Kitschqueen_1

I'll second that. We saw them in Leeds last year, absolutely amazing dancers and innovative choreography. There was even audience participation in the final piece....genius!! :-)

Brilliant news, you must be so relieved...and only a week off dancing! :-)

I echo what everyone else has said, it is an orthopoedic assessment you need in the first instance. When my dd was younger and very involved in artistic gymnastics, she dislocated her knee cap. Her coaches actually popped it back in but they immediately stopped her from weightbearing on it and sent us straight to A&E. Luckily it was a straightforward dislocation with no further complications but if i remember correctly she was advised not to weight bear on it all for 2 weeks and no gymnastics or dance for a further 4-6 weeks. It healed completely and she has had no further problems with it. Wishing you dd a speedy recovery.

When I was a teenager I had a regular babysitting job and the family had a beautiful St Bernard dog. One evening I was due to sit for them and as I approached their house, "the dog's dead" just popped into my head. Sadly I was right, he had managed to get off his lead, run into the road and been hit by a car :-(

If it is the RB version you're interested in then it's worth buying The Sun newspaper during November and looking out for the voucher to apply for Paul Hamlyn tickets. If you're successful you can get up to 6 tickets from £9.50 (max price £19!). The performances are usually a Saturday in early December so Covent Garden is beautifully decorated and really Christmassy, there were even reindeer to stroke 2 years ago! We have been successful for the last 2 years and it really is a fantastic afternoon/ evening. There are lots of activities and workshops organised for children at The Opera House too. :-)

Pilates is done weekly at my Dd's CAT scheme and is very much seen as a complimentary activity. :-)

I've absolutely loved this series; we have had long discussions about it at work every Monday morning trying to figure out what was going on. Not seen last nights final episode yet, will watch on catch up tv later.

Well, my dd and I went to watch Jasmin Vardimon's piece for NYDC at the Lowry last night. Wow, we were blown away by the energy and the faultless performance of this talented group of young dancers. I found the choreography brutal but also incredibly moving. It was such a shame that the theatre was half full and not more people took advantage of seeing this wonderful performance. I shall certainly look forward to seeing more of Jasmin's work but also what the NYDC can achieve with Akram Khan next year :-)

Totally agree Drdance and the industry expects them to look like young girls too.

Hi, I have no personal experience of this but my dd attends a CAT scheme at NSCD that offers a full time foundation course in contemporary dance that many students audition for and attend before applying for the degree course. Is this similar to what your Dd intends to do? I have no idea if it is classed as a level 3 Btec course but it would, as you say be completely different than the generic dance courses offered in a FE college. Is your dd's course a specialist course in contemporary dance and therefore could you argue the specialist nature of it would be essential for your dd to continue her contemporary training? Is it your CAT scheme that organises the residential support scheme? I would have thought they would be best placed to be arguing with the LEA about why their course is the most suitable for your DD. Wishing you lots of luck and I hope you get the best outcome for your dd :-)

My Dd really finds the creative and improvisation classes at her contemporary CAT scheme challenging, as do a lot of the students who have come from ballet backgrounds. Ballet is such an exact science where she is used to being told where every foot, leg, arm, hand and head should be placed, that to take risks feels very alien to her and really pushes her out of her comfort zone. Whilst some grades do include improvisation, free movement and choreography is often overlooked in syllabus work yet these are skills that are becoming more and more relevant.

Thanks Taximom

Does any one know, as a UK citizen, whether or not you can apply for student finance if you are studying abroad?

I remember my DD having a particularly bad exam session whereby she got a fabulous grade in her ballet but was then failed in her modern and tap! The examiner in question has a well renowned performing arts college and I remember that at the time we couldn't wait for my dd to turn 14 so she could attend the summer school there. Needless to say, after those results I decided I wasn't giving that examiner a penny of my hard earned cash!! :-D Anyway, whether she or the examiner were having an off day, it was a lesson learnt to dust herself down, deal with the disappointment and carry on working hard.

My dd's away in Spain that week but I might book myself on........he's soooo good looking! ;-) :-D

You know we are all behind u and your beautiful dd. Don't know what else to say other than enjoy each minute, each moment :-) xx

If your dd wants to keep in touch then she will find a way to do this. This situation is impossible to predict because it depends on the individual children. My dd didn't go to vocational school but went to a grammar school in a different town in year 7, all her friends went to the local comprehensive school. She met new people and made new friends, her interests changed and gradually she had less in common with those original friends. Her dance friends at her CAT scheme have equal importance to her as her school friends because of their love of dance and shared experiences but again none of these went to primary school with her. I have no close friends from my school days ( either primary or senior school). The people who I class as my lifelong friends are those I met at university, from the jobs I have had and the people I have met in my adult life. I feel this is because I have lived in many different towns, cities and countries. However, as others have said they are still best of friends with the people they met at primary school. We all develop and move on, sometimes those friends move with us, sometimes they don't. It doesn't mean we don't appreciate the people we have met and the friendships we have had in the past. Some are sustainable, others are not. Of course Facebook and mobile phones weren't available when I was young and used responsibly they can facilitate positive communication and maintain friendships. I wish your dd the very best of luck for the next stage in her life. :-)

Congratulations to your Dd Clara. I'm sure she will have an amazing time :-)

My Dd and I are so looking forward to watching NYDC perform Jasmin's piece at The Lowry in July

Just managed to find out the school term times on the very small bit of the website that is in English and they shut on Saturday, the day we set off for France! :-D. So typical but I know where it is now so it will be worth going to have a look as it does look an impressive place.

I would never know that you both found it photographically challenging, both sets of pics are absolutely stunning! :-)

Ouch!!!!! No wonder you're feeling sorry for yourself! :-( Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Thank-you for resurrecting this thread molarescu. My dd's two loves are contemporary dance and the French language; her CAT tutors are adamant that she should be pursuing a career in dance but just in case, her plan B is to complete a French and History degree at King's College in London. We have had discussions with them about combining the two, finding a contemporary dance school in France or French speaking country and the research is underway! Afab, I hope you don't mind me asking you but you are our resident French expert :-). It would be the contemporary strand she is interested in applying and auditioning for but would be completing A levels in the UK first (French being one of these) thus would be 17/18 when applying. I'm guessing at that age she would be able to rent/ share accommodation independently of the Conservatoire. Also could you tell me when the French schools and colleges finish for the summer? We are driving down to the Dordogne next Saturday for 2 weeks and are planning to visit Paris for a few days. Just wondering whether the CNSMDP would still be open & whether it might be worth contacting them or turning up for an impromptu visit! :-)

Thank-you for sharing the photos Dave and John. It looks amazing, I wish I lived near enough to go and see this.

Thanks for posting this Janet, my dd is already booked into The Lowry workshop and we are watching the performance that evening. Akram Khan, how exciting!!! :-)