Karen

9 hours ago, Terpsichore said:

 

Thanks for your encouragement and best wishes, Karen.

I have only just written to the RAD, dance agencies, one of the local centres of advanced training and posted a note to BalletcoForum.

Several professional schools including at least one in the Northwest  have released their students to dance with Chelmsford, Duchy and the Bristol Russian Youth Companies and Martin Dutton of the Hammond seemed to think that his school would look favourably on the idea.

I will publish any responses I receive here and on the Powerhouse Ballet website.

I’m really pleased to hear this and I hope Martin Dutton’s personal views are supported by School. In my opinion, performance opportunities for vocational school students are limited to school related productions, and to have further opportunities would be great in many ways, although I concur with Pictures that days are already full. However, with liaison and goodwill between Schools and external organisations, I suspect more could be done. Look forward to hearing more about progress. 

This feels like a fabulous idea and I hope it gets off the ground. My Dd would be interested, I’m sure, but I question how supportive vocational schools will be in giving permission and allowing time out of schedules to participate. Have you had any responses to your contacting them yet? 

I think the face is really important in showing performance - a big smile showing you are loving what you are doing, but also recognising and presenting the ‘right’ face for the exercise when a big grin is not appropriate. Eyeline is also a big factor- keep it up and out. Looking confident and happy to be there makes the performance enjoyable from the audience/examiner’s perspective. 

We have a policy with WPA and it was cheaper to add dd to this than to take up the 6th form offer from school. We were able to specify what we wanted to be included and it was priced accordingly. 

When dd was at lower school, BUPA cover was included with MDS and we found them extremely helpful when we needed to claim on several occasions. 

Thank you for your brave and kind post. I’ve enjoyed your contributions to the forum over the years and think you have been a wise poster. I hope you are ok about the choices your Dd has made - I know the pain you feel at the fact she is no longer wanting to be part of the dance world.  In the long term, I hope she finds happiness in whatever path she chooses; all we ever want is for our children to be happy and ok with themselves, and I hope this happens for your daughter. Please keep us posted about her future plans and successes. 😀

When Dd was at Hammond lower school, a number of students moved from bursary to mds over the 5 years. My gut feeling (and purely a personal opinion) was that this was more likely to happen when the dancer was hard working and quietly conscientious and the parent politely and pleasantly persistent about mds being helpful. 

2 minutes ago, Wend said:

We received a letter stating our DD is on the reserve list, is there anyone available to speak to (as their now on half term), so I can pay over the phone? Or do you think it will be okay to hang on until after the holidays? I can post the registration form to them as soon as I have done my DD’s passport photo tomorrow. 

I have no idea about any individual member of staff’s holiday arrangements, but it has been possible to talk to School in the holidays in the past. 

8 hours ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

My educated guess is that Hammond Lower School will be posted tomorrow. 

I agree - I think this has been the pattern for several years. Posted on the last day before Easter hols. When Dd was waiting in yr 7, the last day of term was Maundy Thursday, so no post on Good Friday. I dreaded the results not arriving on Easter Saturday as that would mean a wait until Tuesday. Fortunately they came and were the start of a massive part of our lives! Good luck to all waiting - go stalk the postie tomorrow! 

Rather off the point I know, but this thread has made me smile at the end of a difficult day. When Dd was 7 and learning  her first modern solo, the teacher asked if she could cartwheel. Dd answered proudly, ‘Ooh yes, can you?’ ‘Yes I can,’ said the teacher seriously. ‘Well, go on then ‘, said Dd (as I cringed in the corner) and the teacher duly did! Still makes me chuckle! 

7 minutes ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

At Hammond this year to the best of my knowledge every Lower School Dance student who auditioned was offered an US place. 

Not all will necessarily be offered funding & some will leave for schools that are seen as more purely classical or for MT the likes of Laines &  Urdang but I thought it was a statistic worth knowing. 

This was also the case last year and all were offered funding too. (I understand that school had more funding allocated from DfE last year due to it not being allocated elsewhere as anticipated, so don’t know what the impact might be this year) 

12 hours ago, Kat09 said:

It would be interesting to hear if anyone has experienced excellent/supportive pastoral care within the UK vocational system .... 

We have....

Support from boarding staff and school helped Dd get through a serious (non dance related) anxiety issue a few years ago. The speed of treatment (thank goodness for BUPA cover) also helped, but school worked with us through the process. Specific teaching staff (academic, pastoral and dance/singing) were individually kind to Dd and her illness was never viewed as weakness. Happy to elaborate in a pm if helpful to anyone. 

Very best wishes to your daughter and thank you for all your sound and insightful contributions to the forum. 💐

DH was unexpectedly able to make the concert tonight as his mum was taken into hospital and he unexpectedly shot up North this morning (including the 2.5 hours parked on M5 due to accident related closure!)  Despite the difficult journey and sad circumstances, he reported that the concert was excellent. He was able to see Dd clearly, thought the pas de deux was stunning  and the singing was spectacular. The programme apparently did not name any soloists and got the info about dd’s dance wrong  in respect of year groups, so that was a pity, but all in all a great event. Would be interested to hear what others thought if it. 

Hope you have a wonderful time - I found out last week that my daughter is dancing, but I can’t get there. Would love to watch pas de deux  in the Cathedral. Please give her (and all the other performers) lots of applause for me! 

Really enjoyed reading this thread! Dd nagged to go to ballet at age 4, having seen Angelina Ballerina on tv, so I contacted a local school which never rang back. Tried another, and there she started, aged nearly 5. The first indication that she wasn’t going to be bad at it was at the end of the first class, when the principal  asked me where she had danced before. When I said that she hadn’t, she replied, ‘she’s going to be very good!’ I have gained a very good friend in her former ballet teacher and have wondered if she would have still gone to vocational school if the other dance school I rang first had called me back! 

As far as dd can remember, last year they had to do an on line non verbal reasoning type test but didn’t have to write anything. She’s not 100% sure that she has remembered fully, so hope someone else can advise. 

I’m sure the experienced staff will see through the poorliness and nerves. She won’t be the first to be in this position. If it’s not positive news, there would be no harm in speaking to them to explain and asking if your dd could have another go in the new year. Good luck - keep us posted. 

14 minutes ago, sarahw said:

All4dancers I'm sorry to hear that. Do you think anywhere gives good pastoral care for US? 

I think you will see significant differences in the levels of support offered when you visit different schools for auditions. It was something I particularly looked at, and the different attitudes were very much at both ends of the spectrum. I personally feel that there is a higher level of challenge for 16 year olds living completely independently and living with a family or in boarding accommodation with meals and laundry done makes dance and social life much happier. 

If you go in to websites of chains such as Bella Italia, Prezzo, Bill’s, Cafe Rouge etc, and sign up, you will get loads of email offers. You can often use the codes direct from your phone with no need to print off vouchers. 

If your child is in receipt of a MDS award, you may be able to get travel support too, depending on income. There are bits to fill in in the MDS form if you want to claim.

I think it is worth applying for auditions anywhere that might be a firm possibility (within your agreed budget/time available to travel) and use them to see what you and dd feel about places. 

This was a huge eye opener for dd last year and places that had been high on her list fell away and those nearer the bottom moved up. The atmosphere, audition class and the way places presented their ethos completely influenced dd's decision along with the details of what the dance and academic c options looked like. You can always turn an offer down, but if you've missed the opportunity, it's harder to go back.

Going to an audition as a 'finding out experience' takes some of the pressure off too. 

Good luck! 

My dd is doing 2 A levels (from a small selection available) alongside the L6 diploma at Hammond. From last year's research, I think it was possible to do the same at Elmhurst and Tring. 

If you put a VIP flag on the contact, the email will pop onto your phone front screen without you having to keep going in! Good luck. 

10 hours ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

You can continue to claim child benefit, family allowance, so long as you don't earn above £50,000, until the child is 20, so long as they are doing A levels with their diploma.

We've got that one agreed! When I rang, the lovely lady said as long as there were 2 A levels being done, we were entitled. She didn't ask about income, though. 

Dd on DaDa at Hammond. DaDa contribution, income based as per Gov.uk website bands,  paid direct to school in 3 termly instalments. Under 18s stay with host families and cost is in the region of £150.00 per week including breakfast, dinner and laundry for 38 weeks pa. Payment direct to family on monthly or termly basis as negotiated. Lunches, uniform/dance kit, exam fees, healthcare cover, additional 1:1 music or singing lessons are all own responsibility. So are any extras such as induction activities, theatre trips and production lighting fees. Hope this helps.