Balleteveryday

Yeh!! Between 50-60 across some split sections and 3 go through…at best!! Bit of a joke really - especially compared to 2022!! I kind of feel we signed up to 2024 regionals on the basis of what happened in 2022 and then they changed the rules part way through to make it infinitely more difficult! I know that’s not necessarily true as they have the freedom to change (and I also didn’t really agree with having 2 national champions across split sections in 2022). Difficult, but you feel there should be some halfway house somewhere!

I’m wishing with all my might for my own DD that there is movement for the short waitlist crew, but honestly really not holding out much hope for London or Bath 😢. I think the short waitlist is pretty long from what I’ve gathered, from just speaking to others, and London likely to be the most oversubscribed.
 

if it happens, it happens and it’ll be a lovely surprise but I think having another plan might not be a bad thing if you want to continue with an associates programme of some kind, that’s how I’m looking at it anyway. Hoping it might stop me refreshing my emails every 5 minutes!!
 

I wish your daughter all the best ❤️

I’m not saying that your daughter will take to this suggestion, every child is different, but I had similar concerns about how it might appear if I went in with her. I then asked my daughter and she surprised me and said ‘I think it’ll look more professional and committed if I go myself’!! Very proud of her for thinking in that way, and ultimately she’s right! If she does go in 6 months, I’m not going to be there to hand hold (very sadly😢😢😢, she’s my little girl ❤️). It’s only going to be for a few minutes and you’ll be sat right outside in the foyer so can see her straight after. Maybe if she sees others going in themselves, she’ll feel happier…so long as she’s not first up I guess. I think the message is that it’s flexible and I think you can decide last minute depending on how she feels. Good luck!!

1 minute ago, Adagio123 said:

Up until last year i believe they did used to invite children back for day 2. However last year all finalists were invited to both days but we didnt find out the schedule for day 2 until the end of day 1. I believe this years finalists already have the schedule for both days. Good luck 

That’s great, thank you! Yes, we do have the schedule for both days which is partly why I thought it was a little odd that they hadn’t said ‘there is a chance you won’t be needed for day 2’ if that was the case! Well enjoy the opportunity for 2 days whatever the outcome x

Change of topic slightly. But for Elmhurst final audition, do they cut them after day 1 and only have a smaller group for day 2? There’s been no hint of this at all in the communication we have had, but there are rumours going round! I’m wondering if this is a case that it’s something they used to do but don’t anymore. Any thoughts from those who have been through recently? Thanks!

Assume they’ll get them out before they then have another pile of emails to send after semi-finals on 12/13th Feb. Just a guess though!

I’ve just been told by someone ‘in the know’ (I.e they have considerable professional experience in the ballet world and I have no reason not to respect this), that the 3 years of training guaranteed by WL from Y7-9 is not actually guaranteed and that they do still assess out within this period if they don’t think you’re going to make it. This person apparently knows from insider knowledge from those who work there. Is this true or out-dated info? I appreciate that they do assessments each year but are they assessed out if they don’t achieve sufficiently between Y7-9? I was under the impression the rules had changed from the 21/22 academic year and that 3 years were guaranteed. I’m REALLY hoping we’re not having the wool pulled over our eyes as parents and actually there’s some small print that’s being glossed over at the application stage that we’re blind to.

Please can someone confirm/reassure? I don’t want this to be another hidden scandal - or at least if it is, what’s the threshold so we can be aware of it?!
 

Thank you!

4 hours ago, Ondine said:

'Insight days' are publicised on the RBS website.

 

 

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/participate/insight-days/

 

That’s what I thought until I saw the post! As far as I was aware, they’re all Floral Street based 😀

Realise this thread is a couple of years old but does anyone know if they are still inviting Y6 JAs to White Lodge? We’ve had no notifications but I have seen another Y6 student who has clearly gone in the last few days under the banner of ‘insight day’. 

I’m not in the ‘system’, but I am starting to realise how constrained company dancers are by tradition and passing on the ‘old ways’ and how little control the ‘artists’ (dancers) have. I watched a YouTube video a couple of days ago  with a female and male RB Principal dancer, the female  was derided for doing more pirouettes than she should have (as per tradition) in order to correct her position on the stage. To me this showed skill and adaptability but to the revered coach, this was essentially the end of the world! Why are these artists, who have trained for decades not ‘permitted’ to have an element of control/artistic licence in how they dance? Bringing it back to the topic of the thread, this is just an example of the control the old guard passes on and which puts these highly-skilled and beautiful artists in ‘their place’. Essentially it’s the same happening at the schools. A lack of ability for the students to help develop the genre and to imprint their own artistry and talent into the industry. If the companies change, the schools will. Tradition is important and should be part of the teaching, but so is inclusion and allowing students and company dancers to let us see other interpretations and expressions. By doing this it opens the world to so many more.

Does anyone have links to anyone with kids in the schools now? What is the messaging that they are receiving off the back of this? Given the huge financial investment I hope it’s a more reassuring and proactive message for parents than what was sent to those of us with some but significant more limited investment.

9 minutes ago, Bellaboo said:

If my dd was given the opportunity again to attend one of these 2 upper schools named she would definitely not or embark on a ballet journey at all. The mental and physical scars she has been left with are still a big struggle a couple of years later. 
This is our opinion and experience, others may vary. I would just consider very carefully. 

Thank you for passing this on. I appreciate and am listening to your and others voices on this. When it’s not people you know that have been affected it’s easier to be blinkered about it, but the closer it gets to us applying, the more people we do know who are going and who we have friendships with. I worry about them now too with the weight of mounting evidence and between your comment and that of so many more above. I’m going to need a lot of convincing that it’s the right thing to do if my child is successful and I think the schools do need to say and do something to ‘win’ and retain trust and reassure worried parents.

The girl in the programme who lost the principal role because of medication she was on (that was likely needed due to the circumstances created by the school) that meant she was unable to fit into the costume. Come on now….this is very easily solvable without having to shame that poor child. Some costumes may be historic and not adaptable, but that really does not mean there is no solution if she was the best dancer for the role. To me it just shows the lack of caring, lack of problem solving ability and a lack of desire to want to change practices and outdated views.

Thank you for your reply and I hope your daughter is able to move past the problems inflicted by others x

12 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

As a parent who’s embarking on a massive open day mission - nothing to do with vocational schools - and someone who’s been working in education for what seems like decades, open days/mornings are good for looking around campus. So speak to current students and staff and absorb the general information given to you. Admire the campus.  However, the atmosphere during open days is very curated (I won’t go as far as to say artificial). What I used to do, additionally, is to bring my DC to a normal day on campus where possible. This probably won’t be possible for vocational schools but just to say take open days with a pinch of salt. As someone who’s been thrown  into the ballet world by a DD who loves dancing (much to our surprise as our family has zero history of dancing or interest in dancing), I can now say that it is a very small world. You’ll get more info from current and past parents than you’ll ever get from open days. Those who are most vocal are those who experienced opposite sides of the spectrum: those who are very pleased with their experience and those who really aren’t. Listen to both. And listen to those who are neutral or not even in the vocational world. Often it is this very group who gets to be the sounding board. It may not be their personal experience but it is in those very casual encounters and catch ups that you get to hear a lot. Just because it wasn’t someone’s experience, doesn’t mean it’s hearsay, especially when you talk to these people. There’s no smoke if there’s no fire. Lastly, situations change very quickly. I’ve known many parents who have been very pleased with their experience so far…until they’re not (ie their kids don’t get upper or 6th form or there’s some sort of falling out). Equally, I’ve known some disgruntled parents who are lucky enough to find another school or teacher who nurtures their traumatised or broken child. Always two sides to a story, but never dismiss either. Feedback is always born out of context.

Thank you for your insight and thoughts, it’s appreciated and I’ll follow suit 👍

As someone whose child is not too far off the stage of applying to these schools, I came out of watching that programme in the hope that it was ‘just’ (please don’t get me wrong, one is too many) a small number of students who’d maybe not done as well as they’d hoped and that it had been put together as sensationalist click-bait. Whilst I’ve never been deaf to the issues I’ve heard on the grapevine, I’ve also always hoped that these were historic issues and that we were now in an era of significant change where this kind of thing wasn’t tolerated. Coming on here and hearing ALL of your stories is heartbreaking. It’s not just those few young people who spoke in the programme and the horrific impact we saw it had on them. And it is not historic, it’s now (I’m aware the programme referred to 50 former students, but we don’t exactly know what they all said).

I’m not sure how any parent who watched the programme and reads this thread could confidently say they’d be happy to put their child in this environment even if the child was pushing for it. Yes, we want to support our kids and their dreams but I’m not sure I can ignore the metaphorical big red flashing lights and sirens in the hope that my child somehow will be lucky enough to escape this treatment. 
 

Can I ask what other parents are thinking/feeling if your child is due to audition maybe this year or next? What do we ask the schools on open days/audition days? What do we ask the current students if they are giving tours? Would we as prospective parents ‘damage’ our children’s chances of even being offered a place if we were seen to be asking certain types of questions? I don’t know?!

What do we need to see from the schools to convince us that they are safe and nurturing environments where our children will thrive?
 

When I’m even thinking about  these types of ‘what if’ questions, it makes me think that some of these the issues relating to speaking out or challenging ‘authority’ are pervasive not just when you’re in the schools, but in the whole genre/system. Maybe I’m thinking too much?

Also, this might be a whole other thread so apologies if it disrupts the current conversation.

12 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

There were some major problems at Tring a few years ago, a search on this board should find the discussions.  The Director of Dance at the time was effictively relieved of her duties after a snap Ofsted inspection prompted by parental complaints.  The new Co-Directors of Dance who are currently in post are excellent and the standards are high.

 

Just checked Tring's website and will update this.  Antony Dowson and Lorraine Jones were originially Co-Directors of Dance but their functions have now been separated.  Antony Dowson is Artistic Director of the Encore and Graduate programmes, and Lorraine Jones is Director of the Dance Course, Head of Dance.

Thank you @Pas de Quatre much appreciated. Explains the comment we received, but also sounds more positive for future. Will have a look through the forum as you suggest. 😀

Hi all, interesting thread!

Please anyone who is there don’t be offended by the next comment, I’m coming from a position of not having a clue and only having one person’s opinion!

We’ll be applying for Y7 this year too but are being told that we shouldn’t apply for Tring. My child has attended a few one-day sessions there, really enjoyed them and thought the School seemed a lovely environment, so the next comment surprised us. The justification was related to ‘standards not being what they used to be’. Can anyone who has had a child go through Tring, or who knows more about the school and pupil outcomes than I do, please comment to give their views as I feel I need to hear more opinions. Is there any basis to the comment at all? Might there have been in the past and this is a now an outdated view? Just trying to rationalise my own and my child’s pretty positive (yet fairly limited) personal experience with the opposing view we’ve had from someone who we’d ordinarily wholly respect the views of.
 

Many thanks!

12 minutes ago, Balleteveryday said:

Thank you 😀

Glad I posted, lots of really helpful info!

6 minutes ago, AllAboutTheJourney said:

Ps - I could be wrong but I believe RBS Dundee associates is on a Sunday rather than a Saturday. Just mentioning as I know most other centres are a Saturday so depending on where you’re coming from it may be a different day than you’re used to. 
 

With Scottish Ballet you have the option to go weekly or monthly - most kids from the area you’re looking at would be monthly JA’s. This year it’s the first Sunday of each month. 
 

 

Great bit of information about RBS, interesting how it potentially clashes with SB but I guess they cover a wider range of kids too in the West that can’t get east weekly.

4 minutes ago, AllAboutTheJourney said:

Another school in that area would be Yvonne Gray Dance Studios - no direct experience but it’s a well established RAD school who seem to have a few kids doing associates etc. 

 

I 

That’s excellent and in a good location so thank you for giving me another name to look into. So glad I posted to ask a ms appreciate you taking the time to reply!

10 hours ago, Mummy twinkle toes said:

Edinburgh Festival have good classes for children. Would that be too far?

Thank you! I’ve Googled the location and I think this might be just a bit too much of a stretch outside that planned area but I do appreciate you letting me know about it! All the best 😀

8 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Balleteveryday and welcome out of the lurking shadows!

Thank you 😀

9 hours ago, Ruby Foo said:

I very highly recommend Julie Young Dance Studios in Perth. Again maybe too far for you?

It’s great to hear a couple of recommendations for the same studio and we can look in a fairly wide area to settle so this may well be very helpful! Thank you 🙏 

9 hours ago, Ruby Foo said:

I very highly recommend Julie Young Dance Studios in Perth. Again maybe too far for you?

Thank you very much, this is really helpful and definitely worth looking in to depending on exactly where exactly we end up😀

Hi All, 

Can anyone recommend local dance/ballet schools in and around St. Andrews or Dundee please as we’re potentially moving to the area. We’ll look at Scottish ballet auditions and realise there’s a JA class in Dundee too (which I’m hoping we could switch to) so it’s more mid-week classes at a local dance school I’m looking for recommendations of now.
 

Thanks!!