KathyG

Totally agree Fiz, I also decided it's not worth worrying about things until it happens in the past I spent far too much time worrying about things that didn't happen. My dentist notice the difference as I'm not grinding my teeth so much now. Well done on your performances. I'm quite jealous.

We had an email from Elmhurst yesterday saying they were changing how they give you the appraisal results. Students will meet with their form tutor yesterday or today who will give them their exact mark. A letter will be sent during half term confirming the mark. The email didn't mention assessing out. Not sure how I feel about the change, it must be positive that they are discussing the result with the students and they don't have to wait for the mark. For DS he doesn't have his appraisal until March so we're not waiting for a result. Good luck to those waiting to hear and if it isn't the news you want to hear as Julie has said there are a few of us who have been there and willing to offer support.

I remember reading Wild Swans many years ago such an inspirational book. Something I wouldn't have normally read but did need some light relief half way through. Considering I work in a library I don't read alot too many sweets in the sweet shop.

I was looking forward to DS coming home for half term but he has now informed me that as 6.1 can't stay to perform 6.3's will have to do it instead. During holidays he's taken to going into London to take classes to keep dancing. Which his school are positively encouraging him to do. He just gets so bored without dance!

This has just made me realize how selfish I've been. We also live in a sort of cul de sac, big green in the middle with houses round it. Very few houses have drive ways partly due to the fact we're on a hill but because of the green they would be difficult to get into. However we do have a big drive when we built an extension the council insisted we should be able to park 5 cars on our property. Silly I thought at the time but now when all of us are home that's 5 cars in the drive. Finally getting to the point DS has gone to Canada this weekend for an audition (that's another story, snow storm ) before he went I got him to park his car on the road so he didn't block the driveway. Where I should have got him to park in the corner of the drive . I 'm off to find the car keys and put it in the drive to free up a space.

Wasn't there talk a little while back about someone setting up a free school for ballet I think it was a ballet dad.

I have always felt the current DaDa system was unfair. As I have said many times before on this forum that under the MDS scheme we paid about 4500 a year. Under the current DaDa system we have had to pay twice that 9,000 a year that is equvialent to earning 90,000 a year under MDS. My husband works for St John's Ambulance and I work in a library so we don't earn alot not even 50 grand a year between us, we also live in Surrey which has a much higher cost of living. I would like to see the MDS scales applied to 6th form training including accomodation so those who do earn more pay more and those on lower incomes pay less. In my DS year there are several who earn good salaries but pay alot less now for fees and accomodation than they did did under MDS. Under.he current Dada compared to MDS there are a few like us who are substantially worse off and those who earn more much better off. We are also having to pay out for DS to attend auditions which is not cheap or easy. DS is currently in Canada for an audition but stuck in a storm which is restricting travel.

All my DS can remember of the Central audition is that he fell over doing one of the exercises, he certainly made an impression. The other was that it was a mixed class.

No Elmhurst students have yet been offered BRB this year. 1 Royal student and 2 ENB have been offered BRB.

I very much doubt it will cover the accomodation costs at these schools. At Elmhurst we're paying about 300 a month for accomodation plus 500 a term for meals which isn't optional. Again you only get the maintenance grant if you earn under the magic 33,000 earn over that and you have to pay it all. Looking at the figures released today the maintenance grant will cover very little. Child benefit could stop as it is considered advanced training but stressing they still do the required amount of academics should keep it for the first 2 years.

Dare I mention the Music schools whose students at 3 of the schools appear to stay til 18 on MDS then continue studying at Uni. Just looked at the fees at these schools one of them is over 40,000 a year. It also appears that in the music schools they can receive MDS at 8.

So no change to the maintenance grant then! If you earn over the magic £33,000 you still get no help. Have to say I'm glad DS is about to graduate as under these payscales we would have to pay about £1500 a year more than we do now. Which would be impossible for us. Would have been nice if they could have brought the scales into line with MDS. You can earn just over 180,000 and still get a very little bit of help there.

Link to the final 30. I'm afraid there are far to many street/hiphop acts for my liking. The 160 that made it to the short list were then put into groups of styles with Street/hiphop getting a section for Groups and a section for Soloists. http://sky1.sky.com/got-to-dance-home/week-5-round-up

We've been lucky as DS birthday has always fallen in half term. This year he thought he was going to be at school for his birthday got all excited then they had a 2 week half term and he was home as usual. He was most disappointed as he wanted to celebrate with his friends at school.

In DS year a girl has joined for 6.3 so she could complete her training. I believe the majority of her training before was with private tutition. At our audition talk we were told that some companies may not offer places if they haven't graduated. Though I think this was to make sure they complete the academic side of the course. One company DS is auditioning for does state they must have graduated from their place of training.

I think you will find that applies to Uni courses not DADA's yet!

I've probably said this before but our letter came on Friday 4th February. We were at Tring for a boys day of dance and my mother's birthday. A slightly different letter to most though as DS didn't actually do the first audition as he was in hospital at the time. As a JA though he was invited to finals if recovered in time. More stressed over DS health at the time. Let's hope the wait isn't to long. Good luck.

Tring have only ever had about 7 MDS places a year which when you could access the annual reveiw document on the government website you could see. They manage to get a few extra by applying for funding for those who had been in receipt of an MDS at a previous school but these would revert back to the government when the student left. The report showed how many students in total were in receipt of MDS funding at each school. If memory serves me right it appeared that RB had 24 places a year, Elmhurst 20 places a year, Tring 7 places a year and Hammond 5 places a year. It would be good if they could put this report back on line as it was very interesting to read. You could also compare the number of music places to dance places. Also told you how much it cost the government. Maybe a Freedom of Information request is called for!

We have driven many times to Covent Garden there is an expensive NCP car park just round the corner from the school. There are also a few parking meters don't get caught out by resident parking bays. Only thing I can't remember if you have to pay on a Sunday. Luckily I usually was being driven so didn't have to worry about finding somewhere to park in time to get to school or Opera House. There have been occasions we had to drive around to find a space. You can pay by phone so could be useful to sign up to the scheme before you go as it wasn't quick to sign up to on the day. Good luck.

A friends DD who went to Urdang started off at Hyelm but moved into a shared house after the first term. There wasn't a lot of space in the room at Hyelm. There were issues sharing and she moved into another flat for the 2nd and 3rd years. Sharing has different problems but they have more space to spread out/relax in.

I have always used a sewing machine to sew in labels even on socks. I have a very clever machine which can embroider names as well so where possible I have actually embroidered his name in his clothes, sheets, underwear! The only item he has ever lost was his W/L tracksuit top with his name embroidered on the facing but it still never came back! I only ever brought one lot of labels in year 7 and recycled them through out the years. So glad I don't have to sew labels now!

When DS was assessed out of W/L we applied to 2 schools. Elmhurst were very welcoming, it is such a friendly school. The other not so. The Director of Dance in the talk before the audition said "we know many of you are here having been assessed out of other schools, there is no funding for you here." She then left the room. Her attitude made us feel we were wasting their time being there. She was very different when we were recalled for funding audition. They knew a way that you could transfer your MDS to another school. Unfortunately for us the damage was done. So when he was offered a funded place we turned it down and didn't audition for 6th form. We just felt so unwanted. Such a shame as when we auditioned for year 7 it was so different. JulieW was a great strength to me when DS was assessed out and many times since. I keep asking for advice even now. Looking for that first job!

Website is also closed down

Remember DS JA teacher saying how he struggled with this exercise but it wasn't a problem!

Better to get a heads up so IF you do get the dreaded 'no longer suited for our training ' letter you're slightly better prepared for it. When we had the ballet teacher meeting we were told that DS wasn't progressing as they hoped for. Though when we asked what his chances of being assessed out were the teacher couldn't give us an answer. It was down to the appraisal. In the end he was assessed out and we were half prepared for it, but then it was easier to get an audition date after half term than I think it is now for another vocational school place. If you do get the dreaded letter it isn't the end of the world as it may appear at the time. As it has been mentioned before there are many who have been assessed out who now have professional jobs. It might just be worth looking at your options for year 10 so if you do receive the dreaded letter you have a plan of action and you're not rushing about during half term when schools are closed. They do have to audition for the other schools and some will be very nice and accommodating and others not so. The way one school treated those who had been assessed out of not just W/L at the auditions put us of applying there for 6th form. For DS it turned out for the best being assessed out and better financially for us. Those that are assessed out do just take it in their stride and carry on as normal. I on the other hand was a complete mess. She has done very well to be selected for both productions and once chosen by the school it is very difficult to say no to them. Good luck and try to not worry to much though that is easy to say but it does all work out for the best in the end