Interested Parent

Hi Pictures. Does Dancique fit a variety of shoe makes?

Hi Kat09. Do you know where Linda is based? I can't seem to find it on her website?

DD's feet have changed so much in her first year at 16+ vocational school and we are getting nowhere fast with our usual pointe shoe fitters. Can anyone recommend a truly specialist fitter anywhere in the country? Used all the usual shops in London and locally but would like an individual, private fitting and happy to pay over and above if required.

My DD finds it hard to go through Demi in her Merlets. Loves them for everything else but has decided to move away from them for that reason.

Re short interviews at audition: Kate Simmons yes and with parent, Ballet West yes and with parent, Northern yes and without parent. All very easy going chats.

There would have to be a lot more CAT schemes across the country that were travelling distance for all awardees in the country to make this work. If you're living in Cumbria and gain a place at a CAT scheme in Swindon it would be impossible to live and attend an academic school in your local area.

Indeed. There will be several posters whose DC have gone through the auditions process and finally succeeded in gaining a big 4 place before 16. So there's always hope amongst the complicated funding processes and I sincerely believe, having come out the other side that every school does its best to be fair and to use their limited budgets for their children as best they can. You'll rarely read on here from those that didn't succeed for the simple reason that they, and their children, have probably moved on to pastures new. However, during those pre16 years my DD was never offered a place. Got a finals wait list place at Elmhurst, un-funded at Tring, bursary offer we couldn't afford at Hammond so you may think that my DD came out scarred and battle worn. She didn't! She's a strong, dedicated and focused person but one that's also realistic and not at all bitter which are huge and important lessons to learn in life. Children are very tough and if allowed to push towards their dreams, albeit with boundaries (too expensive, too far away) will bounce back and will be better for it. Finally, the funding situation changes regularly and none of us can predict what will be in place by next year, let alone 3 or 4 years down the road so my advice would be to just go with the flow and enjoy your DC's dancing. PS. My DD is now in a 6th form vocational ballet school and very happy. That's all we can ask. ((-:

I agree that MDS is a specific number of students at RBS and Elmhurst (almost) but at Tring and Hammond a certain amount of money is available and number of MDS awardees will change. I suppose that could also be whether existing MDS awardees were leaving or being assessed out of the school. This is why Tring would advise a rough number, ie 4-6. Well they always used to. My point is that an earlier poster wondered if RBS could give out more MDS if there was money left but this would be impossible if there weren't the beds to accommodate those extra children. The benefit of Hammond was always the bursaries, their own extra pot that they could award if the MDS's ran out and sometimes this could work out better value for the parents than an MDS.

My understanding based on 5 years of auditions at these schools... MDS: RBS (all) and Elmhurst (most) - awarded in order of talent, not ability to pay but if lots of 'wealthy' children (for want of a better title) then more children could be taken? Not sure how this would be possible when the schools only have a finite number of beds. MDS: Tring (some) and Hammond (some) - awarded in order of talent - 'pot' of government money that if more wealthy children awarded can offer more MDS. Hence both schools can only advise a rough number of MDS pre- audition and they will advise if you ask. DaDa: All schools (exc RBS as continue MDS) - awarded in order of talent, one pot of money, the more wealthy children on the talent list the more offers can be made until the pot runs out - key difference being that although there is a finite number of bed or even no accommodation, children can use local to school accommodation, hostels, rented, host families.

How awful. Such a wonderful person. My DD absolutely loved her and she was so inspirational and caring. Hugs to you and all her family and friends.

Berkhamsted parking: coming from Tring, first set of traffic lights as you come into Berky on the left is the garden centre car park which then gives you access to the Waitrose car park. Next set of lights at the crossroads on the left takes you to more Waitrose parking and up to Railway station parking. Just after next set of lights on left you'll see Tesco Metro and there's parking behind there too.

This time last year the cliff edge was £70,000! As said gross income from your P60 and P11d including any bonus you receive. As regards the cliff edge, if your company offers the 'benefit' of sacrificing a bonus to your pension, ie it's not taxable, that can reduce the P60 gross figure.

I love Berkhamsted which is an easy drive and only about 5 miles away so closer than Aylesbury, Bicester etc. It's a large historic town with lots of small shops and a super old fashioned tea shop above a beautiful very large antiques shop. It's also next to the NT's Asheridge Estate.

Northern Ballet School is at the Dancehouse Theatre in Oxford Road. We stopped at the Premier Inn at the top of Oxford Road, probably not the closest but certainly easy to navigate from and the newer modern rooms.

I must be so lucky! From the age of 8 my DD insisted on looking after her own kit, giving me items that needed washing, replacing and keeping everything in the same pockets, tubs and tins so that she knew where everything was. The night before she would 'stock check' her dance bag. Every day I would say 'have you got this, have you got that' and she would always reply 'yes Mum!' including auditions and performances. I agree with Guesty because I was/am just as much as a control freak as she is. Now my youngest DD? That's a different story and I sympathise with you all, I just think she takes after her Dad ((;

Capezio also do a similar bag with a trolley handle and wheels. Very robust and great for long walks to dance class especially when they are 14 upwards and taking so much kit to class that they can't carry it.

Some schools ask you to give the year before income details just as an indicator but no proof is required. When you do supply the current tax years form and proof it will probably be after the end of that tax year. You need to supply P60's and P11d's (benefits in kind) from your work or set of accounts/self assessment forms for self employed.

I would echo Aussie ballet mums advice re the dance Physio. My DD had similar symptoms to you (I say symptoms as her problem may be different to yours) and her dance Physio found something was 'locking' behind her knees, causing the calves to not move properly. Some simple exercises resolved the problem and she now does those exercises regularly. So definitely recommend Physio advice. In the mean time a gentle message of the calves before and after dance wouldn't do any harm.

My DD has just changed shoe to a Merlet Diva. These can be fitted at Dancia in Drury Lane and I believe Just Ballet stock them too. They come with ribbons (not satin but tape) with the tendon elastics in the ribbons and a suede platform. One word of warning - if you are buying new shoes for EYB and they are not going to be exactly the same as what she's used too, be sure to have her use them for all of her pointe work before she starts rehearsals. If she is doing a lot of pointe work at EYB in new and different shoes she is more likely to get issues (bruised toenails, sore tendons) than being in a type of shoe both she and her feet are used to.

My DD had her's yesterday and had the sore arm. Then in the night she felt very headachy and couldn't sleep. This morning still the headache. Dosed her with paracetamol today so hoping she improves. When I asked her how she felt she said 'rubbish but it's better than getting meningitis' (-:

This makes me want to scream too. Especially when it's different 'directives' for different GP Practices. Perhaps it's time for a letter to the GP partners, enclosing the leaflet and stating that they are putting your daughters health at risk when you know other practices are offering it to 16 year olds. Oh dear I will shut up now )-;

The new Men W poster clearly states 'if you are in school years 9 to 13 (age 13 to 18 years) you are high risk and the poster is urging you to get your child vaccinated. The poster is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447618/PHE_9268_MenW_A3_poster_09_web.pdf Could you print out the poster, book private appointment with your GP and ask her?

Sorry for confusion - my fault! Didn't notice that the post title had changed (?)

My DD really enjoying this course; the added bonus being the creative and contemporary parts of the day. The course runs every year in both London and Leeds.

I have PM'd you back Anon dancer.