Dancing at two schools

[balletmum13]

Don't get me wrong, my dd love her dance school, but at 13 she doesn't feel they offer enough ballet classes and would love to do more. One of her friends goes different ballet school and dd is thinking of also taking classes there as well as the ones she already takes at her current school. Would this be rude or would it be ok to do? Thanks x

[Balletmum55]

I would say that as a matter of respect you should discuss this with your dd's current dance teacher. You may find that they would offer additional classes (ie studying the grade above etc) for keen dancers. From experience I would say that dancing at 2 different schools, especially for the same discipline, would be frowned upon. Different methods of teaching etc and as a matter of pride on behalf of teacher no doubt. Could you look more at associate schemes/ youth ballet groups to supplement her ballet classes?

 

 

Edited for typo

Edited March 12, 2016 by Balletmummy55

[Happymum]

My DD danced at 2 different schools, just ballet at both. Teachers new about it and understood that my DD needed more hours/classes to get ready for vocational schools auditions. I think that if there is no possibility of additional classes at current school you could ask the teacher if she wouldn't mind if your DD attends a class at the other school.

[Jaylou62]

My dd attended 3 schools. In one she did Musical Theatre, a pilates class and had private singing lessons, in another school she did RAD ballet, ISTD tap and modern and a pointe class. In a 3rd school she did Russian ballet and youth ballet company. We are fortunate that all schools knew about one another, teachers trained and taught in 2 of the schools and the 3rd was considered an option for the more serious dancer. We are really grateful to all dd's teachers for her training and for them being so open to the other schools.

[balletmum13]

Thanks for your replies! Would anyone be able to tell me there dc's age and how many classes of each style they take as well as the duration? Thanks in advance x

[Happymum]

My DD is at Voc school now so trains 4h a day but before that, when she was 10/11 she had 3 regular RAD ballet classes a week (2x1h, 1x45mins), RBS JA class every other Sat plus 1 Pilates class and a Pilates routine and feet exercises she did almost every day at home (around 45mins).

[Happymum]

Just wanted to add that at this young age it doesn't matter that much I think, there were/are others her age who had more classes a week, different styles etc and others who had just a couple of ballet classes a week only. Voc schools are looking at potential.

Of course it's different if your DC is older and wants to try for upper school in the future, then more training is needed.

[2dancersmum]

I would agree with the advice to talk to the teacher first. Not all teachers are happy for you to do this. You might get offered extra classes at her existing school as another poster mentions. At your DDs age, this is what happened for my DD. Her teacher knew she needed extra classes but did not want her to go elsewhere so she was allowed to join in the vocational grade below hers at no extra charge and they squeezed in a private lesson for her between her other classes, again at no charge. She did this for about 18 months and then had another chat with the principal, who at this stage suggested she should now go to another school for extra classes. She was adamant, however, that she did not want her to study the same grade with the same exam board at two different schools. She had said in her many years of experience of having tried that in the past, that it never really worked. Instead she picked out 2 schools, whose training she approved her (in her words she did not want DD set back and picking up bad habits), where DD was able to take ISTD advanced classes and non syllabus pointe and advanced ballet classes to supplement the RAD training she was getting at her original school.

[Lisa O`Brien]

I would agree with the advice to talk to the teacher first. Not all teachers are happy for you to do this. You might get offered extra classes at her existing school as another poster mentions. At your DDs age, this is what happened for my DD. Her teacher knew she needed extra classes but did not want her to go elsewhere so she was allowed to join in the vocational grade below hers at no extra charge and they squeezed in a private lesson for her between her other classes, again at no charge. She did this for about 18 months and then had another chat with the principal, who at this stage suggested she should now go to another school for extra classes. She was adamant, however, that she did not want her to study the same grade with the same exam board at two different schools. She had said in her many years of experience of having tried that in the past, that it never really worked. Instead she picked out 2 schools, whose training she approved her (in her words she did not want DD set back and picking up bad habits), where DD was able to take ISTD advanced classes and non syllabus pointe and advanced ballet classes to supplement the RAD training she was getting at her original school.

Wow ,sounds like your DD`s teacher was lovely and helpful. 

[thewinelake]

Ours do grades at one school and vocational at another. Both teachers seem happy with it and get on well together. Of course you should run it past the first teacher. Maybe it was easier in our case as the first school didn't do vocational exams.

 

DD1 started on 6 with Int Foundation and is now on 8 (exam next week!) and Adv Foundation. Once G8 is done, she's intending to stay on for "adult ballet" - no respite on the chauffeuring front!

 

DD2 pretty much the same but 2 years behind.

 

Now another member of the same school has done the same.