Elmhurst auditions in Australia

[sarahw]

That said, I am eagerly awaiting overseas ballet schools holding some of their auditions in the UK.

 

 

My guess is that will never happen..... Mostly due to the language issue....

[Jan McNulty]

That said, I am eagerly awaiting overseas ballet schools holding some of their auditions in the UK.

 

 

My guess is that will never happen..... Mostly due to the language issue....

 

 

 

American / Australian / Canadian / New Zealand schools?

[Kate_N]

Given that there have been dancers from Australia attending Elmhurst Senior Summer school for at least the previous 2 years, it doesn't seem unreasonable that they should have the opportunity to audition for full time training. That said, I am eagerly awaiting overseas ballet schools holding some of their auditions in the UK.

 

Well, they might not audition here, but on this forum we have parents of children/teens who attend vocational schools in other countries. Should those opportunities be blocked? 

 

I'm sure it's possible to send an audition video to any number of overseas schools.

 

And I repeat, as far as I know, state-subsidised schools don't displace local (Home/EU) students for overseas students. THey are in addition. And pay full whack. There are only a few of them any way; we're not exactly swamped b overseas students.  

 

I think the real issue was touched upon earlier in the thread - the way training from age 8 to 13 or 14 is organised & funded. Most children start the study of ballet in local neighbourhood "church hall" type schools. THese often don't have the standards, or the numbers, or the facilities to offer the kind of fully professional training of, say China or Russia. It's luck of the draw that you find a good local school & teacher - there are enough threads on here bemoaning the limitations in standards, or number of hours. 

 

My local studio is fantastic: properly trained in pedagogy, ex-professional dancer principal, with other teachers with full university dance qualifications & professional working careers. But the economics of the local city are such that they can't run the full programme they would like to. And they have their own purpose-renovated studio (not a multi-purpose community hall). 

 

THAT'S what needs to change maybe? Some sort of improvement in local; training for the years 8 to 13, when the solid foundation for serious dance training is laid down.

[sarahw]

Good points Janet and Kate

[primrose]

A British child is one who holds a British Civilian passport.

[Kate_N]

But you know that of course, not all British passport holders are eligible for free education in Britain. If you have lived abroad, have emigrated, or have a UK passport by patriality (one grandparent a UK citizen I think), but otherwise don't live in the UK, you may be a British passport holder, but you might not be eligible for free education etc. It's not always as simple as just holding a UK passport. 

[Ellie]

But you know that of course, not all British passport holders are eligible for free education in Britain. If you have lived abroad, have emigrated, or have a UK passport by patriality (one grandparent a UK citizen I think), but otherwise don't live in the UK, you may be a British passport holder, but you might not be eligible for free education etc. It's not always as simple as just holding a UK passport. 

Quite. From my experience you must be 'ordinarily resident' (for 3 years I think ?) in the UK before qualifying for funding. My son had been at boarding school in the UK from the age of 11, held a British passport, but did not qualify for UK student funding for uni. 

[primrose]

My post wasn't really about funding as many foreign and UK nationals can afford to fund. My point was that there are very few places in UK lower vocational schools. I strongly believe that these places should be taken up by UK children. There are masses of talented British kids, who may not yet be at the standards of our foreign friends but that doesn't mean with good training they can't be. Sorry but I have seen so many talented children over looked and it's not right. I am not raising this point as a bitter parent whose child did not gain a place at one of these schools, on the contrary she had a funded place at two different vocational schools and was offered DaDa funding for several upper schools. I am saying schools should be looking at UK talent, it's there staring at them.

[balletbean]

Quite. From my experience you must be 'ordinarily resident' (for 3 years I think ?) in the UK before qualifying for funding. My son had been at boarding school in the UK from the age of 11, held a British passport, but did not qualify for UK student funding for uni. 

We hold a British Passport as we live in GB but not part of the UK. So our children are not eligible for most funding as it is UK/EU residents only. Of which we are neither. 

 

5 years residency none of which can incl education to qualify for funding. How ever hop across the Channel to the EU countries and its all different.

 

Very Very frustrating. 

[balletbean]

My post wasn't really about funding as many foreign and UK nationals can afford to fund. My point was that there are very few places in UK lower vocational schools. I strongly believe that these places should be taken up by UK children. There are masses of talented British kids, who may not yet be at the standards of our foreign friends but that doesn't mean with good training they can't be. Sorry but I have seen so many talented children over looked and it's not right. I am not raising this point as a bitter parent whose child did not gain a place at one of these schools, on the contrary she had a funded place at two different vocational schools and was offered DaDa funding for several upper schools. I am saying schools should be looking at UK talent, it's there staring at them.

I agree, how can they call themselves English National Ballet School/Company for example if nearly all are made up of foreign students/dancers? 

[Flora]

Yes: ENBS seem to take about one UK girl a year- maybe slightly more. By comparison at POB only really French girls will have the French ballet qualifications they require unless lucky enough to be selected from an international competition

Edited October 16, 2016 by Flora

[Cara in NZ]

I'm British and my two oldest were born in London. But my youngest (the DD) was born in NZ. She has a British passport through me but has never lived there. It would be awful if the older two qualified as 'British' and she didn't!

Here in NZ we don't have any vocational training from 11, just auditioned 'development programmes' (like Scholars/JAs). So 'vocational training' isn't really an option before age 15 but the kids still go on to professional careers (Including Hannah O'Neill, who went to Australia for training at age 15). The NZ School of Dance runs a national programme, and the others are through a handful of leading dance schools, who usually offer a 'pre-professional programme' for 15-16 yr olds. People do send kids to Australia at 15/16, but younger kids usually only do holiday intensives. I don't think you need to criticise the British schools. As the world 'shrinks', kids may travel more for training but I don't think any of us would like the Chinese/Russian model for our 11-yr-olds – even worse because of the vast distances the children often are from their families! I often wonder if there really is a huge benefit in sending kids to vocational school at 11, and am very glad not to have that option here – I don't know how you do it!

Edited October 16, 2016 by Cara in NZ