amber21

My son has done ballet since age 4 and I'm told he's good at it. He will be doing Grade 2 just before his 10th birthday later this year. Meanwhile he's been accepted as a JA at the Royal Ballet for year 5, so I don't think grades matter all that much really.

Congratulations to your DS!!

Ax

Thanks everyone, It's a year 6 place at Leeds.

Well done to your DD what lovely news how exciting!! Congratulations!!

Ax

Fab news - very well done to her. I'm hoping my daughter will get a chance to do grade 8 before she leaves for uni next year. She's now doing Advanced 2 but as she has no aspirations to be a dancer, or to ever manage to take her Advanced 2 exam, it would be much nicer for her to take Grade 8. She too has had distinctions in every graded exam (her first merit came in Advanced 1, but I think she's let herself off that one ). It's lovely that they've got so much from their dancing/ballet despite not being aspiring dancers isn't it.

I agree and well done to your DD. I think there is such alot to be gained from having experienced dance, great posture and poise, discipline, confidence, body awareness, great fitness levels and achievement in gaining such advanced qualifications.

Ax

Ive always been quite Pleased that dd has not rushed through the grades. She took her Grade 1 when she was just 8 ( as the oldest in her school year most of her friends in the same class were still 7 and she took her Grade 2 18 months later when she was 9.

 

She is at a summer school this week and she says that everyone in her group of 9 & 10 year olds is either about to take or has taken Grade 4. Dd is 11 in the autumn and hasn't taken grade 3 yet. They started the new syllabus last term do I'm guessing will take the exam sometime next a academic year.

 

I asked her if she felt she was keeping up and she thinks she is. Is this quite low for her age (she began ballet at 4) or is it just a case of different teachers doing things differently.

 

The seniors who have just left to go to Uni have just taken adv 1 exams so I guess this is the stage they aim them to get to by 18.

I would try not to focus too much on worrying about grades, my DD is 9 and grade 3, she managed to get into ja's as a year 4 and was still grade 2, they certainly werent too concerned about what grades the DC were even though its on the application form. Our dance teacher only does 1 exam a year, I am aware some of my DD's friends of the same age are doing 2 grades at a time, I am not sure what the rush is. I thought ballet was also about developing technique and strength not how many exams DC can do in a year. I would just go with what is right for your DD and as long as she is enjoying her dancing that is the main thing.

Ax

My dd is currently on the swl for JAs and I've just had a missed call from them on my mobile, I've rung them back but there was only one girl left in the office who could have helped with summer school but not JAs!

Don't suppose anyone can help, but do you think they were phoning to offer her a place? Can't think of any other reason but don't want to get hopes up!

Guess we'll have to wait until office hours tomorrow to find out.

The office will probably be on shorter hours as its holiday time, sounds exciting though good luck!!

Ax

Hi DD's friend was from her rbs ja's class up in Newcastle and is not due to start until September 2012 intake. We havent seen them since June so am not sure whether she would be attending summer school this year or next. We will probably see you up in Newcastle in September!! Good luck with your juggling!

Ax

Thank you kitsch queen for all of your advice. My daughter is actually in the associate programme at northern ballet but is hoping to transfer to the cat scheme this September. As it is such short notice I am just trying to find out everything ASAP. She is also on the short waiting list for rbs so we are weighing up all of the options. !!If we commit to the cat scheme and she is offered a place at rb then we will have to turn it down.

My youngest dd has also been given a place at rbs junior associates in Newcastle so I need to know if we can juggle everything.!!!

Will contact nb tomorrow and try to sort everything out. I just didn't want to be clueless when I spoke to them. Lol!!

Hi and welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your DD's achievements up to now you must be so proud!! There was a posting about the cat scheme here on the forum, one of my DD's friends from JA's was lucky enough to get on the CAT scheme starting in Sept, she will attend midweek classes and some weekends too as they need to be doing so many hours in one week which also includes the summer school.

Good luck and keep us posted with your good news!!

Ax

If we were to run a session or two in Birmingham to maybe do screenings for body composition, flexibility, turnout, functional strength, endurance etc how many people would be interested?

Would you advise this screening test Drdance for year 6 DC going to audition for year 7 entry into vocational schools.

RK, you must be overwhelmed by questions as you seem to be a deep well of information... but I had one last thing to ask!

 

In my research, it seems that a few dance teacher choose to take the Freestyle qualification and then go on to teach different styles of dance under that umbrella. How does that work? I am fairly new to the world of dance teaching but wouldn't you need to be qualified in ballet to teach ballet, as for any other style? How does freestyle seem to cover everything?

 

Thanks again!

Hi and welcome to the forum. My DD IDTA Freestyle Teacher can only enter students for freestyle, rock and roll and street IDTA exams. Coming from a ballet background she is able to teach it as non syllabus but because she hasnt got the exam she is unable to follow the syllabus or enter students for IDTA Ballet.

Ax

I have also tried and it has come up with the message not available in location

Welcome and congratulations on your lovely news Noa and Good luck on your quest for funding.

Ax

Its lovely to hear the stories of the children who have started their journeys from JA's or vocational school and have now come to their point of graduation. Well done!! We are at the starting end at the moment with DD only having done her first year as a JA, its exciting to wonder what will happen to her on this journey as she continues or if she chooses to continue further down the path!! Its that not knowing what is round the corner that is becoming a quite a fascinating experience!!

Ax

Lol Fiz!! I love to still dance either on my own or with my daughters to either Fame or Its raining men by the Weathergirls!! Ax

Just received all the JA bumf through the post and am hyper-ventilating at the prospect of trying to make the skirt (or finding someone happy locally to do so for me!!) I don't suppose anyone has one to sell?

Hi I have pm'd you, I know of a JA mum who will sell you hers.

Ax

Hello I would imagine there probably arent many teachers who would make statements about a child potentially becoming a world class dancer as there are so many factors involved in the journey. It is lovely to read how other dancers have become successful and all their paths have been somewhat very different, they would have been advised many different things along the way. I have a DD and I probably would feel very pressured if someone had made a statement like this as so many things can happen along the way and children can often choose to change their paths of what they would like to be when they get older.

Ax

Hi suzyszoo, i have a DD JA i think if you do need the RBS uniform you will have a specific order form with a code to order. In your pack there will be a list of what your DS has to have. They are very helpful I am sure if you call or email the office they will be able to clarifly this for you.

Ax

Hello

 

First timer here. My DS unexpectedly got a place for yr 4 Elmhurst associates. Does anyone have any idea of how many boys there might be? He has many questions that I can't answer!

Hello and welcome to the forum and congratulations on your DS's place. I have a DD so cannot help sorry with regard to Elmhurst, I am sure there will be someone who will be able to answer your question.

Ax

Hi Shashee, we too were in the same situation last year!! Our dance teacher knew of a woman who makes national skirts for her so pupils can buy them. Maybe approach your dance teacher who maybe able to suggest someone. I remember starting my DD skirt, then a relative kindly took over and finished it off for us.......thankfully!! Good luck!!

Ax

It is sad that you have made this decision, however it sounds as though you havent taken this decision lightly and as I echo everyone elses comments I would like to wish your DD's career good luck and success in everything she does. Thank you for all your comments and advice it has been much appreciated!!

Ax

Excellent news, I think the numbers auditioning there are very high too.

Ax

One my students got a yes for a year 5 place!! and one got a no for a year 4 place. Congratulations to all the yes's and sorry to hear about the no's. Agree with everyone else keep dancing and your dd's, ds's time will come. My dd got waiting list twice (seems like a lifetime ago!) and she has just graduated from vocational dance college!!!

Congratulations for you and your students wonderful news, its lovely to hear the success stories too, congratulations to your DD also!!

What centre is your student attending?

Ax

Hello everyone. First time post for me. My dd (8) is awaiting results from the London auditions, which I guess will be the last ones to come out? I wasn't too fussed until the audition day, but seeing how much it means to dd, how much she enjoyed the audition class and how hard she tried, I've been a nervous wreck ever since!

 

Was so glad to find this forum - and share the excitement/worry. Congratulations to all the yes's and sorry for all the no's, I've heard that many brilliant dancers get no's from RBS, so we should all be proud of our dcs no matter what ... well done to everyone for auditioning. And good luck to all those still waiting like us!

Hello and welcome to the forum, fingers crossed for you and your dancing daughter.

Ax

Congratulations to all the yes's what lovely news well done!! I remember opening letter last year, I could hardly walk or speak with shock!! Exciting times ahead!!

Well done also to DC with waiting lists what an achievement too and remember no can mean not at this time also. Well done to all those DC for even doing the audition.

Ax

I am sure I read somewhere that Darcy Bussell was doing gymnastics when she first went to White Lodge at 13 also. My dd used to do gymnastics once a week purely for the strength aspect except they wanted her to be in the squad persuading us to allow her to do a competition, soon after we changed over to an acro class where there was no pressure then to join squads and compete in gymnastic comps.

Ax

I have been tempted to look at misty copeland on you tube and was quite impressed at her beautiful figure as well as her dancing. Misty certainly has a more curvacious figure with a fuller bust and hips. Maybe because misty does not appear to fit into the typical shape that most ballet fans expect to see this is why there is alot of controversy around the development of her leg muscles. I also think that with age muscles can develop more, there may not be many dancers or sports people who would have the same size muscles at 20 as what they do at 30. I also found a video of misty dancing at 15 and she did appear to have the expected ballet body that everyone is used to seeing. The video write up stated she had only been dancing a few years, quite impressive.

Ax