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Pups_mum

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Everything posted by Pups_mum

  1. It's not on the list of previously visited towns in the programme from Swan Lake.
  2. Fortunately not! I started a thread on this subject on the old forum last year as I was panicking, I'd tried a couple of the regulation designs on my DD in different sizes and couldn't get a decent fit. They looked and felt awful. I think if she had been forced to wear one I would have had difficulty getting her into the exam room. Lots of people responded reassuring me that any plain black camisole leotard was ok, and reporting similar problems with the regulation leotards so I was very relieved!
  3. Wow, this thread has covered a lot of subjects now hasn't it!? But yes, I think the suitability of theatres has a lot to do with the choice of towns/cities for EYB. I believe that a friend of a friend spoke to them some years ago about whether they'd consider coming to our nearest large town but they said there wasn't a suitable venue. I suppose it makes sense from a commercial point of view. They must need to sell a certain number of tickets to cover costs and pay the staff and principal dancers so they will have to choose theatres with enough capacity. I have a vague feeling that I've read about them doing 4 performances rather than 3 in smaller theatres occasionally, but that would have logistical problems and still be economically disadvantageous I suppose. It's a shame for those of us who live in more out of the way or smaller places but I guess particularly in these harsh economic times they are bound to opt for the venues where they feel most confident of balancing the books.
  4. Not sure how old your DD is swe but mine had a real energy dip around the time she first started her periods. She also went through a phase of having dizzy spells and lots of migraines (not just at dancing - anytime.) I was getting a bit worried but it all settled down after a few months so I think it was something hormonal that just resolved itself. I wonder if something similar could be going on with your DD? Has she just had a big growth spurt recently or anything? I definitely think it's worth taking her to the doctor though - always better safe than sorry. I hope she picks up soon.
  5. I'm taking my husband to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in June, to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. To complete the present I want to book a meal somewhere before the concert but being a country bumpkin who rarely travels to the capital I am clueless. I see there are several restaurants within the RAH itself and wondered if anyone would recommend one of these? Otherwise could anyone suggest anywhere reasonably close.I hadn't thought of any particular type of food, so all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for any advice.
  6. There are audition dates on the website now for Preston and Weston Super Mare in 2013 but it doesn't yet say when the performance dates are or which ballets they will be.
  7. Check your spam folder too! I think some email programmes automatically put any email that has been sent to a lot of recipients into spam so sometimes this type of message can end up in the wrong place.
  8. I first went when I heard that news until I realised that my DD will be doing her GCSEs in 2014 so now I'm feeling . I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's well before the exams, or ideally afterwards.
  9. It's not just you - I put one on once and it ended up being a huge picture taking up half the screen. i deleted it in embarrassment! I think the site must be automatically set up for that to happen.
  10. Getting back to the actual production, what were everybody's favourite bits? I loved the Swans and Cygnets (though obviously I'm biased!). I was really impressed by how well synchronised both groups of girls were. I also really enjoyed the dances in Act 3, especially the Spanish dance. And the little Tzar's nephews and nieces were adorable - I thought they all got into character beautifully and the choreography for them was lovely. The whole production was very enjoyable but I think those were the parts I enjoyed most. I'd love to hear what everyone who saw either the Dartford or Newcastle performance enjoyed most.
  11. On the subject of boys getting hassle for dancing, I once heard an older boy tell a story about his classmates teasing him for doing ballet. He apparently said "Well I spend most evenings surrounded by beautiful girls in leotards and they all think I'm great. What do you do after school?" I bet that gave the teenage bullies something to think about!
  12. True. Obviously if your DD ever dances in a professional company it will be danced better as it will be being danced by professionals, not children. EYB is a commercial organisation, not a charity, so of course we have to pay. I don't think they make any secret of that. If you don't feel you got value for money, the simple answer is not to go back. If you are in the South East I'm sure there are lots of other schemes within reach. Maybe if you start a thread asking then other members in your area will be able to suggest something that might be more suitable to your DD's needs. Good luck finding something.
  13. No, not in my experience. It's a totally different ball game. At a festival the adjudicator is making a judgement on who s/he thinks performs a 1.5-2 minute dance best on the day. Those selecting for vocational schools/associate programmes are more interested in potential and are taking a longer term view. My DD does moderately well at festivals overall, and quite often wins the ballet but would stand no chance of a place at vocational school. Of course there are those who both do well at festivals and go on to vocational schools (I know some such chldren) but I don't think there's a strong link.
  14. I think height is a big factor in the casting process. It has to be really. Apart from the logistics of the costumes, which I presume can only be altered within certain limits, the groups do look best if they are all similarly sized. There's no getting away from the fact that if you have a group of 6, and 5 are 5ft 4 adding one of 4ft 10 (or 5ft 8 come to that) would look very strange. That can sometimes lead to children who are either small or tall for their age being placed in groups with children who are either older or younger than them. I can see that might make the experience less enjoyable for some children. Equally if a child is ahead of their peers technically then they can either be cast with older children in which case they may not make friends, or cast with similarly aged children in which case they may feel that they aren't dancing to their full potential. This is unfortunate, but it's the way of the world isn't it? I don't think this problem is exclusive to EYB either. I've heard of similar issues with other youth companies and at summer schools too. I can't think of an answer though I'm afraid.
  15. Yes, she did Swan Lake and this was her 3rd and hopefully not last EYB experience.She loves it. She didn't find the steps she was asked to do in her dances on any of the occasions especially challenging (though says that particularly this year the classes beforehand were quite stretching at times.) She certainly hasn't performed any steps on stage that she couldn't do before. But that's not why she does it. I think there's a lot more to it than that. She has learned a huge amount about dancing in a group, particularly this year. At home she's a fairly big fish in a small pond and has had plenty of solo parts in local shows etc but never danced in a big ballet group like the Swans before. She learned a lot about timing, spacing and team work. And about performance, which is the big thing at EYB. I think she did get help with technique (in class rather than rehearsals )but that's not really why she goes. She goes because she loves to perform and she's always given it 100%, even when she has felt that she was not being technically stretched. This year her grandparents came to watch and I was concerned that as they are quite elderly and were sitting in the circle they might not be able to pick her out. DD replied that she hoped they couldn't, because her role was to turn herself into a swan and she shouldn't be distinguishable from the other swans. In her words "We've got to be a tight knit team, not try and stand out as individuals". This was new for her and I was proud of her for "getting it". I don't thing EYB is necessarily the right scheme if you want to be technically stretched, that's why their "tag line" is "Performance Experience". A summer school or associate scheme might be better if you are after technical strengthening, but I think EYB very much does what it says on the tin. We love it and can't wait for the next chance to come around.
  16. Yes, that's right. Festivals are basically competitions. They might be soley dance, or are sometimes combined with a music and/or speech and drama festival. They vary hugely in size from small local affairs to big national competitions like the All England, The British and International Federation of Festivals website will give you an idea what it's all about. http://www.federatio...stivals.org.uk/ People tend to have strong views on the subject - some very anti, some very pro. I'm somewhere in between personally. My DD does do festivals but only a few a year and we don't take it very seriously. I do think she's learnt from them though, in life skills terms as much as performance and as long as she enjoys doing them it's fine by me. I think as long as you see the festivals as your slave not your master they are fine, but some people do seem to take them very seriously and I dont think that's too healthy myself.
  17. Did your daughter enjoy herself? That's what I'd suggest you base your decision on, not other people's experiences. I don't suppose there is a course or scheme of any kind in the world that suits everybody. If your DD had a good time and you are satisfied with the EYB experience then let her audition again. If not, don't. You've got your own experience to go on so why worry about other people's views? I've got pretty strong views about people dropping out of rehearsals for anything part way through (unless because of ilness or something else serious of course) but I had perhaps better keep them to myself.
  18. Would this be of any good? No personal knowledge but the website looks interesting. http://www.duchyballet.co.uk/index.htm
  19. That's lovely. I hope she has a great time. How old is she?
  20. My advice would probably be to not get into discussions about BMI in all honesty. Whilst it's a kind of broad guide to healthy weight it's not the be all and end all of weight assessment. The adult calculations aren't always applicable in children and it's a measure that can be particularly unreliable in athletic type people because they have lots of muscle. One of my friend's sons is a serious rugby player and he is a big lad, but absolutely NOT fat, he's solid muscle. However, according to BMI he is obese! I calculated my DD's BMI for curiosity after my friend told me this and she was just within the "normal" range, though to look at her I would describe her as slim and healthy. So I don't have much faith in it and certainly wouldn't want my DD trying to reach a lower BMI. I would urge caution.
  21. I agree with this. I think it is perfectly reasonably to say "no" to any schemes that are too far away/too expensive/not practical for the rest of the family but I think that's best done before the audition. My DD was previously interested in auditioning for a CAT but when I looked at the logistics I felt that it would be unfair on the rest of the family and would probably actually prevent her from doing quite a lot of other things.We had a talk about it and she understood my reasons but I don't think she would have coped well if I had let her audition, she'd been successful and then I'd said no. I'll admit that I did briefly consider letting her go, on the assumption that she probably wouldn't get in and then I wouldn't have to be the villain of the piece but a wise friend pointed out that that was a plan that could go badly wrong! Since then I have had the policy of only letting her apply for things that are definitely do-able for us. That said, everyone's idea of "do-able" is different. We live in a rural area and our nearest big cities are all over 2 hours drive away so we're used to having to travel. I remember on the old forum on a thread about EYB someone said they'd love to do it but the venues have never been less than an hour from them and that was too far. I'd think all my Christmases had come at once if we only had to travel an hour! Depending on location, family, finances, job etc what seems totally crazy for one person will be perfectly reasonable for another, but I agree that it's sensible to decide what your own limits are and stick to them.
  22. Oh no, I'm so sorry. I'm sure everyone here joins me in sending virtual hugs to you both. xx
  23. Hmm, that's tricky. I think most of us have at some point or other got swept along with our child's enthusiasm for something and later realised that the logistics were more difficult than we had originally thought. In your shoes I'd probably give it a go. It's a great opportunity and your DD must have done fantastically to be selected.If it was my DD in that situation I think I'd feel I had to try to make it happen. If you don't, I think you may both always wonder "what if" but if you try and it doesn't work out, you'll at least know you tried your best. I would hazard a guess that if the travelling does prove too much then your DD will realise that herself. Good luck, and congrats on her success.
  24. No personal experience (DD has done EYB 3 times but not Giselle) but a couple of our friends have been in Giselle. From what I remember, most of the girls on pointe were Willis though a few of the older ones had parts as Giselle's friends. There is a group of Wood Nymphs who are usually around 11-12 I think and they are sometimes on pointe, sometimes not, depending on the particular cast. Not sure about other parts sorry but if you have a look on the EYB website there will be photos and videos that might give you some clues. Hope you all enjoy it. EYB is such an enjoyable experience. DD finished on Tuesday and is already wanting to do it again!
  25. Congrats to everyone involved in this week's performances. I think everyone will agree that the production was a fabulous success. My DD and I had a wonderful time and are just sorry it's all over now. Feeling a bit "flat" this morning now it's all finished, but looking forward to getting the dvd and being able to watch it all over again, this time with DD. Well done to all the dancers - you were all great.
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