Kerfuffle

Thank you Ballet Bean! I am so looking forward to seeing where it takes her! 😀

Yes you are right, Peanut 68 we’re about to embark on vocational costs for the first time - and I think we have been very lucky to be in this position. She only got really serious about ballet at about 13. We missed out on DaDa because we were slightly over the threshold so this year is going to be particularly expensive for us but there is no way we could have denied her this opportunity! I’m hoping it will bear fruit and she’ll thrive whatever happens - at least she will have given it a go! I agree with your Pops 🤗!

Are you talking about vocational training ? I don’t think we’ve spent anything near that but maybe we have been lucky !

We love Beatrix Stix- Brunell’s journey too! She was a fab ballerina and is still young enough to thrive academically too - inspiring stuff! I guess anyone leaving graduation year from upper school in U.K. would be about 20 so almost a mature student! It’s easy to feel worried about our DC’s futures in the arts but I’d hope that with good GCSEs (fingers crossed) and a well respected school on her CV as well as a level 5 diploma my DD will have some options open still.

I keep being told that good unis are impressed by ex dancers. If you have a diploma or degree from a top dance school is it well respected and easy to get more qualifications in a related area? (I’m thinking of arts / humanities - I know that science might require specific a levels).

I think the main difference is that the principal characters in opera are employed as free lancers so are likely to be paid considerably better than principal ballerinas. The chorus is more like a corps.

Hi Anna C is right, it’s best not to worry about associates and apply to your dream schools as well as some others. Most schools look for the following : What are you looking for? (From ENBS FAQ) •The applicant must have the physical capacity to become a professional dancer, • The applicant must have turn out, arched feet, a flexible back, and flexible legs, • The applicant must have good musicality, coordination, and use of space. I would talk to your ballet boost associate teacher when you join, they should be able to give you advice and also recommend places. My daughter is going to ENBS this September and has never been an associate there. She is not at a vocational school either, so it is possible. Good luck !

I have noticed this in the past too and it probably is a mix of things. My daughter didn’t get into JA in year 6 in spite of having been encouraged to apply by a JA teacher on another RBS related course. She was much taller than the others at the time and it felt like there was a certain type they were looking for. I think the successful candidates were more prepared than my daughter was and maybe gave a better vibe (more confident and sure of what was going on) at the audition, thanks to their teachers being experienced at putting children forward. 4 years later my DD tried again for RBS SA and was successful. By then she was much more average looking in terms of height etc and had all the splits etc they look for. So in conclusion perhaps going to a school that has connections does help but I can’t tell you for sure! Sometimes the RBS teacher also happens to teach at associates and I guess that might have a small influence. When it comes to changing schools I would only do that if there were other reasons to move.

I can recommend an excellent ballet physio, if you like DM me. He also runs conditioning courses during the holidays online.

Thanks for the recommendations. Unfortunately white Bloch seems to be sold out (too many intensives?) so I’ll probably get a capezio, new or nearly new! It’s got to look spangly white as it’s for a YAGP gala 😉

Capezio sounds good! This one will definitely get used as it’s part of a gala that all the dancers do every year 🙂

Hi my DD is attending an intensive this summer which requires her to have a white tutu practice skirt to wear in performances. Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced one with 7 (or thereabouts) layers ?

I think in person is better going by the audition process - much easier to really perform and less chance that the examiner looks at it repeatedly. I also think that generally most people look better in real life than video.

Dancers often use the applause to give the other dancer time to recover - it isn’t just an egotistical thing 😉

How about topping up your diploma to a full degree? We were told that was an option at ENBS - a further 18 months study - I wonder if you can get a student loan in that scenario? If you pay the fees because you never qualified for a DADA does that mean you are still able to access a student loan later ? We are in the same situation as a couple of you - we don’t qualify for DADA and have a son starting his degree around the same time. It’s a bit of a nightmare because we work as freelancers and it’s incredibly hard to plan !

My DD had one with a hoop and it folded up very easily in our luggage.

I agree. The main purpose should be to supplement regular training especially if your hours are limited . It’s also worthwhile if you’re training in a different method. I think upper schools are only interested in what they see in front of them at auditions - it’s a bit of a red herring thinking that a dance cv will make much difference and parents shouldn’t feel under pressure like it’s some kind of balletic arms race. Same goes for intensives.

I really don’t think any school would hold it against you if you didn’t accept a place on an associates. If they like what they see they will give you an offer !

I would choose an associate programme according to what you think the course might offer you rather than if it will help you get into the associated upper school. It’s not surprising that not many associates get a ENBS upper school place, any more than with RBS SA - RBS upper school rate of acceptance . Both of those schools are able to choose from a wide range of students including many from around the world!

Such an exciting time! I love the creative collaborations with Picasso and Stravinsky.

I don’t believe that vaganova encourages freeze framing, it’s a very lyrical style and typically Russian dancers move with a huge amount musicality. The freeze framing I have seen is more of a competition habit where dancers get so obsessed by showing control that they forget that the music is continuous and that they should keep moving. This also happens in competitions when doing too many pirouettes that don’t fit the music. Vaganova like Ashton also pays a lot of attention to the upper body - with flexible backs, expressive arms and heads. Our British ballet owes a lot to the Russian tradition as well as Ceccheti and the French through Ballet Russes and Diaghilev.

Yes our one is Nervi. I think they both look a lot of fun with performances and being in Italy what is there not to like?

Hi Neverjustadancemum is this the YAGP summer intensive? I don’t know much about it but there are videos etc online and I think it’s often a prize at YAGP competitions. My DD has a scholarship to something similar this summer, also in Italy. I think they both include master classes with ADs from top European schools although I don’t know which ones specifically for this year. For example from places such Dutch National, Princess Grace etc. I think it would be a good experience for her if she wants to explore what these teachers offer - there might be several different ones over the week. I think the other dancers are likely to have won their places to be on these intensives so you’ll get a good idea of the standard internationally.

Thanks Spidey, my DD is very excited! I’m so pleased your daughter loves it and I’m feeling very optimistic that mine will too.

My DD is starting at ENBS this autumn and I was just wondering if anyone else here is in the same situation?