All England Dance Regional Finals 2017

[Belleballerina]

Just wanted to wish anyone dancing this week all the very best of luck. To have got to this standard is amazing! Enjoy your time on stage and have fun!  Dd isn't dancing until the end of the week (13 peices) but apparently the standard this year is higher than ever so will be tough. Looking  to hearing some yes's through to London Finals! 

[Dancermum2003]

Hi I just have a quick question about All England - are vocational students able to enter? I have watched the regional finals this week (wow what talent) and am sure one if the girls attends a vocational school although she wasn't entered under that name? 

[Sandsfoot]

It is my understanding from the rules that being at vocational school is not a bar to competing in All England regional or national finals.  Many qualifying festivals do not allow vocational students to perform but I suspect that some may have qualified before they went to school as the qualifying festivals start about 18 months before finals.

 

[AliKat]

Hi Belleballerina. My DD is through to National Final in 15 to 18 Classical Ballet. Only 2 put through from Southern Region. She's so pleased as this is the first time she's got through for ballet and she's only 15. She is not at vocational school yet but is starting at Moorland in September. It's always a pleasure watching the talent on display at All England comps. X

[ArucariaBallerina]

How does one go about entering the All-England? Do you have to attend a special festival? Or earn a very high number of points at a local festival? 

[Jan McNulty]

Here is the official site that has lots of information:

 

http://www.all-england-dance.org.uk/competition/how-to-enter

[Wigglybunny]

We were there this week and bumped into several children who are off to voc school with DS in September. Interestingly, not one of them qualified for the national finals in ballet, although DS qualified in several song and dance classes and others qualified in other genres. The standard was very, very high, as usual. Lovely to see. 

 

Edited to add: But I don't think they will be allowed to compete one they are actually at school. 

Edited June 4, 2017 by Wigglybunny

[Guest]

17 hours ago, AliKat said:

Hi Belleballerina. My DD is through to National Final in 15 to 18 Classical Ballet. Only 2 put through from Southern Region. She's so pleased as this is the first time she's got through for ballet and she's only 15. She is not at vocational school yet but is starting at Moorland in September. It's always a pleasure watching the talent on display at All England comps. X

Very well done to your dd that's a great achievement. We noted that some of the sections at regionals were huge this year so even harder than usual?

[annaliesey]

I know a couple of people who have been at voc school for the past year or so who competed in regional finals. They didnt say anything about not being allowed. Also a couple of RB associates too. 

[Dancermum2003]

Thanks for the replies. It's not sour grapes - my dd wasn't there but I think it's an interesting point. I know the school this dancer is at doesn't allow their pupils to compete (hence her entering under another school name). It also offers up questions about fair playing fields. Can a dancer from vocational school (where they are training 4/5 hours a day) fairly compete against a dancer who has fewer classes? Like I say, no personal conflict but just interested in people's thoughts and opinions.

[BlueLou]

42 minutes ago, Dancermum2003 said:

Thanks for the replies. It's not sour grapes - my dd wasn't there but I think it's an interesting point. I know the school this dancer is at doesn't allow their pupils to compete (hence her entering under another school name). It also offers up questions about fair playing fields. Can a dancer from vocational school (where they are training 4/5 hours a day) fairly compete against a dancer who has fewer classes? Like I say, no personal conflict but just interested in people's thoughts and opinions.

 

Thoughts ………. there are lots of different levels of competition in the dance world, from the novice sections at a small local festival, to the open sections, to bigger festivals, All England qualifiers and regional championships. I think it would be unfair if a dancer who had just won a place at a voc school was entered into a novice section at a small local festival, but at All England regional finals I wouldn’t expect any restrictions. It is a very high level of competition, so I would expect many of the dancers there to have trained a lot (either at voc school or otherwise). Part of the point of competing at that level is to test yourself against the very best dancers out there. 

 

[annaliesey]

I personally don't mind and agree with BlueLou about testing yourself a bit against the "best" dancers out there. When you consider quite a few dancers get offered places at voc school which are unfunded it can just sometimes be competing against those that can afford to go, not necessarily more talented if that makes sense. 

 

 

[AliKat]

Thanks Mnemo.  Yes some of the classes were very big this year but I don't know if that means that it was harder or not.  I believe that there is no restriction on vocational students entering for All England.  I think the only restriction is for those who are currently earning from their dancing eg. being in a show in the West End. It may be that the vocational kids attending the regional finals this year qualified their dances with their local dance school early last year and are representing them at the final even though they may now be at vocational school?  It's an interesting debate. We had a mother from DD's local school who was very unhappy that my DD did festivals because does associate classes so I can see both sides.  However, anyone can audition for associate programs and it takes a lot of time and effort to attend them. Just a thought.

 

[sarahw]

Our local festival allows vocational kids to do duets/trios but not solos I think. I think it's a good compromise.

 

It's very grey though because some kids who are 'non vocational ' are doing at least as much dancing as those at vocational school.

 

I think festivals have to be seen as fun and a bonus if you place or progress. 

[AliKat]

I agree with you totally sarahw.  The main focus has to be enjoyment and getting experience on stage.