Pups_mum

It is probably worth mentioning that ECG screening for these kind of disorders is a very specialist thing. I am a doctor who looks at ECGs on an almost daily basis and I wouldn't be able to do it, nor in fact would my adult cardiology colleagues. The doctors that read the ECGs for CRY are paediatric cardiologists from a unit with a specialist interest in these issues. They are expert in looking for the relevant changes, and also the management and wider implications if anything concerning is found. If you want your child screened I would strongly recommend this route rather than going to your GP or even a general cardiologist. It is free, though donations, both to CRY and the individual charities who fundraise for individual screening sessions, are of course very welcome. The only problem is that it is a very popular service and the sessions fill up extremely quickly. If you are interested, the best thing to do is to get on the e-mailing list via the CRY website and when you receive a notification of a screening in your area, book as soon as possible as they often fill within hours. It took me several months of trying to get a slot for my son, and we had to travel over 100 miles, but it was well worth it in my opinion.

We've always used Audacity too. I am not remotely technically minded but even I could manage simple editing and DD has used it for more complex stuff very successfully.

There are a lot of options to look at for post 18 training so it can seem a bit overwhelming. I would start by deciding whether it is definitely an MT course that she wants to do (given that you say that singing is a weakness) or a dance course. The acting element of an MT course might not be really necessary for the type of career path you describe. I know quite a few dancers who have been successful in gaining work on cruise ships etc as either "dancers" or "dancers who sing" having taken diploma or degree courses in dance rather than MT. A broad dance education with some singing might serve her better. Then I would look at the financial aspects. There is no point in her setting her heart on a course that then proves to be financially out of the question, so I would look at the funding options fairly early on. If she opts for a degree course obviously there is student finance, but just be aware that the maximum loan available for degrees at private institutions may be significantly less than the fees. For example, when my DD was offered a place at London Studio Centre a few years ago, the fees were something like £10500 per annum but only £6000 of loan was available each year. If she opts for a diploma there are no loans but she may be eligible for a DaDA and many colleges offer bursaries or scholarships. Living expenses are another consideration of course and it is probably worth researching the relative costs of living in different areas. A lot of the best known colleges are in London or the South East of course - Laine, Bird, Urdang, LSC, Performers to name but a few. All these are excellent colleges but there are good options in other parts of the country too, and living costs can be significantly less. For example, despite its name, Northern Ballet School in Manchester has a strong jazz strand and a good record for graduate employment in the type of work your daughter is interested in. I know a number of young dancers who have done well after attending SLP college in Leeds, and another under rated northern option is Preston College's professional dancers course. This course also includes ISTD teaching qualifications, and many of the graduates do go straight into teaching, but I have heard of others being successful with performing careers too. In your shoes I would have a good look at Preston as it sounds like it may tick a lot of the boxes for your DD. If you can get to Move It before she starts applying, that is a good opportunity to get information on a lot of colleges in one go, and you may be able to cross off some places without having to go there, or get particularly positive vibes about others. I can't remember when it is as it is quite a while since I was in your position but I am sure someone else will know! Best of luck to you and your daughter.

It is many, many years since I posted on NAPM but if I recall rightly I ended up using my work email address to register as they wouldn't accept "disposable" addresses like yahoo or hotmail which was all I had otherwise. So if you have a work email maybe try that ( assuming it isn't going to get you in trouble at work of course!) Alternatively, you could try asking your MT question here. You won't get the same volume of replies its true, but there are quite a lot of regulars here whose children have gone down the MT or more general dance route who might be able to help.

Thank you to the moderators and everyone involved in this forum. Its such a great place. I had decided to bow out earlier in the year as my DD is now an adult but I missed the forum too much and I can't resist sneaking back from time to time! I wish everyone a very happy Christmas. 🎅

It is also worth remembering that correlation and causation are not the same thing. Even if the children who also attend the other establishment do consistently achieve high marks it is not necessarily because of going there. It could equally be that the most able children are being "cherry picked" by the other place, or there could be some other independent variable that is resulting in the difference. But whatever it is, it is probably best not to dwell on it. As long as your niece is doing the best she can and is having fun, that is all that really matters at this stage. And at 6 years old, the fun is absolutely the most important thing of all. Theodore Roosevelt's famous quote is not universally true in my opinion, but for 6 year old dancers I think it is - comparison is the thief of joy in situations like this.

It is the same as say, county sports teams I suppose. There is no reason why a boy trying out for the County team my son plays for couldn't be selected for the first time at U16 level. Everyone has to try out at the beginning of each season. But in fact the majority of the squad have been there since U12 days, because they are the strongest players. Some have left because they lost interest or didn't develop as expected and some new ones have joined because they have improved a lot, come later to the sport or developed a deeper interest. But quite a lot are the "old guard." They get selected year on year because they perform well at the try outs and the dual aims of the County squad are to develop players for the future of the sport, and to perform as well as possible as a team in competition now. I accept there probably is some degree of bias, quite possibly unconscious, on the part of the coaches doing the selection. If two boys were very close technically and boy A is known to be reliable, accepting of corrections and a great team player whereas boy B is a totally unknown quantity I suspect boy A would be selected. Not 100% fair, and it could be argued that they should take a gamble on the new guy who might be even better, but human nature being what it is I imagine the "known" would be preferred. Then there is the confidence thing. I've noticed that my son plays much better when he is with friends, on a pitch he knows, doing something where he knows the format, knows the opposition etc. The players who have done County trials multiple times before do have a bit of a swagger of self confidence of them, so are more likely to play well and catch the eye of the selectors. I don't think anyone would really expect the selectors to pick anything other than what they believe to be the squad that has the best chance of good results and contains the players with the highest likelihood of progressing in the sport. Imagine saying to the top goalscorer "Well, yes, you were the best at the trials, you've won us multiple matches in the past and we think you have Olympic potential, but this year, just go back to your club. You've been picked for the last 3 years and we think it is time to give someone else a chance". It wouldn't happen would it? I think you can extrapolate much of the same thoughts to selection for youth ballets, associates etc. Each scheme wants the dancers who will put on the best performance and the ones that they feel have the highest chance of success in an outrageously competitive profession. The more experienced, as well as having the ability are also likely to have a proven track record and confidence that gives them a little bit extra at audition. There is always a far higher number of applicants than places and many, probably most, of those who apply will be competent and could benefit. Not being chosen doesn't mean a dancer is not good. But like the sports selectors, the audition panel will pick who they feel shows most potential on the day for the roles they have on offer. It isn't absolutely fair, or infallible - I don't think any subjective selection process can be. I would also think that having a cohort of children who "know the ropes" as well as being a high standard really helps the company. As I understand it (no personal experience) LCB audition everyone every year so the playing field is as level as it can be. But dancers who ticked all the boxes in the past are likely to tick them all again. I understand where you are coming from and I agree, ot can be frustrating to see what seems to be the same children getting picked for everything, but I can also see the company's point of view. There are lots of stories on here of yesses coming after long runs of nos though, so it is not always the case. (Sorry, that ended up longer than planned!)

I've no experience of this particular production as it is relatively new, but my DD did EYB multiple times when she was younger. Each production was excellent so I am sure your DD will have a fabulous time. It is hard work, but very enjoyable and there is always a lot to learn. In my experience, there are no "bad" parts in EYB. Yes, some children do get featured a bit more, with small group dances or solos, but everyone gets a good amount of time on stage, and even in the biggest groups I noticed that the choreography is done in such a way that every dancer is seen. My DD didn't always get the parts she had hoped for but she thoroughly enjoyed what she was given and learned new things every time, so I would say it is best not to think too much about specific parts. In my experience, those who go in with a positive attitude and embrace the opportunities that their part gives them have a great time and learn a lot. I think my DD got at least as much out of the daily ballet class as she did from learning and performing her part for the production in fact - she loved the whole experience. If she wasn't too old now I am sure she would be back like a shot. I have to confess to feeling a bit envious of those must starting out. Enjoy!

Sorry to hear this news @Fiz I can empathise as even though I am not a dancer I have had to more or less abandon my hobby this year due to a fracture that is resolutely refusing to heal properly. I'm waiting for surgery and hoping for a miracle too. Breaking bones when you are past the first flush of youth really stinks. Let's hope we both get our miracles. And @Viv I hope that you find another studio that works better for you - sounds like you're being treated very badly. I am sorry the owner doesn't value you as she should, as you sound like a real asset to the studio.

I know these are not the sort of character shoes the OP is looking for, but just in case it is helpful to anyone else I thought I would mention that Bloch Kickline shoes are nearly vegan. The soles and uppers are fully synthetic but apparently Bloch cannot guarantee that the glue is. There seem to be more vegan ballet shoes, both flat and pointe, than there were even a few years ago so I am sure it is only a matter of time before manufacturers catch on to the fact that people want other styles too. It isn't that long ago that my vegan friend had to get her DD's ballet shoes imported specially imported but now they seem to be fairly mainstream.

Good luck! I think the EYB version of Giselle is lovely. It is not one of my favourite ballets but I really enjoyed watching when my DD was in it, a good number of years again now. I preferred the EYB setting to the more usual version yo be honest!

I've said it before and I will say it again.....I really wish the government would just do away with DaDAs and make student loans available for Level 6 Diplomas as well as degrees. It would make things so much simpler all round. Dancers would be able to apply for courses that they really wanted to do, not just the ones their parents can afford, nobody would be faced with that horrid situation of being offered a place at their dream school but without funding, and the schools would know where they stand sooner too as people wouldn't keep multiple offers open whilst waiting for funding decisions. When I take over the world I will change things. 😋 ( Well obviously I would make all education free for everyone ideally, but failing that I would level the playing field a bit at least.)

@KeepDancing!! you are of course absolutely right that training of any kind needs to be age appropriate and, as a general rule, both time spent and intensity will increase as a young person matures. And of course nobody becomes skilled at anything without putting in a significant amount of time and effort. But I do think that there is a fundamental flaw in using quantitative measures to judge anything qualitative. It happens all the time of course - individuals and organisations tend to measure what is easiest to measure, not what matters most. You can't blame people really. Things like time and distance are easy to measure and are objective. Quality is neither. But I would say that rather than asking "how many hours should an X year old be doing" we should be asking "What kind of training should this X year old be doing". That is a far harder question to answer of course but it needs to be asked. I have come across young people, and their parents, in a number of fields who brag about their "how long" or "how far" and wear their exhaustion, and injuries, almost as a badge of honour. That isn't good for anyone.

That is good to hear. It is not just dance that is afflicted by this problem but times do seem to be changing. My son started a structured individual training programme in one of his sports this year. I was a bit worried about agreeing to this as I didn't want him overdoing things but his coach has actually reduced the hours he was spending on training. The focus is very much on training smarter, not longer. It is took a bit of getting used to with a fair bit of "oops, I'm over my target again this week" but he is adjusting now and has more time to sleep, get his homework done etc so feels less stressed. Plus he is performing better, both than he was before, and than a lot of his peers who are putting in more hours. I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks is the focus on "dedication" that comes with many sports, music etc as well as dance. Whilst it is without doubt that dedication is needed, that doesn't have to be synonymous with putting in hours and hours of relentless, repetitive practice. But a lot of people see it that way - if you are not flogging yourself you are not committed and dont deserve success. That is the attitude that needs to be changed in my opinion. It is good to see the RBS taking a more reasoned approach. I hope actions match words and the ideas spread far and wide.

I am sure you are absolutely right @drdance and @MAK though in my friend's case the other parents actually said "Oh, X College. That's a shame. My son is at Y College, they are far more selective" so I don't think there was any misinterpreting the intention there!

I was talking to a friend today whose child has recently started an Oxbridge science degree. There are still other parents making negative comments - apparently there are better colleges. 🙄 There will ALWAYS be people who chose to put the choices of others down. Often it is because of their own insecurities. Chances are, whatever a young person opts to do there will be someone, somewhere who will be critical. As a parent it can be very frustrating to hear your child or their choices "put down" but it really is best to let it go over your head. If I think someone is genuinely interested in the rationale behind my DD's choices I am very happy to chat, but I refuse to waste time and energy on justifying them to anyone who just wants to tell me how much better their child is - be that a non dancer or another dancer. (Because let's not kid ourselves that other dance parents don't also do this!) I find a smile and "How lovely. I am really pleased to hear X is doing so well" followed swiftly by a change of topic usually does the trick.

A friend of my DD's did Tap Attack associates for a while and really enjoyed it. I am not sure where the classes are held but I am sure there will be lots of info on their website.

Well I am not a dancer Ballet Bear, and I am a lot older than you, but I do have some experience of the anxiety that comes with starting to do things again after yiu have been injured. And the first thing to know is that those anxieties are NORMAL. There is nothing wrong with feeling that way and you are certainly not alone. Patience, and gradually working back up is key in my experience. Sometimes you have to push a little beyond your comfort zone, but do it gently and slowly so you don't set yourself back. That can be very frustrating of course, but remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare. Dont be afraid to talk to people, both the supportive adults in your life and your friends. They will probably be more understanding than you think. Bottling stuff up never helps. You have a lot on at the moment, your injury, auditions and I presume GCSEs. That can be very stressful. You might benefit from learning some relaxation strategies. Do you have a counsellor or a learning support department at your academic school? They may be able to point you in the right direction. I hope you feel better soon. Be kind to yourself!

Just ignore it. As long as you and your DD are happy with your decision it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. And you can't really know what was behind the comment either - there are all kinds of possible motivations, including just feeling the need to say something to pass the time. I wouldn't read too much into it. I've been asked if I am disappointed that DD did dance as my husband and I are both fairly academic. Yes, it is a bit insulting, but actually I just think it came from place of ignorance/curiosity rather than malice, and the person who asked is of no consequence to us really. So I just smiled and said "No, I am very proud of her".

@Paleblueleotard you are wise to advise caution on travel, but remember that not everyone has opportunities close by. My DD was travelling for more than 40 minutes to get to her ordinary ballet class at one stage. My son travels further than that for most of his sports activities. If I set a 40 minute travel limit on any of my children they would do very little. In fact school would be a bit borderline....though they might not mind missing that of course! 🤣 Of course it is sensible to consider the effects on the whole family of regular, long distance activities. Not everything is worth the journey. In fact I have just told my son that we can't take up a particular training activity 2 hours drive away as it is on a school night and we would not be getting home until gone 11pm. The gain doesn't justify the costs. It is a good programme, but not THAT good. If it were at weekends then maybe the cost/benefit analysis would be different. My advice would always to research thoroughly, weigh up the pros and cons, and personally I never let any of my children try out for anything unless I am sure that we can afford it as a family, in terms of time and well being as well as money. I have seen people go for things "just for the experience" and thinking "s/he will never get in anyway" only to find themselves with a "yes" and then either having a very upset child or putting themselves through the ringer to keep up something that is just too difficult. It can be really tough to decide what exactly the value of any given programme is, and how much pain it is worth of course, but I would also say, don't assume that biggest is always best and don't be afraid to ask questions.

I am currently recovering from a car crash in which I broke multiple bones and although they have healed I am still not "better" 8 months on unfortunately. Admittedly I am a lot older than your DD, and my fractures were complex, both of which will have impacted on my recovery time, but even allowing for that I would urge caution. Patience is definitely a virtue here. Even when the bones are healed, the soft tissue damage can take some time to recover, and the loss of muscle that results from immobilisation is often quite dramatic. Proprioception - the sense of knowing where your body is and how it is moving - is also often altered after an injury and has to be relearned. These factors mean that the risk of further injury is increased during the recovery phase so it is really important to follow physio advice and build gradually back up to full activity. It is very frustrating, especially for someone who is usually very active, but I would encourage your DD to be patient. Returning too soon after injury runs the risk of actually prolonging the recovery. I hope she has an uneventful recovery and feels better soon.

@BellaF personally I wouldn't. Application forms generally ask when an exam was taken as well as the result so anyone in the dance world is likely to know that High Distinction wasn't an official thing in 2019. In the same way, when I did my A levels I know I got one of the highest marks in the country in one subject, but I wouldn't say I got an A* as they didn't exist then. Personally I would never put anything that isn't entirely factual on an application form. As you say, exam results are largely irrelevant when it comes to auditions anyway.

I would always suggest choosing whatever the dancer feels shows them in their best light if there is an option. Often, but not always, this will be whatever they enjoy most. It is tempting to dwell on things like this if the outcome of an audition is not what you were hoping for, but there are so many factors and in reality one can never know if a different choice would have led to a different outcome. I always think it is best to be yourself in auditions, job interviews etc. If you have shown the real you to the best of your abilities and that is not what the panel are looking for then they are probably not right for you any more than you are right for them.

I think you are normal @HowMuch! When there has been a busy period and it goes quiet there is often a bit of a dip in mood - a bit like the days after Christmas, a wedding or other big family event. Particularly if your own social life is closely tied in with your child's activities you can feel quite isolated if there is not much going on. Plus it is tough when our children get "not yets". Even though we intellectually know that it isn't the end of the world, it still hurts emotionally, especially if other friends have had years and you see them enjoying an opportunity that your own child also wanted. I am not sure there is a solution, though time does bring a different perspective, but you are definitely not alone.

Before anyone says anything, yes, I'm aware ballet isn't a sport, but please bear with me! The similarities and differences between the sport that I coach and dance are often on my mind, and I think there is quite a lot that each could learn from the other. So I hope you will forgive me for posting something sport related that dropped into my inbox this week. Parents in Sport Week is an annual event supported by several high profile organisations including the NSPCC and Sport England, with the aim of encouraging positive parental/carer involvement in youth sport. This year's theme is the Sports Parents' Promise. Parents and carers are being encouraged to formally make a promise to their children which incorporates several elements related to safeguarding and good sportsmanship. I think it is also very relevant to dance and indeed many other activities that children and young people participate in. Have a look at the information in this link and replace the words sport and team with dance and school and hopefully you will see what I mean. https://thecpsu.org.uk/upcoming-events/2019-10-07-parents-in-sport-week/