Activeswi

Normally for boarding, arrivals are around 6-8pm on the Sunday evening (but they have to eat before or bring a picnic as the canteen is closed on Sunday night), or they can join on Monday morning at 10am, but they have to go almost immediately to the classes. Lessons are 9.30-5.30pm Monday-Saturday (11am on first Monday). In non COVID times there was also a small show on the final Saturday (and both Saturdays for the levels having 1 week options). This was at 11.30 for up to intermediate level, and 2-4pm for the older classes. On Sunday they normally arrange an optional outing such as visiting the Paris Opera building and Eiffel Tower (some do go with their families on Sunday, and some of the older ones arrange their own thing). In the evenings they also did arrange a few things. You do need to bring bedsheets, pillows and covers and it is not possible to rent them from the school. You can buy at the large shopping mall in La Defense if necessary, but it is normally fairly warm in July, so duvets not needed. Uniform in prior years was girls was a pink leotard for junior, elementary and intermediate levels, and black for Average, Advanced and superior). Character shoes are also needed for intermediate, average and advanced levels. It's normally 3 sharing a room, and each room has a bathroom. The meals in the canteen have a few options. Those not boarding still take lunch at the canteen. My daughters really liked the boarding and made good friends. If you can get boarding its worth taking, the only exception is if your child has a special diet (certain allergies). I recall In 2019 the info packs were sent already in March and last year it was in early June.

If she is 10 it may be in the younger age group there is a higher % which are French speaking students and the initial instructions are in French and then repeated in English (important your dd mentions clearly she doesn't understand French so they know). Certainly for the older ages the majority of the students are from overseas. For the end of course show the introductory explanations are given by Elisabeth Platel in both languages. 10 minutes is from the centre of La Defense (Grande Arche) via the walkway to the Arena and turning left at the end. Depending on where you stay in the area it could be an extra 5 mins or so. I'm not sure if the Sunday trip is open or not to the younger students doing the 1 week course (worth asking), but it can be replicated easily as the public can also visit inside the Opera and after that they go to the Eiffel Tower. If your husband is there the week, then it is possible to buy a ticket to watch classes one day (they normally sell then online from April), but maybe they will make changes this year due to COVID.

Our two dd's attended in 2019 and both will be going back this summer. Its a well run course and very adapted for the international attendees (everything in English and French) and the facilities are very good. Drop off is normally around 7pm on the Sunday night, and on the final Saturday they have an early afternoon show for parents (if I recall they had two with the younger classes in show 1 and the older half in show 2), with everything wrapping up by 4pm. There is also the possibility to watch lessons on the other days (they sell tickets normally from April time onwards on a FCFS basis). Two items to be aware of though. One, you have to bring not only bedsheets but also pillow and duvet and they have no possibility to lend/rent these to overseas students so it means an extra suitcase to bring. However, if I recall there is a medium sized supermarket 1 minute away (next to the metro) and it was possible to buy some things there including towels but I don't recall if they had pillows etc. Or you can certainly buy in the shops in La Defense (see below). Secondly, the area around the school is totally closed on Sundays. You have to drop off at 7pm having fed the children (as the provided meals start only from the following breakfast). but nearly all the restaurants were closed on Sunday, even in the one hotel next door. The only options we saw open were in the supermarket or one bar. One tip is to look at La Defense. This is the big business area about a pleasant ten minutes walk from the ballet school. But it has two large shopping centres, many hotels, many restaurants, and open on Sundays. We found it much more agreeable to stay here and walk to the school on the last day.