Its her Life

I don't think there's any harm in you ringing the school to ask if they have received it. Adelia Wood-Smith, the auditions secretary is lovely and I'm sure won't mind. It certainly wouldn't go against your dd in her chances of getting a place. The auditions secretary isn't on the audition panel.

So did mine, but can't remember exactly when. For now, you could just put on the form 'Not Known Yet'.

Royal, ENB & Central were all on a weekend. Northern (Manchester), when we did it, offered a Feb half term date too. But Tring, Rambert & Legat all weekdays.

Or there is the Jury's Inn, Chelsea. Bit more pricey than a Travelodge, but they often do special deals! About a 10 min walk from school and right next to Imperial Wharf train station which is handy. Quite a few students stayed there when my dd did her ENB audition. Expedia.com is a good website to look on.

dtadmin ..... Posted before I saw your last post. That was how my dd was this time last year and she was in the lower sixth! My heart goes out to you, but in time it WILL get easier for her.

Hope today went well for all the new students starting at Tring.

There were I believe at least a couple of 17 year olds in lower sixth last year, but don't think any 18 year olds. You could always email or ring the school and ask.

When my dd did the audition round the year before last, we def had to provide a reference from current dance teacher for Elmhurst.

Yes Lema, Tring have 2 Exeats per term. So with half term added as well, if you collected you child each time, took home & then went back again, that's 8 trips per term.

Tring have Exeat weekends every 3 weeks too, but they do provide a mini bus service to and from Tring station which is helpful. If students go home outside these times, then it is an expensive taxi journey as the station isn't in walking distance and the bus service is either totally unreliable or non-existent! Before my dd started, I hadn't accounted for how much I would be spending on both petrol and train/taxi fares. There's also all the trips to see performances, internal competitions, end of term classes etc.

Thinking of you today x

Yes they held auditions the year my dd did the RBS summer school (2012). Think they only offered 1 place though.

Their studios are located just behind Hove station LinMM, but the classes I've just mentioned are, I believe, aimed at younger students. The info was really intended for Friends who had posted originally. Rox do offer classes for adults but I think they are only ballroom, Latin, salsa, that type of thing.

Rox in Hove are apparently doing drop-in classes for older students. Mon eve Contemporary, Tues commercial Jazz & Wed eve Ballet grade 6+ £7.50 per class. Don't know who the teachers are though.

Judy Breen's classes are definitely still running this week. Not sure about next week though.

A couple of other things to bear in mind is if you have an audition in early Jan, then depending upon your school, you may possibly have had 2 weeks off training over the Xmas! Also, if you leave it til the last preliminary audition and then something goes wrong, ie injury or illness, then there are no alternative dates to fall back on. I knew this to happen to a couple of dancers. And yes, the weather can play an enormous part too ..... I haven't forgotten driving up the M40 in a blizzard to get to Elmhurst & also having our Tring audition postponed due to thick snow. Thankfully I'd made a transferrable hotel booking.

Good luck with your daughter's surgery Regattah. Will be thinking of you this week. Have you told ENBS what is happening so they can make any allowances should elder DD be a bit distant or emotional at all?

Yes I agree with ecarte and guesty, it all depends on your child, how they cope with academics & how much they want to participate in extra morning dance classes as well. My dd started off doing 2 A levels, but dropped one by Oct half term. Firstly, because she wasn't enjoying it & secondly so she could join in more of the optional extra dance classes with the year groups above her.

I wouldn't recommend a trunk! Tring has a lot of stairs which the students and parents have to get everything up and down them! My dd, and everyone else we know, take a couple of suitcases, plus maybe pretty boxes for other stuff and those very huge lightweight bags you can buy for carrying the bedding in. The suitcases are stored at the school and then given back out several days before end of term. The children should also take a smaller weekend case suitable for using at Exeat weekends.

My dd did the Royal upper SS in 2012 Tulip & I too was shocked at how much paperwork there was to fill in. Guess they are covering their backs should anything unfortunate or unexpected happen.

Yes, I too can thoroughly recommend Judy Breen (Hampton Ballet Academy). My dd trained with her after having left Rox. She is absolutely superb. Only offers training in classical ballet though, no other genres, so depends on the child and what he wants to train in.

We live in Hove Hbrew and my dd grew up training at the Rox School of Dance. They offer training in RAD ballet & ISTD modern, tap & jazz. Also contemporary, drama & singing. The school has 4 very modem studios right adjacent to Hove station. My dd always got distinctions in all her exams, went on to be an associate at ENBS followed by an SA at Royal & is now training at Tring Park. She also has had loads of professional stage experience, including two years in the West End's Billy Elliott. Other students from Rox have also performed in the West End. They also participate in two local Festivals. However, my dd left approx 2 years ago so.am a bit out of touch now with the school. Jean Butterworth in Worthing also very good, as well as Glendale Theatre Arts in Worthing, but depends on where your students strengths lie & whether they also want the travelling. There is also A2 Arts in Hove worth considering.

One other suggestion - might be worth contacting schools like Sylvia Young and Italia Conti as I believe a lot of their students (under 16) stay with host families in London. As it's the summer holidays, their students will have broken up & gone home so the host families might be delighted to have someone else stay for a fortnight.

Hi everyone, sorry haven't replied til now. My dd started sixth form last Sept on a DADA, but yes do we get both the fees element & maintenance. So from what everyone's saying on forum I guess therefore this re-assessment must have been just for the maintenance part. They didn't make this clear in their covering letter though and the form sent was identical to the one Iast year, so I assumed it was for everything. Didn't realise others had received letters confirming theirs were being carried over.

No, I'm afraid you do get reassessed each year. My dd is on a Dada (just coming to end of her first year in sixth form) & I've just had to complete a fresh Dada application for next year's worth of training & you have to declare income from previous tax year. So if you do undertake any overtime and your income increases, it will be taken into account next time I'm afraid.