Balletmumfor2

My girls always take a spray bottle of water to festivals to dampen suede soles when the stage us slippy. It works a treat!

A year 10 from my DD's school attended the SA audition last year and was invited up to WL finals (despite not ticking the box). If she been offered a place she would have been starting in Year 11. I believe that they discussed current GCSE's during the informal chat they have as part of the audition.

Always darn DD's pointe shoes to help them last longer but just wondered if anyone darned soft blocks and whether it was acceptable to do so as the satin on hers ends up hanging off and they look terrible after a short while.

My daughter doesn't wear anything in her shoes nowadays except a gel toe protector. Royal prefer them to use lambs wool only so they can feel the floor better but she wasn't keen. Used to have the thinner pro pouches when she first started. You need to smooth down the inside of your shoes before hardening as any lumps or bumps will go hard and can rub. They are stiff when you first put them on but are fine after a few minutes. DD puts hardener where it is needed which in her case is usually the blocks which have gone soft and the flat bits either side of the shoes underneath. Then leaves them on the radiator. As the shoes get older, she hardens them more often until even hardener doesn't restore them. Freed shoes need to be dried out regularly as bit like papier mache which goes soggy as sweat soaks in and then hardens up as it dries.

My daughter wears Freed shoes as they are quieter on stage than Grishko's for example. The downside is they go soft very quickly so she regularly has to harden them to keep them going. A while ago she attended a RB pointe workshop and was surprised that she was one of only a handful of students whom knew how to harden her shoes. She does a lot of pointe (up to 5 or 6 times a week) so has at least a couple of pairs on the go at any one time so she can dry out and harden one pair whilst wearing another. Think she would only get one or two weeks wear without and uses hard shanks too. Her current teacher also likes her pointe shoes to be calamined so they blend I'm with her tights although I gather this is a personal preference.

My daughter is sure she has had Sansha canvas ballet shoes with full soles in the past. Mind you, like other people have mentioned about their dd's, she can remember long, complicated combinations but can forget something vital like ballet shoes so I wouldn't bet on it, lol!!! X

My daughter was in mids at Manchester last year and the teacher there hated the leather shoes. I know she asked if the girls could wear anything else and RBS said satin or leather but had to be full sole. They don't like canvas although that was what a lot of the girls would have chosen to wear. I think they suggest leather as it is more hard wearing for general class but they like satins for auditions/finals.Other mids teachers may have their own preferences.

Regarding feedback, my two daughters ( yr7 and yr10 entry) were lucky enough to get through to WL finals this yr. Although neither was successful, we were told by their associate teachers that feedback would be given to their dance teacher if she requested it. She wrote to Royal and my daughters were subsequently given verbal feedback as to their suitability. So it is possible in some circumstances. Northern Ballet Associates also encouraged auditionees to request feedback after the audition so they knew what areas needed working on.

Hi. I did sew the hem on my daughters skirt and yes it did take hours!!! However, I noticed several mums had used a sewing machine and so this is obviously acceptable. Just make sure the skirt skims the floor when your daughter is kneeling up wearing it. Our JA teacher used to ask all the girls to kneel up in front of her to check this in the first lesson.

Hi Happymum. We got bills for MA's and SA's for my two girls today so expect the JA bills will be on their way. It is quite normal to hear nothing from RBS but they won't give your place away without contacting you so don't worry. Hope this has put your mind at rest.

Hi Lildancer. Must have been typing at the same time as you. Both my girls were in JA's and the hunt for big knickers had been going on for a few years before we discovered this body stocking. My youngest is really fussy about itchy and uncomfortable clothing but loves hers so it must be comfy!

Hi. I found a cheap body stocking that my daughter and most of her friends wore. Fitted perfectly under JA leotard and royal teacher put details of it up so was approved! Is on the Porselli website and is called Intermezzo Loverfor. Only about £6.99. We found big knickers either showed or rolled down so this was perfect.

JA teacher who taught my two daughters asks children to put skirts on at start of first lesson so she can check the length. They kneel up with them on and they just have to touch the floor. She asks parents to adjust them if they are too long or short! Having spent hours hand sewing round a never-ending hem I told my oldest she had better move it up or down on her waist to make it the correct length as I wasn't redoing it!!!!!

Hi elfies mum. Seem to remember get a form nearer the time asking if they want to share with anyone, telling them what they need to take and requiring medical information etcetra. Arrival times were sent with this and seemed to be staggered throughout the day. I agree we need this ASAP to sort out the transport etc. We are also 2nd week. My DD is 11, what age is your DD?

Hi. We also got a phone call this week offering younger DD a place on the second week. Fab news as older DD had already got a place. We were told it was because they had noticed she had been down to the finals. They said SS and finals are decided by separate people but they like to have another look at those they turned down! Younger DD is so excited!!!!

Hi. My daughter told me that there were 11 girls applying for Year 10 places this year. This included one french girl and two swiss girls. She thought there were about 5 girls for each of Years 8 and 9 and then a handful of boys.