Anybody heard of Ajkun Ballet Theatre

[shygirlsmum]

My daughter received this message on her instagram page yesterday, I initially thought it might be a weirdo (account is open dancer account and she posts no personal info on there) but a little more research showed that the website is real but being a novice ballet mum I know nothing about them.  I'm not considering sending her but I am intrigued to know if anyone has heard about it, I also add that she was not following them on instagram and knows nothing about them either.

[shygirlsmum]

Based on the photos we have seen of you, we'd like to invite you to audition for the Ajkun Ballet Theatre's programs. For more information, please visit www.ajkunbt.org or contact ajkun@aol.com with subject: Preselected on Instagram

[Picturesinthefirelight]

They appear to be an American based training and performance opportunity company.

[shygirlsmum]

I did read the website, it just seemed strange that a school/co would contact someone out of the blue and I wondered if this is common practice.  I do know a girl who was contacted by tring to ask why she hadn't auditioned but she has a big social media following so could account for how they know about her, so do you think that schools are now talking notice of social media in general? 

[taxi4ballet]

Schools in the UK usually have way more applications than they can handle, so it is pretty unlikely they would need to go touting for business. There might be the odd occasion when they get to hear of someone truly exceptional that they'd like to have, so who knows? Doubt if it happens much though.

[shygirlsmum]

Perhaps the American schools are hard up for applicants then!

[taxi4ballet]

Perhaps that one is...

[shygirlsmum]

Thanks for posting, I have now had a couple of responses from people with first hand knowledge.

Edited September 4, 2017 by shygirlsmum

[ArucariaBallerina]

Hello, I have just been contacted from Ajkun with the same message... Even though I have a private account and they couldn't have seen any photos of me? Does anybody have any knowledge?

[Jan McNulty]

Sounds like they have been using keywords to pfish.  Don't respond whatever you do.

 

I get lots of ads on FB about ballet related merchandise, presumably because I use the word ballet in posts.

[shygirlsmum]

3 hours ago, ArucariaBallerina said:

Hello, I have just been contacted from Ajkun with the same message... Even though I have a private account and they couldn't have seen any photos of me? Does anybody have any knowledge?

I had a couple of people message me offering information after I posted this thread.

It seems it is a pukka school/company with good training and there is an audition in London.  

However, nobody could understand why they would contact potential students on social media, the consensus is that it's odd.  My daughter just ignored the message as it came through as a "message request" on instagram as she doesn't follow them.  She does have an open dancer account where she shares photos and non personal information about dance.

 

[Guest]

Welcome to the new world of instagram! Not sure how odd it is that a ballet company approaches dancers in training. We know an extremely talented dancer who was invited to the Adjkun summer school in Italy which he found to

be hard work but fabulous. He is off to be an apprentice with them in the US very soon.

 

What concerns me more is these dance brands who use preteens and teens to do free advertising for them by getting them to

post pictures and tag them as part of an ambassador search. Very few get the ambassador role and those who don't can get confused. 

[Canary]

It's not just what you post, it's who you follow and who follows you that guides the advertisers. 

 

So even if you're private you will be fed the type of posts you should like in their opinion 

 

 

[Guest]

On 10/1/2017 at 23:15, Canary said:

It's not just what you post, it's who you follow and who follows you that guides the advertisers. 

 

So even if you're private you will be fed the type of posts you should like in their opinion 

 

 

You also have to know that you can 'buy' followers. I am not sure how it works but there are ways...

[shygirlsmum]

3 hours ago, ravasmum said:

You also have to know that you can 'buy' followers. I am not sure how it works but there are ways...

Really, the only social media I have personally is FB, I keep an eye on dd’s Instagram account to check for weirdo’s 🤣 but had no idea people bought followers 

[FlexyNexy]

Good evening ladies and gents,
I am going to resurrect this old post and wonder if there are any news on this establishment? I saw that 2018 graduate from Elmhurst has joined their program, but that's about it. Does anyone know or can share little info on them?

[Jan McNulty]

Here's a link to the website:

 

https://www.ajkunbt.org/education-for-dancers.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIofHG0Na98QIVwoBQBh0hoQtGEAAYASAAEgL05_D_BwE

 

 

[FlexyNexy]

10 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Here's a link to the website:

 

https://www.ajkunbt.org/education-for-dancers.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIofHG0Na98QIVwoBQBh0hoQtGEAAYASAAEgL05_D_BwE

 

 

Thank you Jan for the link. I am aware of them as my DD has been offered a contract but I am failing to find some more solid information other than their web. I have searched this, same as the USA forum and no one seems to have personal experience hence ressurecting this old post x

[Kanangra]

My DD got a similar approach via instagram when she was a Gaynor Girl but ignored it. One of her friends ended up there last year and was loving it until Covid came along and put an end to everything. I can contact her mother to find out more information if you like? 

[FlexyNexy]

8 hours ago, Kanangra said:

My DD got a similar approach via instagram when she was a Gaynor Girl but ignored it. One of her friends ended up there last year and was loving it until Covid came along and put an end to everything. I can contact her mother to find out more information if you like? 

That would be lovely.  I think I have contacted one girl of similar description you have mentioned (she returned because of covid from NY) but she has not responded yet. 

I would really appreciate if you could contact them. They can write privately if they wish. I only want to know some personal feedback. X

Edited June 30, 2021 by FlexyNexy
Spelling error

[Kanangra]

I sent you a message @Flexy Nexy.

[FlexyNexy]

I am just updating this feed in case it will re-appear in the future. We had 2 week long research on this company, my DD contacted previous and current dancers from UK, Australia and USA and feedbacks have been quite interesting and helped us to make a right decision. 
If any member of this forum would need assistance in the future, I am happy to be approached.

[5678balletmom]

HI FlexyNexy, Would you mind sharing the information you have on Ajkun Ballet Theatre Company and Trainee Program. Is it a legitimate company and trainee program?

[Peanut68]

I struggle to sometimes see exactly what things actually are.... eg. the Company element of this set up; is this a company like say RB where dancers are paid employees on long term contracts? Or like a Wst End show where hired for a specific gig (so short term contract/freelance) or is it - what I worry it is/could be an ever increasing trend - a pay to join ‘opportunity’ so basically yet more ‘training’ under the guise of being a job?

With the lost months/years of covid & shrinkage of the Performing Arts I fear more dancers will be desperate to ‘work’ & carry on their trainjng to not lose out on their already years of training, effort & outlay that just another year (or 2) to fund will become ever more the norm....

would love to be proved wrong in the case of this & other ‘conpanies’ offering grad ‘opportunities’....

Any info shared on this & similar would be helpful to many I think! 

 

[FlexyNexy]

Do you have $15k spare for a short I believe 10 month season (not counting housing in NY, expenses and travel)?
Does your dancer DD or DS fancy to work for free in costume department, admin or teaching associates?
Would he/she likes to be forced to instagram marketing to promote them?
Is your dancer prepared to use cheat and forced movements?
Are you happy not to receive help with visas.
If your answers are YES to all and many more, then join Ajkun Ballet Theatre.
My DD made quite extensive research on this organisation after receiving Junior Artist offer. She has bombarded ex and current dancers with messages and received 85% negative feedback. 
I am happy to speak to anyone who wants feedback and can send my mobile number privately.

[Peanut68]

Thank you for sharing your researches opinions....exactly what I suspect many of these things to be....ultimately rip offs feeding on dreams & the ‘what if I just could be seen by x/y/z’ hopes. Plus emotyijg the parent purse with the self justification that ‘We’ve spent X amount so far, maybe we have just gotta throw a bit more at it for investment to pay off?”

I do feel I get ever more cynical.... am quite sure this is replicated in very many spheres where years of training is needed to compete against far more qualified potential candidates than there are jobs...

But still dancers dream! And I’d never want to totally quash that as sometimes dreams do come true (with the usual quoted ‘blood sweat & tears’ & a kings ransom of cash of course too!) 

[FlexyNexy]

12 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Thank you for sharing your researches opinions....exactly what I suspect many of these things to be....ultimately rip offs feeding on dreams & the ‘what if I just could be seen by x/y/z’ hopes. Plus emotyijg the parent purse with the self justification that ‘We’ve spent X amount so far, maybe we have just gotta throw a bit more at it for investment to pay off?”

I do feel I get ever more cynical.... am quite sure this is replicated in very many spheres where years of training is needed to compete against far more qualified potential candidates than there are jobs...

But still dancers dream! And I’d never want to totally quash that as sometimes dreams do come true (with the usual quoted ‘blood sweat & tears’ & a kings ransom of cash of course too!) 

Hear Hear my dear Peanut. 
I did not mention the $130 audition fee, the main dancing lady that you will see on their instagram is also their admin, visa advisor and so on. The tour in Italy, Brazil - never happens.
And I only mentioned here the basic $15k fee, there were other offers in their email up to jaw dropping $25k if the dancer decided to stay longer than standard "season".

We did moved their contract to e-bin after reading covering email with the table breaking down the costs.

[Jan McNulty]

I can't comment on every pre-professional programme but Northern Ballet's is the one I first became aware of some years ago.

 

I remember David Nixon saying at the time it was set up saying (paraphrased) that beautiful dancers came out of the schools but they weren't necessarily ready for the rigours of company life.

 

A quick look at the current Northern Ballet roster shows that the following dancers attended NB's pre-professional programme:

 

Dominique Larose

Filippo da Vilio

Albert Gonzalez Orts

Aurora Piccininni

Harriet Marden

Julie Nunès

 

[Lifeafterballet]

3 minutes ago, FlexyNexy said:

Hear Hear my dear Peanut. 
I did not mention the $130 audition fee, the main dancing lady that you will see on their instagram is also their admin, visa advisor and so on. The tour in Italy, Brazil - never happens.
And I only mentioned here the basic $15k fee, there were other offers in their email up to jaw dropping $25k if the dancer decided to stay longer than standard "season".

We did moved their contract to e-bin after reading covering email with the table breaking down the costs.

It’s so so sad for our hardworking graduates 😞

The schools publish their graduates destinations and successes portraying that their students have gone into fabulous worldwide ballet company contracts when actually if you do your research it’s a sad set up like this 😢 ££

im so happy my dd is out of it now. I say this as I sit at Gatwick waiting for my flight to watch Ds dance. The dream does happen for some but I know he is just extremely lucky though 😅
 

[Lifeafterballet]

3 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

I can't comment on every pre-professional programme but Northern Ballet's is the one I first became aware of some years ago.

 

I remember David Nixon saying at the time it was set up saying (paraphrased) that beautiful dancers came out of the schools but they weren't necessarily ready for the rigours of company life.

 

A quick look at the current Northern Ballet roster shows that the following dancers attended NB's pre-professional programme:

 

Dominique Larose

Filippo da Vilio

Albert Gonzalez Orts

Aurora Piccininni

Harriet Marden

Julie Nunès

 

I think the U.K. ones are easier to work out the costs involved and IMO a little less risky but not so glamorous on a grad destination list 😒

[5678balletmom]

Thank you FlexyNexy for your response

[Pups_mum]

6 hours ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

It’s so so sad for our hardworking graduates 😞

The schools publish their graduates destinations and successes portraying that their students have gone into fabulous worldwide ballet company contracts when actually if you do your research it’s a sad set up like this 😢 ££

im so happy my dd is out of it now. I say this as I sit at Gatwick waiting for my flight to watch Ds dance. The dream does happen for some but I know he is just extremely lucky though 😅
 

I've often thought it would be very useful if schools had to publish what their graduates are actually doing later, say 5 years after leaving. It's probably impossible, but it would, I think, help people make decisions, or at least go into things with their eyes wide open. The (very sound) advice to look at graduate destinations is actually hard to do, unless you have plenty of personal contacts. We get to see the straight from graduation destinations many of which may indeed be schemes of dubious provenance, and then a few carefully selected success stories. With time and experience you start to pick up on wording, and maybe get a bit cynical I suppose, but things are often phrased in a potentially misleading way. "Has performed in..." or " worked with" could mean almost anything! How long for? In what capacity? Was there any actual exchange of money, (and if so, in which direction)? Often what is not said is as revealing as what is. Not actual lies, but certainly incomplete data. Unfortunately by the time we get wise to this kind of thing we tend to be a long way down the path. There needs to be more transparency so that the parents of young dancers see reality early in the process. You know, I think plenty would still give it a try anyway, but at if there were more hard facts to base decisions on and people were making better informed choices the process may be less damaging.

There does seem to be a proliferation of schemes from associates through to graduate schemes in recent years that promise great things but don't deliver. The concept of all these things is good, and the originals were doubtless excellent - some of course still are - but at the other end of the scale young people and their parents are having their their dreams exploited.

[Kate_N]

18 hours ago, Pups_mum said:

it would be very useful if schools had to publish what their graduates are actually doing later, say 5 years after leaving. It's probably impossible,

that’s assuming schools have access to that information. For example, most universities have big alumni networks, and employ people to try to get this information, but if our graduates don’t keep in touch, there’s little we can do. So I very much doubt that far smaller schools, without access to the kind of funding universities can devote to this, could do what you think they should do.