FullContretemps

This sounds like a very interesting project and I imagine could be of huge value to many young (and older) dancers. I might drop you an email!

Tried out a new class yesterday. "It's as if you're putting it in a toaster, that bit of your body" (torso and derriere)... "and you don't want to have to use a knife on it to get it out" Cue much laughter! It wasn't my correction but it may well help fix plies that other teachers keep working on with me. They'll certainly never be quite the same again!

I will second Chelsea Ballet! I went for the first time last year and can't wait to go back. Exactly what I had been looking for, and such a lovely welcoming atmosphere and I learnt so much. Friends of mine go to the Ballet Retreat in Leeds (We're based in Yorkshire) and love it but I can't really afford that so Chelsea Ballet is perfect for me!

I would definitely recommend Move and echo that sizes are fairly reliable. I am a size 10-12 (nearer 10 usually) and 5'7. I always buy large/extra large tights of any brand and the move ones come up lovely and long which is great for me. They're really pink to start with but go grey quite quickly after a few washes (mind you, I only do a darks and then an "everything else" wash so if you do a lights only it might be ok!). I usually wear a large in leotards - Capezio, Bloch, So Danca, and I would say the Move ones are about the same, maybe very slightly on the larger side but pretty close. Great service and great value from Move.

Happy Birthday! I'm a bit scared that it's been 5 years since we moved here. I don't post very often but have learnt so much and love keeping up with everyone's journeys/questions/hilarious moments. I've received invaluable advice and thanks to the forum have met some lovely people in real life (LinMM ) Thank you to everyone who works to keep the site running for us!

Thanks Janet, oops sorry didn't have my brain on last night!

A little premature I know, but this just popped up on my Facebook feed. https://teechip.com/dancer-chistmas02#id=12&c=15380E&sid=gildan-sweatshirt-crew&s=front I am not really a Christmas jumper person but I know we will be having a Christmas jumper day at work so when this appeared, I thought I could just about bear a ballet one! But I would rather shop locally - anyone know of anywhere in the UK that sells something like this? Or something Just Ballet could get for us if there were a few of us interested?! When trying to find somewhere in the UK I came across an even better one no longer available. Any ideas?! Sorry about the huge picture - it wouldn't copy the little one and I am not a tech whizz!

Very interesting drdance, learnt some new things there. Trouble is, sometimes my feet contradict themselves in what they seem to need :S I get bruised toenails/toenail broken through pressure on corner particularly on my right foot (big toes only). Also shoe tends try to twist so shank is diagonal, and I tend to regularly lose a couple of layers of skin on side of little toes. Freed said shoe probably fitting too wide and allowing foot to slide and sink into shoe; Bloch said fitting too narrow and went wider. Think we need to persuade Just Ballet to do a fitting tour of the UK...

I would guess they are usually the same week each summer - date probably changes by a couple of days each year or something. I think the user worktolive on here is on the committee for York. I'm not sure how often they come on here but you could try contacting them, or I know some of the organisers so could ask whether they have any dates yet if you wanted. My teacher does also know Peter and Shannon from Opes so could ask around and see if anyone has heard of dates yet. Opes I think usually have more than one week so maybe you don't need to worry too much if you want to go there. York only one week, though I must say it is a fantastic one!

I'm not a teacher, but can tell you our story. A friend and I took our Advanced 1 in the last session of the old syllabus (won't tell you which location in case I'm not supposed to identify examiner!) and both failed. After a lot of consideration, and mostly because we couldn't just retake because we would have had to learn the whole new syllabus, our teacher and I both put in a formal complaint based on two points: what we felt was unfair marking, and the attitude of the examiner towards us, which led to our not performing as well as we should. We were granted a complementary re-examination at the following session of the old syllabus, where I got a mid-merit and my friend was 2 marks off a distinction. Neither of us felt our dancing had improved much in the interim (we are both beyond the age of very rapid progress!). That's the short story - I will only bore you with details if you want them. Suffice to say, a large number of students from a vocational school also missed out on marks they should have achieved and those to whom it made a difference (who needed Adv 2 distinction to move on to Solo Seal) were re-examined like us, but we only knew this because one of our ex-students attends that school (and knowing that did affect our decision to complain). That examiner is no longer examining. So, with regard to your situation, I would say is it possible to find out how others from the same session/examiner did? If many are dissatisfied an appeal is more likely to be successful. I would say that in general the RAD pretty much hold their ground and appeals are mostly unlikely to get anywhere (I only have one other piece of evidence to back this up though, so it's only my opinion really!) but if there are specific reasons the teacher can find that it was unfair there may perhaps be a chance. The ground on which they granted our "gesture of goodwill" re-examination was not because the marking was unfair but because of the observations we had made about the examiner. So even though we knew about all the other students and what eventually became of the situation the RAD never admitted that an error had been made, although we could tell that they knew and we knew! P.S. To add, it also depends how much lower than normal and whether it will make much of a difference to those students. There is always some variation between examiners and I have been in harshly-marked sessions before, but there is a difference between harshly marked and just plain unfair. I agree, the cost and hassle of the appeals process is a very good guard against teachers bothering to complain. In a way I can understand because otherwise they would probably get so many complaints from people thinking results should have been better, but it seems unfair when there genuinely has been a problem. Mods, I hope I haven't said anything out of order here - please edit if I have!

Cara, that reminds me of another teacher who is always making comments like that when watching classes! Walks in and comments in a stage whisper to whoever else is watching about how terrible this or that area of the dancers' technique is, or their attitude or, even worse than yours, actually saying they are slow! Does also pick out good things occasionally and really likes a hard worker, so you know any praise is well-earned, but it does lead to some students being a little terrified of said person Trying to pick my best corrections is very tricky but I will come back to it. One I really liked I picked up a couple of years ago was I think from Stephen Williams from Central. To help with arabesque turns keeping in alignment, staying on releve for the whole turn etc: think of blowing a feather off your middle finger the whole way round. It requires quite a directed, powerful blow and he made everyone actually blow as they went round and it made a massive difference. He had so many good corrections actually. For intentionally using and placing arms so they are properly doing their job of using the back muscles etc, he would get students to stand in bras bas and would drop a water bottle for them to catch. It's the same strong use of muscles that you need when they engage to catch something as when you use them in ballet. Or he would have them hold it and he would try and move it/knock it out of their hands and they were to resist. The thing I loved about his teaching was he didn't just tell students to imagine, he actually made you do something practically so you could feel it in your body.

Haha Petalviolet. That exercise was definitely a favourite (as was Antonio!). You should have seen their faces when he told them they could do cartwheels! Not to mention that the sweeps were introduced as scooping ice cream!! So lovely to hear all the highlights. Do you get asked to give feedback to the organisers? I'm sure they'd love to read some of these messages...

Oops thanks Balletmumof2!

Yorkshire Dance Academy run by Yorkshire Ballet Scholarship Centre near York takes day pupils from 9. How close to 9 is she? (I read on here that one child has her 9th birthday on the Tuesday so you could try getting in contact - worse they can say is no, come back next year!) It runs 8-12th August and is absolutely fantastic.

Thank you! Yes, was just wondering whether I should book. Will ring and check at some point

Sorry for reviving an old thread (yet again by the looks of it!), but I will be in London next week and think I might try and see if I can find a spare hour or two to get fitted. Haven't had any huge problems in what I'm in, but have only ever been able to be fitted at local shops with not so much choice so it might be interesting to pop by maybe Bloch (currently in Balance European) and Freed (never tried). Just wondering if anyone knows whether the people to oask for are still Beth and Sophie at Freed and whether there is anyone in particular at Bloch. Thank you

Thanks Michelle

Glad your DD has found a class she's happy in! Interesting too to hear of a younger person taking adult class - so often it ends up the other way round (know how you feel Colman! Every year the age gap between me and the rest of my class grows!). Lin, have sent my payment, now to book train tickets and try and find somewhere to stay for the Sun night before (train is 3/ as much on Mon morning ) and Friday night - have a friend who has said she can have me Mon-Thurs which helps!

I'm in! Receiving more details in the next week but my registration form has gone in and will be sending the pennies tomorrow when I have more time!

Thanks Lin, that's really helpful! Yes, Louise said to pay for the minimum and can do more and pay as you go as it's easier that way. Think I will probably do both ballets and the pilates but only do one pointe class a day as my feet might die if I do more! Just waiting to hear back from my friend to make sure I can still sleep on her sofa and then will send in my booking! Louise also said that Michael teaches Cecchetti, which I've never actually done before, but am I right in thinking RAD is influenced by Cecchetti anyway? Even if not, I would imagine it won't be a world apart from anything I've done! Haven't been to Pineapple before so that will be fun haha. Also a lot more accessible than Rambert so that's good. See you there hopefully!

Not rich enough for Crystal ballet sadly, but on the plus side, have added up for Chelsea ballet and not as much as I thought it would be so have sent Louise an email wtht a thousand questions in and, assuming the friend who said she could accommodate me for LAB is still around, I might turn up there with you instead! Yay! Just a bit excited...

OK, thanks Lin! I would be pretty surprised if it were, but perhaps they meant whatever Lisa Probert is running. OK, would be great if you can give me a shout if you hear anything; if not, I'll assume it's off, which is what I had assumed before!

Would love to go but it's the day after the last day of school and a long way (time and money-wise) to come all the way to London just for 2 days And not sure I'd be great at neoclassical... If they did a longer one I would be tempted! Michelle, don't suppose you know anything about LAB intensive and whether it is going ahead or not? Can't seem to contact anyone so assumed it wasn't, but someone else thought it still was. If so, is there anyone you can put me in contact with? Thanks

Oh, sad, I am away for the KNT one - BalletRocks1 you did suggest it to me on Facebook a while ago and I was going to check, but I'm away And finances won't stretch to Chelsea ballet. If LAB is a no go I might end up at the Ballet Retreat in Leeds with a couple of other people I know. It's more expensive per day but shorter so better than nothing!

Ah thanks Lin! Like you, I thought it was strange not to hear anything, so I was wondering if something like that had happened. I'd be interested to hear about his possible future ventures so feel free to PM, but don't worry if you don't feel comfortable saying! Hm... wonder whether I should assume it's not happening then.