BalletGirlAndBoy

Thank you!

Can anyone help with the photo requirements for the Elmhurst Junior summer school? Three of the pictures look like they are just standing in parallel, taken from different angles. As it says bare feet, are these on demi pointe rather than en pointe? I'm sure it's very simple but I haven't seen these photos required for anything else! Thank you!

We have this issue at our school as well. Instead of encouraging associates schemes, the principal doesn't promote them at all, believing the students don't need any extra training outside of the school. I have found it difficult to broach the subject. I think a lot of it is exactly as @Farawaydancer says - Saturday associates would mean a loss of the best students from the Saturday class programme (which runs all day).

Hi, I may be interested in the Degas if it's still available? Let me know and I'll DM you!

My DD did the solo performance award for Grade 3 (in addition to the standard exam). They have to perform the two dances from the syllabus, as well and one other solo of their choice. My DD does festivals and had several solos to choose from, so she danced her Character solo (character as in Narrative, not as in the Ukranian character dance from the syllabus). They go in to the exam studio on their own, perform the dance, come out and change, then go back in and perform the next dance. She enjoyed it but we decided to skip it for Grade 4 (it's an extra cost and she really wasn't fussed about getting an extra certificate/ medal). In terms of the standard expected, I'd say yes, it is equivalent to what is expected in the full exam. They are obviously looking for performance quality, as well as technique. My DD got high distinctions for both Grade 3 exams (main exam and solo performance award). However, her mark for the main exam was 5 marks higher than her mark for the solo performance award. She is a strong performer and was happy with the mark for the solo award but she obviously picked up marks for technique in the main exam that she might not have been able to showcase in the solo performance award. I'd say if you are a dancer who loves to perform, it gives you an extra chance to show your skills and it is a fun thing to do. If you have solos outside the syllabus dances, it also doesn't require much extra work. From my DD's point of view, it doesn't really add much to her development/ sense of achievement so she is happy to focus on the main exam.

I don't know if prices are different for different centres. For London, the fees range from approx £250 per term to £400 per term, depending on level (Junior, Mid, Senior etc.) and how many weeks there are in the term. There is also an option to add a contemporary class, which is £125 to £168 per term, again depending on level and number of weeks in the term. I hope that helps.

I agree - social media does seem to play a big part in this. I am not really a social media user and my 10 year old DD is not allowed anywhere near it but, while looking at intensives this summer and who is going where, I have become aware of how many young people her age (or slightly older) have open Instagram accounts, where every arrival at every intensive is posted. The majority of these accounts seem to be parent managed but the whole thing baffles me. The poses taken in front of this school or that school or this famous monument etc etc must take so much time. I, too, must be in the wrong job, as I just can't figure out how people have the time (let alone the money) to do all of this. I am also wondering if it is now a 'thing' that young dancers should have an Instagram account? Does it have an impact on how they are viewed by schools/ intensives etc? My DD is pretty much 'hidden' in the dance world (her dance school doesn't do a lot of social media posting either) and I'm wondering if this will be a disadvantage to her as she gets older?

Thank you all for your replies. It is very reassuring to hear that a couple of intensives (or one, or none at all) can be enough. I'm finding it very difficult to know what the right decisions are at the moment (and to decide what is financially viable) so it is great to hear opinions from others who have more experience than I do. @balletbean Thank you for your comment that there is never a silly question. I sometimes feel like I'm going mad with all the questions and uncertainty I have! My DD is lucky to have a good local school that offers lots of hours of quality training, so I'll try to relax a bit about all the other stuff I see around us and just let her get on with working hard and enjoying her dancing.

I have a question (which I hope is not a silly one!) about summer intensives. My DD is 10 and has attended two summer intensives this year - one as a day student for 3 days and the other for 5 days residential. While doing these, she has met a lot of children her age or slightly older (11/ 12) who have spent their whole summers going from one residential to another. Some students have come from abroad and have done a tour of European intensives. Others are based in the UK and have gone to at least four, going from one to another and just popping home to wash leotards. Does anyone have any insight into whether this is 'normal' and standard practice for those wishing to dance at a high level? How do people afford it?! Don't they need a rest? This is not intended to be judgemental in any way, I'm just curious as a parent of a DD who is starting to get more serious about her ballet but certainly won't be going to vocational school for year 7. I'm concerned that there will be a big gap created between what my DD can do and what others her age are achieving given this high volume of training. Any thoughts welcome!

Hi, I may be interested in the leotard. I have sent you a DM.

I have been reading this thread with interest and I agree with the majority of comments above. My DD is at a school that enters festivals and aims to do well at them but it is certainly not the be all and end all. By a long way, the focus is on syllabus classes and developing excellent technique. The competition side is there for those dancers who choose to do it - they mainly do solos/ duets/ trios and rehearse in one class per week. Every other class is RAD ballet/ ISTD tap and modern, plus acro, PBT and one non-syllabus ballet class per week until they start the Vocational grades. My DD is progressing well - she feels happy and valued at her school and is being pushed to the right level - so it feels encouraging rather than scary. Echoing some of the other comments, I would definitely look around as, in my view, solid technique really should be the basis of the training.

We heard at lunchtime on Friday. From reading previous posts on this forum, it seems that they don't necessarily send all results out at the same time, so perhaps wait a few days and then email them again.

Thank you - just received info from Devon!

Has anyone heard anything from the Devon auditions yet? The audition email said we'd hear within two weeks but my DD says they were told on the day that it might be as quick as a few days, so just wondered if any results had been sent out?

How 'little' are you talking? Pre-Junior or older? I agree with Pixiewoo - cute, age appropriate duets and trios go down well. I have seen fairytales (3 little pigs), Alice in Wonderland (Tweedledum and Tweeldedee), two little birds catching worms, bunnies playing, chidren playing with friends, playing sports etc.