DMumCSB2019

My daughter graduated from ballet school and looking for company auditions. It is so disheartening having danced since 4years and working hard towards a dance career that a lot of company's aren't now accepting dancers from the UK. It looks like would have to go to USA which would be prohibitively expensive even just to audition.

Any others finding this hard to take?

24 minutes ago, Drdee said:

The advice I was given by an experienced retired AD was if your dd has not gained a paid position after graduation then doing a pre-professional programme would a good learning opportunity to dance, to see up close how a dance company works and build networks. This would be better than paying for private lessons and staying at home. Some UK pre-professional programmes do offer bursaries so you would pay food and board and not the fees. As other posters have mentioned not all programmes are equal. This is a tricky area - just work within what you can afford. Do not go into debt over it. 

Thanks x

On 28/02/2022 at 09:16, Iris said:

Hi,

My daughter is due to graduate from her ballet dance school this July. She started there in the September (aged 16) before the pandemic and in total has spent 8 months of her training dancing in our dining room on Zoom.

We are being realistic and don't expect her to be successful in finding a contract with a company.

Could anyone suggest ballet companies that have training programs that allow trainees to get stage experience for their CV's.  We understand that these need to be paid for and you are dancing with the company for free but she really feels that she needs another year of training.

She is willing to travel anywhere to do this!

Many Thanks 

Same situation as you, but my daughter really wants to perform now and get paid but little to nothing available.

1 hour ago, Peanut68 said:

It should so NOT be the norm that our young people (well, their families) are expected to pay for being a (supposed) company dancer. I thought unpaid internship was banned as a practise? Isn’t this the same thing? Surely at the very least expenses should be met?

I’d be interested to know how for example the Aud Jebson young dancers programme at Royal Ballet is run….my assumption was that they are young new company members who would be on the starting salary scale but with their salaries funded by Aud Jebson charitable foundation instead of from regular company HR coffers….thus saving the company money but with parents not stumping up cash. 

I wonder if indeed they are paid a London Living Wage? 

We've talked on this subject in other threads… So, where is the protection? Unions? Audiences? I’d hate to be paying to watch a ballet where I thought the dancers were paid only to find several are actually paying to dance….it’s quite scandalous. 
I do see a slight difference if it’s promoted as a training programme rather than a ‘junior’ or second’ company or similar but it’s a very blurred line….

Realism hits as our dancers get to employment age & standard….

Ability to pay to work feels Dickensian….

If a company is indeed worthwhile then surely they can fund salaries by ticket sales/sponsorship/arts grants. If not… why not???
 

Yes that all seems very true.
It started off with an ad asking for dancers with some paid positions but on applying by video she was offered trainee which do all company class and performances but, for that you have to pay. All my intuition says not to take it but my daughter all she has ever wanted and done since the age of 4 is dance and perform and nothing paid for has come up. Even a couple of her fellow dancers at her London Ballet school travelled abroad to audition, which they understood was for a paid job and they got offered a years contract as a 'trainee' which they are charged for. I suppose they are getting company experience. A lot of the jobs ask for experience. 
Other than this for new dancers their is further training at new post graduate one year courses, for example at Cymru Ballet, pre professional programme (daughter offered this also) they take company class and perform too but have to pay for the course. As the programme does not give a qualification higher than the Dance and Performance Degree already held it is not funded by student finance but has to be self funded. I do feel these courses are taking advantage of young dancers and pumping more money into the dance education industry, but what are new professional dancers to do when jobs are scarce to come by. They will want something to keep them dancing.

My only hope is that this Etoile Ballet Theatre would lead to a company place as they say most of their company dancers are from the trainee programme but I'm doubtful that for most this becomes a reality. Still don't know what to do but I've told my daughter not to sign the contract as once signed she is liable to pay whether or not she goes as no cancellation clause.

As I'm writing this I'm more and more sceptible about the whole thing.

Thank you for your posts. It was not so much the fact that they are charging that I am worried about too much, as I know this is the norm.  I wanted to know of any experience other might have of this company, perhaps living accommodation etc.

Does anyone have any experience of being a trainee at Etoile Ballet Theatre, Piacenza, Italy. My daughter has been offered 3months which we have to pay for but I'm not sure. Any information would be helpful.