SplitSoul

So @Medora I think your message sounds more personal/promising!

Ours said this: Thank you for attending an audition for the Associates program at The Royal Ballet School. There were over 860 dancers who auditioned for the Junior Associates program this year, and though we would love to be able to offer all students a place on our programs, the number of places available are limited. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer you a place in the Junior Associates Programme for September 2022. We understand this will be a disappointment to you, but the School does recognise that young people progress and develop at different stages. Therefore, we encourage you to audition again next year if you wish to and are still within the age ranges of the course.

Thanks interesting @MissEmily. What would you say changed for your pupil in those years? I got the impression it was physique based plus musicality. So did your pupil grow into the required body shape or were they just more expressive? Or is it skills based after all, I.e. those that have more and high quality training stand a better chance?

Just had the email, it's a no for us! My DD is only 8, so plenty more opportunities to audition. I am guessing unless it acutally says waiting list, then there is no chance of her getting bumped up?

Do the results come out on different days for different centres?

Nope. Our audition was in April. I was going along nicely thinking there was loads of time before we hear. Now suddenly I am so impatient!!

The marketing emails do make for a little dose of adrenaline!!

Completely! I am not mentioning the possible early results to her, so she won't keep asking me. It's such a slim chance to get in, but I suppose it's like buying a lottery ticket - the dream of winning is stronger than the likelihood of winning.

I was totally fine with mid July. Now I keep checking emails!!!

We are Birmingham! Good luck everyone 🤞

If a second centre isn't an option for you, no point in putting one down. As much as I love my DD, and she loves ballet, I am not prepared to travel 3+ hours each way. There are other families who are, and hats off to them! I just don't have the time, energy or resources, and I don't feel bad about saying that.

@tinydancingfeet Presume it would only be people who live equidistant to two centres who would put down two centres. For where I live, only one centre was an option. There might have been people who couldn't make their local audition date and travelled as a one off to another centre to audition. But that won't be huge numbers, I don't think. Where we went everyone I spoke to was auditioning for that centre. Others might have a different picture.

The letter said results would be out early or mid July, from memory! Good luck everyone who has yet to audition.

So excited! Anyone know where the rehearsals will actually be?

Getting close now, rehearsals start in a few weeks! My DD is 8 and wondering what parts there are for the littlest ones. Does anyone know? Also, what do parents do during rehearsals? We are about 1 h away, and I don't fancy driving home and then back again later.

@Kate_N very interesting theory. Is your theory that a person is drawn to performing because they need to perform, or because they need the pressurised environment (or both)? @taxi4ballet I am not sure which way round the cause and effect works. My comment was simply that they correlate, or go hand in hand, rather than one causing the other. I don't think a propensity to poor mental health causes talent to be a great performer, nor the other way around. Add in the external pressure of all that goes with a career in performing, it's obvious that all but the most resilient will suffer mental health issues with varying degrees if severity.

Being prone to mental health issues is perhaps correlated to whatever it is in a person that draws them to a career in the performing arts. I don't find that fact hugely surprising. If that correlation has now been established by a recognised study, then there is no excuse for not providing better support for performing artists. As for football, couple of school mums are in the football academy system, and it struck me a while ago how similar it is to the ballet world, in so many ways. There is so much more money in football though, the arts are dramatically underfunded, so if anything is done about the football, I am not expecting anything to change for ballet!

What's the thinking on going weekly or fortnightly to JAs? I put "no preference". Is it easier to get a fortnightly space as you are effectively sharing one spot? My DD normally dances with friends on a Saturday and would really miss that. So I thought fortnightly might be a good compromise. On the other hand, seems foolish to miss out on weekly instruction from these amazing teachers. Thoughts? (All academic as she is statistically unlikely to get a place at all, I am just wondering)

I assumed you stayed in your school year group for JAs, but by the sounds of it that's not right? How's it organised?

No splits as far as I can make out. There was also some music they put on and they had to move to the music, slow and fast. Also some jumping which apparently was hard work. They had to stand in demi pointe for a long time without falling over, as well. My DD really loved it and is now dreaming of a life on the stage at Covent Garden..... I have tried to manage expectations and was then just told not to take her dreams away from her. Thankfully they don't hear until July, so I can have another go at preparing her for (highly) possible rejection. The sheer number of girls auditioning took me by surprise, even though I knew there would be loads. It was one group after another, full of excited and hopeful little girls. It was actually lovely to see so many children so into their ballet. Does anyone know the actual stats of applicants to places (for year 4 places, currently in year 3)?

My DD went for her audition today in Bham. She said: Started in a big circle, had to do skips and gallops Did some work at the barre, plies and tendus in first position Had to lie on their tummies and do a "seal" (?) Had to lie on their back and do a frog Bend down and touch their toes (for ages, apparently) When they were doing the exercises, the judged walked around the room and spoke to some children that were not doing it right (along the lines of "relax your arm" or whatever) She said a lot was barefoot, so either wear socks or those tights with holes in. Some girls had to dance in tights feet, which was presumably quite slippy/not the best. There were some other things they had to do, but she couldn't remember them/was fed up of telling me Overall, she loved it, had a great time and didn't feel under any pressure once in there. She was terribly nervous before!!!

Yes that move was amazing. Loved the matinée, a complete feast for all the senses. The house was full and nice to see all ages represented, specially young adults.

I feel like I will be starting a thread on how to sew in ribbons when the time comes! Thanks for the info @HopelessMummy

Thanks RachH, that's really helpful info.