fees for performance

[youngballerina'smom]

HI I am in quandry.  Recently we changed studios and have joined a good Russian based ballet only school.  My daughter was cast as one of 3 Claras for their Nutcracker.  Of course like any ballerina (and ballet mom) would be, she is thrilled.

 

Here is my dilema, part of our tuition is to go for performances, no problem.

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There are not set Clara rehearsal times, only if you book a private, which costs $100.00 to teacher and $30.00 to the studio.  The teacher is very good and quite in demand, so if they are not available and you don't pay, I guess you don't rehearse.

 

Clara will costs us over $1000.00..if she gets to rehearse once a week, which is not always possible.  The other girls starting rehearsing weeks ago! Why, because they are in coaching for YAGP...which now becomes Clara rehearsals. This was not told to us at anytime..we have just had to figure it out.  

 

I really don't know what to do. I have heard that when people complain, the board of directors, that run the school , say...well its an honor to be chosen, if your child doesn't want the role, someone else will take it!

 

Is this normal in other studios?  It was not in our last studio.  

 

We invest upwards of 20K and more a year into my daughters dream...she works so hard..but this seems so outrageous to me. I feel taken advantaged of and quite frankly duped.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[aileen]

Moderators, can you please move this post to the Doing Dance section of the forum?

[Anna C]

Moderators, can you please move this post to the Doing Dance section of the forum?

Done, thanks aileen.

 

Welcome to the forum, youngballerina'smom. The Doing Dance subforum is the most appropriate place for your query. Am I right in assuming you are not in the UK? That does sound an incredibly high fee for rehearsals.

[sarahw]

Hi youngballerina's mom. This would certainly be an unusual scenario in the UK. I'm not surprised you feel taken advantage of. Where are you? I'm assuming US? If so I believe there's a corresponding US site. Not sure of the name. Can anyone help?

[Jan McNulty]

It's called Ballet Talk for Dancers (BT4D).

[Pas de Quatre]

I would agree with this suggestion.  From what I have read on that board it would seem the Nutcracker production is the highlight of the year for many ballet schools in the USA.  It simply doesn't exist here.  The only school I know who does a regular Nutcracker production at Christmas is Anna du Boisson's West London School of Dance together with her vocational school Young Dancers Academy.  I saw it a few years ago and it is indeed a wonderful production usually with guest professional artists in some of the main roles.

[Anna C]

There probably are other schools who do a story ballet as their annual show, but I agree that it's nowhere near as common as in the US. Perhaps we have more Youth Ballet/Performance experiences here, like MTB/LCB/NYB/EYB etc. However, fortunately the fees for these - if any - are much more reasonable. Plus you know upfront exactly what you will be paying, what is included etc. And, scholarships excepting, all EYB participants (for example) pay the same fee regardless of what role they are cast in. So you pay your £485 or thereabouts knowing upfront that this includes all rehearsals, costumes, tuition and so on, but that you provide shoes, undergarments and makeup.

[Guest]

Another example: Birmingham Royal Ballet are currently working on a production called Cinderella Dreams that features young dancers and professionals. Participants get 8 full days of training and a term of classes. I think the total cost to participate was around £500? My dd was invited to audition but we live too far away - I believe that there are other on this forum whose dc are involved though.

[amos73]

My dd is a student at young dancers academy and there is a production few of around £90 for all rehearsals costumes etc for the nutcracker performance. It is the same for all no matter which part cast in.