Sim Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Dear Forum Members, Five years ago today, BalletcoForum opened for ballet and dance fans everywhere to be able to share their experiences, review performances, ask questions, learn and help each other. Aside from the moderators, on that day we welcomed Pas de Quatre, Stirrups36 and Fiona as some of our first members. They continue to post today! I am so pleased to say that today, five years after this start, the forum has grown to 3,916 members (and many more lurkers), and our views are read and taken seriously by many in the dance world. I am even more proud of the fact that a real community has been established on this forum over these years; friendships have been forged and a close group of mutually helpful parents of dancing children are very active and supportive of each other. We have also reached a total of 184,500 posts on a huge range of different subjects; a very impressive tally! We do hope that the forum will keep on growing and thriving, but without all of you there would be no forum; at least, not the lively one we have become now! So a big thanks to you all for your support and input. As Chair, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the moderators for the time, dedication and hard work that they all put in. Running the forum is not always easy, and can be time-consuming and even, sometimes, unpleasant. I am so proud that the moderators today have all been in place since Day One; we haven’t lost one of them, and that shows how seriously we all take this forum, and how committed we are to it. We do our best to get things right and walk a balanced line, but it isn’t always easy. Despite this, the moderators always approach things with a mixture of wanting to get it right, and some humour thrown in. I thank each and every one of them. Thanks are also due to Bruce Marriott who, having decided to stop Ballet.co.uk, listened to the cries of “but what will we do now?” set up this forum and, once established, asked us to take the reins and ride forth. We would like to wish all of you a very happy festive season, and a peaceful, happy and healthy 2017, full of good cheer and good ballet/dance! With thanks and best wishes to you all, Simonetta Dixon (Sim)ChairBalletcoForum Committee 32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy birthday, and many congratulations! Sincere thanks to all who run this board - it's wonderful. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 And a big thank you from me too. Really appreciate all the time and effort the committee and moderators put into keeping the board running for us. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thank you to all to all the moderators on Ballet Co and Merry Christmas to all its members. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointetoes Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy Birthday and thank you 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy 5th Birthday, and thank you so much - I don't know how we would have got through the last few years of DD's dance journey without all the support, marvellous expert advice and encouragement from so many other forum members. Thank you all 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Yes this forum has been a life saver for us. Thank you to all the moderators! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 My 7yr old is just starting her dancing journey but i have learnt so much already from advice given and experiences shared. Thanks to everyone and Happy Christmas x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Can anyone here remember how many years that the original Ballet Co site ran for? My youngest dd was quite small when I first found it and she's 25 now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixiewoo Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy birthday . I only discovered this site last summer and it is now essential daily reading! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Can anyone here remember how many years that the original Ballet Co site ran for? My youngest dd was quite small when I first found it and she's 25 now! Well, Bruce will know best, of course, but the original site dates from the mid-ish 1990s, and was certainly going by 1997. I know that because I set up an email address specially, and still have the odd message dating from 1997 in there! Edit: correction: 1998. So that probably means about 1997 for the site, I should think, and maybe earlier for the "toybox" site which preceded it? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy Birthday! Thank you Sim for the mention as one of the first members. I really enjoyed being part of the the original Ballet co and was delighted that you managed to re-establish and carry on the good work! Merry Christmas one and all! xxx 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thank you, Alison. We didn't go online until 1998 and there were lots of pages for me to read when I found you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy Birthday! Big thank you to the moderators and to all the forum members. I don't think I'd have made it through the last 4 years without this forum! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Beelam Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Ah Happy Birthday!! And a huge thank you to all the mods for their tireless work, to keep this forum going! As an adult dancer and mum of a DD I've loved following threads and learnt lots as my DD grew up! I remember tentatively seeking opinions on the old forum as to whether a Just Ballet website would be a good idea and thanks to your positive reactions and support, we started from my dining table and are still going strong! My DD is now 21 and still dancing at uni, all be it studying for a science degree, and I'm still dancing too! Thank you Bruce Merry Christmas everyone xxx 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Happy Birthday to this wonderful forum. I like others on here felt a bit lost when the old Forum closed, so was absolutely delighted when the new one was born. Many heartfelt thanks to all the moderators who tirelessly do such a fantastic job day in day out, year in year out, for everyone's sake. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 A huge thank you to everyone who started the forum, keeps it running smoothly and to all the contributors. There is so much information, support and kindness in there and our dancing journey would not have been the same without it. Happy birthday forum and may you have many more ???????? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Although I don't post so much now that I don't have any dancing children, I'm a a moderator and love reading everyone's posts. I was also a member of the original forum - from around 2001 I think, when my son started taking ballet seriously and I was looking for advice about White Lodge. I found about 2 posts from other parents with similar experience, now there's hundreds (well, nearly) of you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYR Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Well, thank you for your service as they say. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 It's a great site and I love my daily ballet forum fix! Thank you to all who make it possible. ???? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullContretemps Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Happy Birthday! I'm a bit scared that it's been 5 years since we moved here. I don't post very often but have learnt so much and love keeping up with everyone's journeys/questions/hilarious moments. I've received invaluable advice and thanks to the forum have met some lovely people in real life (LinMM ) Thank you to everyone who works to keep the site running for us! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Happy 5th birthday and thanks to admin xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja Sm Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 A really invaluable site. All your hard work, moderators, is certainly appreciated. Thank you also to all the members who contribute, offer support and advice, share their experiences, post humorous anecdotes or write fascinating reviews....our lives are full of fascinating and kind people. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Wonderful achievement! Thank you to all concerned for this amazing forum and a belated Happy Holidays to all ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballettaxi Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Where do I go for : Advice, Guidance, Support, Encouragement, Friendship, Laughs, Comfort, Insight???? Quite simple really, I couldn't live without this forum. Thanks to all involved in the running of this amazing resource. Here's to more of the above in 2017 !! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Thank you, Alison. We didn't go online until 1998 and there were lots of pages for me to read when I found you. Bruce really, Fiz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Happy 5th Birthday and thank you to all the moderators for doing such a fantastic job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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