BalletBoysDad

3 hours ago, Ottobotto said:

Hi everyone. I’m just after some clarification is possible. My son has auditions at both Tring and Hammond and I was certain they both required a singing solo , but now I’ve looked through the audition information again I cannot see that Tring requires a singing solo. Is this correct?? Many thanks,

Tring does not require a singing solo for dance pathway auditions. Just a 1 minute dance solo. 

2 minutes ago, balletboy8 said:

It was, he is in finals - thank you 😀

Congratulations 🥳 😊 👏🏼 

37 minutes ago, Ottobotto said:

Can I ask how you heard they would be out 2 weeks after the regional auditions please? My son was told they would hear about WL results  when all of the regional auditions had finished and they would hear about Mids results after WL places had been sorted. Maybe he got that wrong ??

I personally heard about the 2 week wait for results from the preliminary auditions from other parents. If I understand correctly, MA places are not allocated until all WL places have been allocated and accepted. So the results that come 2 weeks after these preliminary auditions will be if a Y7 child has received an offer to progress to finals (for boys) and semifinals (for girls).

16 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

@BalletBoysDadThat is correct, yes.

Oh, so imminent results due out from Newcastle. 🤞🍀 Good luck to those who auditioned there. 

Did I once read or hear that results from WL/MA prelims are expected roughly 2 weeks after each audition centre? Rather than all in one final batch? 

Feels like it’s more aligned with Tring Park in terms of dates, with preliminary auditions being this side of Christmas. 

Yes, @Lily Craggs our grouping is maybe just for Birmingham which seems to have been divided into 3 JA classes. I only discovered the other day that Birmingham will be putting all boy year groups together (JA2), whereas other centres sometimes have a dedicated Y6 class for the boys. 

17 hours ago, Balletclueless said:

Hi, newbie here.  My little one has been lucky enough to gain a place at Birmingham as JA1.  I was wondering if anyone could tell me what is the difference between JA1, 2 and 3?  

I believe JA1 will be a combined class of Y4 and Y5 girls. JA2 will be a dedicated boys class for all years, 4/5/6 combined. So JA3 is presumably the Y6 girls class.

Just now, Mum to a boy dancer said:

My DS is the same x

Excellent x 

38 minutes ago, Mum to a boy dancer said:

Just received the handbook 

Received it this afternoon too. Just curious if there is more than one boys group and more than one girls group during week 1. I can see my DS is in ‘Blue Boys’ and ‘Windsor Dorm’, but wondered if there are other boys groups and other boys dorms. 

13 hours ago, Balletboymum said:

Hello, 

My son is starting JA2 in Birmingham in September 😊, 32 classes. 

It would be great to know anyone else who is too? 

My DS will be in the same group. You’re welcome to DM 😊

5 hours ago, Balletboymum said:

He will starting year 4 🙂

Unfortunately I don't know the Y4 times yet, just Y6.  Hope they don't keep you waiting too long for confirmed information.

8 hours ago, Balletboymum said:

Hello my son is starting JA in Birmingham in Septmeber. Does anyone know any info regarding times etc??? 

Which year will he be starting? My DS will be going into Y6, which is every Saturday (32 sessions) 12:45pm to 15:00pm. The classes are returning to Birmingham Royal Ballet studios, as they were moved to Nicholson School of Dance whilst BRB was closed.

1 hour ago, BellaF said:

Y6 Birmingham girls is 4pm to 6:15pm 🙂

 

 

Long day if Elmhurst is early 😬

2 hours ago, Balletbarre said:

Hello everyone, new to the forum. 
My DD is Y6 Birmingham and absolutely delighted. 
Does anyone know Y6 timings for Birmingham?  

My DS will be Birmingham Y6 too, but boys are now in their own class 12:45pm-3:00pm

I can see that Birmingham have now set up a dedicated boys class from September, which is a new development.  

19 hours ago, Lara Eschler said:

I paid for the PCR (way too much) as I was also worried about the time frame (initially they needed to be done no less than 72 hours prior to arrival and it was Easter weekend, then they changed to 5 days).   The only way to get an NHS PCR test was to say the child has symptoms. They might just go with lateral flow tests this time for Students based in the UK. We might know more next week?

I hope PCR tests are a little cheaper now. It’s my DS’s 10th birthday the day before they go on the Sunday. He will be super annoyed if his main birthday present is a PCR test 😂 

Thanks so much for this @Lara Eschleras I know others were wondering too. Regardless of the requirements, hopefully testing is less expensive now, and more easily accessible, especially as week 1 is a ‘regular week’.

Just a practical query for anyone who attended spring intensives.... what covid testing was required for attendance? If they (inevitably) push back the lifting of covid restrictions from 21st June to at least the 20th July, the first week register on the 18th July to start on the 19th. Will any paid for testing be required? 

45 minutes ago, Pups_mum said:

I think the overall numbers are valuable to know, because it helps a child/parent realise that the vast majority of applicants are actually unsuccessful. It's very easy to feel that you/your child are the only one to get a "no", because human nature being what it is, people tend to share news of success much more freely. Seeing it in black and white that something like 9 out of 10 children will not be chosen can help with expectation management beforehand and disappointment afterwards.

 

This was exactly our experience for Y4. It was recommended by a good teacher that we apply, and this was pre/before any kind of meaningful ‘research’ or even knowing about this forum etc. When I turned up on the day and we saw at least 50 boys (2 auditions crossing over) in London, we realised immediately that the number of applicants was vastly greater than the number of spaces available. Some research after made me regret that we had applied to London, and wished we had applying elsewhere. But I then realised that that would have been more a case of hedging bets and ‘chasing odds’ rather than just letting my son try his best and be satisfied in that, regardless of the outcome. As you mentioned, and as I realised, the knowledge of ‘numbers’ simply helped manage expectations and rationalise any disappointment.  In a live audition you get a visual experience of how many are applying. In a video audition, you don’t ‘see’ those numbers. 
 

45 minutes ago, MamaFrosty said:

 

Those numbers are interesting, it’s such a shame boys places still aren’t as coveted  - I know there’s a discrepancy between the number of boys and girls that do ballet but I hadn’t realised how much!

Being a bit of a numbers geek, before my sons first audition for London, I looked at all the annual reports easily accessible online. You could see year on year a steady increase in the numbers applying. Equally you could see how more and more boys are applying. The older reports used to break down applications and spaces allocated by centre, so you could actually work out the percentage of male and female applicants that got places. In the early days, you might have (eg) 8 boys auditioning for 5 spaces at Eastleigh. They’ve stopped breaking it down by centre as you can easily work out how the ‘odds’ vary greatly from centre to centre. I worked out that if boys had a 1/10 chance in London they might have a 1/7 chance in Birmingham. But the other side of that argument is that if the child has what they’re looking for they have a 1/1 chance.  But for this year, it’s clear that if centres return to ‘normal capacity’ its a very favourable year to apply.

36 minutes ago, MamaFrosty said:

We have to confirm (or decline) a place on another associate course by the end of the weekend - I’m pretty sure the timings would clash so doing both isn’t an option and it seems better to go with the one we know has accepted her than hold on to what seems to be a very small chance. It’s a little frustrating but what will be will be.

 

Those numbers are interesting, it’s such a shame boys places still aren’t as coveted  - I know there’s a discrepancy between the number of boys and girls that do ballet but I hadn’t realised how much!

I found myself in the situation of having to accept things due to different deadlines, and later turn them down when other results came available. As annoyed as some of those programmes were, they reluctantly understood, and it certainly wasn’t the first or last time they had that happen. I think a terms fees as ‘penalty’ hovers between £90-£120 depending on the programme. It’s not an insignificant amount of money, so annoying to lose it. But only one programme demanded I pay it.

I quote Birmingham as it’s the centre my DS goes to. There are currently only 2 Y4s I know of, both girls. I don’t know the number of Y5s over both groups but I know there are only 3 boys, and i think there are 4 Y6 boys. So from 18 boys in 2019/20 there are now only (I believe) 7. 

When my son auditioned for London in 2019, there was a group of around 25 boys who were presumably Y5 who came out before his audition group, and he was in an audition with 25 Y4 boys. So of the 143 boys who auditioned nationwide I think it’s safe to assume 50 of those boys who audition were Y4 and Y5 in London. 

For those interested in data and numbers, the Royal Ballet School 2019/20 annual report has just been released. It came via email but is probably online. This was the year of applications Pre-covid, so probably represents ‘normal’ numbers. Here is a small snapshot re: Junior Associates:

2019/20 annual report

Applying to JAs: 1173 girls 143 boys

Actual JAs: 231 girls 93 boys 

Birmingham: 44 girls 18 boys 

3 hours ago, Waverley said:

Thanks both - I agree it’s really nice to hear of people getting in from the wait list and I think - for us anyway - it’s really important to be open about it, as we were proud of DD for getting onto the wait list in the first place even if nothing had come of it (as I’m sure everyone is). 
 

I really hope more places become available 🙂 

Depending on the next government announcement, its not impossible that more spaces might be offered.  If I understand correctly, numbers are still limited this year as its residential-only, where as in the past I was under the impression it was open to both residential and day students.  Even if all restrictions are lifted, they might decide to 'play safe' and keep it residential-only, but regardless of what happens, its really positive and inspiring to see wait-list places turning into actual opportunities