BalletBoysDad

Maybe I’m a naive optimist, but I like to think that if every video was exactly the same, how on earth could they select? How someone recovers from a mistake might be as well noted and noticed as someone who does something perfectly.

Yes I’d hope the same. In theory they might see a child who performs perfectly adequately in part 1, plenty of room for improvement in part 2, and does incredible improv in part 3... there are any number of possibilities and combinations that might catch their eye or attention.... at least that’s what I hope.

Part of me thought they’ve already had the photos to look at and consider. I wouldn’t worry. If the quality of the first video was ok, it would presumably be the same for the 2nd and 3rd (as filmed in the same space, on the same device, uploaded to the same platform).

I’m thinking this too! If the quality was really poor or the link didn’t work I presume they’d have opportunity to contact parents to suggest uploading to a different platform etc...

The first video was the longest one, 13min49sec.

Same, looks like our first video has had a view this afternoon, but not the other 2. I’m at least slightly encouraged that the group 4 videos are being looked at before group 3 results have been announced. Although at the same time I’m sure we will have to wait the full 4 weeks to get the results.

I wonder if they just have a quick sweep of the videos to make sure they can clearly see the bits they will look at in more detail? Ours haven’t been looked at yet, but we pressed ‘submit’ almost at the deadline.

I think they said that they ‘aim’ to give results back within a month. I don’t know if that’s a full calendar month or roughly 4 weeks. So I guess that’s at the very earliest Friday 13th November, or some time the following week

Talk about last minute. We filmed the audition this afternoon and I have just pressed ‘submit’ on the application. In my head, we live on a quiet street and there would be minimal distractions. But according to the video, we had, right outside the living room window where we were filming (in no particular order, and not limited to) an ambulance, Ocado deliveries, barking dogs, passers by stop literally outside our window to join other in having a chat, someone bouncing a football very loudly, boy racers... It felt like the equivalent of having a real life audition and letting a pack of wolves into the room. How my DS managed to concentrate and try and block out all that distraction is beyond me. Whatever the outcome, I think all the DC’s must have done an incredible job dealing with and overcoming the most challenging and unconventional of circumstances! The reality of this kind of audition seems much more challenging than it sounds. Best of luck to all the DCs, their parents/family/guardians/friends and dance teachers that champion them on!

So there’s potentially space for 1 or 2 more maybe. Though with Covid restrictions maybe they’re already at capacity. I shall drive myself thoroughly mad always questioning and never knowing 😂

So those 4 boys presumably ‘rose’ from Y5 into Y6. That must mean there are very few, if any, boys spaces available for Y4 and Y5. Sounds like Birmingham is full!

There are only 4 Year 6 boys in Birmingham? Wow, so few for what should be a relatively big centre.

Congratulations to your Y4 DD! 👏👏👏

Thanks for the info. So it seems there are places, but far fewer than ‘normal’ years. Looks like 1-2 rather than 4-5 I imagine.

Do you know if any new Y6 boys joined your DS’s class in London? Or do you feel they didn’t offer any new spaces, due to the classes being full of existing students?

If that’s the case, in a ‘normal’ year, some of those SWL would probably be ‘yes’, and some of those ‘no’ would probably be ‘SWL’. It feels very disheartening.

I sometimes think I drive myself mad on here questioning things that I will never know the answers to. But I can’t help but torment myself with speculation.... If the youngest class is a mix of Y4 and Y5, those Y5 children rose to Y6 in September. That would have created spaces in a ‘normal year’ for an intake of new Y4/Y5 children. I imagine it depends if the current combination of Y4 and Y5 children is already at capacity per centre, or if it’s short of capacity, to give a handful of successful applicants the opportunity to join. If a centre is already at capacity, due to restrictions, i imagine it would rely on current students dropping out, which is almost unimaginable, to free up some opportunity for SWL.

Last year I think there were maybe 1200 applicants for JA’s? At £50 per application I’m sure it’s in their interest to have as many applicants as possible, even if there are only a handful of places...

Unless I’m mistaken, I believe is saw two ‘yes’ but I’m not sure if they were both Y4, or one Y4 and one Y5. I must admit that I personally feel very cynical this year. The dreaded ‘C-word’ of Covid will surely mean that class sizes must be kept very small? My July born DS auditioned for Y4 London last year and was given SWL. I was told that they give relatively few Y4 places to give opportunity for new Y5 student to join/expand the group when Y4s ‘rise’ to Y5. But the pressure to keep class sizes small makes me wonder if there will be any Y5 places this year at all! I hope I’m wrong, but I have a cynical feeling people are auditioning for places that don’t actually exist, at best getting SWL.

Who knows, there is the possibility that a space becomes free, we can always live in hope 🤞 But ‘next years’ auditions are only a few months away so hopefully that’s a live audition.

My DS got SWL for London Y4 last year, but unfortunately it didn’t materialise into a place as no one dropped out. BUT, I’m assured it means your child stood out, and there aren’t enough places to accommodate all. My DS was tiny last year and he’s grown so much in a year, also as a dancer. It’s a really positive achievement even if it doesn’t materialise into a place.

I have the opposite problem for my DS at Tring. The elmhurst full sole canvas shoes are fine but the soles get dirty so quickly and I wish they’d allow leather. For Tring CBA they’re a strategy canvas split sole, and he can’t get them on. He’s a 3 in ‘normal’ canvas shoes but looks like he’s seriously need a 4.5 in the canvas stretch split sole.

That would mean Group 4 results are probably expected at the very earliest week commencing 16th November. It will nearly be time to apply again in February if it’s a no.

Email just received with instructions and links for Birmingham group 4.

I was randomly thinking today, especially for group 4 children (like my DS) who haven’t even had the audition link yet, that regardless wether if it’s a ‘no/not yet/SWL’, by the time we receive the results, it will almost be Christmas and then the whole audition process starts again in the 2021 spring term. I imagine Y6 applications will probably open in February and close in March which feels oddly not that long away! Talk about time flying by.....