don’t know if the not looking forward to it is normal because the homesickness is so overwhelming or if it’s an indicator that it’s just not right for them? Another kicker is that their roommates seem settled and happy and they can’t help but compare themselves. We’re taking it a term at a time and I’m proud of MC that they continue to be brave and persevere but I genuinely don’t know what to do next to help them. Any help or experience of whether this is normal would be greatly appreciated.

Hello. We did auditions last year on 6th Feb and received results on 14th. So if not the next day, not more than a couple of weeks. I think we were the earlier centre.

Thank you. I think it’s this adjustment for us all that I’m dreading the most.

Thank you all. This as all been really reassuring. It’s still really nerve wracking but I think we seem to be doing ok in the way we’re dealing with it. I do wonder if I’m actually worse than DD as I know I’m dreading it!

Thank you all so much. We definitely do emphasise not leaving home. I’m forever saying ‘it’s just school!’ To everyone, not just DD 😁. There are definitely older pupils who have shown DD kindness on taster days so I’m reassure she will be cared for. The house parents and ballet teachers have also all shown kindness so again feel reassured there. It’s just getting past this monumental moment that it’s now only a few weeks away. I love the postcard tip. Thank you. I will definitely do that! We’re always reassuring her that she can change her mind but I don’t think that’s what she wants… not at the moment anyway. We’ll just take it day by day. All of your posts are really reassuring thank you.

@Dancers Dadthank you for your kind reply. I certainly am feeling reassured. It’s such a huge thing isn’t it. After all the excitement and the initial pride of the achievement now we have the reality of it all. I am absolutely stealing the following: If you didn’t feel your feelings so strongly you wouldn’t dance so beautifully! 🥰

Thank you @MissEmilythats a really lovely way to look at it. Part of me hopes that the wobbles are happening now where she feels safe and then by the time she goes she’ll be feeling better. Sorry I did laugh a bit about the toothpaste, but hopefully it’s not an indication that she’s not aware of the enormity of it, more that she’s just ready to embrace her new adventure and it’s just the little things she needs reassurance on now. X

Thank you. We’re definitely acknowledging the feelings. She keep apologising bless her but I’ve told her it’s fine and to keep talking. Although I know her friendships will change the family’s of her two best friends are planning on going to take DD out for tea sometimes so I know they’re supporting us all the way and will help maintain the friendships. I’ve tried to explain to DD that she’s going to be adding to her friends but when she’s in this mindset not a lot helps. A large part of me thinks she’ll be fine once she’s there and will settle, the whole school environment is perfect for her both ballet wise and academically but it’s hard thinking about packing her off when she’s so sad at the moment.

I tell myself that all the time! My rational head knows that’s the case but I just doubt myself sometimes 🙈.

Thank you @sunrise81 and @Betty’s mum it is a relief to know that it’s normal. You see such excited happy faces posted on social media that it’s hard to know for sure if they all feel this to some extent, even though I’ve said to DD that they will. I think all our packing will be done in the last week and maybe on the quiet for the most part. I just hate seeing DD so sad x

Help! My DD is going away to vocational school in September (Y7). She’s been dreaming of this for so long and is excited….. but she is also really teary about leaving us and her friends and her whole life changing. It’s getting so close now and we’re not really talking about it much (which I’m not pushing) as she just gets upset each time. We are going to have to think about packing soon and I’m dreading it as it’s clearly going to be hard for her to do rather than exciting. I’ve told DD that this is perfectly normal and if I had any doubt whether we were doing the right thing I’d say so… but I really need someone to tell me this is all normal as it feels like I’m making her sad with the things we need to get organised 😢

Congratulations 🎉