Nath

WL usually sends students they assessed out to Young Dancers Academy. I hardly consider that ‘helping’.

I so agree with that. My DD entered a full time vocational school at Year 7 and hated it. She did not progress anymore. I decided to take her out mid Year 8 after auditioning her in NY for a number of Summer Intensives of classical schools there and getting some feedback about her level versus potential. Since then she’s been training vocationally at a Vaganova method ballet school without academics which she does at home. The results could not be more different. She’s now mid Year 10 and we are starting to orientate for Upper Schools. We are not looking at big names anymore, just places where we think she might thrive and get the attention she deserves. We do that through talking about it often, making lists of pros and cons. The process is indeed long and getting through vocational training does not mean they are cut out to work in a company. That’s a whole different kettle of fish they need to prepare for which the schools do not do.

Megan, the school helps you with finding accommodations. They don’t have a boarding facility but students live together in small groups and work with host families. Another option is the studentenhotel.com

I am Dutch so well acquainted with the school. One of the best in Europe I would say. They don’t offer accommodation. That’s something you will have to organise yourself. The Dutch don’t really do boarding schools.

Thanks for welcoming me. I usually tend to keep a low profile 😉.

I think multiple issues are being discussed here. Yes, there is a lot of favouritism going on in dance schools, also in UK. This is almost always detrimental to non favoured students in different ways. There are also a lot of non supportive dance teachers out there, some of them horrible bullies. It’s like someone on here said: if this happens, red flag, take your dancer out and place him/her in a more suitable school. At the end of the day you are the paying customer. My DD was in a full time vocational school. I wasn’t happy with the way she was treated nor the quality of the ballet classes. It was very simple: I researched, took her out of the school and placed her in a better one (the prestigious ones are not always the best). I refuse to hang around in toxicity and drama. Private coaching is not always organised by parents to get their dancer ahead of others. My DD started with private coaching when she was 14 and as a result has progressed immensely technically, artistically and she has gained a lot of confidence. She loves to work one on one with her teachers. To have full attention of a teacher who keeps correcting the student non stop gives significant results (in any field, athletes have coaches too). We train that way because it’s beneficial for her, not because we want to get ahead of others. The best way forward is not to look at others at all. Just do what’s best for your dancer, let the dancer focus on themselves, that’s where their energy should be going anyway. Now... The dance mom maffia. Yes, it’s real, it exists and it comes in different shapes and forms. I have to say the worst we experienced it was in the US. A dance mom (who we shared an apartment with) reported me to child services for alleged child abuse. She claimed I was starving my DD (who is absolutely not the skinniest dancer in class). We were lucky the Summer Intensive Organisers (famous Russian School) were very aware of such bullying practices (Dance mom and DD in question had been blacklisted by them a year before already for similar behaviour) and they stepped in with their own lawyers. Some of these parents are so so very desperate to get their child to the top, they are willing to do almost anything to get rid of what they perceive to be competition. They are also the ones hanging in and around the schools all of the time. Breeding resilience against these toxic people and not give them the light of day is the only way to deal with this. Then... The talented dancers... Almost all of the 11 year old talents accepted by vocational schools are assessed out or quit before they are 15. It takes a very careful mix of ingredients to create a successful dancer. Quite often dancers love being at school and excel there but then never make it into a company. They were wrapped in cotton wool by the school and have no idea what goes on in the real world, how much competition there is and how touch the dance world really is. After having observed the ballet world for a number of years now I feel it’s mostly hard and consistent work and resilience that will get a dancer to the top. Of course a good ballet physique helps, but by no means does having the perfect feet guarantee your success. Work hard, work smart, work consistently and efficiently. Focus on yourself only.