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BalletBoyMumma

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Everything posted by BalletBoyMumma

  1. Yes, that was my feeling too. We did recently encounter a new teacher be really quite forceful about continuing and criticising us for allowing DS to take a break for his sanity (we are apparently throwing away a huge opportunity and it’ll be too difficult to catch up with the competition if we even take two weeks off). Major red flag moment. DS (very much a social dancer) has struggled with Zoom and doing too much of it risks pushing him away from dance completely - which in my opinion is way worse than not getting into vocational school this year. I got the impression student wellbeing wasn’t a priority but her own reputation for ‘student success’ more so. That isn’t a good fit for us. A real shame as he did enjoy the classes. Not saying that’s what’s happening for OP or their school but it did make us reevaluate why we are doing all of this and what to look for in teachers (not just dance!) in future (and, of course, appreciate just how wholesome our main teacher has been about everything so far). Our local school is very much about fostering a love of dance and doesn’t have an elite team so might be why they seem much more relaxed about it all. But we have had those same conversations about style too. Even just doing JAs and the ballet being taught being quite different in style to ours has had its challenges. Whichever route you choose, relaxed or fast-paced and competitive, a supportive teacher is the most important thing. And the ability to discuss these things without causing offence (hopefully). A good teacher is worth so much - she may have very good reason, and it primarily be for your child’s own benefit but if so, will hopefully explain that.
  2. @Bunny depending on the type of school that’s definitely worth thinking about (is the child wanting to go in as a route into competitions or just try something out to see if they like it?) but it’d also be very sad to hear of any school making a parent/child feel bad for trying something new elsewhere if they know full well the parent can’t make their main school’s timetable work. As a parent of a child who’s still very much trying to figure out what they enjoy, that’d really put me off. Hopefully it’s just a misunderstanding. It’s not that uncommon in our local area (especially among older students who might prefer one school’s modern style, for example, over another’s, or wish to attend more often than either school offer alone) - and even recommendations happen between schools. (Pretty lucky for me really as I hate confrontation or the thought of potentially offending people). We don’t attend a school that focuses heavily on competitions though so that could be why we have a different experience. I can imagine it’d be trickier to navigate with competitions happening often, especially between schools. Food for thought. (DS is a JA too so they might know each other ).
  3. You are well within your rights to attend multiple schools - especially if they are for different dance styles. Lots of children do. We do even for ballet. We have our primary teacher (she is first and foremost our main teacher and always will be as she’s nurtured my children’s love of dance so well) and then supplementary private classes elsewhere. Our teacher knows and is perfectly fine with it. As long as your child respects that different teachers will teach differently and they are to follow what is being taught in each class separately rather than ever try to challenge/undermine or compare any of the teaching without being asked, I think it’s fine. Children can do well from learning from multiple teachers - that’s what would happen if your child is in an associates programme or looking to apply for vocational schools anyway (supplementary classes are often recommended). Maybe have a chat with the teacher and explain why - hopefully she’ll be more helpful. Maybe she’s worried about losing business?
  4. Oh that must be such a relief for the students. They are still auditioning for Yr8 places though so I guess competition will be much more tighter for those trying.
  5. We did ours with iMovie too (if you have an iPhone) but uploaded to YouTube. Then you set it to ‘unlisted’ and copy and paste the link for the video into your application or email. It does depend what devices you are using though. Either phone/computer and where it needs to be uploaded to. If you are doing it via iPhone and to YouTube and need guiding through it, feel free to DM me. Happy to help. :)
  6. Yes, that sounds similar to us. Very obviously tense. We didn’t follow the guide or style they do in JA classes (and the more comprehensive guide wasn’t online when we filmed) just went with roughly what he does usually in class with his teacher (in Cecchetti method). His absolute favourite thing is to turn and jump but I think the stress of it got the better of him - we ran out of time so submitted the things that sort of resembled pirouettes, and some rather messy jumping. It is what it is. 😅 I guess, looking back now that it’s done, we’ve all (parents/carers and dancers and the teachers, of course) done amazingly to get anything submitted given the circumstances. ❤️
  7. Mine went into spam too. I keep setting anything from RB as ‘important.’ Ours has been viewed - whoever it was only watched half though (which worries me a bit as DS definitely did better in the second half 😩). We’re really sad about the whole process tbh - he practiced at home but we only had one hour in the studio to get our video done - DS was really stressed and tense so it’s really not good at all. Kind of wishing we’d done it at home at a time he was more relaxed (but we lack the space really). Fingers crossed they really are mindful of all the challenges everyone has faced over the last 9 months. 🤞
  8. Congrats to those who’ve got places. Well done! Another waiting list place here (boy, current yr6 JA). Same as this year for summer (which didn’t go ahead). DS is feeling rather deflated lately, he thinks it’s him because he really struggles to train at home so his usual confident, happy self has turned quite sad and always questioning whether he can even do what is required - we are trying to keep his spirits up and remind him it’s really not and that everyone is in the same boat with a hit to their training at the moment. Stressful times indeed.
  9. Sorry, should have introduced myself. I have a boy at London JA centre (will be yr6) and a yr5 daughter waiting to do her video audition. Nice to ‘meet’ you.
  10. Congratulations! 👏👏👏 And welcome to the group. Yes it is though a bit quiet at the moment. I think it was started after 2019 results so most of our children will have been in for a year (or as much of the year we’ve been able to attend) but hopefully, with a new round of results and the upcoming video auditions for yr4/5s it’ll get busier again. Any questions, do ask away. Hopefully you’ll get to know some other Bath JA parents too. ❤️
  11. That’s a real shame. The year 4 and 5 girls in DS class seemed to have worn their skirts a few times - they definitely did for the workshop and also the session us parents were invited in to watch. I know ours haven’t used character shoes yet (but we were warned not to buy them yet because they might not).
  12. Hi Crazylifecrazykids posted that about last year’s auditions. Pretty sure this year’s haven’t gone ahead.
  13. @BellaF - It’s all depending on individual venues and any local lockdowns that may occur, but in part, yes, and day changes for some centres too. My DS wasn’t keen on the recorded lessons either but did them and didn’t want to do hardly any of the tasks in the weekly newsletter (he has spent most of this time upset at the loss of social dancing so can be a bit stubborn - lots of talk of quitting ballet and many tears shed from him ☹️) but we were very grateful for the lessons/resources - it was good to have something, even if it wasn’t ideal (everything else stopped for us). DS did read through every newsletter and enjoyed looking at artwork and recognising names of classmates on the lovely pieces in the ‘students corner’ section of the newsletter but he didn’t want to submit anything himself. So the effort that went into it all was definitely appreciated. The end of term Zoom meeting was much needed too. ❤️ I can’t imagine it is easy to provide something of particularly high quality to be done at home and in such short notice AND still manage to pay overheads hence I understand them asking for 50% of the fees (I felt awful about submitting the refund form but had to and we’ve also had to think long and hard about being able to afford another year’s fees). As I’m sure everyone is, we were desperately longing for some sense of normality, the high quality training we’ve come to appreciate, and had hoped that JA classes would give us all that again. But I do understand the difficulties they are facing so no criticisms from me - I’m just not looking forward to having to make difficult choices about where we go from here. It could be much worse (I have to keep reminding myself of this).
  14. 😢 It really does. Lots of children will have clashes, I think. I hope further updates will be more positive for us all. My DD was due to audition for yr5 RB JAs back in May but given she’s had no classes for the last three months her technique has gone to pot so I think the very tiny chance of her being accepted (we were going in with have fun but no expectations, just as we did with DS) will be down to none by the time auditions finally happen. ☹️ So her staying at her other associates class is a must. Training at home has been so difficult (I have no dance background so am of no help to them) and losing the social side of training has really knocked their motivation.
  15. Oh gosh. I hope yours will be better than ours. Ours means Zoom classes (which I’m not sure I can bring myself to do as DS really dislikes them and I don’t want ballet to become a battle, which it has been a bit during lockdown) or having our younger daughter give up her associates class (elsewhere) so DS can attend on Sundays (which is really unfair on her) and then travel, it takes us over two hours by train and Sunday service is appalling where we are. I really appreciate the lengths they are going to to make things workable though, it just might not be doable for us.
  16. We are coming from Seaford on the south/east coast. It’s good to know it’s doable and we won’t be the only ones needing to travel so early. 😊 Have you all seen today’s email? It’s thrown a huge spanner in the works for us.
  17. That’s horrible. Same regarding grade. My DS was waitlisted so we thought there might be some hope but now none. (He’s also G3) :( Have you seen today’s update? London classes likely moving to Sunday for the autumn term. Trains don’t run early enough for a Sunday lesson for us if it’s the same timing so we may have to decline. While I understand completely and appreciate their efforts I’m not sure I can justify those fees for Zoom classes either (my DS really dislikes them so it’ll become a battle - not what we want when ballet is supposed to be enjoyable). Also, both my DS and DD attend another ballet associates class on a Sunday in Twickenham - we could drop it for DS but it really wouldn’t be fair to stop DD from going to hers because of this change. I’m feeling truly gutted about it all. :(
  18. Thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Gosh! That was my fear. We’d have to leave home via train at 6.30am. And that’d still be ‘close’ time wise. Eek! But on the plus side it does give us the rest of the day and he doesn’t miss lunch (he always comes out absolutely starving despite eating before going in at 11.30). I really should have asked this before putting it on the form. Oops! I guess it’s just for one year. 😬😁
  19. Hi @Lara Eschler. I hope you are all well. My DS has been offered a JA4 place now (yay!) - can I just check the class times with you? I feel a bit silly that I didn’t check this before so thought I’d ask you before going sheepishly back to ask admin. Oops!
  20. Hi. Has anyone else managed to leave it till the last moment (we went back and forth on it) and now the form isn’t working? Or just us? supposed to close at 11am today.
  21. We’ve just had ours about the JA class at the end of the month being cancelled. I was sort of expecting this but it’s come sooner than I thought it would. I’ve emailed back to ask (but I doubt they know at the moment as they’ll be assessing the situation daily) but I’m assuming Chance To Dance will be the same. And then probably the Summer Fair. 😢 Disappointing but understandable.
  22. Oh it’s lovely there. You’ll enjoy it! Loads to see. Does get a bit expensive though trying to occupy yourself in the time they are in. 😰 The shops are all really expensive (if I look, I tend to buy - oops!) and I find sitting in a coffee shop trying to make one hot chocolate last as long as possible a bit painful. 😂 The art galleries in Trafalgar Square are great though (and free) and the British Museum is not too long a walk away. ☺️
  23. Thank you. 🙂 So there’s a mixed yr4 and 5 class, an all boys yr5 and 6, and then two others for juniors. I think. 🤔
  24. Lara Eschler - is your DS in the all boys class? And yr5?
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