Julie 2 Milner

I think the marking for vocational is tougher. Many who have whisked through grades with distinction get a shock at their first vocational. Also with the vocational exams one often has to travel to a centre to do them. We had to go up to Battersea for them when he was at local school. Due to a massive muck up by Elmhurst we had to go to Bristol for his Advance1. some people do find it intinidating taking an exam in an unknown venue,

So sad to be losing classes and David outrageous to exclude you. My son's local school had a senior contemporary class which had many adults. Come show time they were asked who would like to take part. I think they all did. Now, by any objective standard many weren't "good" but they loved the class. The teacher choreographed brilliantly to incorparate everyone fully and to their ability. Indeed my son, then 16, did alot with a much older guy. This guy was chunky, got a bit puffed but they did some great work together. I actually asked my son and a couple of friend how they felt. This was prior to him going to vocational. Most thought it was great. They loved working with those who took their ballet/dance seriously but who had other lives and jobs. Gave them perspective. Also it gave them an insight to how good a good choreographer is. Another local school always had adults in the show and even entered adults in the local festival. A school should showcase everyone. I do hope you all find classes. I was very sad to give up mine a few years ago.

How exciting Flowerdew. What show? It is so great when we see them getting work and making a success of all their training.

Julie he'll be fine and have a great time there. Think of the trips out to see him. The big advantage of a European contract is the excuse to visit. Just make sure you have a very warm coat:-) It is an exciting start.

congratulations. I'm sure the parents with children in Russia, or who have been in Russia, will see your post and comment.

Very imteresting. Martin is home today fro the summer so i'll show him. The stretching issue is fascinating.

Once i've started silver polishing I quite like the result but no I don't like housework. Particularly I do not iron!!!!

It must be a wonderful place to perform. Like Mark T, my son was there with the Bavarian State Ballet and he certainly seems to have enjoyed the experience and the place. Thank you for the BRB link.

Pups_mum hope you find the ring. How distressing!

I have an old London Black cab. We use it to ferry our 3 bulldogs in!!!!! But its due an MOT. I knew it needed a new exhaust. Fine. But then they rang and said it needed something else. I have to order the parts which I did but didn't get the price. They have me over a barrel as there are limited places to buy. I nipped out and when I got back my daughter said the parts place had rung with the cost. That lot and the exhaust cost half as much as the taxi. That was a more than "Oh No!" moment. Even the dogs were shocked!!!!

I re-read Eagle of the Ninth a while ago too. Also read the trilogy on Boudicca by Manda Scott. Really enjoyed them. Another children's book I re-read was The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. Wonderful! Every 10 years or so I read the whole Narnia bunch. I also do the same with his adult sci-fi books the Space Trilogy. One series I really enjoy are Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels. Just about to get the latest. They work on the premis that fiction exists in a parallel place. They are tremendously clever, sometimes too clever, but great fun. If you like Douglas Adams you might well like these. I didn't enjoy his Nursery Rhyme series though. Mind you only tried the first.

Any Joyce. Tried" Finnegans Wake". Did finish as it was a school text "Cold Comfort Farm" but really found it tedious. Similary any Austen. Read "Emma " at school. Hated it . Tried another a few yeras later. Can't even remember which but hated it. I'm afraid also "The Hare with The Amber Eyes" Again I finished it but it was a struggle. But I love Dickens, Hardy and the Brontes. Also loved War and Peace and Anna Karenina. I liked Portrait of a Lady and Turn of the Screw but found his other stuff less readable. Bizarrely one a struggled with at first was Wilkie Collins "The Moonstone". ( I was 16) but tried again 3 years later and loved it and then read every collins I could find. Marvellous. Now I'm struggling with 50 shades. Only on Ch 8 but I'm finding it a difficult read style wise. But i'll keep going as everyone says its a good read.

Bad science is brilliant! An excellent, non sensational read. Books Iread and know I loved (though can't remember the ins and outs) Bonfire of the Vanities, Any Wilkie Collins (esp No Name.) Any Hardy and most Dickens. Mrs Gaskell, any all brilliant. I enjoy Phillipa Gregory. My trouble is I can't remember what I've read.lol The kindle makes it worse as you don't even keep seeing the book cover. Half a Yellow Sun is fantastic. About the Biafran war in Nigeria. Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I don't think I read your comments but the internet is a dangerous place when we are a little upset. We press send and then its too late. Any negativity, or small unpleasantness is by far outweighed by the help and support. :-) Oh and 50 shades, not enjoying it......... yet.lol

Well bit further on now. I know nothing about Twilight series and know nothing about the 50 shades book so apart from the obvious I have no idea if there is a story or if it just continues in the same vein. All I can say is wish I'd been sensible to just buy the first book, on my Kindle, rather than all 3 . Maybe it will improve and become genuinely intriguing.

I've just started 50 shades and not keen so far. But then I think I'm only just reaching "the good bits". Not enjoying the style of writing so far.

If she is really keen some of the CD courses are really quite good. They give a good grounding. My husband loves the Michel Thomas ones, though I don't. Martin did a month in Berlin before he went to Vienna to kick start the learning and a CD course at home. Not sure which one but just one from Amazon.

Angela has interesting news about funding cuts. So Germany isn't immune. I'm not totally sure but my understanding of somewhere like Munich is they do have funding but by no means 100%. Aileen you asked about recruitment. both Munich and Vienna do take from their schools.When Martin was an apprentice in Vienna he was the only one not from the school. In Munich certainly I think the junior company has ex Bosel members. Re the company principals. Munich seems much like BRB, RB etc that there aren't necessarily many nationals as members. I think Munich has very few German dancers. Vienna I'm not sure and also, since Legris took over I'm sure there have been changes. Also Vienna has two companies one for the Staatsoper and one for the Volksoper. Munich has many nationalities, English, Russian, American, Brazilian, Australian just to name a few. A wonderful experience to work in such a varied cultural group. I would highly recommend that if someone fancies a week-end away and can get to Munich to see them dance it is a treat. they are a very talented company. The National theatre is beautiful, all very central and Munich is a great city. I haven't been to the Prinzregenten Theatre but am going on Sunday:-)

In Vienna the ballet company did dance in Operas too a little. This hasn't happened in Munich but I know in other companies it does. Martin rang me from Vienna once to say had I heard of "La Traviata" as he was in it:-)? I think in Munich you do know by the end of the Dec whether contracts are being renewed. That may be the same as the UK I've no idea I'm afraid.

Yes Germany still has alot of companies ranging from the very small to the big ones. Stuttgart, Munich (Bavarian State Ballet), Berlin are probably the 3 biggest but there are also many other fantastic companies. Neumeier is still in charge of Hamburg. The Semperopera in Dresden. Austria also has quite a few. My son, trained 6th form at elmhurst, was an apprentice in Vienna and has now done 2 years in Munich.Vienna he approached the company directly but Munich he was hired through their open audition. However I think since Manuel Legris took over in Vienna he too does open auditions. Munich is a classical company but one that is suberb at contempory. Recently they have done Bausch, Forsythe etc. Their season is a mix of well know classics and newer pieces. I would highly recommend auditioning in Germany. Some companies do describe themselves as neo-classical. Magdeburg is one that does. The companies do differ in what they are looking for. Munich is a "tall" company. A minimum height of 5ft 10/11 for men for example. Not all companies are like this though so there is a range. Re comparable standard. The big companies the standard is every bit as high as RB, BRB, etc. I have not seen any smaller ones but my belief is they are very good. I know of people who have been in the smaller companies and moved after a year or so to larger ones around the world. The only company I know well is Munich. Pay is good though costs can be very high in Germay. Living in Munich is very expensive. The Bavarian state Ballet toured China this season and have just been to the festival in Granada. Some of the companies also have junior companies. Munich does and this seems to be growing and they have done quite a few of their own performances this year. Dresden has an apprentiship scheme. I think other comoanies do too. There are some excellent schools in Germany, Cranko in Stuttgart, Heinz Bosel in Munich, Palucca in Dresden and Neumeiers in Hamburg. They seem to really understand the transition from school to full professional. Not all the companies do open auditions every year but most seem to use Dance Europe to advertise if they do. Hope this helps.

I must admit I post very little now. It is 3 years since Martin graduated but lately there have been posts which have been relevant. I have had lovely pm's too for any info i've been able to give. So don't go. I can't offer any help re schools now but re auditioning, contracts, living abroad and the sheer hard slog of being a professional dancer I can. I think people are also very interested in "post training" news and help. Also it is nice to hear of those who are dancing for a living. Hbrew's son, Julie W's (just about to:-)) . it is so good to hear that this long, hard, dream can succeed. Next weekend I'm off to see Martin as the rooster in La Fille in Munich. I'm proud of him and thankful to everyone for their help here. So Glowlight stay:-) x

The Bavarian State Ballet are off to Granada to take part in the International Festival for Music and Dance. They are taking "Swan Lake" and "Steps and Times". On their return just a couple more weeks of the season left with "La Fille" on the agenda. I am fitting in a quick weekend to see "La Fille":-)

Of course the difference for us may have been he was staying in Europe.now Celib says it i think the fact that it was no payment and "just" a summer school was important.

When Martin did Prague I queryed this with a travel insurance company and was told ballet was fine under there normal cover. This was 4 or 5 years ago. I pushed the point and said what if he broke an ankle during a class and that was fine. However I bet that is no longer the case. I find the best thing to do is ring. Someone like Essential Travel, Insure and go etc. good luck.

Fifty shades of Grey on my Kindle but must finish "The Potato Factory" first.