Karen

I would suggest you go to the Department for Education web site and use the link to contact them to ask the question. That should give you a definitive answer. Hope you can get it sorted.

Thank you, but think I have got to the bottom of it now!

Thank you, will do

Will do so when I'm there today. Would you be happy to pm me with an email or phone number for people to contact you if they are interested?

I have been reading the thread about ISTD modern ages and grades with interest as I have similar concerns about my dd and her bring able to take gd4 stage modern with her classmates this summer. NATD do not appear to publish their grade/age regulations and I wonder if anyone out there can offer any ideas. Thanks.

Has anyone been to the early performances? We are booked for 22nd May and would love some feedback to whet our appetite! Thanks

Sorry to hear of your op and the need to pull out. I have already bought my tickets but will make sure I spread the word amongst others and will contact you via the forum if anyone expresses an interest. Best wishes to you all

Please tell us how it went! I bet it was wonderful!

My dd is a wood nymph - also dancing on pointe and delighted! Her 2 older friends are both ghosts (on pointe) and younger friends are scullery and parlour maids, not on pointe. I'm guessing the ghosts are renamed willis! I will look out for you dancing10 - I was the one helping to register and give out numbers yesterday when the team were stuck in traffic!

I haven't kept paperwork, so am relying on memory, but I think the 'no' letter from one school's finals explained the grounds on which appeals could be made- illness on the day and if you felt that the audition had not been carried out within the school's published process and not much else as far as I recall.

Anyone off to casting today? Have had to explain story to DD in case she's told she's a willi and gets a fit of the giggles!! Would love to meet some other ballet.co.ukers there!

I heard this talk too - it was also said 3 times in the same 10 minutes that a high arched foot was also a requirement. Dd does not have this and went into the audition knowing that she was not their ideal, which I'm sure did not promote her best performance. As expected, although offered a place, we were told she was not suitable for Funding audition. She has been awarded a MDS place elsewhere!

When dd (now 11) went for tennis lessons the coach asked if she was a dancer. Apparently she has a number of juniors who had dancing training and she could spot the correlation between them - she said they were well co-ordinated and used the balls of their feet when moving. Dd loves sport and is a vey fast sprinter- unfortunately vocational school has said no sport from Sept as health scheme membership invalid if she has a sports injury.

Fab info, thank you all very much!

C4d, reading your post has made me feel sad and really hope things get better for you and dd. Ballet bun, sorry forgot to post the I have replied to the pm, but you may have found it already! X

We are there as well - they have said to take pointe shoes even if not experienced on pointe - dd is 11 and has about 18 months experience and would love to do something on pointe, but we think it is unlikely. If anyone has knowledge of what might be on offer, we would love to know too!

Would love to do that! Good for you - enjoy!

My dd (11) has a fabulous tutu made by tutusbykaren.co.uk (no relation!) Karen was brilliant - we sent measurements as directed (very clear to follow) and made a selection from the pictures on her web site. We had a combination of designs which was no problem.She sourced fabric in my daughter's choice of colour and it was exactly what she had asked for. The tutu is beautifully made with 3 rows of eyes for the hooks to allow for growth. I am not at all talented at sewing, but a friend who is has told me that the tutu is correctly made - I think the term she used is that the skirt is 'hung' on the bodice. The skirt is pancake pleated net and has remained perfectly flat over time. Karen is friendly, easy to work with and met all the agreed timescales. Prices are extremely reasonable. I received pictures of the tutu before being aksed for payment and it then arrived special delivery the next day. Karen has made other costumes for dd and my experience has been exactly the same. I would not hesitiate to recommend her.

Are they actually on sale? Not seen them anywhere in usual sources

I did it privately becauase I was unsure of advertising etiquette on the forum. I would be happy to open my response if a moderator tells me this is OK.

At last year's yr 7 audition my dd saw the physio at Tring at her first audition. I was not present. She also said that the stretches she was asked to perform in the stretch class were very challenging. She was offered a place but not a callback for funding audition. She has been offered a MDS place at Hammond where the physio assessment was also at first audition (also no parent present) and she felt that the stretches required were well within her capabilities. Paperwork from Tring stated that they wished children to sing and perform a monologue as they sometimes found that children who auditioned for one programme were in their opinion , more suited to another and this range of performance gave them the opportunity to see this. Hammond stated that they liked to hear how children for the dance programme sang, but that it did not have any bearing on dance course decisions. My dd used the song book sheet music with cd to practice with as described above and sang ' you're never fully dressed without a smile' Hope this helps

Reply slip declining MA place in the same post as acceptance for full time place! Good luck to whoever gets the good news!

Have also sent you a pm x

We have decided not to take up Bristol MA place because dd has full time vocational school place so that will be a space for the next person on the list!

Hi Miracle, I think there were about 25 and a few (4/5) were for yr 8. I know of 2 who had the offer of the funding audition but had accepted offers from elsewhere so did not attend - presumably there were more, so the grop could have been bigger, but this audition was the last in the yr 7 round. Xx