celb

When my DD age 10 first went to RBS WL Summer school from the last minute waiting list it was due to a number of children ( mainly London JAs) being chosen to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House - so it's not always due to others misfortune -it's sometimes due to alternative exciting opportunities.

All the best to everyone for the finals. Exciting and nervewracking times .Savour the day.For parents who don't know the area who are at a loose end the MAC (Midlands Art Centre) is walking distance from school - a great place to eat and relax .Enjoy your tour - I wish those tidy rooms on show could make it home in the holidays.

Fingers crossed for good news to all those waiting to hear

you may be no further ahead when you get your letter- you may get yes , no ... or waiting list.The first time my DD went to RBS WL summer school she got on the waiting list and only found out the Tuesday before summer school started that she had a place.

I have to say I was very disappointed not to get individual school photos last year .I know the previous year beautiful close up photos were done. All children were in the class photos that were done for the summer show.I have lobbied the photographer who took the photos with regard to encouraging the school to have him back again for individual shots.Any images of my DD are even more precious now that she is away at school, particularly since due to the limited performance opportunities they have there are few other chances to get photos.

I have always taken DDs photos in the dance studio with a simple digital camera.DDs teacher assists with positioning and then DDs teacher chooses the technically best photos.This has been good enough to get her into WL summer schools & vocational school.

The Jerwood centre in Birmingham - they look after the Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers and quite reasonable rates.

Saturdays I think for Leeds

Welcome to the forum Straceydor. Preliminary auditions for fulltime vocational training are between November and January of school year 6 .The applications generally can be submitted in the Autumn term of year 6 starting from around October half term.The earlier you apply the earlier your audition date is likely to be . The preliminary audition is a straightforward ballet class, parents get to watch the final 10 minutes.By my calculations your DD is in year 5 so you have plenty of time to think about this.She may wish to consider auditioning for Elmhurst associates for a year 6 place for weekend classes to supplement local training .These outreach classes take place locally in Birmingham but also Manchester Plymouth and Sunderland.Applications for next September are available now and the auditions are in summer term. Dancers are accepted from all ballet programmes and there are many dancers who have come from an IDTA background.The school does follow its own syllabus of training but does offer optional RAD classes on Saturdays which most pupils attend to do their RAD major grades starting in Year 7 with Intermediate Foundation.More information is available on the school website www.elmhurstdance.co.uk

Anyone any experience of Gandolfi mentioned in the Telegraph article - I can't remember anyone commenting on the forum re this business before.

well done to your DD All4dancers.

My DD uses lambswool "pillows for pointe" which are thin wool pouches - much finer than any brands we have been able to source in this country.I know "just ballet" was going to try to source these!

Elmhurst Y8 girls 4- 6 (45minute) dance sessions daily Monday to Friday and RAD ballet class on Sat am which is optional.- 1& 1/2 hours of ballet class daily and a variety of pointe ,choreography, tap ,jazz dance styles and dance studies.Total weekday scheduled dance classes -16.5hours .and 18.5 hours of academics not including prep time.

My DD also delighted with her GRAZE box yesterday ...slowly weaning her off cereal bars!

I have to say I still have reservations about the food at my daughter's vocational school.She is not particularly fussy and likes to eat. The menus look appealing with a choice of several main courses and always salad fruit and bread but she still says she does not like the food.She certainly eats a lot more salad and melon (a fruit she didn't previously care for) than she did before but I am a bit cross when she says that is all she had for dinner at the end of a long day.She does however start the day with a large and nutritious breakfast which is to be commended but it is downhill thereafter. She certainly has a lot more snacks and has developed a habit of eating tuck at any opportunity .In her first 3 weeks at school I was shocked at the number of cereal bars she had managed to consume. I have signed her up for GRAZE boxes also in a hope to reduce this (she also likes to receive post!).She complains that the baked potatoes are too big and hard and the meat and vegetables overcooked.I am also concerned that at the weekends they appear to be free to stock up on as much junk food at Aldi as they desire. The children do have nutrition seminars and my daughter is well aware of healthy eating but sometimes it is just too much temptation for a young child to control their sweet tooth particularly when missing home.I sometimes feel the responsibility is left too much with the child to eat a healthy balanced diet. Having said all that my DD is healthy ,full of vigor and has no weight issues or hang ups.

Its actually not too bad from Sheffield as it is right at the Junction of the M60 and A57

a stress fracture does not always show up on a plain x-ray anyway. A foot and ankle or sports medicine clinic would be a good place to start

I really feel for you C4D. I remember one weekend a few months ago when my heart was breaking listening to my DD on the phone. She was a totally different girl on the phone tonight vivaceous, lively and thrilled to be back with her friends.What I am trying to say is most children do settle and the homesickness passes or at least goes in phases, particularly at the start of terms after a long break at home. Your DD will have found comfort from you just being there on the end of the phone .It will have been a big shock going from the excitement of winning a place at ballet school,packing and arriving to the reality of being away from home at such a young age.I have found it helps to try to stay positive on the phone and to steer the conversation away from issues that you can't help her with that are better referred back to the houseparent. Wee packages/postcards from home help with a treat or funny shared memory.Keep in touch with the houseparents as they are very experienced with dealing with homesickness.I hope she settles soon.

No it was first thing in the morning.DD has quite difficult feet to fit due to her arches/mobility - they have to be quite tight on the flat to avoid slipping off en pointe. I personally thought they were slightly long and a bit gapey at the back when she was on pointe but hoped with elastic and tightening the drawstrings they would be fine, but went with the advice of the fitter.

Yes even Clarks do a ballerina pump in their softwear range.At least they are leather and come in different width fittings. I gave in to these as DD only rarely wears her school shoes with formal uniform and not on a daily basis. I couldn't persuade her to take any shoe polish to school tho'.

I have to say I was disappointed by my DDs recent pointe shoe fitting at Dancia.We went there for convenience while visiting London. My DD used the pointe shoes over the summer requiring elastics to keep the heel in place. On return to our usual fitter in the north she felt the shoes supplied by Dancia were too wide and too hard.My DD is now happily in a well fitting pair of Freeds.

back to evenings sitting by the phoning waiting for a verbal snapshot of the day.

You definitely need to budget for pointe shoes if your DD has a pointe role in EYB - My DD got through 6 pairs in her first pointe role at EYB ( woodnymph in Giselle)

The JA teachers prefer the children to wear underwear.

I was playing Devils Advocate really as currently I am in Olympic mode reflecting on what makes a world beater and Olympic Champion different from the other elite athletes in sport and comparing this to dance when the YAGP photos caught my eye.Training intensity is certainly commonplace to all in the sporting world. I know some dancers in this country who are not vocational struggle to put in the 10 000 hours.