siana

Thanks glowlight, she is really looking forward to it. She has already signed upto the ROH student membership ! She will probably end up lodging somewhere in West Kensington/Earls Court area.

Thanks for all the replies, I will have a good look at all the suggestions and discuss it with my DD. There's an awful lot to do before she starts in October, finding somewhere to live, sorting out transport, moving in as well as the academic stuff .So she would like to have organised or at least know what she has to organise on the dance front sooner rather than later.

Thanks Anna C. I've just had a quick look and I couldn't see those classes. It looks like they are just running inter-found and inter classes ?

Hi My daughter has now graduated from Durham , she had a great time there both socially and academically and with her dance. She danced for a number of the DU dance teams, choreographed and danced in the Advanced Ballet team and also danced in the University Ballet Company. I would highly recommend Durham for those who want to still dance but for whatever reason don't end up pursuing it as a career. She is going to Imperial College in October to do her Masters so will be looking into her options for dance in London. There are dance societies at Imperial and shes aware RAD do run some external dance classes. Can anyone help with any further info or details,she is especially interested in doing her Advanced Ballet cert having passed Intermediate 3 years ago. Thanks.

Wow, its a small world! Did you go because of your connection with the teacher? Sorry for the late reply but I don't check on here much anymore. My daughter played one of the Queens two attendants. She really enjoys doing the company classes and says the teacher is fantastic. My daughter choreographed the Advanced Ballet competition team that year as well, which placed first in all the inter university dance comps. Its given her a whole new interest and could be something dance related she takes further.

Good luck and I hope your daughter enjoys university. My DD is in her second year of a geophysics degree at Durham and is really enjoying her time there because she is still dancing. First year she just joined the ballet dance team who compete against other universities while this year she has also joined the Ballet Company who do 1 production a year - maybe this is something that may be avalable at your daughters university? My DD says the outlet to still dance provides a big relief from the high work pressures on her course and she wouldn't do as well without it.

If you're sure your daughter won't be dancing as a career why doesn't she just do some other degree at a university where there is plenty of dance classes/performances available. My daughter is going to Durham Uni next week doing this, the university have a number of dance societies running classes and performances of a high standard. My daughter is lookking at joining the ballet company which rehearses 3 times a week.Apatr from this there are normal ballet classes for grades from intermediate to advvanced as well as other dance styles. Attending unis in Manchester , Birmingham , Leeds or London would also give her this option

Thanks for confirming this.

Thanks for the reply. We knew about the Northern ballet school there but didn't know there were evening classes being run there.

Thank you. I notice you're in Liverpool. You don't have any recommendations for good ballet schools there or nearby?

Wow, thats amazing. Is your DD's friend going to ENB or RAD? And if so what are her thoughts?

Thanks for the reply, you've brought up some the things she has been thinking about. Although she would really have loved a career in classical ballet she had accepted by the time she was 14/15 that probably wasn't going to happen because of her height but she loves her dancing so much she still continued and will continue I think.

Hi Thanks all for your comments and advice. They have been very helpful. With regards to picking a university , there is very little to academically to choose between Imperial College and Durham for the subject my daughter has chosen(Geophysics) - so the decision comes down to accommodation, surroundings and dance . She liked the accommodation at both and they both have pluses and minuses for surroundings so opportunities for dance will influence her decision. WE've since found out Durham does have its own dance company as well as a dancesoc that provides training and teams that enter competitions. We weren't aware of or had thought about the opportunities in Newcastle so that is something to consider. My daughter will be staying over in Castle College on Monday night and has Monday and Tuesday to look round Durham in more detail so this will help. With regards to doing exams - she really enjoys the challenge and had thought that it would enable her at some time to do some teaching so she would like to continue with her Advanced ballet. At the moment Durham is ahead because of the surroundings but she keeps going back to Imperial because of its accessibility to ENB and RAD - I think she has till May to make up her mind. The only thing she still needs info is Liverpool, does anyone have any suggestions for good ballet schools there? At a push she could travel home from there for classes but its not really a good option. Thanks again for your input everyone.

Hi all My daughter is off to university in September and is in the processing of making her choice for First and backup picks. She is a very keen dancer and has just passed intermediate tap with distinction and is working on her RAD Advanced ballet(she has completed her grades) - ballet is her first love but I she would like to be able to carry on with the tap as well. As a consequence her choices for university will be influenced slightly by whether she can carry on with her dancing while there. Her first pick is between Imperial College , London and Durham Unversity. Obviously RAD and the ENB run classes for external students so London would be good. SHe has read that Durham have a ballet company on campus but doesn't know what the standard is - and has no idea of whether there are any good schools in the area? Can anyone help with information either to confirm what she thins she knows about london(do the RAD and ENB do external classes?) or about the Ballet at Durham University or schools in the area. Her backup pick (which it isn't likely she will have to use , but I believe in always being prepared) is between Manchester or Liverpool Universities. We know there is a Ballet school on Oxford rd as she went to summer school there once but we don't know whether they do external classes . We know nothing about the ballet in Liverpool so again any information would be much appreciated. Thanks

My daughter did Intermediate Foundation in 2011 and got merit, she did grade 7 in 2012 and got merit then as well. However her dance teacher isn't putting her in for any exams this year and has told her you have to leave 2 years between grade 7 and 8 . I am a bit concerned that she is just keeping my daughter back as it wouldn't be convenient for her. My daughter is the only student at the moment who has grade 7 and uptil last year the only intermediate foundation so the senior classes she dances in are all at least a year behind her. Is this length of time between these exams normal? My daughter turned 15 this year and would like to finish her grades and vocational exams before going to college. Is this situation normal when you get to the higher grades?