Aurora

There's a lot of flexibility for Idta exams so probably any dancewear he owns would be suitable (any colour/style, split or full soles etc) but the teacher might request particular items so you'll really just have to wait and ask.

Darcy Bussell is 5'8" and she was considered very tall. Times have changed though and it does vary more now.

We're trying Centre Pointe in Manchester this year.

My dd does gymnastics for up to 6 hours per week. She's 8 hand hasn't had any problems with her dancing as a result of it, in fact it has certainly helped her flexibility. However I know that's not really the norm!

Funny how she talks about ballet remaining pure and true to its origins and yet she's doing super high leg extensions and over split leaps lol! Fab dancer, very muscly but yes the tights and proper clothing make her seem less so.

Good luck!!

There was a thread on it about a month ago, it was in an RAD email bulletin in February or march. Can't search for the thread easily as I'm on my phone but it was confirmed that they are definitely now permitted, guess they just haven't updated that document yet.

Bleeding, blistered feet certainly used to be quite normal and many children still suffer with this! Shoes and padding are improving all the time though which makes them more comfortable.

They are allowed now under RAD regulations although it really depends on your schools uniform, your teacher may or may not allow them. They have to have full soles at my dds school until grade 6 or inter foundation when split soles are required.

No there's no legal requirement until you are considered caring for a child for several hours a week I believe. Anatomy is included within the teacher training of most, if not all dance teaching societies.

No it's not a legal requirement to be qualified or even to have CRB clearance. The only way to really know if a teacher is good is to watch them teach and also look at what their former students have gone on to do (work professionally or get into vocational school etc). Students exam results if they are published are also a guide but you can't put too much faith in them as some teachers may spend years preparing all the children and get mostly distinctions but they might be 3 or 4 years older than another school who entered children at the same level and didn't get as many distinctions, also the examining boards assess at slightly different levels. Generally though if you choose a qualified teacher (in the UK at least) you stand a better chance of having good training. They will have had to train and pass teaching exams so they do know what they're doing. Also generally those who have completed qualifications (again in the UK) are perhaps those that are prepared to put the work in to be a good teacher and are more conscientious about what they do. I know it very different in some other countries, in the US it's very common not to be qualified.

When you have a stash of hairpins in your car! My dd usually takes her bun out in the car so I'm forever finding hairpins around the car!

Oh that's a shame. It's possible you just got through to an admin person who is more used to people withdrawing through choice. I would follow up with an email explaining how disappointed your son is and ask if there is any other way he can be considered as this was clearly beyond your control. whether he could attend at a later date, even just join in with a class one day or perhaps send a DVD of his dancing.

I wasn't arguing about the sentence construction, just explaining how I had understood it which was clearly incorrectly.

What does 'oy' mean?? Ah I've just googled it, for those in the UK it's exasperation and dismay. Charming.

Two sentences, the "for me" didn't seem to read into the second one. Plus a ballet could be a new ballet and have all the usual steps but also include an over split leap, that surely wouldn't make it a completely contemporary piece.

I don't think you can say outright "it's not ballet". There are new versions of choreography to traditional ballets all the time and even completely new ballets. If an over split leap happens to be included then so be it, that's the choreographers choice. If its not something you like then fine but it doesn't mean it's not ballet. Ballet is evolving, as do other things, all the time. Like I said, I'm not personally a fan of over splits but I acknowledge it's use and don't try and damn it by saying its just not ballet!

Yes there was a few weeks ago, about when the RAD started allowing split soles

I got the impression that split soles were discouraged for younger children as they didn't strengthen the feet as much. By the time they're in inter foundation though and en pointe they shouldn't really need thd resistance of a full sole any more. I would ask the teacher though and go with what he or she says Edited to add: I think the Demi-pointe shoes for intermediate and above have been much harder to enforce but they are still required.

I was thinking about the RAD syllabus really where there are just a couple of separate exercises and the dance for the boys in each grade but it's all taught in mixed classes. The boys do the girls bits and vice versa. Brilliant if there are separate boys classes too but don't think someone should have to pay for private lessons in order to learn the boys pieces.

Shouldn't the boys exercises be taught in normal classes? The girls presumably learn theirs then so why not the boys? Talking of price, a dance school/college near me charges up to £65 for an hours private lesson - ouch!!

I am not a fan over over splits but ballet is constantly evolving. Companies struggle to pull their audiences in to the theatre and ballet is often considered boring. If super high leg extensions and over splits get numbers through the door and thus allows companies to survive then so be it. Ballet purists may not like it but then they would go to see more traditional companies, there's no reason both 'styles' can't exist together. So overall I don't personally like it but im not against it per se and i would still go and see it in a theatre along with more traditional ballet.

Gaynor mindens last much longer than normal shoes but you need to check with her teacher if she's allowed them first! With that amount of pointe work you definitely need to rotate shoes to let them dry out properly in between, having 3 pairs on the go at the same time and rotating them.

'breaking in' is the term used in preparing them to be worn in class (eg bending the shank by hand, molding the box etc), 'broken' is the point at which they are too worn out to wear anymore (often the shank has literally snapped). If your daughter is getting through shoes very quickly as she did her last pair I wouldn't let her break them in at all before she wears them. Just doing her barre exercises in class wearing them should do that. If it is the shank (sole of the shoe) that wears out first you might consider getting her a pair with a harder shank so they last longer and give her better support when they start to go. These don't suit everyone though, it depends on how flexible and strong the foot is.

I found www.ballet4all.co.uk but I'm not convinced its the same thing and there's very little information in the website, no details about where and when the classes are etc