BalletBoysDad

Ignore me. I’m mixing up classes 🤪

5 minutes ago, Spamcat said:

Yes we take turns so it will be the boy's Mum taking them next week. I was so glad to get the 10.30 class for a while as it is normally 8.45 meaning we have to get up at 5.30am. 😱 This morning felt like a lie in! There are some good things about this situation! 😂 My DD loved the smaller class sizes too. 0nly 12 in her class and last year it was close to 30.

I imagine it’s different for the students who were already there last year. But I find it slightly odd to take my son to a place which I’ve never seen inside, and don’t imagine I will for a very long time. But at the same time, it’s nice to see it as a ‘pupil-only’ space, so it’s his own personal adventure. The only difference with Tring was that the studios are mostly glass so you get a feel from what it’s like, even from outside. 

8 minutes ago, Spamcat said:

That is lovely that he felt so at home with the other children. It is such a friendly place. What a lovely name!

That made me laugh when you said 'she might be a spamcat' 😂😂. I am spamcat because I had a cat called Spam, who had red hair like me! 😁

I will say hello to anyone I see with red hair next time 😂 Did you say you and your friend alternate who takes your DD and your friends DS each week? We feel rather lucky it’s local-ish and didn’t require waking up at the crack of dawn.  Though alternate Sunday’s are a five hour round trip so we pay our dues elsewhere. 

1 minute ago, Spamcat said:

@BalletBoysDad yes thank you she really enjoyed it and was soooo happy to be back! Sounds like there were a lot of new girls in her class. Glad your son enjoyed it too. I also bring my DDs friend who is a boy and he said there were a few new boys in his class, yes you can pretty much tell the newbies by the lack of tracksuit!

I had to run from one door to the other to pick up my DD and her friend at the same time at two different ends of the building.

Glad your DD enjoyed being back! Blimey, it sounds like a slightly logistical stress, though the staff do seem kind and understanding. My son is called Beau and much to his surprise, for the first time in his entire life found himself in a class with another Beau! It sounded like a friendly group and other children were kind to him so it allowed it all to be enjoyable and not at all daunting. He’s definitely looking forwards to next week. 

14 minutes ago, Spamcat said:

Did everyone enjoy their first day at Elmhurst? I expect I was stood right next to some of you and I wanted to say 'are any of you @BellaF or @BalletBoysDad etc but I thought I might seem a bit weird! 😂

 

My DD said that in her class it was only her and a couple of other girls wearing the 'puke' canvas shoes and everyone else was in satin ones. She really hates those shoes and they are like boats on her feet, last year it was satin.

Haha I thought the same! I was looking at people thinking ‘hmmm, she might be a @Spamcat’ 😂 My son really enjoyed it and said he thought all the boys were very nice. Looked roughly around 12/14 boys at a very quick guesstimate. Most already had the tracksuit (presumably the old one as the new one still hasn’t been dispatched)  which makes me think there weren’t many new boys. Did your DD enjoy the actual class? I’ll identify myself next time lol. Picking my DS up at 11:45am outside gate C. 

2 hours ago, In at the deep end said:

Thank you both! I think we've made an expensive mistake 😳🤣 At least we've realised now, rather than when the poor kids try to drag their mats into the studio!! 

I’ve bought so much wrong equipment and kit in the past, I could probably start my own dance shop 😂 

1 minute ago, Astrid said:

Most of them have mats - and I think most of them have the one they recommend which is basically a yoga Mat style, which Comes with some straps? Most of them have them sling over their shoulders when they carry them in. They use them a lot in jazz as well, I don’t remember anyone having a towel in watching week but I’m sure it would be fine if they say it is? 
Ours doesn’t seem heavy - just a lightweight yoga style mat? We got it off their list. I’d just go for that one.  Hope that helps! 🙂 

That’s the one I purchased too. From the Elmhurst YD section of their website. Other classes are now asking that he brings a yoga mat (or towel) so there is no skin contact with the floor. I would just personally find towels don’t have ‘structure’ and might not stay as flat as a yoga mat. 

Such a shame about tomorrow’s start of term class being cancelled. 🤦‍♂️

6 minutes ago, SarahG1881 said:

Hi everyone. 
my DD starts year 4, on Saturday apparently but we’ve had no information of timings etc yet. 
Has anybody else received any? 

I have childcare I need to arrange. 

Like @Spamcatsaid, I did see in a letter the younger dancers will be in the mornings and the older ones in the afternoons so it can’t be much different. 

4 minutes ago, SarahG1881 said:

Hi everyone. 
my DD starts year 4, on Saturday apparently but we’ve had no information of timings etc yet. 
Has anybody else received any? 

I have childcare I need to arrange. 

My DS starts Y5 on Saturday but the auditions were well before Y4 and the class times were sent a few days after results. I did email to politely ask about drop off times this afternoon, and was told they’re very busy working on that and will hopefully update everyone tonight or tomorrow. It sounds like a logistical nightmare getting everyone safely in. 

1 minute ago, BellaF said:

Though DD is just starting Elmhurst YDs we’ve previously been at the school for other things and can recommend a quick hop into Moseley which is not far past the MAC. 
 

Otherwise there’s the Plough at the top of Harborne or Boston Tea Party which has a couple of branches nearby. 
 

Wondering how much time we’ll actually have though as the isn’t that long...

Apparently drop off is 5 minutes before class starts (info to go out this evening so I’m told), and collection is a few minutes after. So that’s at least an hour of adult escapism 😂 

2 minutes ago, Spamcat said:

We usually walk to 'The Mac' for a coffee and they also do breakfast, cake etc, it is a local art centre and I'm really hoping it will be open. There is nowhere else walkable that I know of.

I did a quick street view on google and it seems mostly houses and dual carriageway so good to know there’s something local. I just had a peek on the website but unfortunately it says MAC will remain closed to the public until 2021. Such a shame for that organisation. 

On 18/08/2020 at 09:52, Spamcat said:

Hello again! Boys and Girls are in separate classes. My DD and her friend (who is a boy) go to Elmhurst and are moving into yr 5 in September so we should see you there!

I thought you might be the person to ask given your familiarity with the school and area.. Ad the classes are only 1hr15min for now, do you know if Edgbaston has a small ‘high street’ area nearby, or if it’s a quicker to drive back into Birmingham for a coffee? I fear 75 minutes waiting in the car might drive me slightly mad. 

I don’t know how other parents felt, but the audition was pretty much the ‘first day of term’. My son did plenty of zoom classes until they ended in June, and a short online intensive in July, but I genuinely gave him a ballet-free August, also whilst we moved house, and let him use the summer to adjust to a new life. I’m not expert, but he would have been a lot more ‘rusty’ and raw than, say, if the auditions had taken place in March or April when they’ve had a full spring term of tuition. It’s great they could hold a Covid-safe live audition, however late or limited some might consider. But everyone was auditioning in far from normal timing and conditions so should be extremely proud of themselves. 

15 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

 
Class sizes have been capped at 15 student s.  CBA classes don’t tend to be big but one group has had to be split into two for this term.  Another lovely thing (I think, personally) is that CBA groups aren’t by school year. So a group can have someone in year 4 and someone in year 7.  During the dreaded time leading up to full time auditions, should your child be so inclined to pursue this path,  I find this set up dilutes the shared stress etc that sometimes comes with associates grouped by year.

I think it’s great when the younger ones see what the slightly older ones are doing alongside each other in the sane class. Personally, I think that’s highly inspiring and motivating. 

Probably one of the most unfortunate factors must be restrictions because of Covid. There is a recent post on the @classicalballetacademytring Instagram account and it shows a studio with 9 clearly marked socially distanced spaces for students. I don’t know how big the studios or groups tend to be, but it’s hard to see how the groups could have expanded much for a fresh intake/expansion of the groups. It must have put a really downward pressure on the number of spaces. 

1 hour ago, MissEmily said:

We also received a not yet, but with personal feedback which is brilliant! No wonder they didn't get them all out in one day!

Sorry to hear that, but it’s lovely that they took the time to give personal feedback. That sounds like a rarity indeed. 

1 hour ago, Overmyhead# said:

We got a very nice not yet, with some detailed feedback. 

 

Actually saved us the trouble of deciding between other associates that we had already accepted so no bad thing!

 

Sorry to hear that, but like you say, it would have had to have been an either/or, and it’s amazing to be on another associates anyway.

25 minutes ago, BellaF said:

Just heard now - a lovely yes for my DD 🙂

 

Sorry to everyone who didn't get good news. Really is a 'not yet'.

 

 

Congratulations, that’s lovely news! Well done to your DD  

19 minutes ago, Firebird21 said:

First session of ballet boost on Sunday and dd was happy enough !

My sons ballet teacher taught Ballet Boost zoom classes for the older students during lockdown. She told me that all the students were really talented and focused and it’s an amazing programme. I hope your DS really enjoys it! 

6 minutes ago, Anna C said:

 

Lovely news! Congratulations to your DS, BalletBoysDad.  If the boys’ CBA classes are as good as Miss Samaai’s girls’ classes, he’ll have a wonderful time.  

Thank you so much. I’ve heard great things about the boys classes too, so I’m hoping it will be a really positive experience. 

2 minutes ago, BellaF said:

 

Sounds like they're getting the yeses and info out first then will email with the inevitable no after.

Boys is a dedicated class and set of groups so it’s possible they’re doing the different boys groups as we speak 🤞

1 minute ago, Firebird21 said:

Is it too early for gin?? 😬😬

It’s never too early on a results day 

1 minute ago, BellaF said:

Gone from checking my emails on the hour to every 5 minutes now you’ve had news 😂

I just received the timetable and it shows all groups starting this Sunday, so I’m sure the results will all come today, like the audition email said...

Thank you @Overmyhead# that’s really appreciated 🙏