Neverdancedjustamum

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

It’s interesting to note talking about the younger dancers that on the RB Dancers page not all dancers with the Company are listed! 
A dancer who keeps catching my eye at the moment in the Corps is Viola Pantuso . 
I saw her at extreme left side of stage ( from audience point of view) at the front in many of the Swan formations. 
I couldn’t remember her full name initially but was sure she was an Aud Jebsen  joiner but she is not listed on the website currently as neither are Alix van Tiggelen Ava May Llewelyn and Olivia Findlay. There are Aud Jebsen dancers listed on the site but not these four. 
Anyway Alix also catches my eye as well on occasions. 
I’d also like to mention Harrison Lee(Australian). He has a really good classical line and style and hope he gets a chance for more roles soon. 
I don’t know who the taller of the four male Spanish dancers was on Friday night but he stood out for me in that group though they were all good….and what great music to dance to! 

 

It could be that the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers listed on the website are those who started in the 2020/21 season and they are yet to add those who started in the 2021/22 season of which Viola and Ava-May are part of.  I might be mistaken but Aud Jebsen Young Dancers are often in that scheme for a year and they either get a full time RB company contract or go elsewhere. The 2020/21 Aud Jebsen dancers must be into their second year now, perhaps due to all the lockdowns etc of the past 2 years. However, this is just me guessing.

22 minutes ago, dancefanatic said:

Firstly, I sincerely do not mean this post to be unsympathetic to the situation in Ukraine and the resultant sanctions on Russia, as I really feel for everyone on both sides, particularly the ordinary people like me who have had no say in what is going on and will continue to be used as pawns.

 

Secondly, my eldest DD wears Grishko pointe shoes which have been difficult enough to get hold of since Brexit and Covid lockdowns, and I imagine they will be absolutely impossible now.  Plus, ethically, I would prefer not to buy them for her at present.  My DD has gone through a number of makes over the last few years and now I have asked her to look for an alternative.  She would like to try So Danca pointe shoes but I can't seem to find any stockists online and don't know of any fitters either.  Do any of you lovely folk know of a shop that does fit them, preferably near Birmingham or London, that we could try?

 

Many thanks,

I would love to know about this too as I’m interested to see what So Danca pointe shoes are like (DD loves their split sold canvas shoes). Hopefully someone knows a stockist. It’s the same for Suffolk pointe shoes! Very hard to find a local stockist even though I think they’re made in the UK.

1 hour ago, Peanut68 said:

I’m pretty sure that most of the UK vocational ballet upper schools/courses accept 18 year olds & its quite common for newcomers (especially from overseas) to join the Grad third year. Places free up by those who leave plus I think numbers can increase in older years where boarding is not on site & up to 18+ aged students to find 

Hasn’t RBS just announced that in effect the upper school now is a 2 year course with then a new round of auditions for the third year? I saw that as a new way to justify them parachuting in the many talented international students they always seem to have done into third year (& often then the company) These often are highly trained ‘hot housed’ dancers & competition winners etc. 

I thought the same as you @Peanut68 I can think of at least one student who joined just for the final year within the last 2 years. I thought RBS has offered the degree programme for a good few years now, maybe last 4 years. And I always thought a few students leave at the end of the second year and are still eligible for some sort of exit award (maybe a Foundation Degree). It does seem a few new ones often from competitions etc join the third year and no one is really assured the full 3 years. But I could be wrong. This is just from what I’ve heard over the last few years. 

13 minutes ago, BallerinaMum13 said:

I ended up choosing London 32 weeks as first option and London 26 weeks for second option ... It doesn't let you proceed without choosing a second option and we are not traveling outside of London, which is where we live. 

Ah is it 26 weeks? Years ago, I seem to recall 24 but it might just be my rubbish memory. Yes, I can totally understand not travelling too much further afield. I am the same - anything that involves over half an hour of travelling is usually a no-no for us. Glad the second choice could be the same centre, just diff number of weeks. All the best with the application! 

40 minutes ago, BallerinaMum13 said:

I was wondering if anyone is currently completing the JA application online. It looks like you have to select a second choice associate centre (online sessions are NOT a choice for second choice). We can only get to one centre so not sure how to handle this. Also what is the difference between London 26 weeks and 32 weeks. Is it just the length of the program or is there anything further that differentiates the two? Thanks! 

Not from personal experience as my DD was never a JA but I think the diff between those two is that the 32 weeks basically attend almost every week apart from school breaks etc. The 24 weeks is more every other week. I always used to think that if we had the choice I’d opt for the 24 weeks because it frees up some time to spend time with the family. Weekly is a lot of commitment especially if they have siblings. However if your DC wants to try for full time in a few years then maybe the 32 weeks is a better option as I noticed these days that those who get full time places seem to train a lot more hours compared to a few years ago (the more hours, the better, or that’s how it seems anyway). I think you can just pick one centre, does it not let you proceed with the online application if you don’t pick a second choice? Although, again, these days it’s not unheard of for kids to travel miles (travel times in excess of an hour)  to get to the “nearest” centre. 

7 minutes ago, Drdee said:

The tide is turning. The ballet companies, competitions and schools are engaging with the Instagram active and savvy. The original point about when (13years) to have an account becomes irrelevant when there are parent controlled accounts.   We are in the momager era and it is here to stay. I find it odd when an adult writes for a 10 year old as them and then another adult  replies to the child knowing it’s an adult writing the response. Now that is where it becomes weird. 

“Momager”…I do love that and it seems like eerily accurate terminology! Glad to see I’m not the only one weirded out by adults writing as their kids. I too see a lot of these verbose and poetic captions purportedly written by kids. Sometimes I would post a photo of my DD and sometimes a kid/teenager might message me thinking I’m my DD (though the account is clearly started as mine). I would actually reply and say I’m her mum but I will have my DD respond to them if it’s something my DD can reply to. And then my DD replies using my account. 

5 minutes ago, Kate_N said:

 

Absolutely!

 

And there's so much discussion on this board about people's discomfort and criticism of all the current frippery which appears to distort the playing field & employment market ("perfect" Insta, extra coaching etc etc) I'm surprised that  parents might even contemplate starting an Insta account for their DC.

I do think that a beauty of this forum is that for every person who expresses their personal opinion (whether discomfort and/or opposing point of view), there will be posters who will express their view which supports the other side of the discussion. I also find that no matter how much some points and concerns are discussed here, it won’t deter people from doing what they want to do and what they think is best for the DCs, whatever what other people say (good on them!). Some of the things I’ve expressed as being not totally convinced by (lots of extra coaching, polished, extremely active SM accounts) has worked extremely well for others in achieving their goals so I’m glad to be be proven wrong on those accounts. I do personally enjoy seeing everyone’s opinions and all these open discussions.

12 hours ago, Pointytoes said:

Indeed, there is a legal age for a reason, the safeguarding of our children. 
I struggle greatly as an educator that schools continuously strive to teach internet safety and to rigorously safeguard our young people, yet many young children (who are minors) have seemingly such high profiles on social platforms but for whom? I will not open the can of worms on flexibility poses! 
Talent will take them where they need to be and I doubt artistic directors  wade their way  through the news of how many recalls and offers any child has.
There lies a dangerous cocktail of mixed messages in all of this in the mental health of potentially young dancers. 

Exactly @Pointytoes, for whom AND by whom. Some of these accounts are by children so young I very much doubt they’re bothered with posting every week much less posting their weekly routine. My children are both in high school and there is no way they are interested in nor do they have the time to post what they do every day of the week. It’s slightly unnerving but some of these accounts post so often it’s so easy for strangers to almost map out their weekly timetable. I know that’s a paranoid way of thinking but whilst I’d like to think the world and its people are all good the reality is that there are a lot of weirdos out there. You don’t want to open the can of worms on flexibility poses whereas I’m trying not to open the can on seemingly excessive photo shoots. I totally understand perhaps having these shoots for auditions or as treats to mark special moments but some of these kids (who appear to have public accounts) seem to have shoots every few months! I suppose it’s a personal thing but I actually enjoy more candid snaps of every day life or special moments captured on social media rather than professionally taken, highly posed, polished ones. When I see some of these accounts, I am in awe of how much time and money they seem to have spare! These things can’t be cheap. Call me tight but I’ve always told my DD that unless absolutely necessary (ie if she needs them for anything that would necessitate it), it is only when she has achieved things in life to the extent that people ask to have her photo taken that she can have these shoots. Slightly different industry but I used to work in fashion and media and we always used to say to young people on the rise that you know you have “arrived” when people pay YOU to have your photos taken (we actually warn them against being approached for shoots and asked to pay for photos). Thankfully, DD is not really interested in having photos taken ever so that particular speech of mine was a moot point. 

5 minutes ago, Pointytoes said:

I agree with the above post. Subjecting, allowing and enabling moderate and safe use of social media is very different though than the media campaigns that a few parents persist on throughout audition processes for vocational schools. The irony of these type of posts is that when these high profile children take up their places some  vocational schools usually make it compulsory that their pupils accounts are set on private at the very least. 
I believe there is a difference between sharing the day to day moments of family life and the accounts ‘ run by mum’ as is often seen. 
These type of accounts serve no positive purpose to young dancers holistically. 
 

I agree with you @pointytoes.  Massive difference there. At the end of the day too, what message would it send to my children (who know full well that Instagram has a minimum age) if I let them have their own account when they haven’t reached that age yet? I don’t want to be party to someone having to put the wrong birth year to be able to open an account.  I know it’s a little thing and perhaps I’m being pedantic but these are the little things I hope they remember. Regulations and guidelines are there to abide by, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Until they’re at the appropriate age, my kids are more than welcome to check stuff via my Instagram. I have involved them and made them aware of social media very early on (short of having their own accounts before the published minimum age) because I know I can’t shield them from it forever, but I’d still prefer for them to air on the side of it having more cons than pros but this is a personal choice which may or may not prove to be right. 

13 minutes ago, Kerfuffle said:

I think that most kids have Instagram accounts but they are private, even at the most well known schools. I guess that they aren’t breaking the rules! It is rather strange that it almost appears like a media campaign is involved in getting into these schools  at such a tender age, too. I’m sure there are plenty that aren’t on SM too, just seems a peculiar trend! 

That is true. There’s always the dance/private accounts combination. And I do notice the rise of what appears to be a media campaign too. Almost a rise in the number of posts towards audition time. I actually think that these days the percentage of kids age 11/12 who start full time with no social media is very small. Certainly I noticed that a significant percentage of those who started last year were active social media users (although at this age it’s most likely the parents?). Perhaps it’s just to share their dance journey with similar minded people. 

15 minutes ago, Kerfuffle said:

I do sometimes wonder if vocational schools ever look at these public profiles on social media. 

I did wonder about this too @Kerfuffle a good number of those who got full time last year were extremely active on social media leading up to auditions and then all but disappeared once they got in. I do think most full time schools are quite strict about social media. DCs I’ve seen who were always on photo shoots or ambassadors of so and so brands suddenly stop posting as soon as they start full time so I am guessing that vocational schools give students a directive on social media use. I do find that this does vary from school to school, and depending on the year level. A couple seem very strict especially at lower school level whereas one school doesn’t seem to be as much as others with students still regularly on social media and photo shoots and ambassador deals. 

2 minutes ago, Anna C said:

Instagram requires children to be at least 13 years old before they can have their own account.  I have never thought allowing my daughter to lie about her age in order to have SM before 13 is a good example to set as a parent, to be honest.  Like Neverdancedjustamum I think 13 is too young for Instagram (and Tiktok).  Dd was allowed to create a private Facebook account at 13 but on the proviso that she was “friends” with me, and that she only used it on our main PC where we could walk past from time to time.  We also went through the “Think u know” pages on CEOP together as she reached each age, and she’s never encountered any trouble online.  She now rarely uses social media because she can recognise how it plays into her insecurities.

 

All Social Media comes with inherent risk; not just from a safety and security point of view, but also, with ballet and dance in particular, the risk of developing body image issues, eating disorders, and injury by over-stretching to copy other people they see.  If you haven’t already watched it, the film “The Social Network” is an absolute eye opener.   Even I was shocked.

Absolutely agree with this. I’m not sure if it’s related to it, but I do strongly believe that my DD not having social media has contributed to her very settled and content personality. She doesn’t worry or stress over things and is never anxious. Knock on wood and I know it’s early days, but she’s never been one to have body image issues and has never compared herself to others. No jealous or competitive bone  in her body. Doesn’t really care if so and so’s feet or extensions are amazing, or that so and so can fold her body in half and has banana feet. She never notices these things because she never has the chance to closely look at photos and scrutinise others. She doesn’t get the time or opportunity to check what others’ healthy snacks are and whether hers are healthier (ie less calories). She doesn’t see others’ shopping hauls and want the same thing. She won’t know who gets featured by shops/schools/etc and want to be “featured” or re-posted or whatever herself. She doesn’t see who got into what school or associates scheme.  There is no chance for her to overthink or obsess over things.  I know this little bubble won’t last long but I always hope that she’ll be grounded enough and for as long as I can keep her that way that by the time she does have social media it won’t be such a a big thing and she won’t be as impressionable.

Just to add that I’m not as harsh or strict as my previous post must have sounded. I am actually sad to say that I’ve had to give in and let my DD have another social media platform when she started high school (the one with all the dancing and miming which does my head in) but I strictly monitor this. My DS is in his final year of high school and has Instagram but never posts and uses it mostly for shopping (along with Depop). He was not allowed it until he was 13 and by that time he’s waited for so long that when he finally had it it was a bit of a non-event and said he found it boring most of the time.

I totally understand your dilemma and can sympathise. My DD is in the same situation although she’s slightly older than your DD. However, call me old fashioned but i still maintain that Instagram I believe has a minimum age of 13 to start an account. There is a minimum age for a reason and truth be told, I personally think 13 is still too young. I would prefer it to be more like 16 and my kids know that and make fun of me but I don’t mind. I know a lot of kids’ accounts have a disclaimer as being “parent monitored” but would this actually stop strangers looking at kids, especially those with public accounts? Would this stop strangers trying to message them? Would a parent be able to monitor these accounts 24/7? Would this disclaimer even be a deterrent?  I always tell my kids that these days, no matter how short a time you post something, we live in a “screenshot” age. Anything they put out there can bite them in the bum years from now. You just have to look at the news to see the sheer amount of celebs, athletes, politicians who got into trouble for things they posted years and years ago. There are so many cons to having children on social media and as a parent I’m actually surprised to see some dance schools condone kids as young as year 3/4 having their own social media accounts and even tagging them on posts. Ultimately we need to think of why they might need it at such a young age - and do they actually need it? I’m an adult but my social media is all strictly private. I also manage the settings so that certain posts can only be seen by family and close friends. I am very uncomfortable with the idea of strangers seeing my DD in leotards and she wears them with tights etc. I have seen many public accounts of kids in outfit sets in poses I would not want my kids photographed in despite how artistic or acrobatic these look. This is just my personal opinion hence what my kids have to live with. I appreciate others might think otherwise and I fully respect that. 

4 minutes ago, Kerfuffle said:

Sometimes the high powered schools have disproportionate amounts of kids in top associates (RBS) and also dominate the festival scene. From what I’ve observed this can make a school seem  impressive but it’s not always the best place for the individual dancer. It might just be that that school is more clued up when it comes to putting children forward particularly at the JA stage but doesn’t really guarantee good teaching (especially since so much of JA success is based on physique). I would look for a school with a lot of keen ballet dancers in particular if you want a good ballet school - sadly loads drop out at this age. 

I totally agree with this. I’ve sometimes found it uncomfortable seeing schools’ posts where JAs are clearly the main stars, to the point where you’ll notice that even in group photos that don’t have anything to do with associates success, the JAs are always front and centre and those who aren’t are usually relegated to the side or back. It makes me wonder how those other DCs feel especially where this arrangement is consistent and persistent across posts. Some of the happiest dance students I’ve known are those who go to dance schools that don’t have a push for associates or auditioning for full time or those that don’t enter competitions. I am not generalising but my point is that depending on what your DC is looking for, the school should be a good fit. The best fit for your DC may not be the more popular schools but where the DC will thrive and be happy for many years, where the DC’s love for dance won’t be dimmed by competition or (perceived or not) preference for only high achieving students etc.

No personal experience but when contemporary is mentioned, the first schools to come to my mind are Rambert and London Contemporary Dance School (The Place). The contemporary dancers I know and know of are extremely versatile and seem highly employable but this is just my outsider’s view. I’m sure there are other lovely forum members who can respond with more information to your query. Just to say as well that you may need to make a distinction between the type of contemporary dance that’s now often part of ballet companies’ repertoire (also like the ones you see at the Prix de Lausanne) and the ones offered by some dance schools  as classes which are more a lyrical/jazz type version with tricks/leaps/legs/acro elements…I always moan about the lack of classes available of the former type of contemporary in our area. In my experience they are harder to find.

On 15/02/2022 at 06:44, Pas de Quatre said:

It may sound cynical, but frequently the quality of the teaching is in inverse proportion to the boasting on social media!

Absolutely. I know it’s probably unfounded and just me slightly overthinking things but I am wary of schools who post too much and often post the exact same DCs over and over again and usually multiple times over the same success. Whilst most DCs are supportive of each other, I find that this type of social media (over)engagement can be the source of drama and upset feelings internally especially with both parents and DCs these days being social media savvy. It’s usually the case that those who get celebrated all the time have their confidence boosted even more (and often these are the DCs who are already confident anyway) and those who never get a “look in” just hide even more inside their shells and are overlooked. Not all kids are motivated by others’ successes, the same way that not all DCs have the same personality and would respond to the same teaching style and methods of encouragement. Perhaps more important than the quality of teaching, I would look into how happy and settled current students are overall (mental health!) - and I’m not just talking about the “star students”. Check which schools seem to have a high number of students coming and going and which have students who last there a long time. The ballet world is so small that the best references I’ve heard are outside of social media (word of mouth, personal recommendations, current parents of DCs who go to those schools, parents of DCs who have left, etc). Even if you don’t go out on a fact finding mission, you often find out these things by chance just waiting with other parents for DCs to come out of associates etc. Remember also that some might be gossip or hearsay so I tend to pick out first hand experiences and at the back of my mind I also think that where there’s smoke there’s fire. 

51 minutes ago, BallerinaMum13 said:

I was wondering if some of the more experienced parents have a point of view on ballet physio classes for the 8 - 10 year old range (the JA range). I see on Instagram that these are very popular even with younger students. Would this really give a young, classical dancer an edge? Is it just clever marketing? Is it too much too soon? 

I don’t have a dance background whatsoever but because my DD loves ballet, and has done so for the last 7 or so years, I have witnessed a slight change over the last 3-4 years. When my DD first started dancing, I knew a good number of DCs who got into associates and full time schools on one associates per week and maybe a couple of ballet classes within the week.  Most obviously had natural facility and physique. In the last few years, I have seen the rise of especially and specifically preparing DCs for full time auditions or even associate auditions! Just look at the number of schools these days that offer “pre-vocational” training or market themselves as specialising in getting kids into full time vocational schools. The number of posts on social media on “vocational successes” have steadily gone up and are being used as a gauge of how good a school is. Kids as young as 8/9 are doing lots of classes with diff teachers and schools, doing PBT, physio, gyro, conditioning, stretch - mostly separate from their usual classes and privates so are separate expenses in themselves. I have even seen audition psychology experts who market themselves as specifically preparing kids to mentally prepare themselves for auditions (I did Psychology in uni myself and it never even occurred to me that my DD might “need” this on top of family support and encouragement) . So yes, it may be that physio etc classes will give these young kids an edge but sadly I do think that more than that these days, they would need it to keep up (it’s not so much to give them an edge anymore but it’s more to be at par with others if they want to be competitive).  I don’t mean to generalise but sadly this is what I have witnessed myself in the last few years. 

If she wants to audition, do let her have a go because it will also let her experience what a typical class might be and whether she would enjoy it. At that age they can still change so much. Out of your list of attributes my DD only has the long neck and was never a JA but when she tried to audition for full time to a few schools for year 7 she got finals to a couple of schools in the UK, and also in Europe and the USA (where she got an offer for a full time place based on a summer intensive audition). For someone who only dances for fun, never really wanted to go full time and only blessed with a long neck, it just goes to show that you won’t know if you don’t try.

I also meant to say that while social media can give a good gauge of a school’s successes, as most post about DCs who got associates and full time places, in recent years I noticed that a good number of these successes are posted by multiple schools and teachers. Some are clearly collaborative endeavours as such (which is good) but I’ve also seen some comments on posts  that suggest that not all collaborative successes were intentional or known. I suppose my point is that not everything is as obvious and it’s still more  important to be where both you and DD are happy. It would also be a reasonable assumption that not all teachers/schools that offer high quality training are active on social media. 

12 hours ago, PlainJaney said:

Glowlight thank you so much for a clear and concise post. I really was starting to worry. I've no dance background so seeing her friend doing absolutely everything was making me feel a bit of a bad parent for not being able to afford everything. However I now understand a bit more and realise that dancing all the hours her friend does, doesnt necessarily mean she will be a far better dancer than DD and that she will progress a lot quicker and that it's like anything I suppose and about the right choices. I think i mentioned that her friend does seem to suffer with more injuries than DD and general illnesses, so perhaps it's is the lack of rest. 

The school opened about a year before DD started, we had been to one school before this one for a short while but due to moving house started at the new one. I think three older girls are studying dance at college, I'm not too sure how many do associates.

I'm not too sure what DD wants, not sure she is really sure other than something related to dance, I think she is still looking at what there is and what she enjoys most. She's not as confident as her friend which is where I think she doesn't want to be on stage. Her friend wants to be a professional dancer.

AnnaC I'm not sure about technique & artistry, it's all new to me. In relation to exams they do them on a regular basis but I believe that they are only entered if they are ready. 

Thanks all again.

I think ultimately you need to think, perhaps more than how you can help your DD achieve her goal, is what she is happy to do and where. I guess this is easier said than done but I find that DCs at this age are so impressionable, can easily change their mind and it is so easy to compare what they do with others. I don’t have a dance background either and still don’t know much really, but I think that you will easily see what your DD is happy and willing to do and it must always come from her. I have witnessed so many kids whose dance journeys seem to be obviously and zealously led by their parents, you often wonder whose dream it is to be in dance.  My DD is around your DD’s age so I can sort of tell where you’re coming from. It’s important to keep grounded and not get carried away which is hard especially these days where it’s almost a race to get a place at full time schools, the earlier the better seems to be the ethos these days. It’s easy to be tempted to go to schools who assertively market their successes of getting DCs around our DDS’ age into full time places but ultimately you need to find that balance where your DD is happy and not overlooked, where the teaching is high quality but not solely geared for audition purposes, where success isn’t just measured by who gets in where,  where everyone is valued for their uniqueness and varying goals (or when they want these goals achieved), where the teaching is not one size fits all and where the teacher relishes the challenge of motivating DCs who could be late bloomers or those who aren’t as intense and focused as their peers (and not just those who are determined and focus and almost the finished product already to begin with). I do think that at the moment a lot of people do think it’s a race and it’s easy to get carried away to do as many classes and privates, travel as many miles to go to these, do as many intensives and workshops - all to the detriment sometimes of the rest of the family or siblings. Make sure your DD enjoys the other things in life as a child, friends, school, going out with the family. She is still so young and whilst she thinks she wants a career in dance - which she may well do and have - there isn’t just one way to achieve that especially depending on what she will eventually want to do. It’s always good to have a happy medium because then you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket and you’ll realise that she actually has more options and freedom to do what she actually loves doing than being too focused on one thing. 

4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

If you are coming into Moor Street and want some refreshments the Millennium Lounge there is fab.

 

The Sea Life Aquarium is near Symphony Hall (but on the other side of the canal) if that is any help.  I would allow a good 20 minutes to walk there.  One way to walk would be along the canal network.

Thank you, Jan! I think that’s where we will be arriving actually. All the train stations also confuse me but I just checked out tickets and it is indeed Moor Street. We will check out Millennium Lounge for sure 🙂

I also think it will largely depend on what kind of dance-related job she would like in the future. Is it a career in classical ballet or a more varied/multi-genre one? My DD about 3 years ago was contemplating a future career in dance (to be fair, amongst other possible careers) but the last 2 years have been extremely eye-opening for us. My DD loves diff genres of dance but admittedly takes more ballet classes and even dabbled with the idea of applying for full time over couple of years ago. However, when we both saw the time and finance commitment it would take, both of us just slowly lost interest. She has been dancing since she was 5 but it was only in the last 2-3 years the full extent of what it takes to successfully apply for a full time place in top ballet schools dawned on us. I am sure a lot would have diff experiences and I do think it’s a bit diff for boys and girls but we have witnessed a lot of cases of DCs who successfully get into full time places by doing lots of classes, multiple associates, sometimes attend multiple schools/teachers, private lessons, Pilates, conditioning, workshops, intensives - just witnessing these first hand made us feel exhausted. We didn’t have the commitment, focus, financial means and time to even get close to what these other kids were doing. My DD decided then and there she just wanted to enjoy dance for how it is and how she first fell in love with it. With no pressure or any immediate goal. She wanted lots of time to devote to school work and friends and her other activities such as art and sports.  There was just no way we could invest that much money and time (nor would we have wanted to) especially since she was also preparing for important academic entrance exams at the time and this for us would always be priority. However, this is more classical ballet. I have seen numerous DCs succeed in multi-genre even if they started getting serious later on. They attend “normal” school until Year 11 and then successfully get into vocational schools for 6th form and on to varied employment. It would very much depend on what your DD wants as a dance job. 

Thanks so much everyone! I’m literally taking note of the suggestions on my phone and will try and work our way through them tomorrow. We have pretty much the whole day. We are taking the train in (v early start for us) then walking to Nicholson to drop off DD. My DS (15yo) would love all the suggestions above although Cadbury World is something my DD would love more. DS and I have always loved aquariums from when he was a toddler so that may well be top of our to-do list. I now need to Google how to get to these places from the City centre. No doubt I’ll get lost again (my history has proven this time and time again) but my DS has great navigation skills and only needs to go to a place once to remember directions to it again. 

2 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Where about in Birmingham is it held?  Is it at BRB's studios?

Hi Jan, it will be in Nicholson studios x