Aurora

Where has she been training up to now?

Perhaps it would be best for now to just put your dd in a local school just so she is at least doing some dance. Maybe you could manage a monthly rather than weekly associate programme and other than that get her into good summer programmes, at least a couple to help keep her up to speed or as much as possible anyway. There are probably some Easter courses around too. Maybe travel to a good teacher for a 2 hour monthly private lesson or something too? All pretty costly but less than Hammond fees at least!

What's CYQ??

That's great Lildancer, I'm really pleased for you!

I couldn't either so I contacted them. You just need to give them your name and postal address and they'll send you details when they're available.

Ah that's good news C4D

Hang in there, it's early days. Chances are it will pass xx

Swanprincess are you sure it's bent? If you're swayback maybe it just feels like it is. If it is indeed bent its probably a case of practising releves using a mirror to find the correct 'straightness' of the knee! Pulling up without swaying back.

When doing plies in 4th, at the barre say, the weight should be centred, equally distributed. For a pirouette prep en dehors from 4th you want to put slightly more weight over the front foot but not all the weight. That tiny adjustment shouldn't cause rolling or twisting.

Good luck those that are off to vocational school, I hope you're very happy there

Well I would do it one of 2 ways:

1) gently - suggest just having a try there to see what she thinks. If need be see if she can do some classes at each school so she still sees her friends etc.

2) tough love - take to choice away from her and just do it, she'll probably thank you eventually!

It's very good training but I do think some of the more well known schools still have an edge - whether that's due to more variety of teachers, higher standard of teaching, more commercially relevant training etc I'm not sure. Probably a combination of things the commercially relevant work was mentioned by a graduate as being slightly lacking. Plus I guess because they do teacher training it probably takes away from actual technical training at a high level as that won't all be high level work.

Both girls I know that went there have struggled to find professional contracts. One had a summer tour with a small dance troupe plus pantomimes but she has also reached the final stages of auditions for slightly higher level work like cruise ships and other contracts. She's doing a lot of teaching now and I don't think she's really trying to 'make it' as a dancer now. The other girl left the course in her 2nd year as she wasn't that happy there, had a short term contract but isn't now dancing and I don't think she's auditioning either.

So overall it is very good for a funded course and has the bonus of teacher training. But if you really want to do well and get pro contracts I think you need to stick with better known colleges perhaps, in my opinion.

I did look on your site actually Just Ballet but couldn't find any wide ones. Have found and ordered some Roch Valley ones now anyway

I wish her feet would stop growing full stop, she'll be in adult sizes soon at this rate - she's 8 years old and in size 4 school shoes!!

OK I've ordered some Roch Valley ones, if they don't fit I'll try the local shop but won't get my hopes up lol!

My dd had some satin Sansha shoes that were wide - too wide for her, as it turned out. It's very tricky fitting ballet shoes; if your local shop doesn't stock a very big range, could they order some in for your dd to try?

Possibly but it's not the most helpful shop generally and I doubt they'd get them in time now. She's got some canvas split soles she could wear in the interim but I think she'll want to have the right ones for the first class.

Just found some Katz ones too (perhaps I should have searched for longer before posting on here!!) - they made me laugh though as they say "E fitting for the broader foot" - my daughter varies between G and H width fittings!!

Ah ha, just found some Roch Valley ones on Dancewear Central, never heard of them!

Oh no she's only 8! Yes, I'm prepared to travel to find a good fitter when we reach that pointe lol!

Do you know an online shop that sells them? I've tried about 10 but none of them stock any wide satin shoes!

My dd needs full sole satin shoes for Elmhurst Associates which she starts next Saturday. She had some last term that fitted her but they're too tight now and I can't find a pair that fits!

I've now had 4 pairs which I've ordered online but they're all too narrow. I tried 2 different sizes in 1st position (the brand Elmhurst prefers and the brand she was wearing last term) and when they were no good I tired 2 different sizes in the Capezio Daisy brand as I know they're wide but they're still too tight on the width. I can't go any bigger on the length as there is some room at the end as it is.

There are no decent shops locally that would have a selection of shoes. Can anybody recommend any other shoes which come up very wide? Or any brands that specifically do a 'wide' option and where I could buy them from?

I'm dreading pointe shoes, she'll have a nightmare getting fitted for them, school shoes are bad enough, and now soft ballet shoes too!

Yes Preston is post 16 and instead of A levels though you could possibly do them as evening classes, I know of someone who did 2 like that. They do take older than 16 though, I know of someone who went there in her early 20s. The standard is pretty high overall and you can do ISTD teacher training in all techniques. Plus there's no fees to pay which is a bonus!

Completely flat shoes aren't good for the Achilles, she obviously needs to wear them in class so for school she should certainly try to wear shoes with a slight heel. I would say any young dancer should always get school shoes professionally fitted and try to go for more supportive styles.

Principals and senior soloists probably earn decent money but not the majority. It would be nice for them to be paid more when they've put so much into getting there. But it's not as though the dance companies are raking it in either, most of them are struggling to stay afloat!!

Elmhurst requests 1st position shoes from IDS for their associates but they do say other brands can be worn if they don't suit the feet - good job as my dd's feet are too wide for that brand!

I think most teachers just accept that classes at that level usually make a loss and count on the classes for the younger children covering the expenses. Having said that, our school has got 7 students in advanced 1 at the moment!