BalletBoysDad

Thank you so much, that’s very kind. Hoping you receive your news any moment 🤞

That’s so kind, thank you! Hoping you receive your pupil’s result imminently.

Thank you so much. We are definitely accepting this place. It sadly clashed with Ballet Boost London, so my DS had to decline that.

Just received an email with a ‘yes’ for my DS (yr5). I’m so pleased for him as he had a really enjoyable audition. Can give my email a rest now, phew 😅

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve pressed ‘refresh’ on my emails today..... the tension 🤦‍♂️

I haven’t heard anything yet either...

Congratulations to your DD, that’s amazing news. My DS starts yr5 this Saturday too. I so wish I’d applied for yr4, as we were living in London at the time, and it felt a bit ‘far’. But in hindsight, classes like these are well worth the travel time.

I think the term starts on Sunday, so it will be short but exciting notice to start for whoever gets a yes.

In a ‘normal’ audition year all the results would be in and children would then make their acceptances. This year is of course far from normal which I’m sure all schools accept that there will be ‘movement’ of children later get offered another programme. Elmhurst still have children on reserve waiting lists, so if you did accept and then later leave, there would equally be another child waiting patiently and very grateful for that space when it comes free.

Same, a couple of days feel like weeks 😂

@Pups_mum That’s not a ramble at all, it’s a lovely way to articulate the realities and complexities of this crazy audition world. I think that it’s great advice not to try and analyse, because I’m sure I will just drive myself mad in the process and be no more wiser than if I didn’t I’m sure people will be having these conversations in 10 years time and still be asking the same question!

Good luck to everyone waiting for results hopefully today or tomorrow 🤞

Yes, I agree with that too. In any situation, I’m sure their attention will hone in on a few candidates, and the notion of ‘fairness’ is probably highly subjective. Because this is such a different audition process, my feeling is that it will never be truly established if it’s ‘fair’ or not. If it’s indeed possible to see if the video has been watched and for how long, that might be something I prefer to make myself blissfully unaware of. Because if it wasn’t watched for long, it might fan the flames of the notion of unfairness.

@Spamcat @Millicent My DS’s photos are the same. He’s had such a dramatic growth spurt in the last 6 months, and his various zoom classes over lockdown have been surprisingly effective and really helped him improve. They feel ‘too old’ already and I don’t feel they typically reflect where he is currently at. It would be ashame if they’re making an assumption on a dancers suitability from old photos and a two minute glance of an audition video.

I’ve keep questioning the ‘fairness’. It makes me wonder if there will be some sort of shortlist made even before from the initial application photos, then a quick sweep of the first videos... In a ‘normal’ audition at least all children were given an equal environment, an equal amount of time and presumably an equal amount of consideration. If they didn’t shine in one place, they might have demonstrated potential elsewhere. I feel a slight discomfort that a ‘no/not yet’ might raise more questions this year than a ‘normal’ audition. It might leave a lingering after though as to was my child given a fair chance.... Lingering doubts that will never really be resolved I guess.

On the 18th August I had the following reply from the auditions team email when I asked for a rough estimate of Group 4 submission dates (I don’t imagine knowing the Birmingham results until middle of November):

It was quite tricky to get much info out of my DS, one of those frustrating days where he comes out looking happy enough but he seemed a bit doubtful, hence quiet. Was certainly a positive experience and he certainly enjoyed it, so I’m lead to believe.

Good luck to everyone. Hope it’s a really enjoyable and positive experience for all!

It so nice to hear many positive and encouraging things about Elmhurst. I’m feeling really optimistic about this programme for my DS too. I’m sure the nerves will fade away as soon as studio time starts.

I’m thinking now to do the audition at Tring CBA, purely as an experience and with an open mind. It will probably give my DS a strong feel for Tring, and if not for now, maybe for future. On reflection, I think that the issue is a little bit muddied that there are relatively few of these associate programmes, and it feels a bit of a shame to have to inconvenience or possible offend one over another. But we’re in rather an exceptional year, where the ‘normal’ audition season has been spread out over many months.

Did your DS do any years of Ballet Boost? My gut instinct is to pursue Ballet Boost and not participate in the Tring audition. I think it would be unfair and probably disrespectful to BBA to decline the space so close to when it starts. And if my son was successful at Tring, it would raise his hopes to want to do a programme we couldn’t do. In these difficult economic times, we would have to spend nearly £400 on uniform and fees for BBA that we would waste. If we pursue BBA, my so will be doing Elmhurst Young Dancers and Ballet Boost which I’m hoping is a lovely combination anyway.

Exactly! At the beginning of lockdown, when we didn’t have any idea about what schemes would run (yet alone what schemes he would have a chance of being successful on) we applied for all to see what came through as an audition. It also slightly complicate matters that we left London. So anything he applies for will be his only classes (Elmhurst being the only weekly class so far) as he doesn’t yet have any local classes. Ballet Boost have been so courteous and efficient in their communication, I would feel terrible to decline so late in the day, and have heard nothing but great things about them. I don’t know much about Tring CBA, and the ratio of number of applicants to number of places etc, so it really difficult to decide what to do.

We recently moved from London to Staffordshire, where they have a centre in Newcastle under Lyme, but unfortunately the majority of those class dates also clash with Tring, so unfortunately requesting a different centre doesn’t appear an option. If we had been in a ‘normal’ audition season, I imagine the children would have had their auditions, received their results, then made all their acceptances. But it’s awkward that to do the Tring audition almost means declining a viable place on another programme not knowing what the outcome will be.

I wonder how long it takes to receive the results of the Tring audition. My son really wants to do the audition, as its only 'live audition' actually in the studio. But he was accepted for Ballet Boost in London which, now seeing their dates, run on EXACTLY the same Sundays. I really don't know what to do, because the first Ballet Boost class is the day after Tring audition. That means paying £400 on fees and uniform. Its such a lot of money. And I know that by going to a live audition, he'd really want the place, if he was successful. But equally, Ballet Boost have been so kind in their organisation and planning and I would hate to let them down so late in the day. Any thoughts on how other people might navigate this headache would be appreciated. We could politely withdraw from Ballet Boost, but also risk not being successful at Tring and then have no associate scheme on a Sunday.

My son is grade 2 too. I can’t imagine it’s any more or less complicated than the Elmhurst audition, but that’s just a guess. I read a lot before that they’re interested in the flexibility aspect. I’d also imagine with social distancing requirements there might not be more than 15 in the group. But again, just a guess. We probably won’t know until it’s done.