What school now?

[DanceMomma]

My Dd has not gone past preliminary auditions for Tring or Royal Ballet but we need to find a school for her for year 7 when we return to the UK this summer. I don't know where to look to ensure she can still train for ballet. We currently live in Houston Tx. My daughter dances with Houston Ballet, has a junior scholarship where she is often taught by Stanton Welch (and has performed in the Houston Nutcracker as Head Party child. (really not trying to brag just trying to give some perspective on her ability and training level, we have no RAD exams levels) We had to apply for places in the UK by Video and to be honest I really didn't have a clue what I was doing or what the schools expect, I filmed it all on my iPhone as it was the best I could do. The HBA didn't help with the audition videos so we were lucky to have the help of another ballet teacher at another studio help us (cost a fortune!) but that teacher also doesn't know what the Royal is looking for. My dd has studied Cecchetti style for the last 5 years. Dd is doing a 3 week summer intensive in June with HBA, and then the week 1 of summer school at White Lodge. In the meantime I'm trying to find a school that she can attend that still has some dance offered or will at least have a schedule that will allow her to still train. We can't apply for state school places as we aren't current residents in our house, in Twickenham. So we are looking at private schools but when I search for schools that offer dance only the RB, Elmhurst, Tring and Hammond come up. We have applied to Elmhurst too but we don't expect much. Too late to apply to Hammond I believe.

[Pas de Quatre]

Here are several schools you might investigate, all have excellent reputations.  Don't worry about the RAD exams, they aren't necessary.

 

- Young Dancers Academy in London.  It is a day school, but will help arrange host families for those who live too far away.  

- Arts Educational in Chiswick might suit as they are not too far away from you.

 

There are several very good Russian schools in London with Vocational streams.  These would be for classes after normal school hours.

- Russian Imperial Ballet School, run by Olga Semenova

- Natalie Kremen Ballet School

- London Russian Ballet

 

If you are happy to consider boarding, there is Legat at St. Bede's

[Moneypenny]

Whilst it might be too late to apply for Hammond, there's nothing to be lost by contacting them to explain your situation, you never know, they may be willing to look at a DVD audition even at this point. Also, I have read and heard lots of good things about Young Dancers Academy in London. I don't personally have any experience of Hammond or YDA, but plenty of others on this forum will. There are also a number of other private schools that offer vocational dance programmes, Legat and Abbots Bromley School for Girls come immediately to mind, but there are others. I'm sure other forum members will be able to suggest other schools too. Good luck with Elmhurst ... Elmhurst study Chechetti in upper school.

[DanceMomma]

Thank you both! It's a bit stressful just now trying to make sure we can be as proactive as possible. Any advice is so appreciated. I'll look up those schools right now and see what I can find out!

[Harwel]

Also moorlands ballet elite at moorlands school in Lancashire, if boarding is possible. They are lovely and study chechetti.

[dancing pickles]

I do believe Hammond would look at a dvd if you contacted them.Dd is currently in Y7 with a girl who applied last summer with a Dvd.

[taxi4ballet]

Do you know whereabouts in the country you will be moving to - and will your dd be living at home, or are you thinking of boarding?

[DanceMomma]

taxi4ballet- Our house is in Twickenham, Richmond Borough. Funny enough but only about 15minutes from White Lodge. We would absolutely consider boarding because I can imagine how full their schedule is and less time commuting would be a benefit. Also Dd excited by the idea ???? I will get in touch with Hammond and look at the other options too. Thanks again, keep any suggestions coming! I need all the help I can get.

[aileen]

Young Dancers Academy is in West London and so that may be feasible daily from Twickenham.

[DanceMomma]

Thank you! I'll look at them too.

[LinMM]

The Legat school in Sussex (nearest station from London...... Polegate or Berwick on the Eastbourne line) looks to be a lovely school with wonderful facilities. Have a look at their website. It's called St Bedes.

[DanceMomma]

Thank you! Looks like Legat is for 13+ Looks like she would have to join St Bedes prep until then. At least we are starting to get our heads around the options and not all is lost.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I would echo the advise to contact Hammond. My dd applied late 3 years ago it just meant she couldn't be considered for MDS which you wouldn't be eligible for anyway.

 

Also try Morlands, YDA & Abbots Bromley school (it has several international boarding students & a dance/classical ballet stream

Edited February 18, 2016 by Picturesinthefirelight

[Moneypenny]

The ballet tuition is very good at Abbots Bromley.

[primrose]

Highly recommend young dancers academy. Their students get into excellent upper schools post 16 years.

[LinMM]

Yes Young Dancers Academy for non boarding and convenient for London.

[amos73]

Definitely check out YDA. 

[double trouble]

Agree check out YDA my DD used to do lessons with a girl that ended up going YDA she is now at ENBS mind u she was lovely dancer .

[Dizzyballetmum]

Hi dance momma , I'm sure it won't be too late to apply to Hammond . However don't rule out Moorlands and young dancers academy . My DD is the same age as your DD and also doing week one at WL SS. Looks like we will see you both there . Good luck with it all xx

[DanceMomma]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. I'm afraid YDA won't likely work for us, even though its in London it would be at least a 1 hour commute each way, I think this would just be too much for dd at 10/11. I also have a 4 yr old that I will have to be getting to and from school so I think we really need something with a boarding option. We have also been in the US for almost 5 years now so dd has absolutely no street sense. I am going to speak to Hammond and look at some of the other schools mentioned so thanks again for all the information. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at WL week 1.

[tutoo2much]

YDA offer accommodation I think?

[ozzee]

How hard is the commute to yda before you rule It out?

Is it fairly direct? Few changes? Train time to get homework done?

I have been surprised by how easily my girls have gotten used to using public transport to get to school  since starting high school ( not a long distance but a two train journey), within the first few days they were train proficient and have gained so much independence from it. Including the child who was terrified of trains all her life.

[Flora]

Twickenham is 20 mins by car to YDA/ 45 mins on public transport. YDA do have accommodation. Some children stay over some, but not all, nights..Lots commute from quite long distances. My DD travels in by tube with quite a few others. 

[Piccolo]

Could you employ a childminder or similar to take her there and back. Maybe another parent? Would be cheaper than boarding.

[DanceMomma]

Sorry I've not had time to check for a bit. Thanks again for all the info especially on YDA. My dd is only 10(11 in July) and having lived in Texas for the last 5 years, she has no street sense at all. I got the travel times from google maps for train/tube/bus. I can't imagine dd would manage an hour commute before and after school and time to get homework done at her age. I could see in a couple of years though so I will keep it in mind. In the meantime we redid a load of video and applied to Elmhurst and have been invited to final audition. Now just have to cancel a non refundable family ski holiday and book flights to UK! This is going to cost a heck of a lot of money for just a chance. We aren't eligible for any funding either as we haven't been residents in the UK for the last 2 years.

[Happymum]

Well done to your DD! Finals at Elmhurst is a big achievement! Sorry to hear about your non refundable holiday but fingers crossed it will be good news after finals!

[Legseleven]

Sorry DanceMomma, I wasn't 'liking' your post re the non-refundable holiday, just re the Elmhurst final audition! Well done to your DD and loads of luck to her for the audition! 

[Mariska]

Hi DanceMomma, are you set on a school in the UK? Woudl you consider a school in Germany? Our DS (11) is in year 7 at the State Ballet School in Berlin http://www.staatliche-ballettschule-berlin.de/en/ and has been there for two years now as a boarder. They give pupils who don't speak the language extra German tuition and they have two years to get to grips with the language. The teachers are all great, both in the academic subjects and dance, and the boarding house is something on a different level. We looked at all at the four vocational schools in the UK and there none of the boarding facilities came even close to the one in Berlin. Our DS is in a class of 14 (they were lucky in his year, as they have two classes of 14, rather one of 25) and about 60% are not from Germany. Only this school year a boy from Italy started in Year 7, with no German (or English) knowledge and already he is pretty fluent. Just a thought.

[JulieW]

There are lots of opportunities for good quality classes, associate programmes and performance opportunities without going to full time vocational school these days. Especially accessible if you'll be in London.

[DanceMomma]

Yes we are set on the UK as that is where we will be based and it's hard enough to send her to boarding school without it being in a different country. Hence I will be returning to live in the Uk with both my dds while my dh finishes his posting in the US. Dd will have to go to private school as we aren't eligible to even apply for a state school place. Even though we have a return date, our house to live in that we pay all the council taxes on, we are considered non resident and not eligible for state school places. In our borough that leaves only private schools (2 places left) and as my dd isn't hugely academic we may as well try to go for a private school that offers a dance program. I wish it was all more straightforward than it is but unfortunately that is the cost of having lived out of the UK for 5 years. It would also be hard to go from the level of training she is currently receiving to something that potentially could be much less. She currently dances 6-10hrs a week. When they have performances the rehearsals the that up to easily 12hrs a week with homework on top it makes a very heavy load for her. I am hoping a vocational school will be more balanced for dd. I am so thankful that she has been offered the final audition at Elmhurst and we will be able to visit a few other schools while we are over. Abbots and Bromley and Bede's are both possibilities.

[amos73]

Worth bearing in mind that YDA have week night boarding facilities in the same street as the school, so there is the option for kids to stay there some nights during the week. I know various children do that, if they live just outside London.