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BalletBoyMumma

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Everything posted by BalletBoyMumma

  1. I have no idea to be honest - I emailed and asked if we are allowed to change and the impact this might have (on changing class and teacher) and was told one teacher teaches 24 sessions (his current one) and the other teaches 32 and that it’s really up to us. Is there a mixed class with year 6s in? I thought there was but I could be wrong. Or is it two yr4&5 mixed ones and two yr6 classes (one boys, one girls)? My son actually really enjoys being in his mixed class as he’s made a lot of friends with the boys and the girls so I think switching to all boys might bother him (but I’m sure only at first). Lots to think about. We are very lucky either way. Our youngest DD is auditioning this year too (highly unlikely she’ll get in though) for a yr5 place. And our eldest DD (teen) is not overly impressed with all the travelling as is.
  2. JA1? If so, my DS is in that class too. 🙂 Their teacher is wonderful. I guess the upside is your DD won’t be alone - I can imagine others will change over too and she will still know some classmates (really considering it for my DS - he is also ‘new’ but a yr5 in the class so we’d be changing for yr6). And I’m sure the other teacher must be just as lovely too. 🙂 I emailed to query the session options and apparently it’s up to us and our family schedules (and I guess it must be down to places available too, I’m sure but sounds like they are open to people switching to more or less sessions).
  3. Thank you SJBallet. That’s probably the bit I’m struggling with most - we are so busy in general that I really savour the occasional weekend off. DS will probably be fine but not sure I’m ready. 😂
  4. Yes, it’s just over 2hrs of travelling by trains each way for us (about 70 miles). I don’t mind too much as Covent Garden is lovely but it does take up a whole day and we are pretty knackered by the time we get home again in the evening.
  5. Thanks Crazylifecrazykids, 🙂 Does it work out every Saturday that isn’t school holiday (or thereabouts)?
  6. That’s what I’d assumed from the handbook we got too but someone with previous experience recently suggested otherwise to me. I should probably be more mindful to take what other people say with a pinch of salt. 😁 I have the email now. 🥰 Yay! Is anyone else considering opting for 32 instead of 24 sessions? It’s a long commute for us and the current teacher is really lovely which is pulling us to stick at 24 but it is tempting. How do those of you with DCs doing 32 sessions feel? Is it just right? Too much for them? DS wants to but I’m worried I’d miss my weekends off (selfish-much?!? Haha!).
  7. Ha, yes just seen - so have we but it went to my husband instead. I should have been more patient. Thank you. I heard from someone else and mildly panicked as I hadn’t thought about that side of things yet.
  8. Hi everyone - just thinking forward to September, does anyone know if the offer of a place to continue on in JAs is assumed? Or is there a process we have to go through? I know for our other programme we have to audition again each year.
  9. Maybe someone has left a class and they are filling a space from the JA waitlist?
  10. I must say, other than the few minor mistakes lately and this email, they’ve been fantastic with communication on every other matter with us in the past so I do believe it’s just the flaws of getting used to a new system (or something of that sort). Fingers crossed that some places for those on the waitlist do come up soon. 🤞🤞🤞 I’m not getting my hopes up as DS is still very young.
  11. I got a sort of apology/clarification email back from Henry when I emailed to ask if it was correct or an error (I also googled him as bi wondered the same and he is linked with RB). But I’ve had a few emails lately with other children’s first names in and on speaking to them via phone regarding a other things they’ve said they are on a new computer system so to please bear with them. Hopefully it’s just teething problems but was a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions getting that particular email. Thankfully I trusted my instinct upon reading it that it was an error and didn’t say anything to my DS. I feel terrible for those who did let their children know - I know it was an accident but it felt a little cruel, especially as it wasn’t rectified/clarified for a fair while.
  12. Oh that’s really horrible. I’m so sorry she felt like that. 😞 I’ve never experienced this with RB (DS has really lovely teachers but then we’re at a different centre) but my eldest DD experienced similar at a one day course with another well known ballet school - it was her first one, she was the required grade (meant to be non-pointe work but as 90% of the class brought pointe shoes a few girls who didn’t were pushed to one side and told to do something else and it became a pointe-work class instead despite the course description saying there’d be none), she said the teacher was cold, rude almost, to those she didn’t already know, and it’s put her off doing any again or even trying out for anything (thankfully she dances just for the joy of it, not with aim of a career in dance, but her words were “I’m never doing that again!”). Might be worth giving them some feedback as that does sound unfair. I hope it doesn’t put your daughter off if she doesn’t make the finals, in future or for elsewhere.
  13. Is that with the online profile? I’ve always thought it odd that we have nothing more than the initial JA audition info and receipt for payment on there. Anything since hasn’t appeared anywhere so it’s been a case of constantly checking/searching emails for things like invoices or events. I thought I’d done something wrong.
  14. Wow, nice and early. I like that. My DD is signed up for the London insight day in a couple of weeks so we are waiting to see how that goes/if she likes it. Her brother is a yr5 JA so we travel there anyway - I really doubt it’ll happen but it’d be lovely if she could join him. I don’t think it matters really. If your DD is performing the night before and it’s likely to be a late evening then maybe go for the centre that is closest to where you’ll be so she could get a good rest? I believe you can audition at one centre for a place at another if you contact them but I’m not 100% certain (hopefully someone will come along that knows more on that). That said, I bet the excitement would be enough to keep her eager/performing well even on not so much rest.
  15. Front of house? 🤔 ...I meant front desk obviously (Upper School at Covent Garden) not the ticket office, lol. It’s been a tiring day, tipped over the edge by that bit of drama with the email, haha. Got my hopes up on something we’d assumed was pretty much a no (not holding on to any expectation of DS being offered a place while on the wait list). On a more serious note though, it was very poorly worded - I do hope they sort the email issues out soon though as there seems to have been a number of problems regarding contact about the intensive courses. Usually RB are very good with their communication (in our experience with JAs and some other bits, at least).
  16. Same here. I called front of house as I couldn’t get through via the other numbers. I was confused by the wording so very glad I checked before telling DS.
  17. Yes, same here. I emailed back questioning it as soon as it arrived but no reply an hour later so I phoned front of house (impatient to know whether it was an offer or an error) and they confirmed that apparently it was a mistake and sent the email to all instead of just the ‘yes’ applicants. Oops!
  18. I think they might be in the same class. The teacher is lovely (If we are talking about the same person) - very nurturing. 🥰 They are very lucky!
  19. Oh bless him. I bet he will love it once the initial first class/meeting everyone nerves wear off. There will be ballet students from lots of places, definitely not just JAs - and while being accepted as a JA is great it’s not the ‘everything’ My DS wasn’t even excited about the ballet side, it was the prospect of not having his parents there and having a BBQ and movie nights (apparently they do this) that had him excited. 😁 It sounds like it will be a great experience, both for ballet and having fun.
  20. Same here. We are just floating along, picking up opportunities wherever they pop up. If they don’t go as wished, something else will come up. Is your DD in the mixed JA class (if you don’t mind me asking)?
  21. Similar situation then. They still have two years left of applying for this course level so it’s still very early days for them. I can only imagine there are far fewer boys applying which might give boys a sort of unfair advantage in terms of waitlist so please don’t take it to heart the ‘waitlist vs no’ thing (just think, only one or two will prob get yes from a wait list anyway, that’s all and I can’t imagine they can tell a great deal from photos alone). I know the application numbers are huge and from what I’ve read and heard there are only a small number of places given to JAs on the summer course. I’m certainly not holding out any hope. To be a JA is incredible as it is. ❤️ 😊
  22. I wouldn’t take it as an indication of future opportunities to be honest - DS is a JA too (new to yr5 so is playing catch up) and I didn’t expect anything to be honest. From what others have said Summer tends to be a bigger mix of young international dancers and non-JAs so I guess this is where they scout for other potentially talented young dancers. We couldn’t apply for Spring as he doesn’t turn 10 till late May but we probably will try that one instead next year. We’ve also been looking into a few other summer programmes too.
  23. Hi everyone. Well done to those accepted!!! To anyone who hasn’t, don’t forget, this is just one of many great summer school programmes. :) We got ‘waitlist’ which I’m surprised we even got that as DS only turns 10 just before it starts. Expected a no. Does anyone know if they still do a tiered wait list (‘selected’ or ‘short’ waitlist/‘priority’ waitlist/or just wait list)?
  24. I think my son will do a handmade card or something of the sort. I’m sure that’ll be ok. I doubt the teachers are expecting anything really.
  25. Thank you so much. That puts my mind at ease a lot. Yes, I was (vaguely) aware of the basics of the plot and I'd assumed it would be quite similar to how you've described with nothing too graphic so hadn't thought any more of it or it's suitability until this morning when I spotted the age restriction on Ballet Black's own page (12yrs+). I had a moment of panic that it might be too heavily focused on adult content for children. Whoops! Reading your summary I'm not so worried now. Thank you! Thankfully Sadler's Wells box office line have also confirmed there is no additional age restriction and mentioned it being a matinee performance (family friendly?). At the very least we won't be turned away, and I'll give the children a heads up beforehand on it having a 'grown up' scene and we can discuss it after if need be (that's if they even realise). Thank you again. I'm certain we'll all thoroughly enjoy it. And, as they are all ballet students, I have no doubt that they'll take away a lot from seeing this, and, even if the plot line isn't of as much interest to the younger two (they are 8 and 9) as it will be to myself and eldest, they will still be in awe of the skill, use of movement and music. They are often blown away just at the idea of being in the same space as dancers. 😁
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