Belleballerina

At a festival my dd attended recently the girl who won the 11 year age modern section did a beautiful contemporary piece. The adjudicator said she wasn't keen on seeing really youung dancers takling contemporary as they sometimes involved subjects that you had to be mature enough to deal with. However she placed 1st with 90 marks as she was mature. Contemporary sections are tiny at all our local festivals and I still think it is a fairly new genre and I think traditional modern and lyrical dances are still mostly adjudicators favorite choices

I would definately try out modern. My dd is definately a ballet girl but also does ISTD modern and ISTD Jazz and loves both - they are a definate contrast to ballet! If she wants to take things further and audition for dance college these extra skills will be invaluable. Also I echo what other people have said - dancers these days need to be SO versatile if they want to secure jobs and contracts and the end of their training!

If she loves Tring Park it is worth looking at the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain - this is a two week summer school held at Tring with performances included in Kent and then at a big London Theatre. It's quite expensive for what it is and competition very fierce with an emphasis on lovely performance qualities especially from the younger dancers but it is a great opportunity to enjoy the school and it's lovely facilities in the summer holidays. They have a good website!

Wow what a good idea - we are lucky enough to have only had an ingrowing toe nail and a few pointe work related blisters - but im sure this will be a real help.

There was a groupthere from my dd's school - still waiting to hear the news!

What about the ISTD Janet Cram Awards ISTD event. It is a competition based over qualifying regional heats and then the natiional final event - but a brilliant rewarding comp. The standard is superb. Not sure whether you need to be entered by your istd teacher or can enter privately? Laines or one of the big vocational schools have weekend sholars or holiday courses - although many based around London and the SE area. Worth looing at? ISTD do Bronze, Silver and Jazz awards. My dd is definately a ballet girl but at 11 has just achieved a high distinction at Bronze Jazz level and is very pleased with herself!

White Lodge was/still is JA's or those "in the know" as it were! ie teachers etc?

British Ballet Organization (BBO) maybe - don't think it was RAD but could have been! ISTD event or IDTA even? Would be great to know ?

My daughter had a "karen tutu" a couple of years ago which was made via correspondence ie choosing fabrics etc although I did get an experienced dressmaker to measure her as there were a lot of measurements required. The result was absolutely stunning and really beautifully made. She has a lovely facebook page with loads of stunning pictures but is in huge demand as so reasonably priced for the hours of work (think she must make them out of pure pleasure) - I cannot recommend her enough

Showing my age niow but i did that Birdcage dance and remember the same thing made from a lampshade base and my mum spending hours covering it with pink satin ribbon. I had a pink leotard with a lovely pink hairband.! This must have been grade 1/2 ish! I also had a white dress with a pink sash - nylon with spots and remember doing rock-a-bye baby with my Tiny Tears and a dance to Sing a Song of Sixpence complete with washing basket full of dolls clothes! And the party polka with a partner - this must have been primary. Also i have a photo of me in a character skirt with a tamborine tied with ribbons - so a spanish tarentella maybe. I gave up ballet soon after! Definately under reminising - I'm sure many of us have loads to reminise about!

Children come along like that very occasionally - my ddd is 11 and a girl joined her class 18 months ago having had no training other than one ballet class a week - although she didn't get into white lodge for a year 8 place next sept - she is amazing - won Janet Cram Junior Cup - wins all local festival junior cups and you sit up with goose bumps when you see her dance - but she is on a par with my dd class wise/grade wise - who also gets placed at festivals and has auditioned sucessfully for various associate schemes etc - this girls is amazing but the teacher at the school says they have both got potential to go further - in the dance world - and i believe the teachers at the school are very honest. Pontential means my dd will push herself if she wants to persue dancing as a career - i will encourage her but she has an excellent relationship with her teachers and we trust what they say.

My dd's school is in Bishops Stortford and is very accomodating with excellent teachers. Email me if you need further info - I know they do some extra coaching during the day sometimes. RAD ballet and ISTD modern/tap/jazz etc. Have had 4 into White Lodge over the last few years - many RBS JA's , NYB success and many talented older students gaining places and funding at Laines, Performers, Northern Ballet School etc. They are also a big festival school with massive successes!

NYB has been those two weeks in August leading up to the Bank Holiday weekend for the last three years. I think they may well try and stick with that as it seems to work for them! But I agree - email them or any others you are thinking of. I sure many people like to plan well in advance for things and are in the same boat. I am still trying to plan for this summer !!

Our tutu ends up on the dining room table quite often even when we have friends for sunday dinner - no where else to put it!!

I have two - one very heavy thick padded one which is lined and a smaller one from dance direct which isn't lined. I see loads at festivals and they do all seem to have straps inside them to secure the tutu. I don't really think it matters whether they are lined or not. Many people just turn the tutu inside out and use a large clear bin liner to transport them. We were advised by the lady who made the tutu to ALWAYS keep it flat. If you look on the internet you can buy some which fold in half and whilst this may be useful to help carry it tutu's shouldn't be folded for any length of time! If you are thinking of buying one go for the largest one you can because as your dd grows the width of the skirt will need to be wider!

Hi - have sent you a pm

My dd and I were in the same situation 3 years ago having moved from Worcester to Essex at Xmas. After 4 grade 3 ballet classes her lovely ballet teacher suggested she auditioned for a RBS JA year 5 place and also for the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain. We didn't know anyone and coming from doing one ballet and modern class a week it was very daunting. Needless to say we had a lovely no letter from RBS encouraging us to try again the next year (we didn't as had a family wedding to attend that clashed with the auditioned dates) but she was sucessful with the NYB who are based in Tonbridge and they have a lovely annual gala somewhere in central london ie Palladium or Sadlers Wells. It is quite expensive, but a fantastic experience which she has done for 3 years. Auditions for next year will be Feb/March. DD's ballet teacher was head girl at London Senior Ballet and highly recommends it. Central Ballet School run an Associate Programme. My dd would love to audition for London Junior Ballet and the standard here is again fantastic - however our dance school is very festival committed and dd is doing 2 solo's, 2 duets and numerous groups so we haven't looked at it in detail. A few beautiful senior dancers from dd's school also dance with the Chelmsford Ballet Co - again standard excellent. Really wish we'd known about EYB - again another lovely experience. So PLEASE don't give up hope - your dd is very young and if like my dd you have a fantastic teacher who encourages and motivates her she will find success at some point. There are so many lovely ballet opportunities and this forum has helped us to be realistic about things. A little friend of dd's who auditioned for that year 5 RBS JA place also got a no - a year later got a year 6 place and then got a YEAR 7 place at WHITE LODGE - never give up!

My dd had exactly the same about 2 years ago and was advised by her ballet teacher to do exactly what you are doing (using surgical spirit) and to make sure she kept in very clean. It did clear up very quicly and hasn't bothered her since! They look painful don't they?

Just back from a long day in london watching this. The standard was simply amazing and massive congratulations to dd's friend who won the Junior Championship and their fantastic teacher. For those who haven't heard of this it as a National Modern competition organised by the ISTD

The same at our dance school - more and more boys joining and they now have boys only Ballet/Modern/technique and street classes and they love it - the girls watch at the door in awe!

I know one current year 7 ar the Royal Ballet school who is a former english national squad gymnast. I also know of another fantastic dancer who held the title of english national 1st for floor routines several years running who has gone on to get a fuill scholarship at Laines. If you sit and watch some of the festival classes (especially modern and jazz) the very flexible dancers who have obviously had some gymnastics training always wow! - with their performances, stand out and very often get placed! But yes, very different muscles are used which is why at age 12 ish these two girls turned towards their true passion which was dance. However if your daughter is young and undecided definately a fun gymnastics class will may in the long run! If she is really flexible though ask you teacher for some exercise which will hlep and extend her flexibility!

Primark size 6 definatley - put in tumble dryer to shrink if u need to!

My little boy of eight is the same. Can do frogs legs beautifully - has feet his sister would die for and has natural rythmn - but no way is he going to ballet classes he would rather do football and tennis!

Never heard of New English Ballet Theatre but you prompted to me look at their web site - looks fantastic - similar to Ballet Theatre Uk which are a small touring company but r made up of ex tring, central and royal ballet dancers and are well worth watching (probably need to start a new topic for this) Ballet Theatre uk are doing a new production of Sleeping Beauty in Bishops Stortford next Friday and DD and I are really looking forward to it - have seen Nutcracker and the Snow Queen and are extremely impressed. Shame they don't have opportunities for younger dancers to audtion for parts at the different venues!

He will also see you just once and then deal with you over the phone or online x