TwirlyWhirly

Well, I feel privileged to have been at the Paul Hamlyn Christmas treat this afternoon. It was the first ever 'relaxed' performance by the Royal Ballet Company and what a gem of an event it was! I brought my learning disabled daughter. Gary Avis did a terrific job introducing the story and characters and letting the audience know what to expect. The auditorium was gently lit throughout, which had the unexpected bonus of being able to see how much other families were enjoying it too. It didn't matter that people got up, called out or had whispered exchanges about what was happening onstage. For once, no-one frowned or shushed. We all understood each other. We were part of a truly special group of people mesmerised by a beautiful ballet. More of these relaxed performances please!

Thanks for useful replies about contacts. Good to know there are people who might be willing to listen/ advise.

Does anyone know if the Panorama programme included a whistleblowing number / contact for anyone affected by the contents of their programme?

Reading this thread with interest for my DS who will be auditioning for Year 10 entry rather than Y7 but question might be relevant to others and hope it will get answered here! Tring and I believe, Hammond expect a prepared dance solo as part of the audition. My DS wants to know if this is performed during the class - as in, other applicants watch each other, or whether they just go in individually to perform their solos to the panel. Hope someone has previous experience! Thanks!

@Adagio123Congratulations to your DD! Not exactly a purchase, but with 5 months to go (and depending on existing skill levels of your DD), I'd recommend working on some life skills with them! E.g. changing sheets/ duvet; sorting laundry so your lovely, brightly coloured uniform tracksuit etc. doesn't go in with whites; sewing own elastics/ pointe shoes; money/ time management; how to take brief notes from classes (written or electronic). A lot of stress can be alleviated for both DD and parent of DD if they can solve some seemingly trivial daily problems with confidence- houseparents have many kids to look after so aren't always there just when they have a panic on. Phonecalls at 8am asking, "Where are my socks?" from hundreds of miles away - I've been there! Also, if they are good at these things, then helping others in their dorm is a lovely, friendly thing to do!

We've just decided not to attend Summer Intensive (DS, week 5)- various reasons. Hope someone else gets in off the waiting list!

Still tough to get a place for Year 7 as highly competitive! Good luck finding the funding and with your decision-making. x

Congratulations, @Evangeline on your DD's success in getting a WL place for Year 8 for September. Those places must be hard to come by so she must have shone in the auditions! Not sure where you are posting from, but if you are UK-based then you will be automatically entitled to apply for the MDS for some fee remission, depending on income. If coming from overseas, I'm not sure what the options are. There are bursaries at the school but rather limited financially. Finding a supporter / funding locally to you is another possibility - there are some charitable organisations which can have very specific funding criteria and your DD might just tick all the boxes... Good luck though!

Great to see interest in this subject. My 16 year old dd has Down's Syndrome and has been doing jazz dance with a local dance school for about 4 years now. She is super flexible (often the case with children with Down's Syndrome) which is a plus, and enjoys being part of this mainstream activity. She took a dance exam specially designed for people with learning disabilities and has been in every dance school show. Her teachers there have always been very inclusive and welcoming. It's also (in my view) good for the other kids to see her in action and as part of the group. Everyone learns from such experiences!

Hi @Jingsorry for late reply! My DS was offered a wait list place for JAs when he auditioned for y4 and again in y5. Both times we said we'd go on the wait list but no place became available. My DS auditioned for the third time for JAs in Y6 and was finally successful! The wait list offer only lasts until the end of October for the entry year in question I think. Each time we reapplied the next year. Hope this helps x

Only personal experience of Newcastle JAs. My DS auditioned for Years 4, 5 and 6 for JAs and was waitlisted twice, finally successful for Year 6. In that time, we only saw about 8 other boys audition, of whom 4 (including my DS) were accepted during those 3 years. That sounds like a very high acceptance rate, but it's a very limited sample! The lesson we learned was, if your DS is keen, keep trying!

Good luck for tomorrow @Mum to a boy dancer! There are currently only 12 boys in Y7 so who knows? Spaces may be available! Xx

Good luck to all! This was us last year and everyone on this forum was supportive and informative. Hope the experiences are fun for your DCs! xxx

Huge congratulations to all the DDs and DSs whatever your results! This has been a crazy year and to have the perseverance to do video audition and keep on dancing is a great achievement in itself! Past experience with own DS shows that it's always worth trying again! Xx

Congratulations! I think my DS might know your DD from JAs? They're on in same week for Summer Intensive!