Additional training on top of vocational

[Leapinglizards]

My DD might be starting vocational school this

sep,  I was wondering how necessary is additional training ? It seems a lot of full time students manage to train full time then attend extra lessons and attend work shops all over the country at the weekends . This is something that I don’t think I could manage . 

[smallbythesea]

My dd starting also. I'm going to look into extra for her to do over the summer as 10/11 weeks off is far too long.

[Leapinglizards]

1 minute ago, smallbythesea said:

My dd starting also. I'm going to look into extra for her to do over the summer as 10/11 weeks off is far too long.

Congratulations ... I’m happy to arrange summer schools etc , but I’d assumed maybe naively that the school training would be enough however I’m now hearing otherwise . My DC follows older students from the school and it concerns me how much extra happens outside school at parents time and expense . As a

single mum with two year old twins I can’t do this . Which SS are you considering ? 

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My daughter does very little outside of school, in fact it is not encouraged.  She did have some very specific problems in the early years (she entered the school as a borderline student and needed to work on particular issues) so she did have a few private lessons with a teacher because of this.  Other than that she occasionally attends an open ballet & conditioning class taught by an ex ENB dancer at our local leisure centre on exeat weekends only for social reasons and fitness and of course the summer holidays are much longer than normal schools.  We also used Easter and summer schools as a way of finding out more about potential post 16 schools and colleges.  Dd has commented that a couple of students she knows of seem to be developing bad habits from other "unauthorised" classes outside of school.

 

This summer she is not attending any summer schools but instead is going to find some pilates/conditioning classes and work on her singing.

[elfin]

I’m not sure how old your DD is but if she’s young,  participation in most external events is neither necessary or encouraged (in most cases not even permitted) by vocational schools. Attending one or two reputable summer schools is fine but I really wouldn’t worry about anything more than that or what others are perceived to be doing

[meadowblythe]

I would love to find the correlation between injured dancers and those spending all summer attending extra courses ..

 

Keeping fitness up is important, but it's very easy to enrol in umpteen things because "everyone else is .."   small people need time to grow, mend, sleep and keep up relationships with their local cohort.

 

It depends on how old your daughter is and what she is hoping at achieve from the additional classes. 

Edited March 23, 2018 by meadowblythe

[dancefanatic]

My DD is at vocational school (now Y9) and it is strongly frowned upon at her school for students to do extra classes, particularly at half terms and weekends.  There are always those that do them but the ethos of the health & well-being team, which is supported by the AD, is that the students need rest and downtime as they do so much at school.  In fact, you are supposed to get permission from the AD for all extra-curricula classes and no more than a maximum of two weeks summer school and then only with permission.  We certainly can't afford more than a week in the summer and it certainly hasn't done her any harm.  In fact she made a fantastic improvement from last year's appraisal to this plus those bad habits she may have had prior to attending the school are being sorted.  She does do stretching and other flexibility/strengthening work when home but that is all.  Please don't feel pressured either by your DC or what you think others are doing at the school.  Rest is vital for all children, particularly those who do so many hours of dancing and conditioning during their usual week. 

Finally, congrats to your DC on being offered places, they have done fantastically well as the competition is very fierce.

[Pas de Quatre]

Pictures & dancefanatic, you have hit the nail on the head.  It is so easy for students to pick up bad habits and then so hard for their regular teacher to eliminate them - the habits not the students!  That is why most serious schools like to approve any outside classes that their students attend.  It saves a lot of heart ache all round.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

And sometimes you don't realise they are bad habits because they look impressive.  Things like really high extensions but with out of alignment hips etc.

[Moneypenny]

When a child goes to vocational school at Year 7, it’s a very very long game to get to graduation at Year 14! Young bodies are growing and vulnerable and in my experience they become even more vulnerable to injury as they move into upper school. I’m a big believer in strengthening and conditioning, but not in over training at every opportunity, ie. weekends and holidays.

[Billyelliott]

Summer schools can be a good way of looking at suitable upper schools for the future - especially if you choose a different one each year...it’s surprising how fast those 4 years go past and you are having to consider where next!

Also although rest is extremely important some children just can’t bear the long summer holidays without some dancing and spending time with other dancers!

My DS always wanted some kind of summer school experience as a birthday present ..... 

[junedancer]

11 hours ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

And sometimes you don't realise they are bad habits because they look impressive.  Things like really high extensions but with out of alignment hips etc.

 

DD’s teacher says that it takes ten times as long to correct a bad habit as it does to form one.

[balletbean]

 

Only yesterday I responded to another post in LS with this comment below, I thought it appropriate to share again as so many 'liked' what I said.

 

My advice to any parents of DC, whilst exercise/dancing during down time (half-term, Summer holidays etc) is important don’t book back to back classes. Embrace the time you have with them. Encourage meeting up with friends and swap regular ballet or other lessons for more relaxed fun type classes or activities. Summer workshops run by local dance schools whilst not necessarily challenging for some are excellent fun relaxed activities, requiring different skills. No pressure like the more formal SS. (Obviously if at Vocational LS attendance at a SS is possibly mandatory it doesn’t mean to say they have to spend their entire summer at endless SS). If you live near the coast even better. Fresh air and exercise on the beach. No beach, try the good old countryside walks. Again the fresh air is fabulous but also a great way to touch base and talk to your child about anything and everything and to listen to them. One to keep the body moving but also let the brain recharge/relax which is important for their mental health, not just their muscles. 

Mental as well as physical burn out can creep up slowly when you step on to the tread-mill of vocational training at any age. 

‘Time out’ also allows the child that time to think and talk to ensure that this is truly the career in the future that they want. And not because what’s expected of them.......... 

Edited March 24, 2018 by balletbean

[Lisa O`Brien]

What a wonderful post, balletbean x

[Nicola Moriarty]

Hi All

 

Lovely reading all your answers.

 

My son has just gained a place at White Lodge starting September after only dancing properly since September last year. We are very happy, and going to miss him loads, but he has shown great strength and courage since he started, so now I can't stop him dancing! lol.

 

10-11 weeks of ballet is fair to long. Far to long away from any sport/hobby/activity it is important to have a routine to keep fitness and strength, and go to quality additional training.

 

We open our home for approx 40 days of the year where we hold courses for young dancers, Intensives and summer schools. We only take 12 guests, so the personal attention is second to none and we can really focus on any problem areas. We have a number of White Lodge'rs and Elmhurst students come to use, and some require permission from the school and that permission has always been granted (Which is nice to know).

 

Please see our faceBook and Instagram pages for lots of pictures of what we are all about. Especially our 3 or 6 days intensive at the end of August (70% place gone already). Great for going back to school focused and prepared.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Nic x

[Lisa O`Brien]

Congratulations to your son, Nicola.

[JulieW]

My son spent 8 years in full-time training (at WL and Elmhurst) and only went to 2 summer schools in that time - and only single weeks. He needed the summer break to rest and recuperate, enjoy some downtime, time with his family, go camping, walking, swimming with some occasional stretching. He became a professional ballet dancer - I don't think doing extra stuff would've improved his career prospects, although I do wish he'd had a chance to do Prague just before his graduate year. But quite honestly, we had no money left for extras!!

[CeliB]

DS did quite a few summer schools, partly due to my anxiety that he was a late starter (if I'm honest with myself in retrospect). Now that I look back I am not convinced any of them made much difference to his training, though he did have a lot of fun (to our bank account's severe detriment). When he was at home he really did absolutely nothing (this only changed once he went to Vaganova when he started keeping up with daily stretches and went to the gym or swam 2-3 times a week). In fact he just turned into the biggest sloth out- barely got off the couch except to go out on the razzle with his mates...

 

DSs close friend at voc school never did a single summer school ever and graduated at 16 straight to a professional contract.

 

I would say summer courses are of value if you are thinking of changing schools and want to check out a different one (however summer school teaching is often not like all round teaching so you have to be cautious) but otherwise they are really unnecessary if you are already training all year... Equally extra classes only if you have a specific concern (e.g. injury) and want a second opinion (and are certain the teacher giving the extra classes is top notch) or again thinking of leaving the school and want to explore alternatives. IMO if you/your child feels they need extra/different classes I would wonder whether the FT training is doing its job...

 

Other complementary exercise (pilates, swimming) is always good though...