Balletmumfor2

Hi Pointytoes. I think we will be interested in this. Unfortunately my DD is in bed now so I will check with her in the morning that its suitable and get back to you.

The things my dd struggled with buying at 16 was a replacement sharp knife for the kitchen and getting paracetamol for headaches. She had to send an SOS message to her Dad for paracetamol and and hayfever tablets, and he was a bit concerned when she emailed his work with a message stating: 'thank you for the drugs;they have arrived safely!' She does have a mini nectar card on her keyring to collect points.

Dd's teacher recently wanted tan coloured pointe shoes for a stylised ballet they were doing as they had bare legs rather than pink tights. They 'pancaked' their shoes as usual using calamine but added a small amount of foundation to make them more tan coloured.

Loads of them at OPES are not on pointe. They cater for all ages & abilities. Fab summer school with lovely teachers and a relaxed informal atmosphere. Feel free to PM me if you want to ask anything as my two have done it two years running.

I think the price of a tyre greatly depends upon the size and usage. We have a family car and do a lot of motorway driving and high mileage so our tyres also cost over £100 each. A smaller car has smaller tyres which work out a lot cheaper.

I have contacted my friend from this forum who offers this service and she has given me permission to message you her email which I've done. My eldest has darned all her own shoes since the age of 15. Youngest, aged 14 sews all her own ribbons and is planning to darn her new shoes this summer when she has more time. I can't wait to relinquish this job!

Is the Bloch tutu skirt still available please?

Last year the Central results seemed to come out in batches. A few people we knew got 'yes' letters then had 7 days to accept. Other people we know heard nothing at first then got a 'yes'. We didn't hear anything for ages but then got reserve list which later changed to a 'yes'. It was a long and stressful wait. Good luck to those waiting.

Hi Chaperone. After the audition a few are asked to return for a half hour recall after both morning and afternoon auditions are over. Last yr this consisted of a brief class of splits & stretching only. I suspect it was to check potential flexibility / turnout and the like for those who had not demonstrated these aspects during the audition itself. Your dd should know if she is required to stay for this or not after her 2 hr audition. Hope this helps. Best of luck to your dd.

Manchester MA's is the same set up mentioned above with one class comprising of all 3 year groups. There are currently 4 year 9's so this will release 4 spaces if no-one else leaves. Class numbers do vary however so they could potentially offer 6 places maybe if they saw children they really wanted.

The year my youngest dd did finals there were 3 on waiting list. They were told they were not in order and who would be offered first would depend on who'd dropped out. Although one person turned their space down this was not till later on when all the new children had had their visit so as far as I know none of the 3 took the space. At least one had already accepted a place at another school by then and bought uniform etc.

Hi TillyJ. I think it was subsequent posters who mentioned the older buildings. As someone who works in a school, I totally agree with you that first impressions, including a welcoming atmosphere, are crucial to sell a school to the best candidates, which is what every school needs to do.

I agree with the above post. My dd also joined Central in September gone & we have always had a very pleasant welcome / reception there. I mentioned it to my dd who said maybe the regular reception staff were not present being the half term weekend. Central does treat students like young adults however & all correspondence is done through them rather than parents. I think this is in preparation for the world they are entering where they need to be very independent. There is a warm welcome atmosphere there most of the time. Buildings are tatty but so are the pointe shoes of principal dancers. Don't judge things on looks alone.

My dd visited school nutritionist recently and as she is so pale skinned, was told she should try to supplement her Vitamin D. Nutritionist said many dancers have low levels due to the amount of time spent inside in studios. I know she is now adding vitamin D rich food to her diet but will have to check with her exactly what she now eats. I know it's very simple as she has to provide all her own food.

When my dd's did shows such as EYB, my husband scanned in the flier and then in a similar font to the rest of the writing, wrote 'Starring Joe Bloggs' across the top. This produced a personalised poster/souvenir for each child. We bought A4 clip frames to put them in. My dd's still have the framed personalised posters and they are lovely momentoes of the shows they have been in. Hubby does work in computers but am sure it wouldn't be too difficult for someone with a bit of computer know-how. On occasions, he has produced an original poster including a photo of the child my dd has taken backstage in costume with details of the show they were 'starring' in. We have also given small themed presents linked to the show such as ruby slipper key rings at the Wizard of Oz for example.